Your Custom Text Here
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, June 18, 2021
What is “ReVision and Respond”? Now–Aug. 22, The Newark Museum of Art is hosting an exhibition featuring NJ artists from all across the state. Amy Hopwood, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts at The Newark Museum of Art, filled us in on the details. Watch the interview below:
By Patricia Rogers | Posted Friday, April 2, 2021
Hi! Welcome to my blog
Hello! You may remember me as Valley Girl NJ or the Zine Editor from Orange, NJ. I used to run a blog called Masconsumpion (ran from 2012-2017), and throw cool events in the Valley Arts District. I had fun living and working in Orange. I got to meet and interview artists, musicians, community leaders, and recap art and music shows, political debates, and so much more.
Now, I go by Queen P.R. and am back home in New York City. I am working as a content creator, brand marketing manager, and podcaster. I have learned a lot, and want to share my lessons (learned from mistakes) with you all. So I hope you can come along for this ride twice a month!
Powered by Jersey Indie, I will share Words with PR, a bi-monthly lifestyle blog where I share a short interview, recommendations, marketing tips, and everything in between!
MEET CAROL PADBERG
I was connected to Carol via Molly Rose Kaufman, my friend and the Provost & Program Director at the University of Orange. I was excited to talk to the woman who led the Lunch and Learn workshop titled, “A Mushroom Walks into a Bar...”. I mean, can you think of a more classic joke? And Carol is about all things mushrooms! (Her favorite being the oyster mushroom).
For the University of Orange’s 2021 Jan Term, Carol taught a workshop on how much mushrooms can teach us, answering questions like: What can we learn from mushrooms about undoing toxic individualism and affecting regenerative social change?
For the Lunch and Learn seminar, Padberg spoke about how to weave mushrooms, and also what it can teach us about radical world changes, urban neighborhoods, and more. It was inspired by a graduate program, NOMAD MFA, she designed herself. This was interesting to me because you tend to think about college programs as already established, but this was something new!
I wanted to learn all about the NOMAD MFA program, because to me it felt like one that filled a void. It combined art, creativity, and ecology. And as someone who did community organizing through art & creativity, I was all ears..
The relatively new graduate program offered by the University of Hartford, was inspired by an art project by Padberg, who is also an interdisciplinary visual artist. A few years ago Carol created a 1,000 square foot quilt made of compost, and the fascination of the life and connection that happened to the quilt is what made Padberg consider mushrooms. She realized she could teach art, and ecology, by building creative experiences. The guiding philosophy behind the NOMAD graduate program is “one of connection.”
When speaking with Carol, who is one of the loveliest women I have had the pleasure to speak to, she was able to inform me on mushrooms and climate collapse, regeneration, and more. The more Carol and I spoke, the more I realized just how needed her program was. I also could not help but think about how glad I was that she was able to meet and work with the wonderful folks over at the University of Orange.
The University of Orange is a free people’s university where the learning doesn’t end. I have had the pleasure of graduating twice, and even taught a blogging workshop. Founded in 2007, The University of Orange is a community organization and free people’s urbanism school that builds collective capacity for people to create more equitable cities. You can teach a class as well as take a class and it is open to all people, you can graduate more than once.
My friend, artist, and U of O’s Head of School and lead designer Aubrey Murdock was one of Carol’s students in the NOMAD MFA program. She says about the program, “I had an inkling that I wanted to devote more energy to my individual creative practice, and to understand my work with U of O as a type of socially engaged art practice. I was not actively looking at MFA programs, but came across an article about NOMAD MFA. What drew me in was an attention to human ecology — the ways that social, cultural and technological systems are inextricably linked with landscapes, food systems and watersheds.”
Aubrey’s interest in the program was something Carol and I talked about, how it is important for artists doing community work to understand systems, and how to come into one with care. “I was interested if the program really embraced a critical analysis around compounding issues like structural racism, environmental inequity and the linkages between capitalism and ecological crisis,” says Murdock.
Carol’s ”conviction around why she started the program and her transparency around some of the difficulties of navigating these ideals within an institution like a university” is what sold Aubrey, and the same for me as well. In addition to being a wonderful person, Carol is smart, kind, real, and funny. In other words just the right person we need to build a better future. “Collectively [Carol] brings cohorts of interdisciplinary artists into conversation around regenerative culture, and what is ours to do in this critical moment.”
Also, Carol was nice enough to share an amazing mushroom tea and risotto recipe. Tag us on the @wordswithpr social media for the recipe. ;)
Get to know Carol Padberg more by checking out her website.
