By Bodhi Haugen
Engulfed by layers of ink and the symbolic storytelling of audiobooks, Nicole Kita creates her prints one press at a time. Kita is a lecturer at both Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods.
She expresses herself across a wide range of media, including ceramics, drawing, painting, installation and, her favorite: Printmaking. For her, art is both a process of learning and a way of connecting with others and herself.
Kita was born in Ontario, Canada, but later moved to Florida around the age of eight where she spent the remainder of her youth. As a child, she wanted to be an artist, but faced resistance at home.
“My parents really don’t appreciate the arts and didn’t want me to go into any kind of art field. They’re just very worried, of course, about financial stability for their children, and I wasn’t allowed to take any art classes until I was a senior in high school,” Kita said. “I feel like I got a late start in a lot of ways, but I think it helped change their mind a little bit after doing a portfolio review with a local college that essentially offered me a full scholarship.”
Kita completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Florida in 2004. She worked as an elementary school art teacher before moving to Boston, landing a job as a printmaking technician at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
“I’ve been really fortunate with a lot of opportunities,” Kita said. “But, things got pretty rocky after grad school.”
Making a career-defining decision, Kita chose to leave her teaching job and move to Chicago during the Great Recession in 2009, a time when it was more difficult than ever to find work.
“I was in a really good job at the time, but I had left because I wanted to move to Chicago,” Kita said. “It was just in the transition where I was not aware of what was fully happening in just the financial world.”
She eventually found work in a commercial screen-printing studio called Crosshair Chicago, where she developed skills that would later shape her artistic practice. But, after a snowy April in Chicago, Kita was ready for a change and moved to Humboldt County in 2013.
In Humboldt, Kita spent nine years working at The Studio, a nonprofit organization in Eureka that supports artists with disabilities. Her experience at The Studio played a crucial role in how she approaches art.
“I think artwork is very hard work, but working with all the artists at The Studio helped re-establish and reinvigorate that people are finding joy and therapy in making art, and it doesn’t have to be so mentally taxing at every juncture,” Kita said.
Kita later transitioned toward a community-based arts and cultural organization, the Ink People in Eureka.
Kita’s style has been ever-changing. She previously worked more figuratively and with geometric shapes, but has recently focused on animal portraits. While working on a pig portrait, she listened to audiobooks such as Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm, drawing literary connections to her work. Audiobooks play a vital role in her process, allowing her to focus and learn while she creates.
A recurring design in Kita’s portfolio is a bear paw shape, inspired by an artist residency she attended in Ohio. She enjoys creating work with a visual language that holds meaning.
Kylie Anderson, an environmental studies major and art minor at Cal Poly Humboldt, has taken Kita’s classes before.
“Kita has been an incredible instructor and guide for me throughout my years in the printmaking studio,” Anderson said. “She is such a wealth of knowledge, and I’m very grateful to have had her as a teacher for as long as I have.”
Sadi Finch, a studio art major at Humboldt, has had the opportunity to work as a teacher’s assistant for Kita.
“I’ve gotten to work with and get to know Kita over the past few semesters. Her passion and keen attention to this fine art practice is contagious,” Finch said. “It’s inspiring to have an instructor who encourages compositional thought, is energetic about learning new processes, and is unabashed to share and show what they are excited about.”
Kita encourages students to take advantage of art classes at Humboldt, regardless of their major.
“I think it’s such an important part of your educational development to start thinking with these creative practices,” Kita said.
For Kita, art is not just a career; it’s been a journey shaped by risks, valuable lessons and community. Through her work and teaching, she invites others to discover that same sense of possibility.
Bodhi Haugen is a journalism major and writer for the Lumberjack at CalPoly Humboldt. Bodhis on KRFH and enjoys reading, writing, photography, and art. You can reach him at bgh27@humboldt.edu.