Warm Soda Magazine | Issue Three

Issue 3

warm Soda art music culture

Featuring

Bruno Diaz aka

Qubensis

Staff Editorial Director & Co-Founder Lauren Leady editorial@warmsodamag.com Creative Director & Co-Founder Shelby Clayton creative@warmsodamag.com Layout Editor Bryan Bethel Writers & Contributors Alex St. Peters Ashley Klein Cal Stevens Logan Bryant Mariah Huelsmann Miranda Munguia Rosita Lauren Leady Zachary Boren Event Coordinator CyRhen Sohngs Friend to All/Moral Support Pup Buddy L. Associate Editors Ashley Klein Katherine Navarro Maggie Fazekas

Warm Soda Magazine 2821 Sanford Ave. Alton, IL 62002 Submissions Submit us samples of your art (copies of originals only). DVDs, books and music may be sent to our mailing address with “Submissions” written on the back of the envelope. Please send email links to editorial@warmsodamag.com with subject title “Submissions.” Please don’t send email attachments. Links only. We suggest uploading an online gallery.

We are happy to accept samples, but submissions do not guarantee coverage.

Samples will not be returned.

Legal The advertising, features, and reviews appearing within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. All rights to art, writing, photos, design, and/or likeness are property of respective owners, and no assumption of ownership is made by this publication or the publishers. Everything else is Warm Soda Magazine and may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from Warm Soda Magazine and the respective contributors.

Advertising Send inquiries to Ash Hagerstrand advertising@warmsodamag.com Cover Bruno Díaz Contact warmsodamagazine@gmail.com Warmsodamag.com Facebook.com/warmsodamagazine Instagram.com/warmsodamagazine patreon.com/warmsodamag

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Editor's Letter Editor’s Letter Welcome to issue 3. I’m always amazed by how quickly time passes between each issue. The grind of coming up with article ideas, writing, layout, etc. seems like a blink of an eye and BOOM the issue is published. My mom wasn’t lying when she said time goes fast.

However, there is always enough time to celebrate the spooky season of Halloween. Arguably the best time of year for many around the area, it is another reason to party, but it’s also a time to enjoy the (haunted) history of the Riverbend — and, of course, celebrate spooky, mysterious art! Our second annual Phantasmagoria will be held at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton Friday, Nov. 1. There will be three different music acts: Little Aliens on the Prairie, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship and Jesus Christ Supercar. We will also hold a costume contest and announce art show winners. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door. It’s going to be a fun and frightening time — don’t miss it!

During the call for art we had over 130 submissions! That’s mind-blowing!

I’m so humbled by this. We truly love every piece submitted, but unfortunately can only accept so many due to the amount of wall space available. I know some hard decisions were made by the guest juror Killer Napkins of St. Louis (Jason Spencer). He’s featured in this issue, so be sure to check that out.

Our next issue comes out Jan. 14, 2020. Before then, as the holidays approach, I just want to give everyone a little reminder to please buy local art and items from local small businesses. You’ll help someone out, and sometimes it can mean more than receiving a department store gift card. Just some food for thought.

Thank you for reading, and for being here.

Stay fizzy!

Lauren Leady

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Table of Contents Art

Carbonated Comics by Rosita 7 Bruno Díaz’s Solid Symbolism by Lauren Leady 8 Feeling Uneasy with Killer Napkins by Lauren Leady 16

Absorbing the Deep Layers of MeltyFace by Mariah Huelsmann 30 Megan Indelicato: A Badass Tattoo Artist by Rosita 44 DIY Spider Web by Rosita 46

The Installation of Cunst Gallery by Ashley Klein 50 Local Art Submissions 64-71

Music

Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship Gets Crabby by Cal Stevens 24

Gear Review Series by Cal Stevens 28 Music Looping Magic with Sister Wizzard by Ashley Klein 48

Culture

“With Blinders” by Mariah Huelsmann 72 6.5.2018 by Katherine Blanner 73 St. Louis Theater Organizations Provide Inclusivity by Lauren Leady, Mariah Huelsmann 40

The Bird That Devours Men! by Alex St. Peters 56

Two Projects, One Goal: Connecting Our Community by Logan Bryant 58

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150-500 sq artist studios 6-mo terms 4 hours conference room bookings included Reciprocal membership to all TA spaces Gallery space available

Inquire at: info@techartista.org

1040 S Taylor Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110

RUSHMORE a little boutique on the river

11 East Broadway, Alton, Illinois 62002 shoprushmore.com

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Bruno Díaz

Qubensis

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very idea starts with small doses of inspiration in my daily routine. I’m always having small ideas while driving, listening to music, watching movies or [seeing] photos, so I always keep in my notes every idea that crosses my mind, and by the time I’m willing to create, I’ll look for any of the previous ideas I’ve already written down and discard the ones that don’t fit what I do.

Furthermore, there are times I’m really inspired, especially at night, and start drawing right away to make the design as accurate as I imagine it, and I spend all night nonstop until I finish it. I love the process of translating my ideas into illustration and that’s why, for my personal projects, I always like working every illustration individually and don’t do more than one at a time, just focusing completely on how I want it to become.

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I work with different color palettes, and I’ve been applying these to my illustrations.

Most of the changes vary depending on the illustration I’m doing. Some minimal designs are just in black and white, and the latest designs have a little more range in color along with more complex details. While doing an illustration, I always try to use colors related to what I’m doing and how I’m feeling, but trying to be concise with my illustrations. Also, these colors that I choose are not random, I’m always looking for some color harmony between them that can go along with my design, and that is why my base colors are pretty similar, they just change the color range.

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Many of my designs — minimal and not minimal — have something related to outer space, and I did that in my designs to give them some kind of “depth” and also add something as big as space into a small design, and make that outer space an element of my illustration. Also, it helps my creativity to combine the elements with anything that involves outer space, making my mind wander.

Since I was a child, I’ve always enjoyed painting, drawing, and I’m always trying new techniques, new colors and new tools in different canvases, also combining different elements. Lately, I’ve been exploring photography, and I’m really enjoying it. I take a lot of pictures of every new place I go and try to look for different angles of the same spot. I especially take pictures during sunset when the sky makes different colors and at night when all the different places change.

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photographs by bruno dÍaz

The body inspires me a lot; the hands and eyes transmit by themselves different emotions or meanings according to the position they are in, which is why I like to play with these elements together. I receive inspiration through my eyes and I transmit it through my hands, creating and making art, with my hands and eyes as my primary resources. Moreover, the skull is a way I transmit the acceptance of life and death because it is part of us during life and we end up being [a skull] after death.

Yes, I have designed tattoos before, and the process is not complicated unless they are not sure of what they want. If the person knows what they want, I rarely do more than one sketch because the key is to ask as many questions about the design they have in mind as possible, so the design tends to be what they are looking for. If the person doesn’t know what they want, I also ask a lot of questions and try to focus the idea on what they most like or any reference that they might like.

I’ve always admired Japanese art and culture. But what inspired me to add Japanese typography to my illustrations are their old paintings that combine images and typography, adding some sort of emphasis on what they are trying to transmit to the viewer and making a beautiful contrast. Additionally, I think Japanese typography itself is an art and it’s an element that complements my design, creating something different.

