Pioneer Valley Artists

An ongoing project to expose the faces and voices of the artists living in the pioneer valley.

[pioneerartists]

I'm thrilled to announce that The Witch’s Mark show will be shown at Hope and Feather's in Amherst, MA for the month of July, 2015. The diverse group show represents a visual exploration of the spiritual self through the feminine connection to nature. Exhibiting photographs, paintings, sculptures, and illustrations from both international and American artists, The Witch’s Mark seeks to reclaim the female body from the male gaze through powerful and active representations. The Witch’s Mark features works by Gillian Chadwick, Liza Corbett, William Crisafi, Helene Delmaire, Sam Dere, Burial Ground, Courtney Brooke Hall, Caitlin McCormack, Alison Scarpulla, K. Lenore Siner, Glyn Smyth, and Emily Theobald. The show runs from July 2 through July 25, 2015. At Hope and Feathers Gallery In Amherst MA An opening reception will be held on July 2 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM coinciding with the Amherst Art Walk. An artist reception will be held on July 11, from 4:30 to 7:00 pm.

[pioneerartists]

1. Name: Ashley Barton

a.Website: bravenewcupcakes.com

2. Age: 30

3. Art Medium: Food, words, photographs.

4. Hails from Scarborough, ME

5. Currently Living in Northampton, MA

6. What drew you to move to or stay in the Pioneer Valley?

I moved here for school. It was an impersonal and purely functional decision. I’ve left a couple of times since, but I keep coming back. Sometimes it feels small. Sometimes it feels strange, filled with younger and younger, unfamiliar faces. But it’s so beautiful. And it feels like home.

7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community?

The Valley food revival, starring farm-to-table everything and local microbreweries by the dozen... This awesomeness can be as intimidating as it is inspiring. I prefer witnessing craft food businesses at their adolescent, awkward stages: a table at a local punk show, a pop-up cart at a barely relevant event for a friend of a friend. Those are the people that I want to talk to. My conversations with those people keep me excited, inspired and scheming.

I went to culinary school but never had the ego or drive to make a real go of it in a kitchen or as a food business entrepreneur (yet anyway). I’m a worrier by nature. A doubter. But I love food too much to not cook. And I cook too much to not share. Not everyone nerds out about spices, but it’s easy to connect about food. We all eat. It’s a medium every single person can relate to. I prefer to think of art as an arena for learning more about ourselves and each other.  

8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?

Only in a vague sort of way. I don’t have a plan or an end goal right now. I don’t know what I want to do or who I want to be. And it has always seemed silly to leave a place so rich without proper cause.

9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists?

I would love to see more openness in the community. More and more friends in Northampton and Amherst are relegated to cafe and clothing store spaces to showcase their art. Are you really experiencing a piece of art tucked between stylishly dressed mannequins or hanging above your table while you slurp coffee? Area galleries seem to cater to a defined and established arts scene, and that is blatantly contrary to the purpose and power art has to expand its audience’s expectations and horizons.

10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?

I certainly have never felt as though what I do is “art.” Art hangs in museums. Art is cooler than I am. If you tend to be insecure, labels create feelings of jealousy, inadequacy, and exclusion. The more confident of us feel bolstered by them, as if they’ve shown us the way to success via stamped approval. Twelve years in the Valley have taught me that creativity is fickle; most people don’t recognize their own talent.  

[pioneerartists]

1.Name:

Sam Chaplin

a.Website: honeysuck.bandcamp.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/flashesofher

2. Age: 26

3. Art Medium: I primarily make music, drawings, and poems. Sometimes I make embroidery pieces, collage, jewelry, and photographs. I recently was cast in a role in a Smith student's thesis film and I'm really excited to get to do some acting. I sing in a punk band called Honeysuck that just re-formed after a multi year hiatus, and this is my current creative focus. In terms of producing art I mostly like making stuff that's pretty intimate and usually takes the form of drawings or writings or gifts given to friends and family and lovers. It can be hard for me to self promote because everything I make feels really private, i.e. this year I put out a zine of poems/drawings titled “Anne” that was four years in the making, and I still haven’t really publicized it at all.  It’s like—wait, why would anyone want to engage with this super personal thing I made? But people do, and that can be hard to remember.

