Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ron Stokes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ron, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Art has always been my passion, but when I started establishing myself as an artist, I realized there were so few opportunities and pathways for minority artists in the Richmond area. Yes, there have always been quite a few museums and galleries in the Richmond area, but minority owned and operated galleries and museums are almost nonexistent. When I first started getting serious about my art in 2014, projects would come along once or twice each year. When I had my first solo exhibit, I was fortunate enough to have a friend lend me his space at no cost in order to do so. After that, I realized that other opportunities I pursued were outside of Richmond because, for new and emerging minority artists, there were very few locally. This is when I realized that, just like my early days in graffiti, we didn’t wait for walls to appear, sometimes we created them. So, if new and emerging, and even existing, minority artists needed a space or opportunity, we would have to create them. In 2022, in addition to being an artist, I began curating art walks and exhibits. In 2023, The Art Seen was created to create traditional and non traditional art experiences with the intent to elevate minority artists. During this first year, The Art Seen has already created opportunities for dozens of new, emerging and existing minority artists and helped generate art sales in excess of $35,000.
Ron, 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?
I’m a Native of Washington DC but grew up largely in the Bay Area of California. I’ve lived in Richmond, VA for the past 10 years. I’m a self-taught street artist and my style is a more abstract art. I will paint anything from murals to canvases to vases – my motto is ‘If the paint sticks, I’ll paint it.’ I prefer abstract because it allows the person viewing the art to find what speaks to them in each piece. In addition to being an artist, I also realize how few and far between the opportunities are for minority artists in Richmond, so I’m the founder of The Art Seen. Through this business, I’m able to not only showcase my own art work but I’m also able to create space for other minority artists to do the same.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Consistency has been the key. When I first launched my personal Artist page, Viewsbystokes, I didn’t understand anything about choosing the best picture or when to post or how often. I would post pictures that weren’t the best representation of my work and posts were random, I didn’t put much effort into it. Now, I’m much more consistent – I post often (at least four or five times each week) and I have invested in tools to help me get better quality pictures, including hiring photographers for events I participate in. This has helped me grow my audience from a few dozen to a few thousand over the last two years.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I’m a story teller and there are so many stories to tell. As a creative, I will dream about paintings and wake up and I have to get them out. When I first started, much of my artwork included colors and shapes and those things represented feelings and ideas and I wanted others to find their own connection, As I’ve progressed as an artist, I’ve started incorporating more images and scenes so the story can be more clearly seen and received. I’m inspired by own experience and the experiences of others so it makes sense to paint them in a way that people can see themselves in the story and more easily interpret it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.viewsbystokes.com
- Instagram: @viewsbystokes
- Twitter: Viewsbystokes