We had the good fortune of connecting with Sholo and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sholo, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been an artist from a very young age. I use to kiss walls so that I could make it look like wallpaper. My mother was a plant lover, and an interior decorator in her spare time. I always felt like the only way people were going to listen to me was through my art. my parents knew when I was sad or happy just by looking at my art. I liked being able to say what I wanted without words. I liked hearing the conversation and what people views were. I knew from then on I needed to do art for my life’s purpose. I have never looked at being an artist as a career. I look at it more like a passion that has taken care of my obsession’s to constantly create. Pursuing my career came as an accident, one that I had always wondered about but thought you had to have years of experience and know the right folks. I also thought you had to be white. The career I am talking about is being a muralist. I knew the history of graffiti a little but the stigma for that was even intimidating. Meaning you had to be a bad person to go an graffiti on private property. I always felt like that sounded ridiculous, and I continued kissing walls (smile). I also knew I wanted to paint large. My landlord asked would I be interested in painting a mural on the side of their garage. She wanted the mural to represent for human rights, I was all over this project and I knew this is what I needed to continue to pursue. After this mural there was another mural and before I knew it I had done five murals in 2021 and 15 in 2022. During these years as you can imagine I was a strong activist after George Floyd. I revisited the space of the only way to get people to listen was through my art. The murals got bigger with messages flowing through them. The art of black folks was the hype and I used many platforms and media to get messages out with my art on murals. Today I am determined to paint bigger walls wherever I can. As Nina Simon quoted “As artist it is our duty to reflect the times” we are in those times now and I am here to stay. I am hoping my artist career will lead me to working with underprivilege youth painting murals with a message to be heard.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My story is exhausting but so rewarding when I stand back. I am just recently retired from being the owner and operator of my in home daycare. As a single mother raising two children in a very rich suburb, I was determined to have my own business so I could call the shots and be with my kids. I went in to the child care business, because I love to play with children and I knew I could still make art. I based my daily work around art and music. Walks in the woods to homemade playdough for sculpture. We took field trips to museums so to see the latest show. I also loved exposing children at an early age to art. I always wore a camera around my next so to catch the light of the day on a flower or a child’s face. At night I would retreat to a bedroom after my kids were asleep and I would draw. Everyday I knew I needed to draw. I looked so forward to the weekends so I could stay up into the wee hours of the night painting. Was this easy? Yes sometime it was easy and so fun I felt like I was not even working. The hard part came when my kids were getting older and school needs interrupted weekend painting. As my children got older they started to understand what their mother was doing as an artist. I overcame most of these challenges by sharing them with my children. Going on nature walks, going to the beach, road trips, art projects with them. As long as I was creating art I felt like I was balanced. I have never regretted raising my children as a single mother, because I knew the day would come where my art could be number one in my life. That is my life today. I think most of my success with overcoming not being a full time artist until my early fifties is, I practiced patience. I retained a lot of information for the day I was ready to plunge. I built up skills and actually needed the time to even feel like a confident artist. I guess I would want the world to know about my story is that “you can’t live in the same story your whole life” I love recreating my story and brand depending on my mood. For the last few years I have chosen to continue to educate my self on being a black woman in the art world. Where do I fit? I have chosen to become active with human rights for children and folks of color. What might set me apart form others is I never stop growing and the bigger the challenge the better. I also believe having as much fun with laughter is the best medicine in tough times
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh I love this question and I love my friends. This is an easy one. The first day of anybody coming to visit me, is a trip to any local beach for the day. Pack a picnic and chill out. The week would consist of lake side bike rides, walks in the woods. Of course there would be music in a park somewhere so that we can do some drawings of people. I love concerts and I am always on the hunt for some. If it’s summer we are hitting any local art shows. Most of the time with eating, we will go to some hole in the wall for the perfect empanada and a cold glass of Chardonnay. The Botanic Gardens in Highland Park IL. is one of my favorite places in the world next to the beach. I like taking friends there and sharing my favorite spots to go and meditate in. Of course we would have to go to the part of Chicago that has some of the most amazing street art in the world and grab a bottle of wine and walk for miles taking pictures. Once again ended up at a tapas house or some good Cuban food
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a huge shout out to Curt’s Cafe & Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre. Both of these business’s are located in Evanston Illinois. I want to give them a shout out for all their support and freedom to express myself. I was honored to work with the youth at Curt’s Cafe with creating a very large mural with their inspiration, hard work and dedication. This has always been a passion for me and I was over joyed by the outcome and most of all making life long friends. The Fleetwood Jourdain theatre became a place for unlimited creative outlet for me with the support of this black owned theater company. I was lucky enough to paint the back drops to two amazing plays.
I want to thank the inspiration of Nina Simon and her passion for human rights and the love of black people. As an artist I can relay a message I could never speak with just a painting.
Lastly I would like to thank my mother for always showing and sharing everything beautiful in nature
My favorite books are Jonathan Livingston & Diamond in your pocket. There is always a sense of freedom and hope without fear
Website: www.artistsholo.com
Instagram: artistsholo@instagram
Facebook: Sholobeverly@facebood
Youtube: artistsholo@youtube