Meet Aaron Kramer | Artist, educator, maker

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

Hi Aaron, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
It seems I have been an educator as long as I’ve been an artist. Teaching kids younger than me to weld in high school. Teaching graphic design right out of college. Teaching computer design tools to professionals. Basket weaving. Collage. Jewelry. Metalsmithing. Painting. Pottery. Robotics. And even teaching children how to safely use power tools. It has always been important for me to share my knowledge and expertise. And, it has supplemented my income as a working artist. When my kids were young I set up Tinkering Tents at private summer camps. That led me to starting a summer camp at reDiscover Center in Venice. What started as 10 kids, a pile of recycled materials and a bunch of tools has now turned into a 10 week camp season over 3 locations that serve 600 kids per summer. 20% of the kids are there on scholarship. Because of my long career using found objects, practicing sustainability, advanced tool use and the desire to educate a new generation of creatives I joined the board of reDiscoverCenter.org in 2012. I use reDiscover as my proxy for social change.

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 have had a 30+ year arc of a career as an artist. I started professionally as a Graphic Designer creating logos, annual reports, advertising and signage. In 1985 I got a hold of a Macintosh computer. After a couple years working for others I started my own company and did a wide range of projects where I was always integrating my own illustrations and paper collages. I worked for a year independently and saved $10k, got on a bicycle and circumnavigated the United States. 30 states and 3 provinces over 13 1/2 months. I came back as an artist. Worked as a designer and artist for a few years. Met my wife. And for 10 years I sold contemporary craft objects wholesale to over 250 stores, galleries and museum shops. The next 10 years I traveled the country selling my mixed media sculptures of woven objects, constructed objects and mechanical contraptions. I was in every major indoor and outdoor art show. From the Smithsonian Craft Show to the Cherry Creek Fine Arts Festival. These last 15 years I have been making bespoke work for clients private and public. I have been teaching too. Last year I taught Art to all high school seniors at a a school in Santa Monica. For the last 8 years I have been a robotics coach. Bringing my seat-of-the-pants engineer knowhow to kids. That mechanical knowledge has shown itself in all of my machines. I have always wanted to make things move. And now I am getting closer to being able to show a wider audience my special talent. In June of 2024 I will be mounting my solo museum show at the Erie Art Museum. The show is called “Sense of Wonder.” It will be a retrospective of my mechanical work.

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?
My ideal day is a breakfast burrito up the coast in Malibu at the Country Kitchen and eating them on the beach with my family. Visiting the museum of Jurassic Technology and finishing at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

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?
On my list of advice for younger people is to find as many mentors as possible in your life. My metals shop, wood shop and art teachers all saved me. It has been a dream of mine to create a space where at-risk youth have access to creative mentors in a space brimming with recycled materials and the means to manipulate them. I want to give kids a taste of what it is like to build for a living. So, through reDiscoverCenter.org we have opened a new facility in the MidCity neighborhood of Los Angeles where we will be offering a hands on experience with tools that will prepare youth who desire to pursue a technical trade certification. Opening in Early 2024.

Website: www.urban-objects.com

Instagram: @urbanobjects

Linkedin: aaron-kramer-351575a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaronkramerartist?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@urbanobjects?si=kRdX4ZbkPAwZ5hny

Other: Vimeo https://vimeo.com/showcase/3814651

Image Credits
All photos by Aaron Kramer