The Record Store

Opening Reception: March 21, 6-8 PM

The Record Store is a tribute to music and the many ways it intertwines with our lives. We can all relate to music’s ability to transport us somewhere else – to other eras, places, and states of being – and in times of uncertainty and anxiety, we can look to music and musical spaces to remind us of what we have to celebrate.

Bringing together work from more than 25 artists, the gallery space at Creativity Explored has been transformed to mirror the aesthetic of a record shop, with artists’ renditions of album covers, tour posters, portraits of musicians and merchandise lining the walls. The work in the show covers a wide range of styles and influences, with the singular personalities and perspectives of the artists superimposed on some of the most iconic, as well as more obscure musical imagery.

Two prominently featured artists in the show, Laron Bickerstaff and Mosai Butler, work in a style and with subject matter that seems like a natural fit. Laron’s work straddles the line between figurative and abstract, with faces and figures brimming with blocks of imaginative color, and this energy feels like a perfect way to communicate the dynamic and diverse nature of music. As for Mosai, he often enjoys drawing influential hip hop figures. His bold line work and radiant color choices pair well with the imagery and the fashion styles, especially the chains and jewelry. As one of the most tenured and one of the newest artists to the program respectively, these two artists represent different generations of music lovers, and this exhibition is a way to bring all the artists together to bridge that gap and reflect the universal qualities of music.

Curated by Kate Hope and Eliot Rattle

“The most beautiful thing about hip hop to me is that it brings people together, jewelry in hip hop represents hardships, creativity and collaboration. If I had my own record label I would use it to keep elevating my community.”

– Mosai Butler, Creativity Explored Artist