April Artist Spotlight: Multimedia Storyteller Marie Olofsdotter

Hi Marie, thanks for taking the time out of your new stay-at-home life to tell COMPAS more about your journey to becoming a teaching artist. Can you tell us a little about your background?

I have maintained a lifelong interest in storytelling through the myriad realms of my practice as a fine artist, poet and theater artist. My own story begins in Sweden where I was born and raised. I studied art history at Umeå and Uppsala University, sculpture at the University of Fine Arts (Konstfackskolan) and theater arts at the Ole Brekke School of Physical Theater in Stockholm.

When did you first become interested in the arts? How did it happen?

Marie in kindergarten

I left Sweden to attend the Dell’Arte School of Mime and Comedy in Blue Lake, California. Then, traveling with a commedia troupe, I arrived in Northern Minnesota where I was captivated by the diversity of cultures, the indigenous landscape and a thriving artist community. I decided to stay, and Minnesota has been my home ever since. I often say that all I really need to know, I learned in clown school. The art of improvisation has served me well as I’ve put together a life in the name of creativity.

Who were some of your artistic influences? Writing and visual art utilize very different skill sets. In what ways do you put the two together?

The Puff Family Clowns

It was clear early on that I would dedicate my life to the arts, I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. The bookshelves in my home were filled with the work of poets like Nils Ferlin, Karin Boye, Pablo Neruda, which prompted me to create my own small stapled books. In elementary school, I performed comedy skits for the class once/week with my best friend. I’ve channeled my passion for theatrical narrative into many different formats, creating clown and puppet shows, dioramas, paintings and poetry. I have written and illustrated several picture books. Most recently, I’ve started experimenting with mixed media in artist journals, altered books and as stand alone collages.

I never expected, or planned on leaving Sweden, it’s just the way the adventure unfolded. One of the hardest parts in leaving my country, besides being so far away from family, was leaving my language behind. Writing has always served as a backbone of my various disciplines throughout my artistic career. Poetry has been a steady companion. And much to my surprise, I now teach poetry in my second language.

You’ve been on the COMPAS roster since 1994. What’s it like for you to be a part of COMPAS especially during this time of virtual programming? How are you adjusting?

The poetry bench with Marie’s poem in East Side Arts Council's Poetry Park by Phalen Lake in St. Paul.

Poem:
Long after the cardinal stops singing
the song travels from flower to flower
searching for the flavor of red.

As a teaching artist, I’m able to inspire people of all ages to be creative, to reach for their authentic voice. I’ve been a roster artist for a long time and during the Covid 19 Stay at Home episode, I have perhaps appreciated COMPAS more than ever. Transitioning my lessons into video sessions has been an interesting learning curve for sure. The support, emails, phone calls, being part of a creative community has helped me navigate these new and uncertain waters.

How do you practice creativity in your everyday life?

To be a creative person is truly a gift. My own artistic practice is like breathing, always there: I observe, translate, communicate. Seeing the world through the eyes of an artists allows me to serve as a bridge to worlds unseen, to delight, to inspire. And I swear by the Steve Linsner quote that says, “A clown is a poet who is also an orangutan.”