Featuring Reid Jenkins and Justin Wagher
Original Air Date – April 15, 2021
Artist Reid Jenkins welcomes fellow artist Justin Wagher to the ninth episode of Friend of a Friend, a monthly interview series from Creative Pinellas drawing connections between artists, inspirations, friends and mentors, showcasing the individuals that together make a creative community. Each month an artist interviews another artist in Pinellas County that has been an inspiration to them. The next month the interviewee becomes the interviewer, speaking with a Pinellas artist that has inspired them in turn.
Reid Jenkins (AKA El Ren Sloe is a contemporary artist who lives and works out of St. Petersburg. He holds a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art. Reid has shown in numerous group shows including Re Group Show at Redefine Gallery in Orlando, FL, and 100 Films at Blue Lucy, St. Petersburg, and has participated in Shine Mural Festival. His current work focuses on the display of the range of human emotions and experience. By capturing the moment of an individual’s being in an iconic stature, he believes the essence of an individual is conveyed.
Justin Wagher was born in St.Petersburg Florida 1998 and has lived there his whole life. Growing up, he had a mild interest in art, but it was at the age of 15 Justin started to try and develop a unique voice for himself in a small bubbling downtown that was becoming known for local art shows. Justin got involved doing group exhibitions, meeting a few artists who guided him with examples of what to do and certainly not to do. The first at a gallery named “Blue Lucy” on the 600 block of downtown St.Petersburg curated by Chad Mize- who then reached out to the much younger artist and gave him an opportunity to exhibit his work. From there, Justin has been involved with numerous mural projects and other group exhibitions throughout Florida and ranging as far as Kansas City.
Tune in and get an up close and personal view into the inspiration and process of art creation for these two amazing artists.
