
Made in Tarrant: Fort Worth artist leads virtual academy, commissions Western art
Editor’s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here. Ed Salazar is the founder of Fort Worth-based Ode 2 Art Academy. The business, founded in 2021, offers virtual drawing and painting classes for budding artists of all ages. Salazar also takes commissions for Western and Native American art to reflect Fort Worth’s history. Contact information: Website: https://ode2art.com/Instagram: salazar_artistPhone: 203-252-9284Ed Salazar spoke to the Fort Worth Report about Ode 2 Art Academy’s history and business model, as well as why he is inspired to take on Western and Native American art in his free time. This submission has been edited for clarity, grammar and length. David Moreno: Can you provide a breakdown of how Ode 2 Art Academy functions for students?Ed Salazar: The Ode 2 Art Academy is an online school dedicated to the arts, but not just for drawing and painting. My art academy is international in scope. I bring 40 years of painting experience and decided to include other qualified instructors to continue to offer this quality of instruction to additional students. Over time, I added more classes such as digital art, 3D animation and architectural courses. Since I am also a musician, I also offer music lessons. The response from students from around the world has been overwhelmingly positive. The demand for additional skills and knowledge grew extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic and it still is going strong.Although some courses are taught through recorded lessons, most of the instruction is done via Zoom. This allows students to receive homework and personal critiques — along with needed encouragement. This personalized attention is vital in a student’s growth.Moreno: How many students have you taught since you launched the academy?Salazar: I have personally trained about 50 students. Since I could not keep up with the demand, I trained my best students to assist me in teaching. Altogether, we have trained about 600 students. Moreno: How long is the program? Salazar: The program depends on the courses taken. Most courses are structured to be taken for as long as the student needs it to develop one’s skill to the level they wish to reach. For drawing, which I feel is the foundation of painting, students take my classes until they have developed their skills to move into painting. That usually takes about one year but it can vary.Moreno: How do you make the virtual art academy work financially? Salazar: Since classes are conducted virtually on Zoom, there is no overhead. Each instructor is paid for the courses they offer. In order to make the training more affordable, students pay a monthly fee instead of for the entire semester.Moreno: What is your goal as an artist outside of operating your own business?Ed Salazar’s painting “Galloping Over the River” is one of several Native American artworks he has created. Salazar’s signature can be seen on the bottom left side of the canvas. (Courtesy image | Ed Salazar)Salazar: My goal as a local artist is to produce excellent Western and Native American art since it’s part of Fort Worth’s unique culture. I also accept portrait commissions of all kinds.In my figurative work of Western and Native American art, I love re-creating a scene from the past in such a way that one can feel like they’re there. Adding aspects of realism with abstract, combining good composition and drama, as well as beauty all in one painting.Moreno: Why is it important for you to focus on Native American and Western art?Salazar: I am focused on bringing our awareness to the need to create new fine art of the old West, since this is one of the main historical aspects of Fort Worth. Fort Worth is very diverse in its taste for the arts, which range from contemporary to traditional. But, I find that very few professional artists are focusing on one of the core historical aspects of this city. For example, if you walk down Main Street in downtown Fort Worth, you will notice several historical plaques about Quanah Parker, Wyatt Earp and others. There are museums such as Amon Carter and Sid Richardson that feature great Western art from the past. There is even a yearly conference of Western artists from The Cowboy Artists of America, who travel to the Will Rogers Memorial Center every November. But, I keep asking myself: Which local artists are painting quality paintings here and now? My artistic goal is to be one of them.At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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