Want to learn more about the NOMAD MFA graduate program click here.
Watch and learn from her “A Mushroom Walks into a Bar...” Jan term Lunch & Learn workshop here.
Learn more about the University of Orange here.
QUEEN P.R.’S RECOMMENDS...
My Early AM Self-love routine
I learned back in 2017 that exercise was the best way to help with my anxiety and depression. So, I began doing what I call my “self love” journey every morning starting at 5:00 AM. This time of the day is so quiet and peaceful. Great for clarity and self-reflection.
For my Self Love routine, I pray, Thank God for waking me up, stretch, exercise, meditate, jump in a hot shower, and start my day. I can not express enough what this has done for my energy and focus levels (gave up coffee months ago!), clarity, and anxiety. I understand everyone is not a morning person, so whenever you can squeeze in some self care, do it!
Movo Podcast mic
So for those who don’t know, I am the co-host of Those Wrestling Girls podcast. My co-host Krista B. and I started back in 2018, and were lucky enough to be able to record in a professional studio. All of this changed when the pandemic hit (we don’t feel comfortable recording there yet), so we were forced to make it work from home. Thanks to a friend, we have found a fun way to record via Stream Yard, which has helped us stream live from our social media channels like YouTube, and our Facebook Discussion group. Recording from home meant that I needed to get actual professional equipment to help with quality. So as a birthday gift, I got a MOVO mic that I highly recommend. The set up was easy, the sound quality is amazing (especially during live shows), the instructions were easy to follow as well. So to all my podcasters out there, the MOVO computer USB mic is TOTALLY WORTH IT.
I HAVE LEARNED THAT...
Always reach out to your friends. This first edition of Words with P.R. is dedicated to the loving memory of one of my best college friends Natalia Cordova. She sadly passed away this month. Her death has been super hard on me because we grew distant over the past few years. I did not get a chance to reminisce with her on our college memories, or tell her how much meant to me and how much she impacted my life. So I urge you all: LOVE ON YOUR LOVED ONES. Life is short. You never know when it is going to be too late. A random text or DM saying, “Hi I am thinking of you and I love” you does the trick.
SHOUTOUT TO...
Breaking Through Glass Ceilings with Brian H. Waters
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a workaholic. And I am very hard on myself. There are very few times when I take a step back and reflect and be proud of myself. Well, I was able to finally do that on Brian H. Water’s podcast Breaking Through Glass Ceilings, where he interviews people that have been successful in media. Check out my episode here.
I was able to chat with Brian (who is also a wrestling content creator) about what inspired Breaking through Glass Ceiling:
“Producing this podcast gives me fulfillment because, in a day and age where we are disconnected and only talk to our friends through text and tweets, the time I spend talking to them while recording this show allows me to have a raw and authentic conversation about their career. This also allows me to learn more about them and their journey, but also provides listeners with lessons they can use forever. One day I was in Atlanta and as I was talking to my manager about networking, I was reminded how blessed I was to be connected to a wealth of smart people. From there I decided I wanted to share my network with the world.”
Check out Brian’s podcast Breaking Through Glass Ceilings here.
SOCIAL MEDIA/MARKETING TIPS
Building your personal brand: Always be proud of your passion, you never know where it will lead you.
So, I am a shy person and would always hide my extra curricular activities and accomplishments from my classmates and friends growing up. I was easily embarrassed and didn't like attention to myself. But one thing I have learned is the only way to get ahead in life and career is to be proud of who you are, what you do, what you love, and be strong in your convictions. I am a wrestling fan, and have a women’s wrestling podcast, and an abundance of wrestling tees. So I style them for work, which I would have been too afraid to do before, but now I like standing out. Me wearing these shirts have been a conversation starter and have led me into rooms I would never have been in before.
For more tips follow Words with P.R. across all socials.
Stay tuned for the next edition of Words with P.R. powered by Jersey Indie!
Follow Queen P.R. on Twitter.
Follow Queen P.R. on Instagram.
Follow Words with P.R. across all socials.
Featured artwork: Miguel Intal. Acrylic (16 x 20); Tray Kwok. Watercolor (12 x 12);
Dylan Wimberly. Acrylic (13 x 20)
PRESS RELEASE | Posted Sunday, March 21, 2021
West Orange Arts Council Presents a Virtual Art Exhibit of
West Orange High School Advanced Placement Studio Art Seniors
Opening Online at www.woarts.org in March 2021
WEST ORANGE, NJ (March 12, 2021) – Through an exciting partnership with the Visual and Performing Arts Program at West Orange High School (WOHS), the West Orange Arts Council’s (WOAC) latest show features rising stars of our community.
