Artist Interview: Ellen Hackl Fagan

By Margo Moore, Children's Librarian
May 18, 2021
George Bruce Library
gallery view of blue paintings on a wall

Recently we reached out to Ellen Hackl Fagan, a New York Artist artist whose work has been shown in the Mid-Manhattan branch on 5th Ave in 2017 and who is now featured in the  published Post Road #37, a miracle project that persisted at Boston College in spite of the lost year in the pandemic.

What’s your background? 

I've been an artist all of my life. From early childhood on, I always described myself as being an artist, and continue to this day. I have an MFA in Painting and Interdisciplinary Studies, Hartford Art School, 2005 and a BFA in Painting and Photography, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 1982.

My day job was in sales for an educational publisher, selling geography materials and science models in schools in the state of Connecticut. I have had jobs as an art instructor, museum educator, and mentor over the course of my career.

I raised three sons as a single mother, having been widowed at a very young age. While working at the Aldrich Museum in the education department, I received my Master’s Degree in Painting and Interdisciplinary Arts in 2005 from Hartford Art School.

I opened ODETTA in 2014, and this business continues to expand my reach in curatorial and programming events for artists.

Gallery view of paintings on wall with man walking across

Why do you do what you do? 

I can't not be an artist. It's in my blood. Without painting and discussing art I would feel lost. It's my center of interest and passion.

What work do you most enjoy doing? 

Painting, experimenting, collaborating, and writing about fine art. I also greatly enjoy sharing a feeling of independence and strength with other artists so mentoring is a very enjoyable part of my work. Ultimately, paying an artist is also a favorite part of my job as a gallerist.

studio floor painting of blue blotches

What themes do you pursue in your work? 

The belief that sound can be made visible and tangible through color, surface, and form.

 What does your work aim to say? 

My work is not about saying anything; it's about feeling something, getting immersed in looking at the fine details, losing ones' place in the familiar world, entering the world of imagining.

colabt blue paintings on floor of studio

How does your work comment on current social or political issues? 

By supporting the imagining world, I can offer freedom, which is a political act.

Who are your biggest influences? 

Yves Klein, Roland Flexner, William Anastasi, the Clash, Neil Young, Jane Siberry

How have you developed your career? 

Through a rigorous studio practice, seeking opportunities for exhibition and community engagement, and curating artists into exhibitions.

How do you seek out opportunities? 

Through online calls for art submissions, jobs, grants, and peer recommendations.

How do you navigate the art world? 

By seeking opportunities to connect my work and myself with interested colleagues and collectors. Nowadays with lockdowns, social media has provided many opportunities for sharing work and ideas

What do you dislike about the art world? 

Overall, being in the arts is joyful. But when it occurs, dishonesty and opportunistic people can put a stain on the beauty that the art world is built around.

Which current art world trends are you following?

Interactive social media presentations and webinars about business development strategies.

blue window

Why art? 

Art is about being human, questioning, clarifying, discussing, sharing.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

Metaphor: When you are hunting for days on end for the deer in the forest, when you finally glimpse it in the distance, you have to focus and take it. This is how one should approach opportunity.

close up of a blue circle painting

Has literature impacted your art making? 

Yes, I follow the works of James Joyce and find his influence on modern literature resonates with how I approach my artwork: pluralistic, coded language, multitudinous voices.

Blue Print of circles

Are libraries a part of your world? 

They have been in my past. Less so lately. NYPL gave me a beautiful solo public art opportunity in the Mid-Manhattan branch on 5th Ave in 2017. I love researching topics in history and philosophy and libraries are a great resource. As Tom Wolfe said when speaking at the opening of the new library at Quinnipiac University in 1989, “it’s what’s next to the books I’m looking for in the stacks that is most interesting.”

What have you been working on recently? 

Exploring the connections between color, surface, and sound through paint. 

Have the recent events had an impact on your art practice?

Yes, I moved my studio home and into my garage. I have also become more literate with Instagram and other online vehicles for sharing works of art.