CATALYST GALLERY, INTERVIEW w/ Nik Virrey pt.II

AN INTERVIEW w/
NIK VIRREY
of THE CATALYST GALLERY
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SB:My experience at the catalyst space (present and past) has ranged considerably, what do you want to present to a newcomer to the gallery?
Nik:Approachability. Accessibility. Thick sense of community. Belonging. Comfort. And if we succeed in these areas, the end result will be actualized-Inspiration.
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SB:The transition from ‘goblin house’ to catalyst gallery seemed fairly seamless…was an art gallery & bar an end goal for you all at any point, or just a natural transition?
Nik:The transition was seamless in the sense that the momentum stirred from the same fluid communal ambition. We have always represented, as the ‘goblin house’, a make-shift family for each other and a second home to those in our close circle. The distinction came as a consequence of focused attention. With the expected demands of hours and effort, the casual hangout sessions refined themselves into intentional actions. It is definitely a forward motion in all our perspectives. A natural, healthy, and progressive new road.
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SB:Tell me about the formation of Catalyst Gallery, what did it start as, what do you see it as now?
Nik:The formation was the end result of a trip to Portland, actually. Me and Jared decided to head down for a liquor-loaded good time in response to our discontent with where we were in our personal lives. a ‘break’ if you will from Seattle. We succeeded. The drive home quickly turned to a gut-wrenching conversation of futures. ‘What the fuck are we doing with ourselves? What the fuck are our friends doing?’. The conversation escalated to words of action, and intention. To redefine community. To make a goal worth swearing to and then to sweat for it. We boiled a plan for a month, completely secret from everyone, and upon finalization we presented the possibility to John. He was lock and step with what we had in mind. We haven’t looked back since. This is still the beginning.
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SB:What are you looking for in a space…what is your ideal for the 4-plex? How does that differ from what you are currently working with?
Nik:Mass utilization of the what we have. Expansion is a goal, and it is set to a future song. The present locale and actual space is prime and suits our need. The flow is natural. Enter Gallery, peruse the Vintage Lounge, pass through residual art in the studio/kitchen, chill in the back yard, pass through into the auxiliary lounge of my room, end at the bar. repeat. It is perfect.
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SB:Who is sourcing the work for the shows? What has been the process for finding artists thus far?
Nik:The inaugural show was simple. Jared and I followed the rubric and intention of the gallery. We chose the most important and influential artist in our lives who were local and 1st time presenters. Jared chose Bryce Knudson, his brother; I chose Kellie Delaney, a close friend of 6 yrs. and tattoo artist. The following shows received that same treatment. We would go out have coffee and a couple of cigarettes and as “Who’s work is excellent and needs exposure in our circle?”, and we go from there. We sift through our mental rolodex’s and piece the puzzle together amongst the three of us. It is a very synergistic process. Although, the process is tried and true, the circumstance are changing with our name becoming more familiar. Artists are seeking us out. This is fresh and exciting in the sense of exposure and refinement of how we want our gallery to function as an artistic element. We are becoming like a funnel, a filter. Hand picking what we believe to be the best of local arts and blasting them to the community we are constructing. It is completely symbiotic and organic, with a heavy hand of work ethic guiding the final product.
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SB:Capitol Hill It is a heavily art-saturated area, full of young people who like to drink, see art, & move on to the next spot. What do you want Catalyst Gallery to be in that context? What is your ideal?
Nik:We want to be the place you can’t miss because it you feel stoked and excited when here. We fully understand who and why people come here, because we facilitate the space to level of something we, ourselves, would be pumped on to venture through. We are those young people; we want our visitors to know they are not only meeting our Gallery, they are meeting us. Our ideal? come. enjoy. linger. and get to know us. tell us what you think. and tell your friends. We are creating the ‘us’ this Gallery was meant for.

Word.

–SB