Community Highlights: Meet Devin Graham of Creative Resurge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Graham. 

Hi Devin, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Goodness, where to even begin. Well…it all started the day I was born… kidding. 

All kidding aside, this is a long story…but it’s a good one. 

I have always been an artist, but never quite fit the mold. I recall in high school filling my days with art classes by some pretty incredible teachers but frequently hearing, “it’s not quite right” or “it’s okay, keep going”. At the time, of course, this brutally touched my intense teenage soul, but ultimately, it evolved into my decision to study Art History instead of Studio Art when I went to college at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Art History was always a passion, and I was lucky to have had incredible art teachers (cough* Waldorf, Ensor, Price, Kroeker *cough) and one really excellent counselor (cough* Mr. Halfmann *cough) who encouraged this love for all it could be. (Thank you, thank you, thank you!) 

What does this even have to do with Creative Resurge? Don’t worry, I’m getting there. 

While in college, like everyone else, I explored my life as I tried to understand who I was and what in the world I was going to do with a degree in Art History. I was outgoing, creative, and ready to take on the world. 

Then my world was infiltrated. 

I met someone I like to refer to as, “he who shall not be named”, and a year later found myself in a severely abusive relationship: physically, financially, sexually, and emotionally. I then became pregnant with my now-7-year-old son who quite literally saved my life. I had hit my absolute lowest…no money, isolated from friends and family, and convinced that I simply wasn’t worth anything. But then the light found me. At just one month old, Oliver (appropriately named after the DC superhero, Green Arrow) gave me the strength I needed to escape in the middle of the night while “he who shall not be named” was arrested for attacking me, prompting the neighbors to call 911. Nothing but the clothes on our backs, my son Oliver, and my two dogs, we got out of a really dark and dangerous place. 

Oliver had been my hero, and honestly still is. 

Following these events, I had the support of my family who aided in retrieving my belongings and providing me a place to stay until I could figure out next steps. Again, after all, what is one to do with an Art History degree? 

My son and I stayed with my nana for the next 7 months, when I met the love of my life, Andrew. At this point in time, I hadn’t created art in years; not that it was really my ‘thing’ compared to the history of it, but I had always had some type of creative concoction rolling up until this point. But when I met Andrew, I suddenly felt like all was right with the world. And as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests, my needs had been met and suddenly I had a surge of inspiration. One night I had an epiphany about a work of art I felt utterly compelled to create. So, I had my brother assist with spraying a piece of wood (48″ x 36″) black, and I had at it. I took every bit of emotional everything I had felt over the previous years and just let it all out. It was the absolute best therapy I have ever received. 

So, what was this work of art? A phoenix. 

I had taken all of the images and printed texts that had taken place during that dark time of my life and printed them in black and white to create the ashes. I then took images and printed texts beginning when Oliver and I met Andrew, and his daughter Alli, and created a phoenix rising from the ashes, the darkness. 

During this period, I had secured a part-time Museum Educator position with the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri. As a former Pre-Kindergarten Teacher and Director aligned with my passion and love for the arts, this was the perfect fit. A fit for which I continue to be thankful for having maintained a beautiful relationship with the Kemper as I continue to teach for them as part of my current endeavors. A few years after being at the Kemper, however, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in the creation and opening of the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center (JCAHC), Overland Park, Kansas. My role with JCAHC was vast and involved creating an art studio and arts exhibition program from scratch, grant writing, managing arts education for preschool through adult, community outreach, theatre (in the beginning), and even large special events. My experience at JCAHC and the Kemper are what have given me the know-how in using my Art History and education background and even more so allowed me the opportunity to better understand what it means to be an advocate for the arts, especially the arts in Kansas City. 

When the pandemic hit, I had our youngest son, Asher, one week before shutdowns began to happen. This event within the pandemic had a rippling effect over the next year as childcare was impossible to find, stress levels were increased due to demands of the pandemic, and budgets (both personally and professionally) were strapped. The world felt as though it was falling apart, politics were amok, social injustice was rampant, and, oh yeah, there’s a deadly virus. I watched some of the most incredible people (and artists) I know struggle to figure out what they would do as all work had stopped, all outlets had stopped, and all support became convoluted. But then, it became more and more apparent, that the very thing our world was turning to in such a challenging time was, in fact, the arts. People were watching Netflix, creating art, finding sanctuary in the world’s natural art, and so much more. 

So, it dawned on me, a few months later, that this is in fact the time that we, as a world, as a city, as an arts community, need to rise from the ashes and stretch our wings. We need to use this time as an opportunity to support, advocate, and create because the arts do matter. Thus, Creative Resurge was born. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s going, haha. 

Honestly, the biggest challenge is that in trying to flip the script on traditional, patriarchal approach to the arts, I am inadvertently overworking myself. One of my biggest goals in creating Creative Resurge is to support artists. Period. Artists of all ages, mediums, skill level, etc. I have found that if you aren’t “in” the Kansas City arts community that you are often overlooked, which is deeply unfortunate given the talent in Kansas City. So, my goal is to provide opportunities for artists who otherwise may not be seen, who may be emerging, who may be new to the Kansas City area, or who just want some guidance from a curator and educator’s perspective, which is typically hard to access. The challenge with this, of course, is breaking the barrier and building a bridge, but it can be done. It will be done! 

Another challenge, I have learned that I am terrible at social media. I can get excited about it for 0.0000000000002 seconds only to totally lose interest because it really isn’t my wheelhouse. All tips welcome. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Creative Resurge?
So many exciting things! 

Creative Resurge is all about supporting artists, arts organizations, and non-profits with a large net that encompasses curatorial services for gallery spaces as well as private collections, arts education, professional development through an arts lens, grant writing services with a special focus on the arts, artist consultations and support through writing, proofreading/editing, collections feedback, art sales and representation…and so much more. 

The coolest part, the fee structure is designed with the artist in mind. Many fees are purely commission-based with a few resources available for a reasonable, flat rate. PLUS, many free resources! We have a unique business model that maintains the artist at the forefront; plus, we don’t believe in application fees. They’re silly. 

Our biggest goal is to help you tell your story the way you intend; if you’re not sure how to tell it, we can guide you. 

Plus, we have a really cool logo designed by artist, Allison Bowman. 

Current Public Projects: 

Esperance | Epsten Gallery, Overland Park, KS | On-View through May 2022 

Bryan Voell | November Featured Artist on Creative Resurge Digital Gallery

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
My *dream* is that the field will expand to become more accessible to artists who may not otherwise be considered part of the arts scene simply because they haven’t been discovered yet. We’re the discoverers. 

I also think the arts community is expanding to incorporating other mediums and cross-curricular subject matter which is a trend I definitely see continuing. In other words, art meets science, art meets math, cultural celebrations, historical context, and so much more. It’s really incredible to see how far the evolution has come in the last ten years, and I can’t wait to see it in the next ten years. 

Pricing:

• Art Commission Sales – 10%
• Grant Writing Commission – 12%
• Writing Services (Proofreading, Artist Statement, Resumes, Application Reviews) – $30/hour
• Curatorial Services, Professional Development, Art Education Programs – Inquire for a Quote
• Partnerships and Collaborations – Priceless

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.creativeresurge.com
• Instagram: @creativeresurgeart
• Facebook: @creativeresurgeart