The 2021 Virtual WOHS Student Exhibit showcases the work of seventeen Advanced Placement Studio Art seniors: Clark Bunao, Adriana Garcia, Miguel Intal, Chris King, Tracy Kwok, Finnley Lewis, Alina Oser, Cristal Perez, Olivia Pinto, Jordan Roberts, Kyle Selim, Ella Silivanch, Julia Spellman, Mikayla Tilton, Elian Torres, Ilayda Vural and Dylan Wimberly.
The artists work in several techniques including traditional acrylic, graphite, and watercolor to Tombow markers and digital charcoal.
"The students look forward to sharing the work they’ve created over the course of this unusual year of virtual learning,” says Heather Young, AP Studio art teacher. “As over 80% plan to or are in the process of applying to higher learning with an art focus, this group show is a great way to enhance their online portfolios."
The WOHS Arts Program offers a variety of visual and aesthetic art courses. Students are required to complete a one-semester foundation course in studio art before proceeding to advanced studies like advanced drawing, design, painting, graphics and sculpture. After that, juniors and seniors may enroll in Advanced Placement Studio Art, producing portfolios for college admission and earning up to six advanced placement college credits.
This student exhibit has significant meaning for both organizations as it marks the one-year anniversary of the pandemic lockdown. “Last March we no sooner installed the show at the WOAC gallery, when the governor placed New Jersey in lockdown,” Lisa Suss, WOAC board member and co-curator recounts.
“While our doors were closed, we were working behind the scenes to stay connected and keep the arts alive,” states WOAC chair Patricia Mitrano. “The WOAC offered several virtual shows and two hybrid (virtual and in-person at the gallery) this past year with more in store for 2021.”
The virtual exhibit will be available on the West Orange Arts Council website at www.woarts.org. Additional events including a virtual reception are being planned at the time of this writing. Follow the West Orange Arts Council on social media and check the website regularly.
For more information about the West Orange Arts Council and West Orange Arts Center, visit www.woarts.org or email info@woarts.org
This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and administered by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.
By Nicolas Palermo | Posted Thursday, March 4, 2021
In her book What it Is, underground comics legend Lynda Barry explains that fantasy worlds in art aren’t created to escape reality. Rather, their existence helps us to stay in reality. To bear it. “We have always done this; used images to stand and understand what otherwise would be intolerable.”
Logan Stahl is an illustrator from NJ whose images help me do just that. The sci-fi inspired worlds that his characters inhabit portray, but are not limited to: scenes of warriors battling insect-like beasts, buildings that somehow look both ancient and futuristic and nomads trudging through seemingly endless deserts (are they escaping something or just wandering to feel alive?) Logan takes hints from comic book and manga greats that many of us deeply admire, but his style is still distinctly his own.
Logan Stahl: Hey, thanks for reaching out! I’m doing pretty well, all things considered.
I live in Somerville, NJ.
I primarily work with felt-tipped pens for linework and photoshop for colors. They’re what I have the most experience using and they’re both cheap, quick, and clean to use. I regularly work with markers and colored pencils as well, and for a while I was taking oil painting classes until COVID got in the way. In general, I enjoy working in any medium, but I’m usually limited in my choices by time, money, and desk space haha.
Wayne Barlowe I found first. I had An Alphabet of Dinosaurs as a kid, and I still think it’s one of the most superb collections of paleoart ever produced. I also had Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials and Expedition. Everything he does is just perfect — he brings the gravitasand drama of an artist like Thomas Cole or Jean-Léon Gérôme to illustrations of aliens and demons and dinosaurs. I never get tired of going back through his books.
Otomo I discovered in my tail end of high school — I think Akira was the first anime I ever actively sought out to watch and I was blown away. I tracked down the manga soon after that and devoured it. I find his art almost intimidating — the soaring cityscapes and labyrinthine industrial depths his characters inhabit are daunting in their scale and complexity, and no details are ever sacrificed for convenience or simplicity in his work.
Moebius I found my freshman year of college, around the time I started drawing seriously. For quite a while I didn’t know anything about him or his comics — I just kept finding more and more drawings by him on the internet, each one more evocative and bizarre than the last. The color, the linework, the designs — all of it enchanted me and still does. He’s definitely the artist I’ve spent the most time trying to emulate.