As a participant in the art world I tend to more publicly appear in a support role for friends that are musicians whether it's tour managing, doing merch, booking shows, etc. I find these roles to be really importantly fulfilling and I'll probably keep doing that stuff forever. That being said, I'd like to be more visible and active with my life as a performer and that's what I'm focusing on right now.

4. Hails from:

I was born in Colorado but I grew up in a town called Woodmere which is on the south shore of Long Island, New York right on the border of Queens.

5.Currently Living in:

Northampton, MA

6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley?

I came to Northampton in 2006 as a Smith College student. I've mostly lived here since then with brief stints in Boston, Brooklyn, and Pittsfield. I think I keep coming back to the valley because it feels like home to me. The people that I love the most live here and I’m typically able to do what I want to do on a daily basis-- whether that's creatively, socially, intellectually, whatever. Also there's something magnetic about this place that I can't really explain, maybe it’s the fresh air. Growing up right outside of New York City I always assumed I'd live in a big city as an adult, but somehow that's never felt quite right for me. I love the mountains, the lush green trees and flowers, and the view while driving over the Calvin Coolidge bridge.

I met Ally Einbinder (bassist of Potty Mouth, Honeysuck, Urochromes) in 2005 when we were both accepted to Smith, and decided to request each other as roommates. She's been by my side since then as a housemate for a number of those years, radio show co-host, bandmate, and best friend. It would be ridiculous not to acknowledge that this person is a primary reason for me staying in the valley. As my partner in all forms of inquiry, self-reflection / self-awareness, and generally super fun times-- I pretty much don't want to live in a place where she isn't around!

My boyfriend / longtime BFF Dan Cashman makes life in the valley pretty appealing because he makes it possible for me to always dance to soul 45s on Saturday nights, has the largest and weirdest VHS collection I could ever hope to access, and usually on our days off he’ll take me on a date to Donut Dip and the thrift stores. I could say a million things about this person’s role in my artistic process, but I’ll try to keep it brief and say that it’s important to be in relationship with people who both challenge you and support you.

7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community?

I find that the most supportive people I know are my women artist and musician friends here that engage critically with their own artistic work and the work of others, and constantly question oppressive dynamics at play in the music and arts scenes. These are the people who have committed themselves to the hard work of actually naming when something isn’t okay—whether it’s racist microaggressions, fucked up show fliers, or show line-ups entirely populated by white cis male performers. I guess what I'm saying is that I know that I need people around me speaking to these problems in order to feel that I can engage in making creative work in any sort of public way. Sure, I can sit alone in my bedroom and work on some ink drawings or build a necklace but if I'm ever going to engage in any type of creative "scene" I need the people beside me to be ready to both address fucked up behaviors / actions of others AND to be accountable when we're called out for perpetrating those things ourselves. My friends Victoria Mandanas (drummer in Potty Mouth, Chemical Peel) and Kiana Saroce (guitarist/vocalist Blessed State, Remote Desire, Dead Shadow, Fake, Potty Mouth) - who are two of the most skilled musicians I've ever known - have been particularly brilliant and brave about naming this shit on a regular basis despite harsh feedback for doing so.

In terms of practical support, I'm really grateful for Flywheel Arts existing as a space in this area that is fully committed to DIY and is doing it really well. I just recently moved back here and some friends from out of town got in touch with me about wanting to play in Western Mass. I struggled for a little bit to come up with a venue that would work, and then I just decided to check out what was going on with Flywheel and see how possible it would be for me to make some shows happen there pretty soon. Unsurprisingly, Meghan Minior (artist, musician in a million bands, Flywheel booker) was an invaluable resource to me in getting this show booked. Meghan is a person that has provided tons of practical support to me in this scene over the years. If I come to her with an idea, she almost always comes through with helping me to actualize it—and with speed, kindness, and enthusiasm that is unparalleled. Meghan is actually the backbone of western mass DIY punk and I think she deserves some kind of amazing salary for this, along with unlimited tater tots with various dipping sauces, and a PARADE.

8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?

I think about this all the time, but I don’t really know how my own creative work would benefit from living in a different place. Mostly when I think about leaving the area it’s due to high rent costs in this town, and a really strong and overwhelming desire to live my life on tour all the time. I worked as tour manager for Potty Mouth for three weeks of their first full U.S. tour and it was most exciting and fulfilling time in my whole life. My wider circle of friends and acquaintances is made up of musicians that tour on a frequent basis, and I definitely feel some heart pangs when I talk with them about being on the road. I really love the routine of tour, driving a million hours and then showing up in a different city every night where maybe you’ll get to take in some of the landscape/climate and eat some food quickly but you’re just primarily seeing the inside of venues and stumbling out to the van early in the morning holding your sleeping bag, searching for coffee before getting on the road again. I’m a born nurturer and I also like to get shit done, traits that are very conducive to being a pretty amazing tour manager (haha, no modesty there).

