Life & Work with Monique Cleveland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Cleveland.

Hi Monique, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a passion for art. My earliest memories as artist were spent in my room designing dresses on my large desktop computer’s paint program. Encouraged by my parents to pursue my passion, I decided to go to Design School at North Carolina State University and I fell in love with what it meant to be an artist and designer. Creating for expression and creating someone else’s vision kept me challenged and grew my skill. I enjoyed multiple forms of expression, fibers, animation, graphics, and of course, painting and wanted to find a career that created a fusion of these things.

After graduation, I took a job as an art instructor at the Raleigh Girls Club and enjoyed sharing my passion with the bright-eyed little women of tomorrow, but wanted to do and learn more. Later, I decided to continue my education by attending East Carolina University to earn my K-12 teaching license for visual arts in 2012. Now a full-time elementary art teacher entering my 10th year in education, I am able to inspire students and allow them to find expression for themselves. As a result of being a teacher, I was also allowed time to create and celebrate my own collection named “Sugah Acrylics” that celebrates black culture and aims to capture the inner strength of women and provide positive representation. In celebrating iconic elements in harmony, the collection is a recreation of the empowered woman.

Today Sugah Acrylics has grown into a company that not only creates custom paintings but also supplies notecards and prints. Featured on The Design Network Show “Commissioned”, I was able to show my process and inspiration to create.

I have also used my art as a means to spark change as was, featured as Southern Arts Movement artist black stories and voices.

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?
Consistency is the challenge. As an educator, most days you are exhausted after long days explaining step by step directions, class management, and prep work for an entire school of K-5 students. The challenge as a creator is to find time to be the student consistently. Oftentimes during the year, I have to take a step back and work on my art on the weekends. Typically I wait for the summer months to start a new collection or series of paintings due to the time that it takes to paint. However, when I become the student, it reminds me what challenge is like for my students and makes me grow as a teacher. It has not always been a smooth road. Finding my voice and focus as an artist has been a challenge. I thought you could only do one thing or have one focus. Later I realized I was a creator and that could mean a variety of things and that I could shape my own future.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have a unique style of painting. I primarily focus on the beauty of black culture to create positive representation of women and girls. Due to my unique graphic design background, the colors and patterns that I use are bright, bold, and typically in contrast with each other. Juxtaposed with gentle and feminine elements such as flowers and figures, I enjoy using iconic symbols from black popular culture together with these feminine elements to create something that highlights different African American women and their perspectives.

I am mostly known for my “bookworm” series illustrating African American women and girls enjoying a love of reading. I also enjoy recreating characters and concepts through my own perspective while celebrating natural hair.

I am most proud of using my art to spark change. Recently featured with the Southern Arts Movement to highlight black artists and stories in Graham, NC the goal was to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. It was first time that I took a stance and used my art for more than just showcasing my talent, but instead using my art to start a discussion about change.

What does success mean to you?
I would define success as evidence of progress. Success is improving from one point to another. I used to think that success meant the big break or selling a large painting when in reality, success is portfolio of reaching goals, conquered challenges, and growth. Once the goal is reached, you just make another to continue to improve yourself and what you are capable of.

Pricing:

• $5.00-$800

Contact Info:

• Email: sugah.org@gmail.com
• Website: www.sugah.org
• Instagram: @Sugahacrylics
• Facebook: facebook.com/sugahacrylics
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdPX_vQPjic