Ms. Cleaver is a lettering artist who lives not too far from Lewisburg. She and I talked for 90 minutes so I did not include everything here. The following questions and answers do not reflect the whole interview, so please let me know if you wish to see the transcribed version of the entire interview.
Boyu: Can you tell me about your educational background, and what did you study?
Nancy: I went to a small catholic school called Daemen College and I studied art education. And then I went backwards from there, I moved to California and went to a junior college because they had classes that I was able to take as an undergrad. There were a lot of things that I could learn there about gallery management, and silk screening and print making in general. And then I went backwards again, I went to a trade school because I was interested in offset printing.
B: We have studio art and art history here at Bucknell, what was art education exactly while you attended Daemon College?
N: There were lots of studio classes and art history classes, and then student teaching at the elementary level and then high school level and then some general education classes.
B: What was your experience as a student like?
N: Daemon College was a small school, mostly women, it is co-ed now. At that time it was in a transition. And it was luxurious to go and make art all day, every day. I felt it was a privilege to do be able to do that. And there was a wonderful museum in Buffalo that I went to a lot and it is called the Albright–Knox Art Gallery, so i got very spoiled by this collection, it had a lot of abstract expressionists, it had smattering of everything. And really nice quality of sampling of all the major art periods. But they are really known for was their abstract expressionist collection. And student teaching was interesting.
B: Can you tell me about a project that you are working on?
N: It is part of the peace project, I think it’s on my website, there’s a big blue circle and inside of it, people get to write what peace is to them. So I’ve written peace 50 times in the inner circle, and then this line comes out and different people write on that, to complete the sentence any way that they want to, whatever is in their heart. And then I fold that up like an origami shape, and then I glue them together, when there are enough of these, it will open up like a flower, so you have a flat bottom and all these pieces would support one another and it would be the flowering of peace. So that’s a long project, but you never know which one of these 50 words is going to be the one that will allow it to stand on its own.
B: I remember reading from your website and it says one of your interests is calligraphy, how did you get into calligraphy?
N: When I was 13, I had a fountain pen, peacock blue ink, and I thought it was the greatest thing, my mother was an artist, and she had a book about lettering. So I didn’t know to use the pen or how to went about it, I started to copy and learn to look at the forms of the letter. Starting at the age of 13, and then in college, calligraphy was required. And when I moved to California, there was no formal way to study calligraphy, not like in China; Calligraphy doesn’t have that kind of importance. Fortunately, where I lived, there were a lot of calligraphers. Now, I am more interested in contemporary and abstract lettering, illegible writing, and sort of using the rhythm and the space of letter to make a different kind of message.
B: I have been told to make art in series. Should an artist always make series of something instead of jumping around when making art?
N: Jumping around is important because you are trying to actualize your ideas. When I was younger I was a jumper, now I am much more interested in turning an idea to as many different facets as I can. i.e: How many ways can this jewel be presented.
B: If you had the chance to go back in time and go to school to do it over, what would you have done differently?
N: I wish that I had a bigger education. I like how things are very focused for me, but every once in a while, I wish I had a little more background in something. Let’s say, figure drawing, I could use more guidance.
B: What advice would you give a graduating artist who wants to pursue an art career given the economic status today?
N: Keep your day job? (Laugh). It was that way for me too; I had to find a practical way to make art, not just a beautiful way. Or something full of meaning. It is important, but I also needed to realize that everything wasn’t going to be glamorous. Or it wasn’t going to be exactly the way I wanted to do because I was working for someone or with someone. The idea of individual artist sometimes has to be put aside in order to accomplish what everybody is looking for, especially if the person is going to pay you. I think even though that is true, as I said, the era of painted signs is over, or computer fonts rather than hand done calligraphy, those things are true but there are so much more that are arriving. So whether it is technology or not, I think keeping your antenna up for what is possible, what is it that could fit in, to look for non traditional ways to use of art. And I’m thinking of a young friend who graduated 2 years ago from Penn state as a studio art major (ceramics and painting). And she become a mural artist, so she has learned a lot about collaboration, and how to engage people in these project. Ultimate she is the one who is designing everything. She is got it color coded like a coloring book and anyone can come in help in completing it then she will come back and do the faces, things with great detail. So just an example, but also, even though collaboration is important, you also have to be true to yourself.
B: Is it okay if the instructor or students follow up with you and what is the best way of contacting you?
N: Yes and email would be fine.
Nancy Cleaver, nanso(at)dejazzd(dot)com.
http://nancycleaver.smugmug.com/
Joke for Joe:
Q: What do you call a guy who graduated last in his medical school?
A: A Doctor.
