ART + DESIGN
MEET THE creative Sarah Goetz b y D aw n G e e r t s e m a
Af ter g r aduating from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2017, freelance illustrator Sarah Goetz started Sarah Goetz Illustration & Design to sell her designs inspired by South Dakota themes and landscapes. Over the last year and a half in Spearfish, Goetz has been able to go through enough inventory to make her business her main job.
People might know me from…
my calendars. This is what really started getting my name out there as an artist in South Dakota. I created my first calendar for my senior thesis in college. The next year I created another, but it was all Black Hills themed. It had a great response. What’s great about the calendars is you get 12 full-on illustrations all in one.
W hen I’m not working with my business, I’m … working on other
business ventures. Recently, my boyfriend, Kenny, and I have started a custom window blinds business called Kodiak Coverings. However, when I’m just relaxing, I love exploring new areas around the Hills for future illustrations or just hanging with my family.
My love for illustrating started… very young. I always knew I wanted
to be an artist. One of my favorite childhood toys was one of those magnetic drawing pads. The only thing that changed is I used to want to be a Disney animator. When I attended a portfolio review day at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, the reviewer from Ringling College of Art and Design swayed me into the direction of illustration. I think about that interaction often, because he really did change my life. And now I definitely know being an independent artist is more my speed.
T H E O U T D O O R I S S U E july 2020
