Erinn Kennedy is a Tucson painter who draws her inspiration from the objects, animals and plant life she encounters in the Sonoran Desert landscape. A graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, she drew early inspiration from the French Impressionists Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne, as well as the English painters Ben and Winifred Nicholson of St. Ives. Their bold shapes and combinations of landscape and intimate still life arrangements are visible in her joyful desert-inspired paintings.

Kennedy works in her studio at the Steinfeld Warehouse Gallery and Studios in Downtown Tucson’s historic Warehouse Arts District. When not in her studio, Kennedy spends her time creating hand-made mosaic tiles for Tucson’s Santa Theresa Tileworks, sketching outdoors in her Dunbar Spring Neighborhood, and playing the button accordion and concertina in local Irish music sessions with her band, The Shanties. Keep reading for a look into her life, her creative spirit, and how her artistic talent contributes to our local community.

Where did you grow up? When did you move to Tucson?
Highland Park, Illinois. I moved to Tucson in 2010.

Have you always been artistic?
Yes, I remember making my first drawing at age three and thinking, “This is really fun.” I loved drawing as a child.

How did you get started as a professional artist?
A gallery owner saw my work in the thesis exhibition of my graduating class at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. He asked if he could represent me and show my work in his gallery in Portland. I started showing regularly with him right after I graduated from college in the summer of 1991, and have exhibited my work in galleries and other venues ever since.

Where else have you exhibited your art?
The Tohono Chul Galleries, The Steinfeld Warehouse Gallery and Studios, Raices Taller, The Drawing Studio and Bentley Gallery. I’ve also been featured in art exhibits in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Additionally, my work is in the permanent collection of the Portland Art Museum, the Microsoft Corporate Collection and numerous private collections.

How does Arizona inspire you?
Arizona inspires me with its vast landscape and its skies with their changing colors at different times of the day. I love the historic structures in and around Tucson, and the stories about them. I also love the unique and beautiful plant life here.

What medium(s) do you use for your work?
I use acrylic paint and pencil on birch wood panel.

How do people find you and your art?
They can find my work at ErinnKennedy.com and on Instagram at @erinnkennedy. I show periodically at the Tohono Chul Galleries. I also have an art studio at the Steinfeld Warehouse Gallery and Studios, which is a vibrant space with several talented working artists. It houses an exhibition space and holds performances.

I participate in the First Saturday Art Walks from 4 to 8 p.m. and subsequent Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. I also take part in art exhibitions and Open Studio Tours there along with other artists. These public events are really fun, and a great way for people to get out and see the variety of artists’ work that Tucson has to offer. Appointments can be scheduled to visit me there. You can learn more about the Steinfeld Warehouse Gallery and Studios at
SteinfeldWarehouse.org.

What do you feel when you create?
When I create my art, I feel engaged, calm, peaceful, thoughtful and playful. I also have a sense of finding the inherent beauty of my subject.

When you create art, do you have a hope for how it impacts people?
I hope people can sense the beauty and happiness I find in my subjects.

What music do you listen to while you are painting?
Traditional Irish music, and folk music from all over the world. I also love jazz, especially Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan and just about anything from the Blue Note Label.

How would you describe yourself in ten words or less?
Curious, thoughtful, observant, engaged, grateful.

What does “purpose” mean to you?
Having a sense of your path in general. Having a sense of what you want to do and why it’s important for you and your community, and how to trust and respect that sense of direction.

What book are you currently reading?
Dust Tracks on a Road, an autobiography by Zora Neale Hurston.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Some of the best advice came to me recently. I also play music, and after performing in front of an audience, I felt I had played pretty poorly that night—I thought about every mistake I made, every missed note and every fumble. Feeling disappointed in my performance, I turned to one of my bandmates and told him how I felt. He said this: “That always happens. You have to look at the big picture. Is the audience happy? Are you happy? If yes, then it went well.” He was right. The audience was happy, and I had a great time playing. So, remember to look at the big picture when you start to question yourself or feel discouraged.

What is your dream vacation?
To go to Nice, France, and see the views and scenes that Matisse so beautifully painted.

What are some of your favorite things to do/restaurants to eat at in Tucson?
The Cup Café at the Hotel Congress. Jojo’s lovely courtyard dining and Café a la C’art, both in the historic Presidio. Tohono Chul Park and the art galleries of Tohono Chul. The Tucson Botanical Gardens, walking through and sketching the buildings of Barrio Historico and Presidio Neighborhoods. The Steinfeld Galleries and Santa Theresa Tileworks.

Please tell us about your accordion and your Irish music concerts.
I took piano lessons when I was young and come from a musical family. I first heard artist Caitlin Nic Gabahnn playing traditional Irish music on a concertina accordion and fell in love with the sound of the instrument and the music. I acquired a concertina and have been playing it just about every day for nine years. I started playing the button accordion about three years ago. The concertina is bright and high pitched, and the button accordion is lower pitched and richer, plus it has bass note chords for accompaniment. I enjoy playing both instruments for their range and sounds.

I play with a local Tucson Irish Session that meets informally every Tuesday at the Hotel McCoy from 6 to 8 p.m. There is also session at the Monterey Court every second and last Sunday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Tucson has a great, welcoming and rich community of musicians who play Irish music, and it’s very fun to play with and meet other musicians and to learn new tunes. There are so many tunes!

What is your role in making mosaic tiles at Santa Theresa tile works?  Do you teach any classes/workshops there?
I am employed at Santa Theresa Tileworks, which is a Tucson gem! It is a ceramic studio where I work with three other artists and make original mosaic tiles by hand that are sold through the showroom, where people can create beautiful, framed pieces with them that they can take home.

We also make a lot of public art and custom pieces for local businesses and nonprofits. We have benches in the Tucson Botanical Garden and mosaics in Catalina State Park, The Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, Youth on Their Own, and the Women’s Plaza of Honor at the University of Arizona, to name a few. I design and work on awards and commemorative pieces for many Tucson businesses.

I’m currently working on a large custom donor recognition piece for Casa de Los Ninos which will be installed in the lobby of their new building. We also have workshops and teach classes on how to make hand cut mosaic tiles and how to assemble them to create a finished mosaic. Santa Theresa is unique because it is a nonprofit which is owned by Imago Dei Middle School, and the proceeds go to support their programming, so it’s a fun way for individuals to empower youth in our community.

I’ve worked at Santa Theresa for 12 years, and I’ve learned a lot about ceramics. I’m grateful to work with such a talented team. You can learn more by visiting SantaTheresaTileworks.com.

How would you describe the essence of Tucson?
Tucson is a special city, and the Sonoran Desert is a unique and beautiful place. It’s endlessly inspiring and the community is welcoming. It has such a rich history. I find inspiration in and around this exceptional place and look forward to future discoveries within this region, and to share my inspired impressions of it.

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra on creativity?
Stay curious and open. Find beauty in things, large and small.

Suzie Agrillo is a freelance writer in Tucson, and a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine. She focuses on writing about the arts, inspirational people, and the human connection. Connect at [email protected].