Check Out Chris Frye’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Frye.

Hi Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Chris Frye. I am an artist and educator from Kansas City. I grew up influenced by skate stickers, comic books, Saturday morning cartoons, happy meals, matchbox cars, and action figures with the kung-fu grip. My interest in being an artist and pursuing a career as an educator has always gone hand in hand, having had many creative teachers in my life. After high school, I attended Johnson County Community College. I transferred to KU, where I honed my skills in drawing and painting. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a BFA in Painting in 1998. That next school year, I began teaching Art at Ruskin High School. I attained an MA in Education from Avila University in 2005. I have taught art for nearly two decades, first for Hickman Mills in South KCMO and the past 11 years for the Gardner Edgerton school district at Pioneer Ridge Middle School. I have also been the scenic designer and set builder for Blue Valley West’s Theatre Department for the past 12 years. I worked and taught theatre tech with Stageworx theatre camp for 11 summers. I have enjoyed the challenges of building sets, fulfilling the director’s vision, and transforming the space for the actors to tell their stories. I have shown my artwork throughout my career, primarily pop art paintings on panels, at numerous galleries, coffee shops, and businesses around the KC metro. I have had countless solo shows and have curated group shows with fellow local artists. But in 2020, the pandemic temporarily shut down the gallery scene. First, Fridays were canceled, and people weren’t going out to see art. So, I turned to making small-scale stickers that could easily travel worldwide through the mail to reach other artists and collectors in trade pack exchanges. The sticker art community has been an excellent way for me to get my work seen and collected by a global audience. I enjoy posting to Instagram and making reels that show the process of drawing and coloring these priority mail labels with markers and crayons. I put the timelapse video to music and published it on Instagram as an online portfolio. Over the years, my work has evolved, refined, and strayed in many ways. As a pop artist, I continue to sample images from popular culture. I like redrawing vintage logos, mascots, cartoons, and comics. I like to write my name, ©Frye! Use bubble letters or graffiti fonts on anything from maps and magazines to recycled cardboard packaging. I have created an OC named Copycat. He’s an evolving mashup of alley-cat cartoon characters with a rude boy ska style. Copycat is a commentary on unoriginality, creating copyright-infringing low-brow bootlegs with a DIY punk rock attitude.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like most creatives, finding balance with the to-do list of life can be a challenge. I was a father and full-time teacher before being able to focus on making art. I have commitments to fulfill, schedules to follow, and goals to attain. But being able to create art daily has always been cathartic and brought enjoyment. You can be a part-time professional artist and still make a big impact in an art community. That’s something I learned from skateboarding. Some of my favorite skaters are amateurs. You don’t have to make a living from art to be an artist. Another challenge is maintaining your creative streak through the ebb and flow of life. Sometimes, ideas strike like lightning; other times, they have flatlined. It’s important to have a well-rehearsed process to float on as you wait for the next swell of creativity. When that wave comes, ride it while you can! But always be ready to paddle out for the next set of waves.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
As an art teacher, I aim to create an environment conducive to creativity by providing projects and activities in which students can experience a variety of materials and processes. As a sticker artist, my objective has been to send out my packets of stickers and other small artworks worldwide to whoever wants to trade. I always say yes to trade requests. This kind of mail art exchange circumvents the traditional gallery scene and allows artists to connect with others internationally. By combining my roles as a teacher and an artist, I create a rich and interconnected artistic experience for myself and my students. This approach not only enhances my artistic journey but also inspires and broadens the horizons of the creative minds I guide in my classroom. By documenting my experiences and sharing the stories behind my sticker art journey, I aim to inspire others in the artistic community. I want to provide insights into my creative process and the meaningful connections I’ve made.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
As an artist, it’s important to connect with a community. Finding artists to follow on Instagram because their art is cool is one thing, but making real connections by sharing your stickers and artwork is the next level. You get to be a collector through trade packs and spread your work to others. I love seeing collabs I’ve added pop back up after someone else has added them. I’ve been lucky to have collaborated with some incredible artists worldwide. Being open to working with others and sampling their styles broadens your skills.

Pricing:

• DM me on Instagram to set up a trade or request a commission estimate.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cvfrye

Image Credits
All photos courtesy of the artist, Chris Frye.