Summer Workshops: Katie Gallegos
July 22, 2019
Artist Katie Gallegos spends her hours hunched over a sewing machine in her colorful home office, which is decorated with her artwork, action figures, and a mannequin covered in stickers. The small space, though cluttered, is meticulously organized for her work schedule.
Everything she might need to make her jewelry and art surround the desk, within arm’s reach should she suddenly need some felt or other materials.
Gallegos began working seriously on her art in 2015 after finishing her Associates degree. Four years later, she has expanded to selling her artwork at White Rabbit, Depop, Etsy, Found and Formed in Cedar Rapids and Tiny Bangs in California.
“I think the goal was always that I want to be an artist,” she said. “I want to sell the stuff that I make, but I think finding a job that was a small job gave me an easy outlet to have a space to sell it. Have a space that has the same vibe and energy as the stuff that I make.”
Gallegos spends her days off from her three other jobs making her jewelry, paintings, stickers and clothes. She also is an avid thrifter.
“It’s more rewarding to take an item that already exists and make it better and more current than to make something new,” she said. “My family’s always been very thrifty, so I can apply it to my work.”
Of all the work that she makes, she said personalized jean jackets are her favorite because of the collaboration that goes into creating them.
“They’ll have an idea in mind and we’ll kind of work together,” she said.
Gallegos plans on continuing to expand her brand to craft fairs, smaller shops, and to other states. Gallegos said she wants to continue to hone her aesthetic online so that she continues appealing to people who don’t directly interact with her.