We were lucky to catch up with Carl Li recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carl, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Project_RIPPLES is a youth-led nonprofit initiative with the aim to use creativity as an outlet of service. We do this by putting on free art workshops for communities in need. Our most recent workshop was LOVE LETTERS, in collaboration with Mosaic, held at the historic Rialto Theater in South Pasadena.
This initiative is the brain child of me (founder Carl Li), a student artist in Los Angeles. I realized the lack of exposure to art opportunities in communities outside of his own. Whether that be quality instruction and materials or chances to be featured in a gallery, I wanted to bring those art opportunities to communities that were in need of it.
Alongside my artist friends, including award winning artists, he set out to make this dream of a workshop and gallery possible. We approached Mosaic South Pasadena, a nondenominational church in Los Angeles, to make this happen. The collaboration resulted in a successful one day workshop with over 150 attendees at the gallery show in the Rialto Theater.
With plans to put on more art workshops, Project_RIPPLES held a fundraiser this past summer in the form of a backyard music festival. TODOS TONOS (a backyard music festival fundraiser) raised 4x our goal. With a lineup of local bands and artists, not only was it a successful fundraiser, but it gave the performers a platform and exposure to a large audience.
Now, the nonprofit is preparing to collaborate with a community nearby to put on a free multi-week art workshop. Follow @projectripples on Instagram to stay tuned for our next projects!
Carl, 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?
About me: I am Carl Li, a student, photographer, graphic designer, and founder of Project_RIPPLES. My creativity is cultivated in my photography works such as the Dinner Table and Roots (both of which won awards including the Getty UnShuttered Award) which can be found on my site carljacob.com. Beyond art, I am dedicated to giving back to the community. I am a volunteer on the creative team at Mosaic, a church in Los Angeles, and founder of a nonprofit with mission to use creativity as an outlet of service.
I also do creative work for private cliental including website design, graphic design, creative direction, and photography.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The goal that drives my creative journey is expressing emotions and thoughts that are beyond what words can describe. As an artist, I use my photos to tell stories that can be visually interpreted, free of description. Additionally, with my nonprofit, I hope to inspire others to use creativity as their language form, expressing their emotions and thoughts visually.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing people’s reactions to my work on display. The joy an artist gets when people are talking or discussing their work is unmatched. Hence, our art workshops culminate with a community gallery. Giving students the opportunity to have their work on display and experience the same joy is ultimately the goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://projectripples.org
- Instagram: @projectripples
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Project_RIPPLES
