Meet Camie Rigirozzi | Artist Discovering Humanity

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camie Rigirozzi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think taking risks is important if you want to change where you are. In my art, I take a daily risk of making something from my most authentic self, something new that has never been made, and then showing that product to people who will judge it. It can be really scary to lay bare what is going on inside of me, that a lot of people keep hidden away. As I do more sharing, however, I find that others have the same feelings and struggles that I do. I use this knowledge to feel more comfortable to take bigger risks. I am also taking risks with the money I make with my art. Every bit of what I make has been reinvested back into my art career. I use those funds to enter open call art shows and pay dues at my co-op gallery. This way I can get my work seen, and my art can hopefully connect with more people on a deeper level. I believe fully in no risk, no reward. A risk is simply doing something when you don’t know what the outcome will be. “If we always do what we always did, we will always get what we always got.” Take the risk – you never know what might come of it!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being an artist is easy and difficult. If you make art, then you are an artist. If you sell your art, then you are a professional artist. Being an artist is easy, and being a professional is challenging. To sell art, you have to make good art first and foremost. Then you have to connect with the right people who connect with your art on some level. My art tends to be messy, seemingly disorganized, and threaded with deeper meanings. I think my brand has grown based on people seeing the beauty of my imperfection and connecting that to their own need for imperfection. One of my biggest challenges is to talk about my art in a confident manner, as if I am good enough or experienced enough to be selling it. I am overcoming that by jumping in and taking the risk of talking about myself and my art. I feel like I am still learning how to do that effectively. I want the world to know that my brand is about accepting ourselves for the messy, imperfect human beings that we are.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Broomfield, so I would take my friend to I HOP IPA for beers, because they have the best selection and a great atmosphere (and my art is hanging there!). I would also suggest we go grab pizza at iPie (Infinitus Pie) because they have my favorite pizza in Broomfield (the Tamika…it’s amazing). I’d also like to take them to see the Broomfield Veterans Museum for their awesome collection of WWII artifacts. Outside of Broomfield, we would have to go by the 40 West Art Hub on Colfax to see all the galleries there, especially CORE Art Space, where my art is displayed. If my friend comes to Denver after Casa Bonita is reopened, we would definitely get some sopapillas!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a Shoutout to the people who showed up in my life as I started putting my soul on display. These people saw what I was doing and made it safe for me to express myself. Suzette Rosenthal, Sara Behling, and Jude Barton are the artists that have really supported me in my own artistic journey. Ria Schaeffer is my biggest fan, who has always treated me like a celebrity and is one of the best people on the planet. I owe a lot to local art groups whose members offer comradery, suggestions, and support. I have been a member of the Broomfield Art Guild, the Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities, and the Louisville Art Association.

Website: www.camierigirozziart.com

Instagram: @CamieRigirozziArt

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camie-rigirozzi-a007a910/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRigirozzi

Facebook: @CamieRigirozziArt