We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ezra Croft. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ezra below.

Ezra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

A few years back I had devised a concept for an art show called, the breast art show. Some people might’ve had the idea that artwork specifically of breasts would be cliché or overdone or might have a negative context brought into it by the wrong crowd. None of this was the case. Setting the stage and inviting artists, a majority of who were female identifying, gave way to some breathtaking and deeply meaningful exhibitions of thought, life and experience. The subject of identity and social construct around a simple part of human anatomy opened up 1000 points of discussion and artistic opportunity. As a producer of art shows I always strive to connect artists with their communities and give them a spotlight to really open up and pour themselves into the work that they bring into the show. There was a lot to be said by every single one of the participants in the show, existentially, interpretively and plainly.. every message was different and individualized but yet connected with everyone who experienced it. I normally gauge whether an art show I produce is a success by the reaction of the artists observing the attendees of the show Vibing with their art. For me, meaningfulness is experiencing art through a connection of emotion and this hit the mark.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started out as nobody in particular, I was working at bed Bath and beyond and not really flexing any of my creative muscles so to speak. Then one day in a flash of inspiration I had an idea to produce a Nicolas Cage art show. At the time I was in San Francisco and there was a Unique Zeitgeist of artistry and hunger for creativity in the social make up of that city. Because of how Facebook was connecting people together at the time, the show went viral and was featured on national media and was a huge success, I had so much fun and made so many connections with so many great people that I decided I needed to keep producing art shows and getting art into the world and connecting artists with their communities. I have since done 73 major art shows with my flagship show being Oddville, a festival of the awesomely strange which is an annual show that focuses on strange art strange performance and strange experiences.. I also use my powers of social media pros to help lift up and promote artists in anyway I can due to my firm belief that the world needs more art and all it takes is a connection. Since moving to North Carolina in 2018, I’m trying to bring this mode of creative to a wide audience of art lovers and artists guiding them down in common path. Additionally, the core foundation of what I do is interpersonal connection and it has to be fun. Art is definitely work and it is definitely emotional work but if it’s not fun, then what’s the point.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

One of the things I do with my shows based on my motto of connecting artists with their community is I require every single person in my show to invite as many people as they can on social media, through Facebook Instagram or however they connect with their audiences. I additionally asked them to get as many friends, partners or people that support them to also take a minute and do the same to help promote their presence in the show. When these spectrums of connection reach out across groups of friends and people who don’t know the people that you know see the event through the algorithms And are aware of the event and feel the energy of how good it’s going to be, you make a true connection with a stranger and that expands your audience and I firmly believe that finding someone who loves a piece of art they didn’t know existed is a true sense of adventure. I’m also decent with keeping data of the people that enjoy my shows so I can contact them in the future and let them know if anything fun is coming up that I would be doing. If there is a way to let somebody know that it is happening, I keep that connection strong. Additionally, reputation is everything to me and producing a fun, affordable, and enriching art experience with lots to see and do is important. Thinking about the high-end art galleries of New York and Los Angeles with their white walls and drab aura seems so counterintuitive to experiencing humanity. Making real connections with people and providing true social benefits through art and the experience from person to person is essential. I think having a clear concise message about what I am doing and appealing to all audiences and excluding no one is a noble approach. People from all backgrounds enjoy a common set of ideals and interests and I think art is something that touches every human soul in one way or another And through social media, we have a unique and mostly freeway to reach out to people near and far. Maintaining a concise clear and consistent social media presence across all the existing platforms is very important because not everybody is on every platform so you give them every opportunity to see it and then whether or not they decide to participate is up to them, as is life.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The first step is showing up. Get out there and buy art. Don’t have a place to put it in your house? Make a place. When you support an artist it allows them to continue creating art, financially and motivational. Find art shows on social media or in local newspapers Or farmers markets. Buy Art for a gift or even make art and give it to other people. In any instance that you can hire an artist to do a custom piece or two create something unique and it’s financially viable for you, it can be the most rewarding experience of the moment. This also includes public art, you can offer your own unique brand of promotion by Putting fantastic pictures up on social media and tagging the location and artist and showing the vibrance of your surroundings because of that art. If you truly enjoy it, let it pour out of your heart

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @crazyezra
• Facebook: Ezra Croft