Meet Kim Harty | Artist, Academic, Parent

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

Hi Kim, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As an academic, I’ve always had the freedom to make the kind of artwork that’s important to me. But as an artist and a parent, I also wanted my studio practice to be financially sustainable. A few years ago, I made a shift—I realized I needed to get more of my work out into the world. Before that, a lot of what I made was more ephemeral or esoteric, and often just lived in my studio or in niche contexts. So I made myself a rule: nothing I make can stay in my house—it has to go out into a gallery or venue. That mindset helped me build momentum and start treating my studio like a business, without compromising the integrity of the work. Starting my own business was a way to support that shift and give my practice more structure and visibility.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work is rooted in glass, but I think of myself more broadly as a sculptor and maker. A lot of my work deals with the body, its boundaries, its labor, its capacity for transformation and how that intersects with feminist thought, motherhood, and systems of power. What sets my work apart, I think, is that I’m willing to let it live in that in-between space. It’s both abstract and political, formal and deeply personal. I’m trying to make things that hold complexity and contradiction.

I’ve balanced an art practice, full-time teaching, and raising two kids and there have been times I questioned whether I could sustain all of it, but I kept coming back to the work, even in small ways. Over time, I learned to build structure around my practice so that my different roles support and balance each other, instead of slicing my life into smaller and smaller pieces.

If there’s one thing I’d want people to know about me or my story, it’s my belief in persistence and the value of internal creative labor, even when it’s not immediately recognized.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend came to visit Detroit for a week, here’s how I’d show them a great time:

We’d start with some of my favorite museums, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Cranbrook Art Museum, and the Henry Ford Museum. In Detroit proper, we’d explore Eastern Market, visit the College for Creative Studies where I teach, check out the Heidelberg Project, and stop by The Shepard and IM Weiss Gallery to see what’s happening in the contemporary scene.

Since I live in Ferndale, I’d make sure we hit some local favorites: Ferndale Project for beer and food, Urbanrest Brewery for a low-key hang, and Red Hook for great coffee. And no visit to Detroit is complete without pizza – shoutout to Buddy’s, my favorite.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my wife, Brittany. She’s been a steady force of encouragement and she believes in what I’m doing, even when I’m struggling.As I’ve made some big shifts in my career and practice, her support has been essential.

I also have to shout out my students. Teaching keeps me connected and curious. Watching them take risks in their work reminds me to keep taking risks in mine. Their questions and perspectives constantly challenge me to grow— I learn from them all the time.

Website: Kimharty@gmail.com

Instagram: @Kimharty

Image Credits
Headshot – Val Weiss