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EV artist brightens the world with a brush
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
GSN Staff Writer
J. Pierce sits on the sofa of his
Gilbert home donning black pants, a playful Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles T-shirt he designed and colorful shoes that pop. The cream-colored walls are bare, which is surprising for the prolific artist who has sold his Keith Haring-like artwork to likes of rapper Rick Ross and the Arizona Coyotes president and chief executive officer Xavier Gutierrez. “Anytime I put up artwork, I always end up selling it,” Pierce said with a shrug. He’s working on T-shirts for Monroe’s Hot Chicken, which is owned by Lolo’s.
Pierce is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. Besides his work for Ross and Gutierrez, Pierce designed T-shirts for Samuel Jackson, and artwork for former professional baseball player Howie Kendrick, who lives in Phoenix. Pierce’s work, particularly for Jackson, led to mentions on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “It was cool when Jimmy see ARTIST page 18
J. Pierce is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. He discovered penciling and sketching at age 15, when he was in foster care as his parents were going through “tough times.” (Courtesy of J. Pierce)
on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” (Courtesy of J. Pierce)
Check out school artifacts at HD SOUTH
GSN NEWS STAFF
HD SOUTH, home of the Gilbert Historical Museum and an arts, culture and history center, has a full lineup of programs for this month. The programs are led by artists, historians, storytellers, health and wellness specialists, botanists and scientists – experts in their field who share their knowledge and skills with our community.
Originally opened as Gilbert Elementary School in 1913, HD SOUTH is the oldest building still standing in Gilbert and is the only one on the National Register of Historic Places. Gilbert Museum is a repository of artifacts chronicling the town’s rich history, featuring newly remodeled exhibits and interactive displays. To register, visit hdsouth.org/calendar. Unless noted otherwise, programs are free but registration is required. All participants will be required to wear facial coverings and Marshall Shore, “The Hip Historian,” will present a program on signs at HD South
this month. (GSN file photo)
adhere to physical distancing guidelines. HD SOUTH is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Gallery 4 features works by Kids in Focus, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and inspiring at-risk youth. It encourages children to use photography to build their sense of confidence and value. Gallery 4 admission is included in the price of museum admission.
Information: hdsouth.org
PROGRAMS Monday Yoga with Ginger 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Monday
Ginger Smith guides the class on relaxation techniques and muscle conditioning. Smith is a certified yoga and group fitness instructor and her training includes restorative and yin flow, yoga and weights, and chair yoga. Her classes incorporate movement, breathing, and emotional balance. Open to all levels. Bring your own mat. Ages 16 and up. Members, free; non-members, $5
See It Saturday 10:30 a.m.-noon Aug. 7
Artifacts that are normally not available for public viewing are displayed once a month. This month the focus is on school room artifacts such as vintage primers, antique schoolroom chairs and various other artifacts found in the schoolrooms of yesteryear. Museum admission required.
Golden Age of Signage in Arizona 10:30 a.m.-noon Aug. 14
This ivisual presentation explores the social significance of the rise of commercial neon signs and references the designers whose signs became iconic images that defined the West in the age of the automobile. Presented by Marshall Shore, Arizona’s “Hip Historian,” the program looks at the weird, wonderful and obscure treasures from our past: the semi-forgotten people, places, and events that have made us who we are today. Members free, non-members, $5
Native American Railroad Workers
Kimmel gave me a shout out,” Pierce said with his trademark wide smile. “He said I was an Arizona artist. There are always California artists, New York or Miami artists, Chicago artists. It’s cool to represent Arizona. “It’s been awesome, man. I originally started out doing art walks, like the Chandler Art Walk, and selling my paintings, right, for $20 or $40. Now I’m seeing my artwork sell for hundreds and thousands.”
As a child, Pierce split his time between California and Chicago after his parents separated. He attended high school and college in San Jose. In Chicago, he lived in the “hood,” as he calls it, where he learned to hustle and paint T-shirts for gangsters.
“I never messed around in that (gang life), but I was always protected,” he said. “They liked me because I skateboarded and lived in the hood in Chicago. “But there would be barbecues every other day with my family. So, I would be in Chicago, going Downtown and being in the city. Then, living in San Jose, it had the whole Cali vibe.”
He discovered penciling and sketching at age 15, when he was in foster care as his parents were going through “tough times,” he said. They went their own ways and Pierce spent two years in foster care. He, in turn, basically emancipated soon thereafter.