9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists?

It seems that in other cities there are DIY scenes that uphold established practices to promote accountability regarding violent and oppressive behavior, that have systems in place to navigate how to proceed after harm is perpetrated, and that practice support/inclusion/boosting of artists who are people of color, who are women, who are queer, who are trans, who are disabled, who are low-income. While it could greatly benefit my own work and my friends’ work to step into a place where these things exist already as common practice, I’m not under any illusion that these practices naturally exist anywhere. The process of dismantling and rebuilding takes sustained energy, effort, commitment, intention, and patience. I like to think more about what I plan to do to create the scene that I want to be a part of, rather than what I want to see more of in general—because thinking that way is sort of inherently disappointing to me. I’m going to start out by being way less apologetic about my work, my way of being in the world, and my commitments to others. I refuse to allow the inconvenience of being disliked to prevent me from showing up for my friends / co-conspirators who are voicing anger and criticism of oppressive shit that’s perpetrated here. As an artist, I plan to be less timid about sharing my work publicly and to pursue projects that allow me to access the role of performer rather than supporter.

10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?

My only comment is that I invite dialogue and new friendships / collaborations to come out of this interview. Also- there are many important and influential artists and collaborators that I didn’t mention here but you know who you are and how important you are to me <3

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Rae Love 

a.Website: I don't currently have a personal website, most of my work is on my Instagram (@rae.love) 2. Age: Twenty-two years old. 3. Art Medium: I work in tattoo ink, watercolors, Micron pens, and blood, sweat and tears. 4. Hails from: Palmer, Massachusetts | Los Angeles, California 5.Currently Living in: Palmer, Massachusetts 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley?For a lack of better word, I feel as if "fate" is what drew me to the Pioneer Valley. I lived in Southern California for most of my life - I was forced to move back here, and though I fought it tooth and nail, moving back to the Pioneer Valley was the best decision I was ever required to make.

7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community?I'm not much of a social person, I don't exactly actively seek out support in the community, which is neither right nor wrong - it just causes me to find and rely on the support of the people I'm naturally surrounded by: my very close coworkers and friends and family, my clients, my online acquaintances, people who reach out to me, and in myself. And that's more support than I could have ever wanted, needed, or expected. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?I have considered leaving the area at least temporarily to better benefit my work, of course - one of the most beautiful things about being a tattoo artist is having that freedom to travel while working, bettering my skills and career and broadening my horizon. But even then, I'd still always consider Western Mass my home base, I would always come back to it in the end. I haven't considered leaving the area permanently - though I will never ever say never. If an opportunity to farther myself naturally comes along, I'm most likely going to take it. New England will most likely always have my heart and soul from this point on. 

9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? Like most of the other artists interviewed, I would like to see more readily available and cost effective venues, art galleries, art classes/workshops. I would like more artistic get-togetherness; paint nights between tattoo shops, "paint nights" between any and all kinda artists (whatever your media might be) - like I said, though I'm not much of a social person in general, I don't necessarily care to be in most other terms, but when it comes to art, I definitely think it's always helpful to be surrounded by other artists, bouncing ideas of one another, learning through each other through technique or constructive criticism or genuine advice. I would also like to see less animosity and more camaraderie, whether it be between tattoo shops or between individuals. 