I think my style is stronger now than it was before, so it is not that difficult to keep symmetry between each one of my pieces. Even though I could create different elements, there are small characteristics that can differentiate my work from others, which is a result of years of practice. That’s the hard part for me as a creator — the process of becoming a little more comfortable with my drawings or illustrations. I mean “a little” because, in the end, I’m always changing and evolving, so I’m never going to be 100 percent comfortable with my artwork.

Yes, I’m Peruvian and I’ve always been inspired by the diverse culture, people and traditions.

Also, pre-Columbian art is extremely beautiful because of the multiple elements they used and the representations they made. I admire different ancient Peruvian cultures like Chavin, Nazca and Paracas. Those cultures have made me appreciate and value art, and I think they are truly inspiring.

I would like to be part of big mural interventions, make a solid brand with my art and collaborate with big artists around the world. Meanwhile, I’m building my own style and exploring different approaches with it. So right now, I’m more focused on the present of my art, learning as much as I can and how to make it better.

I’m currently working on a couple of commissions for a rapper and a band. I’m making their albums’ covers, and I’ll be posting the final results on my Instagram account when they will be released in a couple of months.

Want to see more work or get in contact?

FOLLOW QUBENSIS www.instagram.com/qubensis/ www.instagram.com/nono.bruno/ www.redbubble.com/people/brunodiaz

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feeling feeling uneasy uneasy with with

killer napkins

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Currently in my free time, I have been focusing on character and creature drawing and creation. Getting the brain juices flowing small scale to think of something to recreate at a larger level. Still working on freelance illustration gigs right now as well. I might have a couple potential mural projects lined up for the near future.

I definitely get little bits of excitement for a period of time with a new medium. Though some definitely require more patience than others, I notice, and I sometimes have a difficult time staying focused if I lose that initial energy later on. My go-to currently for creating pieces has mainly been working with acrylic and ink, which both are versatile and dry rather quickly. After college, I mainly was just focusing on oil painting. I would try to have several paintings at a time with that because of such a long dry time in between. The acrylic and ink paintings started mimicking the way I would do digital drawings. I mainly was designing for screen print at that time, so harder outlines and solid colors were the main way I was going then, and that translated into ink really well.

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At the time that that was written, I was creating these paintings and characters that had big doughy, cartoony features to them, with the addition of some nasty, slimy, rotted bits to create an uneasy juxtaposition. I say that might be true a little still. I have always been obsessed with nasty, gross creatures from hellish worlds. Though I think combining that imagery with a light, bright color palette creates a bit of that similar juxtaposition.

I think I always attribute it to things that I loved growing up. The video games, comics, cartoons, the action figure collection — I guess I finally get to create the cool things I loved seeing as a kid. More specifically, I played video games like “DOOM” and “Wolfenstein” when I was like 8 [years old]. “Ren and Stimpy” and “Toxic Crusaders” were some of my favorite cartoons.

The illustrations of “Spawn” comics really inspired me a lot. They were always super dark and gritty illustrations with immense detail on every page. But I am also a big sci-fi nerd too, so I love robots.

I initially wanted to create creatures and beasts for video games, so my main focus was on concept art. I was part of an online forum, conceptart.org, where some of the pros would hang out, and they always recommended studying anatomy from existing animals to create your own creatures. The idea being to make your creature more believable and functional. But also, I just draw fish with tits because I think it is funny.

I have had the opportunity to create murals all around St. Louis, though the majority of them have been in The Grove. You could find them inside and outside many of the bars on the strip over there. I have a couple in the downtown area at Broadway Oyster Bar and Hi-Pointe Drive In and a handful of work over at 4 Hands Taproom.

I most recently painted at the Paint Louis event at the St. Louis Flood Wall, so hopefully there is a big monster still there that hasn't gotten covered up yet.

After participating in the Paint Louis event a couple weeks ago, it has got me thinking about more and more mural festivals. There are some really cool ones I have been following all over the U.S. with amazing artists involved, and it would just be great to be a part of something like that. That will be my goal for 2020 — to get out of town and paint more.

I feel like I have learned a lot over the last few years doing them. The surface, height and scale definitely makes a difference in each application. It usually starts as checking the wall and getting correct measurements and settling on an idea. I like to take a photo of the wall, then digitally draw a rough sketch of the mural directly over the photo. It helps me get an idea and the client get a solid picture. I also will use that photo as reference throughout painting. The rough sketch is laid out on a primed surface either just by eye or projection, and the rest is filling in the blanks. I have definitely learned to let go of trying to achieve that perfectly clean line stroke on rough brick surfaces. I notice sometimes I can take longer painting smooth drywall surfaces on ground level because I feel like, at that level, people can actually take the time to study the detail and craftsmanship, so I take a little extra care with that.

I generally haven't had to take longer than a week on a wall, but of course that also depends on what kind of hours of operation I can get in to certain spaces.

The first couple days are usually the longest: laying out, blocking in, texturing. I try to get all that knocked out in one or two days and hopefully be focusing on the linework by the second day. That gets a bit more tedious, so [I take] more breaks and such.

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I have been pretty happy and surprised with the amount of weirdness I am getting away with on the mural side — now I definitely have to tone it down on public art, but it has been great. I think some people dig it, but it definitely might be a niche thing. Art buyers at galleries can be a tough sell, at least for me anyway, but I get it — not everyone is looking to hang a giant skull block face with extra nipples in their dining room.

Though I feel the more that it is out there, the better. Gotta make those normies feel uneasy somehow!

Want to see more work or get in contact?

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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FOLLOW KILLER NAPKINS www.facebook.com/pg/KillerNapkinsArt www.instagram.com/killernapkins/ www.killernapkins.com/

Thrilling. Hilarious. A sight you’ve never seen before. All of these qualifiers apply to the electro-comedy pop duo from St. Louis known as Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship. The band, consisting of Corey Goodman and Christopher Eilers, have been providing explosive jams, barrels of laughs and magical live performances to the Greater St. Louis area for more than 10 years.

Earlier this year, the band unleashed the new dance craze, the “Crab Walk,” upon their legion of fans to much acclaim. According to one fan of the dance who goes simply by Mr. Bear, “I’ve seen a lot of things. I’ve watched a man die at my own hands, I’ve watched people betray themselves and

fall back into a life of addiction and I’ve seen God himself. I’ve seen the end of the world and I’ve seen the beginning of the next one. But not once, and I mean this genuinely, have I ever seen anything this transcendental. ‘Beyond art’ is the only way I can think to describe this.”

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Photos by abby steingrubey Corey Goodman (left) and Christopher Eilers (right) stare deeply into each other's eyes Corey Goodman and Christopher Eilers formed Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship many years ago. According to them, they met by “talking to each other over our CB radios while we were training to become truck drivers. We chose a life of music instead.” However, the two had been involved in the world of music and comedy long before they met.

Goodman first started becoming interested in the St. Louis music scene at a young age. “Well, there was a time when I was a young lad and did not have a lot of friends and started being interested in local shows. When I started going to shows, I thought a lot of the bands were kinda boring and it just wasn’t exciting at all. This inspired me to start performing and try to be the opposite of all that. I wanted to be very exciting and entertaining. Once I started performing, I realized I was having a blast and did not want to stop and I still don’t.”

While he performed solo at the beginning of his career, it was only a matter of time before Goodman would call

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upon the skills of his soon-to-be musical counterpart.

