Kiss my Art – Analog Artist Digital World

Boris Douglas Garbe and Marla E. Smith were live at Maxine’s on Shine (337 North Shine Avenue Orlando FL). Boris and Marla joined forces to host a syndicated talk show called Kiss My Art, and this was a live taping of that show. Their guest for the evening was Chris Fioravantti. Chris was sporting a signature jacket that was given to him by commissioner Patty Sheehan. It was covered with day of the dead skulls. Before taking to the stage he vogued in it for admirers in the audience. Chris is a podcaster himself so he is used to conducting interviews with local guests.

Boris and Marla sat on opposite sides of Chris and each asked him questions in turn. Boris confided that he had experienced bullying as a kid so he was interested in a traumatic story from Chris’s past. Chris related that he kept to himself in school. On a trip on his bike he noticed several kids bullying a gay fellow student. He knew of him but they were not particularly close. He decided he had to act so he shouted out for the bullies to stop. When they didn’t he hopped off his bike and got into the middle of the fight. He started getting blows to his head and had to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he was on thee ground and he found that the kid he had come to help, had joined the bullies in hitting and kicking him while he was down. In hind sight he didn’t blame the kid. It was his way to survive the incident.

Chris also found out later in life that he was adopted. His adopted family was in the audience and there were some ties between the father who abandoned him and his adopted family which made his telling of this story all the more brave. Today Chris works as a Dog groomer which he loves, but someday he hopes that the podcasts he creates can lift him up so he can live a financially stable existence. After the interview was over, I found a card on my table that announced that The Experience will be coming this February.

As Chris stated, “At my core I am an artist. I play the guitar, the ukulele, and the
piano. At one point I studied audio engineering, but podcasting is my
true passion. When I was approached by Kyle Eagle and Boris Garbe in
late 2018 to start my own podcast I jumped at the chance!!!” So, be sure to put, The Experience on your radar. It is now on mine.

Boris Douglas Garbe and Marla E Artist held an informal talk at The Nook on Robinson, (2432 E Robinson St, Orlando, FL 32803). Boris’s dog Lump slept on the chair behind the hosts. Boris runs the Art Gallery at Mills Park (1650 Mills Ave N, Orlando, FL 32803). He used to gather artists to paint live at the Timucua White House as bands played as well, but he stepped down from that position. Marla E is a staple of the Orlando arts scene creating large textural paintings. She explained that she used to be a faux finish and mural artist and she discovered that she loved painting on very textured surfaces.

Boris is learning as he goes running the gallery. He feels that galleries cater to the same audience over and over. He realized that young people don’t go to galleries and he is trying to reverse that trend. Of course he discovered that when he does get a younger crowd, they don’t spend money. He is passionate about artists that use their art as a platform for change. He also has decided he will exhibit men and women equally. He has gotten some flack for this from women artists who want to just be considered artists, not as a underprivileged demographic that needs charity.

Boris and Marla have teamed up to produce a series of radio broadcasts about the Arts scene in Orlando. They have also just produced their first podcast called “Kiss my Art” which is frankly a fantastic title. Orlando has grown up enough to develop a bit of an edge.

What was most heart warming about their talk was when they talked about their lives. Marla was married to the love of her life, but he died young, leaving her heart broken. She turned to her art and it lifted her from the brink. She started inviting people to visit her studio and over time her art blossomed. Boris’s mom was in the audience which added a personal touch to his life revelations.

There were several trivia questions where people in the bar could win free art prints. Anyone who had posed nude for an artist was invited to collect the prize. The room was silent. I have painted myself nude but I thought that would be bending the rules. Finally a woman went up and described posing nude on a beautiful beach for a friends photo.

Overall this was a fun chance to learn a little more about what makes the Orlando Art scene tick. The Nook has some lovely small painting hanging on the walls right now. None of the paintings are framed square. The images fit in trapezoids and diamond shapes.