WMAA 2019-2020 Pre-Travel, Post-Graduation Reflections

Howdy! This is Elliot Corbett (they/them), your favorite non binary human and one of the recipients of the Warren Mackenzie Advancement Award for 2019-2020! I graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in May 2019 with my BFA in Ceramics and Drawing. I have currently been fighting off the void of post-graduation life with varying degrees of success, as well as preparing for my WMAA travels in the Spring of 2020.

In the six months since I have been out of school, I have moved from River Falls, WI to Saint Paul, MN, and then to Saint Paul to Minneapolis. I was working three jobs, started seeing a therapist for the first time, and adopted out my cat to a friend. Leaving my strong group of school studio friends and being plopped into a big city with a bustling queer community I have yet to fully connect to has been intimidating and alienating. Student loan repayment is looming on the horizon. Prioritizing art making has been a struggle, especially when it feels like your entire life is in flames and that you don’t “deserve” to have time to make art and enjoy what you’re doing (thanks, Capitalism!!). So, in conclusion, real life has been knocking hard, and I am sure a lot of recent graduates can relate.

However, life is definitely not all bad! In terms of my art life and practice, things have been going better than I could have ever dreamed. In June, I was one of many incredible emerging artists in “New to the Scene”, one of NCC’s monthly featured artist shows. This October, I was able to take an incredible anagama woodfire workshop back in River Falls led by Randy Jonston, Doug Casebeer, and Chris Gustin. And this spring I’ll be traveling extensively around the Southwest United States as per my WMAA proposal. As a recent graduate, these opportunities have been extremely encouraging, validating, and helped me realize how I can prioritize my art making, which has been a needed reminder over and over again as I am getting settled in my current residence in Minneapolis, MN.

The anagama style wood kiln at Mckeachie Johnston Studios in River Falls, WI

At Northern Clay Center in their Sales Gallery

If there’s one thing I have been reminded of over this recent wood firing workshop, building the life you want is a long game. I have recently been empowered to prioritize my life to include a larger emphasis on not just my art practice, but to have space and time to foster a community, family, and group of friends that will healthy, enriching, and long lasting.

You’ll see further posts and updates from me on the NCC blog coming Spring of 2020!
Thank you, and safe travels everyone,
-Elliot