“Eventually, I knew I needed some juicy guitar riffs, licks and also solos. I knew that Christopher was the only one for the job.”

For Eilers, music has been a lifelong involvement. “Both me and my sister took music lessons and sang in choir, we listened to as much music as we could. I liked to tape my favorite songs off the radio. I just wanted to play music with my friends and that’s still what I like doing.”

Once Eilers and Goodman got together to form Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, they started dropping fire right out-ofthe-gate with their smash hit “Ladies In The Dark.” Regarding the origins of that song, Goodman recounted, “We were playing a show and were rolling around on the ground. It was very dark at this show and two ladies came into the venue.

We started singing about these ladies that were in the dark.

The next practice we wrote [Ladies In The Dark] featuring two guitar solos, which had never been done before probably.”

s, u t a e f e d n a c e n o o “N o s is d n a b r e h t o every , s u o t d e r a p m o c ll sma ’s ld r o w L A I C I F F O e th tallest band.”

-Corey Goodman

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Since then, the pair have achieved many different forms of success, including the world record for the tallest band. The band wears that title proudly, and no one as of yet has challenged them for it. “No one can defeat us, every other band is so small compared to us, the OFFICIAL world’s tallest band,” Goodman said.

The band’s latest hit, “The Crab Walk,” has taken the St. Louis area by storm, as it seems it was destined to from what Goodman has to say about it. “Ever since I was a child, I knew that I had to come up with a dance move and song called ‘The Crab Walk.’ After all these years, in 2019, it finally came to fruition.”

“I love everything about ‘The Crab Walk,’” Eilers added. “Some ideas may take time, but I think we can all agree that this one was worth the wait.”

The duo pulls musical inspiration from the likes of Beethoven, Atom and His Package, Electric Six and They Might Be Giants. In fact, the band have started releasing kazoo covers from one of their favorite musicians, Carly Rae Jepsen.

“I’m a big fan of Carly Rae Jepsen and wanted to play her songs with my chosen instrument, the kazoo, in hopes that she would hear it and say, ‘That was great.’

She has yet to comment,” Goodman said.

When it comes to comedy, the duo find inspiration from their favorite movies, like “The Jerk” with Steve Martin and each other. However, their biggest source of support comes from a more familiar and maternal place. “Our moms told us no matter what that they are proud of us. That’s all we need,” said the band.

The St. Louis music scene seems to be a welcome place for Goodman and Eilers, and the two have only good things to say about being involved in it. “There’s a ton of bands and no shortage of places to play in the area. In a lot of ways, St. Louis is a great place for musicians.”

Currently, the pair are working on their debut fulllength record, but they keep themselves busy enough outside of that. “We’re always working on songs and videos and playing as many shows as possible,” Goodman stated.

Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship is an experience unlike any other. If you’ve not felt the shock and awe that comes from their live performances, you should do so as soon as you can. You’ll be glad that you did.

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written and illustrated by cal stevens 28

L

ooking to add some spooky, spacey or slappy sounds to your guitar rig? Then, perhaps it’s time to take a long, hard look at delay, and what better pedal to meet your needs than the Way Huge Aqua-Puss?

For those new to the effects game, delay is an effect where the inputted sound is briefly recorded and played back after a specified amount of time. Delay is an absolute must for guitarists of all genres. From Jimmy Page to Gary Clark Jr., delay continues to play a vital role in the rig of many guitarists since it came on the market in the 1950’s. The first analog delays were commercially available as tape echo machines, which used magnetic tape to record onto and play back from.

Such examples of these early devices are the “Roland Space Echo” or the “Echoplex.” Eventually after the development of the stomp box, the technology was adapted to fit into a much smaller and convenient form for guitarists.

Delay stomp boxes come in two forms: analog and digital. The key difference between the two is that analog delays use tape or an analog bucket-brigade circuit for recording and playback, where as digital delays use a digital signal processor and storage buffer.

Both digital and analog delays produce great tones, but each have slightly different flourishes that should be considered when choosing the right pedal. The AquaPuss specifically is an analog delay.

The Aqua-Puss is a member of the Way Huge line of Dunlop guitar pedals developed by Jeorge Tripps.

This line is typically known for its top-quality effects, circuits and builds, and the Aqua-Puss is no exception.

The Aqua-Puss has a simple and straightforward design that is great to look at as well, featuring an all-metal

g o l a an

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aqua s s u p

History of

Distortion gear review series

enclosure with large, sturdy knobs for control. When opened up, the circuit design is as neat and clean as the outside of the box.

The Aqua-Puss features three different control knobs: Delay, Feedback and Blend. Adjusting the “Delay” knob will change the amount of time that must elapse before the delayed audio will play back.

Twisting the knob from left to right will change the delay time from a slappy 20ms to a deep and spacey 300ms.

Giving the “Feedback” knob a turn will introduce more feedback into the delayed signal. The more that this knob is turned up, the more the delayed signal will transform into an uncontrollable freak out. Adjust with caution. Finally, the “Blend” knob controls the dry to wet ratio of the effect, essentially changing the volume of the delayed signal. The pedal also uses a true bypass footswitch to turn the effect on or off, and has 2 ¼-inch jacks for the input and output respectively. The AquaPuss will run on a 9V battery or using a 9V power adapter that plugs into the top.

This pedal is great for those looking for “slapback echo” similar to the sound of Scotty Moore on Elvis Presley’s early Sun Records singles. However, this pedal is also good for creating a doubling effect or for adding cosmic layers to your tone. The more you explore with this pedal, the more you’ll find what you can accomplish with the Aqua-Puss.

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Absorbing the Deep Layers of

M e lt y Fa c e Written by mariah huelsmann | Photos by Macy Thomas

Tyler Price, aka MeltyFace, has burst onto the art scene with an analytical look at this hypocritical world. Overlapping pattern on pattern of symbolism, it takes more than a glance at his work to truly get the full picture. We highly recommend immersing yourself in the sickly green irony of consumerism, spoon-fed royalty and the sight unseen works of MeltyFace.

Tell me about yourself.

My government name is Tyler Price. I was born in St. Louis but grew up in the country in Troy, Mo., for the majority of my life. I graduated high school in 2010 and got my BFA in fine arts and painting at Southeast Missouri State University back in 2015. My dreams have changed so much over the years. I wanted to pursue music in my younger days. When my friends all moved away or went to school, I realized that music wasnʼt going to be my calling and I went to school. I quickly fell in love with art in middle school, but made it secondary to music for the longest time. In high school, I made some aggressive work and considered going to KCAI at one point, but put art on the backburner until I made my way to college in 2011. I quickly fell back in love with creating and have never looked back.

I made friends with Colton Carter, who was a fellow art major, and my painting professor Justin Miller, and those two dudes kept me inspired from day one until graduation. Currently, I am a tattoo artist at Big Easy Tattoos in Wentzville, Mo., a screen printer at Foobadap Screen Printing in St. Charles, Mo., and a freelance artist. Ideally, I would love to open a co-op that encompasses all of my career choices and more.

A place for artists to come and create a culture. Thatʼs the biggest issue I would say about St. Louis, there is no real art scene. Sure you have galleries and [Washington University] and a bunch of hole-in-the-wall places that half-ass get people motivated, but there is little to be said for any street crews or places for creatives to gather and hang. Thatʼs what my dream is, I guess.

