We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Virginia Fleck. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Virginia below.
Virginia , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from resilience; an inner knowing that transformation is always possible. I grew up in a world steeped in ritual, symbolism, and magical thinking, where belief itself shaped perception. That early training in seeing the invisible has stayed with me. In my art, I take post-consumer materials, objects once cast aside and reimagine them into shimmering environments of reflection and wonder. This process mirrors my own life: the ability to navigate challenges and still find beauty, humor, and connection. Optimism, for me, isn’t naïve; it’s an active practice of noticing potential where others might see only limits. Each time a viewer pauses, slows down, and discovers something unexpected in my work, I am reminded that renewal is not only possible but always within reach. That’s the well I draw from, trusting that even in uncertainty, there is a spark waiting to be uncovered.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In an age defined by rapid consumption, my work examines the relationship between materiality and perception, urging a slower, embodied engagement with objects and space. Magical thinking, rooted in cultural superstitions and beliefs in unseen forces, plays a vital role in my practice. By infusing my work with these notions, I tap into a collective cultural memory, where objects are not only functional but also symbolic. This connection between materiality and the metaphysical draws viewers into a space where the boundaries between the rational and the irrational blur, creating a heightened sensory experience that invites deeper contemplation
I was born in 1960 and raised in the last recognizable Irish enclave in New York City, where Catholic doctrine, miracles, and superstition profoundly shaped my worldview. The apocalyptic drama and sensory intensity of Catholic Mass informed my earliest encounters with ritual and belief. This experience forged a deep-rooted engagement with magical thinking, an influence that permeates my artistic investigations into perception and material symbolism.
My art practice is rooted in the belief that our senses serve as a gateway to our innate knowledge, our original place of knowing. I create intricately crafted sensory objects and environments from post-consumer materials imbued with notions of luck, chance, and magical thinking. The resulting artworks draw on baroque aesthetics that resonate with symbolism and transcend the original utility of the materials; sparkling chains of can tabs and safety pins transform into oversized, shimmering chandeliers that generate mesmerizing moiré patterns. Metal bingo cages, bingo chips, and raffle drums are retooled into hand-cranked sound baths and luck generators, each with a unique sonic signature.
I attended art school briefly as a young adult and hold no formal degrees (Portland School of Art, 1978-79, and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, 1986-88). In 1988, I began training in massage therapy, energy work, and breath work, practicing these healing modalities for 30 years alongside my full-time studio art practice. Above all else, performing this healing work has profoundly influenced the nature and direction of my studio practice.
My work has been widely exhibited across the United States and Europe and has been featured at international art fairs and solo exhibitions including The Grace Museum, (Abilene TX,) Women and Their Work Gallery and Northern-Southern Gallery (Austin, TX), Finesilver Gallery (Houston, TX), Holly Johnson Gallery (TX), and Blue Star Art Museum (San Antonio TX). I have received recognition through grants, awards, and residencies, including Connemara Conservancy (Dallas, TX), Stone Quarry Hill Sculpture Park (Cazenovia, NY), and Espacio Aglutinador (Havana, Cuba). My art is held in the collections of Casa Golinelli Museum (Bologna, Italy), the US Embassy in Kigali (Rwanda), Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, WA), and at the headquarters of Whole Foods and Facebook in Austin, TX. I have earned two CODA awards for Public Art, been named Best Individual Artist by the Austin Critics Table Awards and was invited as a guest artist to San Francisco’s Exploratorium.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I can point to four qualities that have shaped my practice: curiosity, patience, attentiveness to unseen forces, and trust in intuition. Curiosity drives me to explore materials rich with history and latent potential. Patience allows me to work slowly and deliberately, attending to subtle shifts in form, light, and sound. Engaging with concepts of luck, superstition, and magical thinking opens pathways to the stories embedded in objects, enabling me to design immersive experiences rich with resonance. Trusting intuition guides me in making decisions that feel alive in the moment, whether I am building a hand-cranked sound bath, a sensory column, or a can-tab tapestry.
My advice to someone beginning their artistic journey is simple: do not look outside yourself for validation or approval, honor your intuitive impulses, and cultivate an attentiveness to your surroundings. Take risks, allow mistakes to guide discovery, and remain open to unexpected directions your work may take. Above all, embrace curiosity and patience as lifelong companions, they will sustain you through challenges and deepen the richness of your practice.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I start to feel overwhelmed, I don’t try to push through it, I take a walk. It’s less about getting away and more about reconnecting with the simple rhythm of my breath and footsteps. After about two miles, the steady repetition and the rush of endorphins begin to quiet the noise in my mind. Walking helps me shift back into the present, grounding me physically and mentally. This reset is essential to how I work, helping me stay calm and focused as I engage with my materials and ideas. It’s become a small but powerful ritual that keeps me balanced amid the complexities of creative work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.virginiafleck.com
- Instagram: @virginiafleckstudio
Image Credits
PhilipRogers Photography (portrait of artist)
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