by Jerry Slayton

Let’s face it, being an “Artist” is a bit of a different career path than business or finance. A career in the arts usually starts from a deep inner connection with a medium. Often, at an early and formative age, a person is introduced to an instrument or a tool, such as a piano or paintbrush, and creates something that they and their peers consider “good” or “interesting.” Then curiosity ensues: “I wonder what others have created with these instruments or tools.” Then hours and hours of creating, reworking, and ongoing research follows. This process then builds a large enough footprint in someone’s life that they finally confront a big choice: should I pursue this passion as a career, or not?

This month, Art Spark Texas would like to recognize Mary Oliver for making her big choice, and for sharing her life as an artist with others. Mary is an incredibly generous and thoughtful human being, a multidisciplinary Artist Educator that has worked for 40+ years to bring people of all ages together around the arts. She is a mother, a Kentucky native, and now a Texas-based artist and drum facilitator. Mary is the quintessential Artist Educator, a practicing professional artist with the complementary skills, curiosities, and sensibilities of an educator. It is my honor to share a bit of her work and background with you all today.

Mary’s professional career in education began in the small town of London, Kentucky. For 34 years she taught visual and performing arts in an elementary school setting. During that time her work focused on instilling the joy and fundamentals of the arts, particularly music, in her students through instrument and voice training. Mary leveraged the fundamentals of Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, and Form, to help her young students explore their inner ideas and expressions through making music. Her classroom became a place to recreate the magic of music that she had felt as a young person.

Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, Mary was introduced to traditional Appalachian music and folk dancing. She grew up in a musical family as both her mother and brother are musicians. At age 8 she started taking piano lessons and she sang in church. Music connected her to her family and the place she was from. At an early age, knowingly or unknowingly, she was experiencing the connecting power of the arts, and an impression was made. To this day that connecting power continues to fuel Mary’s work and life.

After her retirement from the Kentucky school system in the Spring of 2016, Mary made a conscious decision to relocate to Texas with her two children. While attending a folk art event that summer, she learned about drum facilitation and the healing work that was being offered through music. Her curiosity had been sparked, and upon arrival in Austin, some seven years ago now, she began educating herself through workshops and trainings, eventually becoming a trained drum circle facilitator and Reiki practitioner. 

But that’s not where this story ends, because at the very same time Mary was furthering her education in music, she was also continuing her work in the visual arts, and this is where we met. Upon meeting Mary back in 2016 I quickly hired her to teach at The Arc of the Arts, a studio for artists with disabilities here in Austin. Aside from her stellar resume and wealth of knowledge, Mary’s ability to build instant rapport with students caught my eye. She has a peaceful yet intentional presence that gives each learner the space to try and feel supported throughout any activity. And I do mean any activity. In the years I’ve known her, I have seen her teach lessons in over ten different mediums, including but not limited to: basket weaving, instrument making, theater, ceramics, printmaking, painting, and mosaic. Her technical ability mixed with her boundless curiosity never ceases to amaze.

Mary now teaches part-time for us at Art Spark Texas. She leads weekly classes in our Mobile Art program and always receives rave reviews. Her healing work continues as well, and she’s established a long partnership with Natural Lifemanship in Brenham, Texas assisting in adding rhythm and art experiences into trainings geared toward equine assisted services.. She does commissioned paintings, mosaics, and sells the musical instruments she makes. In short, Mary is an Artist Educator that gives and lives through her community. She’s never forgotten her inner connection to the arts and continues to help others find their way. It’s our privilege to know you and build community with you, Mary. Thank You.

by Jerry Slayton

This August, Art Spark Texas would like to recognize artist Patricia, Pat, Keen as our Artist of the Month. Pat has led an incredibly interesting life as an educator, civil rights worker, mother, senior citizen, and is now focusing on her life as an artist. Pat and I met about eight years ago at The Arc of the Arts, an art studio here in Austin that she attended. I quickly gravitated to her work: dense collages filled with cultural and art historical references of people and places from around the world. We’ve stayed in touch through the years, and now it is my honor to share a bit of Pat’s story with you all.

Her father was born in Poland, Benjamin Keenowski, her mother, Betty Davis, was born in Michigan. Both pursued education after high school. Her mother attended art school in New York City for two years studying Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and the plastic arts. Her father attended university and earned his PhD in Latin American Studies, publishing books on the topic throughout his long academic career. He lectured as a professor for the majority of Pat’s youth while her mother stayed home to care for the four children. 

After high school, Pat too pursued her education. She studied at Montclair State University in New Jersey, earning a teaching degree, then went on to earn a Masters in Counseling from Sonoma State University in Northern California. Finally, she earned a Doctoral degree in Educational Psychology from the University of San Francisco. When asked why she found psychology so interesting, she said, “I was interested in understanding people, to better understand myself.”

One day at lunch, some seven or eight years ago, Pat casually mentioned that after she graduated, in the mid-1960s, she moved to Mississippi to help register voters. She left her job in teaching to relocate and assist in “a cause close to her heart.” I’ve included a portion of the article above.

It reads: “This past summer Miss Keen did civil rights work in Trenton and early in September she went to Mississippi to assist in the Shelby Project. She is working with the Freedom Labor Union, which is trying to establish a minimum of $1.25 an hour for workers, who are said to make as little as 30 cents an hour.”