My inspirations come in many forms, really. I grew up in the hardcore music scene, so aggressive music and the need to go against the grain really gets me going… My wonderful fiancé Macy Thomas, who I

have had the honor of making my life partner, always encourages me through her creative outlets like makeup and photography. It gives me the desire to encourage her in return, so we have built a beautiful harmony in our creative and personal lives. Comedy has a big role in my inspiration. I see things through a bit of a light-hearted lens... My spiritual faith is another large contributing factor...

In regard to my work, my inspiration is largely brought from simply sitting back and watching just how flawed humans are and how no matter what, that will never change. Thereʼs something incredible about that.

No matter how flawless we try to be as a species, we will always be disingenuous and we will always strive for perfection we cannot obtain, and that is inspirationally intoxicating.

What is the hypocrisy you are using for your most current body of work? Why? Explain your thought processes and ideologies behind choosing specific cultural hypocrisy?

Before I jump into what I am working on, I would like to define what I would consider a hypocrisy. I believe there are two defining forms of hypocrisy: internal and social.

Internal hypocrisies are hypocrisies not everyone can see, per se, but you know that morally, spiritually or subconsciously you are going against what you claim to be, identify as or want others to see from you. This rides the line of spiritual belief, gender identity or other personal ideologies.

I define social hypocrisy as being able to identify your own flaws while spoon-feeding others information that causes them to question whether or not you're

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actually hypocritical. This could be something such as political figures, various social groups, corrupt business or other concepts or cultures that social stigmas could be attached to.

With that being said, my current body of work is being molded by the corruption of the rich and the mirroring of racial tension. In regard to painting, I am working on a piece titled “Million Blobber Lady.” The piece [depicts] a wealthy female figure who appears to be sick because she is green. The green is symbolic of the greed that wealth brings and the need for constant consumerism. In the background, she is overplayed [with] a pattern of purple purses and pearls circling her face. The purses resemble a few different things. One meaning is that purple is the color of royalty; those who have money typically also acquire a superiority complex, much like kings with no regard for peasants.

Pearls are a symbol of sleek perfection and purity, which tips the hat to irony in the piece given the lackluster appearance of the woman and also references to the clean “lifestyle” they build popularity from.

The other piece is untitled and still in the works. [The focus is how two heads are butting but also merging together. One head belongs to a white man and the other belongs to an African American.] This has a little more direct understanding. The merging suggests we are cut from the same cloth and that as much as there is tension, we possess more likeness than differences — all the way down to the blaming of one another. Both heads have eyes plucked out, which resembles the idea that neither side sees what they choose not to see or “turn a blind eye,” even to the things they choose to overlook. The other eye is staring back at one another, which symbolizes that both races are constantly watching, waiting to see the other make mistakes or looking for the upper hand. The mirroring of social understanding is what drives this piece, along with the fact that humans always have the same instincts and ways of approaching the unknown.

What is your background in symbolism?

So when I was in college, I had a heavy interest in Egyptian hieroglyphs and what they were used for. They told stories, but not in the way we do. Certain symbols meant certain things and putting them together meant something different depending on the symbols chosen. Iʼve sort of bastardized this method with my “patterned” backgrounds and the symbols I choose to use, and they tell a story about the creature in the foreground of the painting. Additionally in college, I was heavily into psychology and enjoyed the study of color and how our brains perceive colors working together, along with what we equate certain colors with.

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I am fascinated with this term "paint realm" that you use on your website. Could you enlighten us more on that?

The term “paint realm,” more or less, encompasses all forms of paint, not limited specifically to what one would consider “fine art” painting such as oil or acrylic.

I think the realm of paint transcends from studio/ academia to street/graffiti and everything in between.

For me, I use a wide array of paint techniques and materials to create my pieces.

Alongside my painting background, I have extensive knowledge of printmaking, from which I take processes to create my work. For example, after I make my panels from scratch, hand gesso them and sand them down, I bust out my Montana spray cans and go to town on the background. My printmaking [skills] come into play when I overlay a stencil I had personally cut out and use the spray paint to create my background patterns.

Then, after I get the background how I want it, I come in and start working with my oil paints to create my characters as the foreground. I like to dabble in more pretentious styles to create some rugged lowbrow style work. There's something fulfilling to create something beautiful. It's satisfying to see a work like this displayed for people who detest seeing a piece of trash hanging from a nail, given a concept, and sold to the public as "fine art.”

Have you gotten feedback on your work and "take aways" from viewers? Does this influence your next body of work?

Honestly, itʼs a rarity that I get to have some honest conversations about my pieces with viewers. More often than not I get a “this is so dope” or “thatʼs so fucked up but I canʼt stop looking”, which I take happily because that is very much a part of the experience.

When I do get people who pick apart the piece, and ask me questions about why I chose certain things or colors or symbols, that is when I know I’ve given the viewer the nutrients from that piece. I think my biggest influence from viewers is the fact that I know what they are looking at, and I know they see the work, but the answers arenʼt painted black and white — they have to ask questions to understand, and theyʼll always come back and ponder or get brave and ask the unknown.

If you were to have a philosophical discussion about your pieces, what would it be?

Philosophy suggests two things: One, there are a lot of things to be questioned; and two, no one really knows what the fuck they are talking about. We as humans thrive on culture and what we think is the best format to live our life in. My art is simply a manifestation and mockery of people trying to fit within parameters that they will inevitably fall in and out of. Thatʼs the nature of humanity — we sway back and forth in social constructs and very few really step outside their comfort zone to see how bizarre that really is.

Want to see more work or get in contact?

FOLLOW MELTYFACE www.facebook.com/tylerpriceart/ www.instagram.com/tp_meltyface/ meltyface.com

Humans arenʼt good, and it takes effort to be good. When that good interferes with the modern constructs of humanity, “good” no longer applies to what is acceptable. I think it is better to understand that people are fucking awful — then, the monsters we see in people suddenly arenʼt so scary. When we see the evil in humanity, we also begin to see the beauty that people provide. It becomes easier to recognize true good intent. Much like my pieces, where the subject looks hideous and disfigured, there are also many colors and features that make it endearing. To be distorted is to be misunderstood by society; to be hypocritical is to distort yourself to society.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Fizzy Fellows Podcast Season One

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T s i h u e o a L ter . t S

Photo by ProSTLPhoto

provide

Written by Lauren Leady and mariah huelsmann St. Louis is quite the crossroads city. Forms of expression are strong here, especially when you look at the theater culture. St. Louis has a rich theater culture, which has opened a great doorway for accessible theater. Ableism (discrimination against people who are not ablebodied or have some perceived disability) in St. Louis theater is being addressed and broken down in some aspects, especially thanks to two specific organizations: Variety Children’s Theatre and That Uppity Theatre Company. These two organizations highlight and offer opportunities to people with disabilities, while also bringing a sense of disability justice and positivity.

in physically and developmentally disabled children, Variety provides a safe, positive theatrical experience and group bonding with appropriate medical equipment and therapy included.

The Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis created the Variety Children's Theatre in 2008, after establishing a choir in 2006. Working on developing better socialization, self-esteem and independence

Variety is shoving ableism aside and shattering societal and the children's inner perceptions, and showcasing these children as active agents in their public reality, proud and present, beside professional equity actors.

