Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkolp7x2NiI&list=PLOQvdw7d0cd9RZZkd2lZy2hmrnJv-cfLI&index=27
Evan: And welcome back to the Choose954 podcast, episode 72, with native Oakland Park resident, community builder, artist, and overall good human being, Angela Rush, at her Art in Oakland Park studios. If you didn't know about Choose954, we started a social movement to cultivate culture and community in Broward County, where we're both very proud to be born and raised. Our effort is to keep people informed about the great things going on and to make this a better place to live, not just a better place to vacation. The point of the podcast is to connect you with interesting people like her who do important stuff in the community. So, without much further ado, why don't you give us a little high-level overview about Angela Rush and Art in Oakland Park?
Angela: All right. Hi, everybody! I'm Angela Rush, and we are in the new studio we opened at the end of 2021. Along with my art and my studio space and working space, we have 13 other artists and makers. I have an author, a jewelry maker, a seamstress, candles—everything you can imagine handmade here in the studio by other local artists and makers. We do all kinds of workshops, bringing in those artists and other local artists to build a little community of makers here in Oakland Park, which we haven't really had. So, I'm trying to build that up and start some art and culture here in Oakland Park.
Evan: How did you initially get started in the arts and cultures?
Angela: Many cultures! Well, I've always been an artist. I grew up here in Oakland Park and created my whole life. I got on with my life, had a family, worked in the medical field for a long time, and I felt like I wasn't really doing what I was meant to be doing—really helping people, which is what I got into the medical field to do. But it wasn't happening, and I got caught up in the greed and big business in the medical field, and I didn't feel like I was helping anybody, really. I felt guilty going into work every day.
Evan: Yeah, it happens.
Angela: So, I followed my calling and started creating more and realized that there was a need for others to create and have a space—a creative space that is safe, comfortable, and not intimidating. A lot of people get intimidated by galleries and art studios, and if you're not comfortable with that, you're not just going to show up. So, I wanted to build something for everybody—all ages, all different levels—so everyone can come and be able to create.
Evan: Amen. Yeah, thank you, we need more of that. Can you tell us a little bit about your work and your medium?
Angela: I guess I don't talk enough about my art—I talk about everybody else's! So, let's talk about my art. This is a mixed media piece. I like to work with textures—I'm an abstract artist, so I like to work with textures and colors, creating balance, and just something interesting. Layers and layers of different textures and colors. I also try to create something peaceful and balanced.
Evan: Is that glass?
Angela: Yeah, it's glass and mirror, and then acrylic. There's also, um, I don't even know what to call this—it's like the wrap that you use when you have a bandage.
Evan: Oh gosh, yeah, it's like a glass kind of... I don't know what the name of it is.
Angela: Yeah, but that kind of stuff—multiple mixed medias.
Evan: That's badass.
Angela: Thank you. We have all types of art here—all types of stuff. I do a lot of fluid art, alcohol ink, resin...
Evan: Where's my resin stuff?
Angela: Yeah, resin. We’re doing a resin class actually this Saturday. Resin is a medium that a lot of people don't like to work with and don't work with often. It’s a class that a lot of people want to take, but they're scared to play with it. I mean, it is chemicals, so you have to be careful, and it's a little messy—very messy. But I have a spray paint class coming up, I have a resin class coming up, and we have the Disney Imagineer artist coming to do figure drawing classes. We have jewelry classes that happen regularly—all kinds of things.
Evan: And you said before, it’s a safe space. This is an industrial warehouse space where you can make art. You’re not going to damage the floors, you’re not going to damage the walls—we’ve got drop cloths. We open the back hatch, let the fresh air flow through when we do things like resin. You just touched on a few classes, but what are some other things that people can engage with you on, either here in the space or around the space?
Angela: I’m working with a lot of different local businesses doing collaboration events. With Rebel Wine Bar, we do a paint and sip every month. I'm working with a couple of other local bars and restaurants—hopefully a coffee shop—and trying to get some collaboration going with other businesses. Everybody supports each other and keeps it local. The little area that we have here is growing, and it's all mom-and-pop shops, locally owned businesses, so it’s really nice to be able to support each other and have that community. I also started an Oakland Park Business Networking Group that I have on Facebook, a small group that we put together. And we're doing our artist potluck on Sunday.
