We were lucky to catch up with Meg Frank recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Meg, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Currently I’m working on building Pratt2024.org which is a website to help promote and connect Pratt Alumni from the Class of 2024. Returning to school after the pandemic revealed how hard alumni associations were hit by the disruption and isolation, and this project has been a deeply enriching activity; helping me to get to know so many of the artists in the Class and investigating what we need to stay linked as an active community after graduation. This project has gone through a few evolutions and eventually come right back to the starting point – a desire to create a Pratt Class of 2024 exhibition show became a website and online artist index due to time considerations, which eventually became the structural framework for a Class of 2024 show happening this Spring, which is now possible because of the connections formed chasing submissions for the index and website. Learning to ask for and accept help has been such a challenge, and to be able to get back to that original dream of a class show by asking and accepting has been very meaningful.

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?

My name is Meg Frank and I’m a weaver, painter, and jewelry maker who loves to teach and travel. I live and work in New York City and I’m currently going back to school so that I can teach art to high schoolers.

So much of my work is influenced by my nomadic childhood – moving more than twenty times in thirty years has given me a beautiful jumble of overlapping visual, physical, and emotional perspectives that I work to translate into works of art on and off the canvas. My work primarily sits in the range of abstract symbolism to geometric abstraction. Painting is a deeply fulfilling practice, but my desire to investigate richer forms of texture and art objects that are more transportable are what lead me to jewelry making and weaving. I’m delighted and lucky to be a part of the making team at The Peculiarity Shop (https://www.peculiarityshop.com/) where I sell my pearl, gem, and silver smithing works. Working with a team of seven other makers from across the country is fun and helpful when I want a range of aesthetic feedback!

Subject wise, right now I am invested in a body of work that investigates the tension between personhood and persona, the “acceptable” expressions of femme ambition, and the definition of “home.” Taking this work from watercolors and paper into oil and canvas and sculpture work has helped me solidify my feelings and map the adjacent issues like how our educational institutions interface with mental health awareness and sustainability for future work.

I love science fiction and fantasy and spent a lot of time at SFF conventions as a kid with my mom who is also a fan. She and her friends taught me how to love what I love passionately and how to reach out and do the work so you can enjoy your passions with other people. That lead me to one of my favorite projects I’ve ever done – Mermaids Monthly – an online zine about mermaids that I published periodically in 2021 with editor Julia Rios.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist, and working in a creative career, is being able to choose for myself the direction I am going in now, and next. Right now, especially when there are so many things in the world that I cannot control or even substantially help to fix I take a lot of comfort in knowing that I get to decide what direction I think is best for me and the things that I want to contribute to the world.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think there is a pretty stubborn conception of creatives who work in a dream like state, searching for the muse and inspiration; but I think that a creative’s work is a lot more about creating our own structure so that we can appreciate the muse when she stops by, but not depend on her when we have a deadline. I have to be really comfortable on a daily basis with being bad at something, so that I can get on with the work of practicing and getting good. Luck and talent are fabulous, but it takes practice to be able to utilize those gifts to reach my goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: megfrank.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megtots/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/peripateticmeg
• Other: http://Tumblr.com/peripateticmeg https://www.tiktok.com/@peripateticmeg

Image Credits
All images by Meg Frank