“I have had the privilege of giving special needs children access and opportunity to perform in a professional show each year, improving their skills in singing, acting and dancing, enhancing their self-esteem, increasing their independence and providing experiences that heighten socialization for them,” Executive Producer of Variety Theatre Jan Albus said.

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Variety Theatre won the St. Louis Theatre Circle Award in 2017 and 2018, which opened the door for more awareness in the community. However, this recognition is 10 years in the making. Albus explained the need to raise more awareness about the organization. It is important for the community to know of the opportunity Variety provides.

“Each year, we have 7,000 seats to fill at the Touhill and this year we are running with 10 shows over six days with a total of 14,000 seats to fill,” Albus said. “We need to get the word out to EVERYONE — make the community aware of this innovative theatre project.

Variety Theatre’s 2019 production, “Mary Poppins” will take the stage at Touhill Performing Arts Center Oct. 18 through 27.

That Uppity Theatre Company completely ignores the status quo and laid-out class relations of American society. Through the power of theatrical art, That Uppity

Photo by ProSTLPhoto

Theatre Company brings to the stage transformative civic dialogue, bold social change and performance outside the box. Theater is art to be enjoyed anywhere by all people, and this company has performed in a car wash, board rooms and gymnasiums.

Since 1989, Uppity has paired professional actors with underrepresented groups in response to the specific circumstances of the times. Working with elementary schools through college, social service agencies and corporations addressing societal issues, the company reaches out to the following groups: suicide survivors, people with disabilities, LGBTQ adults and youth, Alzheimer's and dementia patients, university students, women cancer survivors, at-risk youth and reproductive choice supporters. The company has made sure to be seen, performing as well at the Missouri History Museum, Webster University Conference on Diversity & Inclusion, The Missouri Botanical Garden, The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum and The St. Louis Zoo.

Photo by ProSTLPhoto Photo provided by Uppity Theater

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Photo by ProSTLPhoto

Joan Lipkin, the Producing Artistic Director, has led the way for this theater with well-received projects: Thespians on Wheels and The DisAbility Project. The DisAbility Project was created in 1995, and has become one of the few and oldest projects of its kind in the USA. Winning international awards and recognition and with an audience of more than 100,000, the DisAbility Project brings together actors with and without disabilities and creates a theatrical dialogue on inclusion and the culture of disability. It is truly phenomenal.

“I started the DisAbility Project, in part, because there seemed to be outlets for children and youth with disabilities to perform through local organizations at the time, including Theatre Unlimited and the Variety Club, but not much for adults,” Lipkin said. “Theaters are becoming more sensitized to the need for inclusion and several in the region have begun to offer familyfriendly performances that are supportive of children with autism or sometimes provide audio description as part of their season or upon request. But in general, this is insufficient for the size of the population when one in five Americans has some form of disability, whether it is sensory cognitive and/or physical. And I think we have a moral and ethical responsibility to create more inclusive work and spaces.”

The organization’s work is unique and unlimited, not to mention the sheer amount of programs and events they host or participate in.

that is certainly a valid focus. Instead, we devise work to help people with disabilities tell their own stories,” Lipkin said. “Most recently, we have done that through some new and different approaches than in the past.

This summer, we participated in Festability at the Missouri History Museum, a new annual program to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We have an ensemble called Playback Now! St Louis who enacted stories shared by our DisAbility Project as well as audience members. We also created a recent piece for an educational consortium that looked at invisible disabilities, including learning disabilities, anxiety and depression, OCD and hearing loss.”

To close out this discussion of theater, disability and disabled presence and identity, go see a production at Variety Theatre or at That Uppity Theatre! Inclusivity for all people is critical for the art community. Instead of seeing an image of a disabled person as poor, lazy and/or defiant, it would benefit many to practice the discourse of a “regime of truth” and see the pictured person as truthfully demanding their right to be seen, to be respected and to be viewed as “rich” with knowledge, perspective and opportunities. Although, these organizations have done a lot of good work and are leading the way, there is still a long journey to go through to include everyone.

“The work that we do is original. We do not select work that is from the canon or that is well-known although

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Photo provided by Uppity Theatre

Photo provided by variety theatre

Photo by ProSTLPhoto

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Megan Indelicato: A Badass Tattoo Artist Written by Rosita

PHOTOgraphs BY Pat Recer

Megan Indelicato of Alton Tattoo Company is a badass and super talented tattoo artist.

Some could argue that she’s one of the leading female tattoo artists in the game around this area. Taking inspiration from classic tattoo design and magic culture, Indelicato thrives in her position as an innovator. She even collaborated on a T-shirt design with Post Commons for their anniversary celebration. Look for her future screen printing business this fall.

What was your hometown like?

I grew up in St. Charles, Ill. It’s not really my pace, but I feel at home in the city and in Alton the most.

How did you get started in art?

As a young child, my mom always encouraged art. We didn’t have a whole lot, but she always managed to get her hands on weird art supplies.

Where do you find inspiration?

I try and reference classic tattoo designs and add aspects of folk and witch and magic culture. A lot of it comes from my co-workers and bouncing ideas off each other. I also have a love of vintage stuff and there are some really cool, weird artworks that are not all forgotten about.

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Do you have a pivotal moment that led your style to what you are creating now?

I don’t think there was really “a moment” simply because your style continuously grows. Never stop growing!

What is the best and hardest part of being an artist?

Probably being your own boss. You have the freedom to make your schedule and push yourself as hard as you want, but it’s easy to overbook it or overdo it.

As a kick-ass woman, what is it like being a tattoo artist?

Well, thank you! Honestly, it’s pretty incredible. It was always my dream job and the list of things to be grateful for never runs short. The friends I’ve made, the lessons it has taught me and the opportunity to travel. It has its challenges, but I also meet so many badass women along the way.

How did you get hooked up with working as a tattoo artist at Alton Tattoo Company?

I met Kyle Hulker at a hardcore show almost eight years ago and we instantly became friends. He gave me more chances than I deserved and believed in me throughout my apprenticeship. Some friendships just change you and I owe this man it all!

Does your life outside of the tattoo parlor affect your time inside or visa versa?

Of course! My life definitely revolves greatly around tattooing. I get to work with my best friends, for a phenomenal boss and in a community that appreciates

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our work. But to balance out hard work, I definitely enjoy life outside of the shop as well. Travel is very important to me and luckily I get to incorporate that with tattooing quite a bit.

Sometimes people don’t like talking while receiving or giving a tattoo, yet others see a tattoo session almost like therapy — what are your thoughts on that?

I think both are just fine. I am a people person and connecting with my clients is one of my favorite aspects of tattooing. But I also enjoy the times of silence where both clients and artists are focused on the work.

You are also working on starting a screen printing business. What’s going in your printing world?

We are definitely a new business and I am excited to see where it goes. My great friend Julianne taught me to screen print, and it’s just something I saw could help the shop and local businesses alike. This fall, we expect to produce a ton of art from our employees and maybe step out of the box from just T-shirts.

Rock on. Indelicato is continually working to help cultivate positivity within the community through her art. With so many talented people in town, Alton Tattoo Company truly enjoys the collaboration between artists and businesses, so if you have any ideas, you know who to talk to.

