“Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse
October 25th is National Artists Day. This is a day to appreciate all of the contributions artists have made on our world.
In Cape Girardeau, we are fortunate to have art all around us. From the sculptures that don the streets of downtown Cape and the murals painted on city walls to dance battles and the sounds of soulful music, we are fortunate to live in a community where art is being seen as being valuable to our community.
In honor of this inspirational holiday, we want to take some time to recognize a few artists of color in our community. These talented individuals have honed in on their passions and shared them to bring some goodness and culture to Cape Girardeau.
Visual Art
Malcolm McCrae is a local painter, airbrush artist and author. If you don’t recognize his name, you may recognize some of his work. Malcolm is the man behind the One City Community Center mural as well as so many other pieces across the community.
When we sat down to chat with him, he inspired and encouraged us. His passion for creativity and his artistry was evident in his words.
“Art saved my life. Literally,” said McCrae when he referenced his background and how art kept him out of trouble and helped him provide for his family.
“I love engaging with individuals and being a tool to help people find themselves.”
Malcolm’s passion is creating and inspiring those around him through art and creativity, especially in Cape and our surrounding communities.
He’s taken on many projects for the betterment and beautification of our region along with educating everyone he meets.
When we asked him about art in Cape he had this to say, “I love Cape! I love Southeast Missouri! People here really respect handcrafted items and craftsmanship.”
Thank you Malcolm for the artistry, craftsmanship and inspiration you bring to our community.
Check out Malcolm’s website to keep up with his latest creations: https://www.malcolmmccrae.com
Performance Art/Dance
Micheal “Crank” Curry is a local dancer, dance instructor and mentor. He is the owner of Fingerprint Urban Dance Studios in downtown Cape Girardeau.
Micheal opened up the studio to fill a need he saw in the community.
“This was a niche area that needed to be filled. Now people have a place they can learn not only urban dance, but the history behind it all.”
When we asked him about the effect African American art has had on art as a whole, he had this to say, “Black culture equals hip hop. Hip hop equals black culture. How we dress comes from black culture and urban style. Black culture has a huge imprint on all forms of art.”
We also discussed the origin of dance in his life and it turns out, Missy Elliott music videos are what inspired him to get started.
“I’d go home and practice moves from her videos in the mirror.”
But what motivates him to be a creative? “Creativity is a constant. It’s a physical and emotional release that helps you express who you are.”
Curry also opened up to us about his thoughts on the presence of artists of color in the community.
“Cape’s art scene is really growing. And, there are tons of artists of color that people aren’t even aware of. They just need the opportunity to be seen and they could have an incredible impact on the community.”
Thank you Micheal, for your contribution to our community and for encouraging not only the children you mentors in class, but any citizen that gets to interact with you.
If you’re interested in checking out more artists of color from our community, take a trip to 20 N. Pacific. Their mission is to “immerse Cape in arts and culture, while providing a cozy space to invoke thought, creativity, conversation and connections.”
If you come enjoy the arts with us, we ask that you please practice social distancing and proper COVID-19 precautions.