10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?Sure. To extend my previous comment in the last question, there needs to be more camaraderie within the valley. Honestly, as someone who is new to the community, and is in it more by trade and less by choice (for lack of better word, I'm of course in it by choice as well), I am not as immersed in it quite yet, which gives me the perspective as an inside-outsider of the arts community in the Pioneer Valley. To be honest, at times, I feel the arts are not as much about the actual arts as it is a popularity contest. To put it in layman's terms, though this is not black-and-white and there are of course exceptions to this statement, I feel there are people in it for the arts and the arts alone, and some that are in it more for the arts and the "cool" points that come along with it. There are the people that accept and support any and all forms of art, whether or not they understand/agree/like it or not - and there are the people that turn up their noses to anyone's art that is different than theirs, or that they don't understand, or that is not what's "in" at the moment to your group of friends. I know plenty of artists that have felt estranged because of that and it's unfair. That being said, healthy competition is fine. Constructive criticism (keyword "constructive") is great, we all need it, every single one of us. But people need to understand that, no matter what, ALL art is art - no matter what it is, where it's displayed, what it's content is, etc. Everyone's art is different, as it should be - it's physically impossible for art to be exactly alike - and no one should ever be made to feel like an outcast, or unaccepted, or like less of an artist because of it. That's where the camaraderie comes in. As cliched as this sounds, as artists, we need to stick together and work together. As you all know, being an artist in this materialistic and oppressive world is hard enough as it is, we don't need to make it any harder for one another by alienating people for the art they, seeing as we all know our art is who we are as individuals. No one should be alienated for who they are. We all know this, therefore we should act on it. Be decent to one another. 

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Marv Quinones a.Website: sangreytierra.bandcamp.com 2. Age: 29 3. Art Medium: music 4. Hails from: Brooklyn, NY/Holyoke, MA 5.Currently Living in: Northampton MA 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? My mother moved here when I was a kid. Been in Holyoke most of my life outside of the time spent in foster homes and college. 7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? Genuine music enthusiasts of all varieties. I've always been confused by the amount of support and respect I get but I appreciate it immeasurably. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? A couple times, but I'm a teacher and have devoted my life to bettering my culture so it keeps me firmly planted in western mass for now.

9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? GENUINE attempts at building community and low income outreach through a medium/personality low income, urban kids can identify with. Rather see these kids in the studio, not the street. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley? Strive to make something new. Emulating through inspiration is one thing but this is 2015 and we need to innovate. Also, considering the amount of musicians in the area there's no reason we can't organize more festivals and showcases for just about any genre. It would be excellent to see something like Airwaves in Northampton in the future.

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: George William Myers

a.Website:  http://www.musicalepisode.com 2. Age: 34 3. Art Medium:  For visual work I use almost exclusively gouache, watercolor and ink.  As a musician I play bass and do some drum programming.  My music blog is almost exclusively about American Soul 45s from 1954-1974.

4. Hails from:  Everett, MA 5.Currently Living in:  Hadley, MA 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley?  University was what brought me to the area.  The natural beauty, strong community and friendships were a big reason I chose to stay.  I'm generally disinclined to city life and quickly fell in love with this region's proximity to major urban areas (Boston, NYC, Providence, etc) while still allowing me the peace of mind gifted from living in a rural/agricultural environment. 7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community?  I have some close friends who are particularly supportive but I mostly work out of a desire for self-fulfillment and less for the validation of others. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?  No.  I definitely think touring is an important part of being a healthy artist.  Meeting other people who are creating and working in different environments is always really inspirational.  I suppose the internet can do that to a degree these days but there's real strength in playing music, showing art or DJ'ing records to a room full of people who don't know you.  That being said, I'm mostly looking for mental and spiritual health and I generally find that here in the Pioneer Valley. 9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists?  I appreciate the hard work and DIY ethic of a lot of people here and am always excited by efforts in non-traditional venues like houses, barns, fields, warehouses, etc.  The work the Arts Trust is doing to secure a space for arts/artists in the valley is a big step in the right direction and I think municipal governments need to treat the arts as a natural resource.  There are models in the Netherlands wherein municipally owned properties are granted to artists who apply for the period of time they're not being used which is an obvious solution to an obvious problem, it would require administration and cost but that is how you properly manage and foster  your resources.  We don't just assume our civic infrastructure will emerge, be maintained and grow to meet demand and attract people: we invest in it and care for it and the arts community should be treated the same way.  There are also issues of access which should be considered in how we allocate our existing funding, energy and focus.  Broad representation of art and artists is where we find opportunities to come together, learn and celebrate what we have to offer as a region and I hope that in all the positive steps we make forward we are considerate of those facts.

10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?  I am a firm believer in a DIY ethos, it's usually very easy to do great and weird things with little to no money or resources and it's an important first step to take.  That being said I would encourage people to reach out and learn some of the traditional mechanisms for showing work because that's how we're able to make some structural change.  Apply for grants, apply for shows in galleries, set up your own events, approach people with a clear goal and simple proposal, reach out to other groups to collaborate.