Miyazaki I discovered when one of my best friends brought over a DVD of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Nausicaä to me is just perfect — I couldn’t ask for anything more in a story. In style it’s like a pastiche of all the 60s/70s/80s sci-fi / fantasy novels I grew up reading and in substance it’s pretty darn heavy. Over the years I’ve been working my way through the rest of the Ghibli canon, but Nausicaä will always be my favorite. Fun fact: Moebius actually named his daughter Nausicaä, after Miyazaki’s titular princess, and Miyazki has said he “directed Nausicaa under Moebius’s influence.”
Well, you’re in good company because I hadn’t heard of RPG zines either before I started working on them haha. The gist of it is this: RPG zines are fan-made supplements for tabletop role-playing games (“TTRPG”s or “RPG”s), such as Dungeons & Dragons. Usually they’ll contain homebrewed settings, adventures, or gameplay rules and they’re pretty short in length. The first art commission I ever did was when someone online reached out to me to ask if I could illustrate a zine for them. Since then my work has been featured in a few relatively successful zines, and I guess my name’s been spreading through the RPG community because I’ve had pretty steady work doing those kinds of illustrations for the last year or so. I myself don’t play TTRPGs too often (from a lack of experience and time, not from a lack of interest or enjoyment), but I’ve gotten to meet a lot of really cool people doing this kind of work!
Also, to respond to what you said about art and music zines — I would love to work on more stuff like that. I’m really into the Jersey DIY music scene and I actually did cover art for a split EP between a couple local bands a few years back but unfortunately nothing more since that.
I love being able to visually represent something that started out as an idea in my head. It’s incredibly satisfying to look down at a piece of paper and see a picture of something that I had only imagined before. It’s the same thing that’s kept me drawing since I was a kid and it never gets old.
From 2018 to late 2020, I wrote and illustrated a sci-fi / fantasy book written in the form of a travel journal. It’s called Coelum and I put a lot of love and effort into it. The art and writing is all complete, I’m just working with my publisher to actually put it out there, so hopefully that should be available digitally in about a month or so and, if everything goes according to plan, we want to do a physical release at some point as well. Aside from that, I’m currently working on an RPG zine called Desert Moon of Karth written by Joel Hines that’s all about space cowboys and aliens slugging it out on a desert planet. It’s delightful to illustrate and it made over 40 times its funding goal on Kickstarter, so that’s something to check out if you get a chance. Heavily inspired by Dune, Cowboy Bebop and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom books — all stuff that I love dearly.
Right now in addition to Karth I’m working on more RPG zines and lots of smaller commissions here and there and that’s probably going to take up most of my time over the next couple months. I’ve also been working a bit on a collaborative book with a few of my friends who are also illustrators. It’s going to be a faux buyer’s guide to space mercenaries, with each of us designing and illustrating a bunch of sci-fi bounty hunters and writing up stories for them. That’s kind of on hold at the moment as we’ve all been (fortunately!) busy with commissions, but it’s something I look forward to getting back to down the line.
If you want, you can follow me on twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr:
https://twitter.com/Lil_Tachyon
https://www.instagram.com/liltachyon/
https://lil-tachyon.tumblr.com/
Thank you so much for speaking to me, it’s been a pleasure!
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: J.K.R., Creative Department, Liberty Harbor, JC | NJ | 07302
Egyptian born-Jersey City local, Martina Hanna, has been selected by the Panelist Board of ART AT NIGHT to produce a 6 hour long consecutive art performance at Surf City.
Art at Night offers not only a space in which artists can take conceptual risks to explore ideas of expression, process & endurance while investigating the meaning of a relationship with an audience all the while sharing a new way to experience urban night life.
With Ms. Hanna at the forefront of generating reactive projects, this event has the possibility to turn into an explosion of art and nightlife culture that one has not seen before. The Press and Media have an exclusive hour while the artist begins her project, prior to the VIP Pre-Party (starting at 8 pm) that includes a cocktail hour and appetizers with an invited list of local influencers, other New Jersey artists and important returning patrons of the local bar Surf City.
6 pm: Artist Set up
7 PM: Press & Media Only
8 PM: VIP Pre-Party & Cocktail Hour
9 PM: Doors Open to General Admission
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-at-night-tickets-64542391029?aff=General
How to Astral Project: Martina Hanna Artist Bio
Martina graduated from Mason Gross and since then has focused on continuing her portfolio through radical responses and critiques of America's socio-political state, including consumerism, the gender war, and the problematic catch 22 women in today's society face. For her thesis, she produced an experimental time-lapse film of herself painting the same canvas over and over again, each time the work evolving to something completely different.
