We recently connected with Virginia Mahoney and have shared our conversation below.

Virginia, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

As an artist, it’s important to know who you are and be that. Authenticity is important. It keeps your work honest, and honesty must define your approach to every aspect of your art. It helps to maintain a dialogue with artists and curators and viewers of your work by allowing them into your studio and your world as often as possible. Social media is a good component of that, as long as you have a healthy relationship with that world.

Virginia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a mixed-media sculptor who works in a variety of media. I started out as a ceramic artist (my MFA in ceramics is from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan), so I’ve always created mostly three-dimensional work.

Born in Tennessee, I grew up in Tampa, Florida, a creator from a very young age. Both my mother and grandmother were makers, and I learned many skills from them. I lived in Florida, North Carolina, then Michigan for grad school. I’ve lived in Massachusetts and worked in my home studio there since 1980, and was a teacher of high school and middle school art for many years.
Making art has been a constant and continuing practice throughout my life. My husband, grown-up son and daughter are all artists, so artmaking was part of our family life. My studio is the place where I use my mind, hands, tools, imagination, curiosity, and courage to make work that has meaning on multiple levels and speaks to me about my own and other humans’ experiences in the world. It is how I make sense of life. I’m interested in the intersection of materials, process, and thought.

Throughout my artistic life, an experimental approach to techniques and materials and a willingness to engage with possibilities are approaches that have informed my work. These days, the materials I work with vary, but most are repurposed in some way. Making new work from old can create new pathways and unexpected, pleasing or challenging results. Cloth, stitching, and fabric are major components of my work. Text is also integral, as I’m very intrigued by the often fuzzy meanings of words.

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

It’s a continuous learning process. Every day there is a new challenge. Sure, there are drawbacks to self-directed work, setting my own goals, relying on myself to get out of a jam, but those are growth experiences. There is always something new to do, to make, to learn or to research. There are also more and more opportunities to collaborate, which can be gratifying as well.
The connections I have with my artist friends are invaluable sustenance on this journey. Sharing my work with people through shows, studio visits, and conversations is a very rich and engaging aspect of life as an artist.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission is to to be authentic and honest in what I make, and to always challenge myself by looking for the most personal, unique solutions that communicate on multiple levels in the finished work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.virginiamahoneyart.com/
• Instagram: @artisteach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mahoneyvirginia

Image Credits

Virginia Mahoney