Evan: Yes! We have a group of artists that used to get together every month, bring a dish, and get together to let everybody know what the others have going on and support each other. We're getting that going again.
Angela: Yeah, this Sunday, March 27th, here at Art in Oakland Park.
Evan: What’s the formal address here?
Angela: It’s 3478 Northeast 12th Terrace.
Evan: It’s a free event. If you haven’t been, it’s a potluck—you bring something for maybe six people or so. Not everybody eats everything. Everything Angela has mentioned so far has really had a community-building element to it, within the creative community, within the artist community. There aren’t always safe spaces for artists to create, collaborate, ideate, and conversate—all these things that rhyme with "eat" and "meet." And by hosting a potluck, a free event, it brings people into different spaces. We haven’t had one here yet, so they can maybe get some inspiration, share some ideas, maybe talk about struggles that they're having.
Angela: Yes, absolutely.
Evan: And you know, we kind of have everybody go around the table, introduce themselves, share a little bit, share what they’re working on, and from there, make friends. I’ve made so many friends just from knowing you in the time that I’ve known you. Through your community and your circle of people, I’ve met so many friends I probably never would have met.
Angela: Heather, yeah.
Evan: And just to have that community of people in a non-intimidating space. Because it gets intimidating—you walk into a room full of people you don't know. I mean, I don’t know about anybody else, but I get nervous, I feel intimidated.
Angela: Right, as a newbie or as somebody who's not part of the scene. It’s really nice—it’s very inclusive. Everyone is welcome, and you feel that when you walk in. You can tell that everybody is welcome.
Evan: As far as the potluck and here in general, that’s what I would love to be able to facilitate. While Oakland Park, thankfully, is very mom-and-pop driven with a lot of independent small businesses, traditionally there hasn’t been so much art in Oakland Park over our lifetimes. But thankfully now, with your efforts mainly, and Mayor Jane Bolin's efforts...
Angela: Another former mayor now, yeah. But the whole commission is great.
Evan: The whole commission and the support from the city have been good in trying to build it up. There's a lot of growth that’s going to be happening. They will continue to help support us and have different events going, making Oakland Park known more as a destination than just passing through.
Angela: Yes.
Evan: People don’t really know Oakland Park—they just know it as being on the way from downtown to Pompano. Or they just know Funky Buddha, which thankfully...
Angela: Exactly! But I grew up here—this is my street. My mom still lives on this street right behind the studio. This is my hood, and this is where I’ve been my whole life pretty much. So, to be able to be back here and try to create something worthwhile for our community, for our artists, and for our community members and neighbors, is really important.
Evan: And it really is working. Angela was previously in the Zero Empty Spaces location we had pretty much next to City Hall, right next to the Butcher's Barrel, where there wasn’t much art before. Thankfully, we were able to help contribute to supporting Butcher’s Barrel around the time they were opening, getting some traffic and eyeballs out there. Now there’s the Hot Spots Gallery with Dennis, and in and around the downtown Oakland Park area, it feels like a proper downtown.
Angela: I have to do this every time, but it is!
Evan: And it’s growing.
Angela: It is. And if you would care to share a little bit about some of the developments at a high level that were just announced last night? Yeah, so a lot of developments are happening, and a lot of them are still in the works and not totally decided on. There are definitely going to be buildings across Dixie Highway from Funky Buddha—sky buildings. It’s going to be two large buildings with retail, residences, parking. The government buildings are going to be there. Currently, City Hall is located in a building here in downtown Oakland Park, and the other government works building is down on Dixie. They’re going to combine everything and have all the city works in those new buildings. There’s also development happening on this side where City Hall is currently located. There’s a huge property where the Greenleaf Park, Oakland Park Library, the rec center, and the Oakland Park Rec Center are located. There's also a church behind that, which I think is going to be part of that acquisition. There’s going to be new retail, pretty much the same as the other, but retail, community spaces, rooftop event spaces where you can rent out space, and more. There will be retail, parking, residences, and they’ll still keep the green space. Everything will work together in an eco-friendly way. Down 38th, where the fire station and Collins Community Center are, and the parks that are there, everything is going to be redone as well. We didn’t even talk about that. It’s going to be park space. There’s going to be a space for people to perform, and there’s talk about 12th Avenue being shut down for events, so there will be traffic, but it can also be shut down for vendor events. Back in the park, there’s going to be a splash pad, a new playground, all kinds of things for the kids.
