Conversations with Mark Flowers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Flowers.

Hi Mark, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I was raised in Greenville, SC. My father, Tom Flowers was an artist and an art professor at Furman University. I graduated from Greenville Senior High in 1973 and earned my BFA degree in Studio Arts from The University of South Carolina in 1977. I went on to receive my MFA degree in Painting from Western Michigan University in 1979. Following my academic career, I have exhibited my artwork throughout the United States and Europe. The work can be found in 26 public and over 300 private collections. Throughout my career, I have won numerous awards for my art in both regional and national competitions. Most recently in January of 2022, I was awarded an Artist Support Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council.

My teaching career parallels my art making. I have taught art at the secondary and college levels for more than 42 years. While I have been a teacher of art, I have also chaired two fine arts departments and one painting department. In pursuing dual careers, I have served as a town councilman, volunteer firefighter, Little League baseball coach, and president of a community recreational board. I am now retired from teaching and pursuing the making of art only.

I am a career artist who has lived my life creating art, teaching what I know, and serving my community well. Along with my artist/wife, Kristy Higby, we live in a hand-made log cabin in the community of Alexander just eight miles downriver from Asheville, NC. We have a large studio on the property they have named Mountain Tea Studios.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I look back on my multileveled career, I think the hardest challenge was balancing all the roles I had to perform. Being a husband, father, artist, teacher, and community member was a real balancing act. At times one role suffered because the other was a priority at the moment. But throughout it all, I maintained the energy and desire to make art. Art has certainly been an outlet to express what’s going on in my life. Maybe for that reason, art was always a constant outlet.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Formally, my work is about shape and objective/non-objective imagery existing in the same field of illusionary space. Conceptually, I see my work as “visual jazz”. My direct narratives from before have now become more free-form and abstract. From an inventory of parts, I create an overall composition through improvisation and a spontaneous process.

My years of making art have made me stronger and more confident. I now trust my instincts and rely on my experience more. I have gotten to a place where I can improvise and care less about the rules I have artificially set up from earlier years. This new approach is more challenging for me, which in turn has invigorated the studio atmosphere. Any artist wants to grow and I feel this is another moment of growth for me. I have reached the goal of my “employed years” and now make art full-time. The challenge now, as it’s always been, is to make a visual composition that will engage you and me.

What’s next?
My future plans are to continue this journey of making art. I have spent my whole life to be able to focus on art making. Currently I am working on a series I call the “Baltimore Series”. The majority of the work will be part of an exhibition at The Pink Dog Gallery in Asheville, NC. This work was partially funded by a materials grant from the Noth Carolina Arts Council. Locally(Asheville, NC area) you can see my work at the AVL Airport until the 1st of November, The Rivers Arts District @ The Pink Dog Creative-342 Depot ST.-#104. I’m there manning the gallery on most Fridays. I am also exhibiting at The Penland Gallery & Visitors Center @ The Penland School of Crafts and ifART Gallery in Columbia, SC.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://foundwork.art/artists/markflowers
• Instagram: @markflowers
• Facebook: Mountain Tea Studios

Image Credits
Luke van Hine