My childhood was really centered around making art. I don't know where I got my interest from, but I remember enjoying drawing as early as elementary school.
Frank Juárez | Sheboygan, WI
My best friend and I used to have these drawing battles to see who the better artist was. Ramón would draw a ninja and I would draw Scooby-Doo, and then our classmates would pick the winner based on cheering. This experience really got me hooked on art.
As a child I was an introvert, so art was a way for me to connect with others. I didn’t fit in with any specific groups. During high school lunch periods, I would draw in my sketchbook and other kids would notice. They would say, ‘Oh, that’s cool. Can you draw me one?’ So, it was my way of being seen. Otherwise, I think I was one of those kids that could have easily fallen through the cracks. I never received any encouragement from my family or teachers that I remember to pursue art. No one ever said to me, ‘Frank, have you thought of becoming an artist?’ I remember this vividly because now, as a high school art teacher, I am in the position to recognize potential in my students, begin conversations about life after graduation, and encourage them to follow their interests whatever it may be.
I grew up on the South Side of Milwaukee and went through the Milwaukee Public School (MPS) System. I came from a single-family home, the child of divorce, and was the first person to go to college out of my immediate and extended family. I’m the oldest cousin of ten and have a younger brother, Jesse. Becoming an educator is interesting because my parents never graduated from high school. Granted life back then was different with priorities more important than finishing school. In terms of my childhood, a lot of it was figuring out how to navigate life.
After high school, I went to Carroll University to study pre-medicine. My dream was to become a doctor because I wanted to be able to help my mother. What better way to do it than having a great job, right? However, I had a hard time with memorization and theories. I reached a point where I just knew it wasn’t for me. So, I pivoted and focused on becoming a medical illustrator. But as the courses became more difficult, I just couldn’t manage the coursework. That’s when I decided to finally pursue art.
I would say a good majority of my life decisions are based on reading and reflecting.
I remember going to Barnes & Noble and found myself in the business section. I came across a book called What Color is Your Parachute (1997 edition) by Richard N. Bolles. I skimmed the pages and came across two questions that changed my life’s direction:
- What skills do you have?
- Where would you like to use those skills?
In that moment, my responses were ‘art’ and ‘in the classroom.’ I knew that I wanted to become an art teacher. My first thought was to teach in MPS because that’s the educational system I grew up in. However, I ended up going back to Carroll University to re-enroll in their education department. As I was attending Carroll part-time, I became a full-time substitute in MPS to see if education was what I truly wanted to pursue.
My very last substitute assignment was at Lady Pitts School, an alternative program for pregnant and parenting youth. I was the seventh sub in six weeks. I was supposed to be there for a three-day sub assignment. At the end of my third day, I went to see the principal, Ms. Sheila Harris, to thank her. She said, ‘Frank, come in and close the door. I hear you have an art degree.’ Then she asked if I would be interested in an extended assignment teaching art class for three months. Of course, I accepted.
That assignment affirmed my decision to go into education. Building those relationships and offering the opportunity to let these students express themselves clicked for me. As teenage moms, they had to fulfill their core requirements, but it was important that they have the chance to be themselves as well. These students were having fun. They were learning and engaging in the creative process. And it wasn’t necessarily about teaching future artists, but giving them the chance to experience art, and that’s when I knew I wanted to become an art teacher. At the end of the vacancy, they threw me a farewell party, which is unheard of for a substitute. I still have a photo I took of these wonderful students that I have saved on my desktop. In 2001, a job opportunity opened in the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) for an alternative high school art teacher at Riverview Alternative Program (now Central High School). I applied, went through the interview process, and got offered the position. I’ve been teaching art in Sheboygan ever since.
I transferred to Sheboygan North High School in January of 2006, which is where I am to this day.
I call it my second home for a lot of reasons, but one of the main reasons is that in the time I have been there, we have built a very strong visual art program. I remember when I first stepped inside the high school, the overall ‘vibe’ felt quite institutional with no art on the walls. There was this misconception that art class was a place to have fun or place students who needed additional classes. Art was more than that. I knew I needed to create an awareness of the importance and benefits of taking an art course. Having a few years of teaching under my belt and being part of the Wisconsin Art Education Association, I gained some experience. It has been a long process, but I have always believed in advocating for arts education, especially here in Sheboygan.
