Interview conducted by Kay Heino '23. I had the privilege to meet and interview William G. Franklin, also known to many as Billy. Billy is a bilingual educator and an independent art curator. He is filled with intellectual knowledge and the conversation I had with him was inspiring and informative. This is that interview. Kay: So the first question I have is can you introduce yourself and what you do for a living outside of teaching? BILLY: Well, it's mostly teaching what I really do, you know, like you guys talk about artistic practice, I talk about teaching practice, I try to maintain an active and creative practice as an instructor every year. I've been teaching for many years, since 1999 actually, forgot in how many colleges. It's been by choice, I like the flexibility of having different gigs, working with different audiences. Along with that I get to curate an exhibit once or twice a year, or be involved in some other creative project, like this book I began to work on this year on Latin art in Minnesota. I’ve also been doing music for many years and working with bands. Kay: If you don't mind me asking, What is your book about? BILLY: No, that's all right. I was approached by a local publisher called Afton Press, they specialize in art books (their latest is a book on Hazel Belvo), like coffee table books, mostly on visual artists. They approached me to author and curate a sampler with artists I have worked with. So for that we had to get some money, we had to apply for a grant. The first grant came from the Minnesota Historical Society. And of course, that's just initial support, we need to raise more funds in the months ahead. The book is scheduled to come to fruition by the end of 2022. There will be work by Alondra Marisol Garza who is a recent MCAD MFA alumni. Kay: My next question for you is, how did you get into curating? That's a really interesting thing to get into. BILLY: Thanks for asking me that question because it’s at the core of who I am since I was a kid. Well, one thing you might want to highlight when you write about this is I'm an independent curator, not an institutional one, so in most instances I get away with murder sort of speak. I get to have an idea, and if I find the right place and the support for that idea, then I get to do the show I want to do, sounds a bit arrogant but is not, I really think carefully about my curatorial concepts and the artists I work with. My interest in being an independent curator began back when I was a child. I had this fascination with my room (which was always in chaos, a mess), I enjoyed having objects and different things on display everyday. So for example, instead of having a chess game board put away in a drawer, I would have the board out displaying all the pieces. And I did that with my toys, with my stuffed animals, flashlights, shoes, etc. I would display these things on the furniture of my room. I remember turning off the lights and asking my dad -poor guy, just after arriving from work- to walk in to take a tour of ‘the show.’ And I would be hiding on top of the door with my flashlight spotlighting each of these things [‘making it special’] as my dad was walking around. I have vivid memories of that. I feel like in a previous life I had an antique shop or something similar, I’ve always had a fascination with arranging objects together, speaking to each other, it comes naturally now. Today the objects that surround me are more than simple physical entities, they have powers, they are what I call ritualistic objects (that mic you have there for example, you see it every day and you care for it in a way, right?) I like that there's a whole branch of psychology that studies this. We could talk about magical thinking too but maybe another time. Kay: Do you see a relationship between curating and teaching? BILLY: Of course I do. You know, I think we tend to compartmentalize things too much. You were in my class, and I was asking you all, what's your artistic practice about; I'm a painter, photographer, illustrator, I'm this or that. But as time passes, it all feels connected, these distinctions blur. So for me teaching and curating are interdependent. Etymologically, the word curation means to care. For me it is like a big sentiment I have not just for artifacts and culture but for the whole world, I think it goes beyond art. Being a curator is about sincerely caring for everything and its preservation. Some other people will tell you they became a curator because they just wanted to work with such artist, be close to a renowned collection, or do so just in the context of a museum. I mean, I think you could curate that way, but I think you can also curate ideas and other aspects of life beyond these conditions. Strangely or not, becoming a father has been a fascinating experience that has expanded my sense of how to curate projects and see the world. Kay: The last thing I would like to ask you is just what do you hope your students get from your classes, from your experience in your past to where you are now? BILLY: Back to that notion of being ‘actively creative’ (thinking Vladimir Tatlin, a Revolutionary mind) not just creative. In fact, being creative is not enough. Being ‘actively creative’ -and pedagogical as well I must say- is the difference between just the word and the action. So take all that talent, everything you're learning, and apply it to try to save the world. Quote me on this, because it's the best of all Marxist notions; to transform society for the good of all, it really has an impact. So don't just make designs for example, say something, change the world with the designs. I wish my students would be inspired by some of this. Kay: I really like that quote, ‘actively creative’. When you said that in class the other day I instantaneously wrote it down. BILLY: Yeah… right? (again Tatlin). It's like when we were talking about the difference between saying one is not racist vs actually demonstrating it everyday with one’s actions and choices. Author and professor Ibram X. Kendi has been an inspiration for me on this, he writes that it is not enough to say that you’re not a racist, prove it with your actions, that's key. Same for being creative. So in other words, you have to practice what you preach. All art is political at the end of the day, try to have more of an impact in the world than just creating pictures for the sake of them. Nothing wrong with l’art pour l’art but you know what I mean, help transform and change the world with it. Kay: that is all of my questions that I have for you. BILLY: Awesome. Kay: Well, thanks. I really appreciate you meeting with me today. Categories Faculty