Today we’d like to introduce you to Alecia Buckles.
Alecia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Honestly, I am still questioning myself daily on how I got to be where I am. It’s been an exciting and wild ride. I graduated college from Shorter University in 2014 and moved back to Chattanooga. It took me about 2 years to really get into the groove of being a working artist in this city.
Once I became a little more established in the creative scene, I decided to focus on my own practice and invest in myself. That period really helped me grow as a socialite in the city and I eventually realized I wanted to do more than sit in my own studio. In late December of 2017, Rose Cox (good friend & owner of The Palace Theater) asked me to come to assist in painting some walls for her new space that would be reopening soon.
While suspended in the air on a scaffolding, dreams started to come to life as she asked me to join her on this magical journey of creating a gallery space inside of the theater. I had no idea what I was embarking on but I was positive the journey was something I subconsciously manifested over time. Now I get to say that I am Gallery Curator and Creative Director of Bazar Odditorium. This funky, eclectic all encompassing safe space has been the highlight of my practice so far. Our mission is to focus on female-identifying & historically marginalized artists, creative community engagement, and quirky curation styles. This won’t be your typical white wall gallery.
We have deep purple walls, a gold brick wall, and blue striped walls as some of our main focal points in the space. We have taken the aesthetic and design of the place as seriously as we have any other aspect of the space. We have collected over 30 artists from all over the southeast as well as artists who have moved on to some major cities such as Los Angeles and New York. You will be sure to see something different almost every time you enter the space. We don’t hold solo shows as we like to promote as many artists as possible at all times.
Space is also a combination of retail and fine art so you will find items ranging from 1.00 temporary tattoos to 3,000.00 large scale pieces. We opened on Valentine’s Day of 2018 and we are constantly growing and forming ideas about how to expand this vision. I am so excited to take part in such a beautiful vision for my community and creatives. Be sure to check us out online at www.chattpalace.com and instagram @bazar_odditorium.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It most definitely was not the smoothest transition. We had a lot of backlash on opening a space that was set to have multiple events going on at all times. Space is categorized as an indie theater, a gallery, a bar, and a venue. We knew that taking on this amount of tasks was going to challenge all of us in every facet of creativity and hard work. So far, it’s been manageable. We have a very small team and we all play very important roles but its all about your relationships within your business and I couldn’t have asked for better people to call my business partners.
Also, when it comes to the gallery portion (my passion project) it has been quite the learning curve. I am constantly networking and researching and curating the space even when I’m not working. This is the kind of job that never shuts off and thats partially why I love it so much. It’s such a challenge for myself to design a business plan around all of these beautiful artists that I represent. It excites me to think up display strategies and how their pieces would shine in certain areas of the room. The biggest struggle so far is allowing myself time in order to make the vision come to life. These sorts of dreams don’t happen overnight and that is what I am having to remind myself.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Bazar Odditorium story. Tell us more about the business.
Bazar Odditorium was built on acceptance. We wanted to feature those who often get looked over, those who typically don’t have a voice, and those who just need their own light to shine in. We really wanted to reach out to the artists that rarely get featured and the ones who are unaware that their talent deserves a space in the creative community. I personally love finding the art that is a little questionable.
One of our most popular items happens to be a ceramic cup plastered in profanity but looks super elegant. I have some artists that are working on propagating plants inside of severed baby doll heads. Yes, it’s a bit odd but that’s what this space is all about. We are really proud that we get to represent so many creatives at all times. I get so excited to be at events and describe each artist in detail to a specific patron. I get just as excited about talking about the artists that I have in here as much as I do about creating my own work.
We are so different from any other gallery that you’ll see because we said NO to white walls, NO to solo shows, NO to one style of work. Yes, I agree that those things are very important and there are a ton of galleries I’d recommend to anyone who wanted those things but here at Bazar, we aim for the difference. That is what we will continually strive for. Something the general public has yet to see.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Well, let’s just say I have had a large dose of both. I mean, who hasn’t? I have had to struggle to find artists who are still okay with doing consignment (as most prefer wholesale which I will eventually get to). I have realized that it might be easier to host shows once a month and only hang things once a month because curating a rotating gallery provides a new level of challenge when it comes to moving things around and finding things that fit on a whim.
I work 3+ jobs at all times just so I can participate in this passion project so I work myself pretty hard. Don’t worry, I learned at a young age what overworking can do to a person’s body so I have grown to manage my load wisely. But, I have been very lucky when it comes to my business partners, Rose Cox and Keith Nolan.
I am lucky enough to do what I love every single day even when it comes to my side hustles. I also believe the perfect cocktail for success is a little dash of both good and bad luck and a garnish of perspective to really set the pace.
Contact Info:
- Address: 818 Georgia Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37402
- Website: www.chattpalace.com
- Email: aleciabuckles@gmail.com
Image credit:
Ricardo Chang, Spacewaste, Alana Questell, Kenneth Kudulis
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