Meet Griffin Parker | Outreach Coordinator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Griffin Parker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Griffin, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
With how many projects I’m working on in different fields at any given time, the goal at the end of the day is to be sought after. It sounds pretentious, but if I have to apply for a position, it means I haven’t done a good enough job publicizing my skills and knowledge. Wherever I’m working, I want “run that by Griffin” to be a beneficial, nigh-necessary step in every creative process thanks to the depth of experience that I bring to the table.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to say I’m in the business of being creative rather than being labeled a “Creative” myself. I’ve worked with plenty of intensely creative people with no business sense; I’d rather take on the less glamorous marketing work of translating and promoting that energy, something that comes far less naturally to most artists. If I have a single skill that fuels everything I do, it’s the ability to get people’s attention. It’s mindboggling how often a project has everything going for it except an audience to show it to. Since 2017, I’ve curated an emerging interactive artist showcase at an annual pop culture event. I can’t count how many times I’ve been told “this kind of effort to promote our work doesn’t exist anywhere else” from my exhibitors. It’s a point of pride, but it also means more people need to start stealing the “idea” of building platforms for other people.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite things about traveling is getting a local’s recommendation. I’ve had some of the best experiences skipping the “must-see” listicles and just doing what the locals tell me to; I do my best to pass them along to other travelers.

In lieu of making my favorite local spots even busier, please enjoy three of my favorite sandwiches of all time:
• The Huntsman from Repeal in Virginia Beach
• The Sunrise Cuban from BABALU in Knoxville
• The Bison Meatloaf Sandwich from Ted’s Montana Grill in any city lucky enough to have one

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can’t put into words how important Shelby White has been to my various installations over the years. She makes magic happen for me multiple times a year, be it through her UX expertise, art direction, or in our years-long partnership as a fundraising team. As I said in a postmortem for our annual charity auction last October, Shelby holds the ladder while I reach for the stars. She deserves the world.

Website: https://linktr.ee/gvgalore

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gvgalore/

Image Credits
Christopher Johnson, PixieLight Photography, Collin Thomas, Logan Rickert, Chris Quay