The Artist Couple Behind Public Shop and Gallery - Inside Art with Michael Rose

The Artist Couple Behind Public Shop and Gallery - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Few have brought as much energy, enthusiasm, and impact to the local art community as Casandra Inez and Spocka, co-owners of Public Shop and Gallery, a hard-to-label creative space that goes beyond traditional definitions of art venue. Located at 27 Sims Avenue in the complex of buildings that comprises The Steel Yard, Public is a working studio that is currently hosting an art show highlighting a great pool of talent. It is the encapsulation of the great work that founders Cas and Spocka have been engaged in since they began their business in 2019.

 

The current show at their space on Sims Avenue, titled “Come in, we’re open!”, has a plethora of objects, from ceramics and intricately cut works of paper, to photography, paintings, and drawings. The show is wonderfully eclectic and shows off a small sample of some of the types of artists that Cas and Spocka have promoted through their work organizing dozens of pop-ups and shows over a number of years.

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The duo behind Public are also partners outside of business and share two young children. Raised in Providence, they met in high school and spent formative years together cultivating their creative skills at New Urban Arts. From an early age they shared a love of the arts that comes through in all of their current pursuits. Today, Cas makes visual art as well as works of writing and poetry, while Spocka focuses primarily on music but also shares diverse cultural interests. Together, their passions inform and propel one another, while they mount engaging events and support their fellow makers.

 

 

Asked about their relationship, Cas answers, “I love that I get to collaborate with my partner as business owners. Our lives as parents, artists, and people blend so well that throwing in ‘business partners’ feels just as easy.” Speaking of their collaborative style, Spocka says, “Our style of collaboration is very organic and fluid, so depending on the project we tend to constantly take on different roles based on what is needed in order to make a vision come into fruition. Being creative / business owners with my partner has taken on a unique lifestyle of its own. We are always together so apart from scheduled meetings we often find ourselves brainstorming ideas while cooking dinner or doing laundry. Public was created under a unified vision with our family culture and ethnicity in mind. Having this space has given us and many others many opportunities for self expression.”

 

 

Over the course of their shared career the pair have shown with more than eighty-five makers and fifty visual artists.They have also worked with twelve muralists and eight local authors. Through Public, they have brought many young and emerging artists to the attention of patrons in the city and region.

 

Reflecting on the Providence art scene that they both know so well, both partners share a positive outlook. Speaking of the things he values in the city, Spocka says, “My favorite thing is the diversity of mediums. There are a lot of people doing great things to move the scene forward in a way that is sustainable and supportive of artists.” For his partner Cas, community and connection are things she cares about most. She says, “I love that we all show up for each other. We’ve gained some great supporters, friends, and connections through this work and we bump into each other everywhere.”

 

 

Their current exhibition at 27 Sims Avenue provides highlights from the community in which they are both integral players. Well composed photographs by Alexandria Salisbury show off the architecture of downtown, while multi-dimensional works by Jinghong Chen use gouache and colored pencil to explore unseen worlds. Bright paintings by Franklin Simpson are presented in the same space as ceramics by Tory Reiff. In all, eight artists are exhibited including works by Julio Berroa, Elijah Trice, Franklin Simpson, Christopher Mora, Jinghong Chen, Chanel McNamara Witherspoon, Alexandria Salisbury, and Tory Reiff. In short, the show was assembled by two artists who know the local scene well. The space is also an active studio and a new mural is in progress in their entryway.

 

Speaking of their goals for the future, Spocka outlines an aim to open a larger and enhanced exhibition venue to continue their established vision. Cas says, “The big picture is to become an essential fiber of the creative fabric that is Providence for many generations to come. As two kids who grew up here, I want that to feel inspirational and possible for the creatives that follow.”

 

 

 

Without a doubt, Cas and Spocka are already essential to our local art scene, and following where they go next will be an exciting journey.

 

Learn more about Cas, Spocka, and Public at www.publicshopandgallery.com.