Two little gals traveled all the way from the Big Apple to uncharted territory- Brooklyn. Why you ask? EX LOCUM founder, Ana Krutchinsky, and I were venturing to an art gallery hosted by NYC-based student run production company, Rascal Arts. Rascal Arts is overflowing with talent, from actors to designers to producers to visual artists; they are forging a path for young artists to fearlessly break the rules and create on their own terms.
The gallery was held at The Shoestring Press and featured a medley of original art/poetry by company members and submissions from outside artists. The work was utterly powerful and thought provoking as it touched on subjects such as police brutality, terrorism, and well, human nature in general. The work oozed with a common thread, one that we often try to shield ourselves from in order to keep from getting hurt-love. The theme of love was undeniable. It heavily influenced the essence of the entire event. Everyone was truly thrilled to be there. They were there for the love of art and poetry, the love of the jazz music playing in the background, the love for their friends who had orchestrated such a wonderful event, and of course the love of free food!
I was lucky enough to snag Rascal Arts member, Paige Simunovich, for a hot second to ask her a few questions about the mission of the gallery and Rascal Art’s itself. She highlighted an idea that many people often forget as we try to figure out how we want to spend the rest of our lives at the lovely age of 18. She said, “ There are buckets of talented artists who go unrecognized because it’s not their main thing, but you can be a visual artist who also does theater or fashion or science. You aren’t limited to just one path.” She also emphasized the idea that the beauty of art is that it’s tangible. Anyone can learn, it just takes exorbitant amounts of hard work, and falling on your face a few times, until you reach that magical moment when everything clicks.
Rascal Arts is undoubtedly on the rise so watch out for their future events and don’t be afraid to create, even if it isn’t your “main thing.”
