Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Weiss.
Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Glenview, IL in 1989. My passion for photography began at a young age, photographing everything I could before the age of 12. I began collecting film cameras and seeking out every opportunity to learn more by taking extra classes throughout high school. I continued my education through graduate school. I received my BFA in Photography from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and my MFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Along the way, I have worked at camera stores in Milwaukee and here in Minneapolis at National Camera Exchange.
I found a passion for teaching while in graduate school. Now, I teach photography workshops and individual lessons and my passion for teaching has only grown. Throughout all my schooling and career choices I have made I found and fostered my community. I find great joy in the photographic art communities wherever I live but my biggest joy is helping bring that community to life. This started in high school where I founded a photography club, then later cofounding a photographic collective in undergrad while living in Milwaukee.
I co-founded a collaborative residency program called CollabArts. Currently, I am working to build upon the local photography community at Praxis Gallery Photo Arts Center in Minneapolis where I work as the Project Director. My passion for teaching has not waned so I teach photography workshops at Praxis as well as individual lessons on photography and photo editing.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In my own life, I grew up struggling to express myself in words. This struggle created a lot of barriers in my communication skills both with those around me and in myself. As someone with ADHD and learning disabilities, my struggles created a desire to share my unique way of experiencing the world around me.
As I never felt I could express myself well in words I was drawn to the visual language of photography. When that is not enough, I build interactive art experiences (i.e., installation art). Now, my artwork helps me express my unique way of viewing the world around me, and thus the conceptual themes in my artistry deal with mental health and neurodiversity.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In my artistic practice, my artwork bridges photography, fiber arts, and installation art. I create imagery using photography, print my images on fabric, and create art experiences using dimensional installations to display my artwork. In these interactive multi-dimensional visual art experiences, I bring a unique perspective to the traditional viewing experience of visual arts, especially photography.
In turn, when viewing my installations, the experience of looking also gives way to the diverse perspectives of how we all see and experience the world around us. Many of those installations include collaborations with choreographer Ayumi Shafer, cofounder of Dancebarn and CollabArts. Those collaborations integrate movement through dance with the visual artwork in the installation.
Our collaborations give audiences a path to find new ways to experience both visual and performative art forms. I see my work as pushing the boundaries of how visual art can be experienced. I’m proud of the unique aspects that my artwork brings to both the art and the neurodiverse community in hopes of amplifying many perspectives in the conversations we are having today about mental health.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I would say the quality or characteristics I feel are most important are patience and drive. I try to be patient with myself when I’m struggling to do my artwork or get the next submission in. But I never let my drive and passion go so I always come back to the path working towards my own goals. The other big thing that helps me work towards success is the wonderful people in my life.
I have an amazing spouse who helps me stay focused on my goals and inspires me to believe in myself. This helps me keep going even when things get hard. I have wonderful friends and family that inspire me and cheer me on. I also get a lot of inspiration from my students. When I teach, I am reminded of the reasons why I began my journey in the arts.
The love and excitement of something new, the joy of accomplishment when they get through the hard work, and the drive to want to learn more are all things that inspire me to keep working and follow the path that I am on.
Pricing:
- Individual lessons are $85.00 Per Hour (topics include: Photo editing software, digital workflow, and beginning photography lessons. With a specialty in Lightroom and Photoshop).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sarahweissphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerahead/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahweissart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4vgGOPpmdbN19g0nSLF2NA/videos?view_as=subscriber
- Other: https://www.sarahweissphotography.com/services
Image Credits
Sarah Weiss and Jennell Jenney