I'm on the board of the Northampton Arts Council which funds artists performing in Northampton. Many cities and towns have their own arts councils which are great resources for helping to actualize your projects. http://www.northamptonartscouncil.org/

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Dean McKeever

a.Website: deanjmckeever.com 2. Age: 28 3. Art Medium: acrylic, watercolor, pen and ink 4. Hails from: Wilbraham, MA 5.Currently Living in: East Longmeadow, MA 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley?      An opportunity to become a home owner and my undying love for the area. 7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community?      My friends and family, and a handful of local businesses. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?      Yes, but I believe that I am meant to stay here. 9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists?      More businesses ready and willing to showcase artists' work, as well as more groups and social events to help promote local artisans. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?      The creative scene in the Valley is like none other, and I work hard to contribute what I can.  

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Gabriel Chicoine   a.Website: DustWitch.bandcamp.com / gnarlfielded.tumblr.com

 2. Age: 27  3. Art Medium: music / illustration  4. Hails from: central MA  5.Currently Living in: Northampton MA  6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? College (UMass), then friends, jobs and fear of change.  7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? At a very grassroots / DIY level, people are very supportive. People buy tapes at concerts, help us book shows and pay us modestly if possible. Online, with my drawings, people would commission drawings and send me positive comments. That's all on a very personal, direct artist-to-audience level. As far as being supported by an established venue or institution, that relationship doesn't really exist, but I also don't necessarily expect or want that at this point.  8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? Only for the possibility of finding other artists and opportunities for collaboration (ie. LA to find film scoring opportunities). But I also don't want to take for granted the people that I work with here.  9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? Thoughtful music and art venues that embrace creativity and diversity and aren't focused on a bottom line (which inevitably caters to the most homogenized, generic artists and forms). It's pretty telling that more and more nationally-touring bands are playing an asbestos-covered basement in Holyoke when they come to the valley, rather than a legit venue with a stage and sound system. Also, there should be more of an effort to provide resources for artists. This area benefits so much from the "creative economy," and yet, the artists who are the foundation of that economy rarely receive any reciprocation in the form of subsidized studio spaces, grants, or other financial support for their work. Most artists I know are losing money to make art. They don't even break even (myself included). With the cost of living in this area the way it is, many of the more devoted artists I've met have moved to other places in the country so they could dedicate more time to art and less time to paying the bills. I'm lucky enough to have a job doing graphic design that gives me creative satisfaction and makes ends meet, but without that, I might have followed that path as well. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley? I think we're really lucky to have so much talent in this area, and there are so many great happenings in the valley. But It seems that much of this is in spite of, not because of, the community at-large. There needs to be more acknowledgment of the value of the creative class, and measures need to be taken to protect artists from being priced out of the Valley.

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: My name is Keenan O'Connor; these are things I'm involved with, at varying degrees of activity: Neoteric: http://neoteric3.bandcamp.com Warm: http://warm.bandcamp.com Moron:  http://tamperedreels.bandcamp.com/moron-demo One Happy King:  http://onehappykingdm8.bandcamp.com Mt. Erebus:   http://mounterebus.bandcamp.com/album/cerberus http://mounterebus.bandcamp.com/album/060813 2. Age: 26 3.Medium: I'm a musician.  I identify as a guitarist who has a lot to learn about bass, drums, prepared instruments, electronic music & recording/sound engineering.I'm also in the process of lifting off what will hopefully become a modest label formed to represent like-minded weirdos who either originally hail from or are newly transplanted to the area. 4 & 5.) I hail from the greater Hartford area of Connecticut. I currently bounce between residing in CT and Holyoke, MA. 6.) What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley?I met Nicholas Holtz when we were about 13 years old.  We hated each others' guts. I thought he was a mean and merciless prankster with a mohawk and a skateboard, and he thought I was a musical theater dweeb.Neither of us were wrong. A little over a year later, we met again and found we shared quite a few common interests,particularly involving music.  He invited me to make some noise in his parents' basement, which became a weekend ritual of fast friendship, ruining our hearing and perfecting our puerile sense of humorfor the better part of the next 5 years, and beyond.  There's much more to be said about this, and most of it's pretty funny. 7.) Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? Discovering the Flywheel Arts Collective was crucial to us finding the inspiration to beginscrewing around with different ideas both within and far outside of the general valence of hardcore. Chris Dooley nurtured our interest and went out of his way to book our stupid bands. He also made sure to inform us about what became some of the most life-changing shows and events of my (I could probably say our) entire adolescence.  This could wind up being several paragraphs so I'll cut myself off here for now. 8.) Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? Yes and no.  I'm sure this is something everyone mulls over, from time to time.I personally find something new to love about western Massachusetts all the time, all of its drawbacks aside.  This place continues to be the haven of excitement and inspiration for me that it was from day one,and new people arrive with fresh and challenging musical perspectives every year.That being said, who knows what the coming years will bring.  MA and everything that's come along with it has certainly left an indelible impression, and no matter where I go it will remain the standard by which I weigh my experience. 9.) What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists?ALL AGES VENUES. 10.) Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?Don't be afraid to speak up! Whether to flex yourself creatively, express enthusiasm, or call out something you objectionable; the onus is on all of us to listen to one another.  The world gets stranger every day, and the word "community" becomes that much more precious with it.We don't all have to be best buds, but we ought to bear in mind that we should be on the same side, here!

