Catherine Palmer (Good Together)
Catherine Palmer stops to observe work being created by participants in her Intuitive Acrylic class.
Over the course of six weeks at Fresh Eye Gallery, teaching artist Catherine Palmer facilitated Intuitive Acrylics (July – August 2022). In this class, Participants explored different acrylic process painting styles including traditional heavy body acrylic, working with pallet knives, and fluid painting.
Artwork produced during the workshop is now on exhibit in Good Together, alongside art from 5 other workshops led by local teaching artists is also exhibiting. Each workshop was designed for individuals with disabilities.
Catherine spent time answering some questions about her art background, their experience as a teaching artist, and advice they may have for other artists interested in bringing art facilitation into their practice.
Good Together is on display until February 11, 2023.
Tell us more about yourself and your art background.
Graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in 2001,
Rented my first studio in 2002 in Southeast Minneapolis, Studio hopped for a while ended up at the Solar Arts in 2012.
Work for Utrecht/Blick 2000 to 2015,
I did an artist in residency in 2010 in Carrizozo New Mexico,
I worked as a Committee Member with NEMAA between 2012 and 2014,
Was part of the Women's Art Resources of Minnesota Mentorship Program in 2015/16, Co-hosted On Location Drawing Co-op 2017/22,
Joined the board for Women's Art Resources of Minnesota in 2016/17,
Started working with the Show Gallery Lowertown 2017-Current,
Starting teaching for Minneapolis Community Ed 2017- Current,
Volunteered for the Minnesota Museum of American Art 2016/18 (Gallery Sitter)
Joined Art to Change the World in 2020 and currently am on the Task Force and The Fox Den Gallery Committee.
Started working with Showing with the Saints in 2021/2022 - Which is a collaboration with the Saints and the Show Gallery Lowertown
What led you to adding teaching to your art practice?
I wanted to encourage people to experience creatively with painting.
What class did you teach for Fresh Eye? What was the experience like?
I taught a series of classes that went through a variety of different acrylic paint processes. We went from just paint brush painting to using pour painting and spin Arts. We did some collage and used a variety of scraper tools. Overall we just had a good time. We got a bit Jiggy, I had two lovely assistants helping me with my class Jodi Janz and Lisa Nordstrom.
Do you remember the very first class you ever facilitated? What was it?
The first class I taught was with kids in a church basement summer program and it was affiliated with Regla De Oro Gallery.
What type of advice would you have for other artists who are interested in teaching but aren’t sure on how to get started?
Figure out what you love and what you're good at, make a plan and go for it.
More on Catherine: “While I have been at the business of making art for as long as I can remember, my work as a student began in earnest in 1987 when I was awarded a scholarship to the Split Rock Art program. Since then, my study has led me from the precepts of life and figurative drawing to the freedom I have found in theory and an abstract vision. In other words, you need to know the rules to break them. And in the process of doing so, catharsis is found. My starting place is color; color leads me through space to composition. My subject matter can be identified as a conversation with the world I live in, influenced by feminism, personal circumstance and the on-going attempt to create a pure art object, one that exists solely for the experience of the beholder. I have shown my work in Minneapolis since 1997 in Galleries, Community Colleges and Coffee Houses. As a result, my paintings are held in personal collections across the United States and in Norway.”