Five Questions
Five Questions with Joyce Chan: This Capital Region native recently moved to Troy to take a position with the Downtown Business Improvement District, after living and working as an artist in New York City. In her new hometown of the Collar City, Chan is continuing to pursue artistic endeavors. She is in the current group exhibition at Collar Works, located at 621 River St. in Troy, on view through Dec. 30th. Visit www.collarworks.org for more information.
1What is your background in the arts?
I have my Master’s of Fine Art from CUNY Queens College and Bachelor’s of Fine Art from Manhattanville College. Outside of exhibition and artist’s lecture opportunities, my full-time job has been in non-profit administration. I’ve worked in Public Programming, Gallery and Studio Program Management and Visitor Experience in organizations such as The Museum of Modern Art, The Noguchi Museum, New-York Historical Society and Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning. Teaching opportunities with the Brooklyn Museum and the New York State Summer School for the Arts have allowed me to work with talented artists, students of all ages and diverse communities.
2 What mediums do you typically work in?
I work with different forms of paper and everyday common materials. For 10years, I was a painter, then I started grad school and started pulping the paper I was working on, hand-cutting imagery, incorporating text and experimenting with materials that you can find in the environment around you.
3Why did you decide to come to Troy? What do you like about it?
A friend recently moved to Troy and when I came to visit, I found a lot of unique businesses and experiences in a growing city not unlike my previous neighborhood; and one that I never knew of while growing up in the Capital District! After 16years in New York City, I was looking for a change of pace, but an opportunity to use my experience and creativity to promote arts, culture, and connect with community. This new position with the BID encompasses all of this. In my short time here, I’ve met very kind entrepreneurs, creatives, and actually reconnected with two different co-workers whom I didn’t know had moved to the area!
4Describe your current artwork at Collar Works. What inspired it?
My work explores race and ethnicity with personal experiences, materials from my parents’ restaurant (the first Chinese Restaurant in Scotia), and research in cultural and food pathways. The theme for the exhibition at Collar Works is about “the American Dream.” The artwork that is included are color copies of real conversations that I’ve had regarding notions of being American, immigration and cultural exchange, and dialogue with family. They are strange, funny, and eye-opening. I’m excited that this opportunity from the curator, Alexandra Foradas (of Mass MOCA) fits the work so well.
5What is your goal for the future?
I hope to continue exhibiting and speaking about my work; to connect with other artists, students, and colleagues. I’m excited to get to know artists and arts administrators and learn more about contemporary art in the Capital Region. There are a few grants and artist’s residencies that I always keep my eye on. An opportunity with The Museum of Chinese in America, in New York City , would be great! Long term, I’d love to visit the Chichu Museum in Japan, The Observatory House by Gabriel Orozco in Mexico, and every Os Gemeos mural- quite a list! As my teachers and colleagues have shown me, advocating for young people to pursue creative endeavors and enjoy the arts as a part of their daily lives, is something that I’m passionate about and achievable anywhere you live.