Interview with September Youth Artist Mia Almonte
This Month’s Youth Artist is Mia Almonte, whose introspective and multifaceted pieces are on display through September.
In an interview with us, Mia discusses her experiences in the RISD Art Circle Group (RAC), creative influences, what she’s learned in preparing for her show, and more!
Mia will be having an opening on Thursday, September 7th from 6-8pm.
In your artist bio, you state that when you are not drawing or taking pictures you are at "RISD curating ways to change the museum and challenge the ways individuals view it." Can you tell us more about this and/or your interest in curation as a whole?
I was a part of a RISD group, RAC, that met every Saturday from 11am-2pm over the course of an entire year. The ten individuals with whom I completed this program have changed the way that I look at the world. Our team assembled an exhibit for 2,000 visitors. This display offered an immersive camp experience created entirely of recycled materials. The intention was to provide guests with a welcoming and less pristine environment to demonstrate how museums ought to ideally be. Many businesses prioritize comfort over other factors, but the museum is one where this is not the case. This furthers the discussion of truth and falsehoods and what the museum is withholding from its visitors. One topic of conversation that was discussed was the idea of truth and how exactly the RISD Museum portrayed it. Certain pieces of different decades are shown on the walls of the building, but how often do we question the veracity of these representations? I am very pleased with the social reform I have made in that group, and I worry that without it, my perspective on the world might be substantially different.
Who and what have been your most significant creative influences?
I work at an art camp at Artist’s Exchange and am responsible for assisting and teaching children. These students range in age and I am never more inspired to create than when I am with them. They are able to create something out of nothing and come up with concepts that most people would never have thought of. As I frequently draw inspiration from them for pieces, my family and friends are also significant creative inspirations in my life.
One of your pieces depicts the human figure and parts of the human body. What was your inspiration behind this piece and how did you create it?
In April 2023, I traveled to Spain with my class and visited The Prado Museum. I had never seen an art museum as amazing as this one. I browsed the gift shop before leaving and found a book on human anatomy. I had never seen the body quite represented like this. The artist’s connection was clear in the way that each line was significant to the sketch. I wanted to design an anatomical artwork that highlighted the body's most vital organs and how they impact our quality of life. I began sketching and researching the organs in our body, the curvature in our spines, and the skeleton of our faces. I found this red drawing paper in the trash at work and knew it resembled the inside of the body. I utilized it and attached anatomical sketches to it and finalized the piece with exhibit signs.
If there is one takeaway you would like people to know when viewing your work, what is it and why?
When people view my artwork, I want them to know that there is no one way to view it. My mind is constantly filled with ideas and some of these ideas do not make any sense. I create so that my thoughts can be literally expressed and not just remain as ideas in my head. I do not have a particular theme that I stick to, and I do not like working in one medium over another. I merely produce what inspires me.
How did you first learn about The Collaborative and what have you learned in the process of preparing for your opening?
I first learned about The Collaborative from Jeff Danielian, a teacher at my school. He was familiar with The Collaborative's initiative and the youth artists that they showcase. With Mr. Danielian, I always talked passionately about art and showed him my creations. He advised me to exhibit my work, so I visited the website and submitted an application to be a youth artist. I found it difficult to come up with ideas as the ones I did have did not please me. I have never considered creating art to be stressful, but now that I had a deadline and a viewership, I discovered that it was. I realised that having to create within a deadline had an impact on my cognitive abilities and that was something that I had never experienced before.