By challenging the framework of the institutionalized art world, she layers her projects both in concept and in form using film, paint, video, screen printing, illustration and self-identity.
Devoting the night to a 6 hour live action art performance by JC native artist Martina Hanna and to the jazzy sounds of Conundrum, we invite all patrons and art lovers to immerse themselves in an exciting urban surrealist experience. With five different bars at Surf City, you are able to sit near the marina and gaze over the docked yachts, or perhaps sit in our private beach area, or inside where you can interact with other patrons.
The VIP experience includes an invitation to the artist Pre-Party at the Sunset Beach Bar, beginning at 8 pm where patrons have direct access to the showing artist, the other VIPs and influencers as well as invited press and media. Free Hors d'oeuvres & Cocktail Hour.
If interested in accessing VIP, check out the tiered tickets or contact us directly: julianna@artsjc.org
(Due to our networking and set list of VIP attendees, there are only 30 VIP Access tickets available so don't hesitate!)
Tickets are only $10 and come with two free drink tickets (a $15 value!) - so we invite all those who want to experience the best of JC’s nightlife.
Check out our IG handles to wet your appetite.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, May 22, 2019
From now until May 30th, the unmatchable Will Wood — artist, musician, performer, and more — will be unveiling an ambitious multimedia experience in Asbury Park, NJ, featuring never-before-seen works of art, a new concert film, and new music. Entitled “HEAD,” this impressive exhibit is sure to be something you won’t soon forget! Find our more from Will Wood himself in our interview below.
WILL WOOD: This May, I’m going to be taking over a historical building in downtown Asbury Park (529 Bangs Avenue) and turning by brain inside out in it. HEAD is a multimedia experimental art exhibit featuring music, film, intimate performances, and the first ever exhibit of my psychedelic visual art. It’ll be running from May 13th till May 30th, it’ll be completely unlike anything else I’ve ever done, and it’ll be a landmark/milestone event for me as an artist.
Asbury Park is one of the cultural capitals of New Jersey, and a second hometown of mine. I spent a lot of my youth in Neptune, did a lot of my earliest art projects down by the boardwalk, and played a number of my early and most formative shows in Asbury Park.
In October of 2011, I took LSD. At the end of that night, toward the tail end of one of the most powerful experiences of my life, I sat at a bench on a college campus in upstate New York covered in ink, with a handful of markers, and began drawing. I haven’t stopped. I had always hoped that my music career would get me to a place where I could find an audience for the other types of work I do, and I’m finally at a place where I have a platform for my art. Art inspired by altered states, surreal experiences, and visions I’ve had without the use of any substances.
The Real Will Wood is the result of two years of confusion. Shot at some of the most iconic and bizarre places in New Jersey, and featuring never-before-heard or seen performances, TRWW is a feature-length concert film with a very unusual bent.
Thank you. HEAD is the inevitable culmination of the last two years of my career, I hope it’s as impressive as it sounds. If you’re hoping to do something similar, wait until I’m done first so I don’t have to compete with you.
Make something. Anything. Don’t worry about whether or not it’s any good – because odds are you don’t know what’s good. Your audience does. And if they say it’s not good, ignore them and keep making things. Really good art happens by accident, when the results of your unfiltered creating meets the audience’s unknown desires. When you stumble across the thing that people didn’t know they wanted. I have no idea if it’s ever come out of me. We’re going to find out. If I can do that, you definitely can.
I’ll be talking about it more at HEAD.
On May 25th and 26th (Memorial Day Weekend) I’m hosting a pair of special, intimate performances at HEAD featuring new music that I hope to be doing some very big stuff with soon. Tickets are limited, and on sale here: https://willwoodandthetapeworms.bigcartel.com/product/will-wood-live-head-the-multimedia-pop-up-gallery-asbury-park-beach
Follow me at @therealwillwood on Instagram to stay in the loop. If you wanna stay DEEP in the loop and on the inner circle, find me at patreon.com/willwoodandthetapeworms for exclusive videos, music, writing, art, and discounts on everything I do – definitely the best and closest way to experience my work.
