We were lucky to catch up with Cori Teague recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cori, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?
My father was sick for most of my life and unfortunately, died when I was 26. Going through my developmental years in high school, while navigating a sick parent taught me so much about people and life. I went to a high school is Orange Country, California, and i’m sure like many high schools, it bread a lot of bullying. I felt like I was fighting a battle on all fronts while going through the saddest battle behind closed doors. It taught me how valuable life and friendship is, and how one person can alter your life by simply caring for who you are and what you are going through. I believe that people who have lost someone significant in their lives see the world through a different lens. This lens taught me compassion, empathy, and love for people and life.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My mother’s favorite story when describing me to others is when I was four, I insisted on wearing two different socks because it gave my outfit more character. This love for expressing myself through clothing, led to me pursuing a degree in visual communications from the Fashion institute of design and merchandising in Los Angeles. After FIDM, I did not feel as if my academic journey was finished and continued on to receive another degree in Fashion Design at Baylor University. My first year in Waco after leaving Los Angeles was a culture shock, and I felt lost in my fashion studies at Baylor. Taking Drawing 1 with Professor Greg Lewallen changed everything. His teaching style elevated my talent, leading me to switch to an art major. I was given my first gallery job as an intern and that gallery taught me everything, I needed to know for the next 4 years, from curating, artwork presentation, selling artwork, even down to the boring organizational stuff. I took everything I was learning and applied it to my own art, and I began showing in different shows around the US. I then moved to Austin in 2016 knowing well that the art scene was going to be vastly different than what I was used to, but Austin felt like home regardless. My first ‘show’ in Austin was at cherry cola dog, which was a group that would host warehouse parties on the east side and you could pay $10 to put your artwork up… Now Austin just had its first art fair, but more on that in a minute. Galleries started popping up around town after the giant rush of people in 2020 and I dove right back into the gallery world. I was curating, selling artwork, helping collectors open galleries, selling out my own work, and evolving alongside the art scene since 2016. Ramsay Fairs, the umbrella to Affordable Art Fair, started the journey to launch the Austin fair over two years ago and along the way found me. We both share the same passions of making artwork accessible to all, and being able to help evolve the Austin art scene as fair director for the only fair in Austin, is a very precious accomplishment for myself. In may 2024, we opened the doors to the first ever Affordable Art Fair in Austin, welcoming over 8,000 people and 1.5M in art sales. This next May 15-18th, 2025 we will launch the second edition of the fair in Austin!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would say my most impactful area of my journey is my network. Throughout my years of living, I have a great trusted network of individuals that are ready and willing to jump in when I give them a call. If you are going to build something successful, you need to trust that each job is going to be done to the calibre of your expectations, and they need to trust you, as well. My relationships show up for me, and they know I would and will show up for them. Have someone in every industry, you never know when they will help build your empire.
A quality that I find imperative for my journey is my constant need for self improvement, and I don’t necessarily means in the work force. I am always trying to understand who I am, my struggles and accomplishments, and prioritizing my mental health. If im not happy, how can anyone else be around me? I work on myself everyday and hope that by understanding who I am, I can live a life I am proud of.
Lastly, it’s been important to my journey to learn everything I can about my industry. Ive done every job hands on and im able to understand each part and why it’s important to its ecosystem. I am not afraid to pull my boot straps up to get things done.
Advice I have for folks early in their journey…Go to as many events as possible and ask question to anyone that is willing to answer them. Each person needs to find their nice inside their specific sector. This must be proactively pursued from oneself. Trust that no path is ever straight, look at mine (!), but trust that it will lead to self-discovery and improvement. Do not rest until you have found that pocket of the artworld that serves you. It’s there, you just have to look for it.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was teaching me independence. I got my first job when I was 13 as an assistant coaching at my gymnastics studio, and have worked ever since. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, so my mom taught me that if it’s my money, I can do what I want with it. If I wanted the designer purse, cute car, or to go to a concert, I could have it all if I worked for it. I would work hard to get to do the fun things in life and I was never restricted to what I could do with my money. I chose my own university journey , I’ve traveled, and I have had incredible experiences, because I paid for it on my own, and I could appreciate every second of what I was providing for myself. My life is what I make it and isn’t up to anyone else!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://affordableartfair.com/austin
- Instagram: ladycori
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cori-teague-1288b8113/
Image Credits
Photographer: @Chrisallenphoto
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