Local artist gives Durham Tech students insight into art entrepreneurship

There is no clear-cut path to becoming a professional artist, but with tenacity, knowledge, and drive, forging a path is possible. That was the message local professional artist and art educator Eric McRay brought with him to Durham Tech last month to impress on a group of students.

McRay co-founded Giant Star Entertainment, an online and print publishing company that produces independent comics, and has run a studio out of Artspace in Raleigh since 1998.

“There wasn’t a road map,” McRay said. “It was very organic, but I had a plan. I had a strategy.”

Durham Tech Art Instructor Tim Postell invited McRay, a good friend of his, to discuss his career and the art business on Nov. 6 in the auditorium of the GlaxoSmithKline Technology Center. The event was sponsored by the Viva the Arts committee.

“A lot of people that I know that have worked for Eric have carried the experiences they’ve learned from him forward, and they’ve been really valuable assets for their career,” Postell said.

McRay credits comics as a source of his early education, saying the art form taught him elements such as composition, design, and anatomy.

“I was consuming art, consuming images,” he said. “I was really encouraged and nurtured to use my talents. I was pushed to be better, to excel.”

From Washington, D.C., McRay attended the Maryland Institute College of Art on a four-year scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He moved to North Carolina in 1987.

McRay wasn’t always a full-time art professional. His résumé also includes jobs in information technology, biomed, and banking. However, he said he still accumulated relevant skills through those non-artistic professions.

“Everything you are exposed to becomes an element, a tool in your toolbelt,” he said.

McRay worked in information technology before coming to Artspace. Soon after he started at the studio, he hustled to get his name out to the local press which landed him spots in TV and print outlets.

McRay said knowing how to market yourself is just one piece of the entrepreneurial mindset artists need to have in order to build their reputation and name recognition. Other pertinent skills are communication, branding, social media, and sales.

“I had a top-down strategy that I was going to impact the influences, and the influences were going to tell the masses how great I am,” he said. “Why do you like certain people? Because someone said, ‘She’s awesome. He’s awesome. They’re awesome.’

Talent alone won’t get you there. … You gotta be able to back (your name) up, but, first, they got to know who you are.”

Another key lesson McRay imparted to the students was to work hard and take risks. He also told them to learn as much as they could about their craft so that they could be prepared to demonstrate a certain skill if they ever needed to.

That was the part that stuck out to student Brionna McClain.

“I’m not that good with computer art, but I might have to try it more,” she said.

McRay concluded the event by answering audience questions and selling and signing comic books from Giant Star. He also signed copies of the event poster.

“I really wanted to come and give my best and be really open and candid. … I try to empower people,” he said. “So many people helped me along the way, and one thing that I value so much is knowledge. Being here, I feel like I’m giving back.”

For more on McRay, visit ericmcray.com.

Durham Tech offers an Associate in Fine Arts in Visual Arts degree and several art and art history classes.

Contact Stephanie Turner, Marketing and Media Relations Coordinator, at turners@durhamtech.edu for more.