ARTrepreneur of the Month–February 2014

Keith S | February 20, 2014 | 0 Comments

Siete Verde; Photo by Stephen Hume

Former CREATE MSU Denver client Amy Laugesen specializes in the creation of mixed media sculpture and public art using firing techniques such as raku. Her fragmented equine abstracts create a statement housed in both an ancient and contemporary context. Having showcased her sculptures in the National Western Stock Show, Amy is our first featured ARTrepreneur of the Month.

CREATE: Tell us your story… why horses?
Amy: I have a profound relationship with horses that is hard to put into words. My muse is my childhood friend, a quarter horse named Tic Tac. He is no longer physically here with me…but his spirit inspires my artworks. It is the story of the ancient and contemporary human/horse relationship that fascinates me. I use the powerful symbolism of the horse to create a statement in both a classical and contemporary context.

CREATE: All your pieces focus on the head and body, why?
Amy: Inspired by ancient artifacts, my sculptures intentionally appear broken or weathered as relic treasures to honor the profound essence of these magnificent creatures. What is not there/missing is part of the story of the sculpture…

CREATE: You’ve been a CREATE client for 10 months. What growth have you seen since graduating from the program?
Amy: The CREATE staff has been wonderful and supportive. I have seen growth in the way I perceive and run my business as a mixed media sculptor since I graduated from the CREATE program. I have a background in art and going through the program helped with my business skills so that I could focus on being a professional artist.

CREATE: What brought you to CREATE?
Amy: A friend introduced me to Mick Jackowski, Director of the Center for Innovation, and to the CREATE program. I was intrigued by what the program offered artists/entrepreneurs working to improve their business skills. I applied and was accepted into the program in November 2012.

CREATE: What was your goal in coming through the CREATE program. Did you meet them?
Amy: My goals coming through the CREATE program was to improve my business skills as an artist and strive towards becoming internationally renowned for equine sculptures that connect people to their profound relationship with the spirit of the Horse. Yes, I have improved my business skills through the CREATE program and also know it is an ongoing/evolving process to follow and finance my creative passion.

CREATE: What prompted you to apply to have your work in the Coors Western Art Exhibit at the National Western Stock Show? How did you get in?
Amy: Two years ago, I applied to the Call for Artists posting on the National Western Stock Show website. I was selected by Curator Rose Fredrick to display several artworks in the 2013 Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale. With success of sales and positive response from collectors and visitors, I was invited back for the 2014 Exhibition & Sale.

CREATE: Tell us your experience in being a part of the Coors Exhibit.
Amy: The Coors Western Art Exhibit has a reputation for being one of the finest contemporary western art shows in the United States. It is a great honor for me to have my equine inspired ceramic and mix-media sculptures included in this prestigious exhibit during the National Western Stock Show here in Denver.

CREATE: Did you sell any pieces?
Amy: Yes, all five of my sculptures selected for the 2014 exhibition sold.

CREATE: What shows do you have on the horizon and what pieces are you currently creating?
Amy: I will have sculptures on display at the 2014 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo— in Denver, on March 7, 8 & 9, 2014. I am also one of sixty artists included in the 2014 Governor’s Art Show at the Loveland Museum/Gallery, May 2 – June 15, 2014. I am very busy in the studio creating new works for 2014, The Year of the Horse.

Several large scale commissioned sculptures is on permanent display in public and private locations around Denver and Colorado Springs. Other small-scale works are in private collections throughout the United States. For more information about Amy Laugesen visit amylaugesen.com.

Tags: Create MSU Denver, Leah Parker, CREATE, National Western Stock Show, Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale, exhibit, western art, raku, sculpture, Amy Laugesen, Hayden Herd, horse, Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, Art in the Park Exhibit