Meet Madelyn Sneed-Grays | Professional Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madelyn Sneed-Grays and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madelyn, what do you attribute your success to?
Consistency. Making sure that I do everything to the best of my ability at all times has been the best way, for me, to achieve 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.
After graduating from the University of North Texas in 2014 I moved to San Antonio for a year. While I was there, I was preparing for a solo show and had a studio at Hausmann Millworks, which was where I met Rex Hausmann, my mentor. Being at Hausmann Millworks (or “The Mill” for short), was pretty much like being a part of a residency with a plethora of artists from varying backgrounds. I learned a bunch and it was the foundation of my professional art career. After a year I decided to move back to the DFW area and tap into the art scene. For context, between 2014 – 2018 I had worked various part-time jobs before committing full-time to being a professional artist in 2018. By that time I was married and because of my supportive husband, I was able to pursue my art career full-time. These past couple of years running my own business has been such a learning curve. Having to wear multiple hats all at once has been quite the task, but with the help of galleries, art agencies and family and friends, it has definitely helped take such a load off my plate. There have been moments where doing what I do is extremely difficult and sometimes requires patience that I lack. Fortunately, I’m constantly reminded that I MUST continue, not only for my well-being, but due to the lack of minority artists within the arts industry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I honestly don’t go out as much as I probably should, especially not now due to COVID, so this itinerary may be a tad underwhelming. But, out here in Denton there are some establishments that should keep you satisfied and busy. My first question when visiting a new area is, “what are we eating?” LSA Burger, Rusty Taco, Pizza Snob, Barley and Board, and Queenies are some restaurants I’ve tried and loved. Harvest House and Eastside are great to go to if your intensions are to drink solely, but Eastside does have food trucks if you get hungry. As far as activities, I typically go on the square and peruse around various establishments. If there are any art shows in the Dallas or Fort Worth Area that could also be an option as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I find that without meaningful relationships, it’s extremely hard to navigate through the art world. I could not have gotten this far without my mentor Rex Hausmann who has and continues to guide me through the art world, art agencies such as PoetsArtists, FGIII Art Productions and Black Sheep Art Culture for giving me a plethora of opportunities to show my work, and consistently vouch for me, Erin Cluley Gallery and various others that have allowed me to show in their space, and last, but definitely not least, my family, friends and supporters that continue to push me to keep going in this difficult field.

Website: www.artbymadelyn.com
Instagram: @artworkbymadelyn
Linkedin: Madelyn Grays
Twitter: @artbymadelyn
Facebook: Art By Madelyn
Youtube: Art by Madelyn