Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ray Vidal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ray, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents trusted in my pursuit of happiness and my own navigation in finding what I wanted to do early on. I come from a very musical gifted family. My mom plays piano and can read music at a concert level and my dad was a professional full time touring drummer from the Philippines. That is how they met actually working on a cruise ship sailing the Atlantic and pacific ocean providing live entertainment every night for people around the world. My Dad was in the house band and my Moms helped put on the events, recreation and programming with the band and that’s how they got to fall in love. Growing up music was a big part of our family and upbringing. My parents’ instruments were our toys. Me and my 2 brothers grew up going to my dads gigs, practices and events around Toronto. Eventually my brothers picked up the drums and piano. I gravitated towards the guitar and wanted to be part of the music. We would put on fake concerts for our parents and sing songs and jam as a family all the time. My parents never pushed music on us; rather they let us figure it out for ourselves to discover to see if it was something we would pursue on our own. Happily they supported and nurtured our creative interests and needs. Being so supportive and still are to this day with every new gig, creative endeavor, business and project we do. My mom and dad always encouraged arts and culture as well the appreciation of nature and wildlife. When I told them I wanted to pursue arts and music full time they were happy to support me and my brothers any way they could. Growing up they would take me to shows, art galleries, art camps and put me into any schooling/programming they thought would inspire and help impact my artist experience. Today I am an award winning visual artist and musician that is blessed to still play, record and perform with my 2 brothers and good high school friend in our band the Five and Tens. Which has organically gained a growing fan base from all over the world, winning 3 awards, working and performing with renown artists. Since 2019 I have been living as a full time artist off my artwork, murals, workshops, programming and music. All of which my parents encouraged each step of the way and helped support to this day.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Ray Vidal and I am a multidisciplinary artist, muralist, arts educator and musician. I got into art and music at an early age through my artistic and musical family. I remember being very inspired by my brother’s drawings, seeing him do graffiti, airbrushing and customizing clothing, skateboarding, breakdancing and getting deeply into art and music. I started following in his steps and getting into the same things. I would spend hours drawing my favorite cartoons I grew up on. Bring them to class in elementary and give my drawings out to my friends. Being encouraged by my teachers and friends to stick with my artistic passion. At the same time I picked up my dads acoustic guitar and taught myself how to play guitar at the age of 13. My parents encouraged me to excel at playing by suggesting I read music like my oldest brother. So I studied at the Ontario conservatory of music for 2 years. I was advancing so fast by ear that I left the conservatory to start recording, performing in bands on my own. I went to the Ontario College of Art and Design University to gain the skills and working experience I needed to become a full time artist to hone my craft and disciplines in the arts. After school I started teaching all age art programs, workshops and art reaches in various community centers and schools across the greater Toronto area. Working with various non for profit arts organizations and with the city for 3 years. Then I met my girlfriend who was an established muralist and artist that encouraged me to start doing art for myself and pursuing projects of my own. She encouraged me to apply to an open call for a skatepark mural. In a park I skateboarded as a kid. I got in and painted my first legal wall mural under the mentorship of Jeff Garcia known by his artist name Mango Peeler. This was the first of many mural projects that helped shape my career and help me grow as an artist and pursue my passion full time. Since that project many of those emerging artists I shared the mentorship with have become full time artists and are my collective peers that I continue to work and collaborate with. I got to meet many artists, arts organizations and gain experience in public art assisting my girlfriends projects and other friends projects. Getting the proper training, hands on experience, industry skills, entrepreneur businesses know-hows and discipline needed to do it on my own. I am very grateful for every project that I have been able to be a part of. Being able to connect with different people from different communities and continue to build lifelong meaningful relationships with them is what it’s all about. Every single new and unique experience I get working on different projects collectively with others or independently. All inform and mature my practice with time and experience. The more I create, the more insight I gain into myself, my practice, the mediums I’m using, my skills, knowledge and teachings I’m sharing and learning. That continuously reshapes my practice, work ethic, style and what I want to say in my art. I am always learning, unlearning, relearning and growing as an artist. Endlessly creatively problem solving, critically thinking and pushing myself outside my comfort zone with every new project. Working through all the challenges and hardships that come with it. I feel like each project serves as a window and time capsule into a collective timeline. Where I see traces of myself and the community coming together in the form of public art. That I can date and relive specific points in my life in place and time of who I was, how I was feeling, who I was connecting with and impacting. Reflecting on all the impactful moments of celebration and connection as a community made through arts and culture placemaking. That helped bring more vibrancy, insight and meaning into my life and others in the community. Bringing more culturally diverse stories and imagery into our cities infrastructure, conversation and history. Sharing my own story and uplifting other people’s voices in public spaces.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
People should be investing more time, money and energy into smaller companies run by people in their community. Supporting families, friends and people’s business rather than big conglomerate multimillionaire faceless companies. Going to farmers markets, art markets, festivals, art crawls, vendors, shows, local galleries, showcases, open mics, conventions, jams, block parties, street festivals, small local venues, restaurants, bars and businesses. Goes a long way in supporting local and contributing to the diverse artists and businesses in your community. Everyone in the artistic community is one big family whether they know it or not everyone is connected and will meet, know or work with each other in some way or another. Show support and you shall be supported as well. People have the convenience to order whatever they want from their finger tips from the comfort of their home. Having all the reasons to stay occupied from all the devices and entertainment from streaming platforms and social media. With brands like amazon, crave, prime, netflix, spotify even youtube with all the ads now you necessarily do not know who you are supporting or what your money is funding. With supporting an artist, creative or local business you know where your money is going. You build real meaningful relationships with people in your community that can last a lifetime. Supporting an artist’s career, craft, shop and legacy keeps a thriving healthy creative ecosystem that lets artists keep creating, growing and prospering. The best way to keep artists going is to make the effort to show up and support them. Support anyone making stuff independently in house first and foremost. Rather buying into something you can get online from any big corporation. Watch a local band play live, go to a theater, support smaller art gallery/artist spaces, go to comic conventions, shop at farmers and art markets, attend free street festivals, workshops and programming put on by local artists, BIA’s and communities near you. Learn and discover people in your community doing their own thing business wise, build relationships with mom and pop shops and just shop local. Build up the people you believe in and want to see grow and work with.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Connecting with people from all walks of life in communities you would never have known about without being a creative or an artist. Art and music has brought me to new places and communities in my own city and around the world. Meeting like minded people, artists and visionaries that continually inspire and motivate me and my art forms. Giving me new and fresh perspectives in expression, subject matter, stories, ideologies, philosophy, history, culture and lived experience. That I get from working and place making with others. Every project I feel connected to the people I am working with and forever impacted by the place and community I create within that given time and space. Knowing I have brightened up someone’s day. Lifting someone’s spirit, inspiring, engaging and motivating someone I have never met before is worth more than any monetary value gain. If I am able in some way to support someone else, build community, make people feel connected, loved and celebrated. Most importantly help someone work through trauma and save someone’s life. By showing someone something new, teaching someone new skills, creating opportunities that encourage, inspire and motivate creativity and nurture others to be artists. Whether it’s through my art, music and community teaching is the most rewarding thing ever. Seeing how art, music and teaching can inspire, heal and empower others is what keeps me going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF7Yt89qYo/4BRjf9vqnhEQN6PoE_IiJA/edit?utm_content=DAF7Yt89qYo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayvidalart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fiveandtens
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1iSGeNaCZKmv5B9pHEwWoi
https://fiveandtens.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Sly Espinoza
Tylor Key-Carr