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Epi Arias a.Website: www.http://epiarias.wix.com 2. Age: 32 3. Art Medium: Written Word 4. Hails from: Brooklyn, NY 5.Currently Living in: Northampton, MA 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley?  People like you with projects like these. Well, that and Bueno y Sano.

7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? Honestly, bars. I've started/reinvented/sustained countless projects over tequila shots and picklebacks. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? I have, but what reasonable New Englander hasn't? I often think of moving to warmer places: California, Hawaii...shit, Uruguay. But there's something about complaining about the winter that makes me angry enough to want to write just a little more. After all, a complacent artist is not a very interesting one. Maybe I'll stay a while. 9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? More workshops. For picking up new techniques or refining old ones. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley? Sure, do bold work and don't be afraid of pissing people while doing it. This area needs that. I think a lot of the time, we get too stuck in the style of it all and forget the rawness of things simply because we want to appear cool and/or "in-tune". Ultimately, I just think we all need to get weirder.

[pioneerartists]

Can an Artist Survive in the Valley? Young local creatives reinvent their careers for changing times

Kamil Peters steps away from his metal shop to lead me on a walk through 17,000 square feet of new working space. He saunters from room to room in a cavernous old industrial mill building along the canal in Holyoke, pointing out the work spaces for artists: an oil painter and a printmaker here, a gl

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Ben Reigle

a.Website:

www.benreigle.com  www.faceboook.com/oxenmass

www.facebook.com/ghostsmoker

2. Age: 37

3. Art Medium: Tattooer, musician, acrylic and oil painter, watercolorer, pen and inker, graphic designer.

4. Hails from: Stafford, Connecticut

5.Currently Living in: Holyoke, Massachusetts 

6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? Coming from a small town, with a mindset befitting a place with a sub-Nascar race track, I grew up an outcast. I didn't fit the norms of what I was exposed to. I hated sports, hated racing and things with engines, hated a lot of stuff in my formative years. That hatred fueled me to seek out other non-conformists who had similar perspective. Somewhat of a natural ability to traverse all different sub-genres of people came very easy to me, and while others dismissed that as being fake, I have learned that a honest and genuine person can identify with others regardless of whatever label they or others put on them. This all led me to hardcore music. I played in a band in the early-mid 90’s. We found a home in the western Mass hardcore scene, and never left. Coming from my hometown, the Pioneer Valley was a vibrant, artsy community with a lot of people that shared the same view on the world as I did. It didn't seem exclusionary, it seemed accepting. It was new, fun and exciting. I look back and wonder how much of that was wanderlust and how much was reality, but as my sister went to NYU in 93-96 and I was in NYC on at least a monthly basis, I like to think I had a decent understanding of it all. Western Mass seemed like home from the get go. There was a lack of the pretentiousness that I felt in Connecticut, and still to this day, comparing the two, leads me to the same conclusion, albeit having a far more informed opinion. Years passed and life happened and I am still here now, a father, a business man, a professional artist, semi-professional musician. I find inspiration from those I surround myself with, and this area has some of the sweetest, most caring most human beings I have ever encountered. That is what drew me here and what keeps me here to this day, like minded outcasts who have made it in one way or another by their own terms. Now that I have learned to live with the hatred, and to channel it properly and not let it consume me, I find myself yearning to go to the woods to live.

