Christi Furnas (Good Together)
Christi Furnas stands and smiles as she talks with students from her Visual Storytelling class. She is surrounded by participants engaged in their projects.
Over the course of six weeks at Fresh Eye Gallery, teaching artist Christi Furnas facilitated Visual Storytelling (June – July 2022). In this class, participants explored how to tell a story in images, how to visually convey emotions, and where words fit in. Pens, pencils, markers, and more helped put together a mini comic featuring each participant’s work. Artwork produced during the workshop is on display in Good Together, along with a published zine called This is an Everybody Story. Artwork from 5 other workshops led by local teaching artists is also exhibiting. Each workshop was designed for individuals with disabilities.
Christi 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.
I’m a cartoonist, illustrator, and oil painter living in Minneapolis. I grew up in Kansas and created my first comic in second grade, Weird World, which I distributed to my classmates.
After high school, I moved to the Twin Cities. I’ve taken some part-time drawing classes and a mentor helped me start my comics, but I for the most part, I’m self-taught. I started to show drawings and paintings in alternative spaces in my early twenties.
I’ve exhibited my work in galleries around Minnesota and in New York. I’m working on a full length graphic novel about a Fox with schizophrenia, inspired by my experiences with mental illness.
What led you to adding teaching to your art practice?
I worked as peer support for the art program at Avivo, serving people with severe and persistent mental illness. Some of the people I worked with had their own art practice and some wanted to be shown how to use the art supplies. I learned as much from participants as they ever did from me, but it was that sharing of knowledge and creativity that inspired me. I’ve also worked as a workshop facilitator for VSA Minnesota (an organization that supported artists living with disabilities) on different occasions.
What class did you teach for Fresh Eye? What was the experience like?
I lead the Visual Storytelling workshop. It was so much fun. I was nervous at first because I wanted people to finish a story with sequential visual art. This can mean so many things. I wasn’t sure if people would have a story to start or if they needed to brainstorm one. And I wanted everyone to have enjoy themselves. I know from making my own comics that it can be difficult and time consuming. We explored expressing emotion with line and color. The artists shared their progress and feedback as they created fantastic work.
Do you remember the very first class you ever facilitated? What was it?
I was an organizer and teaching artist for a project called the Disability Mural Project for VSA Minnesota in 2013. We partnered with organizations around the state and brought 12”x12” boards and art supplies different places. The first place we went was an outdoor festival. It started off sunny then there was a sudden downpour. We and the art were all soaked. It was a learning experience for sure!
What type of advice would you have for other artists who are interested in teaching but aren’t sure on how to get started?
Take workshops and classes you are interested in. Notice the teaching styles that work best for you. Then perhaps start with volunteering your time. Keep an open mind and know that everyone has different skills, abilities and goals.
Christi Furnas is a cartoonist, illustrator, and oil painter. She has exhibited in galleries across Minnesota such as Soo Visual Arts Center, Rochester Arts Center, Rosalux, and the Undercurrent Project in New York. As a 2016 recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, she was able to create her mini-comic, Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia which has sold locally, nationally and internationally. She currently lives and creates in Minneapolis.