Meet Tara Dew | Model, Art Historian, Artist and Alchemist

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

Hi Tara, what role has risk played in your life or career?
To me, life without taking risks is settling and truly doesn’t make life sound fun for me. Risks set a fire underneath you that catapult you into places and moments you’d only dreamed of being in. Life hasn’t always dealt me the easiest hand of cards to play with, so taking risks is something I had to do for survival. If I didn’t take risks for myself, I wouldn’t be where I am today. If I had listened to what everyone else wanted for me or told me to be, I wouldn’t be who I am. To become the multi-faceted being I was destined to be, risks had to become part of my everyday language and routine. I have been told countless times the dreams I have for myself aren’t “realistic.” I have sat numerous times doubting myself and what I am meant to do, but I remember clearly one moment begging the universe, “what the hell am I here for, is this really what I am meant to be doing?!” And like the universe does every time with a kiss, blessed me with an opportunity to change my life 12 hours later by signing my first modeling contract. As a model, I am a brand, and I wanted to be known and seen for who I am not just a face behind a camera. So I dove into my personal ventures and launched a holistic healing/art business. The success of my business led to merging with another partner and taking my business to the next level. I just closed my first curated art show in NYC, funded and pulled off entirely by my business partner and I. We sold out and all the artists featured sold at least one piece. I took a huge risk diving into my personal finances to put on the show, and now I’m getting contacted for more! Risks are essential in creating the life you want. Time and time again, risks will prove to you that all it took was believing in yourself.

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.
As a multi-faceted being, figuring out what I wanted to pursue professionally when I have vast interests is something I have struggled with since a child. Those surrounding me typically followed societal standards of what to do career wise. No one thought art was a “career” or that you could successfully build a business off your craft. So that mindset surrounding me actually motivated me to follow a different path. I watched my community suffer and stay stuck in routines and patterns that they did not enjoy. I wanted more out of my life.

It was not easy. At all. Anyone who sits here and states that being a creative is easy, is privileged. I am an Art Historian, Artist, Alchemist and Model. My interests flow so beautifully together, it has made me genuinely appreciate the magic of the universe when you follow your heart. Getting a degree in art meant proving myself constantly to those around me. In ways that I wish I did not have to. Society would collapse without artists, yet we are disregarded by the majority of people, especially professionally.

I thankfully have been blessed with natural talent, and art has always come easy to me. Practicing my craft, taking classes and ultimately getting a degree in art has made me appreciate deeply the process ALL creatives go through to put out a final product. I view my art as an extension of myself. Being able to combine patterns, colors and objects to create a 2D story so others can understand my mindset, is an incredible talent to have. I did not appreciate myself enough in the beginning of this journey. I listened to others, did not focus on what content I wanted to create and put out, and ultimately it led to a severe depressive episode. After coming back to my center, I realized that yes, there will always be someone doing it better than you, but they are not you. They are not doing it the way you are. And that is what motivated me in the last five years to full time pursue my creative passions.

I am a successful model, signed in New York, Spain and Los Angeles. I have been featured in magazines and shot with famous photographers. To follow my vast passions, I first had to discover how they intersect. Modeling to me is an art form. Moving your body, expressing emotions and experimenting with fabrics is all part of being a creative. For me, being able to transform myself physically into art, was stepping into exploring a different art form. Getting behind a camera while having the knowledge about what happens behind the camera, has made the journey flow so beautifully. Through modeling, I have been given incredible opportunities. These opportunities have expanded my creative mind and allowed me to create a loving community. Through these connections I have started a non-profit art organization in NYC. This organization, Who We Are, showcases LGBTQ+ and BIPOC only artists. To amplify those communities and showcase talent that many seem to push aside. Being able to start this organization, and successfully have my first curated show, has shown me that I can truly accomplish anything I put my mind to. Hard work, determination, and delusional belief in yourself will take you incredible places.

It has taken me years to get to where I am. Simultaneously going to school, while creating full time, working full time and modeling full time has not been easy. But I also wouldn’t change the journey, it made me into who I am and molded this life I am living today. Your 20’s are meant for finding yourself, not the time when you need to have everything figured out.

I am excited to see how my careers continue to ebb and flow within each other, and how the future will play out creatively. The main piece of advice i’d like to leave you with is this:
You are the only person you 110% know you’ll be spending the rest of this existence with, make it worth enjoying. Stop listening to all the noise and focus within.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ohh boy well I live in NYC so there are a million things to do! BUT, let’s go on a week long trip in the city with Tara Dew! First let’s start with my go-to breakfast spots; le pain quotidien is my number one go to, Brooklyn Bagel & Company hands down best bagels (but also the local bodega is slept on) and Honeybrains in Soho.
Lunch and dinner are always up in the air for me. Some days I just want the food trucks driving around, other days I like to sit down for a fancy drink. The halal trucks are my absolute favorite and you will always catch me in line. But my favorite restaurants in the city are Grotta Azzurra, Essex, The Vegoist @No5, and Bobo Restaurant.
Places to visit here are endless, but I fully enjoy seeking out spots tourists aren’t crowding. There are cute tucked away parks all over the city where I love to read a book or eat my lunch. The Piers on the Hudson have amazing views and numerous places to eat and adventure. My friends and I like to spend the weekends at the Hudson River Walk. BUT, my all time favorite thing to do in the city is people watch. I get so many fashion and art ideas just by admiring the interesting humans that walk the streets. I spend a lot of time at The MET and MOMA, they are my favorite museums. There is always something new to explore in the numerous museums throughout the city, as an Art Historian I can sit in a museum from open to close.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The success I have achieved today wouldn’t have been possible without my determination and sheer drive for happiness. But that doesn’t go without saying there have been people who deserve the recognition in helping me reach my goals. Jasano Brooks is a longtime friend and incredible human. We met in 2017 and truthfully this friendship changed my life. I believe all individuals we meet stumble on our path for a reason. I remember one day talking with Jasano about modeling and he suggested we go to his studio, take some shots and see what happens. Those images that he took are what catapulted my modeling career. Once I started posting them on Instagram, brands and agencies started reaching out. I am now signed with One Management in NY and Spain, and State Management in LA and currently in the works with other international contracts. All it took was a friend seeing the potential in me and using his incredible talent to help build a foundation for my career. There aren’t enough words for me to express my sincere gratitude for him.

Website: www.wwacurations.com

Instagram: @thetaradew

Other: tik tok – @thetaradew

Image Credits
Thomas Chimney, Yanran Xiong, Alessandro Babini, Art.