Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin McCall.
Caitlin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I taught K-12 art in public schools for 10 years. There are so many great things about teaching, but the lack of resources and support our country gives education led me to realize my time was up. FUHAHA started out like any other artwork – just a simple sketch. The middle finger with a smiley face seemed to summarize my feelings about being a teacher. FU to the old-school, repressive system and a smiley face to all my fellow educators, students, and parents. In May of 2018 I told my then principal I was going to leave the world of education and do… something else? It’s been three years and after an array of jobs, moves, panic attacks, and a pandemic I finally decided to commit to starting my own business.
With an enormous amount of help from friends and family, FUHAHA now has a beautiful website designed by M. Reed Studio. We currently offer original prints and merchandise for sale, as well as commission pieces for just about anything! Our long-term goal is to open a makerspace or public art studio in North County, as this area is lacking in art resources. FUHAHA is meant to start conversations about difficult things. It is meant to make the viewer re-think a situation, or laugh about a tough situation. FUHAHA art invites the viewer to participate in the artwork. We want people who never felt included in the art world to be included in a safe space that allows them to visually tell their story or viewpoint. It is our goal to use the artistic process to connect people from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It takes a village to start a business. It is terrifying and difficult and I constantly question what the hell I’m doing. As I see it there were two options: keep grinding through life the same way, or start something I 100% believe in and see what happens. Personally, success or failure wasn’t my biggest fear – it was finances and money. I’m still working on shifting my mindset around money and I encourage other artists to explore this as well. You have to take risks, there’s just no way around it.
It feels like it’s already been a long journey, but I know it’s only just begun! It has taken an array of people and resources to get here, including major help from my lifelong friend/sister/cheerleader Meghan Reed. Big thanks to SCORE St. Louis for connecting me with business mentor Corey Rimmel and giving FUHAHA its first event at Feel State Florissant. Much love goes to the Good Shepherd Arts Center for letting me be part of Art at the Market in Ferguson. I’m especially grateful that I’ve stayed in contact with my students. They are my number one inspiration. There are so many young and talented artists who need to be acknowledged and uplifted! Shout out to my teacher pals and all the teachers working their asses off through this shit show we’re living in – someday I hope you get the treatment and respect you deserve! The road is not smooth or easy, but major props go to all the people who have helped me navigate it. Find your people. Keep them close.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a trash artist. I was born loud. My art is mostly trash and always loud.
To be a K-12 art educator you have to do just about everything, so I will create with whatever is around. Currently, I am committed to using materials that are free or easy to find. I try my best to steer clear of fancy equipment and expensive art supplies. Most of the tools I have were given to me for free (many from my wonderful Mom – your hoarding skills are not wasted on me!). FUHAHA is about art-making for everyone, and my pieces should reflect that. I recently finished an Emoji Tarot Deck: the cards are made from cardboard food boxes and decorated with hand-made stencils; the bag they come in is hand-sewn from old clothes; the instruction book is printed on regular copy paper. What art supplies I purchase can be found at any large chain store. While I do buy large canvases and some acrylic paint from art stores, I also use canvases and paint from craft stores. The FUHAHA message is clear: if I can do it, you can do it. I want to scream (and oftentimes I do) any time someone tells me, “I can’t draw! I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” FU, you can draw. HAHA, you are creative.
Art is therapy for me. When meeting with others I do my best to avoid conversations about hot topics such as religion or politics. But in my artwork, my opinions are unfiltered. My Kali painting depicts Hindu goddess Kali standing on top of Trump. In her left arm, she holds symbols that represent institutions I believe are in need of serious reformation. In her right arms are tools that I believe can help us make those changes. The upside-down White House reflects my wish that we, as a country, could look at things in a new and different way. FU, the system is broken. HAHA, here’s a way to fix it.
Most importantly, my art is interactive. You get to use the Emoji Tarot Cards. Touch them, shuffle them, do a tarot spread, and read the book for insights. My sculpture Retail Therapy is currently on view at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, Missouri. It is made from a discarded Christmas gift card display and tells the story of an abusive relationship I was in many years ago. Each side of the sculpture has questions or prompts for the viewer, and he/she/they may write responses directly on the sculpture. The viewer is part of the art. You can make art just like this – AND it is valuable! It is kind of amazing to me that visual art is still portrayed with this elitist, fancy pants mentality. The goal is to transform the way we experience and view art. FU, don’t tell us to stand back from the art. HAHA, it’s okay to touch.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
“The most effective way to do it is to do it.” – Ameila Earhart
Pricing:
- Merchandise ranges from $4-$18
- Custom art pieces start at $200
Contact Info:
- Email: fuhaha.stl@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.fuhaha.co/
- Instagram: @fuhahastl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fuhaha-101772348719279
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDBXvTFTSqrdHevH_N8vNTg
Image Credits
Caitlin McCall
Meghan Reed
