Her Story
About Adrienne
I've been in my field for 46 years, and I am a retired emeritus professor who retired 6 years ago from the University of Missouri system, where I spent 31 years at two campuses, Columbia and Kansas City. My journey started at the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff, and then took me to the Institute of Design and the Brooklyn Museum, Ohio State University, Iwa Women's University in Seoul, Hongik University of the Fine Arts in Seoul, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and Louisiana State University. I am an artist - I've always been an artist from childhood. I'm a painter by training, a photographer, and a jeweler. When I got out of college, my father said, minor in education so you can support yourself with that art stuff. It was good advice, and I went into the family business of education. I have my own art businesses now and work for myself. I just got a studio grant from the Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, an opportunity to have a studio space for 2 years. They had 167 applicants and 16 finalists, and I go for my final interview next week. Last year I had my photographs on billboards in Kansas City, so it was fun to see my work 11 by 23 feet high on top of a building. As a leader, I have been head of an art education program for LSU, and I was also head of the Black Studies program for UMKC before they closed it. That's why I retired. I enjoyed that ability to see things from beginning to end, and to see those students come in and then finish with their bachelor's or their master's certificate. That has been my inspiration as an educator.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Adrienne
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to faith in God and not giving up, just continuing to put it out there. I haven't had a big exhibit since 2023, and prior to that, 2019, but I got good reviews for those exhibits, and so that keeps me pushing forward. I had very good mentors - I've lost two this year - artists who were very supportive of my career, my life, my endeavors, my talent, and they were like, just keep doing it. You know, you just never know who's gonna see it, or when it's gonna hit. You can't stop, and you can't stop believing in your own art.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is just keep doing it. I had very good mentors who were very supportive of my career, my life, my endeavors, my talent, and they were like, just keep doing it. You know, you just never know who's gonna see it, or when it's gonna hit. You can't stop, and you can't stop believing in your own art. My father also gave me good advice when I got out of college - he said, minor in education so you can support yourself with that art stuff. It was good advice.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Get your preparation down, because your preparation is going to be the ritual that you continue to use throughout this. When I was in graduate school, someone called me methodical, and I think being a little bit methodical helps. You have a routine, you have a ritual that you know works, and just keep doing that. And not that you won't have to expand on it or evolve it, but have your preparation, your practice down, so that you know what makes you feel good, because that's what keeps you doing it. I think you have to be authentic. I see young people who just want to go with the trend, and I have explained to them, from my own experience, that that isn't going to maintain you. You have to be authentic. Whatever you're doing has to be the real you, and you have to be honest and joyful with it, or you won't keep doing it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say the lack of spaces is the biggest challenge. There are lots of artists in the world, but the spaces that are attributed to success in terms of galleries or exhibitions, exposure, sales, recognition, all of that, there's a limit on space. So it makes everything much more competitive in this day and time than it was when I started out. I had space in the beginning, and so just trying to maintain your space is the challenge.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Authenticity, truth, honesty, and health are the values most important to me. I think you have to be authentic. I know young people who just want to go with the trend, and I have explained to them, from my own experience, that that isn't going to maintain you. You have to be authentic. Whatever you're doing has to be the real you, and you have to be honest and joyful with it, or you won't keep doing it.
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