My latest interview with Voyage KC Magazine

in , ,

Click here to go to the link at VoyageKC Interview

Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Dirks.

Hi Teresa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up in the rural quasi-south, near the Mississippi River, around seamstresses, quilters, gardeners, and farmers, I learned to love nature, nurture, growing, cultivation and making. This made me. Creative.

My name is Teresa Dirks and I am a KC based artist, poet, and painter… I am a former environmental educator and art educator, originally from rural Southeast Missouri about 2 hours north of Memphis, TN. I lived my first three decades as a small, town gal. I have always felt deeply and known my desire was to do something with my hands, but I didn’t come to paint until I was in my thirties. That was three decades ago which is unbelievable. Yes, that puts me in my sixties, but I am just getting started. Don’t let these natural highlights fool you… Betty White and Judy Chicago are on to something… wink, wink.

More background, Dave and I lived in a geodesic dome we built. We raised a beautiful family and had lots of magical moments on that farm. The farm delta and horizon helped to define my work along with other things. Artistically, I began in photography and started with hand-painted, black and white, fiber photos. That process was luscious. After a time, this led me to paint. It was sudden, one day I said, “I am supposed to paint. This is what I was put here to do.” One moment in particular, on a trip to the STL Museum, I saw my first Morris Louis. I fell in love with art. I can’t really put to words what I felt. The sensation was life-altering. It was a monumental moment. Deeply monumental.

As an adult and mother, I went back to school and studied English and Art. I have a BA in Creative Writing, an emphasis in Poetry, and a Minor in Art. Later, I went back for my Master’s to teach Art.

In 2010, we had the opportunity to move close to KC and my first granddaughter. We jumped on it. We were in Warrensburg and this sparked opportunities: The prestigious MO50 Art Show and from that, I won a 2011 Missouri Art Council Award. In 2013, we moved to KC, and in 2016, I moved into my first “out of the home” studio. My studio was in the historical Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building and was such a great location overlooking the city skyline: You could see the Kaw and Missouri rivers, the train tracks, the bluffs, and the skyline along with being studio neighbors to some of the best Kansas City-based artists. I treasure my time there.

During that time, I was active in the Livestock Exchange Building Open Studios and was Co-facilitator for several years. This experience allowed me to interact with so many amazing creatives.  My years at the Livestock and in the Kansas City Arts Community were extremely beneficial and solidified my devotion to the KC community and the arts. My work and life have grown because of the vibrant and giving artist community here in KC. I am so grateful! Kansas City is such a wonderful place to create.

Unfortunately in July 2020 due to the pandemic, I chose to move back to my home studio in Weatherby Lake.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Personally: The first 25 years of my life had a couple of big bumps, but that made me stronger, no doubt. Something that I have learned is that to be happy, you have to think happy. You are responsible for that. No one else. I believe people who are happy and healthy focus on lifelong learning, trying new experiences, expanding their knowledge, and above all being flexible and pivoting. Pivoting is vital to staying vital. And I believe in walking. Walking is the best and cheapest therapy ever.

Professionally: Selling art and the business side of the arts is hard, (insert deep and long whine for effect)… With that said, finding the correct market for your artwork is challenging. Staying on top of technology is challenging. Running a small business is challenging. Having proper and affordable studio space is challenging. And I won’t get into photographing artwork… it all takes skill, diligence, energy, time, and money… I do not like to complain, because so many folks are hurting these days. “Remember, I say to myself, ‘These are all first world problems. I am fortunate to be doing what I love.’ I am grateful that I have this opportunity.

Creatively: As I said, I moved back to my home studio during the pandemic. I find it hard to talk about this, but my perspective has changed immensely because of the suffering, injustices, and political unrest. Currently, I am searching for something more meaningful. I am still painting, but I want to pivot, as I said before, into something that is more environmentally sustainable and beneficial to humanity. I am gathering my intentions and hoping to come together with a new body of work in the next year or two.

An artist friend once told me, if someone asks how long it took to become an artist or to paint a specific artwork, the answer is, “It has taken me all my life.” Essentially and succinctly, that is the best answer because all of my collective experiences have led me to where I am now. The good times. The bad times. The fun times. The sad times. My life experiences, my education, and my years of expertise make my artwork what it is today.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Creatively: Recently, we presented the show (at the Frank Lloyd Wright Church near the Country Club Plaza,) “Conscious Love,” which was an artist collaboration with two phenomenal poets, Poet T.L. Sanders and Kansas Poet Laureate Huascar Medina. The performance and evening were breathtaking. Tremendously proud of what we created and hope to expand on this art/poetry concept in the near future.

My artwork is contemporary, linear, and primarily all mixed media painting. My concept is that no matter who you are, or where you live, you have a horizon, a skyline, or a sunset, and that is a connection to humanity that each individual has experienced. This is an environmental and emotional string or connection that ties us together. My work is an abstraction of that concept. We are all interwoven in humanity. Interconnected. I feel as we merge into this new realm of technology and political unrest it is vital to make those connections and to reflect. It is a desire for unity and a sense of community. My desire is to us remind us to be in tune with what it is to be human.

As I said I fell in love with the Morris Louis’, Alpha Tau, and the color-field movement. It profoundly directed my work. So why am I drawn to Louis’ work? As I mentioned, I am also a poet. I studied Walden and transcendentalism. I love the brevity and contemplation of modern poetry. The succinctness! This is what my art is about. It is at its simple core. I love the ability to break something down to its essence, whether that is a painting of a moment or a poem of a single experience. It is the essence. It is humanity. And I want to share that essence of unity with my audience. When I create art, my aim is to reconstruct my experiences from life as a woman, and from the landscape and environment, and share that connection with you.

Professionally: A few years back, Southeast Missouri State University selected me as the first female beneficiary for the 2016 Alumni Merit Award for the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. I mentioned this before. I was the recipient of the 2011 Missouri Arts Council Poster Award. My work was featured in all the 2012 MAC publications. Additionally, my artwork is held by private and corporate entities. Also, I served on the Art in Public Places Committee in Warrensburg, Missouri; organized Paint with Your Girls, a successful fundraiser for breast cancer research; and served on the advisory boards of Southeast Missouri State University-Malden and the Bootheel Youth Museum, where I was also a volunteer programmer.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
1. We have so many great arts organizations here in KC. I recommend getting involved and joining one or two. Guildit and Kansas City Artist Coalition are just a couple that comes to mind.

2. Learn all you can from others.

3. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask another artist or creative for advice. That is the one thing I love about the Kansas City Arts community. The creative community here is always willing to share knowledge. We have such genuine kindness in our arts community. Truly, I am so grateful to my friends and mentors who have taken the time to share with me. Don’t forget, we are all together in this world. Why not make it a better place and share it with others? Kindness is such a gift to the world.

4. Promote fellow artists and share the love… whether that is buying art or simply engaging on social media. It is appreciated and helps us all.

Thanks for having me here.

Contact Info: