FAYE ORLOVE & JUNIOR HIGH LOS ANGELES
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
Faye Orlove is someone who immediately makes you feel comfortable. Since her job, or more accurately, her life's work is about bringing stability, safety, and creative expression to her community, this is an incredibly valuable trait to have. When I first got to Junior High, the Los Angeles (Glendale) based not-for-profit community arts space for our interview, Orlove welcomed my photographer and me with a smile. She showed us around the cool art space that at the time was showcasing “Works in Clay” by Ali White, a collection of playful ceramic art pieces that doubled as lamps and vases. Then, she gave us the run of the place to interview and take photos as we would. Junior High is a communal space, and Orlove welcomed us into the community.
Junior High was started by Orlove around five years ago with her sister -who was a tween at the time- in mind. To Orlove, being a tween was not the most enjoyable experience (as it is for only the lucky few). This tumultuous time full of insecurity and isolation is what inspired Orlove to create Junior High, a place where young adult artists could come together, and young girls (and boys) could see community, friendship, love, and art blossom without the nastiness of the capitalist patriarchal society making them feel worthless and inadequate.
This is what drew me in immediately to the organization and Orlove herself. As a young tween, I also went through an incredibly painful, awkward period of adjustment (still uncomfortable and uneasy today, but now I have more skills to deal with it). As a young kid, young adult, or at any stage, really, we all have anxieties and insecurities, and we all know how it feels to feel alone. These feelings of discomfort and lack of connection push many towards the arts in the first place, so having to enter the Los Angeles art world that is already full of "no" and judgment is a daunting task. Junior High Los Angeles wants you to know you are loved, valid, and your artwork should be shared. Whether it be music, sculpture, paintings, or anything in between, Orlove will find space for it and/or for you in this open and loving community.
Read on to learn more about Junior High, Faye Orlove, and what it means to uplift a community in truly beautiful and meaningful ways.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
Can you tell me how you ended up in Los Angeles in the first place?
I grew up in Maryland, in a suburb of Washington DC. Then I went to college in Boston, and then I moved out here with some friends in 2012.
So what are your favorite and least favorite parts about living in LA?
My favorite part is the people because everyone is incredible. Everyone, all the people I give time to get to know. I feel like I was in a rut in Boston. I wanted so much more for myself and for the city. But here, everyone here just shares that same vision of making the world better and more loving. And I don't know, I'm naturally really drawn to motivated people. I feel like this city is all about people who are motivated to do something bigger than themselves.
My least favorite aspect would definitely be the city's response to homelessness and the significant discrepancy between local government and its constituents. I don't feel included in the decisions being made for the city, and I know many people feel the same.
I have definitely noticed the stark contrast between the rich and poor in LA also.
That happens pretty much everywhere, and right now, it's the absolute worst it's ever been in terms of the economy and the gap between rich and poor people. I feel like in LA, for some reason, it's way more in your face.
If you weren't living in LA, where would you be right now?
I miss Boston a lot. But I don't know. I never want to leave LA, but if I absolutely had to, I could see living in Boston. Or, my fiance is from Mississippi and spent a lot of time in New Orleans, so I could see living in New Orleans.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
And can you tell me about your background as an artist? Because you don't just facilitate art events, but you are an active artist yourself.
I went to film school and decided it was far too collaborative for me. So I switched my degree from cinematography, which is a lot of stuff on set (which I hated), to being post-production, which I love because I was alone in a room by a computer. Then that sort of shifted into motion graphics and animation, which is how I found some footing in illustration. I would make all my friends' band t-shirts and music videos, which developed into a job when I moved out here. I was fortunate; I got a job as an illustrator for Animation Domination, which was basically Fox (the network) trying to do an Adult Swim-Esq channel of just stoner cartoons late at night. So I got a job doing illustrations for that, and then, I've just gotten really lucky that all my friends happen to have started as musicians that nobody knows, and then they've become musicians that everyone knows who let me make the artwork for their music.
In terms of your artwork, aside from communal betterment, is there any goal behind it?
