We are thrilled to collaborate with the Artists Association of Nantucket this year to feature their talented artist members. The AAN is a non-profit organization supporting Nantucket artists, providing educational programs in the arts, and preserving the legacy of Nantucket artists. Visit their website, their gallery at 19 Washington Street, their studio at 24 Amelia Drive, or give them a call at (508) 228-0294.
Meet the Artist – Meghan Weeks
Interviews conducted by Gwen Malcolm, Big Gallery Manager
This month, the Artists Association of Nantucket is hosting its annual Wet Paint Weekend, an art-filled weekend with a live auction free to the public. Proceeds from Wet Paint support arts education programs, galleries, year-round public programs and our local artists.
This year AAN is honoring local artist Meghan Weeks as our Wet Paint Honoree and the Artist of the Month for October.
As Meghan explains, “I make paintings as a response to the spaces and structures before me.” While her work follows a tradition of representational landscape painting, Meghan aims to convey places as they are in the present. Light conditions and atmosphere lead the way when selecting a subject. An illuminated pane or a dynamic shadow can render an otherwise mundane scene compelling enough to hold that moment in time on the surface of a canvas.
She studied architecture and museum curating, working in the cultural heritage sector for over a decade before deciding to pursue art full-time. Her interest in the built environment and curating continues to impact her work as an artist, just as her experience as a painter has informed her approach to interpreting art and architecture.
Meghan prefers to paint subjects en plein air; believing that “there is endless information to glean from working onsite” and that the adventure of painting outdoors in all seasons fuels her work and travels. While she tends to depict spaces devoid of people, the influence of humans is always present. Buildings and infrastructure carry the imprints of those who have created and moved through them. Even the natural landscape—punctuated by roads, paths, barriers, and clearings —carries the mark of people.
Meghan’s work will be highlighted during AAN’s Wet Paint Weekend from Friday, October 11th through Sunday, October 13th and all month long at each of AAN’s gallery locations. To discover more about AAN’s Wet Paint Weekend, go to www.nantucketarts.org/events/wet-paint.
What is your artistic background/education? How did you first get interested in art?
I have been drawing and painting since I could hold a pencil or brush. I took loads of art classes in high school and college, but I ended up combining course credits in art and sciences to pursue a BA in Architecture, and later an MA in Museum Curating. I started showing my work in Nantucket and getting involved with AAN as a teen, and after graduate school, I worked in the cultural heritage sector for over ten years before deciding to pursue painting full time. Nantucket was my first exposure to working artists and galleries, and the community was no doubt the most important factor in my decision to pursue a career as an artist.
What is the soundtrack to your creative process?
It’s probably a mix between Motown and movie scores!
Do you have any secret talents or unexpected hobbies? / What are your passions outside of art?
I am still interested in museum interpretation and sharing the story of historical art and architecture with the public; I love writing and speaking about others’ art, so still want to incorporate that in my career as an artist. Outside of art, I am a huge Boston sports fan, and I love to travel — I try to get to at least one new country every year. In recent years, I’ve taken up running in addition to sailing and tennis, but I’m not exactly breaking any speed records!
You’ve been given an unlimited budget to curate your dream collection for a new gallery. Who’s art/what are you including?
I am a landscape painter, but I have such respect for those that are working in figurative painting — particularly those who are finding unusual ways to depict their subjects. With an unlimited budget, I would be looking to bring in some of my favorites from the late 19th century to today. Let’s say… Walter Richard Sickert, John Singer Sargent, Adelaide Cole Chase, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Titus Kaphar, Amy Sherald, and Jamie Coreth.
What is your ideal day on Nantucket?
Despite not being much of an early bird, I love when I get up and out early enough to appreciate the color of the morning light around Nantucket. I always feel better when I go running first thing, so I would take a run from home to Tupancy Links along the bike path. If it’s not a work day, I would aim for some combination of time on the water in our sunfish, and more time spent outdoors. My husband and I love going to buck-a-shuck at Sandbar in the afternoon, and drinks at Cisco or Slip 14. Any day when we can catch the sunset on the beach is a wonderful one, and all the better if we can combine it with a cook-out at home in the company of family and friends.
What is your inspiration while painting? What are you thinking of and attempting to create?
When looking for a place or scene to set up and capture, I’m aiming for something that stands out for an interesting combination of light and shadow. While I love to experience the open scenes of Nantucket’s coastline and skies, I’m more drawn to paint the unexpected beauty of a random street corner or narrow alley, and I love the way that light plays with the planes on historical and/or industrial structures. I want to capture those moments in paint and bring the beauty of the mundane to anyone who views my work, hopefully encouraging others to pause appreciate these little moments around the island.