On and Off Fred Tour Continues this upcoming weekend.
By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor
As we told you last week, the On & Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tours will continue this upcoming weekend: Saturday, April 1 and Sunday April 2. Most, but not all studios, will reopen again from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For other information, consult the article from last Monday. To get a map of studios, homes and galleries that are open for the tour, stop by Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Rd., 78201; 210-383-9723.
We also promised to feature an interview with another artist who has been part of this fun event multiple times in the past. So, here’s the interview with artist Kim Bishop.
How do you define yourself as an artist?
I identify as a female artist who focuses on my experiences in this world as a woman, a mother, a teacher and a human being. You know, we have gone through this whole life marching for change- trying to change things and then the aftershock slaps us in the face when we realize we are right back where we started, or so we think. According to Carl Jung, we live in the entanglement of the past, present and future; a collective consciousness he called “a sympathy for all things.” This is why I draw with my grandmother’s thread the continuous line of my path as I journey through a world that seems familiar but is not. Here, my drawings are my way to navigate the social condition of my time in my constant endeavor to measure the standards that determine my worth through a variety of drawing processes and materials. My drawings are repetitive, like a prayer, where I feel like if I concentrate hard enough, I can affect the collective consciousness, too. My imagery focuses on the entanglements of body, time and movement which carries a universal theme of remembrance and the repetition of the physical world that I live in today.
Questions posed at a time of racial trauma, death, attempted coups and an insurrection, questions of gender, freedom, parental rights, and the rights of women to be able to make decisions about their own health stripped away, yet again, have me realizing, yet again, that this has all happened before. I see it as an overlap rather than a deja vu, and that I am grounded in my past and collective experience of my ancestors stored in the thread of my DNA as I move forward through my future experiences.
What are your themes and media?
My themes are body and movement as it relates to my feminine experience. Sometimes, it’s as simple as images from my own backyard or objects in my house. “Home” is a reoccurring theme for me. My process is drawing. Drawing with threads or graphite or dry-point etching or lithograph or relief print, or installation – it’s all drawing but the material dictates the way I draw it.
When was the first time you participated in On & Off Fred Tour, and how many times have you participated?
The first time was in 2017, I think. It was such a great experience. I am now hooked and don’t want to miss a year of it.
What do you like about it?
I like the feeling of community that I get during On & Off Fred. I love this neighborhood and the fact that we have so many artists here. Sharing our art work with our neighbors, and showing off our beautiful community is inspiring and validating for me. My grandmother was raised here and lived just a few blocks away. We have always been proud of our roots here. I know, she would have loved to have an event like this in her day, too.
Have you ever had an exhibit at Bihl Haus Arts?
I have exhibited many times at Bihl Haus as a part of group shows, mostly the On & Off Fred shows. I was able to sell quite a bit there and it started me off into some very prestigious private collections.
Do you teach in any of the programs that former director Kellen McIntyre created?
I was one of the first drawing teachers at Bihl Haus, when it first opened for teaching residents at the Primrose. (The retirement complex around the Bihl Haus, now called Sorento)). I appreciated Kellen so much for giving me that opportunity to work with such beautiful seniors, mostly women. I learned as much from them as they did from me. When Roland Mazuca and I started the MOSAIC program at Blue Star Contemporary, our first project was working with high school and middle school students along with some of the seniors from the Primrose, to build the Dream Bench that sits on the grounds in front of the Bihl Haus. We made tiles by hand with the kids and the seniors, and applied them under the direction of lead artist, Dale Jenson.
What are you showing to visitors at this year’s On & Off?
I’ll be showing a variety of drawings, woodcut-relief paintings and woodcut relief prints on paper and canvas.
Is On & Off Fred a good sales opportunity for artists?
It’s great for sales! I really appreciate those folks who understand the importance of buying local and original art. It’s an investment in the artist but also in our community as a whole. It’s an economic driver for our community and this is why I believe that Bihl Haus should stay local to continue to serve our community here.