Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Roxanne Gray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Roxanne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

When I started 801 Salon, I took several risks. Our first show was pulled together in only two weeks. I wanted to curate art exhibits and performances that would be accessible to the community, while also providing space and a platform for artists to show their work in accessible ways. We partnered with a local businesses who were willing to provide their space at no cost, and I cold-called a local artist whose work I admired. I was surprised that everyone involved responded with a resounding “yes!” and even more surprised that so many members of the community turned up for this event. We had over 150 people attend our first art exhibit. It told me that the community was hungry for these types of experiences, and gave me the momentum to build out 801 Salon into what it is today.

Roxanne, 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?

801 Salon is dedicated to making art accessible to the community. We produce multidisciplinary pop-up art exhibits and performances around Salt Lake City, providing a platform for local artists to show their work. We work towards providing resources and removing barriers for artists to present work in non-traditional, inclusive, and financially accessible ways. We also prioritize historically marginalized, underrepresented, and emerging artists in our curation. And, we produce accessible art experiences for community members by providing free or low-cost admission and situating our pop-ups in neighborhoods throughout Salt Lake County.

Our shows have featured a wide range of artists. You might attend an interdisciplinary dance performance with live musicians, or an art exhibit that has popped-up in your local optics shop. Our next exhibit is titled, “Nepantla: Border Arte” and was curated in collaboration with Finch Lane Gallery, Salt Lake City Arts Council, and Artes de Mexico en Utah. Nepantla: Border Arte draws together local visual and performance artists who connect with a borderland identity, as defined by queer Chicana feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldúa. The borderland is a physical and geographical boundary, as well as a physiological, spiritual, political, and socio-cultural space. “These artists exist in nepantla, exploring identidad through autohistoria, testimonio, and the never ending pláticas surrounding who tells the stories and what stories and histories are told,” explains Gray.

The works approach themes of generational assimilation, cultural erasure, discrimination, and experiences of contending with a dominant culture. Many of the pieces speak to tradition, loss, lineage, and family. Some of the work comments on the immigrant experience, as well as the involuntary immigration of peoples through historical border shifts. “Each piece contributes to a collective identity and a liberatory space for healing and social change,” says Gray. “We gather in the borderlands. We are neither here nor there, but we are whole.”

The six-week exhibition will also feature dance performances by local choreographers and dance artists at both the opening reception and May Gallery Stroll reception. 801 Salon will also offer an artist panel and artist workshops, co-presented and sponsored by Artes de Mexico. The exhibit runs April 18-May 30 at Finch Lane Gallery, 54 Finch Lane, Salt Lake City.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Our community can support artists by contributing to our local arts economy. This could be purchasing art from local artists, paying admission to local performances, or donating to arts organization and nonprofits. It can look like supporting local performances, not just traveling tour performances. And, it can also be as simple as sharing about events on social media, voting for legislation that supports local arts, or spending your money at local businesses who are often employing local artists. Our city needs artists to thrive, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for artists to stay here and making a living. We need to create an arts economy that is accessible, inclusive, and diverse, and give folks a reason to stay in our city.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My own research and creative process as an artist (choreographer) outside of my curation with 801 Salon is centered around developing collaborative models and valuing the work that multiple artists can bring into a collaborative process. I feel that I bring this mission into my curation with 801 Salon by encouraging collaboration with artists across the disciplines, and across our city. I have enjoyed curating multidisciplinary shows, pairing artists with each other to make work that is both rich and more representative of our community.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @801.salon
• Other: https://roxannegray.co/curation/

  This is my personal website.

Image Credits

Ryan Ross, Luis Canelon, Roxanne Gray, Josh Doss