Meet Plushie. She is a queer Astoria based Latine muralist and teaching artist that has a special connection to Queens. Astoria raised, she grew up loving art but saw a lack of third spaces in the arts throughout the borough. Seeing how important it is for everyone to have a creative safe space, she hosts many different types of painterly or crafting art workshops. She spreads positivity and encourages connection through the arts. Whether working in a school, teaching a workshop at a community center, or even hosting an activity station at an open streets festival, she welcomes everyone to join in on the creative fun. If you don’t see her teaching the arts, you will likely find her painting whimsy, cute and colorful murals throughout NYC.
NB: If you could choose only one mural, illustration, or piece of art to represent Queens, what would it be and why?
P: If I had to pick one of my murals to represent Queens, it would be the one I have at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, second floor parking garage. It’s called “To Queens, With Love.” It’s a long mural capturing Queen monuments that you can visit! It’s got stuff from the MoMI, the Unisphere, the Hall of Science, and so much more! I recommend checking it out especially if you’re picking up any loved ones from their flights there. It gives a great sense of where to visit if you’re showing them around Queens and I’m super proud of it. It was a major honor to paint and I hope all of Queens love it.
NB: How does Queens inspire you? What are some of your favorite places to be inspired in Queens?
P: To get inspired, I love going to the waterfront out here in Astoria and Hunters Point. Watching the sun set on a warm day is one of my favorite things to do. The colors of the sky, the way the rays of the sun beam into the clouds, the city skyline and how beautiful it looks reflecting the sky’s color until it’s a dark silhouette against the horizon. It’s all just so dreamy and makes me feel so motivated to be creative and paint or draw.
NB: What are your favorite restaurants, cafes, theaters, art supply stores, bookstores, exhibits, museums, galleries, communities, third spaces, and venues in Queens? Favorite places to exhibit your work? Favorite of your murals in Queens?
P: Some of my favorite third spaces in Queens are: all of the Queens libraries, MoMI, Kaufman Theater on Steinway, Astoria Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, Break Bar for their billiards, Karaoke Shout, Chateau Le Woof, Sculpture Park, Welling Walls, the Noguchi Museum and so so many restaurants! Queens has so much good food! Like at Hunter’s Point South Park, I have a mini mural there and it’s such a great park! I also have a mural near Steinway by the bp gas station on Newtown Road! Please check them out!
NB: Can you tell us more about why it’s important for everyone to have a creative safe space?
P: It’s so important for everyone to have a creative safe space to explore critical thinking, self-discovery, attachment to the world around us and to others. As well as give room for playful expression. The world is so rigid, hard and heavy all the time. It forces people to stick to routine because of survival and sometimes the best way to break out of that routine is to play with art materials like paint, clay, glue, paper and anything else that creates something tangible from nothing. It gives a great sense of fulfillment to see how consistency with a project or even curiosity can reward a person just playing with art supplies. It’s truly a skill we get less opportunity and access to when we get older, so I think it’s worthwhile investing time, energy and money to save. For the sake of mental health and play, it’s important for everyone to do it every once in a while, and have those spaces.
NB: Do you have any events or projects coming up that you’d like to promote?
P: Yes! Thanks for asking. This Saturday, October 3rd, I’ll be painting a mural in an annual Brooklyn mural festival called Bed-Stuy Walls! It’s a free community event open to all ages. I go every year and they provide wonderful family-friendly activities, music and it’s such a fun vibe! You’ll see live artists painting their murals and community coming together to just have fun. Please stop by and say hi!
NB: What do you wish more people knew about being a teaching artist and illustrator? What is something you wish you knew before you became a teaching artist and illustrator?
P: I think the biggest thing I wish more people knew is that it’s hard to do it all on my own with little to no funding. Oftentimes all the supplies, time and labor I provide for community work whether it’s teaching arts or painting a community mural with the community can be out of my own pocket. And that limits everything. I tend to do everything on my own because of the lack of financial support and it’s quite hard to do it without assistance, which is also only acquired through pay. So, if you like what I do and want to fund it in some way, buying my work or services is the best way to support me and help keep this dream going. And for my teaching arts career, I’ve been very fortunate to get into many public spaces and schools/museums thus far. But it’s all temporary or seasonal. I dream one day to open my own permanent space in order for me to keep this up consistently. If anyone knows of a place in Queens let me know! I would also be very grateful if folks could continue to spread the word of the work I do to get me into more spaces. Promoting myself is hard without help from others and word of mouth is much better at reassuring others that the work I do is not only important but fun! So, if you know of any schools, community centers, programs and other public spaces looking for a mural by me, a community painted mural involving the locals to join, or even a fun art workshop, please reach out to my Instagram @plushiesworkshop; email plushiesworkshop@gmail.com, or website at www.plushiesworkshop.com —Nicollette Barsamian The Local-Express interview series was originated on July 3, 2013 by Nicollette Barsamian.