Art & Life with Julie Akerly

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Akerly.

Julie , please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
When I was young I was ready to get my hands dirty in every single activity in front of me, unless it was sports (actually that is a lie, I once was put into a soccer game while I sat on the field in front of the goal, dug a hole, and created a song and dance called “Sandy Dirt”). I wrote poetry, played the guitar, piano, and violin, went to theater camps, created plays in my friends’ basements, and went to dance class every night of the week.

The thing is. the idea of moving felt good, but the idea of “dance” felt bad. I was a tom-boy, I didn’t like hanging out with other girls gossiping and talking about boys, I didn’t like sparkles or being on stage, or wearing cowboy boots and pom-poms as a crowd of men hoot and holler at a football game. Unfortunately, this is how many girls first entered dance spaces, playing up ideas of and images of beauty, grace, femininity, sex, fantasy, fragility. As a dancer, whenever you say that you dance to a group of men you shield yourself from their horrible jokes about being a stripper or requests to “show them a move.” (Just watch one episode of So You Think You Can Dance to notice all of Nigel Lythgoe’s creepy comments about needing the women to “leave something to his imagination” to get my point.)

Thus, entered my era of making performance art that tries to make anyone who sexualizes the dancing body. seriously regret their decision…

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make art that hangs between the limbo of being relatable and uncomfortable. I want people to understand what is happening, to be able to talk about it, but also, I want to give them something to talk about. I don’t believe in spending time to make “art for art’s sake,” and I don’t believe that dance is “something that cannot be expressed in words.” For me, the thoughts, words, feelings, and experiences come first, and the art and movement are a tool to expand upon the words and make the words have more feeling and context.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
We are sometimes stuck in the mold of what artists are thought to do and be vs. what they can be and do. Phrases like “starving artist” is detrimental to the cultures perception of artists, and artists’ perception of artists. In my role supporting artists at [nueBOX] and for the City of Tempe Arts and Culture, I spend a lot of time encouraging artists to take initiative, to show up, and to come up with new and innovative ways to use their artistic skills.

Being an artist doesn’t always mean making presentational artwork, whether it is in a gallery or on a stage. A lot of the art comes in making connections, building community, inspiring people, and supporting others. There is an art within this, and I see a lot of contemporary artists in Metro-Phoenix becoming successful because they make both great art AND the make an impact with their art.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Currently, I am an Artist-In-Residence with [nueBOX], which is an organization that supports artists through their creative process. I recently created “Zoetic” for a Mother’s Day performance at the Phoenix Art Museum. You can catch it at BETA Dance Festival on Sunday, September 23 at Phoenix Center for the Arts.

My next work, “Love. Laugh. #@%!. Let’s Eat.” will be in February in Tempe and will be a full eventing of food, comedy, music, and dance. I am collaborating with chef, Jeff Krauss, comedian, Mary Upchurch, and music group, House of Stairs. Stay tuned for the details on my website! www.jamovement.com

The best way to support my work is through [nueBOX] which is a non-profit organization. It is more than just supporting met, it is supporting over 12 artists every year to create work in Phoenix that is pushing boundaries, asking questions, and bringing people together! www.nuebox.org/donate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamovement.com
• Phone: (480) 420-8353
• Email: julie@nuebox.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/juliegrooves
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamovement

Image Credit:
Photo credits: Courtesy of JAMovement

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