Kevin Sloan

Pat Kikuit, University of Wyoming professor and the Student Art League Adviser, is a good friend with Kevin Sloan. Sloan was a part of the Visiting Artist Series at UW a few years back. We (the Student Art League students and Pat) were able to have lunch with Kevin and tour his studio). It was a great opportunity to meet/re-meet this fascinating and talented painter from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Three of the most significant pieces of advice which he gave us included…

      1. Have your studio space be a place you are comfortable in.  It should be a place where you want to spend time.  His studio included a “work” area, a couch, a desk and an inspiration area.  Though his studio was quite large I think this can be achieved in a smaller space.

      2. Don’t approach galleries too soon.  Right out of graduate school/college is not always the right time to pursue representation at a gallery space.  There is a good chance you are not ready.  One of the first galleries Sloan approached looked at his work and said “keep doing this and come back in 5 years." This was not because the gallery did not like his work but rather because he simply was not ready.  Another reason to wait may be that you have not developed enough solid bodies of work at this time in your career.

3.   3. When you are working it is acceptable to accept distractions.  For Sloan, distractions (such as phone calls and visitors) are a way for him to get his mind on something else and often lead to great revelations.

What advice do you have for emerging artists?  What is the best advice you received as an emerging artist?