Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Swanson
Hi Adam, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been into art making since childhood and I had supportive parents. Art was generally my favorite class in school and I got my Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2001. After college I had a wide variety of jobs and traveled a lot. I worked in restaurants, libraries, building trails, and most notably, in Antarctica as a carpenter and boating coordinator. In 2009 I returned to Duluth, MN to focus more time on my art. I rented a basement and began painting long days. After a year or so I had a few shows at coffeeshops and restaurants and decided I loved painting and wanted to make my living as a painter. The fork in the road moment for me was when I was offered a high school art teacher job and a bartending job at the same time. I chose the bartending job because I felt I could slowly wean myself off it if my paintings began to sell. I painted as much as I could. I met a girl and we had our first of two children. After three years I was able to transition to full time painter. I made the leap by resigning from bartending and accepting a 4 month artist in residency position in Sweden in 2013. I don’t wait for the muse to strike, I generally paint Monday-Friday 8am-5:30pm. I live in the woods and have a two car garage sized studio that I built with my friends. My studio is my favorite place, it has heated floors, a high ceiling, and all my painting stuff.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many struggles along the way. Making money with something you love is bound to be fraught. Each stage of my career as painter has had it’s own type of struggles. When my wife and I had our first child, I was a bartender, trying to chisel painting time into my life was very stressful. I have also struggled learning to do some of the necessary things to survive as a painter, that don’t involve painting. Building a website, doing my taxes appropriately, answering emails, applying for grants, managing my schedule, the list goes on.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a painter and muralist fascinated by the way science fiction suggests a future for humanity transformed by major environmental changes and technological innovations. My invented landscapes ask viewers to consider unfamiliar places, such as the lines between true false, fiction and documentation, natural growth and urban development. I love color and texture. I paint wild animals, bright landscapes, and research equipment to create humorous tensions between humans and the rest of the natural world.
Some of my most exciting projects have been residencies including a 3 week artist-at-sea aboard the RV Falkor in the Pacific Ocean. Painting in real time about current ocean science was a thrilling experience. I recently returned from a 3-week artist residency in Bhubaneswar, India where I engaged in a cultural exchange of art, ideas, and techniques. My host encouraged me to lean heavily into the content and ideas behind my imagery and I had a great time focusing on the conceptual side of my work. I also enjoyed making a 36ft x 30ft mural in collaboration with a homeless shelter for youth in Duluth, MN. This project was meaningful to me and I was so proud of the resulting mural we created. I have a mural at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport which is probably my most visible public work.
I make a lot of bright landscape and animal paintings and currently spend my free-days in the studio just pushing paint around and experimenting with color and texture.
I’m a member of the Twin Ports Art Science Collaborative and my work has been influenced by researchers from Lake Superior and the SPRUCE climate change project in Northern Minnesota. I completed a mural about water science and manoomin (wild rice), informed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Fond Du Lac Natural Resources, and local environmental groups. Having spent years working as science support in Antarctica has given me a deep appreciation for research and I use these experiences to inform my paintings.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have had many mentors and supporters along the way, more than I could possibly mention. For a person like me to survive as a painter it takes the support of legions. My parents were always very supportive of me when I began making art. I had a handful of memorable art teachers in high school and college. My wife Katie has always been very supportive and I could not have built this life without her patience and grace. Lizzard’s Gallery in Duluth was the first gallery to take me in and show my work and I’m so grateful for them. Additionally, I show at Sivertson in Grand Marais, MN and Siiviis Gallery in Duluth. Annie Dugan arranged my first large solo exhibition at the Duluth Art Institute which was the brightest spot on my resume for many years. The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board has provided much needed funding so I have occasionally been able to push the content of my paintings beyond commercial desires. I’m inspired and encouraged by other local Duluth based artists such as Jonathan Thunder, Shawna Gilmore, Matt Kania, and Scott Murphy. Watching these local creatives struggle and thrive keeps me motivated and gives me a sense of community.
Pricing:
- Commission painting and mural prices available upon request.
- All prices of available work are listed on my website www.adamswanson.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adamswanson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamswansong/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/art.of.adam.swanson
