Meet Sara Hubbs | Artist

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

Hi Sara, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me risk in relation to art making isn’t about danger, it is about stepping into something unknown or uncomfortable. I can think back on my life and think about so many moments that I laughed or shrugged, or felt complete anxiety because I had no idea how I’d do something or what would come next. From becoming an artist (something I didn’t even know I could do or could major in when I was young), becoming a parent, and learning to blow glass in my 40’s during a global pandemic. Now, I’m taking a new risk in opening studio spaces for artists in Tucson, sometimes it feels like a no-brainer and other times, I wonder if I can do it. I’m not sure any of the ‘risk’ I’ve taken has brought me conventional success or happiness, but it has brought me a challenging and interesting life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I work primarily in mold-blown glass, sculpture, and drawing. I use casting and multi-step material processes as a metaphor for the changing nature of relationships. I’m specifically interested in the experience of being both mother and daughter. In my work, objects, shapes hold onto something absent while also giving birth to new forms.

I’m really excited that I found the medium of glass, its difficult and interesting and contains lifetimes. I love the community that it has brought me, I love making work with others and having this common physical language with glass people around the world. I am excited to have finally found myself in my work. I don’t think there’s anything better as an artist. I’m also very excited that I’m branching out into design objects, I have a lighting project called DelaLuz with designer Maria Flores.

I’m not sure how much career success I have at this point, but I feel so good with what I’m doing. None of this art thing is easy and if it is, I’m not sure it would be called art. For me, there were many challenges. The first was figuring out what contemporary art is and where I could see it (I came up before Instagram). Remember books?!?! I didn’t have a good basis of art history and back then growing up in Phoenix, there weren’t the museums there are today. I think the second challenge was finding my own voice and understanding how I fit into the larger art world. I think the biggest challenge as an artist is how to find the way to just keep going, financial or otherwise. Everyone loves art, but few realize that it’s not something that happens for free or easy and we don’t get a lot of support for doing creative work. I had to figure out how to restart my career from Tucson after I had my child. When I took that time to raise my daughter I realized that I love the creative process, I love being around artists and what we bring to each other’s lives. I need that. It’s life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ll tell you where you can find me…..I’ll be drinking coffee at Exo Roast, making work at The Sonoran Glass School, eating onigiri at Kukai or mole at El Poblano, hanging with friends in a cool dark corner in a restaurant or bar, visiting the Desert Museum, watching Flamenco at The Century Room, and being inspired at MOCA.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to recognize my family. My partner and my daughter put up with a lot from me! There are projects all over the house! They are always helping me, moving heavy glass, going to art museums, just doing random weird things with me. I also want to shoutout my mom who died this year who started me on this art path. Both my parents were creative in different ways, which really inspired my way of being in the world. When my mom saw I loved to draw she showed my drawings to an artist from our church. He gave me drawing lessons on Sundays and suggested I major in Art. My mom always encouraged me and gave me the support I needed to take risks. Now, when I get anxious or worried about something, I think of her and just do it anyways. I do it for her. I do it because it’s a privilege.

Website: www.sarahubbs.com

Instagram: @sara.e.hubbs / @_de_la_luz

Image Credits
Jill Richards Maya Hawk