Stacy Self, the artist known as Wildy, brought her talent and passion for connecting with people through art to the Roots n Blues n Barbecue festival Saturday afternoon. Her interactive murals inspired collaboration, creativity and community among the young artists who helped her paint them.
Tired of reading? Listen to the full Q&A here.
What drew you to Roots n Blues?“I love music, and it’s the biggest party in town.”
What first interested you in art?
“I wanted to draw everything I saw as a kid and then wasn’t allowed art classes until I was a senior in high school, other than youngster classes, but I didn’t get to take art in high school. I hungered for it, had my first drawing class and, yeah, then went to college and became—I was going to major in chemistry but—became engrossed in art making.”
What is Wildys World?
“So Wildys World is a fun place where people can play with large scale painting in groups, team building, community building, working together on a project-oriented—Wildys World does project-oriented group collaborations. I’m a muralist and an art teacher, educator, for 16 years and 25 years in mural painting. [I] started at the City Museum doing, inviting everyone to paint my murals, I was artist in residence, and it became this amazing thing that I’ve been doing for 25 years. I love bringing it to Columbia now full time and traveling and doing projects all over the country.”
What is your favorite part of what you do?
“My favorite part is sharing the joys of painting with people and providing a very enriching experience for them that maybe they’ve never had before.”[vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1538347467011-c121922b-2066-2″ include=”304061,304060,304059,304058,304057,304055,304056,304054,304053,304052,304050,304048,304047,304039,304040,304042,304044,304046,304038,304037,304034″]What was your favorite art exhibit at Roots n Blues this year? Let us know in the comments below.