7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community?  Now, it is the people I actively seek out, I do not expect anything from anyone. I try and earn it. Having worked at a music store for years, being in bands for over 2 decades, and tattooing for 9 years, I have been truly blessed with some of the greatest encounters I could ever ask for. My client base is my true support system, they help me pay my bills and afford a nice life that I am proud of. I find support in other local businesses, reaching out and being reached out to by people. Taking care of one another. I love being a part of a community, I think I am a socialist at heart, meaning I think if we all play a part in our communities and our communities thrive, we all do better and it resonates outwards from there. 

8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?  I have left, I moved to Burlington, VT. for a music store job in 2005. It was rough for me. I had a persona here, or so I thought, and moving away and losing all bragging rights about this and that really helped me deconstruct my view of myself. Now that I have questioned that ego mentality, or try to practice that at the very least, and I have learned to take critiques, I have a different view. I love traveling to go tattoo, and tattooing affords me the chance to go do that. I love going to Atlanta and Orlando a few times a year each, and every time I do I return with a renewed energy, but also a renewed love for the Valley. I swear there is something magic about going from Holyoke to Easthampton and going over Mt. Tom, even after the microburst tore it to shreds, it still invigorates me. 

9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? As a tattooer, I am fairly fulfilled by The Blueprint Gallery. Working by appointment only has led me to a sense of peace, calm and focus that I could have never attained at other tattoo studios. As far as other medium, I feel as though there is a lack of interesting galleries to show work in. I find most of the galleries to be exclusive and tending to showcase art that never speaks to me. Foe and a few others are exceptions.  As far as music goes, I feel as though the larger venues around here being owned by a monopoly that has no interest in supporting the local music scene has been a detriment to the musicians around here. I think the venues in Northampton could be like a training grounds. Start at the small room, start booking that out well move onto the next room, and on up until you are headlining the biggest room in the town, and all along helping raise the music up in the area. I am a dreamer in that sense I suppose, for I do not see the structures in place changing. There are far too many bro bars, thug laden places where you feel unsafe, and again monopolies that have ruined a lot of opportunity. It would be nice to have decent size room with a great stage and good sound that could circumvent the regime and get some locals stage time with some nationals without having to sell your own tickets, and support a place that lets their buildings crumble and their staffs starve. The fact that they deem where on the bill your band plays by how your ticket sales go it an awful practice. I personally believe that is a bullshit format. I am an artist and a musician, and although I have a sales position in my past, I want to concern myself with creating and marketing my band, not slinging tickets for a venue. That job of promotion should land on the venues shoulders more in my opinion.There are some great venues doing some great stuff, I think the Flywheel does a great job and have for a long time, and a handful of promoters who are trying to fight against this norm that do a great job in venues like the 13th Floor, The Ohm, The Platinum Pony and I am sure I am forgetting some. A place like Ralph’s Diner in Worcester is a perfect example of a place with character, a great sized room and the ability to book the place and draw people in. We need that here. 

10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley? I appreciate the opportunity to speak on that. Without maintaining a negative mindset, I feel like the illusion of the Valley is different from reality. There is this liberal progressive facade that gets projected, but I honestly see past the facade. Inherent underlying racism is clearly evident. Classism and gentrification are evident everywhere you look. There always has been a beautifully cultured and rich “counter” culture in the Valley, regardless of the ever present culture-wealth-race gap that stares us in the face daily. I try not to dwell in the bitter angry mental state for too long, and when I find myself creeping there, I stop, take a breath, take a look around and realize how amazing a life I have here in the Pioneer Valley. Although some things are worth fighting and bitching about with out a shred of doubt, I also want to be mindful of how beautiful life here surrounded by amazing people really is.

