Selena Beaudry

Charlotte, North Carolina

What is your training?

I received my BFA from Penn State and my MFA from Tyler School of Art.

What inspires you and your art?

I have been asked that question a lot.  I always think it is a hard question because so many things inspire both my work and myself.   The constants are – Sound, taste, smell, humor and art history,

What is your favorite installation of your work or piece? 

I have been thinking a lot lately about a performance piece I did in grad school that I of course did not document.  I turned my studio into an installation of colorful sculptures that hung from the ceiling.  I sewed and filled them with all different kinds of gooey colorful foods and sugars that I then cut open while an actor friend of mine spun in a chair in the middle of the space.  It was a color and sensory explosion. It was my idea of one of my paintings coming to life.  My studio then smelled like a candy store for the rest of the year.  The custodians hated me.

This is a favorite current installation of mine in Selena’s solo show…

How has the south influenced your work?

That is another good question.  I think living in the south has given me time and space to think.  By living in a place that is not as fast as a northeastern city I think I have been able to begin to find my voice in my own time.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Charlotte area?

Since I am usually with my husband and three girls when I go out to dinner my favorite spot is an early dinner at Roosters.

What is your favorite cocktail?

Right now it is a Tequila gimlet from the book Art of the Bar.

How do you balance young children and work?

I’m not sure.

Dream trip?

It would be either to go to Japan for the Cherry Blossom festival or to Egypt to see the Pyramids.

Dream trip?

I would love to be able to do a large scale installation at DIA Beacon.

 Your favorite hostess gift?

I am a bit of a procrastinator so I usually bring a bottle of wine or Champaign.  If I could get it together I would copy my friend John Bossard and bring a Dior Lilly of the Valley candle that he gets in Paris, they smell divine.

 Who is your style icon?

I’ve had to think about this one because there are so many talented smart stylish women that have inspired me.  Lately I have been thinking about getting older and what I want to be like when I am old. I always love seeing photos of Louise Bourgeois in her studio or with her work. 

Your favorite up and coming artist?

Either Sarah Sze or  Ernesto Neto.  I feel like they both create work that is like walking through a painting.

What is your most treasured possession?

A tie right now between my scissors and my paint brushes. 

Lots of Lines 60″ x 40″ — Gouache, watercolor, and pencil on paper 2008..My Selena work  to be hung in my dining room.

Bawdy Song by Selena Beaudry…a favorite of mine available through Hidell Brooks Gallery