Today we’d like to introduce you to James Rees.
Hi James, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From my earliest memories, I have viewed the world through the lens of an artist. Growing up in the shadow of the mountains of Utah, I was almost always found with a pencil in my hand, drawing. Creating art wasn’t simply something I enjoyed—it was how I made sense of the world. Creativity was woven into my family life. My father was a writer, one brother became a professional photographer, and another built a career in the music industry. Looking back, it seems only natural that I would find my own voice through the visual arts.
That passion led me to earn a BFA from Brigham Young University and an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Arizona. Along the way, I discovered another passion: teaching. For more than thirty years, I had the privilege of teaching art at the secondary and university levels, including Brigham Young University, while continuing to develop my own studio practice.
Throughout my career, I have worked to bridge the worlds of art making and art education. That journey has led to opportunities to collaborate with organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, serve in leadership roles within the National Art Education Association, and present workshops, lectures, and artist residencies across the United States and internationally.
While I am grateful for those experiences, they have never been the destination. At the heart of everything I do is the work in the studio. Whether I am creating a new print, teaching a workshop, or mentoring another educator, my goal has remained the same: to help others discover the transformative power of creativity while continuing to grow as an artist myself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. Like most meaningful journeys, mine has included seasons of uncertainty, disappointment, and unexpected change. Personally, I have experienced challenges that tested my resilience and forced me to reconsider how I responded to difficult circumstances. Those experiences taught me that the weight we carry is often less about what happens to us and more about how we choose to carry it.
Professionally, pursuing a life as both an artist and an educator has required persistence, patience, and a willingness to continue creating even when recognition, opportunity, or direction felt uncertain. Balancing the demands of teaching, family, and maintaining an active studio practice has often meant carrying competing responsibilities, each deserving equal attention. My art imagery reflects challenges within our family life and finding equilibrium, which has been one of my greatest challenges.
Looking back, I realize that those struggles shaped both my life and my work. The process of making monotype prints—building images layer by layer, responding to unexpected outcomes, and finding order in what first feels chaotic—mirrors the way I have learned to navigate life. Rarely does either unfold exactly as planned. Instead, both require flexibility, perseverance, and trust that clarity often comes only in hindsight.
Those experiences have reinforced my belief that setbacks and failures are not obstacles to avoid but essential parts of growth. Mistakes become teachers, resilience is developed through persistence, and the creative process reminds me that our greatest challenges often become the foundation for our most meaningful work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Throughout my career, I have sought to bridge the roles of artist, educator, and researcher, believing each strengthens the others. For more than three decades, I taught secondary art while maintaining an active studio practice and contributing to the field through research, writing, presentations, and professional leadership. Together, these pursuits reflect my commitment to creativity, inquiry, and service.
As a visual artist, I specialize in large-scale, one-of-a-kind monotype printmaking. My work explores themes of resilience, memory, and human connection through a layered process that embraces both intention and chance. The act of building, revising, and discovering meaning through printmaking mirrors the complexities of life itself.
As an educator, I have been passionate about helping others find their creative voice. Whether working with students, mentoring future teachers, or leading professional development across the country, my goal has been to cultivate curiosity, confidence, and lifelong artistic growth. My research has focused on creativity, teacher identity, visual journals, and sustaining an active studio practice while teaching.
What I am most proud of is the impact I’ve had on others. Seeing former students become artists and educators, or watching teachers rediscover their own creative practice after a workshop, has been far more rewarding than any individual accomplishment. While I have been honored with recognitions such as National Art Educator of the Year, the National Secondary Art Educator Award, the Governor’s Leadership in the Arts Award, and designation as an NAEA Distinguished Fellow, I view these as reflections of a career dedicated to serving the profession.
What sets me apart is the integration of my work as an artist, educator, and researcher. My artwork is informed by years in the classroom, my teaching is enriched by an active studio practice, and my research grows from authentic questions that emerge from both. This perspective allows me to connect theory with practice and inspire others through creativity, scholarship, and a lifelong commitment to learning.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I have come to see risk not as something to avoid, but as an essential part of creativity and personal growth. As an artist, educator, and researcher, I believe the greatest obstacle to creativity is the fear of making mistakes. Every meaningful creative endeavor begins with uncertainty, and every mistake has the potential to become a discovery.
My work as a monotype printmaker has reinforced this belief. The process is unpredictable, and no matter how carefully I plan, the final image always contains surprises. Over time, I have learned that what first appears to be a mistake often becomes the most compelling part of the artwork. Rather than trying to eliminate mistakes, I embrace them as opportunities to learn, adapt, and create something unexpected.
This philosophy has shaped my teaching as well. Throughout my career, I have encouraged students to see mistakes as building blocks rather than barriers. When we stop fearing failure, we become more willing to experiment, take creative risks, and grow.
I’ve taken risks throughout my career—from pursuing graduate studies and maintaining a professional studio practice while teaching full-time, to exhibiting my work, presenting research, and serving in national leadership roles. Each required stepping into the unknown.
For me, risk is ultimately an act of optimism. It is trusting that even when things don’t go as planned, the experience will lead to greater creativity, resilience, and growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jamesreesart.com
- Instagram: @jamesreesart
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rees-337947b/
