Be sure to read the interview and visit the public art located in Brooklyn.
This past Friday I was able to speak with one of the founders of SaveArtSpace, a non-profit organization that turns billboards into public art spaces. The organization recently had a contest to turn a billboard in Bushwick into a public art space, and visual artist Ken Lavey was the winner. This is their second Bushwick show, but the 7th public exhibition of art in 4 different states. I went down to Bushwick to see the billboard in person and it looked awesome. I got to speak with the artist and co-founder of SaveArtSpace, read the interview below.
Who are you? What do you do?
JA: My name is Justin Aversano and I am an artist and curator based in Bushwick, I’m active in Bushwick and the lower east side scene and we make art all the time.
KL: My name is Ken Lavey, I’m an artist and technician. I live in Brooklyn and my day job is in printing and production, but I try to make as much work on the weekends as possible.
Can I get some more background info on SaveArtSpace?
JA: SaveArtSpace is a non-profit art organization that was founded in 2015 by Travis Rix and Justin Aversano, we’re both the co-founders. We walked around Bushwick in 2015 and said we need to transform these billboards into art spaces for local artists. It became a non-profit after we realized the potential of the art and the connectivity to the community. Therefore, we continued the journey across America to LA, Miami, Kentucky and hopefully we go global with this public art project to transform advertising into public art scenes.
You said you’re also an artist, can you tell us more about your art and what exactly you do?
JA: I’m an artist, I have a BFA in photography, but I like to paint and make collages. Pretty much do all art forms, like silk screen, video, sculpture, anything that has to do with art.
When did you get started? Were you immersed at a young age?
JA: I was immersed into new York city at such a young age, that opened me up to a lot of sensitivity to the environment, that created the artist in me. Ever since being a child I was more of a performance artist than a visual artist. I became a visual artist nowadays.
So you’re an artist, the featured artist, what made you want to submit your art and get noticed?
KL: I was aware of SaveArtSpace for a little while, I really was impressed with how much of a following they had and how serious Travis and Justin are about their mission. They really care about doing this. Not a lot of people are making moves like these guys are, putting stuff out there, spending money to make art happen. I saw it on Facebook, submitted my work and here we are. It’s awesome.
What made you want to start creating? Did you do it at a young age? Did you go to school for it?
KL: I guess it started in High school, taking a basic photo class and really just not being able to stop making photos at that point. I was working in the darkroom, got a digital camera at some point. From like 14-15 on I was like, ‘okay I’m gonna do this’. I was fortunate enough to be able to afford to go to art school. I was fortunate enough to go to SVA and I really enjoyed it. I mean, it’s just been a real privilege to be able to do that.
What’s next for you? Any goals?
KL: It’s [the billboard] not the first thing you think of in terms of distributing your art, which is another reason why Save Art Space is so interesting. The predictable approach is to focus on making prints, making books, going to the galleries, things that I’ve been complacent with. Thankfully I just had a show, a pretty good group show that I was proud to be a part of. Besides that, it’s hard to push your work, especially if you work full time. What’s next? I don’t know. Hopefully something that’s just as unexpected as this. Not just another show or just another zine or book. Something that’s just as surprising as being engaged in a space like this.
You can view the work across from Rebecca’s Bar, located at 610 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn.
