“Everyone has a unique story, and art can be a pathway to storytelling,” says Rochester-based artist Amy Krause.
Her story includes creating art that is imbued with messages of inclusion and diversity.
“I’ve found that art is an accessible way to bring awareness to various social justice issues, and it is a way to visually communicate actionable steps,” she says.
You may have seen some of Krause’s art gracing construction barricades in downtown Rochester last summer. She painted 10 colorful concrete barricades that fluttered with pink and orange butterflies and flowers and included the text “Cultivate Kindness.” The project was curated through Threshold Arts and included 90 other barricades in addition to those Krause painted.
“As a Korean American adoptee, I use art to tell parts of my story and also celebrate my heritage,” says Krause.
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As a child, Krasue says she didn’t see much diversity or representation.
“I also experienced racism and discrimination throughout my life,” she says. “Although these experiences made me feel isolated and lonely, they helped shape the artist I am today.”
Krause says she’s been interested in art as long as she can remember and says creating it has sometimes helped her “process the pain” caused by loneliness induced by racism and discrimination. She and her husband, Adam, grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and she studied art there at the University of Wisconsin. She graduated with a degree in fine art and painting in 2008 and shortly thereafter created her art business: A. Krause Studio. In 2012, she moved from La Crosse to Rochester.
Watercolor and acrylic paint are Krause’s favorite mediums, but she also enjoys working with digital art. Her works often include inspirational words.
“I include words into my artwork because I believe there is power in the words we use,” she says. “When we have accurate language to describe an experience or feeling, it can build connections and create deeper understanding.”
One of Krause’s paintings includes the cursive phrase “resilient recovery” besides a delicately blooming, purple-veined crocus.
Krause says 2022 was her most successful year as an artist. She says she participated in 11 markets, helped facilitate outdoor community events like The Big Dig, led art classes at local summer camps like the Korean cultural Camp Moonhwa, painted murals, led online workshops, completed custom art orders for individuals, created commissioned works for organizations and businesses that connected with her core values, and reached online sales milestones.
For 2023, Krause is already gearing up for another busy year. She has been selected to create a mural in the space around the crosswalks on First Avenue Southwest and Third Street Southwest. The project is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts awarded to the city of Rochester. The mural, she says, will help members of our community to feel welcome.
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“My murals will focus on messages of inclusion and belonging, these are also part of my core beliefs as an artist,” she says. “Whether you grew up in Rochester, or are a newly established community member, our city is a place where you can belong” she adds. “It is my desire to create a mural that is a visual representation of this important message.”
Fifteen of Krause’s paintings are part of an exhibit on display at 125 Live through May. Each of the paintings in the exhibit celebrates Krause’s Korean heritage.
“As an international adoptee, reclaiming the connection to my birthland and ancestors has been part of a healing journey for me,” she says. “Art has been a safe haven to explore my heritage and reconnect to my roots. Each painting is an invitation to the viewer to experience this cherished piece of my story.”
This summer, Krause will vend her art at the ART(is)T Therapy Market at Little Thistle Brewery on June 4. She will also be a vendor at the Creating Hope 4 Cambodia at Christ Community Church on Nov. 4. Her art is available for sale at etsy.com/shop/akrausestudio and at Threshold Arts located at 311 Broadway Ave. S in Rochester.
When Krause isn’t busy creating her unique art and running her art business, she loves spending time with her family including her husband and three kids, Elijah, Zoe and Joshua, who she calls her “own personal cheer team.” She also works as a Zumba instructor and writes for the Rochester Women Magazine where she contributes art and recipe columns and writes about her Korean heritage and the topic of racism from the lens of an Asian American woman.
Krause sees her role as an artist as one that brings people together.
“My mission as an artist is to use art to build connections, foster growth, and promote healing,” she says. “It is my desire to create more diverse and inclusive spaces so that others can feel seen and be known.”
More information
To see more of Amy Krause’s art, visit etsy.com/shop/akrausestudio or follow her on www.instagram.com/akrausestudio.
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