Meet Marica Whittemore | Artist, educator, and dog enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marica Whittemore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marica, what do you attribute your success to?
One of the biggest shifts for me was when I stopped making art that I thought people wanted and started making art for myself. In the age of social media, I think a lot of us artists are often stuck between the two – we want people to like our art, but we want to like it too.

A few years ago, I shifted from making vaguely desert inspired art to making art about my life experiences with mental illness, getting older, and all the other weird things that come into my head. I’ve found it to be a vulnerable experience making art that is more personal, but now it seems more relatable to everyone else. I think being authentic and honest has allowed people to connect to my art more than ever and I consider that to be success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My journey into art is a wild one. My entire life I was a doodler, but always with aspirations to work in science. I started undergrad as a biology major doing pre-med and after a very interesting (and difficult) couple of years, switched entirely to major in English, minoring in art history and art education. Since then, I’ve really cultivated that creative side and have never looked back. I got my MA in Art Education and have been working in museums and community art settings.

About 5 years ago I started an Etsy shop to sell a few things. Every so often I would design something and put it up in the shop. A few times in grad school I even threatened to close it! In 2020, I was planning to move to New York to start my dream museum job but the pandemic put everything on hold. Around the same time, an item in my shop started to get sales. Art kept me busy (and sane) during the pandemic. I think it also gave me the courage to focus on my art and since then I’ve developed new kinds of products, sold at local markets, printed my first zine, and even have a solo show up for the month of May at the Tiny Town Gallery in Tucson. While I’m still busy being an educator, I’m also accepting that being an artist is an important part of who I am professionally.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My version of fun in Tucson involves being outside and doing a lot of walking (yes, even in the heat). The itinerary for a week trip could be hanging out downtown – shopping along 4th avenue, catching a show at the Rialto Theater, browsing one of Tucson’s art markets like Made in Tucson or the Street Fair, and of course, eating! Tumerico and Charro Vida are some of my favorite sneaky vegetarian places. If they’re up for it, a visit up Mt. Lemmon is always fun, or we could go rent a pontoon boat on Lake Patagonia.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve lived in Tucson for 12 years now (!!!) and wouldn’t be where I was without the support of so many people. We’re lucky to live in a place with so many creative people – I feel like I meet a new friend every day.

Some organizations that I have loved working with: Tiny Town Gallery, Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, MOCA Tucson, Sonoran Glass School, Tanline Printing, Good Things Tucson, Hacienda at the Canyon, Creative Kind, ArtWorks UA, Tucson Museum of Art, Pima Animal Care Center, University of Arizona, Living Streets Alliance

Shoutout to my dog Ellie for being my muse/art assistant, James for dealing with the art making hurricanes that happen on our kitchen table, and countless friends for inspiring me, supporting me, and making me raise my prices when they are too low.

Instagram: Instagram.com/madebymarica

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maricawhittemore

Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@madebymarica