Today we’d like to introduce you to Kira Vollman.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kira. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started a long time ago. Some might call me a veteran of the LA art and music scene. I am a multimedia • sound and visual artist. Basically, I am doing the same things that I did as a child. I make music. I make art. I always have. As a visual artist and a sound artist, my creative process is much the same, only the tools differ. I do not distinguish between these mediums but instead, think of them as parts of a whole. Some people only thought of me as a sound artist. Some people only thought of me as a visual artist. I had spent so many years performing music, that when I started showing my visual art, I wanted to make it obvious that the two mediums were actually part and parcel of the same thing. At a certain point, I decided that I needed to merge what others thought of as different mediums. I also wanted to engage the audience as participants with the work. I started making sonic interactive wall sculptures.
These sculptures can be played like musical instruments. Most of my work is three-dimensional. A lot of it has a sound or interactive component. My work is also poetic and sometimes surreal. I grew up in Malibu. A lot of things wash ashore. Good and bad. I was always building or creating something with the junk I found on the beach. Part of that hasn’t changed. I no longer live at the beach, but I am still a scavenger. I explore the aesthetic possibilities and reinvention of discarded “junk”. Most of my work has repurposed materials utilized in it, whether it is a discarded chair that morphs into a tree or a scrap metal find of diffusion frames that I use to symbolize the frames of a static film clip of a 16-foot long wall sculpture. A lot of my pieces morph from one thing into something else.
I am also a musician and a composer. I am currently recording my first solo project. I have a longstanding musical project/band called Non Credo. My collaborator is Joe Berardi. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put us (and all musicians) in the position of not being able to work together as easily or readily as we used to. Fortunately, I have been writing and collecting material and ideas for this solo project for a long time. Now I am finally recording it. With the pandemic being unavoidable, I figure all bets are off. I had been waiting until I could afford to hire musicians to play on the recordings. Not anymore. I am doing it all myself. I feel that my limitations will be part of the concept. I will work within these parameters.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Wow. Well of course, the SARS-CoV-2 is the primary struggle of today, this year, perhaps the next couple or few years. There is no such thing as a smooth road. There have been way too many fits and starts along the way. From personal illnesses, family crisis, financial struggles, permit and inspection hell with the building, to all the time lost dealing with these things. Damn. There is no end to the struggles. However, without them, I don’t know how I would measure the successes.
Please tell us about ARK Gallery & Studios.
A few years ago, I had outgrown my studio and house in Highland Park. My husband, Robert DeBlasis and I went shopping for a building to house my new art studio. We ended up buying a property in Altadena. It was a wreck. There was no electrical, no plumbing, no walls…nothing but the basic shell…oh…and a sinkhole! Yay. We transformed this mess into an alternative art space with a gallery, a stage, and an art studio for me, and with four smaller (work only) studios for other artists. My husband is a contractor and property developer. I had spent most of my life supporting myself as a creative director, an ‘on set’ art director, set decorator, set painter, prop stylist, food stylist…etc. You name it. I did everything that was “Art Department”. This was my ‘day job’ in order to go out and perform music at night and spend the rest of my time making art. Between my husband and I, we had most of the skills necessary to transform the space. I designed. He built. ARK has had a very small turnover of artist tenants. We have remained fully rented since we opened. Knock wood! Currently we have what I think is the most incredible group of artists working there. The space has a “vibe” that we all really appreciate. It is very conducive to getting lost in your work…in the zone as it were. We are all very respectful of each other and the space. ARK is able to exist because of these tenants.
ARK has produced a series of “New Music” concerts. I curate the art exhibitions and concerts that are hosted at ARK. The gallery gets outfitted with chairs and is used as audience seating for the concerts. Part of the building is at a two-foot higher elevation from the gallery. It is perfect for a stage. Concerts and exhibitions are by invitation only. Attendance is not invitation only, but performing or exhibiting is. I can’t host on a regular schedule, nor as often as I would like. I make these events into parties with members of my extended art and music family invited to exhibit or perform. As there is a cost to hosting these events, I intend to apply for grants in order to afford to present more shows. With the pandemic, everything is on hold.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Trusting my intuition and going with my gut. Also, a lot of hard work is necessary. You always have to put in the work.
This has been mostly a one-woman operation. I had the vision of what I thought ARK could be. Joe Berardi helps out with the concerts. Robert DeBlasis is my rock. Derrick DeBlasis (Robert’s son) video documents the concerts…but he gets paid! Ha! There is no great financial success. ARK is not a household name. It is just this little space, in Altadena, that has been fortunate enough to have had some amazing moments both musically and with visual art. Credit goes to every musician, artist and audience member who has walked through the doors to perform, show, or simply enjoy what we have been lucky enough to do and hope to continue to do.
Pricing:
- A $10 – $15 donation is asked for at the door to the concerts. This money goes to the musicians and to help pay the doorperson, and for the snacks and refreshments that are provided.
Contact Info:
- Address: ARK is located at 2599 Fair Oaks Ave., Altadena 91001 – Visits to ARK are by appointment only at this time
- Website: https://ark-arts.com/ , https://kiravollman.com/ , https://www.noncredo.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Kira Vollman Art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiravollman, https://www.facebook.com/kiravollmanart, https://www.facebook.com/ark.gallery.studios, https://www.facebook.com/NonCredoMusic
Image Credit:
Kira Vollman
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