By Sharon Goodman
In a sunlit studio on the top floor of the Kessler Lofts building, artists Joshua Clay and Shannah OʼMeara quietly moved into Courthouse Square, then appeared on the scene like a … well, like a BOTTLE ROCKET: exciting, sparkling, and definitely worth noticing.
Just around the corner and a few steps from the sophisticated Thaddeus C. Gallery, enter the colorful, whimsical, and magical world of Gallery Bottle Rocket. Their packed open house at the July “2nd Saturday” event showed that, indeed, LaPorte is embracing them with wide eyes and open arms.
This talented duo, fresh from the art scenes of Chicago and California, bring a myriad of art excitement to our town. Their style is “Urban Contemporary,” or graffiti inspired, art which they feature in original pieces, gicleé prints, unique handmade items, and limited-edition artist series clothing. (I bought one of their hand silk-screened T-shirts and wear it constantly. The 100 percent cotton fabric is like nothing Iʼve ever owned!)
Joshua Clay welcomes guests at Gallery Bottle Rocket.
Joshua Clay, originally from Petoskey, MI, has made a name for himself around the globe from California, New York, Chicago, Colorado, and Portland to such far-away places as Munich, Berlin, and Rome. In addition, his talents have been utilized by a variety of internationally recognized bands including NIN, Linkin Park, Gym Class Heroes, and Fall Out Boy. Heʼs currently working on the next MTV music video for the popular punk/pop band, All Time Low. Joshua studied Illustration at The College for Creative Studies in Detroit as well as Media Arts and Animation at The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. He has a lot more to his resume but heʼll have to tell you all that!
Shannah OʼMeara is a LaPorte County native who grew up in Rolling Prairie. She has a degree in the Media Arts and Animation from the Illinois Institute of Art, which is where the artistic duo met. After college, Shannah worked as a Cinematic Artist for Midway Games, where she worked on video game titles such as Mortal Kombat, Blitz the League, Stranglehold, NBA Ballers, and This Is Vegas. Sheʼs also done voice acting for the fighting sounds of “Sonja Blade” in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, and “Jade” of Mortal Kombat Armageddon, among others.
Josh and Shannahʼs credentials are ever expanding while their reputation as exceptionally creative artists skyrockets. Their beautiful Gallery Bottle Rocket features their own creations in addition to showcasing artwork from a variety of urban contemporary artists including N.C. Winters, Serge Gay Jr., Blaine Fontana, Johnny “KmndZ” Rodriguez, Ekundayo, Mike Maxwell, and many more.
This is a place you canʼt miss!
Gallery Bottle Rocket is open most days and will again participate in LaPorteʼs 2nd Saturday” event on August 8.
