We were lucky to catch up with Maggie Monica recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maggie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

When I enter into a new space, I instinctively start dreaming up what creative endeavors it could hold. What type of sounds it begs for, what time of day it thrives in, the kind of seating it wants to support, we have the ability to empower a space to become something more.

My local coffee shop is the first place I took myself on a date when I moved to Atlanta in October. Parkgrounds is a dive coffee shop with a courtyard full of acorns and picnic tables; the massive ancient oak tree in the middle of it all shades the space from the Georgia sun. After a few months of fantasizing a gig for my band under the Mother Oak I asked Devyn, the manager, if they ever hosted live music. With a look that said “I think you’re about to be more than a small iced Americano to me”, she asked if I’m in a band. I thought: not only am I in a band, but I know a decent bit of other humans in bands. The more I thought the more I realized, I’ve connected with a lot of people who are artists: makers, creators, performers, entrepreneurs of product or experience. Once I realized the possibility of a crossover episode of all the artists I had intersected with in ATL, I couldn’t stop dreaming it up. Before I knew it I was knee deep in planning a festival style showcase of local artists.

Fast forward to June. This next part consisted of sending a lot of emails without receiving a lot back, coordinating schedules, promoting while in the middle of a 6 month social media hiatus, attending local markets to search for vendors, rearranging the courtyard picnic tables, checking the forecast, countless small iced americanos, more forecasts, general brain scrabbling, an immense amount of passion combined with logistics and suddenly it was the day of. There were thunderstorms and my best friend from Nashville on the way. My best friend was bringing a sound system, the thunder was bringing its own ideas of sound and serving as a gracious reminder that there are only so many elements you can control.

I had 6 artists lined up: 3 musicians and 3 vendors for 3 hours. It was storming while we loaded in vendors and sound equipment. We sheltered under the patio and in a harsh realization that it didn’t feel enough like we were sitting in my living room, I began running back and forth to my house bringing all the rugs, books, plants, decor and red velvet chairs my car could hold. It was important to me that the space felt homey, inviting, and like another element of art.

Eventually the rain stopped, and the sun beamed through the branches of the Mother Oak. Neighbors crawled out of their houses and pulled up chairs. Our company became full, and I was shocked at how much people had a heart for listening. It was a peaceful gift after a month of chaos. At the end of the event as I was giving closing gratitude, I saw Johnny Gianoulidis, the owner of Parkgrounds, taking in the event. I said “well now I have to tell the story of the name”. One afternoon when Devyn and I were hashing out sidewalk chalk promotion and patio arrangement, Johnny comes barreling into the shop. He’s a loud, tattooed, intense and yet warm Greek man with a booming voice. Not 5 minutes into standing at the counter, he says “what are these people doing?!”, gesturing to his paying customers. He said “in Greece people don’t go to a coffee shop to stare into a screen, they go to coffee shops to keep their company close.

and so it was born: The Company We Keep, an artist showcase with the mission of keeping our community in our company by engaging in local art for an afternoon.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

If we were speed dating I’d tell you my name is Maggie Monica, I’m an artist, creator, event coordinator, and aspiring pimp grandma from Columbus, Ohio. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Syracuse University, and my hobbies include thrifting, giggling and eating large portions of cereal in the late night hours.

If we were on a regular date or say doing an interview, I’d tell you that I grew up in a huge musical family with an open door and fridge policy. I’m talking 70 people on thanksgiving, 6 guitars, 2 cajons, 1 banjo, a lot of home brewed beer and a wicked 7 part harmony. My dads love for creating community through music, combined with my moms Italian intuition to feed everyone that steps foot into our home, made art and hosting the center of my being. my love for combining these two elements of my life has pushed me to provide spaces that are inclusive, safe, full of life and peace. Although I am the creator of these spaces I am also the student of them. Each person that shares their art has brought elements of inspiration and every person that attends has graciously engaged in learning and listening.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I really do think one of the most gratifying things as an artist is seeing what’s in your head be actualized and experienced by others.

You have to be a dreamer at the end of the day. I see in my head how every detail can make a difference, how immersive an event could be, how many different collaborators could be brought together, and then the work is just making the vision an experience.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Creation of community through shared artistic experience is the mission of all my creative work.

Ive found that it was you simply bring the right people with the right intentions into a space, the rest happens organically. I have watched people soften in the presence of vulnerable creativity and I feel extremely grateful to be able to witness people touch back down to earth for an afternoon.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms.maggie.monica/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ms.maggie.monica/
• Other: Band Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/theshagadelics

Image Credits
Katie Hart