‘Catalyst Sessions’ recap: Chad Mize

Tuesday on The Catalyst Sessions, artist Chad Mize discussed – among many other things – his use of Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms to proclaim and promote not only his own life and work, but the monthly group shows at the Mize Gallery.

The next one, “Don’t Ask. Do Tell,” the gallery’s third annual PRIDE exhibit, opens Friday. He’ll conduct a VR opening tour of the work in the evening – a routine he’s become used to in these days of COVID-19 – and will open the gallery (masks and proper distancing required) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

“I’ve always put the exhibits online – I just like to document stuff,” he said. “And I’ve also found that that using social media is such a powerful tool in getting your message out, representing all these artists, promoting.

“It’s become a little ADD on my part. I’ve become obsessed with trying to post on the daily, to keep it fresh. And really the reason I do that is I want to be relevant, you know? I just like to stay relevant, even with the causes that I support, I like to be able to get ‘em out there. And I feel like social media is such a great tool for that.”

Other subjects included his Bradenton boyhood (Mize used drawing as his “super power” to deflect bullies and haters) and the upcoming opening of Uptown Eats, the restaurant owned by his partner Dan Schmidt.

It’s right next door to Mize Gallery, in the space formerly occupied by Banyan Café.

Mize has been involved with the Arts Alliance’s SHINE Mural Festival since its inception six Octobers ago.

“Every year, there’s more and more added,” he said of the murals our city is becoming famous for. “And now the businesses are seeing the benefit of having a mural on their space.

“I just love living in a non-beige city. A lot of cities you go into, it’s very basic, kind of cookie-cutter, so it’s neat to live in an eclectic city where there’s lots of color everywhere, different artist represented, and very diverse with the styles.”

As one of the city’s most prolific artists, and most outspoken art advocates, Mize is all about the benefits of public art.

“Once you put art on a building, there’s some way of making it a safer space, and it brightens the neighborhood,” he said.

“I feel like crime may be lowered, because people are out there constantly taking photographs … it becomes more of an art piece as opposed to a shady place to smoke crack by. I feel like art can do that.”

Today on The Catalyst Sessions: Musician Kasondra Rose.

Streaming at 7 p.m. weekdays on the Catalyst Facebook page. All shows are archived on our YouTube page.