Jacob Hey lives his passion for art. By co-founding Organization for Inspiration (O4I), which will be hosting Art Not Apathy events on a regular basis throughout the year, Hey invites everyone to participate in the creative process. This allows for numerous opportunities to experience first hand the influence and importance of art using every medium: visual, music, dance, storytelling and writing, and theater, all which Hey believes are equally vital to daily life. While contemplating the future that stretches before him, Hey relates a few interesting details regarding his artistic personality.
AGE: 18
GRADUATED FROM: Alliance School, MPS. There were wonderful teachers, and a great atmosphere and all like a beautiful family where you become part of the high school. Tina Owen, who owned Broad Vocabulary Book Store, always reminded us to stop talking and act on it.
FUTURE PLANS: I am a friend of professor Jeff Poniewtz, an English teacher, and Antler, a poet who wrote Factor, which has been stimulating. But to balance my life, I might like to try law. I have to find a structure to my life.
TYPE OF ARTISTIC MEDIUM: I am a visual artist that dabbles in acrylics and abstract paintings. I very much like surrealism. I did a banner of our Lady of Guadalupe in psychedelic colors. After I did this banner, they wanted a Christmas Card [for the church], which I did in a black and white.
WHERE EXHIBITING: You can find some of my paintings at Art and Soul Gallery on Vliet Street. Otherwise I give my pieces away to family.
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OTHER INTERESTS: I'm a newly born poet and I need poetry to keep me going. I did my first poetry reading at Woodland Pattern Book Store. So in the future Im going to be reading at the Miramar, including my poem, The Four Walls, Ceilings, and Floor. I also volunteer at the Casa Maria House, and everyone is so wonderful, giving, vibrant. The energy is so wonderful. And they have meditations with music, and both my parents volunteered there, and my mother lived there for awhile. Shes an artist herself and now she works for Mental Health America.
CURRENT OBSESSION: Im a co-founder of Organization for Inspiration and Art Not Apathy. We had ideas to make something like this all our lives. The first event was February 8, 2009, and the next one is July 25 at Bucketworks, and a website, 041.weebly.com, which is a tool for artists to utilize and express their views. For all artists in film, dancing, storytelling, poetry reading, painting, and music to share what inspires them to inspire others. Through this organization 04I, and "Art Not Apathy: A Gathering to Promote Unity," the new event, I also hope to inspire other people my age so that they can do something in the world, to benefit and change it. If one 18 year old can do this, than they can do something in their equivalency to change the world.
FAVORITE BLOG ON WEBSITE: We have a section titled Inspired Writing on O4I, which accepts all peoples writing, within reason, about poetry, art, essays. Also visual artworks selling artwork on line is interesting, and theres also a shop to support 04I, with a few t-shirts, and even a teddy bear. I hope to carry these things at the events in time. I would like the website to show the spirit of Milwaukee's artistic collective. Everyone can share their inspiration.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Theres a great creative renaissance in Milwaukee, a green revolution, a creative revolution, an artistic revolution. This hopes to be the creative spirit of human energy in Milwaukee. I'm dedicating my life to this, the organization.
