Meet Amy Reader | Fiber Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Reader and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My journey to starting my own business looked a little different from most entrepreneurs, I think. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to be an independent artist, but I was unsure what that journey would look like. The traditional artist route emphasizes finding a gallery to represent your work. In our ever evolving social media landscape, we have the tools to get our art directly in front of collectors more easily. I also really value making my art accessible to everyone, so I wanted to have a wide range of products available beyond the traditional original art model.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a fiber artist and I create artwork inspired by my experience of autistic joy, particularly in nature. I am constantly overwhelmed by the sounds, sights, and smells of the world around me, but I find joy in retreating to nature where I find solace. My aim with my artwork is to capture that feeling of both joy and peace in my art.

I’ve been creating with textiles in some way since I was 6. I taught myself to sew by watching a VHS tape on repeat and have loved fiber ever since. I didn’t start using fiber as my main art medium until I was a senior in college. My senior thesis exhibition was fast approaching, and I wasn’t happy with any of the paintings I was doing. On a late night whim, I decided to play with textiles the way I use paint and I was immediately obsessed.

During the early years of working for myself full time, I tried to be flexible and try new things often. I started out in 2018, but I feel like it took a solid 3-4 years before I felt fully comfortable and confident in what I was doing. There is so much trial and error involved in growing a business and making art.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how important it is to have community in your work. When you’re making art and working for yourself, you don’t have coworkers in the traditional sense. Finding fellow creatives to talk to about what we are doing and how our work is going has been essential for both my sanity and my success. I’ve slowly accumulated fellow art and small business friends over the years and I am so grateful for those friendships.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would immediately take them to Trackside Studios in the River Arts District. That is where I have my work on display alongside 60 other artists. It’s a wonderful representation of the wide range of art that is being created in Asheville.
We would have to eat at Gan Shan and Bee Thai, I love the tofu at both of those restaurants. I always stop for coffee at Penny Cup on my way into the River Arts District. In the summer heat, I’m always getting a cold brew with oat milk and their lemon blueberry muffin.

We also would spend some time downtown. I love to take my friends to see Woolworth Walk, Horse and Hero, and Kress Emporium. In between those stops, we would eat at the SW Food Hall. I’m going to assume that my friend is visiting on the same weekend that there is a Tempus concert. Tempus is a smaller vocal ensemble within the Asheville Choral Society. Live music is a staple in Asheville (I also am a smidge biased since my husband is a member of Tempus).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
After college, I was an intern at Studio Cultivate under the mentorship of Kathryn Godwin. Studio Cultivate creates bespoke art installations and I learned so much during my time as an intern and then later as an installation artist on their team. Kathryn is the creative mastermind behind it all and her support was exactly what I needed as a recent college graduate. She helped me learn to trust my own creative instincts and decisions and taught me so much about creating large scale art work in a real-life setting.

Website: https://amyreaderartist.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/amyreaderartist

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/amyreaderartist

Youtube: https://YouTube.com/@amyreaderartist

Other: https://Patreon.com/amyreaderartist

Image Credits
Amy Reader