Outer Space Window Display & Artist Spotlight: Chelsea Mason
We were honored to work with artist Chelsea Mason, owner of Pulp & Pigment Art Studio in Wendell, NC, to create this month’s outer space-themed window installation, which transformed the Lab into an otherworldly space for our Kid Lab families. Read on to see what inspires her, how she became an artist, what it's like to run a busy art studio and her exciting plans for the future.
Did you want to be an artist when you were growing up?
I always knew I wanted to be both an artist and a teacher. I once asked my mother if she always knew I would be an artist and she said, “Yes, you were always making a mark.” I like that because making art is so much more than creating something beautiful or representational. Art is a way of leaving a little piece of yourself wherever you go.
What do you enjoy most about running an art studio?
I love that the studio can be a place where kids can come and freely make a mess. I often hear parents say, “I know I should do things like this with my kids, but the idea of the mess is so overwhelming.”
On a more personal level, [the studio] has provided me with an opportunity to be constantly creative beyond the constraints of my own art. I am always thinking of ways to grow our programs and workshops to better meet the needs of my students.
What are three things that inspire you?
1. I want to simply answer “nature” as one of my inspirations, but I’ll go a little deeper.
With highly energetic children of my own, I’ve been forced outside more and I’ve realized there are so many opportunities to create art with and from nature. I’ve been reading a lot about Charlotte Mason, an educator at the turn of the 20th century who believed that the child is a whole person and we must educate the whole person, not just their mind. She believed that nature study should be a large component of a full and rich education.
2. The concept of “loose parts” is intentionally providing materials but not providing direction. Open-ended lessons with purpose.
This book series by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky has influenced me recently:
Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children
Loose Parts 3: Inspiring Culturally Sustainable Environments
Loose Parts 4: 21st Century Learning
3. Some artists that I feel summarize where I am creatively right now: Rachel Burke (@imakestagram), Nick Cave’s soundsuits, Suzanne Kiggins, Amy Sillman, Carolyn Gavin (@carolynj), and Richard Tuttle.
What does 2020 look like for you and Pulp & Pigment?
We will continue to expand and offer more classes that meet more needs. We recently added science labs to the mix, and I’d love to add a weekly dance, music, or maybe yoga opportunity. Long term, I would like to provide more opportunities for my students to exhibit their work and I’ve thought about starting some Pulp & Pigment pop-up galleries throughout the city.
About Chelsea
Chelsea received her BA in studio art from Meredith College In 2009. Upon graduation she moved to New York City where she obtained an MFA From Pratt Institute. Her teaching experience ranges from The Children’s Museum of the Arts in NYC to William Peace University. She holds a North Carolina teaching license and taught painting, experimental drawing, and mixed media at Pullen Park and Sertoma Art Center in Raleigh. Her professional experience and background in art history influence her teaching style.
Chelsea’s art studio, Pulp & Pigment, has an exciting lineup of art classes for children and adults. Summer camp registration is now open for registration. You can find more details at www.pulpandpigmentstudio.com
