Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caroline Bell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Caroline, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creativity is a fundamental part of our core that is essential to keep alive and growing.
There has been times when I have struggled to keep my creativity alive and growing
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Caroline Bell and I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but at a very early age, my entire life shifted and my family moved overseas to Singapore. Through growing up all over the world and absorbing a plethora of cultures, my interest in visual arts sparked. I was fortunate to attend Singapore American School in middle school, where I met one of my biggest inspirations, Mr. Koltutsky, my art teacher. In Mr. K’s class, my passion for the arts was fostered and ignited through many creative projects. I would stay after class to discuss art and explore how to further develop my technical skills in order to achieve challenging projects. I was never had interest in becoming a teacher until I met Mr. K; His passion for the arts and education deeply inspired me to become an international visual arts teacher. I was impressed that he could maintain his role as an art educator while also balancing his work as a professional artist. Mr. K encouraged me to join the art club that he hosted after school once a week, where I could dedicate time towards honing my skills and begin building a professional art portfolio. My participation and work in the art club landed me in a position where Mr. K recommended that I be placed in an Advanced Studio Art class as a freshman in High School. My family had to move back to Michigan after I graduated from middle school. This move devastated me as I left my art community, friends, and a place that became my home. Despite this challenging move and transition back to Michigan, I will never forget the memories, experiences, and influences Singapore had on me. Especially Mr. K.
Moving back to the United States was a significant challenge, but soon, I could find my new home with classmates who shared a similar passion for the arts. I was nervous that I could not find a teacher who would foster my creativity and artistic development as Mr. K did, but after meeting my new high school art teacher, Mr. Szpieg, I knew there was so much to learn from him. I would spend extra time with Mr. Szpieg discussing my artistic progression and skills that I needed further development on. Taking Mr. Szpieg’s art classes cultivated my deeper and expansive passion for the arts, just like Mr. K did. I discovered my love for ceramics and sculpture during my sophomore year and continued to expand this passion by taking IB visual art in my junior year. One day, I decided to apply to Interlochen Arts Academy on a whim after discovering their incredible facilities for visual art students. I worked closely with Mr. Szpieg in developing a professional art portfolio and created one of my most significant pieces yet, Trophy Wife. This project was one of my most challenging and extensive learning experiences with an art project. I remember making a first draft for this project using hand-building techniques, which ultimately collapsed on me. During the process, Mr. Szpieg commented on how this would jeopardize the whole piece, but I didn’t listen out of ignorance. After the piece collapsed, I approached a second attempt using coil-building techniques, resulting in this attempt being finished in a fraction of the time in comparison to the first draft. I was able to experience the rush of putting my entire being into a piece, and it turned out just how I imagined. I will never forget the day I was in Mr. Szpieg’s class when I got the acceptance letter into Interlochen Arts Academy for Visual Arts. I finished my junior year by creating extensive IB art projects. I had to begin more difficult goodbyes to my newfound art community, friends, and teachers who would leave a lifelong lasting impact on me.
My time at Interlochen was unlike any other experience with the arts. I was immersed in a tight-knit community of the most impressive and talented artists from around the world who came to Interlochen. The rigidity and intensity of this school trained me to be a professional artist and gave me an education I never would have received at East Grand Rapids High School. I learned how to collaborate with experienced curators, create a professional art portfolio, present work to professional artists, write artist statements, and create artwork through state-of-the-art technology and tools I had never used before. One of the most unforgettable classes I took at Interlochen was Aesthetics of Health. The class was brand new and designed by artist and educator Megan Hildebrandt, who created the class based on her experience with cancer and transferred it into visual art. We collaborated with Munson Medical Center, where we developed murals, produced work for patients, curated and hosted art shows, and created artwork that responded to our experience volunteering and working with this institution. This class inspired my senior thesis, which centered on reflecting on my relationship with my brother and growing up understanding Autism and fostering positive awareness through visual art. By the end of my time at Interlochen, I didn’t feel the initial need to attend a high-end art institution like I had before. I had already gained professional artist training from my intensive senior year and would carry those lessons throughout my life.
I attend Grand Valley State University and am completing my final year attaining a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education. Over the years, I have gained experience as an art educator through teaching at various institutions. In 2019, I worked as a junior ceramics teacher assistant. This job ignited my burning passion for teaching art to students and had students that inspired me like nothing I could ever imagine. I knew I was always passionate about arts, but it wasn’t until I met and helped instruct students that would inspire me for the rest of my life. In 2022, I worked at the Grand Rapids Art Museum as a lead art instructor for their summer art camp. After the summer, I became a Learning and Creativity Associate, working year-round, hosting workshops, open studios, and field trips for local schools. In 2023, I accepted the role of STEAM Program Coordinator, where I worked for Adventure Point, a subdivision camp from the Boy Scouts of America. I fell in love with teaching STEAM and designing state-of-the-art lesson plans to immerse students in creating technologically advanced art projects. I currently teach at Cultivate, where I can take my art teaching to levels beyond my prior years of education. At Cultivate, I teach art with investigative practices that foster curiosity and passion for the arts and community. I am excited to continue working at Cultivate, where I will grow as an artist and educator and develop tight-knit relationships with the community.
