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Moe Gram is an artist, educator, and community organizer. In 2012 Gram flew to Florence, Italy to participate in a 6-month museum studies and studio arts program. In 2014 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a special focus in Studio Fine Art and a minor in Cultural Studies from California State University Bakersfield. The summer of 2014 led to the unexpected opportunity to move to Denver, Colorado and work in the Lower Downtown Denver Arts District. Currently Moe Gram is the visual arts educator at STRIVE Prep Green Valley Ranch Middle School and board member of Birdseed Collective.
Published on July 20th 2020. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What projects are you working on right now?
I am currently working on projects for Denver mural festivals Babe Walls and ColorCon, an immersive haunted house project called No Place to Go, collaborations with Grow Love for Pink Progression, and the development of a new series of work to be shown in 2021.
How do you keep yourself accountable in your practice?
I am a person who needs a lot of structure. So in my studio and in my practice I have built in systems and obligations to keep me accountable to goals I have set. For example, having firm deadlines. Deadlines keep me accountable to progress and create a sense of urgency in the studio. With out deadlines, I can easily have between 3-10 projects going with no end in site. I also offer internships with students from Denver Public Schools. The presence of young students makes me stay on top of basic tasks and any rules I create for myself. If I have to set the example, I am more likely hold myself accountable.
How do you stay motivated to pursue your creative work?
I would say my work is very much ingrained in my DNA. I am constantly in a creative state of mind, even if it is just spending time in my journal cultivating new ideas or reflecting on previous projects. As I move through spaces, I am inspired by natural compositions, conversations between people, and current affairs of the world. Motivation occurs when that inspiration is sparked and there is a deadline to meet. Many times, the thought of how great the final outcome of the project could be is enough to motivate me to get to work.
Where do you hope to be 10 years from now and what would you like to say to yourself?
I hope to be working internationally both within the realms of public art and in museums. I'd like to explore what happens with designing more functional and decorative objects. Perhaps even teaching studio art at the collegiate level. I have learned that I can make all the plans in the world, and the universe will have an entirely different perspective about where my success will take me. So as I evolve as a creative, I am learning to leave room for the universe to guide me on this epic art journey. In 10 years I hope to tell myself that I am proud of where I landed, and that all my efforts were totally worth it. I hope to say, "Take time to laugh at all those moments you doubted yourself. You knew you had what it takes. Now you can laugh knowing you were never going to fail in the first place."
What are your feelings about participating in a project like this?
I think a project of this sort is a fun way for me to begin examining my creative process. I look forward to seeing and documenting my evolution over the course of the next 10 years.
Published on July 20th 2020. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What projects are you working on right now?
I am currently working on projects for Denver mural festivals Babe Walls and ColorCon, an immersive haunted house project called No Place to Go, collaborations with Grow Love for Pink Progression, and the development of a new series of work to be shown in 2021.
How do you keep yourself accountable in your practice?
I am a person who needs a lot of structure. So in my studio and in my practice I have built in systems and obligations to keep me accountable to goals I have set. For example, having firm deadlines. Deadlines keep me accountable to progress and create a sense of urgency in the studio. With out deadlines, I can easily have between 3-10 projects going with no end in site. I also offer internships with students from Denver Public Schools. The presence of young students makes me stay on top of basic tasks and any rules I create for myself. If I have to set the example, I am more likely hold myself accountable.
How do you stay motivated to pursue your creative work?
I would say my work is very much ingrained in my DNA. I am constantly in a creative state of mind, even if it is just spending time in my journal cultivating new ideas or reflecting on previous projects. As I move through spaces, I am inspired by natural compositions, conversations between people, and current affairs of the world. Motivation occurs when that inspiration is sparked and there is a deadline to meet. Many times, the thought of how great the final outcome of the project could be is enough to motivate me to get to work.
Where do you hope to be 10 years from now and what would you like to say to yourself?
I hope to be working internationally both within the realms of public art and in museums. I'd like to explore what happens with designing more functional and decorative objects. Perhaps even teaching studio art at the collegiate level. I have learned that I can make all the plans in the world, and the universe will have an entirely different perspective about where my success will take me. So as I evolve as a creative, I am learning to leave room for the universe to guide me on this epic art journey. In 10 years I hope to tell myself that I am proud of where I landed, and that all my efforts were totally worth it. I hope to say, "Take time to laugh at all those moments you doubted yourself. You knew you had what it takes. Now you can laugh knowing you were never going to fail in the first place."
What are your feelings about participating in a project like this?
I think a project of this sort is a fun way for me to begin examining my creative process. I look forward to seeing and documenting my evolution over the course of the next 10 years.
Find Moe Gram on Instagram
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