Today we’d like to introduce you to Picture Party.
Lily, please kick things off for us – how does this story begin?
Picture Party is more than one person´s story. It did, however, start with one person. I, Lily, created Picture Party as an effort to bring together groups of people who would not otherwise meet and create together. Community, in my opinion, is by far one of the most important vessels in someone’s life. My life itself was one huge effort in the part of a community to further my chances of doing wonderful things. It took more than just my parents, but also my siblings, their friends, my friends, my church, and my school, to help me arrive to this idea. Picture Party began my senior year of high school, the summer I graduated in fact. I used all I knew about social media, my reputation of taking photos, and my closest friends, to decide a time and place where I could suggest a session where we all connect through creativity. Since then, Picture Party has grown by the hundreds, encompassing dozens of photographers, models, videographers, and more. This past June, we celebrated a year of community and were able to connect with a wide range of artists, groups in San Diego, and establishments. Our story continues to grow as people find out about us. We are constantly pursuing new ambitions with the same intention – to love others while they do what they love.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I have been taking photos since 8th grade, but have taken it more seriously only in the last three years. Picture Party is the reason I take myself more seriously. Once I established something that other people gained from and found consistency in, I had to continue to work toward improving this space as much as I could. I create community with my team by marketing events through visual designs and social media. This often means thinking of ways to engage with communities in San Diego, other artists, and other creative mediums. I find myself dabbling in design, digital art, physical art, videography, etc. All because Picture Party continues to inspire me and it pushes me to improve every single day. I hope people see Picture Party and all the work we put into it and think to themselves “I want to do something that makes me that diligent and eager” I want people to pursue their own dreams and hopefully be validated by my age and ability, that you are capable of anything if you want it for the right reasons. I also hope that people see what Picture Party stands for and notice the value of self-sacrifice – how we invest our own incomes, time, and resources on this community so that everyone may feel involved and loved. My work with Picture Party and even my personal work should be understood as much larger and complex than I am as an artist. Everything I create for Picture Party is meant to be experienced by those searching for community, who have passions, but lack support from other creators to really climb to their full potential. My work fills what I lacked when I was younger. Community? Picture Party. Confidence? Portraiture. Diligence? Marketing and design. Patience? Art. Purpose? Community.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Just as community can be one of the most important things in our life, it can also be the most difficult to find and be honest in. What I mean is that it can take someone like me almost eighteen years before developing the confidence to explore a community, be vulnerable, and allow constructive criticism. I think a lot of artists choose solitude in fear of rejection, creative intimacy, and discomfort while disregarding how much joy and purpose can be found in community. To those artists I would say, do not limit yourself to your own perspective of your work, being in community with others can teach you to appreciate, prune, or water areas of your artistry. Explore your city and the communities it has to offer, whether it be a community like Picture Party or not, it is always worth giving vulnerability a shot. Every corner of San Diego has a hidden gem, I strongly believe we are one of them, and if you are in that state of solitude with your work, we encourage you to join us.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Picture Party can be experienced on a monthly basis in our very own city of San Diego. You can support our community by attending our free events, donating to us, purchasing our merchandise, telling a friend about us. We can be found at www.picturepartay.org and on Instagram @picturepartay where we continue to update everyone on our next adventures, our goals, and our connections.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.picturepartay.org
- Email: picturepartay@gmail.com
- Instagram: Picturepartay
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/picturepartay
- Twitter: Twitter.com/picturepartay
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/picture-party-picturepartay-17139544814
Image Credit:
Runway photos by Alex Grechman
Mission Trails portrait by Marrissa Flores
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
