Meet Amy Menousek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Menousek.

Amy, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was a child with endless ideas, holed up in my basement creating. I’d use anything I could get my hands on from beads to carpet foam to get my creative juices flowing. In high school, I was exposed to metal work, and my teacher encouraged me to dive deeper into my art education at a local art school. During my senior year, I spent half of my days soaking in as much as I could from that school. From there, I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metals & Jewelry at Arcadia University and started my own jewelry business after graduation. After becoming a mother, I got my first sewing machine and started teaching myself how to sew. I fell in love with textiles and segued from primarily jewelry to sewing at this point. I’m about seven years in at this point, and although I still have so much to learn, I’m enjoying the journey! I still have fun banging metal on the side and doing anything creative!

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My work, whether jewelry or a hand-sewn creation, can be summed up by one word: COLOR… vibrant color!

I sew many things, from eco-conscious solutions for kids and adults (think snack bags & reusable straw pouches) to aprons and apparel. The uniqueness of each item carries great importance to me, so nearly every one of my creations is one of a kind. I love making extra special gifts with hand-embroidered messages to empower or simply make one laugh out loud. I want my creations to evoke JOY in the recipient. I love modern fabrics and would love to design my own someday. Through my work, I’m driven to BRIGHTEN the world with beautiful creations that people will treasure for years.

The name of my business, Arcadia Made, reflects my passion: embracing local creativity!

Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
Social media has thrown the doors wide open for artists in terms of accessibility and exposure. When I was starting out, artists relied solely on gallery shows and one’s exposure was limited to who walked in that door. Social media platforms like Instagram and Etsy, have become more challenging recently because of the sheer magnitude of content. It is a bit harder to stand out, but there’s a target market for everyone. The key is to know your market and focus on great content.

The key to a rich art community is education! We need more art opportunities for youth and adults alike. I love all the markets we have in Phoenix and feel that more hands-on workshops would really foster that handmade love in a wider population. Anyone can be creative and create… the importance is growing that mindset through education!

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can see my work on Instagram @arcadia_made and visit my Etsy shop ShopArcadiaMade. My website is coming… arcadiamade.com. I’m currently beginning a journey of teaching myself apparel design and creation, so stay tuned for the results!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arcadiamade.com
• Email: amy@arcadiamade.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadia_made/

Image Credit:
Portrait by Any Moment Photography by Jennifer Lynn

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