We recently connected with Pearl Dick and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Pearl, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve been a part of is Project FIRE–a trauma recovery program for young people in Chicago who have been injured by gun violence. I was teaching glassblowing lessons to a pediatric ER doctor at a South side children’s hospital who was treating youth who came into the hospital with gunshot wounds only for them to show up again and again re-injured. She found glassblowing and our time together to be helpful in her own healing journey. She connected me to Dr. Brad Stolbach, a clinical psychologist who specializes in child trauma who was offering mental health services for people in the hospital and together we conceived of and started Project FIRE, combining art making as a means for expression, healing, and connection and psycho-education to help people understand the effects of trauma in their lives. FIRE stands for Fearless. Initiative. for Recovery. and Empowerment. To see how people have grown through this program to become mentors, teachers, and artists inspiring the next generations of young people who came up like them is the most meaningful work to me. Also working to maintain Firebird Community Arts, in East Garfield Park, a community space where youth from Project FIRE and other art and trauma recovery programs, our staff of teaching artists, and artists working in our community can come together and be creative and supported.

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

I’ve been working with glass for over 25 years. I had always been creative as a kid and just assumed that making things and drawing things was a part of life. Turns out I had great parents and teachers who cared about art and music and play and who didn’t dissuade me from going to art school–a career move that I’m sometimes conflicted about recommending to my own students now due to the high cost. I’m privileged to have had the opportunity to experience going away to college to study art and it certainly shaped the course of my life. This was where I saw glassblowing for the first time and I knew with certainty that this was what I wanted to do and have worked really hard to continue working in this medium ever since.

My artwork which focuses on the relationships we have with each other and our human connection is in museums and galleries around the country but it wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I could just make art and not work at least 3 jobs to support that work.

In 2006, I discovered a love for teaching, working with a group of teenagers on the West side of Chicago–not only was it amazing to see how working with glass helped to open up lines of communication and connection through the process, but how it also empowered people through accomplishment and challenge.

In 2015 i joined forces with a Chicago non-profit to form what has become Firebird Community Arts, located in East Garfield Park. We are a community art center offering classes in glass and ceramics in a safe, supportive, creative space. We run youth programs, host visiting artists, workshops, field trips, create unique handmade glass and ceramics for sale, and provide mental health services and mentorship to young people in our community.

My journey as an artist and creator has led to me to this incredibly rewarding work through many twists and turns and lots of collaboration along the way. I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunity to share my love and passion for an art form that is so impactful in people’s lives and to do my part to uplift communities that have been traditionally shut out from accessing glass due to gender, race, or socio-economic barriers.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One thing I had always held to is a work-around-the-clock mentality and that self sacrifice was a show of love. I think it can get confusing to know your limits and to create healthy boundaries when you do what you love for your job or if you’re self-employed as many artists are. It takes a tremendous amount of work and sacrifice to continue to create in our fields and to stay authentic while maintaining a standard of living that we all deserve.

I still feel like a strong work ethic and dedication is important, but I no longer feel like you have to work to the point where your mental health or well-being suffers. Breaks and rest are good and important too. It took me along time to realize this and to be honest, I’m still working on it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

People can support artists by buying our work, donating to our organizations so we can continue doing what we are best at in our communities. Attend our events. Buy tickets to our shows, buy our merch. Shop small, local, and artisan–so much of consumer culture has been shaped by Amazon so cheap and fast becomes the expectation–be willing to wait for something handmade or pay more for it–support the artists who you believe in. And absolutely pay people what they are worth for their work.

A lot can be done to support artist communities too without spending money through care and compassion. Help each other out–share resources, share skills and techniques, share information, offer encouragement. The more we work together for collective success and move away from competition and secrecy, the better our individual work gets and our creative community thrives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Firebirdcommunityarts.org www.pearldick.com
• Instagram: @firebirdcommunityarts @pearldick

Image Credits

Bill Ross