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

Zach , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

A few years ago, I walked away from a 13-year career in business development and experiential marketing to become a full-time abstract artist.

On paper, it was a terrible idea. I had a wife, kids, bills, and no guarantee where this road would go. Up to that point, most of my work had been through commissions and referrals—no big shows, no waiting list of collectors, no real safety net. The logical move was to keep art as a side hustle and stay in the corporate lane.

So that’s what I did. I’d work my corporate job, I’d come home, put the kids to bed, hang with my wife, and then head to the studio. I was working late either building sculptures or slinging paint. And then getting up and doing the “corporate” thing all over again. The tension between my corporate life and my artistic creative life was becoming loud.

And then, with the rest of the world, COVID hit and life shifted. My wife and I talked and agreed that if I was ever going to take a shot at this, now was the time.

So I jumped in. No cushy landing, no part-time bridge. I signed a contract with myself: show up every day, treat the studio like a job, and let the work stack up. In the first two years I painted hundreds of pieces, often I was painting over finished work just to keep learning and pushing myself. I applied to shows I had no guarantee of getting into, took on work I shouldn’t have, learned to discern the good business from the bad, all while finding and defining my style.

When I got into The Other Art Fair Dallas for the first time, it was a turning point. I remember standing in front of my booth, looking at these big clean white walls filled with pieces I had poured all of myself into and thinking, “yeah, I’m doing this.” You never know if the work will land – if people will connect – if the ideas will properly translate from my head to my hands to the canvas and then to the viewer. But it did and the show was a big success.

If you were to ask me, “Has it paid off?” Not all the way, but, in many ways, yes. I now make my living as an artist. My work has been shown across the country. Serious collectors find me, feel the energy and emotion in the work, and respond to it. I work from my home studio, and I get to be with my wife and kids more than I ever was in my corporate life. Most importantly, my kids get to see their dad build something from scratch, first hand and in real time.

Now, don’t get it twisted—the risk isn’t behind me. It’s still there. But that’s part of the path I chose, and I’m okay with the tradeoff for what this career affords me. Choosing a creative career path means I have to choose it all the time, every day. Every show I invest in, every supply order, every month I’m not exactly sure how the numbers will land—the choice is mine. The difference now is that the fear and the fulfillment sit side by side, and I can live with that.

When someone sees my work, connects with it, and chooses to make it part of their life, that’s a pretty incredible feeling. I’m grateful for every step, every misstep or side step or jump forward – all of them help shape where I aim to go.

Zach , 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?

Zach Kidwell is a third-generation abstract expressionist painter based in Dallas, Texas, carrying forward a rich artistic legacy from his father, Brian Kidwell, whose assemblage sculptures are featured in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and his grandfather, Al Kidwell, a celebrated abstract artist with works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Growing up immersed in creative environments, Zach learned through observation and experimentation in his family’s studios. His paintings feature vibrant, rhythmic compositions that capture human emotions and personal narratives, inviting deep viewer engagement. Transitioning from a successful career in business development, Zach fully embraced art professionally, guided by consistent practice, intuition, and emotional authenticity.

Zach has exhibited at The Other Art Fair Dallas and Chicago – selected for prestigious events like The Other Art Fair Los Angeles, Context, Red Dot Miami, Spectrum Miami. Additionally, Zach was selected for the 12th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition by famed artist Jon Flamming. 45 artists from Texas were selected from thousands of submissions to have their work on display at Ft Worth Gallery Art Space 11. He continues to explore abstract expressionism passionately, crafting meaningful works that resonate emotionally with audiences.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

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Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

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Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.Zachkidwellart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachkidwellart?igsh=ZGs0bm9hYnd5Y2Zj&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19XzpWRzte/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: http://saatchiart.com/zachkidwellart

Image Credits

Zach Kidwell