In the last few years, CJ Harrell says their perspective has shifted in terms of what it means to be a working artist. Before, it all felt very black and white to them — like it was all or nothing — but Harrell says they have been able to embrace that balance in a nontraditional lifestyle.
“When I went to college at [the University of Alaska Southeast] in Juneau, I remember having a conversation with my friend from Talkeetna, and I was like, ‘I’m too busy to make art, I should probably just stop altogether for these four years,’” Harrell said. “And she was like, ‘What are you talking about? I think you would die.’”
Harrell, who is a printer, potter, painter and patch maker, grew up in Talkeetna and now lives in Juneau. They first moved to the southeast in 2017 where they attended UAS and picked up ceramics and sculpting with the art department.
After graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, they have been focusing more on two-dimensional art, like painting, drawing, watercolor, block printing and stamp carving.
“I always knew that I wanted to pursue more academics once leaving Talkeetna, but I also always really strongly identified as a creative,” they said. “I think being from a small community means that there are a lot of eyes on you, like a big commune of people that are helping raise you, so I think I both have always identified as a creative, and then people were very supportive of that because Talkeetna is such an artsy-fartsy town.”
In the warmer months, Harrell travels to southcentral Alaska for a summer gig, and says they are still trying to fully flesh out what their seasonal-schedule-plus-artist-life looks like. When in southcentral, they don’t have access to a studio space, and are working fulltime, so the art “almost feels filtered, in a way.”
This summer, Harrell is hoping to produce art, as well as apply for some artist grants.
“I’m still kind of chipping away, but after… I think I’m going to step back and let myself relax and absorb all of the really cool exposure that I get in the summer. That is what I try to embrace,” Harrell said.
CJ Harrell Studio is paused for the summer while Harrell works in southcentral, but will be back in Juneau this fall.
Sam Davenport is a writer residing in Anchorage. She's a leo and a plant-person, and loves spending quality time with her dog, Aspen. She is a Real Housewives fan and has been called a Bravo historian.
