Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Gotay.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I run an art collective in Austin called Art Island. We started as a communal art party about three years ago, shortly after I’d moved to Austin from NYC. A lot of what had inspired me are influenced by my past life in New York, where I spent nights reporting on warehouse raves and DIY venues and days designing for a yoga and music festival. Art Island was really inspired by the landscape of Austin, both physically and artistically. As soon as my cofounder Ryan Padgett and I started finding the right people to attend our events, we found the right people to step up and into leadership roles within the collective. We now have leads in all of our main areas of entertainment and expression – fire, food, art, tunes, tech, and tea- and internal group of around 50 collaborating artists. They make this operation dynamic and ever-changing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
COVID shut down our IRL 2020 operations in a pretty harsh way. But that’s given us an opportunity to double down on our digital presence to grow as an art collective and not just an event.
As you know, we’re big fans of Art Island. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We stand out because we incorporate so many realms of art within Austin- from fire to tea- on top of your standard concert or art show. We’re an open-door collective that invites anyone with a passion for their craft or idea to come make it with us!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is creativity in motion. Making an idea become real is art. Sharing that creation with others is the gift. When those who see the work support in order to continue the cycle, that is success.
Pricing:
- Art Island Sticker Pack ~ $15 venmo @artislandATX
Contact Info:
- Email: artislandatx@gmail.com
- Website: www.artislandatx.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/artislandATX/
Suggest a Story: VoyageAustin is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
