Studio Workshops: Pastels & Poets with Julia Kidd
Pastels and Poets is a Public Art UHS workshop designed and instructed by Julia Kidd to bring together fine arts and creative writing. Both art forms will be celebrated as conceptual modes of creating and participants of all skill levels are encouraged to attend. Workshop attendees will let their visual and verbal creativity lead their art making in this new series of interdisciplinary workshops.
In each two-hour session, participants will be introduced to a piece of public art on the University of Houston campus. Julia will introduce one Public Art UHS artwork and then read a poem that acts as a conceptual companion to the work. Afterwards, Julia will work with participants to create diptychs of free verse poetry and pastel drawings created on site. The two mediums of creative writing and visual art will allow expression through vibrant color and textual experimentation. Participants will marry the written word with stunning visuals to create a memorable piece of art.
Materials
We will provide student-grade pastels, paper, and drawing boards for this workshop. However, we welcome you to bring your sketchbook and/or preferred writing and drawing materials.
Julia Kidd is a German–Puerto Rican woman, born and raised in the picturesque hill country of Canyon Lake, Texas. She graduated from Rice University with a double major in Studio Arts and Art History, and now attends the University of Houston pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Painting. Her artistic practice revolves around the concept of intimacy and expanding the notion of portraiture to include magnified compositions and surprising color palettes.
Julia currently teaches undergraduate Fundamentals of Painting studios at UH and acts as an IA for a Contemporary Painting Art History course. After graduating, she hopes to continue teaching, take on more roles as an art director, and exhibit her work abroad.
