Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciera McKissick.
Ciera McKissick is the founder of AMFM, a lifestyle brand and incubator space based in Chicago. She created AMFM, originally a web magazine, as an independent study project during her senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied Journalism and Mass Communications. Her work since then has evolved to support emerging and established artists by offering them a platform to showcase their work and passions on a larger scale through exhibitions, web content and curated events. As a curator and producer, she seeks to combine the arts to cultivate community, access, diversity, inclusivity, intergenerational interaction and a dynamic experience. Her work often involves collaboration through many art practices, organizations, and seeks to stimulate community engagement with purpose, mission, or cause. Ciera McKissick also currently has a residency at the Chicago Art Department where she curates her larger conceptual projects and exhibitions. Projects and events for AMFM have been featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Allied Media Conference in Detroit, on Chicago’s Fox 32, and published in The Chicago Reader, where AMFM was named “Best New Gallery,” The Chicago Sun Times, Southside Weekly, Afropunk, The Milwaukee Business Journal, Millennial Magazine, and more.
“I started AMFM because I kept finding myself immersed in these creative communities of artists doing dope things, and wanting to pick their brains about their work because as an artist myself, I have always been interested in process and what drives artists’ work. I also wanted to tell other people the things I learned about these artists, and help get the word out about their work. I was finding that a lot of arts and music blogs focus on artists that are already established, the Kanyes and Beyonces, and artists that have people writing about them all the time. I was wanting to write for my friends that had a dope EP that they just released or an artist from a college art show that I thought should be in museums one day because I was so moved by their work. These are the people I wanted to write for, and no matter where I would go, Sacramento, Detroit, Chicago, etc. I would find these people and want to tell their stories. It then evolved when I moved back home to Milwaukee from Cali (had moved there after college in 09′, stayed for 2 and a half years). The beauty of having a web magazine, is wherever I go, I can bring it with me. Back home, I wanted to find a way to get offline and connect directly with the people so I started throwing shows combining art gallery showcases with music performances with some friends of mine, and I started my first “real job” working on social campaigns for a Public Health organization, where I had to plan some large scale events. Eventually, I realized my heart wasn’t completely in it, and that AMFM was my true dream, I quit my job and moved to Chicago. Once I was in Chicago, I got a job working at a middle school teaching after school clubs, and was trying to resurrect the magazine. I started going to a lot of shows, open mics, art walks, basically checking out the scene, and I met some dope people. Initially, I had only planned to stay in Chicago for a year to figure out what I wanted my next move to be, New York maybe back to Cali. I revamped the website, and threw my first show at a gallery, Cultura in Pilsen, run by an organization (Gozamos) that I used to freelance write and work for. The event was successful, and even got some good press, and I was so excited because I was new to the city. I threw another event the same month and people came, and I kept meeting people who were doing similar work and we would collaborate. I just kept doing it because it felt good and something was brewing. I was still working at the school, but it was starting to be all I wanted to do, and I would be exhausted at work, which wasn’t fair, and again I realized my heart wasn’t in it and AMFM was what I wanted to do. So, I took the summer off and didn’t work, lived on some savings and only did AMFM. It was a great summer, then the gallery space I primarily held shows at closed down, the start of a big gentrification conversation in the area, and I was forced to stop doing shows for a minute. In the meantime, I was still trying to make some money to pay rent and things and keep the momentum going, so I started doing pop ups at other galleries, which totally evolved our work, being able to hop up and truly curate many spaces, but that came with it’s own set of obstacles, not to mention it was expensive. I sort of freaked out, and ended up getting a job again, this time working a 9-5 with a marketing agency in Downtown Chicago. On paper it was great, stability, a salary, benefits, healthcare, but again the same thing happened. At the same time, AMFM was still brewing, but starting to boil. I had been ultimately looking for my own space and still doing things on the side. I was doing this GoFundMe for the space, and then I finally got one! I became consumed, it was all I did when I would leave work, and on lunch sometimes, and I’d be thinking about it at work. An article got written up about it all, and then that led to a live news segment with Fox32, and the gallery opening was insane, things were really starting to happen. I was constantly sick too from burning myself at both ends. I felt like I was living two lives, and I just couldn’t anymore. I quit my job in May to run AMFM full time, and here I am today. Our gallery just celebrated our one year anniversary, and I really don’t want to work for anyone else ever again. I want to keep this story going.”
Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, my biggest struggle was myself. I wanted to quit AMFM so many times, and kept running back to jobs because I would get scared. Scared no one would care, scared people would stop coming, afraid to quit, afraid to keep going. What I’ve learned most about this journey so far, is that it takes time. I think I needed to go through everything to get to where I’m at, and it all makes a bit more sense now. I will have to go through more too. Can’t rush the process. But, I did learn through all those struggles, is that I always came back to AMFM. It was this thing I couldn’t shake. So, I know I’m supposed to be doing it, at least right now.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We support emerging and established artists by offering a platform for them to showcase their talents and their passions on a larger scale and to the public through our venue, web content, and our curated events. AMFM hosts events combining the arts to cultivate community, diversity, inclusivity, intergenerational engagement and of course, good vibes. We are known for our dynamic art and music events, pop ups, activations and our large conceptual events like Maskerade, Dapper Ball and Indigo Nation that encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary art, or a cause. From art shows at galleries, music shows, and activations at parks, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, we host and curate all kinds of events.
We specialize in curating spaces, and good vibes. We are known for combining many different types of art together in one setting, and collaborating and working with many different artist and organizations. Art shows paired with live music, installations, different musical styles, dance, poetry, etc.
We have been told that our events and spaces are super diverse. We have a wide range of ethnicities and people that come to our events because we really try to unite different communities through art. Curation is key when it comes to that and being inclusive. We are most proud of that.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel like Chicago is a great place for a business like mine. I feel like I was able to do here things I couldn’t have done in my hometown, or places I was looking at on the East and West Coast. Chicago right now is brimming with creativity and talent, it’s a great time to be here, it feels like history in the making sometimes.
Chicago welcomed me with open arms. People are willing to collaborate and work together and people, a lot of people are talented and doing something or creating things. I would tell people if they were just starting out to invest themselves in the scene and the people first and foremost because those are the people that matter at the root of it.
Contact Info:
- Address: AMFM Headquarters (gallery/venue) 2151 W. 21st Street, Chicago, I, 60608
- Website: http://amfm.life
- Email: info@amfm-mag.com
Image Credit:
Rena Naltsas
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