Meet Brieanna Radford

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Brieanna Radford again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Brieanna , we are so thrilled to be connecting again and can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you have been up to. Before we jump into all of that, some of our readers might have missed our prior interview, so can you take a moment to reintroduce yourself?
I’m an installation artist and creative entrepreneur based in Gunnison, Colorado. My work dives into climate change and mental health, using everything from crochet and alcohol inks to fabric, wood, and found objects to build large-scale, immersive installations.

In 2019, I created Concerted, an exhibition exploring the unsettling beauty of climate change. Right now, I’m working on The Junk Room, an installation that turns a gallery space into a reflection on coping with mental health struggles. I’ve shown my work in Los Angeles and New York, but Gunnison has been home for the past 11 years, and I’ve really found my place in its creative community.

Alongside my art, I run Lift Line Marketing Solutions, where I help artists and small businesses in the Gunnison Valley build their brand, connect with their audience, and grow their creative presence.

Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
Since my last interview with ShoutOut Colorado, my art has turned in an entirely new direction. I still make colorful dotted art and mandalas under my Boo Radford line, which you can find at Kristin Gruenberger’s Wonderland Clayworks, but I’ve been leaning much more into my fine art practice. These days, I’m focused on building exhibitions, running Lift Line Marketing Solutions, and really diving into Colorado’s contemporary art scene. I’ve been traveling around the region, checking out new shows and artists in Denver, Santa Fe, Salida and Aspen.

As I was pitching my 2019 exhibition, Concerted, to different galleries, a curator told me my work would fit well in a group exhibition about mental health. That totally caught me off guard. I’d always thought of my art as being about climate change. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. Mental health has been woven into my work since college. That realization sparked The Junk Room, my newest large-scale multimedia installation. This show will bring back some of my old pieces in new ways, alongside fresh work that explores the different ways we cope with mental health—the good, the bad, the healthy, and the not-so-healthy.

After years of curating at the Gunnison Arts Center and working on art initiatives across Colorado (and even with the Smithsonian!), I’m now speaking about art at Western Colorado University, serving as a juror for the Crested Butte Arts Festival, and putting my energy into The Junk Room. I can’t wait to bring this project to life.

Alright, so let’s do something a bit more fast-paced and lighthearted. We call this our lightning round and we’ll ask you a few quick questions.

Favorite Movie: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Favorite Book: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Favorite TV Show: Resident Alien

Favorite Band or Artist: Band = Nate Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Artist = Tara Donovan

Sweet or Savory: Sweet

Mountains or Beach: Beach

Favorite Sport (to watch): Basketball

Favorite Sport (to play): Paddleboarding

Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): I played volleyball and basketball

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: I wanted to be a writer

French Fries or Onion Rings: Onion Rings

Chuck Rhodes or Bobby Axelrod: Chuck Rhodes

Favorite Cartoon growing up: Hey Arnold!

Favorite Childhood movie: Hook

Favorite Breakfast Food: Stack of pancakes

Was there a moment in your career that you can tell us about that illustrates or demonstrates the kind of person you are, your approach, ethos, etc.
When I was studying in New York, we had a one-week intensive on Dadaism. Each day, visiting artists, writers, and lecturers would come in to talk about the movement, and then we were expected to create a piece of art on the spot. Five days, five new works, all made and critiqued immediately.

I dreaded this week. I knew it was coming, and the thought of it consumed me. I don’t work that way. I take my time, researching, conceptualizing, and developing my work thoughtfully, with input and critique along the way. The idea of producing something instantly, without that process, felt impossible. I was convinced I would fail. And the irony, of course, is that this struggle was exactly the point of Dadaism.

On the first day, I sat through the lecture, barely listening, too busy bracing for my inevitable failure. Then they set us loose to create. And somehow, I did it. I had an idea, I had the means to make it, and I just… did it. The critique wasn’t brutal, no tears, no failure. The next morning on the subway, the fear crept back in, but I reminded myself, I had done it yesterday. And then I did it again. And again. Until, by the end of the week, the fear had transformed into confidence.

That intensive changed everything for me as an artist. It pushed me out of photography and into installation work. It showed me that I could do the “scary” thing. I leaned into my capabilities, knowledge and passion and told my fear “We’ve done it before”.

Website: https://www.brieannaradford.com

Instagram: @booradford

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brieanna-radford/

Image Credits
Paige Stewart (sculptures in the gallery shot), Megan West (photos in the gallery shot), and Mine are the two red and orange alcohol inks.