Teen Interview #3

Kelly Moylan, 18

What school do you go to?

I go to SOTA; Tacoma School of the Arts.

What mediums do you involve yourself in?

I like a whole lot of mediums. It usually depends on the subject matter I’m working with. Lately, I’ve been into watercolor. Acrylic is usually where my heart lies while painting. I also like working with colors, so colored pencil or marker; I don’t know, a lot of different things.

What does your art mainly consist of? Symbolically speaking.

It depends on my mood. So I would say it’s a reflection of how I’m feeling, especially the ones I do in short amounts of time. Which, if I do in long amounts of time, it’s usual skill, which I don’t really like. I’m trying to push myself to make more art that I just like. I also like to think of them as a culmination of whack-ass ideas I have.

What has been your favorite piece that you’ve created?

I think the one that I’m most proud of is my jellyfish piece that’s on Plexiglas. But the one that I like the most is probably a portrait of my friend, Abby. I used a bunch of weird stuff like scotch tape, glitter pens, markers, and colored pencils.

Aside from visual artists, are there any artists in music, film, or other mediums that have inspired you as well?

Yeah, I like a lot of music. I usually correlate music to making my artwork. It’s lately been a lot more indie rap, according to Spotify. Including No Name, and others I can’t think of right now. I also have cassette tapes, I started collecting them a year ago. The songs on them, a lot of them, are new. I didn’t know the album but I knew the band. The artwork from a lot of them is really cool, as well.

What has been your favorite artistic event that you’ve gone to in Tacoma?

Probably Teen Night, like the first Teen Night. I was working for most of it and just doing portraits, which was fun. I had a lot of fun doing it. I also really liked the open mic on the second night. Teen Night has been one of my favorites. But I’ve also been heavily involved in them, so I’m biased.

What demographic comes to mind when you think of people who visit art museums?

On a personal level, preferably everyone. There wouldn’t be a specific demographic. But currently, old white people. I think of donors to the museum.

Tacoma Art Museum has done many themes in exhibitions, such as immigration, or race; what specific theme would you like to see?

I’d say those but more. Because honestly it just recently started. They only started doing that a few years ago. No shade to the museum, like, I’m glad that they’re making a point to do that more. But I think more marginalized groups of people, as opposed to white men who made paintings in the 1700’s.

I understand you’re a part of the Teen Art Council. Do you feel a bit more privileged than your peers when you go to the art museum?

When I go to the Tacoma Art Museum. Sometimes I feel really arrogant. When I’m like “I’m on the teen art council at TAM, so I think you should really go there sometimes, its really cool, they have a lot of awesome exhibitions.” But I also go to SOTA, so that amplifies my cockiness.

How do you think Tacoma would benefit from the voices of teens?

I think that if you get the children and younger generations involved in art, then other people will follow. I feel like there would be an obligation for parents and siblings to get into it too. To an extent, those kids will grow up and be involved as adults, and their kids will also be involved. It will happen by generation, but you have to start somewhere.