By Nicolas Palermo | Posted Thursday, May 16, 2019
Bootleg items — whether it be clothes, jewelry, or accessories — often have an alluring aura to them. Take for example, a bootleg Grateful Dead t-shirt: it may not be “official”, but it has an individual personality that cannot be found in mass-produced, licensed merchandise. Therein lies the paradox of the “bootleg” — it is supposedly “inauthentic,” but in reality, it holds a unique quality given to it by the artist behind the graphic.
With that being said, some people are more fascinated with brand-authenticity and bootleg culture than others. Connor Bradley, a NJ-raised, Philadelphia-based artist and designer is one of these people. His latest brainchild is Cold Beer & Soda, a brand that promises “Fresh Quality Guaranteed.” Using his past experience with t-shirt designing/printing, Connor is putting out product that takes influence from hand-painted signage — an artform that is authentic as it gets.
So grab a lawn chair and kick back with your favorite chilled beverage and familiarize yourself with Connor Bradley and his latest project, Cold Beer & Soda. Fresh quality, indeed.
I grew up in Howell, NJ which is located in Monmouth County but currently live in Philadelphia, where I go to school. I feel like my change of environment has definitely influenced the things that I am currently doing and working on. When I was younger, growing up in a town that has farms and is very rural I was always influenced by the city lifestyle I saw in rap videos, skate videos, and on streetwear blogs. I followed a lot of blogs on Tumblr and Instagram pages that were taking photos of things that were happening in the city centered around streetwear, and I thought that was the coolest stuff in the entire world, and I wanted to be there and have that, but I couldn’t where I was located.
So the first chance I got to go to a city I jumped on and that’s here in Philadelphia. So now being in the city, and having the chance to meet other creatives who like the same stuff as me, and going to events like the ones I was seeing on the internet as a kid is really cool and inspiring to me at the moment. It’s great to actually be able to have fun like what I was seeing as a young kid. Being able to bounce ideas off of people and just talking about clothes, music, culture and having inspiring conversations with people is a great change of pace for me.
Well that goes back to the blogs I spoke about earlier. Store fronts and hand signage are always something that I’ve loved to look at. So it comes from that a lot. I love looking at signs because they are all unique and they are really the first impression you get of a business when walking in the city. We didn’t have that by me growing up, we just had commercial stores that are so in your face with branding and that sort of stuff. It really gives me the opportunity to be creative when making and designing the graphics. It allows me to be funny with a slogan for a business, use some funny clip art that looks cheesy but at the same time fits the pieces. But mainly the aesthetic is funny souvenir t-shirts, or employee t-shirts for businesses. In the first collection I did a “Bootleg Emporium” tee that in a way is a homage to the bootlegs I have been making for the last 4-5 years. And of course the Moon Motel is a super legendary sign in my hometown that was out in front of a super run down motel that was really out of place for our area. And that kind of has its own aura to that.
I love Dead Bootlegs and they will forever hold a place in my heart but they don’t have longevity. It’s something that I like to do for fun and a hobby that allows me to buy ticket to see them. Cold Beer & Soda allows me to be more serious about my creative set and work on things that are out of the norm from what people usually see from me. It’s starting completely over from scratch again and that’s the fun for me. It really challenges me everyday when I sit down and think about it because I forget how slow of a process it is to build something from nothing. I’m very grateful that I started doing this early on in life and I have the experience that I do and can kind of navigate myself around some of the beginning stumbling blocks. So if I’ve learned anything, it’s definitely to be patient, and relax.
Rather than a specific brand/person, I’d like to talk about the creative energy in Philadelphia right now. There are so many special things happening here right now, and I’m so excited to be able to toss my hat in the ring among this group of people who inspire me and push me out of my comfort zone. Everybody builds each other up, no competition and wanting to get over on someone. At first I was nervous being the outsider but everyone here has been so welcoming and encouraging. I wouldn’t have made the steps to start something new without these people.
We are all looking out for one another and supporting each other.
I’ll provide you with a list of some Instagram handles you should get familiar with:
@SaeedFerguson
@PsQsShop
@KyNCao
@Fran_e_Pac
@ParatodoCo
@AllCapsStudio
@JayIveyLeague
@CamronBooth
@SeannMurray
@nick.massarelli
@imoutfront
@helloyowie
There are many. But out of everything, it’s building up my family that I go to shows with. When I first started going to shows, I was going with a lot of older heads and they took me in and showed me the ropes of everything. I eventually started forming my steady group of friends and that’s the best thing that has ever happened to my life. We talk every second of everyday, I love them a lot. You get to meet so many amazing people from different backgrounds through this community and it humbles you and makes you grow everyday.
