Meet Michael Coppage

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

Hi Michael, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When I first finished art school I worked, got married, built a house and had a kid. By the time I had my son, I was working two jobs and about 100 hours per week. There was the need to take care of my family and pay for the life and the lifestyle I had. I traveled abroad often and bought nice things but as the years started piling on I realized this wasn’t a sustainable model. Fast forward a few years to a divorce and all the things that come with it, I decided to really dedicate myself to my practice. There was no room for it in my marriage and it often led to conflict because my practice took time I could have spent with my son who was in the care of my wife most days while I worked both jobs. Eventually, I was able to leave my job at the hospital due to my practice gaining momentum. This gave me the balance I needed to be with my son and still have a thriving practice. I decided that my studio was going to be in the same place I live so I could always be accessible to my son. There are so many stories about artists who neglected their families and when they tell my story they will tell you I was always with my family. It’s easier to have a work life balance with a home studio. I imagine as the opportunities grow I may need to consider a move but right now I’m in a sweet spot.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work essentially has been a chronicling of undesirable scenarios Black people routinely navigate in the United States using language as the motif. As common as this sounds, what sets me apart is my proficiency in synthesizing concepts into world-class images and objects. The concepts dictate materiality. Materiality is determined by the amount of resonance it brings to a concept. The periods of my career will be defined by bodies of work executed in a variety of media. I’m excited because I am currently making a pivot to a body of work inspired by contemporary language practices resulting in the depiction of fading memories, untold personal narratives, site specific histories and death. An exploration of understanding and interpretation, this work is meant to capture moments of personal value while simultaneously questioning “who” is and can be a person of color. Getting to this point has taken thousands of hours of productivity, interns, collaborators and grant funding. It was not easy. I basically started from scratch in a new city where I was disconnected from the arts scene. From there, I had to be social and present at many openings where I was not a fan of the work but was a fan of the people. Honestly, I hate 90% of the work I see on the regular basis. I’ve learned to not let this reality impact my ability to authentically connect to people. I think the ability to connect with people is a large part of what makes me successful. People know its not performative. They can hear my authentic voice. They see the voices of members from their communities amplified in my work. We continue to stay connected in meaningful ways. I heard someone recently describe Gordon Parks this way. I’d say I am in good company.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
On the first day, I would take them to see my public sculptural installation on the grounds of the Price Hill Library branch. After that, I take them to Mt. Echo lookout to see the entire city of Cincinnati and Kentucky across the river. I’d throw a gathering in their honor with artists and adjacent folks at my studio. The rest of the week would be visiting other public works, artist studios, collector homes and regional day trips so they could get a feel for the place I call home. The Purple People Bridge is a great pedestrian bridge that crosses the Ohio River. It just depends on who they are, what they are into and how much endurance they have. I have people come all the time from out of state and there are lots of similar experiences they have but I typically customize the experiences to the visitor. If you come to Cincinnati, check me out. I will make sure you have a great time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jennifer Locke! She is my lover and companion and the most supportive person in my life. She works on behalf of the studio even though she has a completely different but very interesting life.

Website: www.MichaelCoppageArt.com

Instagram: @michael_coppage

Linkedin: Michael Coppage

Yelp: Michael C.

Youtube: Michael Coppage TEDx

Image Credits
Whitney Dixon Sybilka Storie Asa Featherstone IV