The interactive art showcase Raw Artists comes to the Absinthe House Wednesday night. The bimonthly event is a social platform for local artists in fashion, music, photography, film, performing art, hair and art to build connections within their community while showcasing their art to the public.
(Courtesy Sarah Ingraham/Boulder RAW Artists)
Raw was fashioned in Los Angeles, back in 2009, by Heidi Luerra who wanted to create a platform that could support local artists with the resources and publicity to establish themselves. Since its conception, Raw has spread throughout the United States, extending to over 54 cities nationwide.
“Raw is a national company based out of L.A. Basically it’s a huge network of artists all across the country, now expanding out into the world, being in Australia,”Boulder’s Production Assistant Sarah Ingraham said. “They were in 20 cities about a year ago,”Ingraham, a prominent networker in the Boulder community, has been working with Raw since their Boulder opening last February. She has been in charge of promoting the Boulder events, handling ticket sales, finding artists, and helping operate the shows.
“It’s bringing together the community and allowing people to see there are so many amazing people creating such amazing work that it’s ridiculous,” Ingraham said. “So half the people that show up I am like ‘where have you been and how are you not like, famous. I mean some of the people just have some really… really raw talent.”
Local artists who wish to showcase their work at Raw pay a sign up fee and receive promotional interviews on the website from the event, an exclusive social stage for their art to be observed for purchase. The signup fee typically runs around $200 depending on the event, and it is suggested for the artists to sell tickets to the show to pay for their entry.
“We encourage them to sell it so that way they are not having to pay it,” Ingraham said. “And they it also guarantees people to come to the show.”
Wednesday’s show goes from 8 p.m. to Midnight and tickets to the event are $15 at the door
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kyle Ward at Kyle.ward-1@colorado.edu.
