Moon | Chicago, HBCU Education, DMS Atelier, Community Building & Contemporary Art in Los Angeles

Moon is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, art handler, and co-founder of DMS Atelier in Los Angeles. Originally from Chicago and a graduate of Grambling State University, an HBCU, Moon discusses painting, sculpture, community practice, and building artist-led institutions in Southern California. In this conversation, Moon reflects on growing up in Chicago, balancing athletics and art, studying at Grambling State University, and how hip-hop, fashion, and entrepreneurship shaped his creative development. He discusses his transition from football to contemporary art, twelve years as an art handler, teaching at the college level, and the philosophy behind DMS Atelier's artist residency and community feed program. The conversation also explores regional identity, the differences between Chicago, Louisiana, and California, artistic discipline, competition, and the importance of creating welcoming spaces for artists and neighbors alike. 00:00 Introduction to Moon & DMS Atelier 02:25 Growing up in Chicago 04:17 Grambling State University & HBCU experience 10:39 Football before art 14:45 Discovering artistic practice 17:00 Hip-hop, fashion & early creativity 23:23 Choosing art school over communications 28:20 Teaching & art handling careers 34:05 Chicago, Louisiana & California compared 43:43 Building DMS Atelier 44:54 Artist residency & community feeds 52:20 Community building through art 57:20 Competition, discipline & artistic practice 01:07:57 Upcoming exhibitions & closing conversation