In tandem with teaching full-time, I opened a co-owned art gallery in Milwaukee. I ran that for about 2 years and had the chance to meet and work with many amazing artists. It was about relationship building, I wanted to find a community. There wasn’t a gallery or an art group in Sheboygan, so in 2007, I founded the Sheboygan Visual Artists (SVA). The intent of SVA was to bring artists together for camaraderie, support, and to contribute to the creative culture this city has to offer. After a couple of years of leading it, I was nominated as President-Elect of the Wisconsin Art Education Association. I knew I couldn’t manage both, so I left SVA.
People often asked me how I found time to do it all. I had to find balance between teaching, other professional commitments, my art, and the gallery that I reopened in Sheboygan in 2011. The truth is that by taking on so much was mentally and physically exhausting. I would push myself to do as much as I could, and sometimes I would be up until midnight or one in the morning working, then get up and do it all again the next day. In 2015, I experienced my first and only physical burnout. This was a great time to close the gallery and to refocus on my studio practice. I read an article in Success magazine in which the author wrote about the difference between a career and a calling. The article helped me realize that the gallery, as much as I loved it, wasn’t my calling.
Closing the gallery allowed me to spend more time on Artdose, which is an art magazine I publish – a passion project. It was started in 2013, and for the first ten years, it was entirely Wisconsin-based. Originally, I wanted to use it to bring artists together. Part of my curiosity was to see how many artists were in Sheboygan, or how many art-related businesses were there, and the magazine was a nice way to seek that out. Now in our eleventh year, we have expanded to feature artists from all over the region, but what I love the most is that it has become a platform to advocate to support artists, galleries, museums, and other art businesses. Through the magazine I am organizing an Artdose Art Weekend this fall. It will be a great event for people to come visit Sheboygan and to experience a variety of art activities, downtown, and to know the local art community.
My creative life has been entirely driven by my curiosity. In a city like Sheboygan, or Milwaukee, or anywhere else, it helps to create a place of belonging. It helps people embrace diversity, create opportunities, and support others. I also think it’s about celebrating good things happening around you, building community, and being proud of where you are and where you came from.
Art is my entire world. It’s 365, every single day. But what it has taught me is that it’s important to be yourself and always do what is best for you. It has helped me find my voice and to feel fulfilled. Art has been my ticket to creative freedom and figuring out what success looks like for me. It has also taught me that it’s okay not to know everything, to be vulnerable, and to take care of myself. I’m grateful that I’ve had these experiences that have allowed me to contribute to the community around me, to really be at the forefront of what it means to have ‘a life lived in art,’ as Jerry Saltz, New York art critic puts it. But above all, I do think about what it means to leave a legacy. I know we are all going to leave this earth someday. My question is what do I leave behind? As I get closer to retirement, I’ve really been thinking about my legacy; using my experience, my knowledge to make life just a tad better for others. And for me, that is why I became an art educator.
Frank’s story was produced by Alexandria Delcourt. Check out some of Frank’s art here.
Learn more about Artdose, the art magazine founded and published by Frank Juárez.
Frank Juárez and some of his artwork.
Love Wisconsin’s Sheboygan Story Series features stories of four people from different parts of the Sheboygan community. Check out Tzong Yang, Kate Krause, and Dan Welsch’s stories to read the full series.
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Sheboygan is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, has world-class sailing, premier charter fishing and has been called “The Malibu of the Midwest” for its great surfing. As of the 2020 census, Sheboygan has a population of 49,929 and is one of the largest Hmong communities in Wisconsin.
We partnered with The League of Wisconsin Municipalities for our Sheboygan story series. The LWM advocates for Wisconsin’s cities and villages, large and small, urban and rural, speaking up for local democracy and common-sense citizen-led government. Learn more here.