Meet Julia Kidd | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia Kidd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I hadn’t originally planned on pursuing an artistic career. Growing up, I was surrounded by books from my mothers’ library and wanted to be an author. My main concern going into college was setting myself up for a job that would strike the right balance between my unique skill set and a profitable career path. I was midway through an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Mathematics at Rice University when I realized that I was not willing to sacrifice my happiness for the prospect of financial stability. I couldn’t imagine myself in a cubicle, doing someone else’s accounting or editing manuscripts. I have always been fiercely independent, and knew I wanted to be my own boss. A career in the arts would provide me with that freedom, as well as foster my creativity and allow work to be fun. I made myself a deal: I had five years to make art into a career before I gave it up and became a high school teacher. Art, or painting specifically, was the only field I was willing to risk everything for: my time, effort, education, social life, financial stability, everything. Changing my major to Art History and Studio Art, and now pursuing my MFA in Painting and Drawing at the University of Houston was an investment in myself and my dream. Otherwise, I would never be able to escape the “what ifs” ringing in my head.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
No path forward in the art world is easy or straightforward. I worked at the Moody Center for the Arts for four years, and the Blaffer Art Museum for a year and a half before realizing that I no longer wished to continue working in museum/gallery settings. I am currently teaching a Fundamentals of Painting studio course at the University of Houston as I complete my MFA degree, which has been very fulfilling. Working and exhibiting in Houston has led to many exciting opportunities for my career, including an art residency in Marfa, Texas, and my current “FLESH” exhibition on display at Southtown Art Gallery in San Antonio. As evident in that series, and my current project, “A Portrait of Texas,” my artistic practice revolves around intimacy through expressions, form, history, and techniques I apply when depicting my subjects. I am very proud to be a LGBTQ, Puerto Rican-German-American female figure painter in Texas today, and hope to continue spreading my philosophy of pursuing one’s passions and being open to the wealth of joy around us through my art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston is an incredible melting pot of different cultures and offers endless amounts of places to explore. Hermann park is easily a favorite for any nature lovers out there, and Galveston isn’t far if you’re up for a beach day. I could go on about coffee shops forever, but to list a few: Common Bond, The Black Hole, Agora, and Brass Tacks are wonderful. For all of my fellow foodies, Hungry’s in Rice Village, North Italia in the Galleria, the Traveler’s Table on Westheimer, Trendy Vegan on Richmond, and Gen’s Korean BBQ in Midtown offer menus where it’s impossible to go wrong. For a taste of the nightlife, my favorite local spot is The Grand Prize, but some other must-see bars are Kirby Ice House, Axelrad Beer Garden, Notsuoh, The Flat, and Present Company. And for the required art day, the Museum District has tons to offer, but my first stops are always the MFAH and the Menil Collection.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have had so much support from my friends, family, and community throughout my artistic journey. Major mentors throughout my career have been Holly Leach and Natasha Bowdoin, without whom I’m not sure I would have been able to seize the opportunities now before me.

Website: https://juliakiddart.squarespace.com/

Instagram: j.kiddart

Image Credits
Julia Kidd