Kylie Price
School of Art + Design, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina USA, January 2019
Where are you from?
Houston, Texas
Describe your object? (shape, material, etc.)
My object is an old horseshoe. My father has a horse-shoeing business, and this is a shoe he took off of the horse. I grew up with the idea of a horseshoe that is facing open side up like a “U” is lucky and an upside down “U” is unlucky. My dad places all of his horseshoes upside down with a strong belief that you make your own luck.
Where is your object from?
Texas
How is your object meaningful to you?
It represents the beginning of my interest in metal-working, my first job, and a huge part of the reason I’m interested in making. When I was growing up, I would go with my dad to shoe horses. It was my job to hold the horses while he shod them as well as quenching the shoes when he removed them from the forge.
How do you see yourself as an artist in your community?
I see myself as an artist that has the privilege of being able to facilitate the spread of knowledge of processes and skills as well as helping people learn new ways to express themselves. To me, being an artist is a broad term that allows one to take on many different roles within our communities. Change begins small scale and from there can grow to spark change in a larger way.
What is your hope for the future?
I would like to start an artist co-op with my collaborative partners, that facilitates workshops, exhibitions, studio spaces, etc. My hope is that this would allow me to continue to be an educator, practicing artist, and have/maintain a relationship with my community.
