We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rex Hausmann. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rex below.

Rex , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Well, to start I’m 20 years in as a professional painter. I’m 41 years old and I’ve been drawing ever since I was a child. I started to paint in middle school and in high school. In college, I would then get both an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree in studio, art, and art history.

If I were to give any advice to Artists, I would say more than anything, as soon as you can figure out what if any direction you’re going to go in the arts.

For instance, do I want to be a graphic designer, do I want to be a painter, do I want to be an architect? All of those professions may seem linked, they really aren’t. Each one of those has its own trajectory, its own clientele and its own expectations. Even what region or coast you get your degree from matters. It’s all a process.

Each different direction you go has a different trajectory. In both your own personal journey, as well as professional milestones, things like education and expectations, both in your personal life and your professional life.

Day one is probably the hardest and it’s scary as hell when you say “I am going to do this, and I’m setting myself out to succeed at this.”. I started this journey about halfway through undergraduate studies in college.

In high school, I had won some awards in painting and some scholarship money to undergraduate studies, but I was studying business at the time. I was stunning entrepreneurship, which in all honesty helped in the long run.

About halfway through my undergraduate degree, I decided the business school just wasn’t for me. I said “isn’t college supposed to be what you’re good at.” I had always been good at painting and drawing, so I said I’ll give it a go and I switched to an art major. Right there and then I found my people, I absolutely loved painting and the open format where you could talk with people and paint at the same time. I also really love art history, classes, to this day I still study art history on my own. In the first semester. I was awarded Dean‘s list and I had a very high GPA. I was going to a state school at that time The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), which was a fantastic school and is a fantastic school. Currently I help fund raise for their scholarships and am part of their presidential art collection.

I was not to stay at UTSA for my undergraduate studies.
I would transfer to The Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). SCAD gave me a full ride for both my undergraduate and latter graduate degree. I really credit SCAD for developing my love for academic achievement. Something to this day I still talk about and refer many students to go to school there. In all honesty it’s probably the best art school in the nation. I know those are strong words, but at the time I went to school there, it’s not only the facilities and the faculty. It’s the students you’re around that challenge you. To this day, I still keep in touch with many of my college friends who are working on international projects all the time.

I say this because your schooling is very important. This comes at a time when people are challenging universities, and the validity of degrees. If you’re going to be an artist, I will tell you right now it does matter and it is a big part of who you are as a well-rounded person and an individual who’s able to integrate into society.

As far as museums and such, an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree are basically a prerequisites if you’re going to be taken seriously in the contemporary art world. Education is a necessary, as you learn a lot of of terms and a lot of ideas as well as have the time to figure yourself out.

After undergraduate studies, we started the Studios at Hausmann Millworks: A Creative Community in San Antonio, Texas with my family, where I still hold my studio today and have for 17 years. I’d say the studios have ridden in tandem with my career we’ve done a lot of international projects, worked on a local, regional and national level with many institutions and have enjoyed every step along the way.

Rex , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

What I’ll do is, I’ll give you my bio. I’ve shown all over the world, regularly showing in museums and have held an international career for the past five years, a national career for the past 15 and sustained all of this through 20 years. In the arts, that’s a long time to be around doing the same thing every day. My career started with a localized career. I didn’t make it to the big museums and the big projects without starting in the small regional museums. It’s really important as a person that you pay your dues, you meet a lot of really great people along the way and developed friendships that are lifelong. Those friendships are the things that will sustain you as you advance along your career. It really is important to not forget people, to say thank you and to remember those that help you along the way. It makes your life very rich and meaningful.

My bio:

Rex Hausmann studied visual arts at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Savannah College of Art and Design
(SCAD), where he received a BFA (2005) and an MFA (2016) in painting. His paintings have been exhibited at the 53d Venice Biennale, The Smithsonian in Washington DC, The McNay Museum in San Antonio and The Sheen Center in New York City (one-person shows), The Spencer Museum of Art, The Lawrence Art Center, The Institute of Texan Cultures, the galleries at Neiman Marcus and the Cloister at Sea Island Resort, the Waterfall Gallery in New York (one-person and group shows), and many others. He has lectured widely, in Texas, New York, Kansas, Georgia, Florida, and on National Public Radio and the TEDx San Antonio program.

In 2006, Hausmann, along with his parents, Gene and Renee Hausmann, repurposed part of the Hausmann Millworks industrial buildings in San Antonio to create an artistic community, now sponsoring over 65 artist’s studios.

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

I really love that. I have the freedom to do whatever I need to do every day. And I truly enjoy the people who I call friends. Really that is the gold life your friends, and your family. Make decisions based on that, and you’ll never go wrong.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I’d say be open to new ideas. Be willing to say yes, instead of no, and always try to figure out how as an artist you can integrate into society not be apart from society.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rexhausmann.com
• Instagram: Rex_hausmann
• Facebook: Rex_hausmann
• Linkedin: Rex Hausmann
• Other: The studios:
  www.hausmannmillworks.com
  Facebook: Hausmann_Millworks
  Instagram: Hausmann_Millworks