Chris and Geoff are both known at Interfaith Sanctuary for their creative abilities. The two men have been hard at work painting, drawing, making music, and more since enrolling in programming at our shelter, and that hard work is paying off. In September, they’ll showcase their work as featured artists at the Treefort Music Festival in Boise.
Treefort’s organizers announced the artists selected to participate in Artfort, a section of the festival dedicated to the fine arts, performing arts, and public art installations, on Thursday. Artfort will feature Geoff and Chris alongside 26 other emerging artists based in our area. Both will have their own space at the festival to discuss their bodies of work, show off their talent, network with festival attendees, and enjoy the festivities!
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Geoff is a resident artist, musician, and the founder of the art collective hosted by Interfaith Sanctuary. He’s a Louisiana native who has lived in Boise, Idaho for the past four years. He has been creating his entire life. “If I wasn’t drawing on paper, I was drawing in the dirt,” he said.
Geoff paints in various mediums and enjoys watching others create, as it inspires him as well. He feels that spreading the love of creativity helps erase the stigmas surrounding homelessness. He paints in acrylic, latex, and oil but tends to use tools that feel natural versus brushes and markers. Geoff is interested in abstract and floral art. He starts by painting abstract backgrounds, then studies photos and takes walks to look at flowers in each stage of their lifecycle before he completes a piece.
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Chris is an artist in residence at Interfaith Sanctuary. His primary mediums are painting and drawing. Alvarez grew up in San Diego, where graffiti sparked his lifelong interest in fine art. “Graffiti was like looking at a maze with the colors and the lines all over the place, and there was just something strange about it. I thought the bubble and the block letters were fascinating,” he said.
Chris taught himself how to tattoo while incarcerated and has since transitioned to working with a machine. He’s currently looking for a tattoo apprenticeship to expand his skillset and portfolio. Chris is deeply interested in the technical aspects of drawing and painting and is known within the shelter community for his uncannily accurate portraits.
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We’re so proud of Chris and Geoff! They’ve worked hard for this opportunity, and our community couldn’t be happier for them.
See their work here: https://interfaithsanctuary.org/art-collective/