Today we’d like to introduce you to Margo Perkins.
Margo, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always wanted to be an artist, but after earning my BFA in Drawing, I was lost on how to turn my passion into a career. I treasured my art school experience and really grew as a drawer and painter, but I left college with no graphic design skills. This wasn’t viable in a 2008 job market looking for graphic artists not fine artists, so I went back to school and studied Digital Media. I ended up working as an animator for a news station in Charlotte where I made daily graphics for stories covering crime, politics, and the weather which are all depressing, and this took a toll on my mental health and creative process. I have a chronic illness and I was forced to make my next career choices based off access to health insurance and this created an environment where my passion, desire, and talent as a creator felt severed. I grieved that loss deeply. In 2012, I moved to Atlanta and accepted a job in sales while freelancing in design work on the side. Around 2019 I slowly started to reconnect with my inner artist and started painting and displaying my work at local arts festivals. I was inspired by the response and feedback from the public and this pushed me to reconsider my creative career.
Now, with access to private health insurance policies, the idea was no longer out of reach. During the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was laid off from my sales job and decided to dedicate myself to art full-time. I was awarded a grant to paint a local mural and things started to take off. I had painted smaller residential murals in the past, but working at such a large scale and creating for my local community sparked an insatiable drive. I spent the next year hunting walls and painting murals anywhere I could around the city. I loved the whole process. The thrill of finding my next wall was almost like a cold sales call which I always enjoyed, and I got to hyper-focus on designing my mockups and then go do my favorite thing in the world: paint. I love how physical the work was and how it immediately connected with the public. It was fun to see my past training and experiences come together in a meaningful way I wasn’t expecting. This allowed space where my inner artist, designer, and sale rep could coexist benefiting each other.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, not smooth at all —but it has made me more resourceful! It’s hard for anyone to put themselves out there and take risks, but it’s especially hard when you have to run your business and be your business at the same time. I’m an artist — all I want to do is stay curious and make things. I’m not an accountant or marketing manager or procurement officer and having to play all these roles while physically producing the final product can be overwhelming at times. But, if that’s what it takes to for me to be able to make my art, then it’s worth it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I paint, draw, sew, and sculpt, but mainly focus on painting. As far as painting, I work in oils, acrylics, and watercolors, oil paint being my favorite. My colorful abstract pieces are expressionistic and very much connected to my emotional processing and release. I would say I’m known for my abstract works and my wall murals which have more of a realistic style and narrative. I am most proud of my mural “Please Stay” located at DeKalb and Whitefoord Ave. I got to work with the incredible organization Living Walls and local artists I highly respect to create this giant and inspirational piece that honored the life of an extremely brave person, Laura Calle. The whole experience was very moving. As soon as we filled in the tagline “you deserve to be here,” the public responded with love and my heart was so full. The images and meaning of “Please Stay” touch on some heavy but necessary to confront topics. All I wanted from that piece was to make someone who needed it feel hope, and I think we were very successful.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I LOVE my city! If I pick what I like the most, it is the diversity Atlanta offers and how this can create an open and supportive community for creators and artists. We have such a rich arts scene, including music, theatre, fine arts, culinary arts, and more. I feel lucky to be here at this particular time to participate. Of course, there will be growth in such an attractive city, and I am concerned with how this rapid development will affect our current residents. I hope Atlanta balances progress and growth while honoring and supporting the historical communities and businesses that helped shape this city.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.margoperkins.com
- Instagram: @margoperk
Image Credits
Margo Perkins Brock Scott W. Feagins, Jr. Blake Burton