“In high school, I started painting custom clothing — like painting on shoes, shirts and dress shirts,” Pierce said. “I’d wear it to school and all my friends asked where I found the stuff. It led to painting on canvases.” In high school, he was inspired to start his own brand by LRG owner Jonas Bevacqua, who died of natural causes in 2011. “He was one of the biggest streetwear brands,” he said. “I’d send him my art and show him. He emailed me and said to keep up the good work, keep doing my thing. He sent me free gear. That inspired me through those times in foster care.” He moved to Anthem at age 18 and worked at Outlet at Anthem stores like Docker’s, Quicksilver and Columbia Sportswear. Besides participating in the Chandler Art Walk, he was part of the jury. “I had a business partner who I was working with in Anthem,” Pierce said. “He was a business partner and investor who was going to help me get my brand and my art to the next level. Nothing really panned out and we parted ways.” He stayed in the Valley, however. He moved to Gilbert in 2008. Pierce has collaborated with a slew of local businesses, restaurants and organizations. He encourages his clients to share their art direction and he takes it from there.
When the Arizona Coyotes hosted Hockey Fights Cancer night on April 19, he created a special sneaker for several players — Captain Oliver EkmanLarsson, Jakob Chychrun, Clayton Keller and Jordan Oesterle — to share how cancer touched their lives. The shoes were auctioned to raise money for the Arizona Coyotes Foundation. The collaboration came about after Gutierrez’s wife contacted Pierce through Instagram. “She said they were looking for a painting for a wall space,” he said. “They invited me to their house.” Unfamiliar with Gutierrez, Pierce asked what he did for a living. He told Pierce he was the president and chief executive officer. “I thought, ‘Oh dang. That’s awesome,’” he said laughing. “I said I always wanted to do the Kachina logo in my style of art and collaborate with the Coyotes. “He said, ‘That’s why I wanted to talk to you.’ He connected me with the foundation.”
Inspired by the late Haring, Dr. Seuss and Picasso, Pierce said Arizona is the lead character.
“I started doing Arizona landscapes because you see horses in oil paintings and things like that,” he said. “I wanted to create a new, fun look at Southwestern art.
“I’ve done tons of portraits. I do a lot of cartoons based on pop culture and retro cartoons that we grew up watching, like Looney Tunes. Landscapes and skylines are big, too. I’m always trying to think of new stuff to paint, rather than just sticking to one.” Pierce grew up skateboarding and was entrenched in the culture and lifestyle. He attended skateboarding trade shows and hung out with the skateboarding community. He’s always tickled when new collectors discover his art. “There was this one dude who I worked for, he has 80 paintings throughout his house and just found out about my stuff,” he said. “He said, ‘Dude, I want to collect a lot of your stuff.’” Art is Pierce’s full-time job. If he isn’t painting murals, he’s working on product design logos, custom shoes and “anything art related.” “Other than that, I’m always busy painting, fulfilling orders and patterns,” he said.
Pierce has plenty to be proud of, between his works for Jackson and Ross, as well as businesses and homes around the Valley. He’s still amazed by the way his art has traveled. He even had a clothing and shoe line in Wuhan, China, four years ago. “It’s huge,” he said of Ross, who purchased a painting of himself and custom art. “He’s a huge person and to have my art go into his house and the way he hung it up and everything is so awesome. “My other huge accomplishment was when Samuel Jackson shouted me out on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ and then getting Jimmy Kimmel to follow me on Instagram. Being friends with Samuel Jackson has been a blessing.”
Pierce and Jackson became acquainted two years ago when he, on a whim, reached out via Instagram to Jackson, who was filming overseas.
“I hit him up late at night because he was in another country,” Pierce said. “It was morning for him, and he responded. I said, ‘Yo, can I send you some of my shirts to you?’ He responded with, ‘You had me at shirts, brother.’ Then he gave me his address and I thought, ‘Wow, this is sick, dude.’ Hard work and faith are the keys to whatever I do in life.” Information: arena.store/collections/j-pierce
SOUTH from page 16
6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 17
Navajo, Laguna Acoma, and other Native American railroad workers have been a vital element of track construction and maintenance since 1880. The story of Native people’s association with the “Iron Steed” is a fascinating, although little known one. You will not want to miss this informative program facilitated by historian Fred Friedman. He served as head of the New Mexico state railroad bureau as well as a railroad accident investigator and has spent many years researching the history of the railroad in the Southwest. Members free, non-members, $5
Flagstaff Goes to the Moon 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 24.
The Apollo missions to the moon took a lot of preparation and cooperation from training sites all over the U.S. One training site was the in Arizona. Lowell Observatory historian and author, Kevin Schindler, will facilitate this fascinating program about Flagstaff’s role in the moon landing missions. Attendees will learn about mapping of the lunar surface, astronaut training, and instrument testing. Members free, non-members, $5.
Fun Inktober 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Aug. 28.
Gilbert artist Dani Kahn and the team that teaches Inktober will demonstrate how to improve your artwork. Participants will review strategies about how to become part of a positive online community. Attendees must bring sketchbooks and materials to work with.