Evan: The kids too!
Angela: The kids too. The new library is going to be there, the new community center. There’s going to be a lot of new things happening.
Evan: The renderings all look great.
Angela: Yeah, it’s a huge project.
Evan: Thankfully, nobody—at least from what I’ve seen initially on social media—nobody’s really opposing it. Unfortunately, there’s been a lot of new development projects, and development isn’t always bad. Thankfully, there’s an emphasis on supporting the local independent businesses, keeping it reasonable and affordable, and still keeping that charm of Oakland Park as a suburb.
Angela: Right, and still keeping that small-town feel. Even though it’s going to be growing, it’s going to feel more like a downtown and more like a city, but it will still have that small-town feel, which is so important to so many of us who have grown up here.
Evan: It is, it is. We’re excited that with the new development and bringing in new people, new ideas, and obviously, we all know a lot of people are moving to South Florida. Hopefully, there’s a trickle-down effect to supporting the local artists, arts organizations, and the creative community from these people that are coming from places like New York, LA, and Chicago, who are used to having arts and culture and art spaces in their communities where they would go to support. It really is important that we support our long-time artists and cultural community builders like yourself here. We give you a lot of credit and kudos for having a lot of these artists here. I would like to turn the camera around maybe so we could just show them some more of the space here. Then maybe tell us a little bit more about some of the really cool workshops that you have going on. All right, so tell us a little bit about who we’ve got here at Art in Oakland Park.
Angela: I have 13 artists. Some of them I’ve known since we were five years old, some I met in high school, and some I just recently met through Zero Empty Spaces. I have a children’s book author, candles, soaps, woodworking, birdhouses, desks. Should I go through and name the artists? I have Diego, I have Todd, I have Mimi, I have Mel Art, I have Mike, I have Amanda Anthony—she does the dog portraits. Mel Art again, Joe Boninella. I have Jewelry by Milestones. This is Moroccan Anthony and more Milestones or Mel Art. She’s a seamstress, and her dad does some woodworking. We have all kinds of things that she made. Then I have Laurel, I have Crystal, I have Paula, who does amazing stained glass creations. And I have Hey Hot Stuff, who does these cute little wine charms that we have here. Then I have dream catchers and other things made by Sabrina.
Evan: There’s a lot of art in Oakland Park here.
Angela: Yeah.
Evan: You’ve got a couple of other cool things you just touched on briefly, but would you care to tell us about one of the exciting workshops that you’re excited about coming up?
Angela: So, along with lots of things coming up, I have a resin class this weekend. We have the paint and sip at Rebel Wine Bar tonight, but by the time this is published, it will be over. I have a Disney Imagineer artist coming—he does figure drawing classes here once a month, usually. April 16th, he’ll be here for any artists that see this and want to work on their figure drawing skills. It’s an awesome class—he’s really, really talented, and he’s a really, really nice, great human. Then we have our potluck on the 27th, on Sunday. I can’t believe March is almost over already. We have our potluck—everyone is welcome. Please come by, share stories, and find out what’s going on in your world. Then I have a spray paint class happening with Marcos on April 30th.
Evan: Oh, they’re my favorites.
Angela: Yeah, we’ll do some spray painting in the back alley back there.
Evan: If they want to find out more, where can they log on to?
Angela: So, I’m Art in Oakland Park all around—artinoaklandpark.com, on Facebook, Instagram, whatever, TikTok...
Evan: No TikTok?
Angela: No, I don’t know if they do TikTok too much. Sorry—Art in Oakland Park, anywhere you can find me.
Evan: All right, well, we hope you guys will join us this weekend for the potluck—tons of great art, tons of great artists. Angela’s a great human being. We’re very glad to support and continue building community here in Oakland Park and Broward County.
Angela: Thank you.
Evan: Cheers.
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