Sharing Light & Color

Photo by Gary Alpert

Tova Speter is an artist, art therapist, and art educator. Ahead of her interactive exhibit, Brighter Ignited, we had the chance to discuss the intersection of community and art.

atac: Hi Tova! So how did you get involved with the arts?

Tova Speter: I've always enjoyed visual art. I was an art minor in college and studied art therapy in graduate school. But it wasn't until I had my first full-time, year-round job that I decided I wanted to make sure I had space to keep making art for myself. I got my first studio space and slowly I began to own the descriptor of "artist" when people asked me what I do. Giving myself the space and time to make art helped me realize that it was something important that I needed to nurture in my life.

atac: Your piece Brighter Ignited involves the community in a fun and unique way. What led you to create interactive art?

TS: My "origin story" as a community artist began when I graduated college and called my local city hall inquiring about painting a mural. They laughed at me and kept transferring me until I spoke to someone in the education department who connected me with a local elementary school. I went in a few days a week to work by myself and paint a mural in the hallway and kids would walk past and watch. 

Then one day a student was sent out of class, clearly in trouble, and the teacher saw me and asked me to "watch him" because he couldn't go back to class. It seemed wrong to have him just sitting there watching me so I invited him to paint a small section with me.

Artist Tova Speter and Carpenter Manny Hutter in front of Brighter Ignited

atac: How do you think that experience impacted the student… and you?

TS: Later, I heard him say "I helped her paint that mural." The other kids didn't believe him and he told them to ask me. So all these 6 to 7-year-olds crowded around me and asked if his statement was true. When I said yes and added how helpful he was - 3 things happened almost instantly.

1. The student physically stood taller and smiled with pride.

2. His peers looked at him completely differently and with a bit of awe. 

3. I decided to never paint a mural by myself again and to always try to engage the community in my creative projects.

atac: What an amazing source of inspiration! Are there any artists who influence your work?

TS: Two of my favorite artists are Vik Muniz and Andy Goldsworthy. My work is not really like either of them, yet they both inspire me greatly. Vik Muniz uses everyday objects and trash to create amazing works of art that make you stop, notice, and think. Andy Goldsworthy's pieces are all made with natural materials and are temporary. I love art that makes me pause, inspires conversation, and might help shift perspective. I strive to do the same.

For a third piece of inspiration - it's all of the participants in my past community mural projects and community art workshops, many of whom had not considered themselves artists before. Their willingness to try something outside of their comfort zone encourages me to do the same.

atac: Do you have an example of a time when you tried something outside of your comfort zone?

TS: True story - I was once painting a community mural while traveling on a boat down the Yangtze River in China. My partners had primed the panel for me beforehand but it wasn't until I was painting with the passengers on the boat that I realized that the primer did not react well to the paints we were using. With only three days to paint, one day wasted, and no access to extra supplies I had to problem-solve in the moment. The next day we flipped the panel upside down and painted directly on the wood. It worked! The mural ended up bringing together the many different passengers on the boat as well as the crew - all of whom helped paint to ensure we would be finished by the time the boat docked. Not speaking Mandarin was also challenging but this was a great example of using art as a language to connect with others.

atac: Do you have any advice for fellow artists who want to begin making community art?

TS: Engaging community in art-making is incredibly rewarding, but don't forget to give yourself some time for your own artistic practice too. I believe that just engaging in art-making is inherently therapeutic and formative. That art is for everyone, even if you at some point convinced yourself that you "are not an artist." Creative capacity exists within each of us and I love that the work I do every day attempts to engage people in opportunities to discover their artistic potential.

atac: What's a project that you have done just for yourself, one that you found particularly introspective?

I do so many community projects and residencies that I have, at times, neglected my own artistic practice. During Covid, I made time to create one "mini meditation" canvas every Monday for the entire year and then had an exhibit of the "visual diary" that had been created. The framework I had set for myself helped me follow through and maintain a weekly artistic practice that was both grounding and freeing.
All that said - engaging communities in art-making is my passion. I always want to hear from anyone interested in partnering on a project in their school/organization/neighborhood!

atac: It's been so lovely learning more about you Tova! Can you let us know about your current and upcoming projects?

TS: I created Brighter Ignited as a way to share light and color during the dark winter months and holiday season. But it is also about how we can each be a light in the world and ignite action for causes we believe in. Audiences can always expect multiple layers of meaning and metaphor in my work. As an art therapist, I encourage using art for exploration and expression. 

I'm constantly involved in (too many) projects but one coming up in the new year involves leading therapeutic art workshops over Zoom for front-line workers in Ukraine. Have I ever used a translator to facilitate art over Zoom before? No. (Though I did once lead a collaborative project in person that involved translation into three languages at once for the Russian, Mandarin, and Spanish speakers working together.) Am I intrigued and excited to see what will happen? Of course!

Follow along with my artistic adventures on Instagram!

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Brighter Ignited is on view at atac on Saturday, December 16th from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

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