Check out Megan’s beautiful artwork on her Instagram @megzilla_atc

DIY

spider web

Written and Photographed by Rosita

It’s time to get spooky, y’all. Halloween is upon us and many of us enjoy decorating and dressing up for this special month. Decorating and assembling costumes can be oh, so very fun, but those activities don’t have to be wasteful. Here are just a few tips to make your Halloween as Green as possible: 1. Instead of throwing away your decorations and buying new ones each year, save all those cobwebs and faux pumpkins for next year in a box.

2. Check out secondhand stores for already made costumes.

3. Make your own costume from pieces you have lying around the house or from a secondhand shop.

4. Be mindful of the amount of candy wrappers you’re throwing away. (The Earth and your body will like this one. Did you know that around 30 percent of city waste consists of packaging, which includes candy wrappers?)

5. Make your own yummy Halloween treats at home.

6. When you’re out and about acquiring Halloween supplies, don’t forget your handy reusable bag that you learned how to make in our first issue.

7. Make your own decorations.

I could keep going, but let’s get back to the DIY project, shall we? I discovered this fun decoration idea that is very low cost and also low waste. Here is a fairly simple way to spook up your home for Halloween. So, let’s crank some eerie tunes and get to weaving some spider webs!

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Supplies: Yarn (Any color) Scissors Scotch Tape Plastic Spiders (optional) (But highly recommended)

STEP 1 Cut two to six pieces of yarn to whatever size you want your web to be.

STEP 2 Using a small amount of tape, attach your piece of yarn to the wall where they will all meet in an ‘X’ shape in the middle.

These will be the structural pieces of the web. Also tape the center together to temporarily keep in place.

STEP 3 Cut a long piece of yarn to start weaving.

Beginning in the middle, tie a knot to one of the pieces attached to the wall. Going clockwise, continue to tie knots on each piece of yarn on the wall until you feel it is finished. Get funky with it if you like, spider webs aren’t perfectly spaced after all.

STEP 4 Once you have woven your web to completion, take the middle piece of tape off and then feel free to add some spider friends! If you don’t already have plastic spiders hanging around, cutting a spider pattern out of paper works too.

step 2

step 3

Stay safe this Halloween, but most importantly, stay spoopy, my friends.

Reference Wallander, Mattias.“Frightful Waste: Making Halloween Green.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 17 Dec. 2013, www.huffpost.com/entry/frightful-waste-makingha_b_4116531.

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Music Looping Magic with

Sister Wizzard Written by Ashley Klein Photographs by @ALLDAYSTL

The story of the aspiring artist starting over in a new city is a tale as old as time. For Madison Price of Sister Wizzard fame, however, the destination was not a Los Angeles suburb or a shoebox apartment in NYC. Recently graduated from college and living on her own, Price decided that, until she plugged in to the St. Louis art scene, she would set out on a project of her own.

“I went to school for art therapy, so I was a visual artist first,” Price said. “When I first moved to St. Louis, I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t have any friends. So I’d go to different bars and draw people.”

One day at the bar, someone approached her and asked if she would design a flyer for their band. After the band posted the flyer online, more and more local musicians put in requests for art.

As it would turn out, Price’s talent for visual art became her stepping stone into a community of St. Louis musicians.

“One time, someone came to my apartment to pick up a flyer I’d made and they were like, ‘What the hell you play

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music too?’ and I was like, ‘No I don’t, I play secretly in my room by myself,’ and they were like, ‘You should come play!’” Price laughed.

“It’s almost harder for me to play my guitar without my looper than with it. It’s not a crutch. The looper is just another arm for me,” she said.

Fortunately, she was eventually convinced to bring her music to the public. And, evidently, the public liked it. Price began to receive more offers to play at different venues and events around town.

This November, Sister Wizzard will release an album of “Page of Mirrors” remixes, made with the help of other St. Louis musicians to whom she sent stems of her songs. With rock, pop and rap artists in the mix, the album will create a picture of the St. Louis music scene in all its diversity. This is in keeping with Price’s experience getting started in her career — St. Louis art culture thrives upon collaboration.

“Sister Wizzard was my handle on Tumblr where I was posting all my artwork,” Price explained. “Whenever I’d come play, they’d ask, ‘What do you want me to put on the flyer?’ and I said, ‘Put Sister Wizzard, that’s my art name or whatever.’ So then it became my stage name.”

About four years since Sister Wizzard’s beginnings, she’s released “Page of Mirrors,” a hypnotic, dreamily dark album of songs Price wrote and produced herself. Though she’s worked with a backing band on occasion, Price’s proficiency with a looping pedal has helped make Sister Wizzard a successful solo project.

“I love looping,” she said. “There’s a mesmerizing aspect.

Sort of a one-woman-show type of thing.”

From writing to production, Price is the sole creative force behind the project.

“I’m a lyricist. I’m pretty story-oriented. I’m not really a poet,” Price said. “This is something I wish that I could overcome, but I feel like a lot of the time I can only write if I’m going through something. It doesn’t have to be something bad. Just something.”

During the creative process, Sister Wizzard’s lyrics and music develop almost simultaneously.

“I have the looper going and spit some lyrics and kind of let it flow,” she said. “I like it to be organic, where the lyrics are coming from an honest place. If I sit down and write it out, I get too hung up on, ‘Does it rhyme? Is it clever enough?

Does this sound cheesy?’ I start tripping myself up if I look at the words on a page.”

In Sister Wizzard’s earlier stages, Price garnered comparisons to Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett. Once she brought the looping pedal into the mix, comparisons shifted to rock duo Best Coast and lo-fi pop artist TuneYards, whom Price cites as the reason she started looping.

“I love Tune-Yards. One of my friends introduced me to them in college, and I was like, “Wow, I like this girl’s vocal style. I love the timbre and the beats that she creates with this looping pedal.’ And then I started watching live videos of her and I was like, ‘This is completely fascinating. I have to do this.’ So I got a looping pedal.”

For Price, the pedal isn’t a second-choice substitute to a backing band, but rather another sort of instrument in itself.

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“You just need to meet one person,” she said. “If you express artistic interest, people have their ears perked up. Because we are prolific, and welcoming and creative people who want to see each other succeed.

We’re in this underdog city full of people just trying to pursue a passion.”

Price recalled with gratitude those who reached out to her with opportunities to perform, even before she had released an album.

“I’ve been able to have this reputation, this following, this career in St. Louis solely based on word of mouth and on having friends.”

Well, that, and a really sick Tumblr username.

photos provided by cunst gallery

THE INSTALLATION OF

CUNST GALLERY Written by Ashley Klein

The divide generally remains distinct — fine art belongs on museum walls, and the living room at home hosts the $19.99 floral still life from HomeGoods. At the risk of exposing myself as the unseasoned art appreciator that I am, I’ll admit I’d long assumed that there was a requisite blankness to the spaces in which visual art is displayed and admired. Cunst Gallery in Benton Park, however, is now approaching half a year of hosting local artists’ work in an apartment living room and kitchen.

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“It takes all the stress out of home decorating,” laughed gallery co-founder Lauren Kellett. When she and Lex Kosieradzki first conceived the idea for an apartment gallery, it came as a response to a recurring struggle among smaller establishments in town.

