Meet Lynn Marshall Linnemeier | Visual Mythologist, Mixed-Media Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lynn Marshall Linnemeier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lynn, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creative. I always say that I was born with all the tools that I needed to navigate this life. The tools included brushes, paints, carving tools, and my hands. I began my professional career in 1989 with a project that took me to Mississippi and from there to places both nationally and internationally. “I’ve been places where I question all I think I know”, to quote singer Tracey Chapman, and with each encounter I learn a little bit more about my inner self, my compassion for creativity.

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.
I am a mixed-media artist meaning that I work in a variety of media, sometimes combining different disciplines and sometimes letting them stand on their own. I began painting silver gelatin prints in the 90s as well as painting murals for the City of Atlanta. I’ve been awarded several commissions for public art and am proud of all the work that I produced for the public. These works can be viewed along Freedom Parkway, which includes two murals and sculptures. Wolf Creek Library is another. On both these projects, I worked with the public. I am also proud of the work that I did for First Congregational church in downtown Atlanta. Right now, I am excited about a mural that I will install on a wall in the Town of Red Springs, North Carolina where I currently live.

I got to where I am today through people who believed in me and my talent. My family, professors, spiritual leaders, friends, all pushed me to continue my pursuits. While my career has not been easy (what is?) it has been a challenge and it’s the challenge that makes life interesting. My passion for creativity continues to push me forward, along with my belief that we were put in this place to help one another and to love. If I were to have a brand, that would be it, passion and love for my fellow humans, making sure that I help them in their pursuits as well, by encouraging others to be the best.

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.
This is a funny question because I moved from Atlanta two years ago to tiny Red Springs, NC, which has a population less than 3,500. It’s mostly rural. Only those who really like the country could survive here. I have a lot of space, over a half-acre so part of our time would be spent in the yard with delicious cocktails and food. Imagine a salad right out of my garden. The population of Red Springs is very diverse with a large population of Native Americans, African Americans and Latin Americans. My daughter visited me recently and I took her to a Lumbee (Native American) Powwow. We ate at Taqueria Leon, the restaurant in town. We also went to Pembroke, the tribal headquarters of the Lumbee People. One of my favorite spots is a place along the Lumbee River and I am always reminding folks about the importance of swamps, which are plentiful in the area. If that sounds boring, we could go to Fayetteville (about 40 minutes away), which has wonderful restaurants representing cuisine from all over the world. Alternatively, there’s always my hometown, Southern Pines, NC, which is especially appealing for golfers, horseback riders and tennis buffs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people to give a shout out to. Mildred Thompson was my drawing teacher in undergrad school at the Atlanta College of Art. So was Robert Stewart and Elizabeth Turk. Mildred and Stewart have transitioned. Alex Harris and Tom Rankin at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies were early mentors, not to mention my professors in graduate school at the University of Mississippi–Ted Ownby and Dr. Wharton. Then there is Mr. Milburn Crowe, also passed on who introduced me to the history of Mound Bayou, Mississippi and his wonderful photographic collection, part of which is at Emory University. Mark Auslander is a dear friend and researcher and we have had wonderful adventures together crisscrossing anthropology and visual art. Most of all, a shout out to my family, my sister Brenda who practically raised me and opened my eyes to what was really possible in the arts by taking me under her wing at 16 and spiriting me off to Europe, where I had a chance to visit the Louvre in Paris, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, and many museums in Germany where my brother-in-law was stationed. My mom and dad, who have both transitioned, encouraged my creative musings by making sure I had art supplies to keep me busy.

Website: https://lynnlinn.net

Instagram: lynn2linn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnmakesthings