I started working in the family business as a custom picture framer when I was 18 years old. I always had an interest in art and was an artist myself. It led me to seeking out art in my own community. I remember seeing Shepard Fairey's website in the mid 90s and was really interested in what he was doing. I started some of my own work as an artist and contacted Bill Pierce and Michael Pratt of Radioactive Future, a website that featured local artists in San Diego. I attended some of his shows and even had a show or two with some of San Diego's well known artists like Tim McCormick and Douglas Thompson the shows were small and in obscure locations like bookstores and even an old ice warehouse. Years later I started my own picture framing business, Art of Framing, in 2005. located in Normal Heights, I decided it was a good area to host some of Bill's events. The first series of shows was called "Fast Forward" and then "Girrrrl Power" which was a group of all female artists who we did several shows with. I tried all sorts of art events from aliens to art printed on loafers. Most of the art shows I did were "Lowbrow". Art that was strange and unusual. The community of "Abnormal Heights" liked my shows, but the art was confusing to my picture framing customers. Art sales were far and few. I wasn't discouraged, but it eventually led to the split of my business partner and myself. Wonka Gallery is one of my newest ventures. A website / gallery dedicated to artists and their talents. My mission statement for Wonka Gallery reads, "To provide representation for artists and promote an interest in local arts in the community."
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Ryan CampbellWonka Gallery Founder Archives
August 2013
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