Pat was responsible for registering voters, educating registered voters, and fundraising for the Freedom Center, which would assist African-Americans in the area with phones, typewriters, and other business machines so they were able to advocate for themselves and their wages in agriculture.

Hearing this story now takes me back to the day Pat first shared it, and the lasting thoughts I had about her selfless action. I remember asking her to dig around in the memory and share more details about her experience in Mississippi. Some of which she was able to recall, some not. See, Pat suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm as an adult, years before we met (in 2000 at the age of 57), and that occasionally prevents her memory. The beauty in her diagnosis is that sometimes when she is sharing a memory, it feels like you are rediscovering it with her. She genuinely lights up as she uncovers an aspect of her past life and then immediately starts trying to unpack what it means—she is a psychology PhD, after all. It’s not surprising then that Pat’s artwork is absolutely full of people and thoughts, both historical and cultural. 

Her collage works seem to explore human history and events. They make connections between the web of all human effort. To me, they read as a collection or anthropology. Pictured above, the collage piece on the left has fashion models and cartoon dolls standing together in a field of color. The text “Menswear Inspired” is pasted on top of the models, and long-neck giraffes sprout upward from the bottom of the picture. When forced together, the images provide commentary or raise questions on gender and beauty, while also remaining open. It’s never heavy-handed with Pat. It’s always playful and suggestive. It’s no surprise to me that Pat’s collage materials appear to come from textbooks or pop magazines. She draws on her education, and culture, to build new personal connections.

Pat has also created portraits, or “heads,” since I’ve known her. Mostly with paint and brush, they seem a direct reflection of her interest in people. She explores facial features of all races and genders to create a small population of psychologies. Her people are in various states of worry, or questioning, or joyfulness. This series builds a direct connection to her background in people’s inner workings, and perhaps how we reveal ourselves externally. 

I titled this blog “Studying People” because I believe that to be an integral part of Pat Keen’s artistic pursuit. At least, that’s what it does for me. She is an artist, a thinker, an observer, an empath, and a friend. Her body of work is vast and could fill a museum, and so I’ve only scratched the surface here, but my hope is to provide a window into Pat’s mind. 

Last week was Pat’s 81st birthday, and so we had lunch, accompanied by our friend Mary. In our conversation we discussed psychology and her interests with it, and she reminded me that, “Understanding people helps you better understand yourself.” I have to admit that for me, seeing Pat’s artwork helps me understand people, and for that and the many years of friendship I am truly grateful.

       When I was a teenager, they discovered I had very low blood pressure. When quizzed about its effect on my health and future well-being, my doctor remarked that I didn’t have to worry about having a stroke any time soon, but that I could look forward to senility. As a teenager, I just thought this was a strange answer, but now as an adult facing down the seventh decade of my journey, I find myself pondering his off-the-cuff remark. Just because I am older, am I really in danger of losing the plot, as they say?

Want to hear about ageism in society? Check out this TED talk.

Many experts would say that I have chosen the perfect career to ward off that prediction those many moons ago. Playing around with theater, music, and dance for most my life, as well as sewing, crocheting, cooking and dabbling in flower arrangement, to name a few, seems to be my ticket to brain health. And Gene Cohen, MD, PhD, Director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University and the first researcher to conduct a national longitudinal study on the quality of life, just might agree. In 2001, he reported that the arts have a positive effect on health and illness as we age. This was soon to be named Creative Aging.

In particular, expressive art activities offer a wide range of benefits, including relaxation, reducing depression and anxiety, improving cognition, encouraging playfulness and a sense of humor, nurturing spirituality, and reducing boredom. Wow. Seems like during this time of “mid to late-pandemic, hybrid, can we/will we re-open” languishing times, these benefits can go a long way.

Check out the Mobile Art online class series to engage in simple to complex visual art activities in the comfort of your own home. Or gather some of your friends together to host a group art afternoon. There are plenty to choose from at the Art Spark Texas YouTube channel.

Several years ago, Austin, which is facing what has been identified as a ‘Silver Tsunami,’ worked to gain the classification of an Age-Friendly City by the AARP. With this classification comes the responsibility to develop priorities and uphold standards in the following eight domains of livability:

• Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
• Transportation
• Housing
• Social Participation
• Respect and Social Inclusion
• Civic Participation and Employment
• Communication and Information
• Community Support and Health Services

Notice there is no use of the word creative in any of these domains. It may be implied within the domains, but ‘Being Creative’ is not always a given when working with a government entity. So, I have made it a goal of Art Spark Texas to squeak loud enough for the framers of the Austin age-friendly policies to take notice of the forgotten wheel.

Are you hoping to start an aging is creative program? Jump to page 19 of this report (the first 18 pages are a table of contents and thank yous to the contributors).

Do you already have a program and need help to tell your story? Perhaps this plan can help: “Gaining Momentum—a collection of resources designed to help advocates reframe aging in America.

To read more about Austin’s Age-Friendly Plan and find out how you can become involved in ensuring that we not only grow older ‘more friendly’ in true Texas style, but that the ARTS with all of their creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are the fuel that drives the engine. “Building an Age-friendly Austin”, November 2017. 

I look forward to seeing you out and about soon, as well as safely cocooned within the Internet web (remember, hybrid!) as we don our artist-as-aging-warrior gear to create neural and actual pathways to health.

After all, I have my old doctor’s prediction to slay.