We were lucky to catch up with Teresa Bone recently and have shared our conversation below.
Teresa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
My most meaningful project was being commissioned by the Arts Council of Fayetteville to curate their Black History Month Exhibition. The proposal I submitted for this project was based around a concept that I developed after the passing of my Grandmother (my dad’s mother) in 2021. She was my last surviving grandparent, so her loss marked the evolution of my life without elders. I also came to the realization that there was unfortunately a lot left unsaid between us, and a lot of stories left untold. I had very little understanding of who my grandmother really was as a person/ as a woman. There were questions that I had now, being an adult in my 30’s, that I didn’t think to ask as a child and wouldn’t have known to ask in my adolescence. Now I would never have the opportunity to gain those insights; but I was curious, even though my Grandmother was now gone, I wondered what parts of her might still be alive in me. Her eyes would squint when she laughed, my father’s do the same, and that was a trait I inherited naturally, but I thought about the deeper things that might connect me to her. Did I get any of my empathy from her? My wanderlust and craving to travel? My quiet nature? and when it is ultimately my time to pass, what is it that I want to leave behind for my family? While grappling with these questions, I knew that what I was feeling was a very ‘human’ experience. I was certain that there were plenty of others who had felt what I was feeling at some point or another, and that is how I came up with the idea for ‘The Seed & The Sower’.
The Seed & the Sower was a showcase about the strength of connectivity found in black female, familial relationships. Science states that a female child is born with all of the eggs she will ever carry in her lifetime. With this knowledge, it can be understood that a piece of us, no matter how microscopic- has been with our mother, our grandmothers, our great-grandmothers, and so on. We will eventually go from being ‘seeds’ of our ancestors to ‘sowers’ as we pass along the traits, ideals, and dispositions that were passed to us. The concept of ‘The Seed & The Sower’ was a mirror reflecting the existential idea of cyclical legacy. The goal of this show was to pay homage to ancestors, honor what we in the present will contribute to our bloodline, and celebrate the hopes we have for our future descendants- whether that be our children, or simply those whose lives we touch with our own.
During the artist call we had 139 submissions from artists all across the country. There were so many different interpretations of the theme and it was beautiful to see each artist’s take on this multi-layered study of time, connections, and heritage. Though this narrative was grounded in Black female representation, the ideas behind it (lineage and legacy) are concepts that are intrinsic to the human experience and can be felt and understood by all. It was my hope that the show resonated with the humanity in everyone who had the opportunity to view it regardless of gender, race, or creed. I wanted it to remind viewers that we are both finite and infinite, to be mindful of what our ‘seeds’ will be, and what we will one day leave behind.
Teresa, 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?
I have such a sense of accomplishment being able to call myself an artist and independent curator. It’s been quite a journey to get to this point; and it may not have happened at all if I didn’t make the decision to believe in myself. I was always a creative child, scribbling on scratch paper and drawing stick figures; but my first real source of artistic inspiration was found in my own house. I come from an artistic family, my dad was into photography, my mom could draw, my sister was creative, but it was my older brother who became the catalyst for my artistic journey. He’s eight years older than me, and when I was in elementary school, he was in high school, and I would marvel at the projects he brought home from his art classes. He always seemed to conquer whatever medium he touched: pencil, pen, pastels, whatever. I remember when I was about nine years old, I saved up my allowance and bought my first sketchbook, determined to follow in his footsteps. What started as simply me trying to emulate my brother, turned into me finding my voice. I was a shy kid and having a creative outlet gave me the space to feel free. I stayed consistent with drawing through grade school and then got introduced to painting my junior year of high school, which opened up an entirely new world to me. My work is mostly figurative and my mediums of choice are usually acrylic paint or colored pencils, but I enjoy experimenting with new materials and try not to put myself in a box with the tools I use. The themes that I tend to explore in my work are family, culture, and emotional catharsis among many others. Some work is a reflection of ideas or things that I was personally thinking or feeling in that moment, and some of it is just experimentation with concepts, tools, and composition. Through my curatorial projects my goal is to help give voice to both underrepresented artists and narratives. I always aim to create themes that are rooted in representation, particularly as an African American woman.
Admittedly, there was a time when- right as I was getting ready to graduate from college, I stopped creating for a while. I was focused on finding a job that seemed more ‘financially secure’, and at the time I didn’t have any mentors or guidance to help me see how I could profit and live from my creativity. There were at least 7 years where I didn’t create anything, but in 2018, I came to the realization how much creating meant to me and my self expression. To suppress it was like suppressing a core piece of who I was. So I started painting again. My focus wasn’t about making money or gaining any type of recognition for my work, it was just about me getting back in touch with myself as an artist. By 2019 I came together with two artist friends of mine and we put on a showcase, by 2021 I was invited to display my work in another group showcase and then towards the end of the year I applied for (and won) my first grant to produce an exhibition concept called ‘Singing in the Dead of Night’. Fast-forward to present day and I’ve since independently curated 6 different exhibitions, participated in trade shows, and sold numerous prints and original pieces. All which stemmed from me being true to myself and believing in my gifts.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
One of the main goals behind my work, both as an artist and curator, is to tell stories that may not typically have the opportunity to be told, to uplift voices that may sometimes go unheard, and to bring acknowledgement to those who may not always be seen. Being a Black female creative, I do have a heart towards advocating for diversity and uplifting creatives of color. And that isn’t to be exclusionary or attempt to say that any particular creative group is any better than anyone else; Its simply about equality. Just a few short years ago, in 2022, two arts and culture columnists conducted a national study on museum representation in the US in regards to exhibitions and acquisitions. They took their findings and produced what they called the ‘Burns Halperin Report’. From this report their research showed that between 2008 and 2020, 11 percent of acquisitions at U.S. museums were of work by female-identifying artists and only 2.2 percent were by Black American artists. But the numbers get even more disheartening for Black American women, who’s acquisitions fell at just 0.5 percent. But- why? It certainly isn’t for a lack of talented artists, and yet the numbers show such a gross disparity. Artists of all backgrounds are deserving of platforms, representation, and opportunities. It is my mission to do my part to help facilitate that acknowledgement and those platforms in whatever way I can. Whether through my own art or the support and display of someone else’s. I don’t think its too utopian of an idea that one day we might be able to get to the point where anyone can walk into any mainstream gallery or museum and be able to connect with a piece or an artist that is reflective of themselves. Representation is so important. Unfortunately, we’re just not there yet- there’s still work to be done.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Perfectionism and comparison are two things that I’m still actively unlearning. Sometimes I’ll become so consumed with making something thats ‘perfect’ that I’ll actually get into a creative paralysis and won’t create anything. This usually stems from overthinking, and the best way to break out of it for me is to revert to my sketchbook. Doing a drawing or making marks in my sketchbook doesn’t feel as ‘high stakes’ as when I’m painting; so it’s a way that I’m able to take a break, divert my attention, and when I finally get out of my head, I can go back to my canvas.
Comparison can be another bad habit, especially with social media. It’s easy to see someone who may have a certain number of followers, or brand partnerships, or any other metric that may make it feel like they’re ‘more ahead’, and wonder to yourself what you’re lacking and why you aren’t where they are. There’s nothing wrong with a healthy evaluation of how you can grow and expand your work or your brand as long as it isn’t tainted with the foundation of you trying to replicate someone else’s success. The way I break free from that is remembering that each person’s gift belong’s solely to them. There are a million other artists but my voice is unique to me. I’m in competition with no one else but my former self.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teresachristine.com
- Instagram: @tcfineart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tcfineart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-bone/
Image Credits
Tim Ellis
Meech Made Media