S2, Ep 5: Should I or Shouldn’t I be both a Parent & an Artist?

Being a creative is tough work: planning, research, drafts, creation, revision, audience engagement, etc., etc. Add to that: finances, health, networking, any number of things it takes to succeed as a creative and/or small business. Starting a family seems like another bale of straw on the camel’s back, so to speak. But artists and creatives can have families and fruitful art careers. We will have two guests discuss the apprehensions, transitions, frustrations and joys of having an arts practice and being a parent. 

Amy Malkan is a public artist, artrepreneur and community developer. She is best known for her contemporary style infused with Indian and Asian motifs within her murals and art installations. Her creativity and artistic approach are inspired by her travels to more than 28 countries around the globe. Malkan fundamentally believes that everyone deserves access and exposure to the arts. She strives to engage the public in the design and production of most of her public art projects. Over the past 5 years Malkan has facilitated the design, coordination and production over 30 public art projects across the Houston area and around the globe. These projects have been co-created with the involvement of over 10,000 area youth, artists and hundreds of community stakeholders. In her personal time, Malkan is a mother, an avid runner and cyclist, she enjoys dancing, traveling and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Matt Manalo was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting and Minor in Art History at the University of Houston. Manalo creates work which involves elements of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. He uses raw materials, found objects sometimes collected and often times donated… By doing this, he is making his practice environmentally conscious as well as understanding the idea of scarcity and abundance. He uses the grid as a foundation for most of his work to tackle geography, cartography, borders, and the idea of displacement while having a constant conversation of how “home” should be defined. Being a first generation immigrant, Manalo discusses his experiences navigating around the physical and social structures of society through his work. As he explores this, home becomes a two-part environment where the artist is split between the Philippines and Texas. The latter sits on the southern border of the US. It is also important to mention that colonization of the Philippines by Spain, Japan and the United States resulted in erasure, colorism and colonial mentality; a frequent topic in Manalo’s work. 

Music: "Ike is Gone" by Nick Gaitan

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