Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDdXfLnKGxc&list=PLOQvdw7d0cd9RZZkd2lZy2hmrnJv-cfLI&index=69
Evan: So we are back here on the Choose Nine Five Four podcast episode 32 with local artists and creatives Dennis and Liz Real from their beautiful Cool Springs Studio Lab Empire where they're making a bunch of cool stuff that they're gonna let you know about here. If you didn't know about Choose 954, we started a social movement to cultivate culture and community here in Broward County, where I'm from in Coral Springs, born and raised, in an effort to keep people in the know with all the great things that are going on and make this a better place to live and not just a better place to vacation. So the point of the podcast is to connect you with incredible people like them doing amazing things in the community. So, without much further ado, why don't you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Liz: Okay, this is somehow how we are living, doing this by pursuing your... by pursuing our dreams, you say.
Dennis: Oh yeah, we’ve been working on it for years and years. I think it was like after our third date, we started looking for studio space together.
Liz: Really?
Dennis: And there really... it really was. We would wake up in the morning and be like, so what should we do with this? Like that's just how we are. We just have ideas, ideas, ideas, and creatives. I definitely wanted to go out on our own, and he wasn’t. He was still, you know, working a full-time design job and everything. So I kind of pushed him because his work is outstanding.
Evan: Yeah, a little bit. And for those that are familiar with DFAS, tell us about Mr. Dennis Real.
Dennis: I raised Pina fish for the majority of my life. I ended up going to art school, found myself in the music business for a while. I never stopped painting fish the whole time, and then eventually this one kicked me out of that job. She was like, "You just need to paint fish all the time." That's the very short story.
Evan: And you are a fisherman at heart?
Dennis: Mmm, yeah, sure.
Evan: I see plenty of rods around, reels around here. Let me know, what's the deal, artist first, fisherman second?
Dennis: Okay, flip that around. Let’s say the opposite. I always say it: artist first, sure, fishing one second. Just, you know, lover of the water, lover of the ocean, really.
Evan: So, the first part, how did you initially get into art?
Dennis: From my memory, I remember having some sort of innate ability to draw, even as a kid. I remember not having a paintbrush to work with, and when I didn’t have some paint, I created an F-16 and fire coming out of the back with paper towels. I was just creating.
Evan: Cool.
Dennis: Yeah, it’s just never been... some kids in school were always like, “Oh, I’m gonna be this,” and they keep changing their minds or, “I want to be that.” But I just never really questioned it. It was just always what I was gonna do with my life. I would say being an artist isn’t something I do, it’s what I am.
Evan: Amen. And how did you get into art?
Liz: I actually got into it through photography. It was really my first love, but my photography in college was always experimental and more fine art in aspect, and they didn’t want that.
Evan: Where was this?
Liz: I grew up in New Jersey. I went to college there.
Evan: Okay.
Liz: And, yeah, it was in Jersey.
Evan: Jersey girl.
Liz: Yeah, Jersey girl.
Evan: I have some family from North Jersey, Bergen County, and yes, it’s a beautiful place in the springtime.
Liz: It really is.
Evan: Outside of the airport?
Liz: Garden State!
Evan: Garden State, really.
Liz: Yeah, exactly.
Evan: And those experiences ultimately led to...
Liz: Everything. Everywhere. National parks that were like right there, or you know, in New York, New York City, everywhere in New Jersey. Basically, with the funny experiments in photography and the fine art aspects of that, being in a fine art program, I was doing all the fine art things, and I just kept being called back to painting because photography... and this was before digital, so there was film development, and there was a fine art to it that a lot of people don’t really connect with anymore. But anyway, I was able to get more of my artistic expression out with painting.
Evan: Beautiful.
Liz: So, I just never stopped.
Evan: I see that. Yeah, we would see them all together.
Liz: Yeah.
Evan: So, it’s pretty cool that you met because you didn’t go to school together, right?
Liz: No, most people think we must have met in school. No, we weren’t even in the same state.
Evan: Okay. Well then, if you were from New Jersey, how did you get involved in the water? Where did your love for the water come from?
Liz: Well, actually, it’s crazy because I grew up boating my whole life. Not so much fishing in New Jersey, but my father owns a small dealership in Jersey.
Evan: Oh yeah?
Liz: Yeah.
Evan: So you’ve been around it.
Liz: Yeah, always around it.
Evan: Okay, tell us about that experience.
Liz: Well, I lived in New Jersey, and when you get this down, you could see New York City.
Evan: So yeah, you're in New York. And what about you, Dennis? How did you get involved with the water?
Dennis: Well, my earliest memories are running around the docks, boating with my brother and family. We grew up spending summers in the Keys.
Liz: Yeah, we were always on the water.
Dennis: Yeah, it’s been a lifelong passion.
Evan: That’s amazing. So, tell us a little bit about your creative practice and how it ties into that connection to the water.
Liz: I focus on abstract seascapes and coastal landscapes. I pull inspiration from the Florida coast, the surrounding waters, and the Everglades.
Evan: That’s incredible.
Dennis: I do more figurative work. A lot of my pieces are about marine life, but I also incorporate storytelling into my art. It’s about the ecosystem, how everything connects in the water.
Evan: That’s so fascinating. So, what are some of the projects you're working on now?
Dennis: One big project we're working on is a series of murals on the bridge at the Atlantic Boulevard.
