This past week we had the absolute pleasure to sit down with Nancy XiáoRong Valentine. Nancy is a West Central MN native who has spent plenty of time 'away' but continues to return to the area she calls 'home'. We enjoyed our conversation so much largely due to the absolute calm and wise insight this young woman exudes. 

Nancy is a self-taught water-medium artist and though often referred to as “the creative kid” throughout her lifetime, it wasn’t until 2016 that she officially launched her creative career.

With nothing but natural artistic inclination, self-determination and children’s craft-quality watercolor supplies as the only tools in her bag, Valentine signed a lease with the Kaddatz Artist Lofts and began to pursue painting. Much of Valentine’s artistry draws technical inspiration from her Chinese heritage and focuses on abstract themes of beauty, hope and resilience. She strives to reveal hidden connections to her audience through organic impressionistic design using mediums such as watercolor, gouache, Chinese and India inks on paper.

Valentine believes that artistry and arts advocacy work in tandem and stays heavily involved in the Otter Tail County, MN creative community. In 2020, Valentine was named a Blandin Community Leadership Institute Cohort Member, Lake Region Arts Council Cohort Artist, and currently serves as the Vice President of the Kaddatz Galleries Board of Directors.

This conversation is apart of a "Story Mapping" project in collaboration with the Rethos organization, Springboard for the Arts & the Ottertail County Historical Society.

https://www.nancyxvalentine.com/about

Show Links:

https://www.newsweek.com/receptionist-excluded-pizza-wins-money-1589537?fbclid=IwAR1MXPrOG9TlAmhKBvH7koV0cJBuJndpexOq9EzlKSFz3XUQwavu1l6yV4w

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nation-world/boy-buys-spongebob-popsicles-on-amazon/507-cdabda98-eff2-4715-a8c3-85b5c98aa2e2?fbclid=IwAR1BFMgtp3Vz2NgJYEyRX85V_eUEI4EOmDZydPCcfJJNEi2s4POQqCn-mmY

https://www.nancyxvalentine.com

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/buzzworthy/a-woman-who-didnt-know-she-was-pregnant-gave-birth-midflight-with-the-help-of-three-nicu-nurses/