We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lese Corrigan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lese, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
I believe the first money I earned as an artist was from bracelets and rings made of telephone wire. The colorful coating on the wires made for the perfect 1960s style teenager “jewels.” Don’t think I have made any type of wearable art since except dyed scarves in my forties.
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?
I started making art of several sorts when I was about 10. It was the first time I had any type of drawing lessons and I was so amazed that one could look at something and draw it. I moved to playing with ink then paint by numbers a family member gave me then I was off and running. But not consistently. Consistency happened when going through divorce I decided painting was what I wanted to do when I “grew up.” If figured if I did not get to it then I might never. Teaching and running galleries began about the same time. I am luck to now have taught for 35 years. I ran other galleries off and on over nine years then opened my own in 2005. The only regret I have is that I have spent too little time in the studio but have a fabulous time working with artists. I bring that artist spirit to finding a home for other’s work. Focusing on local artists whose work is less representation I bring my sense of contemporary and knowledge of the area and the personal friends who make the works to the gallery setting.
Have you ever had to pivot?
There are so many times I have needed to pivot – going from college to being a Navy wife, going from being a wife to single and needing a career, going full-time in the studio, opening a gallery, adding earlier Charleston artists’ works that are more traditional to the gallery as the economy suffered, to purchasing a building for the gallery and my future home that needed and received focus attention for major renovation!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Finding the flow that feels whole and peaceful, energized yet challenging.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.corrigangallery.com
- Instagram: @corrigangalleryllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesecorrigan
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/painting/
- Twitter: @misslese