Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaleena Stasiak. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kaleena, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I attended the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada and thought I wanted to be a Drawing + Painting major. I took one summer Printmaking class and I immediately switched my major. I really enjoyed learning the different processes, such as etching, screen printing, woodcut, and lithography. I was also drawn to the community aspect of printmaking as it is a shared space and you are forced to interact and work closely with others. When I was in graduate school at the University of Georgia my focus shifted to include sculptural materials like wood, metal and textiles. Now that I teach, I give students a traditional understanding of printmaking, but also ask them to consider how a print could be turned into a sculpture, performance, installation, etc.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an interdisciplinary artist working in printmaking, textiles, wood and metal. I am inspired by quilts, folk art, and craft and I get a lot of inspiration from going to antique malls and decorative arts museums. Most recently I have become fascinated by yard art, and have travelled to visit visionary artist spaces like Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden, Vollis Simpson’s Whirligig Park and Butch Anthony’s Museum of Wonder. I have started creating my own versions of whirligigs, weathervanes and windsocks and am curious about them as objects of prediction, not just of the weather but also of the future in these uncertain times.
In my day job I am an Assistant Professor of Printmaking at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. I love sharing my enthusiasm and love of printmaking with my students and learn as much from them as they do from me.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After my undergraduate degree, I worked in a restaurant for a number of years but always kept one foot in the door of printmaking and art. I became a member of a local non-profit artist-run printmaking studio and gallery called Open Studio. I would rent space to make prints and eventually, after sticking around long enough, I began teaching workshops and classes. I believe that this community and these opportunities are why I continued making art and was able to begin a career in teaching.

One of my favorite pieces of advice from the artist Sister Corita Kent is: Always be around. Come or go to everything.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that I get to do what I love “most” days. There is a lot of administrative work that goes into being an artist but, in general, it is in service of making art. When I am teaching I get to be in the studio everyday and, even if I am not the one making, I am helping my students and making new discoveries through them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaleenastasiak.com
• Instagram: @kaleenastasiak