RAW: Intersection at Art and Artist’s Square

Thanks to West Orlando News Online (WONO), Delilah Baumle (ace art extraordinaire) and I were able to attend an event called Discovery collaborated by RAW, held at The Abbey in Downtown Orlando. We wanted a first glimpse of the local art scene and something that Artist’s Square can come back with to inform our artist members, WONO and others who have “liked” our page on Facebook. Given this opportunity to speak to a few of the artists in their respective creative works, we were able to gain insight of their objectives, enthusiasm, and what their passion means to them. We learned more about RAW while inhaling our own experience, which I will first share with you.

RAW is an arts organization that hand-selects and spotlights various independent artists in shows held in cities, such as: Orlando, Denver, Indianapolis, and Seattle. It is a lavish event, adorned with much diverse creative art and “something will be found” in the eyes of the beholder.

RAW has strength and backed by a profound mission: To provide up-and-coming artists creative tools, resources and exposure. It was loud and clear in my vision, which at one point was the spotlight of Lady Gaga approaching the art scent and serenading Bad Romance; a song of newly twisted love and infatuation to a perfect affair for Artist’s Square.

Given the chance to first check out the visual arts scene, we interviewed and met a few of the artists. As we approached them, we could see why most of their faces were stuck in a time warp of excitement and surrealism. RAW either approached the artist to attend this event or the artist submitted a piece for a chance to be selected.

During RAW, we witnessed the works of Krystiano D’Costa:  A famed urban artist of Rio de Janiero, who uses amazing colors and time to express his culture. We met an artist by the name of Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo; a Graphic Designer and Photographer with a personality as colorful and engaging as his artwork. When we asked Rich about his artwork he said, “I create pictures that tell stories.  That is my goal.” We met with artist Matthew Sutton, a traditional artist, who was asked to attend. And at last, but certainly not least, we met Miranda Kelley who was approachable and radiated in the dimly lit atmosphere. Her artwork was not only impressive, but she expressed a great appreciation for being there.

As we moved on, we were entertained by an in-your-face explosive dancer of DRIP and passed by models with their soothing, ghostly walks during the course of the night with newness and grandeur, heights of stature. A constant reminder to everyone: RAW is not only creative in visual arts and music, but the glitz and glamour come from the fashion artwork displayed there, one of which was by the works of Cristina Gonzalez who established a fashion line called Cheero Citizen in late 2011.

The musical talent was supplied by a local company called Booked Promotions. They featured Billy Floyd, Fiery Sushi, and Blaine the Mono: a female-fronted alternative/rock group who has been featured in WONO before. We got the chance to speak with Promotions Manager, Danny Alvarez who informed us Booked Promotions helps promote independent music and focuses on elevating talented artists. In a nutshell, “they sold us great local music and we bought it”.

To sum the experience up, RAW is a night full of talent and excitement surrounded by various independent artists of visual art, music, hairstylists, makeup, and fashion. The dress code is cocktail-attired, but this one-night effort held no value in comparison to the time and effort it takes for the artists to display their work and dress the part.

Looking forward to bringing art to your world,

Racquel Cruz
WONO Creative Spotlight
Founder, www.artists-square.com

Visit the following host sites for more information:

RAW: http://www.rawartists.org/
DRIP: http://www.ilovedrip.com/
Booked Promotions: http://www.bookedpromotions.com/

Vote, follow and Promote the Local Artists:

Art
Miranda Kelley:
https://www.facebook.com/MirandaLKelley
Matthew Sutton:
http://facebook.com/MatthewShowcase
Rich Johnson:
http://www.spectaclephoto.com/rich-johnson/
Krystiano D’Costa:
http://www.krystianosdesigns.com/About_us.html

Music
Vote for Blaine the Mono for Hard Rock Rising 2013: https://www.facebook.com/hardrockorlando?sk=app_205164529573076&app_data=eyJhcnRpc3RfaWQiOiIxNDU1Mzc0In0%3D
Billy Floyd:
http://www.billyfloyd.com/
FierySushi:
https://www.facebook.com/FierySushi

Fashion
Cristiana Gonzalez:
http://www.cheerocitizen.com