Today we’d like to introduce you to Kolt Sizer.

Hi Kolt, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

Just over ten years ago, I wouldn’t believe this is where my life would take me. I had just finished an associates degree in general studies and was working as a construction worker in the day and a server at night in Oklahoma City. A tattoo artist from my hometown in South Bend, IN asked me to apprentice for him and i saw it as an opportunity to create something for myself. It is important to note that prior to this experience, I had limited exposure to and understanding of art. From my working-class perspective, it was often perceived as a luxury not accessible to those with fewer resources.

After a year, the tattoo artist and I had a falling out and I decided to go back to school. This is where I fully emersed myself in art and the community surrounding it in my area. Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, I began volunteering at the South Bend Museum of Art, which eventually led to a residency, and eventually teaching a class or two. This experience marked the beginning of my understanding of the significance of community in the arts. My appreciation for the impact of an art community further deepened as I continued to volunteer and intern with community-based art projects and nonprofit organizations during my graduate studies.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Its more like off-roading. Art isn’t linear. There are rarely clear, tangible goals, not even mentioning paths to opportunites. I have a studio filled with work that may never be seen or appreciated by another person, and yet I have to continue to create and push myself.

I began my career as a tattoo apprentice while balancing multiple jobs to support my education. After earning my Master’s degree in Fine Art, I applied to 18 positions within a two-month period and received only one part-time adjunct offer. Additionally, I have experienced numerous rejections from art exhibitions, and many of my plans over the past six years have required adjustment.

While this may appear discouraging, I view rejection as an integral aspect of the artistic journey. It has fueled my motivation to continually enhance my skills and challenge myself. Moreover, overcoming these challenges has made my successes all the more meaningful.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

First and foremost I identify as an artist, however, I am also the Curator of Education and Pulic Programming at the South Bend Museum of Art located in South Bend, IN. Both are integral to my identity and allow me push me to new heights within my artistic practice and nonprofit career.

I state that I am an artist first because art will always be my first love. My practice is focused on drawing and painting with some recent experimentation in printmaking. While the work I make has explored many themes throughout my career, i have narrowed it down to exploring narratives and perception through representational art. Ultimately, my practice seeks to question the fluid nature of reality, inviting the audience to consider how much of what we remember and perceive is real, and how much is a construct shaped by both personal and collective experiences.

It’s easier to talk about what am proud of as a curator than as an artist. When I finish a piece of art, I go through what i call my honeymoon phase where I love it for a couple weeks or a month. However, I slowly start to pick it apart the longer spend with it and see what I would do differently which makes me need to make something new. As a curator in my role, my job is to connect the greater South Bend region to the museum and provide art opportunities. Having the opportunity to share my passion and have my community foster the next generation of great artists is extremely rewarding.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?

As I said earlier, every plan I made in the last 6 years changed so I am not one-hundred percent sure. That being said I do have some goals and am doing my best to set myself up for success. I plan to further grow n the nonprofit art industry. I recently completed a post-graduate certification in Nonprofit Administration and Development from Louisiana State University Shreveport to help me fulfill that goal.

As an artist, I have a five year plan to work towards gallery representation. It involves building larger bodies of work, securing solo exhibitions at reputable establishments, and furthering my integration in the communities that I want to show my art in. There really is no path or road to success, so you have to learn to navigate in a way that works for you and your goals.

Pricing:

• Pricing on Request
• Pricing on Request
• Pricing on Request
• Pricing on Request
• Pricing on Request

Contact Info:

• Website: https://koltsizer.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kolt_lucius