Kerry Rolewicz: Meet the Artist
My formal art education began with Early College Courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I continued on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Creighton University, spending one semester abroad at Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy. Over the last 30 years I have created, displayed, and sold work at various galleries, shows, and venues throughout the country.
Q: How did you get involved with Lions and Rabbits?
A: Shortly after I moved to Michigan, I heard Hannah speak at “Break it Down/ Make it Better”
Q: What themes/ideas are highlighted in your work? Intentions?
A: My work is more about the importance of the creative process than about the outcome. When I begin a piece I try to clear my mind as much as possible and just draw.
Q: Run us through your creative process - How do you start, flow and finish?
A: I scribble and erase and scribble and erase until I start to see images in the lines. I bring out those images using colored pencils, oil pastels, and oil painting mediums. It’s as if my work evolves from a meditation and turns into a puzzle as I try to make it work as a finished piece.
Q: What obstacles/struggles have you encountered throughout your career as an artist? Or challenges you face through your creative process
A: I have been at this for a long time, so my career as an artist has had to shift many times over the years. One of my biggest obstacles has always been marketing. My work is such a huge part of who I am that marketing myself has always felt awkward. Proposals are also very challenging for me, because of the nature of my creative process. I rarely sketch and I prefer pencil & paper over a screen, so securing funding for larger projects through a proposal that truly represents my capabilities is extremely difficult.
Q: Can you share a little more about how your art career started. Have you always been in your field? Were you self taught or had additional schooling?
A: I graduated with my BFA in 1993, so back then art school smelled like turpentine and a dark room and laid out no real career path. After graduating, I moved around the country quite a bit with my now husband. I was the queen of odd jobs, but I always had a studio and an upcoming show in the works. My art career and keeping a studio has always been a priority throughout the many stages of my life. I have worked as a self-sustained artist; doing gallery shows and the art fair circuit. I then cut back a bit to remain flexible enough to continue showing while staying home to raise our four boys. Now, I am working part-time while I still create and show. For me, it is about finding balance.
Q: Who/what are your biggest inspirations that play a key role in the work you produce?
A: I am inspired to share the importance of creativity and nourish the process.
Q: Is there anything you wish you could change about your work?
A: One day I will work larger in my studio and facilitate a mural project where the public can participate.
Q: What mistakes have you made? What did you learn from them? What are you trying to get better at?
A: Of course I’ve made a million mistakes, but it is all part of the process, so I am constantly learning. I am trying to become a better human daily.
Q: Do you feel supported by your community as an artist? In what ways could you feel more supported?
A: I am fairly new to West Michigan. I have been pleasantly surprised with the local public art opportunities, so in that way there is a great sense of community support. Artists almost always need financial support. There are very few careers out there where people put in SO much time and money without knowing if they will get paid.
Q: Describe a moment when you felt most proud of yourself
A: I have felt many proud moments in my personal life with my family, but I’m assuming you are talking about feeling proud artistically. In late 2019, I thought it was a good idea to apply for some Fine Art Fairs for the summer of 2020. Among the shows I applied to was the Cherry Creek Art Festival in Denver, CO. Cherry Creek is very competitive and I had applied many times over the years and had never been invited to participate. In January 2020, my application was accepted and I will finally be participating in the show this summer. Yay!
Q: What's most important to you about what you create, and how it impacts others?
A: I really try to stay true to my process and let my work evolve from those beginning lines. It is always when I create my best work.
Q: What's next? What are you currently focusing on or looking forward to?
A: As I mentioned, I have the Cherry Creek Art Festival this summer, along with the Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair in August and a few other art fairs lined up this season. I am displaying at Rockford Brewing Company (March-June) and I will have work at Sleeping Bear Gallery in Empire this summer. I am also excited for an upcoming mural project with Lions & Rabbits and I am looking forward to finishing my barricade project this spring.
Q: What does being an artist mean to you? What is the function of artists in society?
A: There are times when I have felt like being an artist is a curse, but then I try to imagine a world without art… and that is impossible. I feel it is essential for artists to encourage others to be creative, because art is everything and everything is art.
Q: And of course, if you could chose any vehicle to travel, real or imaginary what would it be?
A: Pickup truck
Follow more of Kerry’s work on kerryrolewicz.com and instagram.com/kerryrolewicz
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