A Creative Community Newsletter for Information and Inspiration
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Each week we will send news you need to know about the COVID crisis that will help put us on the road to recovery. We will also give you a glimpse of how our creative colleagues from across the state are using their talent to bring us all closer together!
This week, we're looking at all the ways visual art, like graphic illustration, comics and animation, illuminates our world and "draws" us all together!
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If you missed our webinar "Finding Your Way Out of The Unemployment Maze" last week, don't worry! It's been recorded and you can watch it online
here
.
Washington Lawyers for the Arts are hosting an online workshop on July 9th at 4pm. This workshop will include a panel discussion with experienced real estate attorneys who will provide a practical overview of real estate law and issues artists are facing during the pandemic. Tickets are $10, RSVP
here
.
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BE INSPIRED
DrewBoy Creative's North Star Mission
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Raechel Mackey, "Covidart; Apart, Together"
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Based in Richland, WA,
DrewBoy Creative
(DBC)
promotes emerging artists, and artists that challenge the traditional school of thought related to art, through their gallery space, while welcoming audience members from all walks of life.
Founders
Davin Diaz and Ashleigh Rogers answered a few questions about creating an exhibit in COVID times, and their latest plans to continue their mission of providing opportunities for their community through artistic discovery.
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DrewBoy Creative showcases work from so many talented Washington creatives. How do you decide who to feature?
Davin: At DrewBoy Creative our mission and values
function as our North Star,
driving every decision we make. Usually our creative volunteers come up with a theme and a call for an art show, then we invite an artist or group of artists to develop a show - no strings attached; they have complete artistic license. Artists or group of artists can submit an art show proposal via our
webform
.
Our public calls are a great way for us to discover new, emerging artists and expand the DBC family.
A recent study found that in 18 major US museums, 87 percent of artists are male, and 85 percent of artists are white.
So
DrewBoy Creative is dedicated to dismantling these systems of inequality in the art world, and that is at the forefront of our curation decision making process. We
strive to
create a space that is truly reflective of ALL voices in our community.
Prior to COVID-19 we were scheduling about 18 months out and had a show scheduled with the
African American Community Cultural & Educational Society
in May and June of 2021.
With so many talented creatives in the Pacific Northwest and the number of show possibilities it is important we stay true to who and what we are.
Something Hopeful, Please
includes two virtual art galleries of COVID-19 inspired work. Can you tell us about how that came together? And from your perspective, how is this unique moment in time impacting the creative process?
Ashleigh: Through tragedy, hardship, heartbreak, war and illness, art is something we turn to for perspective, comfort and change. When our community was asked to "Stay Home and Stay Healthy," DBC remained dedicated to our mission of providing a platform for artists in our community to raise their voices, to process and document their experiences, and to bring our community together through art.
We knew we would have to shift the way we created this community space, but quickly realized we could connect through a virtual platform. Opening night was certainly different from our usual receptions, but some things remained the same—our community showed up, our artists created work that propelled dialogue and connection, and we were all reminded of our shared humanity, our responsibility to one another and our ability to connect even when it is necessary to be physically distant.
We had over 50 works of art, most from artists right here in the Tri-Cities, though we also had artists participating from as far as Ireland!
What are your upcoming opportunities for artists?
Davin: We are working on a Drive-In art show for once we reach Phase 2 in Benton County. We're also working on strategies to keep artists working and to take art to the people in a time of COVID-19 (and beyond). We should have an innovative program launched by September 2020. If an artist would like to know more please contact DBC at
[email protected].
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Grace Calibo
Exploring Mediums in Quarantine
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Born in Everett and now living in the Tri-Cities, artist
Grace Calibo
has been printed in the publication
Tumbleweird
and hung in shows by
DrewBoy Creative
. With a foundation based in digital art, she focuses primarily on ink painting, linoleum carving, and printmaking.
As a creator of abstract nature pieces, detailed acrylic dragon paintings, and neatly carved prints of anything she can dream up, her art isn’t confined to a single medium, genre, or mood.
We asked Grace to tell us about some
great graphic novels
she's been reading lately, being self-taught, and the secrets of her quarantine creative process.
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Grace Calibo,
Covered Bridge
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We know you like to make your work using a variety of mediums, do you have a favorite medium? If so, which one is it and why? Are there any others you are hoping to explore?
I picked it up less than a year ago but my favorite medium, by far, is linoleum cutting and printmaking. It’s such an involved process that when I have the finished print in my hands I feel especially accomplished. As for a medium I’d like to try, I’ve never had the chance to use oil paint. I think they’d be fun to use but I’m holding off until I can figure out an area to work in that’s better ventilated!
What is your process usually like when you’re making work?
Step one in my process is coming up with the concept of what I’m going to make, usually based on a story I’ve made up or mood I want to materialize. From there, the next steps depend on the medium. Usually, if I decide to use ink or acrylics for a more abstract piece, I go straight into painting and embrace the spontaneous nature of having next to no plan.
For anything else, especially linoleum cutting, I’m an avid planner since most of my creative work is done during the sketching phase. My sketches and preliminary line work are done digitally so I can freely manipulate it and iron out all the composition details before I start the final piece. Once I’m satisfied with what I see, I’ll transfer it to canvas, paper, or linoleum. At this point, thanks to all my planning, all that’s left is to take my time and execute the piece to the best of my ability.
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Grace Calibo,
Misty Morning Man
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You describe yourself as “self-taught.” How did you find your aesthetic outside of a structured educational environment?
Finding my aesthetic is a pursuit of making art that I find compelling or nice to look at. A large part of my process is looking for methods to bring me closer to my desired style. Also, though it’s a term I use myself and it's entirely accurate, I feel "self-taught" implies a certain level of purposeful study happening. When trying new mediums and techniques, I tend to throw myself into the deep end and learn what I’m doing as I go. It’s not necessarily a method that works for everyone but I’m quite happy with the results so far.
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Has quarantined affected your creative process?
Before quarantine I had art shows to prepare for, projects to work on, and meetings with other artists to keep me busy and inspired. Obviously, my schedule has opened up quite a bit and, because of this, I let days go by without so much as sketching when I couldn’t find motivation. I did my best to remain productive in other ways, such as learning how to add pockets to pocketless clothing, but I found myself missing my own art.
I think one of the most important things about staying motivated in such an unbelievably stressful time is remembering why you create. I make art for myself. I make art because I’m less happy when I don’t. So, while my process hasn’t changed much, I suppose the source of my motivation has had to change. Less motivation in the interest of future plans and more motivation in the interest of simply seeing what I can create.
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SUPPORT COMMUNITY
Help Local Artists with Paint and Purchases
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Help out the San Juan Island community with Alchemy Arts Project’s
Community Mural Project
by pitching in to help paint or by donating to the cause.
15% of all sales from
Verso Jewelry
will be donated to Black Lives Matter Seattle King county now until July 4th as part of their Lockdown Love campaign. Plus, all pieces are priced at a sliding scale! Pay what you can!
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CREATIVITY IS EVERYWHERE
Links to Get Animated About
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Washington Filmworks (WF) is the private 501(c)(6) non-profit organization that manages the Motion Picture Competitiveness program as well as a diversity of resources for the creative industries in Washington State. WF's mission is to create economic development opportunities by building and enhancing the competitiveness, profile and sustainability of Washington State’s film industry.
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At Whipsmart, we are unapologetic advocates for creative people and businesses. We give creative professionals the tools they need to succeed, by meeting them where they’re at—offering intentionally curated mentorships, job opportunities, and business resources scaled to every stage of their career.
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