Art can be a difficult subject for people to agree on. Art to one person can be confusing or unappreciated to another. It’s hard to unite people on exactly what art is all of the time. What though if it has elements that allow everyone to understand what it is? Say images of a neighborhood or community, all combined into one piece of art, like a collage. That’s exactly the type of art that you’ll findGiesla Hoelscher working on and sharing with others. Get to learn more about her and her art that honors cities and neighborhoods from around the country.
Hello, and welcome to today’s @MNMOmag Twitterview with Twin Cities collage artist, @GieslaAnne. Lets get this started!
Tell us a little bit about your background. Where you grew up and when your interest in art started.
Giesla: I’m a lifelong MN resident & currently live in St. Paul.
When asked in kindergarten what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said “an artist”!
I never really faltered from that. I studied psychology for a brief period, then interior & graphic design.
Where did you go for your interior and graphic design schooling? What kind of art were you drawn too?
Giesla: I went to the U of MN. I graduated with an Associate’s in Graphic Design from Globe College (now Globe University).
I appreciate all kinds of art, it’s really hard to pick an absolute favorite. I’m really drawn to modern art.
As far as graphic design, I have a soft spot for vintage design, particular graphics from the 50s and 60s.
When did you start making your own art for selling publicly, and what made you choose collages?
Giesla: I had a difficult time finding a job after 9/11. There were more layoffs than hiring so I started doing freelance.
I just wasn’t crazy about the work. I started making things by hand at the encouragement of a co-worker at the time.
I started my own business in 2002 & started doing art fairs. The collage work wasn’t the main focus initially.
I started doing collages b/c it was my favorite college project. I chose the local theme b/c I love where I live.
Can you describe some of the pieces that you’ve done to give people an idea of your local themes?
Giesla: The artwork is mostly done with my own photography, but I’ve also used vintage postcards & maps in some pieces.
The theme is either a major city or focuses on part of the city, for example, San Francisco or Bourbon Street.
Here in MN, I generally focus on parts of Saint Paul or Minneapolis or areas of MN, like the North Shore.
I’ve had a great deal of requests for MN colleges as they make great gifts & I’m slowly building a collection.
I also like to highlight the greatest parts of the Twin Cities, like the lakes and the arts, for example
When it come to MN and the arts community, is their a good network to connect with, or lots of independent people?
Giesla: There is an AMAZING arts community here in MN. One of my favorite parts of doing art fairs is connecting w/artists
We also have great organizations like @mnartistsdotorg and @SpringboardArts that do excellent work w/artists.
Great to know about @mnartistsdotorg and @SpringboardArts. Any location offline that people can see your work at?
Giesla: Absolutely! My favorite independent shops are the Artist Mercantile in St. Paul or Your Art’s Desire in Minnetonka.
If you prefer shopping at a mall, my work is at Deck the Walls in @mallofamerica or their new Rosedale location.
I’ll be at the Rosedale location on October 20th for a signing event from 1-4pm.
Joel: Thanks so much @GieslaAnne for sharing some of your life and activities on #MNMOtv today. Have a great rest of the week!
Giesla: Thank you, @JoelECarlson, for having me on #MNMOtv. It was my pleasure!