Meet Aaron Winston | Artistic Director for Studio Arts Boulder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaron Winston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aaron, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Springville, NY, but my family moved to Austin TX before I turned one, then Houston. We moved to Casper WY when I was five and my mother finished Montessori training and was hired at a new school there. Though my mother has worked there since, my father always had trouble working consistently. We seemed to move houses every couple years throughout my childhood, and money was often scarce. So, though I was definitely raised in Casper, I don’t have particularly strong ties to it. The landscape, and wild spaces of the West, however, are home to me.

As my mother is a teacher, good education has always been valued. I was also fortunate to have several amazing teachers who recognizing my thirst for learning and creativity. Parents and teachers alike always supported my interest in art. So, though we were often broke, I grew up privileged when it came to quality and personal attention in education. With lots of hard work, encouragement, and lots of financial aid, I earned a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design, in Columbus, OH, and then an MFA at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

When I came to Colorado, and began teaching at the Boulder Pottery Lab, my drive to offer the kind of mentorship and opportunity I was given became more clear to me. So, when made Director, I implemented our Partner Programs. Through these, we bring art classes to underserved folks in our community. In addition we mentor folks who begin taking our youth classes and find a deep interest in the arts and a welcome, safe space in our community. Over the years they have become volunteers, teaching assistants, instructors in our programs, and respected peers. It means so much to me to provide this kind of opportunity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It was hard to choose one category for this question. I consider myself an artist, certainly a creative person, a creator; I’ve always felt best using my hands and imagination to craft images and objects that connect with others through use or concept. Though, I don’t make my living creating artwork. My profession is teaching and administration in the arts. I’ve been teaching ceramics for 18 years, but I studied printmaking in school. I’ve also had great education in drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, commercial design; I’ve dabbled in woodwork, marbling paper, even a bit of industrial design. This unabated curiosity has worked out well for me, especially in my work with Studio Arts Boulder. We’re opening a new facility this year that will have classes in ceramics, printmaking, woodwork, metal work, and glass. So my collecting of art practices makes me a good Artistic Director.
It is tricky to find a balance between work and my own creative practice, the latter often giving way out of necessity. But, my job is also a channel for creativity, and is extremely satisfying. I teach all ages of students, mentor young artists, am constantly working with my staff in creating new programming and creating new community partnerships. And I make it a point to design and build new studio furniture, even load and fire kilns occasionally. In the last year or so, we opened a new membership space, and this year our new building will be open. So I am making new things all the time, physically and metaphorically, which certainly scratches the itch. Still, nothing beats some time alone in the studio!

Getting where I am now has certainly been a bit of a ride. I really enjoyed being in school and I love my job, though both have been difficult at times. I always wanted to work in the arts, and just kept pursuing things I was interested in. But I’ve definitely taken some rough detours. There have been partnerships, personal and professional that fell apart. In my current work, I’ve faced dramatic leadership and organization structure changes. I don’t know anyone who takes on leadership in those situations without facing anger and resentment from without, while feeling uncertainty, anxiety and doubt within. I’ve certainly learned that the biggest challenges usually offer the most potential for new understanding and growth. And, I’ve come to understand that our organization thrives in an environment of collaboration and trust. We do the work we’re good at with as little interference as possible, and we push each other to lean in to the things that challenge us, knowing that our most creative moments lie in that area between expertise and experimentation.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would be no where without support from so many, friends and mentors all. The list of names could be longer than all my answers in this interview, so I’ll keep it to my crew at Studio Arts Boulder. They step up every time with the expertise and dedication to actually pull off all the new projects we come up with. My executive director, board, staff, and volunteers are the most talented, kind, fun, creative, amazing people.

Website: studioartsboulder.org

Image Credits
Zack Nies