Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacia Goodman.
Hi Stacia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
For context, I grew up in a trailer house in rural Northern Minnesota with no access or exposure to the arts. My parents ran a run-down gas station, which was my crazy playground — in a good way. I was naturally drawn to making, creating, writing and collecting, but I had no tools, training or role models.
After surviving high school, I got a practical degree in communications from a state university. I eventually saved up and took a life-changing women’s trip to Bali, which led to finding the mosaic medium.
Restless with making small works, I took a huge risk a few years later: I proposed creating a two-story mosaic mural at my kids’ school, and my career slowly grew … with a ton of hard work, practice, tenacity and tears. It’s made my success all the more meaningful. It’s only recently that I’ve accepted calling myself an artist.
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?
First, I have no formal art training. I come from poverty and its close cousin, dysfunction. It’s taken a long time for me to see those things as a plus.
Second, like many artists, I had serious time and socioeconomic limits early on. I was working a few jobs to help support my three young kids. I could only make art at night with tile I found in dumpsters or at Home Depot. My “studio” was our home’s 100-year-old cellar. But I kept at it, and my husband (who is now a full-time employee) was hugely supportive! He’s now an integral part of my business.
I’ve also faced some discrimination as a woman creating large-scale public art. It’s a space that has long been occupied by men and a lot of bronze or metal sculptures. But more doors are opening for marginalized groups. I’m very proud to be a woman-owned business and mentor others.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m best known for my colorful, large-scale, site-specific mosaics that “Capture the story of your space” (my tagline). My work appears nationally in public spaces, both indoor and outdoor, made from a variety of materials — tile, glass, mirror, wood, found objects, site objects, beads and stone — which tell meaningful stories, visually and tactically.
I also work with art consultants, private clients, and I’m building a body of abstract wooden mosaics for galleries. I’d really love to write an inspirational memoir, too, about my upbringing and journey to becoming a successful artist.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Two lesson: faith and kindness. The public art arena is extremely competitive. If I don’t win a project, it wasn’t meant to be. Then I congratulate the person who did win.
Contact Info:
- Website: StaciaGoodmanMosaics.com
- Instagram: @staciagoodmanmosaics
- Facebook: Stacia Goodman Mosaics
