Q&A with Local Artist Beth Sievers
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of local entrepreneurs and small business owners! Today on the blog, we share a Q&A with local encaustic artist, Beth Sievers!
Q: What brought you to Rochester and what motivates you to stay in the area?
A: I came to Rochester in 2000 to pursue a nursing career at Mayo. My husband joined me in 2001. We love Rochester, especially the downtown area, Lowertown, and our Washington neighborhood. Our family has been embraced by the arts community in Rochester, and we’ve enjoyed being a part of a vibrant and welcoming scene.
Q: What is your background in work and education?
A: I have a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing. I have worked at Mayo since 2000 and started showing my artwork in 2016.
Q: What initially sparked your interest in art and at what point did you decide to start selling your work? What have been some milestones or important events relating to your art between then and now?
A: I have always loved art, but thought of myself as a crafter until I started learning stained glass in 2002. Some of my first happy memories of creating are crafting with my Grandma’s supplies when we visited her in Colorado. She had what seemed to be a magically unending assortment of crafting materials like fabric, candle making supplies, and yarn. It always felt special diving into her trove to create. As an adult, I enjoyed stained glass very much but found it difficult to do once I had my first daughter Eleanor in 2007. Around that time, I discovered encaustic painting and was intrigued by the textures. In 2008 I took a weekend encaustic class at Crossings at Carnegie, and I knew I had found my medium. I had my second daughter Abigail in 2009 and started having more time to explore encaustic art around 2011. I have fond memories of painting besides my girls when they were toddlers. They would color wood shapes with crayons, and then I would cover them with clear encaustic medium and of course, add glitter.
I started showing my work in 2016. Cassandra Buck and Amarama Vercnocke, as well as other artists in Gallery 24 offered me support and encouragement and were so willing to share their knowledge with me. It made it seem possible to sell my art and call myself an artist. In 2016, I also got into a juried group exhibit at the 535 Gallery in Rochester and that helped boost my confidence greatly.
In 2020 I was approached by 125 Live to curate their art gallery space. This was not something I had ever considered, but I have enjoyed it very much. There’s nothing better than reaching out to artists, sharing that I love their work and offering an opportunity to exhibit. As an artist, it often feels like all you do is chase opportunities, so to have one come to you is special.
In 2021 my husband, John Sievers, and I received a grant to create a public art installation. It was installed outside of Two Discovery Square while it was under construction. The work, entitled Poetic Potential, an 8’ x 8’ vinyl applique with metal backing, depicted a colorful encaustic street map of Rochester’s downtown. It also included poems and magnetic poetry with Rochester specific words and invited public interaction. This was a milestone event since it was my first public art installment, and I was able to collaborate with my husband.
Q: What inspires your pieces and what is your creative process like?
A: I find inspiration in the natural world around me in things like flowers, trees, grass, and clouds. Though I always create my abstract interpretation of what I am seeing, I often start in the natural world. I find the process of creating art to be a healing experience for me. Being trained as a nurse, healing is a central theme in my life. When someone purchases my art and places it in their home, I hope that they find healing in their daily lives.
I often work with wood that I have reclaimed from fallen trees, dumpsters, and wood workers’ burn piles. The wood that I am painting on often inspires the art I create. The shape, texture, and color of my wooden canvas are all aspects that I take into consideration.
Encaustic art is created by mixing beeswax, tree resin, and color together. I paint while the encaustic medium is in a molten state and apply it to porous substrates. The medium is then fused into the substrate with a torch. Each layer of medium must be fused to the layer below. I think of it as painting with two paintbrushes: my actual paint brush and then the torch. The amount of heat I apply can totally change what I created with the brush.
The tree resin ensures that the medium will cure within 6 months, and then the art is stable up to 150 degrees.
Q: What are some of your thoughts about the intersection of art and entrepreneurship? What challenges are involved in bridging the gap between creating works of art and selling them?
A: I found it difficult to take the leap from making art to selling art. There are always new things to learn both about financial success and creative fulfillment. It is challenging to balance the two so that I can create art that excites me and am able to market it in a way that it is appealing to potential customers. One of the ways I’ve done that recently is to create miniature wearable art on earrings that is linked to larger works that display some of my more adventurous creative techniques. This way, I can explore a new artistic avenue while also creating a product that is affordable and adds beauty and hopefully meaning to my patrons’ daily experience.
Q: What are some challenges you’ve faced as an artist and entrepreneur?
A: My biggest challenge as an artist was overcoming self-doubt. Since I am mainly a self-trained artist, I found it very difficult to call myself an artist when I started showing my work. The more I integrated with the art community and built up my CV, the easier it was to overcome this insecurity.
My biggest challenge as an entrepreneur was building my website. Photographing all my work, creating explanations, and shipping were all new to me. I feel like I still have so much more to learn in this area, and it is a continuing challenge to keep up with a current digital footprint.
Q: In your experience, has Rochester been a supportive community in which to share and sell your art? How can we as a community best show you and other local artists support?
A: I have found the Rochester arts community very supportive. Other artists frequently offer assistance and are happy to collaborate at markets and other pop-up events. Art isn’t a competition, and what makes one artist stronger is usually beneficial for the whole community.
The community can support artists by valuing creativity and being willing to nurture it directly by purchasing artists’ works and indirectly by showing up to markets, frequenting local businesses invested in our art community, and sharing information about local artists with friends.
Q: What is a piece of advice that you would give to an artist interested in selling their work but unsure of how to get started? Are there any local organizations or businesses that have been helpful resources in your experience?
A: I would suggest joining one of the local art galleries such as Gallery 24, SEMVA, Threshold Arts, or the Whittling Shack Art Gallery. This helps introduce you to the arts community and helps the artist see what sells and figure out pricing and other pragmatic solutions to the difficulties they face.
Q: What are some activities and hobbies you enjoy in your spare time? Do you have any favorite local businesses you like to frequent?
A: Besides art, I enjoy gardening, cooking, and reading.
My family and I enjoy going to local coffee shops and playing games. You’ll usually find us at Café Steam, but we also enjoy Old Abes, Forager Café, & Café Aqui. Some of my favorite local shops are Clover & Rose, Art Heads Emporium, and Threshold Arts. Our daughter has food allergies, so some of the restaurants that we enjoy that can accommodate her needs are Forager Brewery, Bleu Duck, Hot Chip, and the Food Lab.
I like to support local businesses whenever I can and am always excited as Rochester’s horizons expand to include new local treasures.
You can learn more about Beth’s art and upcoming events at https://www.bethsieversart.com/!
