We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erika Velez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Erika , 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.
My most meaningful project has been building Art Via Management, and independent entertainment management company created to support Drum and a Tantrum, an alternative indie rock band from New Jersey- one of the musicians is actually my partner, which makes this work especially close to my heart.
This project is more than a business, it is a deeply personal and natural extension of my life in the arts.
I am a painter, I have indulged in writing, and I have been surrounded by music for as long as I can remember. My family is from Ecuador, my mother always very crafty and my father has had this beautiful bohemian dream of being a singer. He is passionate about music, especially the classic ballads and pop songs from South America. At any party, event or gathering, he would either pull a guitarist aside or find a way to sing. His voice and his love for those romantic, soulful songs shaped the energy in every room-and it definitely shaped me.
Art Via Management was born out of that passion and desire to bring my creative and organizational skills together to help other artists thrive. With Drum and a Tantrum, I have helped book shows, designed album covers, created artwork for their merchandise and stage props, as well as manage some of their presence on social media. It is fulfilling work not just because I get to use my artistic skills, but because I am helping bring to life the dreams of people I care about. Supporting my partner’s band and building something with purpose makes it all incredibly meaningful.
This project is a reflection of my heritage, my upbringing, and my own creative instincts. It is about building something real, something that supports others and gives voice to the kind of raw, indie energy I have always loved.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
It is important to start form the beginning. I was born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY from Ecuadorian parents who immigrated in the 80s in pursuit of different opportunities, leaving my then 2 year old sister behind. They know hustle thus I know hustle. Aside from everyday hustle, my parents knew how to have a great time. My mother, always drawings something, sewing something or crafting kept my world creative. My father, singing his songs, serenating my mother and I, kept our spirits alive. I grew up in a home where creativity was not just encouraged, it was a way of life.
I am an artist, a creative entrepreneur and someone deeply rooted in the belief that passion and purpose can coexist. That the things we love can become the things we build. I paint, I manage creative projects and I build platforms for others to shine.
I am the founder of Art Via Management, an independent entertainment management company that helps musicians and artists bring their visions to life. We work closely with alternative and indie musicians, currently supporting Drum and a Tantrum, a NJ based rock band, booking shows, producing art works for concerts and merchandise, designing social content, and supporting the full arc of their creative execution. For us, it is about story telling, identity, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard.
In addition, I run an electrolysis studio in Jersey City, NJ, MyMode Electrolysis, helping people feel more confident in their bodies through permanent hair removal, one hair follicle at a time. It is work that combines care, trust, and precision and I love how it connects me to individuals on a deeply personal level.
What sets me apart is that I see creativity as holistic. Whether it is managing a band,, building a brand or supporting a client’s self-image through wellness work, it all stems from a genuine desire to create impact, beauty and connection.
I suppose what I am most proud of is that I did and do not wait for permission. I built this mosaic of a career out of what I love. It is important to know this is not about perfection but about learning. It is about vision, consistency, heart and hustle.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A moment that really tested and proved my resilience was when I launched Art Via Management, my creative management venture, during a time when I was already juggling a full-time job as a Senor Portfolio Operations Manager for Omnidian, my own electrolysis business (My Mode) and being a full-time mom of two young girls.
I was driven by this passion to create a platform that could uplift independent artists, like the band I help manage now, Drum and a Tantrum. Building it from the ground up, coordinating shows, designing promotional artwork, handling logistics and outreach, it is thrilling yet exhausting, especially with limited resources and time. There are always moments I question If I could really sustain it all. But what pulls me through is the deep belief in the artists I work with and a stubborn determination to keep going even when the outcome is uncertain.
Looking back, those late nights and long weekends are all wroth it, because I help build something that reparents who I am as a creative and as a doer.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding part is the connection it fosters, between people, ideas and worlds. Whether it is through a painting that moves someone in an unexpected way, or a live show that brings people together, it feels like creativity has a way of breaking through barriers and making space for real emotions, real humanity,
As someone who grew up around music and inherited love of bohemian expression, I have always felt that art is where I find both purpose and possibility. Helping others express their vision, whether it is through managing a band or shaping a brand identity, it feels like giving life to something bigger than myself.
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