Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucy.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lucy. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Born in Boyle Heights and raised in Los Angeles. My younger brother got into the graffiti culture at the age of 12, at the time I didn’t understand the urge of going out to get noticed through the walls but It did spark my passion for photography.
I started making stickers and stencils and joined the online sticker community. Through sticker trading i met my partner, and now husband.We began dating and creating small pieces together. Together we learned how to transition from stickers to aerosol, each one teach one!
It wasn’t until my Grandmother Lucy became very ill and passed that I acquired the urge to release my pain through graffiti. I write her name because she still lives through me. She bought me my first camera and always supported my passion for documenting through photography.
By this time, I had been documenting street art and graffiti for five years through Polaroid, 35mm, and digital photography. Once I got the feel for aerosol I was hooked. It was a crazy feeling to realize how much of a stress reliever it was to paint. I finally understood my brother, and how he dealt with all the obstacles placed in our childhood: being raised by a single mother, being a POC, and trying to find our identity.
After a few years of documenting and painting I connected with a lot of very talented artists. I got the chance to join eight other women and paint ten murals in Puebla, Mexico.
Today I run the 1st and ONLY Montana Colors (MTN) Flagship store in the United States! Yes! Me, a female, in a male-dominated sport, runs the ONLY Montana Colors Flagship Store in the Country. It’s an honor, to say the least.
There are 24 shops around the world including Australia, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Spain, Indonesia just to name a few. It’s definitely one of the greatest accomplishments in my life, besides marrying my soulmate.
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?
Omg, it’s been such a challenge! The first month was surreal. I went through so many emotions. Although I had experience with some of the products, I couldn’t afford most of them prior to working for Montana( MTN) so I took advantage and learned as much as I could asking any and all questions about Montana Colors. Every day I try to learn something new, sketch, and keep it moving forward.
MTN Shop LA has been open for 6months and is currently open six days a week, Tuesday to Sunday. It’s been a great journey but shaky road, but I always knew it was a marathon, not a race.
Montana Shop Los Angeles – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Montana colors started in Barcelona Spain in 1994. Its success took it to 24 shops around the world. Although Montana Colors was already distributing to the whole US through Spray Planet, everybody anticipated a Montana Colors Flagship store in the US.
In July of 2018, four years after setting up Spray Planet, Angelo, the owner, welcomed me on board and put me in charge of Montana Shop LA, located inside The Container Yard (TCY) in Downtown Los Angeles. TCY is a creative event/ retail space where artists from all over the world come and paint, so it was natural that the MTN Shop would join TCY.
My photography and short videos have connected me with many artists and opportunities, but I feel my customer service experience (12 yrs) sets me apart from the rest. I am most proud of being a Woman of Color reclaiming space for all women writers! We are here! And we will be Noticed!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I was blessed to also get my husband onboard the MTN Team as our marketing/ graphic designer. Having the opportunity to work alongside my husband has really strengthened our relationship. As we celebrate our 1yr marriage anniversary along with living out our passion Life has been a blessing and look forward to all the beautiful things we will accomplish together.
Contact Info:
- Address: 400 Seaton St Los Angeles CA 90013 open Tuesday to Sunday 11am-7pm
- Website: Montanashopla.com
- Phone: (323)528-5441
- Instagram: @montanashopla
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/montanashopla/ - Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/
biz/montana-shop-la-los- angeles - Other: Sprayplanet.com
Image Credit:
Bee Gutierrez, Kenneth Morales
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