#erinwade

September 10th, 2016 // Day 253 of 366

Subject: Erin Wade

Age: 45 Years Old

Born: Provo UT

Currently Resides: Chico CA

Occupation: Artist // Mother // Graphic Designer // 1078 Gallery Volunteer // Instructor

“I think I’ve been fortunate in most of my working life where work has; I think that if you do good work more work comes to you, so I’ve been fortunate (in) that way. Sometimes I get stressed out about, it’s usually either too much work or to little work, I think that’s the classic freelance dilemma, and I guess it’s better to have too much then too little. Over the years I feel like I’ve settled into knowing that I can get work if I need it so by now I feel pretty relaxed about that. Although I think that times are harder (and) I definitely feel for the younger generation. When I was starting my career I had a ton of opportunity, and I don’t think it’s the same anymore, and I recognize that, and I feel really lucky.” 

“You never know what’s going to come after you. For instance, when I was heavily involved with feminism in the nineties, we weren’t really thinking about trans issues or anything like that, and so we thought we were being really progressive and on the edge, and here’s there whole areas of thought that we and I weren’t really thinking about. So it’s a progression, and to know the things that were done in the first wave of feminism, and the second wave are extremely important. And it’s going to be different, in the fourth wave, is going to be dealing with a different time, and different issues, and it’s all important.” 

“I made a pretty conscious decision when I started teaching that I wanted to spend my time doing something that I enjoyed more even if I made less money doing it and I’ve been only happy with that decision. But yeah, it’s what makes my life interesting, and I think that art is the spice of life, and it’s a way that I can be involved, and contribute, and use my skills, and my life would be boring without the work at the 1078 and in the community.” 

“When I lived in New York I felt like a little fish in a big pond and who’s to say if I had spent more time there what would have developed. I feel like, here, I’ve been able to make a bigger contribution and that it’s a very supportive community for artistic expression. So I feel like I’ve done more here then I would have done there.” 

“I feel like being an artist is part of who I am even if I’m not making something that’s tangible. Cause whatever I’m thinking about comes into my work, and whether I’m actually creating something physical, even when I’m working on something, it’s a lot of just standing back, and looking, and thinking. To me every piece is a series of decisions, and usually for me it starts with material, and then it’s what I want to express, and what do I want it to look like or evoke, and then it’s just a series of decisions leading to an end result. And one great think about working that way, I don’t know how things how will end up usually, there are always surprises along the way, and the end work is usually something that I wouldn’t have imagined. It kind of can’t be wrong because it’s a process; so whatever it ends up to be is what it ends up to be and usually I’m happy cause I just made the choices that culminate in this piece or whatever it is.” 

“I just wanna say that I’m so impressed with you in this project. And when you started out I was like, ‘He’s not going to be able to do that everyday.’ And so I’m really impressed how you’ve grown over the process, and I’m rooting for you, and good job.”   

Starting this project and interviewing people from all walks of life has been really eye opening just in the simple fact that there’s perspective from all different facets of life. I can say, without a doubt, that my most intimidating and often scary moments are when I realize I’m going to meet and interview someone who is an artist, who is experienced with high art, and is generally more experienced at life then I am. How you can quantify that, I don’t know, but what I do know is that Erin Wade made it super easy to sit with her and talk about all of things. Whether it was her time spent at Ms. Magazine, about her son, or about her ideas on art, it was really great to finally sit with someone who I recently not only didn’t know but now share a space with at the 1078 Gallery, a non-profit that she does a lot of for. Her passion for the arts and the Chico community in a whole has lead and kept her very close to the people she interacts with as a teacher, as an artist herself, and as a volunteer. Without people like Erin the richness and the things that make community great, especially Chico, would be gone. I’m glad to have finally have met her, work with her, and now we can be friends.

Thanks Erin.