BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) – Shreveport artist Whitney Tates speaks to ArkLaTex Artistry’s Brittney Hazelton about her upcoming exhibition, how dreams have affected them, and their journey to becoming a professional artist.

On Dec. 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., artist Whitney Tates will hold an opening reception for their new exhibition, Dreamspace, at the Bossier Arts Council, 630 Barksdale Boulevard in the East Bank Gallery.

What does your Dreamspace look like? Where do you go when you close your eyes? Each piece of Tates’ work is an open invitation to finding your own answers, to wander, and to wonder.

Tates and Bossier Arts Council invites the public to come interpret the spaces with inhabit, both physically and within our minds during the exhibition, Dreamspace. The exhibition attempts to capture the tension between presence and absence, awakening and sleeping, concrete and ephemeral.

What is Dreamspace about?

“I remember, a couple of years ago, I was driving home and for some reason, it felt like I had driven through this portal of water. I don’t know, maybe it was just highway hypnosis or something, but it stuck with me. Like, I just saw everything in like this film of water. It felt really floaty, and I thought it was an interesting feeling to experience. Like existing in these two different worlds at the same time, and so my artwork started exploring that,” explains Tate. “Initially, I wanted to explore the idea of liminal space, which is you know, this transitional area, not being in one space or another but in between these two spaces. And, I think a lot of the pieces do explore that.”

Is there a link between the subconscious and artistic creativity?

“I think so, a lot of my ideas come to me like either before I’m falling asleep or from a dream,” says Tates. “A lot of my ideas do come to me when I am laying in bed trying to fall asleep. I’m not much of a sketcher, but I will write down words and feelings. And, so, that’s how my pieces come to life.

As an artist, Tates’ goal has always been to help individuals understand and navigate through life while stimulating discussions on mental health matters.

“I do a lot of portraitures and explore like a lot of mental health topics, but not things that are like blatantly, ‘this is what this painting is about’. Like, it’s more a feeling, and when people see the work they can identify with certain components of a piece. So, I like to put layers of meaning in my work that I’m not necessarily telling you how to feel,” Tate explains.

Is there symbolism in the work?

Yes, Tates explains that they often consider the meaning of imagery before using it in their work.

“So, I’m always looking through a list of what different flowers mean, other than that I always paint what I feel. I think we all just have this connection to certain symbols that, you know, we have learned culturally. So, it trickles down to something subconscious,” says Tates.

About Whitney Tates

Tates is a lover of both music and art. Their path as a creative began with music but eventually, they found their passion in visual arts.

“I chased music for a long time. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I enjoyed learning how to play instruments. And, I got to a point where I really couldn’t learn it. Music theory wasn’t clicking with me, and you know, I was trying to force something that wasn’t there,” says Tates.

But, that wasn’t the end of Tates creative journey.

“I really didn’t start painting or drawing until college, and that’s when it kinda clicked. I had this natural, I am not going to say I was good, definitely wasn’t good, but I could learn it easier and you know translating my love for music into a visual art form kinda bridged that desire for me,” says Tates.

Tates graduated from Centenary College with a bachelor’s degree in studio art and their work has been shown across Louisiana. Tates has also created and worked on murals across Louisiana and in Dallas, Texas. Additionally, Tates has received awards, including The Take Notice Fund from the National Performance Network, grant funding from the National Endowment of the Arts as part of the American Rescue Plan, and two artist residencies.

Shreveport artist Whitney Tates has been creating art professionally for six years, since around 2015, and has been painting for 13 years. If you have been around to Shreveport-Bossier events, you probably have seen their work as they vend at many events under the name Wet Paint Arts. They do murals and fine art. Their work is closely described as surrealism but has a style of their own, often featuring portraiture of people, animals, plants, and sometimes spacey themes.

“You’ve probably seen me all over Shreveport-Bossier doing pop-up markets and things, especially at the Revel and things like that,” says Tates.

ArkLaTex Artisty’s Brittney Hazelton and Whitney Tates first met while vending on an Earth Day event, both were new in the arts community and starting their paths as professional artists.

“Yeah, that’s around when I first started doing like, the markets and things, and that was my first foray into it. I was a newbie, not knowing what I was doing, but it was still fun,” says Tates.

Thank you for watching ArkLaTex Artistry. Let’s continue to support our local artists. If you have story ideas please email them to me at [email protected].

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