City of Boulder, CO Creative Neighborhoods Projects, 23 Jun 2021

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From YouTube: Artist Interview: Dara Schuman

Description

Keep an eye out for Dara’s ceramic work along sidewalks and parks in the neighborhood. Her ‘art drop’ project involves leaving a series of work for the public to find and take home. Creative Neighborhoods: COVID-19 Work Projects was launched by the Office of Arts + Culture and Create Boulder: https://boulderarts.org/public-art/creative-neighborhoods/covid-19-work-projects/

A

Awesome so first, I'm just going to have you introduce yourself in your creative career.

B

Yeah should I go now um hi, so I'm dara schumann, um I'm a ceramic artist based out of boulder, I'm 23 years old. I graduated from cu when or last may and all throughout college and high school and stuff ceramics. It's been a huge part of my life. I discovered it sophomore year of high school um and yeah. I did all my ap classes and ceramics and stuff throughout high school and then, when I got to college, it was super important to me and I wanted to keep it up.

B

So um I found the boulder pottery lab, which is located here in boulder um and I've been taking classes there ever since freshman year. I now um assist and teach there and I did like a little outreach program um instructing youth, but that kind of has gone to the wayside during coven, um but yeah. So it's just been like a super important part of my life.

B

I've kept it in my life ever since you know I was 16 and I'm slowly kind of finding myself and figuring it out, and you know I kind of want to make a career out of it. I I studied environmental studies and ebio, but I don't know if I want to do that. I want to pursue ceramics and stuff so.

A

Yeah great and how has copic 19 affected your life and livelihood.

B

Yeah, so I would say the biggest thing: it's actually like directly affected my art career and how I'm like going about it. um So I pretty much like all of my resources were through studio arts, boulder, the boulder pottery lab, and so when coronavirus hit they shut down. So I was like, oh my god like I can't do anything and I we're allowed to like bring clay home and work at home, but I didn't have a wheel.

B

I didn't have you know any of the the resources that I had there so getting yeah I had to just like figure out how to adapt and and become more independent, not having that resource. So I ended up. My grandparents are amazing. They ended up like buying me a pottery wheel.

B

I saved up enough money to get some kilns. um My parents, like I I've, had so much help. I like need all the help I can get, because I'm like a poor, post-college student um but yeah, so I've slowly figured out how to become an independent ceramicist, not relying on a community studio um which has been a huge struggle like crazy challenges.

B

um Firing a kiln is like absolutely terrifying. It was not something I thought like would be that scary, but I got gas kilns and it's like terrifying um yeah. So I think that's been the biggest thing and then my family's in wisconsin, so I can't really see them all the time and that's been big too, but yeah. The biggest thing is trying to adapt my art to be independent and have a studio in my house, which has been difficult.

A

Well, I'm glad to hear that you were able to get some of the resources you need.

B

Right yeah, it worked out like working around because my house is chaotic right now.

A

um So you've obviously been awarded a covet 19 work project. Stipend. Would you mind just briefly telling me about the project you've been working on and how it supports connectivity in your neighborhood.

B

Yeah, so the project I'm working on is pretty much um going to be like a scavenger hunt with art. I know other people did like seed scavenger, hunts and stuff. So I kind of took that idea and um thought of you know my pottery, because it's it's not like a mural or something where you can paint it and it's there for all the sea and it's weatherproof and whatever you know, little mugs and bowls can't really be out on display on the outside.

B

For you know anyone to see so um I'm thinking of making about I'm thinking more 10, because now that I'm independent and doing it all on my own 15 sounds a lot, but I'm thinking of making like 10 unique pieces, mugs bowls vases whatever um and hiding them throughout my neighborhood, which is by ideal market. I know there's like an actual name for it, but I'm not really sure what that is um so yeah my neighborhood's around there.

B

So I'm thinking of just like every day for like the the like 10 pieces, so like 10 days in a row, um I'll hide the stuff give a little hint on social media um through like facebook and instagram um and then like people can go out and and find them. And so not only is it like an activity to go out and explore your neighborhood. It's also um a way to like come home with a free ceramic piece which I'm like. Actually I'm proud of my work.

B

You know I want people to to come home with it and I think it's really nice during this time, like you know, to go out and bring some joy into your house and some beauty, um and I think it's really good for kovid, because obviously it's an outside thing people are like.

B

I know things are opening up, so it's not as dire, but people are bored in their house. You know being on their own, so this is an actual reason to get outside with your family and whoever and um see your neighborhood, and I think it's important to explore your local neighborhood, because I I go on runs sometimes and I'm like. I discover new things like seriously three blocks away, so it's it's good to actually have people like see. What's out there.

A

Amazing, I love that idea make art accessible to everyone right. um Finally, is there anything else you'd like to share.

B

um I think so is this: I'm gonna. Have you respond, sorry? Is this um gonna be like shared with people so that they can access like um the projects.

A

Yeah, so I'm gonna um just put all of the information that all of your responses, obviously, and then at the end, I'll, have a slide that has any website or social media information that you want to provide to give people access.

B

So that would be my other thing you know like. um If people want to find me, it'd be dara, shuman, ceramics, okay on instagram great and then do you want me to spell that out or should I like.

A

Is is it just exactly how you spell your name, yeah, exactly families.

B

Okay, then my etsy is the same thing. If people want to then buy something, if they see it and want to buy it, that'd be great, um and then I think on facebook I'll do it too I'll probably have to post something like on some group site. I don't know how that would work, or I can do like next door or something um but yeah. I think the biggest thing to know is like yeah, the main way I'm gonna do. It is through my ceramic page on instagram.

A

Yeah great, is there anything else, you'd like to share about your experience or anything.

B

Well, I would like to say I am um an artist based out of boulder and I am like constantly making stuff and trying to sell things and create a career out of it. So any support I can get would be lovely. I have my etsy site that I sell most of my stuff on. I think I'm going to transition to a a website, but all the links will be in my bio and my instagram and all the support I can get would be lovely.

A

Great, that is absolutely perfect.