Meet Dr. Violet Adams of Vee’s ArtsPassion in Metro Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Violet Adams.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I arrived in Atlanta immediately after college to work as a graphic artist. I began working with Home Depot Corporate Office drawing lawnmowers and Homer. A few years later, I ventured on my own as an entrepreneur creating promotions for small independent businesses. I quickly realized that I am more of a fine artist than a graphic artist since I was frustrated by those who “always did it that way,” clients as I offered progressive ideas to promote their businesses. In the early 1990s, I underwent a career change and entered the arena of education. I began to flourish as f fine arts educator for DeKalb Schools. While teaching, I continued to freelance as a graphic artist but flourished as a portrait artist. In addition to portraits, I also created original works of art based on the personal ideology of politics, history and feminism. They range from realism to portraiture, to abstract to erotic. I have created over 20 portrait commissions and several original works that have been presented in several venues such as The Apache Cafe, Georgia State University, Dalton Art Center, and the Apex Museum.

Has it been a smooth road?
My art is an extension of my complex psyche. I have strong opinions on politics, American history, feminism, music, and romance. My art is exceptionally skillfully created to express my passions. The problem is… very few people have been exposed to my work. I have over 30 original works that are stored in closets, or hung on the walls of family and friends.

This hasn’t always been the case, however. I have exhibited in various venues such as, the Apache Cafe, Georgia State University, the Dalton Art Center and the APEX museum in which I had an opportunity to talk about my work and its philosophy. In 2017, I had a One-Woman show at Sycamore Gallery in Decatur, Georgia in which I presented my body of work to some 100 people.

As an artist, my desire is to acquire acclaim the will be present in the art textbooks of my great-great-grandchildren and beyond. A more immediate desire is to exhibit in the Atlanta High Museum of Art, MOMA and the Louvre.

However, I feel that my window of opportunity has diminished due to my age, lack of exposure and my lack of focus on my work. Prior to 2005, I focused on producing and exhibiting art. Post that time, education has been my focus. Although art is my passion, education is my purpose.

I’ve spent the past 14 years focusing on what I felt was my purpose for existing. I received an Education Specialist degree in 2009, and a Doctorate in Education in 2011 In which I researched how to best teach those who are expected to fail. Education is paramount to me despite not being raised in a particularly educated family. Neither of my parents had a high school education which is why I grew up in poverty. Additionally, being the oldest of 5 children, I was the first and only one to graduate from high school. All of my siblings have been or are currently incarcerated.

I then went on to obtain 5 college degrees which has changed the trajectory of my offspring. Both of my children are college graduates and have professional careers. My daughter, is an educator and my son, is a musician. For 27 years, I have taught Visual Art and Language Arts to secondary impoverished children. Currently, I am preparing for retirement by planning to open a progressive boarding school that focuses on educating bright, poor children designed to help them find their life’s purpose.

Although education is paramount to me, I am torn over its focus in my life. I feel it has prevented me from excelling as a professional fine artist. It has kept me from that acclaim in which I was born. Or has it? Why can’t I still have it all? Why can’t I walk in my passion and flourish in my purpose?

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Vee’s ArtsPassion is a visual arts business in which I create narrative portraits and original works of art. Regardless of the purpose, my work is colorful and bright. The multimedia works are inviting and provocative. I have created about 20 commissioned portraits based in collages, acrylics and oils. They are not just recreations of photographs but are stories of the honored person/people. Many of my portraits are of favorite places of the honored. Others are collages, in which juxtaposed images related to the life of the honored covers the background. Some are even a play on the name of the person or an emphasis on their career. All of my portraits have been remarkably accurate renditions of the model that surprises the viewers with the additional details.

Just as exceptional are my original works of art which can be sold as prints. These large and vibrant works explore subjects I am passionate about such as feminism, history, politics and music. As provocative as they may be, they are mired in detailed beauty designed to draw in the viewer. Such works include the history of fashion throughout the decades juxtaposed against the injustices of that period. Or, the “If I Could See Music” series which is a collection of paintings with musicians emitting ribbons of colors that flow from and around them represented by the music they are creating. Much of my work is political which provokes thoughts and promotes debate. Most of these works have been presented in exhibits.

Although my work tends to be large and complex, I usually, complete a commission on a weekend.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
As a young artist, I coveted the city of Atlanta. When I traveled here in college, I frequented the art schools I heard of in high school. SCAD, The Atlanta College of Art, The Art Institute of Atlanta, and the American International Continental University were must-see institutions because they are the bedrock of the talent in this city.

The myriad of museums and galleries in every corner of Atlanta from Buckhead to the West End to East Atlanta provides an eclectic breadth of experiences. The High Museum of Art, The APEX Museum, various college galleries, cafes, numerous restaurants, and shops present a plethora of art that is contemporary, traditional and even erotic to consumers who are poised to purchase art.

The art scene in Atlanta is vibrant and ever-evolving. One can exhibit their wares in a number of restaurants and festivals such as the Piedmont Art festival. Artists can even exhibit then sell original works created on Art Mondays at the Apache Cafe. Since the arts community is so vibrant in Atlanta, even production companies employ the works of visual artists, It is an excellent place for businesses in the arts.

Pricing:

• Limited Edition Prints range from $120 -$500 based on framing and size
• Narrative portraits range from $500-$1500
• Original works of Art range from $500 – various amounts

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veesartspassion.com/
• Phone: 4046425655
• Email: violetadams64@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artspassion1
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-ellis-ed-d-0291a961/

Image Credit:
Born to Party, Mixed Media (2017), Dr. Vee

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