Meet: Timothy Matthew Collins

TIMOTHY MATTHEW COLLINS is a visual artist (collage/drawing/architecture) living in Brooklyn. www.timothymatthewcollins.com

Catholic Artist Connection (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from?

Timothy Collins (TC): I moved to NYC from Buffalo to attend college at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Other than a stint abroad in Italy for grad school, I’ve stayed the last 20 years.

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

TC: Christ is king, over the seas, over the cities, over atheists and strange abstract furniture. The grace afforded to us through the Incarnation can be fanned anywhere it is gratefully received. Every act of creativity can be an opportunity to encounter the Trinity. I see my mission as a Catholic artist to expand the visual lexicon or “language of parables” capable of transmitting the faith. I may just be making gargoyles in my little corner of the cosmos, but I know what Church they belong to.

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

TC: 1.) The Openings Collective, a Paulist initiative to dialogue with visual artists at The Church of St. Paul the Apostle.

2.) The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture.

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

TC: Among the faithful misfits who are not “too cool for you” at Catholic Artist Connection.

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

TC: The Church can begin by recognizing that living, breathing Catholic artists post-1650 actually exist and are struggling to survive. We live a tenuous existence between two worlds, and the Church’s silence is deafening. Being invited to contribute our gifts to the glory of the faith is absolutely critical.

CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

TC: Faith is the sweet tension between agile rationality and robust imagination.  The art world has become increasingly politicized, and therefore hostile to modes of thought that threaten its hegemony. We should instead encourage our mutual striving towards the sublime, and share the hardships we face to live out that mission.

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

TC: The Church of St. Paul the Apostle. Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral

CAC: Are you a part of any theatre companies, artist collectives, writing groups, training programs, or similar professional communities you would recommend?

TC: I am vice-president of Catholic Artist Connection and a former core team member of the Openings Collective.

CAC: How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist living in NYC?

TC: With the support, advice, and encouragement of a rag-tag bunch of saints-in-training, we are slowly building a community of genuinely-believing Catholic Artists.

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

TC: I like to stop into church on my lunch breaks to pray, or just sit and contemplate the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

CAC: What are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?

TC: Spend an hour a day working on your art. No matter how busy life gets, if you make time everyday to practice your craft, inspiration will slowly bloom into beautiful creations.

CAC: How do you make a living in NYC?

TC: I have been working at an architecture job tangentially related to my vocation for unreasonable hours years on end. Unfortunately, I have had to separate my passion from my profession, which is a situation many artists find themselves in.

CAC: How much would you suggest artists moving to NYC budget for their first year?

TC: $36,000 minimum ($3,000 per month after taxes). This includes rent (sharing an apartment), utilities, food, clothing, and essential supplies, but no additional frills.

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?

TC: Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s not just art, it’s civilization, and it’s pay-what-you-will admission, which somehow always ends up being 25 cents. Each wing contains different treasures that reward repeat viewings.

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?

TC: 1.) Hating the city is part of loving the city.

2.) A kind word goes a long way.

3.) Go into every church you come across. You won’t find such diversity in almost any other city.