We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Glen Kessler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Glen, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
I was in art school working on developing myself as an artist, of course. But whenever we would line up our work for critiques, I found myself incredibly passionate about conveying what was wrong and how it could be made right in my peers’ work. I believed then, as I believe now, that a rising tide lifts all ships.
The next year, when my teacher needed to take breaks for an aching back, he offered me the opportunity to take over while he was resting. I was hooked.
As the years went on and I taught more, my calculus became quite simple: in my own studio I’m improving one artist, but in my classroom, I’m improving 20. It’s always been that simple for me. I love both the act of painting and the teaching of painting.
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?
After teaching at the university and community levels for nearly 20 years, in 2013, I founded my own school: The Compass Atelier. I had grown frustrated with the inefficiencies of the university and community instruction models. So I created a three year program open to anyone that became the most efficient route to becoming a professional artist.
After a decade of success, in April 2024, we expanded into a full art center with multiple classrooms, galleries, and studios for artists to work in. This new Compass Art Center in Kensington, MD is now providing hundreds of people in the DC area the opportunity to grow and develop their art each week. I couldn’t be more thrilled.
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?
For me, the most important qualities I believe an artist and an entrepreneur as well needs to have are passion, optimism, and humility.
Passion is the fuel in your tank that will keep you going when things inevitably get tough. Find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Optimism is key for any artist or entrepreneur too. You have to believe in the vision of what you’re doing. If you don’t believe that you can accomplish things that have never been done, then you’ll never take the risks necessary to do anything new.
Humility is essential in any arena where you chart your own path. The willingness to honestly appraise where you’re at and make small or large changes is crucial to balance that optimism. You can seek outside help from friends and loved ones, but you have to be willing to receive that critical feedback and sometimes change your plans based on it.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents did not approve of me pursuing a career in the arts. Like most parents, they wanted their kids to have a smooth path towards success. The arts are perceived to be very fraught.
But while they may not have approved, they did give me the space to allow me to prove my resolve to them. As a college student I put that chip on my shoulder and used it to graduate from both undergrad and graduate school summa cum laude, to doggedly pursue apprenticeships and work study in fields that could enhance my growth, and eventually to find a successful career as a painter and teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://CompassArtCenter.com
- Instagram: CompassArtCenter
- Facebook: CompassArtCenter
- Yelp: CompassArtCenter
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