Mike Schmidt

Mike Schmidt is more of a
newcomer to the Augusta scene,
but he has quickly left his mark
in the community.  Helping in
setting up local gallery shows,
creating FAF pieces, local prints,
and running sound at Sky City,
he’s certainly a busy contributor
to the scene! We had chance to
talk with Mike for a bit in Sky
City’s green room for a discussion on his latest show.

We should also mention, the art featured here is NOT what will be on display at Sky City this month, the artist wished that none of his current work be used so that the only way to experience it, would be at the Sky City Show.

(Here is a brief overview of the interview published in Creases, but certainly not the whole enchilada!   Listen to the soundcloud audio to hear the complete story.)

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What inspired you to create your artwork?

It really turned into a bit of an outlet.  I was in the army for eight years, and most of my time was taken up by the army.  Once I came down to Augusta, stationed at Fort Gordon, I came downtown and quickly recognized how big the art scene was, Starting out with photography and dipping my fingers into different forms of art, different mediums.  The artist downtown were so welcoming, just to have me in the community.  It turned into an outlet of a stress reliever.

What type of art are you bringing to Sky City for your March show?

I’m taking photographs and doing acrylic gel transfers onto wood.  When I was really bit into Free Art Friday that’s what I was placing up.  I have some screen printed posters I would l put out occasionally.

You’re also doing a walk, starting in April?

Starting April 3rd, I’ll be doing a walk across the United States. I’ll be starting in Delaware.
(you can follow his walk, and his art here at A Change of Latitude)

What inspired you to set this up?

Three or four years ago I originally had the idea for it.  I’m allotting 8-9 months to complete the walk, but I’m not on a specific timeline.  Everything I had going on a couple of years ago, I knew I wouldn’t be able to complete it, and a little over a year ago, I reevaluated what I had going on, and thought wow, these are no long factors in my life.  The timing is never going to be right so you just need to go ahead and do it.  I thought about it so much that if I didn’t do it, it would always be that thing that I would look back on and go “Oh I never did it I wish I could”.

The big question I’m constantly asked is why? There’s so much of this country that I’ve never seen, and I’ve been to so many different parts of the world, there’s so much here that I haven’t seen, and you can’t miss much at three miles per hour.  I’m not raising money, I’m just doing it to do it.  I want to get out and meet people.

I think generally people want to be nice to each other, and that’s what I want to get out there and see. I want to meet people and just hear people’s stories and interact and end up in crazy different towns that I would have never have had the opportunity to go through.