‘It’s now or never’: How Sarah Wright ’00 rediscovered her passion for art

Sarah Wright ’00 found herself at a crossroads during the pandemic. 

“My life was changing,” said Wright, who had spent years working at various arts nonprofits after graduating from the College with a studio art degree. 

“I’d painted off and on, but hadn’t shown a lot,” she said.

During the lockdown, “I picked up those brushes and said, ‘It’s now or never,’” she recalled recently from her home in Colorado Springs. “I made a promise to myself that I was going to be a working visual artist. After that, I just kept painting, one after another, and I didn’t stop.” 

She credits that work ethic to former Randolph art professors Kathy and Jim Muehlemann, who always emphasized the importance of consistency and discipline. 

From there, Wright created a website to showcase her art and eventually connected with a local gallery owner, who invited her to exhibit some of her work. 

Every piece sold, which led to Wright’s first full solo show in 2022. She’s kept at it ever since, balancing studio time with her full-time job as an elementary school art teacher. 

“What I’ve learned is if you really love something, there is a way to continue doing it,” she said. “Doors will open. Just do it, and don’t overthink it.” 

Wright is now known for abstract landscape paintings inspired by her environment—nature, music, people, and places. 

“When you become a parent, you start noticing more and taking less for granted,” said the mom of two. “You pause for a little bit and really notice all these beautiful little moments. It really taught me to pause more and reflect.” 

Wright traces her love of art back to childhood. 

“I didn’t blossom until later in life academically, but art was my thing,” she said. “I knew I could do it. I worked really hard on art projects in high school and took art lessons during the summer.” 

She came to the College intending to major in psychology, but the lure of the studio art and art history departments loomed large. 

“I met the professors, and I got pulled in,” she said. “I knew, ‘This is what I’m supposed to be doing.’ They helped me see what was possible.”

Wright also loved her time at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College and said her art history classes also shaped her artistic path. 

After graduating, she lived in Oklahoma City, her hometown, before moving to Georgia. 

She worked as associate curator of education at the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, and later as an arts outreach secretary in the dean’s office for Valdosta State University’s College of the Arts. 

Wright earned her masters in public administration from Valdosta.

These days, she’s in her studio every night and on the weekends, in addition to teaching art full-time. 

“Even if I’m just cleaning brushes, everything I do is moving forward to creating a body of work,” said Wright, who has another show coming in February at Auric Gallery in Colorado Springs. “It’s just been such an amazing time for me, blossoming as an artist and coming into my own.”