Crystal Ann Brown: Member Q & A
Momument I, Sculpture, Laundry and other textiles used to care for my children, 2019
Q: Firstly, tell us about yourself! Where do you live, what sort of art do you make and how many children do you have?
A: I currently live and work in Buckhannon, West Virginia where I work at a small liberal arts college, West Virginia Wesleyan College, teaching in the art department and directing the Sleeth Gallery. I am an interdisciplinary artist that spans drawings, sculpture, performance, and installations. I have 2 children an 8 and a 2-year-old.
Q: How do you continue to engage with your art practice alongside raising children? Do you have a dedicated studio space and routine, or do you work from home in between other things
A: I work primarily from my home studio in between other things but do occasionally find time to work on larger scale projects in the art department at WVWC and in my college office/studio space.
My kids have a major impact on how and where I work. Since we began homeschooling my practice has become a more holistic endeavor and I have started to rethink my practice in order to work more collaboratively with my family.
Mother Spirit, Cyanotype, Fabric, and Thread, 2017.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you and how much time do you manage to carve out for your own work?
A: Typically I wake up before my family does to spend and hour or so in my home studio. I reserve this time for less mentally focused work like sewing, drawing (to an extent), sketching and watercolor painting. Once my family is awoken, we eat breakfast and get ready for the day. My typical weekday consists of homeschooling, teaching college courses and other domestic and academic activities. Throughout the day, I bounce in and out of the studio depending on what projects need attention. Naptime for my toddler still plays a big role in determining when and how much studio time I can get in. I usually have to prioritize things that need my attention like major art projects with deadlines, grading, class prep and professional practices. Since everyday looks a little different, I’ve had to come to terms with my practice moving a little slower than I would like. There is a lot of multi tasking involved in my day and I find that to be challenging depending on how much energy I have. After my kids go to bed I spend a couple of hours working in my studio or on my computer.
Untitled detail, from the Labor of Lover series, watercolor, and pen on paper, 2019.
Q: Have you come up against specific challenges as an artist and mother? What were they and how have you navigated these challenges?
A: Yes, I have encountered many challenges but the one that has been the most important to me and my practice occurred when we moved to Kansas City shortly after finishing grad school in Athens, Ohio. I felt overwhelmed as a new mom and with trying to balance the many facets of life in “the real world”. The gallery receptions weren’t inclusive to families, although I continued to bring our son to openings while carrying him on my back in a baby carrier, the receptions went late into the night and were not as welcoming as they could have been. I was having a difficult time connecting to the arts community so I decided that I would bring the community to me and began to invite artists to install work in our house. I founded The Hown’s Den: A Nomadic + Domestic Exhibition Space in 2014. I chose to hold openings on Saturdays during the afternoon, after nap times but before bed times. This was a great way to connect with a community while introducing a holistic approach to integrating arts and family life. All kids were welcome and encouraged to attend openings. You can check out some of the artists and their installations at thehownsden.com
Another experience occurred shortly after graduate school, my partner and I were accepted to be mentors for an artist residency and were in the process of purchasing plane tickets when we were contacted by the residency director and told we could not bring our child. After I explained that I have successfully navigated graduate school with a baby in tow and that my partner and I have a good system, we were told that only one of us could attend and our child was not welcome. I made the decision for both of us that we would not be attending the residency. At the time, I was an emotional mess and couldn’t understand why this happened, but later I realized this a common occurrence. Mother-artists are often being rejected or just not welcome if they need to bring their kids along. This moment was a bit paralyzing for me and it’s only now 6 years later that I am regaining the confidence to apply for residencies again.
Lenka Clayton, an artist working in Pittsburgh, PA has created An Artist Residency in Motherhood and I did participate in that project and often reflect on that opportunity.
Animated GIF of blind contour drawings from the series, Labor of Love, 2017.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
A: I think that they say it best on the children’s musical television program Yo Gabba Gabba! “Keep trying, keep trying don’t give up. Never give up.” Yes, I’m sort of joking but in all reality, perseverance has been a key part of my professional art practice and academic career.
Q: Who are your role models? Who or what inspires and encourages you?
A: Lenka Clayton, Ann Hamilton and Louise Bourgeois to name a few mother/artists.
My family, kids, partner and my sisters inspire me on a more everyday level, keeping me on my toes, supporting me when I need it and inspiring me; there is never a dull moment and I sometimes think that I thrive in the chaos.
Q: How has the experience of motherhood impacted your practice on an emotional/intellectual level? Has it made you view yourself/your work differently? Are there things that influence your work now that you didn't think about pre-kids?
A: It has changed everything; my work has become more fluid in adapting to our daily lives and more playful as a result. I’ve also had to devote a lot of my mental energy towards my family and that leaves less mental clarity for my practice so ideas get written down as soon as they come to me. I’m not able to read as much as I’d like, so my research is derived from more hands-on activities and everyday life experiences than from text-based sources.
Personally, I feel like my identity as a person has changed and that has been a bit of a challenge. Society expects mothers to remain unchanged after having a baby but motherhood changes you and I wish our society was more aware and accepting of those changes.
Your Tummy Still Feels Like Pudding, Rayon on Baby Blanket, 2018
Q: If your child(ren) were asked “Tell me about your mother” what do you hope they would say? Are there particular things you are trying to show/teach them as an artist, a mother, a woman?
A: I choose to teach by example and as a mother to young boys, it’s integral to show them the importance of being a whole person. I think that women, especially mothers, are seen as primarily caregivers and I want my sons to realize that mothers are multifaceted humans leading very rich and fulfilling lives.
Q: What drives you to continue to create work?
A: I’m continually inspired by my kids, my role as a mother, and my domestic life which drives a lot of my conceptual content, but the need to create things with my hands and to express my thoughts and experiences through making has always been a big part of who I am. I feel a bit like a compulsive maker and find that I get irritable if I have not been able to use my hands for an extended period of time. I’m not sure I could stop making things even if I tried.
CRYSTAL ANN BROWN is an interdisciplinary artist currently working in Buckhannon, West Virginia. In 2012 she earned her MFA in sculpture and expanded practice from Ohio University School of Art. She is drawn to the domestic and strives to reveal the inherently underappreciated aspects of everyday life through the use of textiles, sculpture, time-based media, social practice and drawing. Crystal is also the founder and director of The Hown’s Den: A Nomadic + Domestic Exhibition Space that works to bring new ways of viewing contemporary art to her community.
Read more about Crystal on her Artist Page