By Kathy Gaillard
First generation college graduate Fatima Laster first began painting to escape from the duress of a hectic career in commercial banking. She initially gave away her art pieces to co-workers, and they encouraged her to exchange her pen for a paintbrush.
“That encouragement was the catalyst for my entrée into the world of art. I was under a lot of stress working in a discriminatory environment. At the urging of some of my co-workers, I began thinking about how I could turn art into a business,” said Laster.
Her first commissioned art piece integrated interior design with painting. At the time Laster was living in Chicago and she began decorating entire apartments while integrating her art pieces into the décor. She found joy in repurposing items such as backboards and headboards and spreading them creatively throughout the space. Eventually she moved back to Milwaukee and officially launched FKL Designs, which integrated fine art and interior design.
FKL Designs was the prelude to 5 Points Art Gallery + Studios. Laster calls it an amalgamation of interior design with art, sewing, and gallery experience.
“5 Points Art Gallery + Studios separates me the artist from the other things that I do. This building is imbedded within my childhood neighborhood. I was born on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, went away to school, and now I’m back, giving visibility and art development to artists of color and other non-represented groups, in spaces that would be otherwise dismissive or where you would not typically see artists’ work,” said Laster.
5 Points Art Gallery + Studios is an art exhibition space focused on increasing representation and collection of local, national, and international contemporary fine and outsider artwork by artists of color and other marginalized groups. Laster has repurposed an old, formerly city-owned building that was previously a funeral home and brought it back to life. The upstairs houses two living spaces, one occupied by Laster and she rents out the other fully furnished space to guest artists on a month-to-month basis.
“I wanted to create my own little Harlem here. It’s a catch-all. Artists come to show their art, they live here, make art, and it is a space where we sit, eat and be merry,” said Laster.
Self-taught, Laster enjoys networking with other artists, noting that they influence and encourage each other. Networking proved to be especially valuable during the covid-19 pandemic when everything shut down. A partnership with a creative publisher who was able to help Laster shift all her work from the gallery to the website helped 5 Points Art Gallery + Studios stay financially afloat. She and other artists also held virtual chats which helped them emotionally.
This year Laster has been selected as a 2023 Mary L. Nohl Fellow where, in addition to receiving a $15,000 fellowship, she will participate in an exhibition at the Haggerty Museum of Art in the summer of 2024 and receive professional development services and studio visits. An exhibition catalogue will also be published and disseminated nationally. In addition, last year Laster was the first guest curator for the Triennial Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
Laster advises artists to stay true to their craft, even when they feel discouraged.
“Keep pursuing, practicing, and finding places of comfort and encouragement. Align yourself with positivity and people who will support you without asking anything in return,” she said.
Milwaukee should be grateful that Laster left the financial world and banked on her artistic talents. She and 5 Points Art Gallery + Studios are diamonds in our community.
For more information about 5 Points Art Gallery + Studios, visit www.5ptsartgallery.com.
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