Life & Work with Erick Felix of Kansas City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erick Felix.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I moved to Kansas City in 2014 to go to the Kansas City Art Institute with a focus on Printmaking. I came from Visalia Ca, small city in the Central Valley along with 2 other friends. Our instructor came to KCAI back in the 70s and over the years has sent many people from California to Kansas City , one year we were about 15 artist all from the central valley working here as artists.
I graduated in 2016 and began doing live printing out in the city, one of the first events was printing art at The Nelson Atkins Museum for Day of the Dead the same year. I think this is where I fell in love with making art with the community, For the last 9 years I have been up and down Kansas City printing with the community at different events and spaces inviting my friends as well. Today i am part of Viva La Tinta which is a community printmaking group that celebrates the legacy of printmaking.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of my “favorite” obstacles was transportation. I am supposed to be at an event across town and have to bring all the supplies. I had to learn how to be compact. My “baby” press actually fit in my backpack as well as with the paper and materials used to print. Then I had a small storage box with a handle that held anything else I needed I used to tell the coordinator all I need is a table and public transportation can get me there, I do not have a car so I needed to develop a system where I can print at events with the minimal supplies and still be affective.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in a couple forms of printmaking, from wood block to screen printing. I have created workshops for the community and have have also just made prints myself and gave them away.
I think when I print it also gives the audience an almost look at whats behind the curtain, they are able to see how something is made. It sometimes becomes performative. I think this has set me apart from other artist. While many artist have invited the community to come in to their personal studio and look at their personal practice you also become a guest in their house. I think being out with everyone in public creating it becomes an experience for many, because you are allowed to join and create. What makes me the most proud out of all of this is there are these personal moments between myself and an individual where they tell me I have inspired them to start creating something new or picking up where they left off. I never thought anything I can do can inspire someone else.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
All my friends and colleagues deserve credit for where I am at, printmaking is for the community and I couldn’t do it by myself. All the institutions, schools and business that have called me back to print and have passed my name to the next person. At these events I print I usually get “walk up” client that has another event and would like to print there.

My print mates, earlier on in my career I had the support of Nic and Phoenix, would sit there with me and trim paper at our hose four hours staying up until 1 am to make sure every thing was perfect then waking at 7 am to print with me the next day.

Places like Two Tone and Printleague where I had my studio for years. They had their own printmaking presses and tools that people couldn’t afford and your were able to use them with a membership.

The Zhou B Art Center where Viva La Tinta was created with my studio mates Jen and Edwing.

My friends who have provided their art for me to print ( too many to name). We all essentially became an art family and I think they deserve the credit for my studio practice that the KC Art scene has grown to love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://viva-la-tinta.cntrl.site/starthere
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivalatintakc/