We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julia Deckman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2022 I had the opportunity to conceptualize, create, and install a solo exhibition titled “The Choreography of Color”. This collection and exhibition was the culmination of my first years working as a full-time artist and collaborator. It represents my true self, both personally and creatively.

“Color Choreography” is a deliberate process to explore and showcase the magical relationships between color and form. All elements of these pieces (shapes, proportions, color, negative space, texture, etc) are carefully planned and arranged to achieve a certain energy, much like choreography. My intention is to reveal how special these “simple” ideas of color and form truly are.

To learn more about this project and exhibition: https://www.juliadeckmanstudio.com/projects

Julia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a color focused contemporary visual artist and creative collaborator working in Charleston, SC. The tools I use are brush and paint, but my true medium is color. I have developed a variety of composition styles and approaches, some representational and others abstract, in an effort to explore form and color.

Collaboration is so important and inspiring to me. It helps breathe life into my solo projects as well. Through my James Island studio and exhibition space, I was able to host and sometimes curate exhibitions for emerging artists. In 2023 I will be transitioning into a new studio space in downtown Charleston. I wont be able to host exhibitions in my own space, but I still hope to assist with exhibitions in the future. Every chance at exhibition helps artists hone creative direction and skills, and I really enjoy being a part of that process.

I am also hoping to take on more interior on-site design projects, i.e. custom murals and design elements in homes or businesses. I really enjoy working with designers and clients alike on curating special projects for homes and environments.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Community is so important. If you are interested in supporting artists and other creative small business, simply search for your local makers markets. This is where many, if not most, emerging artists begin putting themselves out there. Its the most accessible way to get work or services out into a public environment. Its also a WHOLE LOT of work to consistently participate in these opportunities, there’s a lot of labor that goes on behind the scenes. By consistently attending and shopping with local markets, you are directly supporting an artist or small business. Your purchase can make someone’s week, or month. The more you show up at these types of events, the more artists will want to invest their time and effort into them, and the better these events will become.

Once you find an artist or maker that you really enjoy or connect with, subscribe to their newsletter and follow them on social media. Consider their work when shopping for gifts or thinking of curating your home. Become their patron, this is the BEST way to support artists.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I am happy to share that my favorite resources to use as a small business are: Canva.com (totally worth the pro subscription) and squarespace.com (easy website template options, commerce is getting better, and they have a built in newsletter platform now).

Contact Info:

• Website: juliadeckmanstudio.com
• Instagram: @juliadeckmanstudio

Image Credits
Kenny Reed, Chad Dyar, Mercedes Armella, Tim McManus, Kate Blohm