Liz: Yes, it’s called "Atlantic Harmony." It’s a public art project with six murals featuring local marine life.
Evan: Wow, that’s an amazing project. What else is coming up for you guys?
Liz: We’re expanding our studio to include a podcast called "Connected by Water." It’s about everything related to water, from marine life to conservation.
Evan: That sounds exciting. What’s the focus of the podcast?
Liz: The focus is on connecting people through the water—whether it's fishing, boating, environmental concerns, or even just talking about the culture of living near the water. We want to bring people together to talk about these important topics and how water affects our lives.
Dennis: We also want to give back to the community by raising awareness of issues that affect the waterways, like pollution and conservation efforts.
Evan: That’s incredible. It’s so important to raise awareness about those issues, especially here in South Florida, where we’re so connected to the water. What else are you involved in regarding environmental efforts?
Dennis: We work closely with local organizations, like the Freedom Fighters Outdoors, which is a great organization that helps veterans through fishing trips and outdoor activities. It’s something we’re really proud to be a part of.
Evan: That’s amazing work. Shoutout to the Freedom Fighters Outdoors! What other plans do you have for the future?
Liz: We're really focusing on growing our business, "Connected by Water," and finding new ways to engage with the community through art and conservation efforts. We’re also hiring more designers to help with some of our bigger projects.
Evan: That sounds great. You both are doing such incredible work, not only as artists but also as advocates for the environment and the community. Where can people find your work or get involved?
Liz: You can find us on Instagram. I’m at @lizreal_art, and Dennis is @realart, spelled R-I-E-L. We’ll also be launching "Connected by Water" soon, so keep an eye out for that.
Evan: Fantastic! Make sure to follow them and stay updated on all the amazing projects they’re working on. Thank you both for joining us today, and we wish you the best of luck with everything.
Liz and Dennis: Thank you!
Evan: And thank you to everyone for tuning in to this episode of the Choose Nine Five Four podcast. Remember, support your local artists, support your local community, and always take care of the water. We’ll see you next time!
Evan: We do have a beach cleanup that we’re participating in. We’d be more than glad to have you guys join us on Earth Day, April 22nd. We’re very fortunate that a good friend of ours, Patchy Fencor of Celebration of the Seas, has invited us to be part of his Earth Day event with Barry Levis’ Fort Lauderdale Beach Sweep, and the good folks from Entercom Radio are going to be participating in a beach cleanup at the Marriott Harbor Beach on Fort Lauderdale Beach in the morning time.
There’s going to be a great ceremony with some local politicians, mayors, commissioners, so on and so forth. We’re going to have the Thousand Mermaid Artificial Reef models out there. Hopefully, knock on wood, if permits and the weather comply, we might actually be deploying our first modules of this project on Earth Day. That’s the goal. Some things are outside of our control, but we’re doing our best to make that happen. So, that’s April 22nd. We’ll be posting more information about it, and if you’re able to come out and support, we encourage you and anybody to participate in a beach cleanup, whether it’s this one or another.
Evan: We are still hosting the Choose 954 Local Artist Discovery Series live art pop-up at Yolo, where Liz participated on the coldest night on record. We were all bundled up, but we might give you a chance to come back when it’s not so cold. We’ve been doing it for 110 consecutive weeks. We give local artists a canvas, easel, and table. We don’t charge them or take a cut of their work. We market it, do social media for it, and provide food. The goal is to connect local artists like Liz with the downtown Fort Lauderdale Yolo crowd to help them become discovered, collected, supported, and engaged with. It’s been a beautiful thing, and we hope to do it for another 110 weeks.
Evan:We also host Creative Zen, which is a free monthly breakfast lecture series, like mini TED Talks for the creative community. It happens the second Friday morning of every month, and you don’t have to be creative to attend. It’s for anyone who wants to connect and be inspired. The next event is on April 12th at the new General Provision coworking space in downtown Fort Lauderdale, right across from Automation Headquarters. We bring in a speaker, provide coffee and breakfast, and there’s a networking component, too. It’s a great way to connect with other like-minded individuals.
Evan: This month, one of the people I admire most in the world, Ivan Dynamo De Jesus, the creator of Action Club, will be speaking. He’s a creative, thought-provoking individual, and his story is very inspiring. The event is on Friday, April 12th. Doors open at 8:30 AM, the talk starts at 9:00, and you’re out by 10:00. So, if you need an excuse to tell your boss why you’re going to be an hour late for work, we’ll give you one!
Evan: Lastly, we’re also proud to host SoFar Sounds, a very intimate music experience for true music fans. It’s invite-only, or you have to request access. We bring three local musicians to a random venue—never the same venue twice—and it’s a global organization with chapters in 400 cities around the world. The Fort Lauderdale chapter is about to celebrate its second anniversary, which is pretty noteworthy. The next event is coming up on April 4th.
Evan: The last SoFar Sounds event was at the Ali Cultural Center in Pompano Beach, off of Atlantic. Another great thing coming out of Pompano. Shout out to Todd and Juliana Jones. It’s a really cool venue with food trucks, art, and live music. You guys should definitely check it out. Pompano has some amazing things happening with Pompano Beach Arts.
Evan: You can find me on Instagram at @evansnow13. I’m an open book. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Follow us at @choose954 and support your local artists, support your local community, and don’t put plastic in the ocean! Thank you.
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