It’s not as if Peat Wollaeger’s endeavors haven’t been covered over the years. But this weekend, the well-known stencil artist is taking his Eyez brand to a new level, with the opening of his 2222 Gallery & PopShop at 2222 Jefferson. On Friday, June 6, he’s opening the space to the public, with an opening reception at 7 p.m. A “balloon launch” takes place at 7:30, and at 8 p.m., there'll be an auction of his work, allowing him to raise funds for some mural work on the building.
As part of our continuing Thursday conversations with St. Louis visual artists, we asked Wollaeger the same seven questions we drop on them each time out. His responses follow; information on the show is found at the end of the Q & A.
Art school? Self-taught? Some variety of both? Or none of the above?
I did not go to an Art College, but I was fortunate enough to go to a summer art program while still at Webster High School. My teacher, Marilynne Bradley, connected me with a program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. It taught me the fundamentals, and [I got a] glimpse at the world of art at a young age. NYC exposed me to the early graffiti scene, and the work of my now-favorite artist, Keith Haring. I was also an early Mac nerd and learned Photoshop and Illustrator when it was still in black-and-white. My high school also allowed me to do an internship at a few graphic design studios and I was able to learn typography and traditional design from two big agencies in town. Once I graduated, I got a job at Kinko’s doing desktop publishing in-house, and did a ton of flyers for raves and bands. After this, I moved to the Big Agency life in Chicago and worked for KBA marketing on some of the first guerrilla marketing for clients like Camel, Coca-Cola, and some lesser evils. At this same time, I started to develop my illustrative style that I am doing now.
Regarding your creative habits, are you a night owl or an early bird?
Personally, I am a night owl, but being a dad it is kind of hard to live this lifestyle. So, I basically work whenever I am not doing dad stuff.
In basic terms, can you describe the set up and vibe of your studio?
I just moved in to my fourth studio, it is the old Canyon Run Motorcycle shop at 2222 S. Jefferson. This new place is actually my first brick and mortar, and is the home of my first storefront carrying my clothing line; our opening is this Friday, and regular hours are Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment. The new place also has some gallery walls. The first show will feature a few panels from the “EYEZ on Delmar” mural, and a sneak peak of my next body of work painted on pieces of locomotives. An upcoming show will feature works by national street artists. The studio also houses a laser-cutter that I have been saving up for for years. I love my new tool. It’s helping me to take my art and brand much further, and do things that I was unable to do before. Another part of this location is all the great giant exterior walls to do some massive murals.
What are your thoughts on crowdfunding for the arts? And is that option any part of your own approach to creating and selling work?
I really have never done the Kickstarter thing, but I guess it has it place for certain projects. I know our new location has some massive walls, but these things can sometimes cost thousands of dollars just in cost of paint and tuckpointing alone. I would like to raise some money to help make this happen, and have decided to auction off a few of the remaining panels from the “EYEZ on Delmar” mural to help fund this, and these will also be available at the opening this Friday night.
Do you have a dream project that lacks only funding (or time)?
Well, last year i applied for a call to paint a massive mural on the outside of the Cotton Belt Building. My concept was to turn the building into a giant locomotive, especially since it has a history of being a depot for the Cotton Belt Train line. Well, they loved my idea, but again the funding for this project was minimal, and to create a massive train along the riverfront next to the new Stan Musial Bridge will cost over $20,000, just to paint it one color. I have my fingers crossed, though, and believe that this project could be as monumental as the Arch or the City Museum, plus it would seriously be a jumpstart to make real things happen north of the arch.
To what degree do you enjoy having public contact, whether that means selling your work at a fair, a gallery opening, etc.?
I just love when people put my art it in their homes, and take the time to observe it, and hopefully it puts a smile on their face. The art show is always a major undertaking, and I usually do a solo show every two years. In December I will be doing the “Trainz” show at Hoffman LaChance in Maplewood.
What other St. Louis artists inspire or motivate you?
I have so many great artists in this city that inspire and support me in so many ways. I hate to make that list, because I know there is someone whom I will forget (sorry if I do). Here is my short list of the real artists in this city who give me inspiration and more. Phil Jarvis for his wisdom and insane painting skills. Chris Sabatino for his hustle and grind. C’babi Bayoc for his genius heart talent and style. Alicia LaChance for her graceful and inspirational persona and art. Daniel Burnett for his crazy hand-styles and characters, Justin Tolentino for his Street-to-the-Gallery know-how. Michael Hoffman, for his fluid style, and for letting me trash his gallery. A bunch of great artists that I met on Cherokee Street while my studio was there like: Sleepy Kitty, Eric Woods, David Langley, Casey Miller, Ryan Frank, Chris P. Rice, Myles Keough, Davide Weaver, Lyndsey Scott, Stan Chisholm, Jason Spenser and many more whom have made this block into an epicenter for the creative minds in Saint Louis. And lastly, my wife, whose art mostly graces our walls at home, but will be bringing her talent of art education skills to 2222 Jefferson this summer with classes for kids starting end of June, along with some workshops from some of the great talent that I mentioned above starting in fall.
2222 Gallery & PopShop, 2222 Jefferson. Opens Friday, June 6, 7 p.m. For more info see the event's Facebook page.
