By Toni Wisner / Staff Writer
Dynamic duo- Sunny Bo, left, and Skywalk perform a song together during a sound check at the Mission Tobacco Lounge on March 16. (Brandon Rivera / Editor’s Assistant)
By Toni Wisner / Staff Writer
There is a new crew on the block who wants you to rock. The Regional Organization of the Creative Kind is a promotional event and booking organization that encourage local artists and performers of all media and genres to express their talents.
If you have a desire to showcase your talents, be it songs, art, poems, dance, or any other art form, and you don’t know where to start, you can start with this organization.
Their service provides a solid foundation on getting your work seen and heard.
The Regional Organization of the Creative Kind was established in March by Executive Director, Micah Justice, and is growing in popularity all over the Inland Empire.
She has formed her production team by recruiting like-minded friends and co-workers who have a passion for the arts and a strong desire to support them.
Justice, a Riverside native, has a Bachelor of Arts from UC Santa Barbara, and a Master of Arts degree from Cal State University San Bernardino. She is a special Ed teacher in Moreno Valley for 11th and 12th-grades, and resides in Riverside.
With a background in performing arts, Justice is applying her knowledge and 15 years of personal experience to encourage young and old artists alike to reach for their dreams.
“My high school drama teacher Edward Avery and his family would to go to my performances and support me,” she said. “He made a huge impact on me as a student, and I try to do that for my students as well.”
“I was taught that if you dream it, you can do it,” she said. “I have a lot of pipe dreams.”
One of them is coming true for her, but not without a price.
Much of the promotional and production costs for their events are paid out of pocket by the organization’s partners or by in-kind donations from local businesses.
Unlike a talent agency, which makes a profit off of their talent’s earnings, the group acts as a non-profit booking conduit that finds local businesses and venues who are willing to donate their facilities for the artist’s to showcase their talent.
“Our main goal is to network and create exposure opportunities for the artist community,” Justice said. “I want local businesses that want to be supported, to also support the artist.”
A few of the Riverside establishments who have jumped on board are the Mission Tobacco Lounge, Back to the Grind, Worthington’s Tavern, and the Division 9 Gallery.
Performing in front of an enthusiastic audience of 60, on March 16 the indie label, Deucefive, showcased their hip hop/rap artists, Skywalk, Two Velvet, Sonny-Bo, SK, and B Janelle at the Mission Tobacco Lounge.
Darcy Ricker and the Roughnecks added to the evening’s rhythm-infused line-up with their infectious Rockabilly tunes.
Big Ced, a partner and the event coordinator for the organization, is also an accomplished rap artist who performed that evening.
“I want to have every artist be exposed, and be able to create and share their music,” he said.
The stylish entertainer exemplified that sentiment by laying down some of his own rap rhythms which were jammed with encouraging lyrics and catchy hooks.
Currently, the production team is gearing up for, “Noches de Evolucion Musical,” featuring Kanvaz, Ideal Divergentes, Puerto Aereo, and Lovestar, at the Mission Tobacco Lounge on March 30 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a cover charge of $7.
The organization has planned events that stretch into 2011, and they are working hard at forging the relationship between the artist and the local business.
For artists ready to take it to the next level, the Regional Organization of the Creative Kind is here to help you get your act off the ground.
For more information on supporting local art, and for upcoming events, visit their Web site at www.riversiderock.com.
