Fellowship winner Anna Youngers makes a career in art

Sioux Falls artist Anna Youngers uses brushes and canvas to uncover a deeper knowledge and understanding of her subjects. She credits classical atelier training and apprenticeship with providing her the strong foundation in draftsmanship and the traditional craft of oil painting. A SD Congressional Art Award winner as a high school student, Youngers has received numerous honors for her work, such as inclusion in the prestigious Hudson River Fellowship and the South Dakota Artist Fellowship Grant. Her work has been in exhibitions around the United States, including the South Dakota Art for State Buildings Collection.

Arts Alive: How did the experience of being a Congressional High School art winner affect your trajectory toward being a professional artist?

Anna Youngers: The Congressional award sent my work to Washington DC, to be exhibited with the work of my peers— winners from each congressional district in the U.S. Of course it was exciting as a teenager to have my work displayed in the capitol, but more impactful was that it put me in contact with supporters of the arts in our state, people such as then SDAC staff member Michael Pangburn. Those relationships were incredibly valuable as I began my journey as a professional artist.

I was very fortunate to have two generous and dedicated art teachers in school who recognized my passion, drive and ability. My middle school teacher, Denise Nelson, gave me my first boost of artistic recognition in 8th grade. My high school art teacher, Marsha Selle, pushed me to enter various regional art shows and spent many hours after school working on applications, packaging and shipping work. I cannot thank them enough for championing me.

What has the Arts Council Fellowship allowed you to explore as an artist?

In receiving the Artist Fellowship Grant, my primary aim was to set aside a period of time completely devoted to creating new work. I have several artist mentors in the area that I have long wanted to paint, but running a studio and teaching private classes makes it difficult to find the time and energy to devote to such a personal project.

I have always been enamored with drawings and paintings of artists done by other artists. Working with artists allows one to be unencumbered by the constraints of traditional commissioned portraiture, offering instead a sympathetic peer and collaborator.

The grant allowed me the luxury of unencumbered exploration in my process. It also gave me the cherished gift of time spent in the company of veteran artists and educators. I am grateful for the support of the South Dakota Arts Council. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive fellowships throughout the last fifteen years, and they have been instrumental in helping me continue to grow and pursue my work.

What are the unique challenges and rewards of having your work chosen for the state’s art collection through Art for State Buildings?

I love seeing original artwork shown in spaces outside of museums, galleries and collector’s homes. One of the challenges of living in a more rural state is that there aren’t always accessible options for the public to be exposed to art. Initiatives like Art for State Buildings is a great way to get the public engaging with art. We have a very active and passionate body of artists in South Dakota who strive to be involved and integrated into our communities, and my life is personally enriched through knowing them and their work.

Where do you go from here as an artist?

I will be focused on preparing for a solo exhibition in July 2020 at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, IA. Last fall, I had the opportunity to study figurative sculpture in clay, and I’m really excited to explore that more.

I’ve set aside teaching classes for the first part of the new year to focus on my studio work but will continue to host my weekly life-drawing group. The group began several years ago, and I enjoy the supportive community of regulars that has formed over the years. It’s a nice counterbalance to all the solitary studio time and provides a pressure-free environment to practice and experiment.

I plan to continue working on my artist portrait series, painting local artists in their work environments and recording our conversations that come about during the process. My eventual goal is for the collection to travel around the state. Planning an exhibition of this scope requires time and resources, so I’ll be researching grants and funding for that this year as well, especially as the list of artists that I would like to include continues to grow!