After being spearheaded by my friend Abby Linne, I began volunteering at the Girls Rock Camp, specifically in the music video program. Girls Rock Camp is a camp where all the kids learn confidence and empowerment through music. But since we are both visual artists and not musicians, we thought, how can we actually help? So we started developing a program where the girls learn how to use cameras and lights to be able to create real music videos for local artists. It's really fun. Most major cities have a Girls Rock Camp or Rock Camp for girls, and it is such a great organization. Every summer (except for last summer because of COVID), I've been involved. So, in terms of my goals, I definitely want to elevate the interests of teen girls. I feel like teen girls are dismissed so often as their interest being frivolous, or boy-centric, or just unimportant when really, teen girls have set the course of culture for decades. It's so funny when older men discard the interest of teen girls and music that they like and stuff, but then they go on to say they love the Beatles. Do they not remember that the Beatles shot to fame because of teen girls? And that goes so much further into obviously so many marginalized communities are trendsetting and not getting any recognition for it. So, I'd like to kind of shift the narrative of what's important and what's cool to rightfully be the people who are making those decisions, girls. Yeah, girls are awesome.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
Do you have any artists that you personally look up to?
Oh my gosh, yes. We have this upcoming panel at Junior High that is about "fatphobia." We've been doing this series called Class Notes, where we delve into topics that we as a little group feel should be discussed more. Since we reopened, we've been making Class Notes live, and this one will be about fatphobia and the intersections of size and race and class and everything. I'm obsessed with all the panelists, but one in particular, Yesika Salgado, is a massive inspiration for me. She's a local poet born and raised in Echo Park. And in terms of visual artists, the illustrator we have showing next month here, Cory Feder is incredible. She is Korean and American, and all of her pieces have to do with identity and feeling transient, not rooted anywhere. She likes making kites, which I think is really cool. I'm so excited to have her here. She's from out of town, and I love when people fly out here for showcases. And then also, my obsession right now is Doja Cat and all of her aesthetics. Like everything she does has just been popping off lately.
And I know the power of a good role model can change someone's life, so do you have any role models to speak of?
Ashley Lukashevsky, an illustrator who actually had a show at Junior High two years ago, in our old space, and Loveis Wise, also an illustrator who will be here in October. They're both the perfect blend of illustration with a voice, and they're using their talents for activist purposes but also still being rooted in kindness and warmth. I feel like that the signature Junior High brand is this activist mentality, but soft. An inclusive, less angry, and more welcoming form of activism. Also, no shade to anyone who's pissed. There's a lot of reason to be, and that is entirely valid as well. Just for me, that's not how I find my footing. I love when I can find other artists that are just as angry about things but approach it in a softer way.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
I was going to ask what inspires you, but it seems pretty evident that the people in your community do.
I mean, for sure. I try to surround myself with people that challenge me and are motivated. Truly, motivation is the biggest thing I'm drawn to in relationships and people I look up to. I just love people that try. It's not really about doing or succeeding at a thing. It's about trying the thing. I am endlessly inspired by the people who walk through here [Junior High]. We make it a real point to make sure we respond to everyone's email, every single email that comes through, even if we don't end up putting on an event together and collaborating in some capacity. It's really important to me to make sure we are saying thank you so much for reaching out, and here is a response from a human being. I think it's really brave to reach out and want to collaborate and say, this is the thing I'm working on, or this is the thing I finished, and I want to share it. Just being a self-motivated person is the thing that inspires me.
I think that means a lot now, especially when things start to feel futile. I agree you don't have to succeed or be the best. The trying itself is admirable.
Yeah! I saw this really stupid mug once that I literally hate, but it is stuck in my head for some reason. It said, “you have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce.” And of course, that's the dumbest thing ever. She has a nanny, money, and class privilege; she has all these things that make her days much less full of obstacles and barriers and whatnot. However, for some reason, it clicked in my head like, yeah, she breathes the same air. We're all doing the exact same thing. And I think it's just a matter of what motivates you. We all have these twenty-four hours to make the best of, and I think the people inspired by kindness and empathy are using their hours for good.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
I think that's what's great about Junior High, specifically because having events and showcases like the ones you do legitimizes those who don't usually get recognition in the art world. It really is like a starting off point for so many, and I love that Junior High gives artists/creatives a place to put their artwork and make connections themselves.
I appreciate you saying that so much because so many of the artists we try to showcase are emerging artists or artists who are otherwise not given space to be loud or make their viewpoints known. And so many of the artists we have showcased have gone on to do shows across the country and in other countries or even in bigger galleries here. I love how you said it kind of legitimizes those efforts. I felt really guilty when I started taking a salary here because, for five years, it was just a volunteer base. But now, with the COVID relief fund, we have enough money so I can pay myself, which is very new. But then I realized taking a salary and making this my full-time job, my career, also legitimizes what I am doing. Trying to create space for people is an important thing. Not only for my own well-being and for the longevity of the space but also to show other people that there could be a life for you in the nonprofit world or in the arts or in trying to elevate other people, you can make a living.
