Nurse Plants Roots, Meets Community Needs

Kate Barton is a nurse and an artist. When Barton isn’t busy mending the sick at the University of Virginia Hospital, you will find her nurturing beauty from her gallery in downtown Charlottesville, Va.: Skylight Studio. Last year, Barton began designing T-shirts for her “Grow Your Own Roots” line that combined fashion, advocacy and local flavor. The shirts were a huge hit and began popping up all over town.

How did you begin painting – and what kind of work do you find yourself doing these days?

In high school, my father gave me a sketch book, and we started drawing each others portraits.  That’s my earliest memory of trying to accurately capture the human figure. The human figure continues to inspire and influence my work. Recently, I’m creating a series that incorporates snapshots of the human figure entwined with geometric shapes and decorative patterns. I work with a limited palette that, hopefully, deepens and unifies the work.

Tell us about the Grow Your Own Roots project you have launched. What is it about?

The Grow Your Own Roots Project was created after painting a vintage poster-like image of Charlottesville, Va., and actually printing it as wearable art – on T-shirts.  The retail end felt empty though, selling shirts to those who love the city but with no greater purpose than just making a few bucks.

So, with the help of some friends, I came up with a TOMS shoes approach to the business plan. I wanted to give a portion of each T-shirt sold, to meet a practical need in our community. Grow Your Own Roots has a figurative meaning, for me it evokes my desire to live creatively and purposefully. But it also has a literal meaning, encouraging people to make healthy food choices and grow their own food.  I am also a nurse, and I see how people need to be exposed to healthy food options – and fresh produce from the surrounding farms seems the most obvious choice.  That’s how it started – 30% of every shirt sold will go to providing local food to the local people who need it.

What has led you to your interest and concern in local food issues?

Living in Charlottesville has definitely helped shape my views of local food. I’ve found a community here that values what our local farms offer and has made it easily accessible to me as a consumer. We have an awesome farmer’s market that keeps healthy greens, grown probably within 30 miles of my house, stocked in my refrigerator. It’s not always the most affordable way to eat, though, and this raises the question of accessibility across socio-economic lines. So my goal is to improve our community’s health while also supporting the tenuous financial situation of our community’s small farms.

What are the connections for you between art and advocacy, between the beauty you reflect in your painting and the beauty you hope to foster in your community?

I think art is one of the only things that transcends societal barriers.  Everyone is creative in some way. Creativity inspires, and all I can do is use what I’ve found to effect my little corner of the world.

What have you learned about your community and your art in the early parts of this project?

I think for art in general, I wish more people knew how long it takes to make a beautiful hand built ceramic tea pot or a turn wood into a bowl or melt a piece of silver into a unique pair of earrings.  As far as the project, people have been very supportive and like the idea that they are making a difference.  It seems separate though, like, that’s a cool T-shirt design, and it happens to go to a good cause.  I would love to see more people want to get involved, get their hands dirty, so to speak.

Learn more about Kate Barton’s work and Grow Your Own Roots at www.kathryndalebarton.com.