The art world is cutthroat. As any young artist will tell you, it can be difficult to break into an industry where everyone seems to know exactly what to do and how to do it. Not only is it hard to gain exposure for your work, it can also be challenging to make lasting, friendly connections with other artists in a world where everything seems so competitive.
This is what the five artists, students, and creators of Ur Room are trying to change. Ur Room, inaugurated in November, is a multimedia space showcasing up and coming Toronto designers, artists, and troublemakers. Once a month, the five creators of Ur Room, all students from Ryerson University—Maggie Alpaugh, Madeleine Etmanski, Fiona Kenney, Raven Lam, and Camila Rocha—open up their living room to a slew of art aficionados. Located in a quaint duplex right outside Chinatown, Ur Room is everything but a static, frame-on-the-wall gallery: coloured pink and blue lights decorate the space, videos projected on the walls, and a live DJ (LitheSound) make the space vibrant and engaging.
In order to give us a better idea of their intentions and ideas for their project, The Strand asked the creators at Ur Room to answer a few questions on the inspiration for and future aspirations of this artistic collective.
The Strand: How did Ur Room come to be? What is the inspiration behind it?
Ur Room: We were tired of feeling excluded from the art world, us not being art students ourselves. Especially with young artists, it’s difficult to break into an industry where you feel everyone has crazy experience and talent. We felt like we were competing against people we could have been collaborating with. Our focus is inclusivity and individuality, allowing every applicant access to exposure in some capacity, regardless of experience.
TS: How does it feel to host an art show within your own home? Is it strange to see your own personal space transformed into an exhibit?
UR: Hosting an art show in any capacity is stressful. There are a million things we need to consider in terms of accessibility, planning, and logistics. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a “blank slate” space transformed into whatever our artists want it to be. Hosting it in our house just means we have to vacuum!
TS: How do you reach out to artists for Ur Room?
UR: The beauty of the internet is that it’s open 24/7! Artists can submit anytime at our website, www.urroom.info, email us at [email protected], or visit our Facebook or Instagram. Every artist gets to show at Ur Room, and we group-work together by theme so each show has a cohesive direction. We also like to reach out to people whose work we see on Instagram, or musicians we find on Soundcloud.
TS: What kind of art do you make (individually)?
Madeleine: Interior Design Heavyweight Champion, Resin Sculptor
Camila: Ready-Made Mixed Media Installation Princess, Pastel Glitter Baby, Video Editing Aficionado
Maggie: Clothing Design/Creation Master, Poster and Graphic Design Sweetheart
Raven: Highkey Writer of Films, Multimedia Installation Guru, Master Manipulator
Fiona: Writer of Whiny Poetry, Graphic Designer of all Things Pink//Hyper Sexualized//Immature
TS: What’s something you want everyone to know about Ur Room?
UR: We accept everyone: rejection is not a thing here, so no one should be afraid to submit.
TS: What is your vision for Ur Room in the future?
UR: To continue to encourage newcomers to create and have their work seen. To foster an environment where anyone and everyone feels like we have been friends forever. Also to not burn the house down.
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