I'm sure you have days where you feel uninspired or just less motivated than usual. Can you tell me what you do when that happens?
As I get older, I've learned to lean into it. I realized that I have to be as kind to myself as I would be to a friend. If a friend was not feeling good one day, I would be like, do you want me to come over and watch the Simpsons with you and bring ice cream? I would be soft, and I'm never soft towards myself. So I'm really trying to give myself grace and understanding that I would give others. And, for example, I don't usually respond to emails requesting interviews like yours because I don't really like talking about myself. But I got such a good vibe from you, so I wanted to do this. But if I had woken up this morning and felt totally off, I would have felt okay contacting you to reschedule. I'm glad I can give myself that understanding now. And when I am feeling down, I'll binge-watch "The Real Housewives," and I love eating what, as a kid, I just called cheese and chips, which is literally just tortilla chips with melted shredded cheese. Absolutely nothing else. It's disgusting. Also, I have two cats who I'm literally obsessed with. I just take pictures of them all day. And if my fiance Ross is home, he'll make me pots of coffee all day. So, when I am feeling off, I just lean into it, and I waste a fucking day.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
What inspired you to create Junior High?
A bunch of little things. The main motivator was my little sister. She's twelve years younger than me. So when I started this space about six years ago, she was about twelve/thirteen, and when I was that age, I was miserable. She doesn't even live in Los Angeles, but in my head, I was thinking about what sort of space I would want to cultivate for her, for the teen girls of the world. A place where they wouldn't have to spend one-second feeling as isolated and lonely and left out as I did. Just having her in my life, texting a thirteen-year-old, and knowing what was important to her, and hearing about her latest obsessions was fantastic. I loved her energy. It's funny, she just visited, and she is nineteen now, so she is all cool.
I also was inspired by Girls Rock, of course. Seeing the atmosphere there of empowering young girls through the arts in an unabashedly feminist way inspired me. I realized I wanted a Girls Rock camp-type space, but with fine arts, visual arts, or things that I'm actually good at as well (unlike music). And then another big moment of inspiration was my career at the venue I worked at in Boston. I got to book bands to play, and I would always pick my friends or prioritize female and trans artists. I was obsessed with artists that weren't typically getting booked there. And it definitely inspired a love of curating in me and getting people together. I also went through a sexual assault experience there. That was horrific. However, the venue's security team was commendable and immediately validated me, believed me, and took action. That response from a venue made me realize how important it is to have a place that prioritizes safety and comfort and adequate response to the community. And at Junior High, we have a lot of little systems in place that I hope are doing those things. We have an anonymous report system on our website, where if we booked a band and anyone's had foul experiences with any of the members, they can let us know, and we'll honestly take action. We prioritize staff training on racist biases and how to not call the police and de-escalate situations so we can make sure this is not a police encouraging environment.
PHOTOGRAPHER: AUSTIN MARTINEZ
And how did you come up with the name?
Oh, my God, I don't even know. I just kind of came up with it on an airplane. I was doodling logos, and I thought "Junior High" would look cute as a neon sign, so I drew it out. And then I imagined merch, and I'm Jewish, so I thought we could make funny merch playing on the name like "Jew-nior High" and stuff like that. Ultimately I chose the name because it's youth-oriented and also education-oriented. My mom liked the name, and I saw the potential.
If you had unlimited resources and could expand Junior High, what would you do?
I would hire more people because we only have two employees right now, including me. Aside from that, we have some volunteers that work the desk and do various other jobs. Still, in terms of social media, outreach, branding, booking, grant writing, accounting, I would love to have the resources to pay more people who are experts at those things or who want to learn more about them, and who would like to be part of our team and pay them living wages. I would love to grow in that capacity, especially having someone else do social media.
Any parting thoughts?
My biggest takeaway with Junior High from the last five/six years is to ask for help. I feel like a lot of people get really nervous. Some people think of it as a weakness, but it is such a strength to have such a community around you and a network. If you ask for help and you're a good person who offers support and gives as much as you can, you will always find help back. I just think there's so much strength in having a community.
Faye Orlove & Junior High
Check out Junior High for opportunities to support and join the community, and view their Instagram for updates.
