Showcase Artist preview: Jeremiah Teutsch

Still in awe of Chalk It Up Showcase Artist Jeremiah Teutsch’s Memento, Murray exhibition that opened at Sala Diaz last Friday, we figured he had enough time to rest (if you’ve seen the show, you get the bad joke), and had a little Q&A with him about Chalk It Up.

Artpace: You participated in Chalk It Up as a Showcase Artist in 2010, and are familiar with how the event goes. What do you like best about it?

Teutsch: I like drawing on the sidewalk. I like working big and fast, and Chalk It Up is a perfect vehicle for all those things.

Artpace: For Chalk It Up 2010,  you chalked some amazing caricatures. Can we expect to see more great ones this year?

Teutsch: Oh yes, I plan to draw prominent atheists. Big. Spaghetti monster.

Artpace: What would you say was your biggest challenge at Chalk It Up?

Teutsch: My biggest challenge is answering questions. I get a lot of them, and it’s a lot of self-control to take them with a grain of salt. Okay, for example: I was chalking a portrait of William F. Buckley, Jr. in front of Artpace, and several people, several, asked me if it was Barack Obama! “What? Wha…? NO! They look nothing alike! You know this! One’s a black Democrat and the other is the whitest, blond conservative you can imagine!” But I couldn’t say that…so, instead…”No, heh, good eye though. It’s actually William F. Buckley. No? Consummate conservative? Founder of the National Review? No… it’s not Mr. Rogers either… it’s Bill Buckley. Okay. Thank you. Have a nice day. I like your watch too. Uh huh. Thanks.”

Artpace: Which Showcase and Feature artists are you most looking forward to sharing the sidewalk with on October 13?

Teutsch: I’m interested to see what Aldon Mines and Rigo Luna do. They’re all good. I’m looking forward to seeing all of them.

Jeremiah Teutsch was born in Lubbock, Texas, and received his BFA  in Painting and Drawing from the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design in Denver, Colorado. Among many things,  he was a founding member and studio manager of the Transit artist-in-residency program. He is currently one of the directors of Agora, a community arts space, works at the McNay Art Museum, is a picture-framer, and an illustrator for Plaza De Armas online magazine. He is on the steering committee for Luminaria, and occasionally does art restoration, if you ask very nicely. And, in his own words, “He is also a very talented visual artist in his own right. He has curated, and is also an avid supporter of speaking in the third person. He, lastly, is an idea man—an inventor. A regular polymath, this guy.” Which we agree with. Very much.

Artpace’s 9th Annual Chalk It Up festival takes place on downtown Houston Street on Saturday, October 13, 2012. This free, family-friendly event that promotes the importance of art education and proudly exhibits San Antonio’s creative vivacity by providing hands-on activities led by professional art educators, as well as interactions with contemporary artists. Our Showcase and Feature artists are always selected locally—they’re some of the city’s best, and play a prominent role in the success and enjoyment of Chalk It Up. Artpace remains passionate about giving people an opportunity to explore their relationship with not only contemporary art, but their hometown community. Chalk It Up 2012 is made possible by presenting sponsor Argo Group.

Last year, more than 18,500 people joined us on Houston Street! We’re expecting even more this year, of course. And while the entire event is free and open to the public, Chalk It Up wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and volunteers. Please consider contributing to the honorarium fund we’ve set up on Kickstarter to support our contemporary artists’ chalky creations. We need your help to reach our $2,000 goal by September 28. Pledges begin at just $1, but backers who pledge $25 or more will receive some fun incentives.