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Sarah Ann Gagné a.Website: sarah-gagne.com / withthought.com 2. Age: 32 3. Art Medium: Photography, Culinary Arts 4. Hails from: Three Rivers, Massachusetts 5.Currently Living in: Three Rivers, Massachusetts 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? I've lived in the Pioneer Valley all my life. Although I have some opportunities to leisurely travel throughout the year, I always come back. I am incredibly close to my family and they also reside here. 7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? It helps to find friends and contacts that critique and offer positive advice, whether it's personal or artistic advice. It also helps to own a vehicle! Driving is one of my biggest inspirations, and the Pioneer Valley is perfect for aimless driving. Something surely ends up stirring in your brain after a little weekend roadtrip. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? I have, yes. If that opportunity ever presented itself to me, I will always fondly think of my time here in Western Massachusetts along with the people I've met. But no matter where I might end up, I know I will never have access to a place with such beauty and mystery like the Quabbin Reservoir. 9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? I would like to see an artists collective and more gallery openings, and a weekly meeting of like-minded souls where people can exchange ideas and connect with other creatives. And if food is ever involved in this meeting, that would be a fantastic thing. Because food is always an inspiration to me. I've traveled up to Brattleboro, Vermont to process film and prints in the darkroom at the Vermont Center for Photography, and to have a community-operated darkroom in the Valley is something to consider. Analog photography is truly a dying art form, and we should step in and do our best to preserve the process. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley? Perhaps I'm not aware to this if it already exists, but it would be neat to have an email list or even a website for shows and gatherings. While Facebook invites are helpful, one go-to place with events and suggestions would be a great idea.

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Rachel Lauren (rs.)  a.Website: online alias - foxymulder69 (( http://poemmistress.tumblr.com/ )) 2. Age: 27 3. Art Medium: Poetry & line drawings (sometimes water & color involved) 4. Hails from: A home that never lasted for more than 4 years until now. 5.Currently Living in: Northampton, MA 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? 

A very expensive prom dress that meant attending UMass Amherst.

7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? 

Most of the support I find is from friends who like to get together make art. We go on adventures & take photos or drink beers in a living room & draw & joke. You can also find support if you pay a couple of hundred dollars for a workshop or art class at one of the surrounding non-profits. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work?

Yes, I'm currently in the process of moving. 9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? 

I'd like to see more free resources. Not just venues or galleries that support local artists, but open spaces to gather & create & share without pretension would, I think, open the community's eyes to the different types of creative individuals & allow a diversity of talent to emerge. There are plenty of great art non-profits in the area, but not so many that can provide all of these things. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley?

Sometimes I'm afraid that the Valley is too safe. People and artists are too comfortable or content or compliant. It's all a bunch of punks and weirdos, but they are doing the same things all their friends are doing, so there is really little room to rebel. I want more artists to push themselves outside of their own comfort zones, instead of feeling like they have to challenge others; try to change the way you think instead of trying to convince others to fall in line. Show your vulnerability.

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Daniel J. Cashman a.Website: http://trashcanland.tumblr.com 2. Age: 36 3. Art Medium: video/audio/collage 4. Hails from: Eastern, MA 5.Currently Living in: Northampton, MA 6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? 

Came for the UMASS, stayed for the ambience. 7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? 

Through friends and confidants. 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? 

Every day. 9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists? Less fake-liberal-upper middle class bullshit, more fucking shit up. 10. Do you have additional comments on the arts and music scene in the Valley? I'm getting too old for this shit.

[pioneerartists]

1.Name: Courtney Brooke  a.Website: http://www.lightwitch.com/ ( and http://pioneerartists.tumblr.com/ )

2. Age: 34 3. Art Medium: Primarily Photography 4. Hails from: The Pioneer Valley  5.Currently Living in: Palmer, MA  6. What drew you to move or stay in the Pioneer Valley? 

 I grew up here, in various towns in the area, and although I tried to leave a few times something about this place, perhaps it’s the nature, the laid back attitude, and great food, it pulls me back in .

 7. Where do you find support for your creative endeavors in the community? 

Aside from my small group of friends, most of my support comes from my online community. This project started because I thought that was a real shame. This area prides it’s self on being a haven for creatives, but I felt like I was either out side of some bubble or I just didn’t know the right people. As I started to talk more about this with my few creative friends in the area across all mediums the feeling was much the same. Where are the venues, where are the galleries, and more over who are these people making art? 

 8. Have you ever considered leaving the area to better benefit your work? 

Not even once. My love for New England and the Pioneer Valley will always trump money or fame for me. I do value having a strong community of broad thinkers, makers and doers, who support, push and raise each other up. I hope this project can be a step in that direction.   9. What would you like to see more of in the Valley to better support artists?

Firstly more venues and galleries.  Spaces that are inclusive to a diverse crowd and work to dismantle the concept of keeping art for the elite wealthy white folks of the world. Spaces, both physically and virtually, for artists to share ideas, concepts, gear, etc.  and collaborate in the name of growing as an artist and community.