Art Valet Interview: Truong helps transform bikes into works of art
https://www.instagram.com/carolinetruong_artist/
Occasionally I get more info than there is room for in my column, Art Valet, in The Leader. Caroline has a great story and her responses to my questions both eye-opening and informative. I know there is someone out there that will benefit … so here is the rest of her story.
Showing up and putting myself out there as an Asian American artist is important to me because I feel we are under represented, especially for having such a large population of Asians in Houston.
Caroline truong
Background
I went to a Catholic school and graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Art Education. After teaching for a few years, I made a career change to HR by getting a Masters in HR Development from the University of Houston. I don’t have much schooling in art, I am mostly self taught. The art courses I took in college were basic level and just gave me an introduction to various art techniques.
College & Art
I actually saw a college advisor to see if I could get into the MFA in Painting at UH, but the advisor told me my portfolio wasn’t strong enough so I should stick to Art Education. So I did. I wish she would have told me how to make my portfolio stronger in order to get into the program, rather than telling me I was never going to get in. Everything happens for a reason though. Since working in the HR field, I’ve been able to make a decent salary to support my creative practice without financial stress.
You and Tony have 2 boys now, has that changed your art life?
Having kids changed my viewpoint on my art practice tremendously. It’s given me more reason to stay dedicated to creating meaningful art and pursue it as a professional, not as a hobbyist, which is what I’ve always wanted, but never admitted out loud because it’s not “practical”. When I had my first child, who is now about to be 3 years old, I was working full time in HR and just starting to show/sell my art in public. It was a challenge trying to juggle a full time job, creating/selling art, and taking care of a baby. Fortunately, since I was able to save money from a few years of working in HR, and my husband has a stable job, I was able to reduce to a part time job, so I could spend more time developing my art practice and be with the baby.
Going through the Artist INC program in 2019 was an eye opener. Seeing how every artist has a different way of building their art career was encouraging. Success as an artist means something different to everyone. For me it’s the impact my art has on the audience. If I can reach a point of financial stability through creating/selling art, even better! Earning a livable wage as an artist is always the goal. Through impactful projects is my strategy for doing that right now. Whether I earn a lot or a little from painting, I’ll always be doing it. If I didn’t have kids, I would probably do things differently.
More info on the Artist INC program.