Meet Riley McAndrews | Interdisciplinary Artist

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

Hi Riley, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe taking risks is necessary as an artist and as a lifelong learner. After college, I was unsure about the direction I wanted my career to go, so I decided to spend three months in rural Japan at the Studio Kura Artist Residency Program. No plans for after, no income, just savings and the desire to make art. It paid off, igniting my passion for narrative artworks and giving me the opportunity to make international connections with other amazing artists. Taking a risk gave me direction in my career.

In my children’s book 「分かりたい！」(I Want to Understand!), I explore risk-taking when learning a language. I studied Japanese for four years in college, but upon arrival in Japan I realized how far I was from fluent. I was terrified and upset at the idea that my studies weren’t enough. I barely wanted to speak some days, fearing that I’d make a terrible mistake in conversation. It didn’t take me long to realize that if I were to get any better at speaking, I’d have to risk making a fool of myself. Once again, it was worth it. I was able to meet such lovely people in my new community and make memories I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Risk taking is essential for growth, despite how terrifying it may seem.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art largely focuses on relationships, emotions, and memory using mostly digital illustration, narrative art, and sculpture. As of right now, I am most proud of my two most recent bodies of work: “関係と話し方ーRelationships and Speaking” and “I Hope the Flowers Were Worth It”. Through these projects, I have learned that I love creating collections around a main theme while experimenting with different media. I also love to include writing in my work, often creating pieces around phrases from my personal journal.

Given that I graduated with my BA in December 2022, I am still very early in my career. In college, I aimed to be a “jack of all trades”, taking as many different classes as I could – ceramics, metalsmithing, photography, digital fabrication, welding, woodshop, drawing, printmaking, illustration, and other various classes. Although this wide skillset benefited me in my work, it also became intimidating to choose how I would execute an idea. After graduation, I was suddenly without these studios, forcing me to specialize. I realized that I kept reaching for two main mediums after that – digital media, and sculpture.

My art journey faced a few roadblocks in the beginning. I had a terrible accident in the summer of 2022 that shattered my right heel, broke bones in my dominant hand and left foot, knocked out five teeth and the bone they connect to, and sent my mental health spiraling. During that time, I just wanted to make art about my emotions and situation, but I was physically unable to. Once I regained the dexterity in my dominant hand, I started drafting a plethora of pieces. These would eventually become my senior year collection “I Hope the Flowers Were Worth It”. It was stressful trying to juggle creating and healing all while trying to graduate on time, but I knew I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. My injuries also postponed my post-graduation plans, an artist residency at Studio Kura in Itoshima, Japan. However, despite that, I am grateful for my accident in a way. In no way would I ever have wished it to happen, but it fueled my practice and made me realize how much art heals me emotionally.

My most recent works in “関係と話し方ーRelationships and Speaking” have come from my love for the Japanese language and the relationships I have made because of it. I want my audience to know that inspiration can come from anywhere, both good and bad.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Greeley, Colorado is a small but rapidly growing city north of Denver. If the weather is nice, I suggest exploring parks like Glenmere Park or the Poudre River Trail. On any day, a trip to the Library Innovation Center (LINC) would be great. Explore their makerspaces, peruse the shelves, climb in the jungle gym, or enjoy the imaginative art installation on the second floor. In addition, the University of Northern Colorado often hosts different events open to the public, like theatre productions, orchestral performances, and art exhibitions. There are plenty of cafes spotted around Greeley, my favorites being Aunt Helen’s, The Blue Mug, and Margie’s Java Joint. If you’re into beer, there are many different breweries around town, like WeldWerks Brewing Co. and High Brau Taphouse. For those less keen on beer, 477 Distilling is a great place for a variety of cocktails, including a delicious rotation of seasonal drinks.
A great way to round out the night is visiting Stella’s Pinball Arcade for classic games and performances by locals.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so fortunate to be surrounded by creative people in my life. My close relationships all have active art practices, be it musical performance, printmaking, fiber arts, painting, design theater, or many other various media. They constantly inspire me to create and express myself, offering both support and ideas on how to evolve my projects. I could not be more thankful for their patience and love whenever I start a new project.

I am forever grateful to Hirofumi and Saori Matsuzaki from Studio Kura. They were a source of encouragement and security when I was in Japan, providing me with workspaces, guidance, and inspiration. The people I met at Studio Kura have also greatly impacted my work and my life. As is the nature with this residency, we were all constantly creating and exploring. It was a treat to visit another studio and learn how other artists work. I have such precious memories from exploring Fukuoka, Japan with these new friends.

I wouldn’t have even made it to Japan without the support from the people back home, especially the staff and faculty of University or Northern Colorado’s School of Art and Design and the professors of Japanese Language Program at UNC.

So this is dedicated to the creatives in my life in Colorado and at Studio Kura, for being my community and encouraging me to grow.

Website: https://www.rileymcandrews-art.com

Instagram: @smiley_riley_productions

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/riley-mcandrews-541b68232

Other: Tapastic Webcomics: https://tapas.io/series/Cinnamon-and-Pear https://tapas.io/series/odds–ends-evens–beginnings-

Image Credits
Woody Myers Irene Moray