We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laurence De Valmy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Laurence, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I would mention two projects that have been very meaningful to me. In 2020, I was invited by Summit Public Art, an art association in New Jersey, to create a public art installation. With the pandemic, the role of pubic art became even more manifest and I was honored to be invited to contribute. My work was displayed on a mural and it was an amazing opportunity to reach a new audience. The project featured POST paintings inspired by Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Lee Krasner. I chose these artists because they’re all stories of resilience. I wanted to be inclusive of Krasner as a woman artist, Haring as a gay artist, and Basquiat as a Black artist.
THe other project I’d like to mention is my collaborations with Art Girl Rising, a platform in support of a better representation of women artists and minorities. This holiday season I designed a mug in tribute of women artists and we’re quite happy with its success. I am glad to contribute to raising awareness on this important subject.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am an artist, art teacher and writer. I create artworks revisiting art history and connecting art and social media. Painting is my main medium and recently I started to create phygital artworks, combining physical and digital components. I find it fascinating to see how technology impacts our society and how it offers new opportunities as well as challenges.
I write about art in different art publications and publish my own art blog The Curious Frenchy. Since more and more artists friends were asking about writing tips, I’ve started to offer my services to write artists’ bio, statements, or press releases.
My artwork is represented by different art galleries located in New York, London or Paris.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding thing I believe is to have people who relate with my work and connect with them either in person or social media. I love the interaction and discussions it creates.
Having collectors who support my work and receiving positive reviews from art professionals that I look up to is of course very gratifying too.
I’ve had a previous career before become a professional artist. I am very grateful that I’ve had the chance to pursue my passion and grow along the way.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When I started to work as a professional artist, I had very few connections in the art world. So I used social media, mainly Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin to connect and meet with artists and art professionals. I love how this tool can enable us to reach persons living around the globe, sharing a same interest.
I built my audience organically, sharing about my work, and interacting with my fellow artists.
My advice is to create your own community and genuinely connect with other fellow artists.
I am part of ArtCan.org a non profit community of artists and we support each others on many levels.
Then, do your homework about the best practices, there are lots of resources out there. I always recommend to follow Sergio Gomez, an artist and art coach who has valuable advice about an art career, beyond social media.
https://www.instagram.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laurencedevalmy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurencedevalmy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurencedevalmy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencedevalmy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BVnOV2TiyXp8HSVI9riqw