Shockoe Artspeak

Back in early March, we were all introduced to Ken Gilbertson, an artist with a unique passion for bringing art into places where it is not always present. Just like many artists and gallery owners, Ken has suffered some set backs this year and is trying to breathe new life into his own space–Hatchback Gallery–and is ...

This week, Ryan and Garreth sit down with Dontrese Brown, a designer who has had his hands in all kinds of experiences from teaching to branding to social justice. Despite how varied his work may seem, the theme of his work has been steadily promoting the good of other people and society. Sit back and ...

We’ve all had a lot more time on our hands over the last few months than possibly ever before. For most of us, that means we have had more of everything: sleep, food, and hopefully studio time. The studio can be a tough place when the ideas aren’t flowing, and maybe there is something you ...

The work of a maker can be extremely solitary at times, but that doesn’t mean those voices we contend with stop. Even when the voices of other people are quiet, there is a constant discussion in our heads of whether or not the work we are creating is good or should even be made. Some ...

After more than a few weeks of businesses and galleries being shutdown or operating at minimal capacity, many artists and designers are seeing opportunities dry up and disappear. While this is hugely problematic, creative professionals may be the most equipped to handle these problems and most capable in recasting them as opportunities. This week, spurred ...

Like many of you, we feel a lot of fatigue over the sadness and senselessness of the events that have been playing out in our country over the last few weeks. We’ve taken the time lately to listen and learn and process everything that has been going on. This is just the beginning, and–in some ...

The world is incredibly heavy lately, and it is hard to understand everything going on and see a way forward. People are dying, cities are burning, we are all hurting, and it is hard to get out of bed some days. But maybe the world needs the artists, designers and creatives the most right now. ...

For our 40th episode, we decided that it would be good to take a step back and revisit a few of the topics we have covered over the last year and a half. To help us clarify, our good friend Ian C. Hess joins us for the first in a recurring series where he quotes ...

Sometimes it seems like the only thing we are supposed to do as artists and designers, and sometimes it just seems like an imprecise buzzword. Whatever the case is, collaboration is always buried somewhere in our conversations about our practices. No matter where you enter the conversation, whether through economics, professional practice, or exploration, collaboration ...

Life in the times of global pandemic has brought up a lot of thoughts that we could easily brush aside when everything was normal before. Countless videos, podcasts and more have dealt with anxiety. We even revisited dealing with anxiety a few episodes back. It’s a great topic to talk about when we can all ...

Life in the times of global pandemic has brought up a lot of thoughts that we could easily brush aside when everything was normal before. Countless videos, podcasts and more have dealt with anxiety. We even revisited dealing with anxiety a few episodes back. It’s a great topic to talk about when we can all ...

We never get away from the basics. We’ve all heard that in school and life and everywhere else, so we decided to drop back into one: color. As a painter and a designer, Ryan and Garreth approach the basics from opposite sides at times, so it is worth unpacking what these approaches look like. How ...

Life in the times of global pandemic has brought up a lot of thoughts that we could easily brush aside when everything was normal before. Countless videos, podcasts and more have dealt with anxiety. We even revisited dealing with anxiety a few episodes back. It’s a great topic to talk about when we can all ...

It’s felt a little like an eternity for most of us. We’ve been stuck in the house, inundated with Zoom meetings, and we’ve been trying to think of creative ways to make life a bit more bearable while social distancing. This week, our episode is all about what we have seen, what we’ve done and ...

It’s been a bit crazy for you lately, huh? Same here. After a short hiatus due to (non-pandemic) sicknesses, we wanted to just check back in and talk a little about what we have seen–good and bad–in the last few weeks. Life is different in the gallery world, especially for a non-profit like Shockoe Artspace: ...

We wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that we are going to be LIVE! and in MOVING IMAGES! We will be doing our first live podcast via Zoom on April 10th. Check out the details in this short update and do two quick things to get in on the action: ...

We all got urged to start pursuing art and design from someone earlier in our lives, and for many of us, it was a teacher that poked and prodded us along. Some teachers encouraged or patted us on the back with congratulations, while others pushed us to do better and held us accountable when we ...

Inspiration can carry some weird juju with it. As a culture, we seek to be inspired: we hang inspirational sayings in our homes, we read inspirational books, but we still get writers’ block, designers’ funk, artistic logjams or whatever we want to call it. This can happen for a number of reasons, but sometimes, it’s ...

Origin stories are as much about who you are now as they are about where you came from. We all have them, and–if you think back–there is a something for each of us that seems like it started it all or something you have grown to look back at with greater and greater fondness. We ...

Damien Hirst once spoke about “the horror of being in a studio with a blank canvas,” and we all know what he means. Whether you are a fine artist, designer, filmmaker, writer or any other ilk within the creative spectrum, studio practice is something of a love/hate relationship. We love to be in our studios, ...