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2024 In The Words Of Our Featured Artists...
This year, Art Grove Newsletter shared the wisdom, knowledge, and advice found through creative practices by over thirty artists from across the US. As we move into 2025, we wanted to share some of your favorite articles, quotes, and pieces of advice from this year’s past issues.
By Art Grove Staff | 12/31/24
In February, Liz and Austin Turner shared their wisdom as two married artists making their way in New York City.
“We’ve had to navigate having conversations particularly about the business––which we own together––where it can sometimes be hard to remember that everyone is on the same team,” Austin said.
In March, we caught up with Terrell, a candid photographer based in Richmond, VA who taught us the magic of honesty as it shows up in his art and business practices.
“Just show love, man,” says Terrell. “Be honest about your expectations, what you have, and what you need. It’s so easy to show love. It’s not hard at all.”
In April, Staff Writer Sarah J. Gill introduced us to San Antonio multi-disciplinary artist Svetlana Zwetkof, explaining the co-mingling of her passions and their roles in her practice.
“I started sort of combining both things like making sound art and music,” Svet says. “That would recall what I knew from linguistics and then what I know about material abstraction, all kind of culminated together.”
In May, Asheville-based singer Haley Murdoch reflected on her decision to leave New York City to allow for a shift in her relationship with her artistic practice.
“I implore you: Do not be afraid to take a leap of faith for yourself. Always put your happiness and your wants and needs first. Each of us only gets one life, and there is no use in regretting a decision. Take the audition. Take a different job that is totally unaffiliated with your current career path. Do what is going to fill your soul with the most joy.”
In our June issue, we spoke with Samantha Rose Williams, the arts activist, performer, and creative producer behind the theatrical song cycle American Patriots. Samantha shared the dichotomy of telling important and difficult stories while aiming to do no harm.
“I’ve done all of this work to try to make sure that I am reducing harm, but I’m also going to acknowledge that I am trying to do something with sensitive issues. Sometimes I’m going to put my foot in my mouth or step where I didn’t mean to step,” Williams said.
Some artists shy away from delving into sensitive topics or divisive issues because of the fear that comes from making mistakes or the susceptibility to criticism on topics they’re less familiar with. But as Williams emphasizes, “We can’t let that fear stop us from making connections.”
In July, we featured Dr. Eliza Lamb from Hopewell Virginia’s Lamb Center for Arts and Healing, and Stacy Busch from Kansas City’s No Divide KC, to learn more about best practices when it comes to nonprofit community artmaking.
From Eliza’s Perspective:
“If there’s not a high need we do not need to be there,” Eliza said.
But quality is a factor too, and with her background as a curator and artist herself, Eliza chooses to engage communities of all kinds with deeply considered programming.
“Oftentimes in underserved communities, people will bring programming but it can feel like an afterthought,” Eliza said.
From Stacy’s Perspective:
“I’m a real stickler about calling something an artist opportunity if it’s funded by the artists it’s supposed to serve,” Stacy said.
Ditching the submission fees lowers the barrier of entry to artists of any background to engage with the opportunity while also giving No Divide KC a further reach into their artistic community.
Another supportive financial practice is their artist payment policy. Since the beginning of the organization, No Divide KC has always paid its artists.
Read the Full Article Featuring Both Perspectives Here
In August, New York City soprano Meredith Gray reflected on navigating her early singing career while experiencing grief from the death of her father, also a singer.
“I poured my grief into these arias, and my singing had never been better. I was finally able to express all of the turmoil and depression I was feeling using my voice and my face without breaking down into tears. My voice flourished and people started complimenting my acting abilities (something I always assumed I was never going to be good at).
These days, after so many years of pushing my grief deep down, I finally realize that my artistry is infinitely improved when I work with my grief instead of against it. For me, that took acknowledging and processing my grief in spaces that encourage my unrestrained artistry.”
September’s issue featured San Antonio-based studio artist and curator Crystal Rocha in an interview with Sarah J. Gill on an artistic career and practice without traditional arts education.
“I didn't go to college, but I like to think that I tried to put the same amount of time into my practices, which I think translates so differently because it's instead of going to school, putting that time and energy there, I was doing the same things, but in the real world,” Crystal says.
In October, New York City soprano and multidisciplinary artist India Rowland shared her passion for infusing visual art with the music she studies and performs. Her choice to follow this passion led her to create new opportunities to share her singing with the public.
After many hours of shooting, editing, recording, planning, and performing India’s project was complete. She shared that she posted it to her website, but felt hesitant towards sharing it more broadly on social media.
“I think I had just gotten some rejections, and I thought ‘Well this is a moment to say I do have something more to offer and it’s not up to these people to decide whether I have something to offer,’ So I decided to promote myself,” India says.
November’s issue featured Sarah J. Gill’s piece on finding community through singing without performance expectations and the power that holds, featuring somatic therapist and choir leader Olivia De Jesus and the San Antonio Y’All Sing Choir.
“Y’all Sing! and its related choirs, Choir Pa’Todos and Fire Choir, strive to create spaces where people can reconnect with themselves through music, without the pressures of perfection or performance. The concept is a refreshing, inclusive approach to music-making, focusing on community, healing, and joy rather than competition or exclusion.
“We’re all musicians and we thrive musically when we find our unique musical voice. I love to hold space for that kind of discovery,” Olivia says.
We at Art Grove Newsletter are taking strength, sensitivity, patience, thoughtfulness, and non-traditional approaches into 2025. We are choosing to leave behind perfectionism, self-doubt, hierarchy, and the solo-genius mentality.
What are you bringing with you into the new year? Whatever it is, we wish you peace, and we look forward to sharing more artist stories with you in 2025.
