For Claire Lewis art has been in her heart, and in her family, for a very long time. Read more about how she’s forging her way in this Commencement Interview.
What has been your journey in the arts and how did you find your way to UNC Greensboro’s College of Visual and Performing Arts?
I have always been drawn to art. I really haven’t ever done much else other than that. I was pretty sick as a kid, and art was a big source of comfort and a coping mechanism for me. It was my outlet. I was also home-schooled, so I was able to do more art than in a traditional school. After high school, I went to a community college and got my associate’s degree.
My parents, Emily (’98 BFA Art) and Casey Lewis (’99 BFA Art), are both metal artists and UNC Greensboro Art Alumni from the same program as me. You know when you’re a kid, you think “I want to be just like them.” But I diverted a little and went to VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) for a year. It wasn’t the right fit, so I found my way back here!
How has the UNCG School of Art been a good fit for you?
I found a great sense of community here. That sounds cliché, but it’s true. Everyone’s so connected. We’re always in the studio, and we bounce ideas off each other. I feel really at home here. I also like the fact that I can connect with my teachers. I can talk with them about whatever is on my mind and get good feedback. Overall, I feel very supported.
As an artist, I use fiber and metals. Crochet is my primary fiber medium, and here at UNCG I’ve really focused on metalworking. I’ve gotten into casting and have loved being on Kevin Vanek’s (Academic Professional: Associate Professor of Sculpture and Foundry Director) furnace building crew this semester. The Iron Pour events have been great—I was on the floor the whole time for the most recent one.
I love the way the professors here stay connected with alumni, and I hope to do that as well.
What has been your best experience here at UNCG?
I have learned so much from Kevin, and one of the best things I’ve been able to do here is to be a part of the team representing UNCG at the National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practices in Alabama this semester. We participated in the cupola competition. The cupula is a portable furnace used for metalworking, and each team built one and took it to show. I got to connect with so many other metal artists, and we did really well in the competition.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while at UNCG?
I’ve learned that I need to take my time. I feel like I’ve always been such an overachiever in a hurry to get to a final product. But being able to enjoy the artistic process is the biggest part of it all. Take time in art and take time with life.
What are your future plans?
I run a successful crochet business, Handmade by Hootie. I make crocheted stuffed animals and have several show circuits that I do throughout the year. I’m hoping to amp that up while also looking for a metal shop foundry job. It’s possible that I might work with my parents at some point in the future, but I’m trying to branch out first.
What is your advice for incoming students?
Connect with your classmates. Make friends because you’re going to be around these people a lot, especially if you’re going into sculpture. I’m generally in the studio about 16 hours a day, so making friends with as many people as you can means that you’re never alone.
Try to connect with your professors and new friends, and you’ll gain so much outside perspective and knowledge. I was able to have that experience, and I hope future students do as well.
I’ve loved my time at UNCG, and I hope I’ll be able to stay involved with this community, maybe through future iron pour events and The Artist Guild. I’d like to help the guild stay in touch with alumni, because I want to stay connected for as long as possible!
Story by Terri W Relos
Photo credit: Bjorn Bates (photo of Claire working the furnace) and Claire Lewis (photos of metal and crochet work)
