Daily Inspiration: Meet River Wharton

Today we’d like to introduce you to River Wharton

Hi River, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After attending college in Seattle and spending my 20’s there, I moved home to Denver to start a career as a writer. Working for a couple of local–now extinct–publications, I was introduced to the undercurrent of Denver’s artist scene. Attending shows at Glob, Rhinoceropolis, and Gold Rush Festival; becoming a regular at Leon Gallery’s events; and helped with events at Ironwood. During this time, I built a close relationship with Fort Greene because of their focus on art activations and neighborhood events. Everywhere I looked, people were coming together to create events that focused on inclusion.

In 2016 I moved to the Hudson Valley and opened a vintage object and plant store in a small, rural town. It’s hard to meet people in small towns. Since I had the space, I began opening the doors after hours for people to come sketch still life’s made from the objects in the store. We called it Still Chill. It was a relaxed opportunity to engage with your creative spirit. Soon after, the space transformed into a community creative hub. We hosted art shows, built a ceramic studio, and started a zine exchange that is still running. The store was called Monolight and between those four walls a strong sense of community was formed.

I deeply believe in the value of bringing people together to interact with their creative natures. Over the next few years in New York, I experimented with a variety of art activations in the digital space and created unsanctioned public works exploring the ideas of home, vulnerability, and the spiritual aspects of creation. By the time I made my way back to Denver in 2021, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Upon arriving, I went back to Fort Greene to start Still Chill in their space. Through much trial and error, Still Chill built its own audience and changed into something beyond my wildest dreams. Every event has its own story, theme, and set built by hand. Models pose and engage with the set. We start the evening with a interactive game or still life, followed by two hours of life drawing. The last Still Chill was hosted by Recital, featuring two sets with two models on concurrently and drew inspiration from the Wallace Stevens poem “Sunday Morning”.

I also hold an event called Keep Coming Back which is specifically for the recovery community. Every KCB is different. We’ve done impromptu plays in Cheesman Park, gameshows, intimate rituals, and more. Reciprocal, my zine exchange, still runs yearly with my collaborator Katie Ford. I post prompts on flyers and chalkboards around my neighborhood encouraging digital collaboration and currently am working on a zine of poetry with the Poet’s Den workshop.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, but when I look back at the experiences it seems like each one has set me up for the next success. I’ve found that each time I leap into the unknown I am always carried. I think my primary struggle is sustainability. These projects are difficult to scale and niche, so I’m consistently making work outside of my day job. I’ve found overtime that the less I concern myself about success, the more interesting work I make and the more fun I have while doing it.

A lot of my work requires holding space for others, so I need to make certain I have the capacity. If I hang a poster that asks the public to text me the last time they felt betrayed, I better make sure I can respond with grace. I used to try only to be prolific, putting out anything that came to mind. I have learned a lot about patience and restraint in the last few years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My day job is a creative director for a small local firm. We do a lot of digital graphic work, but my skills really come into play anytime we have a physical collaboration. Creating an acroyoga segment for a tech festival in California was a highlight. I tend to love designing interiors for our clients new spaces. I also love to build unique digital marketing solutions from others.

I think what sets me apart from others is the ability to really listen to a clients needs. Doing so much work in vulnerable spaces allows me to transform a vision to reality by simply listening.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I have been thinking about this a lot. With the introduction of AI into nearly every segment of our lives, with the tools that set up nearly anyone to become a creative, we could see a shift away from creative departments within client agencies. On socials, I’ve watched the focus fade from influencers and brands to individual content creators–it has been interesting! While this does cause me some concern, frankly I am excited about it. My mission in life is to see people realizing their creativity. If this is what it looks like, I am all for it.

This industry changes quickly, but I have also noticed a move toward bringing people together in activations by brands. This does excite me and hope that I can participate in this more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://riversdream.house/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rivers.dream.house

Image Credits
Lucas Eytchison
Jasmine Forney