We were lucky to catch up with Pam Kravetz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Pam, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Throughout grade school I struggled with my ABC’s and 1,2,3’s – school was hard for me! I was so lucky that I had a supportive family and wonderful teachers along the way that helped me understand my gifts were in creativity and personal connections. I think even then, I knew that my path would be different & I was being drawn to a career in art. My kindergarten teacher let me use the painting easel every day, my 5th-grade teacher let me do my book reports using drawings and my own storytelling. My senior year in high school, my ceramics teacher Pam Hall let me come to the art room and create anytime I was struggling with other classwork. I had a safety net, a support system, a group of amazing people in my life that helped me celebrate my gifts, support me, and elevate me. By the time I graduated high school I knew that was a key part of me & my future.

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

I celebrate the chaos of the everyday and am a champion of radical joy! I am an artist that tries to live her life in the most artful of way. There is no line between me and my art. Taking my love of art making, art education and art advocacy to my love of nature, adventures and learning new things! From whitewater kayaking, to camping, to horseback riding classes with a bunch of 10-year-old kids, to tap dancing and banjo playing! I have a lust for life, and I try to show it in all that I do and create. I strive to bring my viewers and community along for the ride!
Who am I? I was one of the the masterminds behind the yarn bombing group, The Bombshells of Cincinnati, and the art collective, The Polyester Spy Club. I am one of the founders of the adult synchronized swim team in Cincinnati – The Rhinestones. For the Cincinnati public light and art festival, “Blink,” I was the creative director for the first Blink light parade in 2017 and for the 2019 Blink event led my team to create the interactive art installation “Dazzle-Doodle’s House of Fun.” I was the first artist to be Artist in Residence at The Cincinnati Art Museum’s Rosenthal Educational Center. My interactive installation “Ace Ramone, Mr. Doodle Boy, the Peanut and You” was part of the 2019 Burning Man exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum. I also was a part of the 2022 re-opening of the Creativity Center and UnMuseum at the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center – “You Belong Here,” with the installation piece “Pinkalicious Pam-a-Jama’s House of Wonder and Silly Scooters Playhouse.” Where visitors were encouraged to touch, feel, activate, crawl though, engage – a mini-adventure! Also in 2022, I exhibited my interactive installation at the Weston Art Gallery in downtown Cincinnati – “I Think My Uncle Gershon Was a Golem,” where I explored my family history and Jewish faith. I often like to say “I am at heart a storyteller, and the story that I am telling dictates the medium I use.” The Weston Art Gallery installation showcased my use of multiple media – fabric based sculptures, slip cast ceramics, hand built ceramic figures, resin molded sculptures, wooden puppet automata, tufted rugs, detailed wall paintings and digital animation – all are woven together to create my narrative. In 2024 I made my acting debut in the Carnegie Arts Center (Covington, Kentucky) – production of the Rocky Horror Show – as the Narrator. Joy & chaos indeed! For me, art is not a spectator sport – you the viewer, become part of the art. You make my art come to life. I share tales in my art as a means of self-expression and love of self.

I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to share my love of art and art education to a larger community through local board and committee memberships. I am a Board Trustee of Artworks, the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, The Art Academy of Cincinnati, Queen City Charities, a member of the Cincinnati Art Museum Shareholder Committee, as well as a member of the Contemporary Arts Centers’ Educational Advisory Committee. I have also been recognized by the Mayor of Cincinnati proclaiming May 21, 2021, as “Pam Kravetz Day,” and a Citation of Recognition by the Commonwealth of Kentucky for contributions to the arts, philanthropy, and service.

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

Butterflies in my tummy, excitement, joyful. The feeling I can do hard things, being challenged, being scared – and doing it anyway – and, fulfilled! These are just some of the rewarding feelings that I have as an artist. The act of creating my art brings so much happiness to my entire being!
Being able to use my art to articulate my visions, my narrative, my voice – to share and teach others are some of the gifts being an artist awards me. I love that my art can bring people together, they can interact with it, be a part of it. When I first started to show my artwork years ago, I would walk away when I saw someone looking at my pieces. I didn’t want to hear what they had to say, I had a hard time with criticism, not even giving the viewer a chance to maybe say something nice. My approach to this has done a complete 180! I love watching people interact with my work – playing, discovering, learning, questioning, all the things! Being an artist is not only what I do, it is who I am, and I feel like such a lucky girl that this is my life!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Words often used to describe an artist, I like these: visionary, talented, gifted, imaginative, creative, talented. I’d like to add hard working, smart, determined, resilient and so many more. There are some other words used to describe artists I definitely don’t like: weird, lazy, undisciplined. Ok, I do like weird! Who wants to be normal anyway, whatever that is. I would like people in non-art related fields to understand that artists are so many things. Each artist – like each human – is different and the qualities ebb and flow as the artist learns, matures and develops, not only in their art but as a person. To me, being an artist is not a choice, it’s a “have to.” It is who we are from the tip of our heads to our hearts to our toes. It is not an easy path to take in life – there is so much uncertainty, heartache, and challenges. Many, actually most, artists have a second career or job that creates a safety net for their art-making. I feel strongly that we as people all have a need to create. Perhaps it’s music, or painting or sculpting, maybe it’s working on a car, gardening or cooking. It is an amazing feeling that feeds our souls and our hearts when we create. Artists takes that to the next level and that’s a pretty amazing thing to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pamkravetz.com
• Instagram: Pam Kravetz
• Facebook: Pam Kravetz

Image Credits

Ross Van Pelt
Haley Bollinger
Catie Viox