Kevin Hopkins tells the community’s stories in many media
By Stephanie Covington
For the St. Louis American
East St. Louis native Kevin Hopkins walked away from the Hazelwood Arts Festival last month with the blue ribbon for his work entitled “Bad News.” The piece was among 80 entered by 25 artists to the juried exhibition. It was the first time Hopkins entered a juried show.
Executed in black ink on rag paper, “Bad News” illustrates a couple embracing at a table littered with paper. Hopkins said the piece, which took months to complete, deals with the hardships faced by the African-American community.
“If you are afraid to open your mailbox, it’s probably with good reason, especially if you are one of America’s ‘working poor,'” Hopkins’ caption read. “We are vulnerable to terrorist threats six days a week. Who the hell is afraid of anthrax with the gas company on the loose?”
Hopkins, who grew up in the Orr Weathers Housing Projects, left home to attend Illinois State University (ISU). He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the ISU School of Fine Art. After college, Hopkins was disappointed to learn that he needed much more than an art degree to become known as an artist. Hopkins attended St. Louis Community College at Forest Park for further training.
Now Hopkins works for a trade association as marketing manager. He said his day job has given him the freedom to maintain his studio as well as the business experience to market himself.
Hopkins has a gallery full of a variety of styles, techniques and textures. He has experimented in the areas of motivational, Afrocentric, neo-retro, decorative art and photography.
Hopkins often finds himself working on several pieces at the same time, all in different phases of completion. He said there are hundreds of sketches he’s never finished and he’s not sure that he ever will. Hopkins is his own toughest critic and may wait months before showing a new piece to someone.
Hopkins belongs to the Northside Art Association, a group of St. Louis artists who meet regularly to critique each other’s work, offer technique demonstrations and introduce competitions. He said Northside Art Association has provided a great venue for him to show his new work and discuss art.
“Very rarely do I run into people that talk the same creative language,” Hopkins said.
He hopes that people are able to appreciate his art for the feelings invoked by it and not because it matches a particular piece of furniture. “Art lovers buy art no matter what the colors of the piece are, but because they have an emotional connection to it,” Hopkins said.
His main goal is to sell art and be a reputable artist before death. Hopkins said that artists often die penniless and only then does their work become valuable. Hopkins sells pieces at a reasonable price in hopes that the average art admirer can afford and appreciate them. He said someone who makes $5 an hour should be able to afford his art.
“To be an artist, maybe you have to do something a little bit different,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins is hoping to participate in the upcoming St. Louis Black Expo in August.
For more information on Kevin Hopkins and to view his gallery, visit www.urbanartscape.com.