Thank you for the opportunity!!!!!!!!
@ColdBeerAndSoda on Instagram.
@ConnorABradley for my compulsive updates and statistics about Phish :)
All artwork property of Chris Raia. See more of Chris’s work at christopher.raia.art and christopher-raia-art.com.
By Nicolas Palermo | Posted Friday, December 21, 2018
Chris Raia is a visual artist from Freehold, NJ. By working in different mediums, Chris doesn’t allow himself to get boxed into one specific style. The subject matter of his work has a wide range as well. Taking influence from his favorite animators, he creates anything from still life charcoal drawings to abstract paintings. I spoke to Chris to learn more about his techniques and artistic influences.
When it comes to a favorite, I’ve definitely been bouncing around, but ever since I touched Watercolors a couple of years ago I’ve been hooked. I love how it naturally makes marks that are organic and gestural. When it comes to choosing a media, it often feels impulsive. I, of course, try to think about materiality and what using a certain medium over another may suggest, but sometimes being overly analytical can inhibit me from making art at all.
Both. I think that to be able to draw from your head, you first have to draw from life so that you can build a vocabulary of visual information. It’s important to know the rules before you can effectively break them in your own work. If I don’t know what to draw then just I study what’s around me.
I think I bounce around a lot because I am somewhat indecisive and just want to learn everything. I think artists feel a pressure to quickly develop a brand that is easy to package and sell to an audience. Not to say that I won’t eventually have a more singular practice, but I think that artists owe it to themselves to take their time with finding their voice.
There’s a billion haha, but right now, I have been focusing on a lot of animators. Max Fleischer, Lillian Friedman Astor, Don Hertzfeldt, Pat McHale, Kazuo Oga, Satoshi Kon, and Alexander Gellner to name a few favorites. I don’t think I intentionally drop hints of them in my work, but I think they always seep through. It’s actually most exciting when people tell me that my work reminds them of an artist that I’ve never even heard of. It’s always great to discover artists who care about the same ideas that I do.
I am on instagram at christopher.raia.art and my website is christopher-raia-art.com!
Artwork by Keith Glidewell
By Nicolas Palermo | Posted Wednesday, October 17, 2018
From the Andy Warhol/Velvet Underground collaborations of the 60s to RISD alumni Talking Heads, to the anime-inspired characters that make up Gorillaz, visual art has been almost if not equally important to the history of music as the music itself.
Take NJ native Keith Glidewell, for example. When he isn’t noodling bass riffs for the emo/punk group Ditz, he’s doodling exaggerated, whacked out cartoons that you could easily imagine on your favorite Adult Swim show. Although still images, the facial expressions and body language of his characters give them an animated quality. Some of them might even reach out to hand you a beer. Many of these doodles become finished products that adorn the album covers and fliers for his own band.
I spoke to Keith to learn about the creative process and inspiration behind his work.
I grew up in Florence, NJ which is a small, blue-collar town in Central Jersey—right on the Delaware River. When I say that Florence is small, I'm not exaggerating; I graduated with 97 kids. Most people are shocked when I tell them that, but I thought it ruled. Everyone knew each other and that was super humbling. For the most part, there weren't social cliques and this allowed me to get to know people on a personal level that I wouldn't have otherwise. I was exposed to many different cultures and ways of thinking. On top of that, I had a really, really great group of friends (that I'm still friends with today), and we spent most of our time building forts down by the river, playing "office chair hockey," and hanging out in cardboard dumpsters at the middle school. I think the area that I grew up in and the experiences I had there absolutely has an effect on my artwork. Florence gave me a good look at people and what it means to be human, and I try to reflect that in my characters.
I kind of stumbled into making artwork for bands and as a result, stumbled into being in a band myself. I had been posting character designs and doodles on Instagram for a while and, although a few people commissioned me to do design work for them, I was mostly doing it for fun. One day my buddy Todd asked me to come up with a logo for his new band, Ditz, and he sent me the demos to listen to while I worked on it. He also let me know that they were looking for a bass player. The design took a few days and the band loved it, and I ended up liking the demos so much that I tried out for the bass part. Now I play bass in Ditz and handle the design work which has been extremely rewarding. I was always a huge fan of James Heimer's illustrations and how he branded The Wonder Years' early stuff. He had such a distinct style, and that's something I try to accomplish with Ditz.
