Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Austin
Hi Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am an opera singer and visual artist exploring the space where these art forms intersect.
At the moment, my obsession is “RECORDS”, a show I created where I make large-scale paintings and sculptures which are finished during musical performances. Each artwork is a “set” that the vocalists and performers transform into a final composition defined by the music’s color, story, and the spontaneity of the performance. I call the experience “RECORDS” because each artwork serves as a tangible recording of the performance.
There are currently 10 works completed through this concept and I have every intention of continuing to make “RECORDS” for the rest of my life. I’m endlessly fascinated by the concept, and excited to explore it with other performers. It’s my dream to share this work with St. Louis and partner with amazing art organizations like Opera Theater of Saint Louis, CAM, the Pulitzer Museum, and SLAM.
I grew up on the east coast, in a town littered with creatives and generous art mentors. When I was 9, a local painter taught me the fundamentals of drawing and painting. She was amazing and impressed with my almost frightening ability to hyper-focus/fixate.
When I was 16, I was given the 24 Italian Art-Songs and Arias by a voice teacher… and I fell completely, hopelessly in love with opera and classical singing. It’s been an engulfing passion ever since…
Being able to make art with only your body, your natural resonance, and your imagination completely captivated me. So much so that I followed my passion through music conservatory at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. I met my husband, Justin at MSM. He is a Baritone who has now enjoyed 6 summers performing with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, a company responsible for our annual pilgrimages to St. Louis.
Justin and I adore St. Louis! We spent 4 months of the pandemic in St. Louis and forged a forever bond with this city after experiencing its amazing culture, arts, and people who have become our dearest friends.
Back on the east coast, I have a studio where I work on artwork, practice for performances, teach voice, and run a nonprofit dedicated to the creation of supporting interdisciplinary artists, the OmniARTS Foundation Inc.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
THE PANDEMIC: As it was for everyone, the pandemic presented me with formative challenges. In May of 2020, both my husband and I lost all of our upcoming work. Every performance contract we had vanished overnight, and we were both on the precipice of fulfilling “career-making” contracts. I had a grant and contract to share RECORDS at UCLA with their voice program students, and Justin was singing the lead in Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynne Nottage’s opera “Intimate Apparel” at Lincoln Center Theater.
I didn’t think twice before responding to my impulse to “do something about it”… it was in this time that OmniARTS (the nonprofit I co-founded) produced 3 unprecedented virtual concerts. This project gave work to the artists in my community, and explored the possibilities of multidisciplinary / collaborative art-making on virtual platforms. It was a huge success and we all felt proud to work together… including collaborations with amazing organizations like the Big Muddy Dance Company (now the Saint Louis Dance Theatre!) You can see all of the performances on the events page of our website: https://www.omniartsfoundation.org/events
FUNDING: Funding is always a challenge for artists. I can’t stomach not paying artists their fees, and because my artwork requires a full theatrical production for it to be made, it can become quite expensive… a luxury I have never had, even more so as a result of the work I lost during the early days of the pandemic. I am now looking for support from people who believe in the power of the arts and want to help me share RECORDS. It’s a project that brings classical singers into untraditional spaces (museums, galleries, outdoor venues) and gives world-class singers more opportunity to share their song repertoire… an art-form typically restricted to concert halls and a harrowing sense of a dying audience. It’s a very special thing when all of us; the collaborating performers, audience, and crew can look at an artwork we all just made together.
If you are interested in supporting this work, please consider making a gift to the OmniARTS Foundation, and/or sending me an email at me@amandaroseaustin.com. We are in need of support and would love to welcome you to our growing community! All donations are tax-deductible.
SOBRIETY: Another huge hurdle for me was sobriety. In the beginning of my singing career, I experienced personal tragedy and loss that was debilitating. Instead of healing, I avoided and leaned into a toxic relationship I had developed with substances that “helped” me run away from my hurt. Recovery has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. I am endlessly inspired by the recovery community. Sobriety has given me a new lease on life, and admitting that I needed help was the most difficult thing I have ever done.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
All of my work stems from a dedication to classical vocal artistry and bel canto singing technique.
I teach voice, perform, and create artwork that is inspired and defined by vocal arts.
I am the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the OmniARTS Foundation Inc., a 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to the creation of interdisciplinary art.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
CREATIVITY – I have always been the kind of person that sees something stimulating and imagines it in 150 other contexts. My creative mind is very active and I am never short of ideas.
MUSIC – All of my work stems from a love for music and desire to use it to tell stories and engage with others. At the moment, I am working on a collection of paintings inspired by both a visual and musical concept: chiaroscuro. Music, and specifically classical and concert vocal music provides fertile ground for inspiration.
ADHD – My artwork and lifestyle would not be possible without ADHD and its sometimes aggravating side-effects. At any given moment, I am juggling my artistic projects, painting practice, voice studio, singing contracts, and nonprofit service. My artistic process is largely defined by my loss of focus (working in many small bits all at once) and hyper-focus… an abnormal ability to dedicate myself to a task for an uninterrupted and extended period of time.
COMMUNITY – I am nothing without my community of mentors, collaborators, students, family, and friends. One of my greatest strengths is an ability to connect with awesome people. I’m endlessly blessed by the people in my life who are generous and supportive of my work.
PASSION / LOVE – I love singing, artwork, poetry, performance, and the process of “making”. I’m driven by an intense passion and joy for creating that energizes and fortifies me.
TENACITY – I played sports as a child… I was a lacrosse goalie, soccer goalie, swam competitively and I know how to take a beating. Especially lacrosse taught me to not just dodge pain, but to leap at it with no hesitation. I know that can sound masochistic, and at times it has been… but really what I mean is that I lean into adversity and I don’t ever see setbacks as deterrents. Once I have set my mind on accomplishing something, it happens.
Pricing:
- $150
- $250
- $500
- $1,000
- $2,000
- If you would like to support this work, please consider making a donation in any of the suggested amounts above to https://www.omniartsfoundation.org/donate.
All donations are tax-deductible and directly support the creation of new work, arts educational programs, community outreach, and performance events.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amandaroseaustin.com https://www.amandaaustin.art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda.rose.austin; @amanda.rose.austin
- Other: Link to Performance: https://www.amandaroseaustin.com/recordsbrittenrorem
