Heeseung Lee
Butterfly Teapot, summer 2000, terra cotta with slips, glazes, decals, and luster, 8 x 8 x 3 inches.

The interview was conducted by Dana Sunshine of TheArtBiz.com.

What was your first art-related job out of school?

I worked at a slip casting factory, where you paint your own pottery. After school I had applied for a residency at The Clay Studio (non-profit ceramics collective) in Philadelphia, but didnÕt get it. I decided to still move back to Philadelphia because I knew a lot of people from growing up here and break in to the scene by myself. While working at this factory, I applied for a job at The Clay Studio gallery and I got a part-time opportunity. I was unable to live off that work alone, so I worked at the slip casting factory Thurs. to Sun. and at The Clay Studio Mon. to Wed. I think I had this schedule for three months. It was horrible.

What would be your advice to recent grads or people looking to break into the art world?

When I was leaving college, my career advisor suggested that I pick an organization that I wanted to infiltrate and get into it any way I could, even if it isnÕt the greatest work. I took this advice and took the job that was offered to me at the Clay Studio. After this, and a year in a masters program in New York, I returned to Philadelphia. I didn't have any money, so I found this grant from the Fels Fund. They have grants for students to work in the non-profit sector. I thought, I'll get this grant, live with my sister, work at the Clay Studio and save money. After eight weeks, the Clay Studio offered me a permanent position. I had reapplied for a residency and got it, so I just stayed here. Anyway, if you get your foot in the door, and you do a good job, your work will be recognized.

Have you gotten any other grants since the Fels grant?

I actually haven't applied for any grants since that time. I've been concentrating on getting shows of my own and group shows.

Have you been funding these shows on your own, and how does your residency help with your financing efforts?

Yes, I have been financing the shows on my own. The residency gives me studio space and materials at cost. If you teach a class here, the money you make from teaching pays for rent of the studio. Shipping your pieces to shows can be expensive but usually there is an agreement, if you get your work there, they will pay for return shipping. This is kind of dictating the way that I work right now. I work very small. This allows me to send more to galleries at a time. Before, I did more environmental and spatial work. Now it's completely functional and small because the studio space is not that large and firing works is expensive. My work is now very cost efficient.

Do you ever want to go back to making bigger work?

I always do. I think I have gotten over the feeling of selling out and making functional work. I used to question myself, is this art? Is this craft? In the long run, I figured whatever kind of artist you call yourself, you really need to keep producing. I have friends that graduated from college and planned to go into business for a couple years to make money and then return to art. They get sidetracked and loose their focus. You need to be persistent and keep your hands in it. As long as you produce, you have to show eventually, so things will fall into place.

Do you find you have plenty of opportunity to show?

If you have one show, the people you meet will help you out later with references. People who come into the gallery and any press, help you define yourself in a word of mouth way. For artists starting out it is very important to get connected in any way that you can. If you can get into an organization that has a lot of support and a lot of traffic this can be very helpful.

What other non-profit or volunteer jobs have you had and how have they helped you?

Well, there was an internship I did my junior year of college at this place called the Baltimore Clay Works, I had interned and volunteered for the executive director there, and she helped me get the position at the Clay studio when I moved back to Philadelphia. Everything is really interconnected. If you can get an internship in college it can really help you out later. It also really helps to have a well-rounded resume, especially if you want to work for a non-profit. If you are hired to a position, you will have to know a lot of different skills.

What is the hardest thing about making a living as an artist?

For me the consistency factor is important. There is very little money in the arts, which means you have to juggle a lot of different jobs. It is basically two fold, you have to keep training and also manage your time and be organized. I know a lot of gallery owners who once they opened their gallery never went into the studio again. You have to keep your hands in the art side of things while still making ends meet.

How long have you lived in this city (Philadelphia)?

I have lived here my whole life, minus school. I think it depends on where you are from, but I think there is a lot to be said about returning to an environment where you have a lot of peers and family contacts. I really do feel that Philadelphia itself is a very generous town for anyone in the creative field, because it is not as hard as New York or Los Angeles, it doesn't have that precedent already set up. The artistic history of Philadelphia has a lot of room for people to come in and dictate their own space.

Why do you think there are so many artists in Philadelphia?

I think specifically, there is a lot of space in Philly. Even now about 50% of the dwellings are uninhabited, though in poor areas. There is a phenomenon that was seen in New York in the 60's, where artists moved to the poorer areas of town. This is the absolute fist step of gentrification. Artists are willing to live in certain conditions for a while, and as they get older and more established, that part of town becomes nicer and more defined. Old City in Philadelphia is a good example of this. Artists have moved in and converted the industrial places into lofts and now it is more residential. You can see this happening again now in Northern Liberties. I think this is a good thing for the economy, but for the artists it is always going to be hard, because they are like the frontier of the wild west, constantly pushing to find more space and then getting squeezed out. Philadelphia is a feasible town for artists, especially because the artists that are already here are interconnected and helpful to those moving into town

What is the art scene and lifestyle like in Philadelphia?

Because Philadelphia is such a manageable city, once you live here for a year or two and go out to meet people, you will have established an excellent network. People in Philly work together and party together, which creates a different dynamic in terms of professional relationships. It feels like a pretty small town, even though it actually does have a lot of space and a lot of people. Wherever you live you run into the same people over and over. Also, a lot of people participate in a grass roots type of work, which in itself dictates a lot of artistry and cross over. There is this weird pre-industrial feel I get from Philly. Most people that are our age make their money in a very grass roots orientated way. Even if it is not necessarily art, you are working with your hands. In the end I think it is good because there is a lot of room to grow within Philadelphia.

This article was originally created for TheArtBiz.com. It appears on NYFA Interactive courtesy of theAbigail Rebecca Cohen Library.