“A lot of the spaces that we really loved closed in the last couple of years and it felt like something was missing in the area. We’d been wanting to do this, so we said, ‘Let’s just do it,’” Kosieradzki said. The logic is simple: instead of trying to find the means to maintain a storefront gallery, why not utilize a space for which you’re already paying rent?

On May 15 of this year, the Cunst began operating on a six-week rotation of selecting one artist to feature in the kitchen and one to feature in the living room. In keeping with the Cunst’s low-maintenance approach, transforming the rooms into gallery walls required only minor renovations.

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Owners of Cunst Gallery Lauren Kellett and Lex Kosieradzki posed in front of a hanging sculpture by St. Louis artist Liz Moore (@mizzlizmoore)

“We really didn’t have to make that many adjustments during the initial phase. The apartment was a beige color before, so really we just painted it all white so it had more of a gallery feel, and then we minimized our furniture situation,” Kellett said. “We have a TV, we have a couch, we have a bookshelf and we have a record player, and that’s about it for the living room. And it’s the same with the kitchen. We tried to set it up as minimally as possible so that when we do have our opening and do have appointments it’s really fast and easy to tidy up and make the space inviting and open and actually look like an art gallery.”

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‘YOU DON’T NEED A

STOREFRONT TO DO A

GALLERY’

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Instead of following the storefront model of setting open hours each week, the Cunst is open by appointment after a new installation’s opening night.

This way, Kosieradzki and Kellett can plan hours of operation around their work schedules. Making sure the installations don’t impede on everyday life spatially, however, is another thing.

“We tell the artist ‘feel free to do whatever you want,’ but we just remind them that it has to return to being a domestic space; we do live here,” Kosieradzki said.

“They’ve been very accommodating about it. In pretty much every case, the artist has either consciously chosen to work with the domestic space, or they have really been into the way it transformed the art.”

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During the first round of artists, for example, artist and illustrator Brittany Boynton hung drawings on the fridge with magnets and displayed small canvas paintings above the sink where the landlord had installed spotlight-reminiscent lights. One piece by sculpturist Alexa Clavijo was a lamp she added to the living room.

As multimedia artist Liz Moore created a grid of green tape on a wall — she took into account how her art interacted with the architecture of the room.

Kosieradzki and Kellett are happy with the turnout they’ve seen thus far, attributing much of this success to the connectedness of the St. Louis art community.

Their attendees are mostly comprised of people who either they or the featured artists know personally; word of mouth is their primary marketing tool, followed by keeping active on social media. And though it’s only drawn in curious neighbors so far, they place a chalkboard sign outside their front door each opening night.

“It really is a tight-knit community,” Kellett said. “People are really supportive of what everyone else is doing.

Everyone is kind of cheering everyone else on. Part of our mission is to show more emerging artists or artists who haven’t been shown a lot in St. Louis, or who are recently graduated or new in town.” As smaller local galleries closed down, up-and-coming artists such as these lost an important platform. Part of the Cunst’s purpose is to pick up the slack.

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Despite its limitations, Kosieradzki and Kellett have nothing but love for the St. Louis arts community.

“The thing that’s really awesome about St. Louis, for artists, is that it’s so cheap and easy to live here,” Kosieradzki said. “It’s not as hard to make rent here. I think it affords a standard of living to artists that a lot of bigger cities don’t.”

Without rent to worry about, the Cunst’s operations are pretty much smooth sailing.

“We’re still trying to work out exactly how much beer to buy,” Kosieradzki said. “Everything else has been pretty easy.”

Kosieradzki and Kellett welcome anyone who wants to make an appointment to directly message their Instagram, @cunstgallery. But as much as the Cunst is seeking to expand their audience, they also hope to inspire a trend.

“We want people to understand how lowkey and easy this is,” Kosieradzki said. “We think it’d be great if more people had spaces like this. You don’t need to have a storefront to do a gallery.”

Kellett added, “As long as you know how to start an Instagram account and build a super basic website, anyone can do this.”

The BirdIThat

e m e t a h ’t n o d Aw frick Devours c i h p a r g a e k a m promise I’ll o a m l w o h e m o s s i for th

Men!

Written and Photographed by Alex St.Peters “They are as large as a calf; They have horns on their heads like those of a deer, a horrible look, red eyes, a beard like a tiger’s, a face somewhat like a man’s, a body covered in scales and so long a tail that it winds all around the body, passing above the head and going back between the legs ending in a fish’s tail. Green, red and black are the three colors compromising the pictures.”

This was the first eye-witness account recorded of the mysterious Piasa Bird by Father Jacques Marquette in 1673. He was gazing upon the original site of the Piasa Bird Bluff painting, which was located 40 to 50 feet above the river at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. This original painting has since been destroyed by the mining of limestone in the area during the Civil War, but a new one has been made right outside of Alton, Ill. based on writings and drawings from the past.

Most people attribute these paintings to the Native Illini Tribes of the area, but there are some theories that the paintings came from other sources. One theory suggests that Chinese explorers painted their national emblem, the dragon, on the bluffs as a way of claiming the territory. Another theory suggests that in the Bible in the Book of Revelation the Piasa Bird is actually a depiction of the “Beast” prophesied by St. John in the apocalypse. Some people believe that a portion of

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the native people of North America were actually people from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Another theory is that Father Marquette's men became very ill and created the painting as a way to please the devil for making them ill. Some people do agree that the French explorers could have made the painting because of their advanced knowledge of colors, ladders and creativity. Despite the dispute over the painting's origin, it is clear that the mysterious work was created and did, in fact, exist.

In 1836, John Russell of Bluffdale, Ill., who was a professor at the Alton Seminary, published the well-known stories and traditions of the Piasa Bird. Russell’s story went something similar to this: Many moons before the arrival of the explorers lived a creature of huge size that could easily carry off a full-grown deer in its talons. After a while, this monstrous creature obtained the taste of human flesh; from that time on, it consumed nothing else.

The creature was powerful and quick to take warriors without warning, taking them back to its cave in the bluffs where it devoured them.

Hundreds of warriors over the years attempted to kill the Piasa Bird, but none were ever successful — that is, until Chief Ouatogá prayed and fasted to the Great Spirit, the master of life, over the course of a full moon. On the last night of his fast, the Great Spirit appeared to him in a dream, giving him a plan to defeat the great monster. Then, Chief Ouatogá gathered 20 of his best warriors equipped with bows and poison arrows in strategically placed spots. Chief Ouatogá sacrificed himself by becoming bait to lure the creature in for the attack. The chief saw the creature perched high on the bluffs and started chanting the death song of the warrior. The Piasa rose into the air and darted at the chief, but before the Piasa could reach him, the warriors let their arrows fly into its body. The creature then let a wild scream that could be heard far on the opposite side of the river and died. Chief Ouatogá came out unharmed by any arrow or talon of the Piasa. In memory of this evil creature and its death, they engraved the image of the Piasa on the face of the bluffs.

This story may sound like an ancient Native American legend, but it is a fabricated story created by Russell based on the descriptions from Father Jacques Marquette. Russell’s son later informed people the legend was a story created by his father and was not a true Native American legend. To add to this fabricated story, many people believe that Father Marquette had his men create the painting so he had something otherworldly and mysterious to report in his findings of this new, strange land they were exploring.

