We recently connected with Bunny Gregory and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Bunny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
I wish I had thought of myself as an artist sooner! I’ve almost, always done some type of creative work, but I’ve simply never considered myself a real artist.
Bunny , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a Charlotte, NC native! I have a fashion illustration degree from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Not long after graduation I led Creatrix’s design department, where I created props and sets for corporate events. During my time at Creatrix I also done costume design for Moving Poets(since 2000 to current).
In 2010 I experienced my first artist residency in Berlin!
Growing up in an era lacking platforms for Black artists, my love for hip hop and pop art led me to establish the UNDERGROUND in 2014. It quickly became a vital hub for urban artists, musicians, and poets.
In 2017, Creative Loafing Magazine dubbed me the “Queen Mother of Charlotte’s Underground Hip Hop.”
Presently, I’m working on the UNDERGROUND Mobile Art Studio, empowering young Black artists, especially in under-served communities. The mobile Studio allows me to engage with youth(and the young at heart), who otherwise don’t have the funds or resources to indulge in the Arts.
My work, influenced by Afrocentric culture, addresses racial and economic disparity through illustration, comic-style art, pen & ink, and collage on reclaimed boards.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me it would be community! Most artists seen very open to encouraging the success of other creatives! I for one truly feel like I have the support of the art community. That was something I was very unsure of and one of the reasons it took me so long to engage in the Arts as an artist.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Technology resources!!! I wish I had known how important technology would be in growing a creative career!!! Probably a year after I graduated college CAD was added to the curriculum…I MISSED THE WHOLE TECH MOVEMENT…LOL!
I had no idea how much I would need to learn to navigate a computer for purpose of creating art! I have come a long long way. But it has kept me from getting jobs and grants in the pass.
BUT…I DIDN’T GIVE UP! I am now able to at least navigate simple Grant applications working on figuring out a spreadsheet, creating documents, filing, saving and sending …with less cussing and crying!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @FunkyShyt @bunnygregory_art
- Facebook: Bunny Gregory(ur)
Image Credits
Sara Ayala Garcia