We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Kern. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.
Laura, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents have greatly impacted my life and career. My mother and father both grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. My father is a truck driver, and my mother works as a support professional at a college. When I was three, my parents moved from Bucks County, Pa, to Wayne County, Pa, a highly rural and agricultural area. It was their dream to move to this area and raise my sister and I in this type of setting. Through extremely hard work and dedication, they achieved this goal. Their work ethic and pursuit of their dreams continue to serve as an inspiration and motivate me within my studio practice. My parents also supported me in my pursuit of art. They asked what I planned to do with an art degree. Even when I did not have answers, they knew I was incredibly passionate about it, so they helped me however they could. In a world where the arts and humanities are consistently being held in contention to STEM programs, having a child pursue a seemingly unstable artistic career path can be concerning. My parents supported my career path while also raising practical questions to help guide my decision-making. Without their hard work as an example and consistent support, I would not be where I am today.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania deeply impacted my way of life and thinking. I am fascinated by the relationship between society and landscape and how they shape one another. My work questions this relationship and how interior and exterior spaces echo one another. I create sculptures using various media, including plastics, fabrics, and found objects. I received my BA in Visual Arts from Keystone College in 2020 and am pursuing my MFA at the Pennsylvania State University. I participated in residency programs at Arquetopia in Peru and Serde Interdisciplinary artist group in Latvia.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The two most rewarding aspects of being an artist are the problem-solving process and seeing how art can grow communities. One of the exciting parts of creating is when something unexpected happens during experimentation. Creating a solution is a thoroughly engaging process when a material, process, or design fails. I pull from an archive of skills and experiences to experiment with possible solutions. I find this process of seeing how different information and experiences can connect highly fulfilling. Not only is it fun within the studio, but it also translates to other aspects of my life. After templating a rotisserie chicken to create a fabric chicken, I approach cutting food in the kitchen differently. I cherish these moments of overlap. The ability art holds to impact communities is particularly inspiring to be around. I have been fortunate to join metal casting communities. Artists coming from many different backgrounds to form a team and collaborate in creating shared work is exciting to me. Seeing the local communities gather around the arts to watch and enjoy these events is incredibly supportive to see as an artist. Using art as a way to bring people together is an aspect of art that I am interested in pursuing in the future.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
A creative environment is the basis of a healthy societal ecosystem. Without innovation, curiosity, and narratives, not only does the world seem less colorful, but other aspects of careers and societies that are held as valuable are harmed. I think a lot about how society can support artists and foster creative environments. A good avenue to foster the arts is the idea of “Small Business Sunday.” There are creative people and artists everywhere. Often, big box stores are highly marketed as convenient or ideal to buy artwork from. I would encourage people to look for the local artists in the communities they are connected to and support them and their practice. Supporting and forming connections with local artists and creatives will serve to grow communities and businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: laurakernart.com
- Instagram: @laurakernart
Image Credits
Jennifer Kern