Today we’d like to introduce you to Rickale West
Hi Rickale, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Creating visual art was something that felt natural considering my deep relationship with the arts including music and literary arts. However this relationship with art was different and a bit more intense. Around the time I began painting was also the first time in my adult life I had decided to go to therapy and art became a part of my personal management plan for the things I was navigating through mentally at that time and ongoing many days.
The Roxy Wuz Here Art brand was born from a combination of many things. It started with me simply creating and tagging my art with the phrase “Roxy Wuz Here”. This was not an off the wall act since I had a habit, long before I began painting of leaving the tag everywhere I went from staying at hotels to notes on colleagues desks. It was just my thing. One day I tagged a painting and it was like a whole world of vision started blossoming. I recall showing off a picture of a painting at work and my colleague jokingly said “ok Miss Roxy Wuz Here” and I laughed while saying “Watch Im going to make that a brand” I didn’t know how much I meant that at the time but I am also very much a, hold my beer and watch this kind of person so here we are over 4 years later and Roxy Wuz Here is a Brand. I think it is my persistent, and determined nature that has kept me on the road to this slow burning empire. Even with many times of uncertainty I am proud of how far I have come and the accomplishments of certain things that seemed so far off in the distance such as having select images and designs licensed and available on major platforms such as Walmart, Wayfair and Amazon along with original art listed on places like Artsy, and Artsper.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would love to say that the road has been smooth however it has not. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe It is the obstacles that we are able to learn and grow from along the way and, we can not get it right until we get it wrong a few times. There has been a wide range of challenges I have faced with developing the Roxy Wuz Here Art brand. Honestly it has been a challenging process to identify a target audience. You would think it would be as simple as finding people who love art and selling them the story that ultimately sells the art but it is not that simple. Art as a business took me over four years to learn how to break down on paper to create a business plan. Another notable challenge has been to know you have a valuable, impactful product and mission which is validated by people praising the business model and referring to certain aspects as “cutting edge” and yet constantly hearing the magic word “No”.
“No” for the RWHA brand doesn’t just come from a business standpoint and seeking funding for things like marketing, but I also hear tons of “no’s” from an artistic institution standpoint as well, when it comes to exhibition proposals, applying for juried exhibitions etc. Receiving “no” for a business grant and the same day receiving a “no” for an open call can rock your world a little, but that is the reality I have faced at times. Considering the structure I am creating with no true blueprint to follow, sometimes it takes a little extra belief in myself to keep going despite the process that has been building the Roxy Wuz Here Art brand.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Roxy Wuz Here Art ?
We help Individuals who are in need of a transformative wellness experience, realize the benefits of art as a tool for mental wellbeing. We do this by offering aesthetically pleasing, energetically charged artworks, along with healing through art workshops curated with innovative concepts. As well as a variety of high quality functional consumer goods for all budget types to enjoy.
Roxy Wuz Here Art offers medium to large scale artworks that provoke viewers to explore the placement of color and texture as well as the intuitively developed concepts as they resonate with their own lives. The works and concepts developed by Roxy Wuz Here founder and artist Rickale West are illustrations of lived or observed life experiences. Completed works typically take about 2 to 6 weeks to complete based on size and medium. This includes commissioned artworks which can be tailored to clients by way of color choice or even adding custom wording and texture. Original artworks are priced from $400-$10,000. The Healing Through Art workshops are offered remotely which means we travel to you, and currently serve the Houston Tx. and surrounding areas and are available by contract or small private groups of up to 10 guests via Classbento. Roxy Wuz Here Art is distinguished by offering a personable experience while also elaborating on the concept of the Healing Through Art workshops and how they relate to everyday life. They are curated based on the group and are not designed to tell individuals what to create but rather help guide them as they tap into their own feelings, thoughts and emotions leading them to produce their own original artwork. Lastly, our Functional art products are quality long lasting consumer items that feature designs you won’t find anywhere else. What I am most proud of brand wise is the growing social impact I have been able to have through the arts by way of public installations in spaces like therapy centers, in-kind workshops for select non profit organizations and most recently our Healing Through Art Activation at the 4th annual Melanin Minds Mental Health Conference. It is a joy simply watching as a guest or viewer processes the concept and energy of the artwork and step into a space introspection. Art has been a key that unlocks doors where the work must be done and I am honored and grateful to do the work.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I feel like there is so much that would be surprising to people who know of me or my work because truly getting to know me is like an extended release kind of deal.
I will share a fun fact. When I was about 18 or 19, it was a summer break from college. I was in Dallas and my best friend at the time and I decided we would try out for American Idol since they would be in town. We both were confident in our vocal abilities and we didn’t have any expectations which made it an exciting adventure. We just wanted to say we tried out for American Idol. So we camped out overnight in the long lines on the sidewalks outside AT&T Stadium. I stayed up and watched out while she slept right there on the sidewalk. We met so many interesting and quirky people and when the sun came up and they finally started letting us inside we got in and the audition was all of 60 seconds for us to be told thank you but no thank you. I left satisfied because that was such a courageous thing for me to even stand in a stadium full of strangers and sing and it is forever a cool memory to have.
Pricing:
- Functional Art Products $10-$60
- Original Art $300-$10,000
- Workshops $45- $55 per guest
- Commissions starting at $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roxywuzhereart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxywuzhereart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roxywuzhereart