My work has always been pretty gross! In high school, my math notebook was filled with drawings of people vomiting or smoking giant cigs or giant cigs vomiting up people. I think that gross-ness stems from me being obsessed with shows like The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Superjail!, Spongebob, and Courage, The Cowardly Dog. As I grew up, I got into R. Crumb and I really dig all of his characters and their exaggerated features. All of these shows and artists influenced me greatly and I take a little bit from each one. I always appreciated the fusion of innocence and the sad/gross parts of being human. Characters can be both charming and disgusting and that's something I like to highlight in my artwork.
I didn't consider animation as something I'd like to do until my uncle, cartoonist Mark Tatulli, told me that I had the potential to do it. So, I picked up a few animation classes at TCNJ and fell in love with it. I'm interested in 2D, frame by frame animation and I have this overly complicated process (that involves drafting, inking, and coloring in one app and then editing the frames together in another), but it works for me. As much as I love animation, I like to stick to pre-production like storyboarding and character designing!
Well, artistically, since I JUST graduated college, I've been doing personal work. Doodles and gross characters— things like that. I'm going to start posting on Instagram daily again, and I'm excited. My senior year made it hard to do that and I can't wait to get back. I also have been working on a few short films and music videos, which is another passion of mine. Musically, Ditz has been writing a full-length record, smoking cigs, drinking a bunch of beer, and playing shows. We're going to keep doing that!
My instagram account is: @keithglidewell where I post drawings, film stuff that I'm doing, and pictures of my big dumb head. The Ditz account is: @ditztheband. This is where we post show dates, video clips we have, and pictures of our big dumb heads.
By Nicolas Palermo | Posted Friday, May 25, 2018
By painting images inspired by the reflections of light on objects, New Jersey-based painter Jill Carlock creates works that are not necessarily representational or non-objective. Many of the outlines for the paintings come from shapes created by the light-reflections, but the radiant embellishments that layer over the outlines are purely from Jill’s imagination.
The tropical colors Jill chooses to use coexist in harmony with the patterns and brush strokes to create a sense of rhythm. But Jill’s paintings don’t all move to the same beat, as evident in the variations in forms and hues from one work to the next. White paint is used sparingly, but its presence in the composition should not be ignored.
Like the very light that is the inspiration behind so many of Jill Carlock’s pieces, her work shines with energy, evoking memories of being a kid and seeing the colorful shapes that dance behind closed eyelids as you lay down in the sun.
I'm from Middletown, right in the center of the state near all the good beach stuff! It was a really solid place to grow up, mainly because there were so many things to do. Living here has influenced my work in terms of customizing surfboards and pretty much whatever I could get my hands on. Driving down the street to a complete view of the NYC skyline also always keeps me motivated to work. Of course, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets also make for instant inspiration. Overall it is a great place to come home to, but it is definitely time to broaden my horizons and see what else is out there.
I primarily fluctuate between oil and acrylic paint on canvas. When I feel that I need to keep things moving and a change of scenery I'll turn to painting on griptape and other found materials at that given time. I also enjoy playing around in the realm of textile design by using fabric prints of my paintings and incorporating those 3D elements into forms of wearable art.
Initially, I started using loose sketches that I made from light reflections on square pieces of plastic, reflective material. With each painting, I began to develop my own sense of shape and composition, almost like forming my own personal vocabulary for my work. Lots of trial and error, but eventually learning which shapes or colors go well together. I'd say I use a combination as of right now, mainly because although there may be some shaped sections planned out, the majority of the time color is what I tend to have more freedom with.
Thank you! I have lots of inspiration from just being very fond of colorful things my whole life. Bright color has always represented boldness and confidence to me. The human eye just cannot resist it -- kind of like sweets. Fruit, candy and desserts all share that one thing in common -- aside from a few gnarly trips to the dentist. I find a lot of comfort in a nice, smooth gradient. Dandelion yellow into a fleshy pink is most likely the most appealing to me at the moment. I do enjoy more toned down, sexy colors like reddish browns, dark grays and burgundy. ;o
Skateboarding was very present while I was growing up, although I never truly stepped on to a board and gave it my all until these past couple years. My brother was very into it, and we had a halfpipe in our backyard. I did surf for the majority of my youth into adulthood, which took up most of my time aside from art. I feel like skateboarding has a direct connotation to my work in more of a conceptual way. It requires full confidence, commitment, and acceptance of failure. I feel like that is the exact way that I feel when I am working and feel hesitant to make a big change where there is "no turning back." It's all just a matter of pushing yourself.
My website is www.jilliancarlock.com.
Instagram @jillcarlock