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?
The three most impactful things on my artistic journey were seeking constructive feedback, networking, and collaboration. Before understanding how essential receiving constructive feedback is, I usually only worked with myself as a critic. This is incredibly damaging and stunts artistic growth. Once I realized how vital it was to go out of my way to receive feedback from teachers and peers, my creative development and technical skills flourished. Improving this skill can be as simple as carving out 15 minutes to meet with a teacher or friend to get a critique on in-progress or finished artwork. Meet one-on-one to help you get the professional development you need regarding the skills you can grow in. Networking has been crucial in my professional development as an artist and educator. With proper networking skills, I could meet other artists I would soon collaborate with, develop relationships, and help each other on our artistic journeys. Networking is a skill I feel is never taught enough in schools, especially art institutions. To start networking, I would advise attending events related to the arts (or specific fields of profession) and socializing as much as possible with others there! It’s a great way to develop relationships with professionals in your community and learn about new opportunities. The more events you can attend and talk with new artists, the more you can pave your way in the industry. Collaboration is a tool I have been refining recently and is one of the best skills you can have as an artist. Incorporating collaboration into my artistic process has allowed me to get new perspectives, create art I would never have, prepare myself for working professionally in the art industry, and become a part of a supportive community. Improving collaboration can simply be working with a friend on a project. You can take turns adding or subtracting from a work of art until you have both accomplished the desired goals for the final piece. Collaboration can also be a group critique, in which you give and receive feedback on artwork. Utilizing collaboration is essential for preparing yourself to be in the art industry. The more you can collaborate with artists outside of your specialized mediums or areas of expertise, the more you can expand your artistic horizon in the long run!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
In recent years, I have shifted my artwork to center around personal experiences and advocate for promoting a better world. After experiencing the complex trauma of sexual assault, rape, and long-term abusive relationships, I knew I needed to make art about my experience. When I was surviving those complex traumas, I felt like I didn’t have a voice or the tools I needed to get the help I needed. By creating artwork about my experiences, I can gain my voice back that was stripped of my identity during the trauma. My dream came true last year when I had my experimental short film, Someday You’ll Be Gone, premiere at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. This film centered around my experience with undergoing sexual assault and surviving abusive relationships. I never thought I would have a piece shown on a public scale when I initially created it, thinking no one would ever see it. I connected with other survivors who were touched by this film and received incredible support from my community. I continue to do work that advocates for survivors of trauma in hopes of reaching those who don’t feel like they have the voice or support they need to escape. I want to support others in every way I can because I wish I had someone creating advocacy art that helped me escape my complex traumas earlier. By creating a body of work that centers around this advocacy by highlighting my own experiences, I can regain my identity and sense of self through the arts and promote change for the future.
One of the latest projects I actively seek collaboration with is a documentary and large-scale installation surrounding the PFAS water crisis. Last year at Grand Valley State University, I took Civic Studio, which centered around creating public art. During this class, we investigated Rockford and met with scientists and activists who got the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) involved. During this investigative process, I was able to reignite my passion for creating advocacy art and integrate more purpose into my art-making and design. I have been designing a large-scale installation utilizing billboard-size printing and mounting the original map produced by the lead activist Lynn McIntosh, which the EPA used to discover the significant contamination hotspots. This installation would utilize shadow sensor technology and projection mapping to showcase an illuminated animation of where all the contamination has spread from each hot spot when interacting with them. The installation is still in development, but I would love to have engineers or specialists in this type of technology. I believe that this project will be able to advocate for real change and educate communities on the ongoing PFAS water crisis. Working together, we would be able to create art that could help change the world for the better.
If you have a passion for creating art that promotes a better future, please do not hesitate to reach out! I am always looking to expand my art and advocacy practices to make the world a better place. As we collaborate, I promise that we will be able to expand our artistic journeys, foster creativity, and help promote change through the arts. I can not emphasize enough how vital it is to collaborate on advocacy issues, especially now. The sooner we connect, the sooner we can help create a world we want to live in through the magic of the arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carolinebellart.com
- Instagram: caroline.bell
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialcarolinebellart
- Youtube: @cpbell99
Image Credits
Destin Nordyke, Caroline Bell
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
