Professional artists pave the way for upcoming graduates 

Four professional artists from Mainframe Studios spoke during an artist panel in Cedar Hall on Oct. 15.  

The artists from Des Moines were printmaker Cody Hickok, painter Jess Quinn and ceramicists Emily McFarland and Jennifer Lee. 

When starting a business, gaining perception from professionals can allow a path to form while students work their way up toward owning a studio. 

The artists spoke about how difficult it can be to get an art degree, especially when trying to find other artists who also want a studio or business. 

Quinn and McFarland spoke about how teaching an art class, for example, may put prospective artists on the right path toward owning their own studio. 

Taking general art or art education classes can help students experiment with different materials and mediums, according to the artists. The Mainframe Studios artists said they got connected with smaller galleries and studios first in order to gain experience.  

Taking these small steps can help beginner artists find more opportunities and place themselves in the public eye.  

“Paying for a traditional ‘studio space’ may require earning income from at least one non-art job, and everyone’s path to making time and space to create art looks different,” said Hickok.  

The other artists agreed that, even though it’s not an easy road, it is extremely rewarding.  

“The idea is when you start keeping track of how much you sell in a month, you start seeing a pattern on certain months and it can help you prepare for your business, some months are typically better, some not so much,” stated Quinn. 

She and McFarland clarified that taking business classes would be beneficial for artists who want a professional studio or business. Even though each of these artists performs their jobs differently, they said they are all supportive of one another. 

Lee also discussed wholesale and retail.

“I prefer wholesale so I do not have to haul all of my work to the place, since pottery can be extremely heavy,” she said.   

The artists agreed that they are learning from one another despite having differing opinions. McFarland said that she prefers creating more than the business parts of owning a studio.