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Whether the legend of the Piasa Bird is true Native American legend or not doesn’t change the fact that the people of Alton and its surrounding cities have latched onto this tale. The Piasa Bird can be found all throughout local history, art, culture and school names. I, for one, don’t care if the Piasa Bird was a fabricated story by French explorers because the Piasa Bird is ours and always will be.

This is the legend of the evil, mighty Piasa Bird. Did this massive creature ever really exist? Was it a fabricated story by some French explorers to tell everyone back home of this strange land? Was it a creation of local tribes to scare away other tribes from entering the area? Maybe it did exist and maybe it did devour thousands of people over its lifetime before it was killed by the great Chief Ouatogá. Or maybe it’s still lurking somewhere up in the bluffs waiting for the perfect time to strike.

In Search of the Piasa by Everett L. Sparks Alton Museum of History and Art (1990) The Piasa Bird: Fact or Fiction? By Wayne C. Temple Reprinted from the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society The Devil Among Us by P.A. Armstrong CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 5, 2016)

Two Projects, One Goal:

Connecting Our Community

Written by logan Bryant Photographed by Shelby Clayton

Monica Mason and Joe Moran are two community-driven artists in the Riverbend area. When asked about community, they both paused. Instead of defining community as they see it, both Mason and Moran dove into how their previous approach to community has had a direct effect on their community involvement. Moran stated that he had viewed his community looking in; Mason had been civically engaged through many boards and committees, but felt her artistic and her civic life were separate entities. Each of them shows how community often starts from within; for Mason, she stated that this was through the lens of an artist. Mason started The Portrait Project, focusing on painting community members, while Moran started The Unseen Stars, a video project focusing on community members and businesses. Although these projects involve different mediums, they overlap in content and meaning in the best ways.

Moran immediately stated that he had little to no involvement with his community before he formed The Unseen Stars. He did not directly intend to get involved, but he was able to connect with others on an individual level to portray their contributions to the community. Mason stated that, similarly, she wanted to have more individual encounters where she learns from people.

In addition, Mason and Moran spoke on their projects opening up a new sense of community for them. Moran shared feelings of under-involvement prior to forming The Unseen Stars because he found difficulty in making interpersonal connections in a group setting. He said that he is much more interested in learning from others than impressing them, which helps make individual conversation with other creatives easier and more productive.

The Unseen Stars is a video production platform to portray local business, arts and people in hopes of thriving together. In The Unseen Stars’ video of The Portrait Project, you are able to see Moran’s support for others in his community.

Mason’s involvement with the Alton Historic Commission has allowed a new lens to the community from The Portrait Project.

Having an environmental and structural outlook of the city, she had formed interest in the people dwelling in Alton. The Portrait Project is a tribute to Altonians holding titles from volunteer extraordinaire to community advocate.

“If these people aren’t actively working to make the community a better place, they at least are making it more interesting,” Mason said. The second round of The Portrait Project is projected to come to Post Commons this winter.

Both Mason and Moran began to search for those people unafraid to get their hands dirty in order to improve our community.

Mason says that she follows their energy and sound of voice to see how their character evolves; Moran follows what he calls “a towering effect,” which is anything that makes him feel inspired and opened.

photos provided by joe moran

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When portraying subjects, both Mason and Moran have very interpersonal interviewing styles. They want to know their subject and their story well to accurately depict their story. The artists state that they aim to portray almost affectionately. There is importance highlighting both the community and the person that Mason and Moran are working with in being able to see their greatness and contribution to their community.

Looking to the past, the two spoke of how they met several years back at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton and agreed to work on a project together. However, the two became so overwhelmed in their individual projects, their collaboration was set to a back burner. When The Portrait Project was unveiled in April 2019, however, their priorities were reevaluated. What came of their agreement was a video, just under four minutes, that details both individuals’ creative process. Although you watch Mason explain her motivation for The Portrait Project during the video, you also see Moran’s creative process. The video shows the crossover between the two and the importance of community for both of them.

An interesting part of the interview with Mason and Moran was the realization that Moran’s video work involves scaling down the interview to form the final product; he uses the impression left by the subject as

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a guide of what he wants to show. On the other hand, Mason’s work is a buildup post-interview. She is able to take notes of specific qualities, roles and impressions that subjects hold and portray them as she creates her final project.

“We are sort of marching in a parallel way with different tools,” Mason added toward the end of the interview.

Kasey Smith Keel Beel Digital Drawing IG: @kasey.as

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Maxine Thirteen Nightly Routine Oil on Canvas IG: @maxine_thirteen

Sarah Elliott Flayed Acrylic on Canvas IG: @artwithsyrupv

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Amy Williams Gratitude Oil on Wood Panel IG: @a.williams.art

Anthony L Dragonst Di anthonyleonstudio.

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Amy Williams Untitled Portrait Oil on Wood Panel IG: @a.williams.art

Leon tone igital .com

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Nigel Hilgert Aboveground Ocean Digital Photography IG: @angel.of.the.abyss

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Mike Matney The Doctor Digital Photography IG: @mikemateyphotography

Erica Leigh Nice Places Acrylic/mixed media FB & IG: @Ericacrylics

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Alex Johnmeyer MANufacturer’s Packaging Watercolor and Ink on Canvas IG: @superkeenbaby

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Kim Garavaglia Galaxy Roll Acrylic on Canvas IG: @kim_garavaglia

Mary Beth Gray Lighthouses, Ladders and Lace Fiber Art/Mixed Media IG: @mbgray63

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“With Blinders�

Eternal they froze Walking down the same straight path With blinders blocking

By Mariah Huelsmann 66

6.5.2018 I remember The first time you told me that you loved me... one day we were together and I was feeling it so much I thought I need to tell him that I loved him or I am going to explode. just as I was about to say it You said it first I started bawling Because All my life I had hoped to feel unconditionally loved I had the word tattooed on my side And this was the first time I'd felt it.

I told you I’d loved you, too.

I meant it with everything inside me.

Every cell, every particle, every atom Is so in love with you.

Every day of my life I pray that we end up together Because I don’t know what I would do Without you Even though you’re young and selfish And I need you every day In a way that you can never give I know that if I don’t die with you I’ll never be able to live.

You took everything that was the best of me Or at least what I thought was the best of me You somehow made it even better than it was before Because all I wanted to do in this life was love you More than anyone ever loved me

You were the best part of my life.

Horribly cliche, but it’s true Everything always sucks.

The depression lurks like a monster I cry myself to sleep every night My body feels like it’s falling apart And my jaw always hurts You know I love complaining and pity But dear please do not ignore me When I need you the most.

Please come back to me, give me your life Give me your love Help make me healthy again.

My brain is sick The anxiety is a new thing The depression is a father who Just got remarried to my hideous stepmom Her name is anxiety And they are inseparable So please help me Because I don’t honestly know How to navigate any of this I don’t know why I always want to die Each passing day is filled with heartbreak And I keep breaking yours So I told myself I can’t do that anymore, And I have stopped talking to you.

There is a rock in my stomach When I think that I hurt you So I need to remove myself from your life I am sorry for everything I’ve ever done I always wanted to give you love, never pain I need proof I’m still breathing Because without you there is no oxygen Have you ever loved someone So much That you let them break your heart?

As a child, I used to tell my mother That I would die before her Some days I feel like I just might.

By Katherine Blanner

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