Local Artista Named First Featured Artist at new Phoenix Pride LGBT Center Downtown

PHOENIX – First Friday boasts the bold works of Local Artista Marisa Hall. On display for September, Marisa debuts a collection of vividly textured acrylic creations on canvas, colorfully inspired by the new Phoenix Pride LGBT Center. Focusing more on her cultural connection to Chicano Art, this Artista infuses her characters with inspirations from traditional and modern styles of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Latino perspectives. 

“I feel like I’m pretty legit now,” Marisa grins when asked about being invited as the Center’s first featured Artist. She’s bespectacled in blue jeans and a black t-shirt, the staple uniform for this Artista since her teens, give or take some paint spatters. Now 37, she’s still an oddly shy, comical creative dedicated to her passion and profession of Art. Nearly selling out of every show in her debut year, Marisa ended 2013 on the highest note of her career to date when Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton purchased her 6’x3’ mural at the Phoenix Festival of the Arts. 

“I was honored when I heard that Mayor Stanton wanted to purchase my piece and freaked out a bit thinking about it hanging somewhere in City Hall.” A Valley resident for over 15 years, Marisa left her home town of Anthony, TX when she was 21 to become a Phoenician and attend the Art Institute of Phoenix. Taking her first Art lesson at ten years old, she was amazed at how pushing a brush full of paint around on a canvas could transform into something beautiful, and instantly fell in love. Art exposed Marisa to a world that wouldn’t allow her heart to be contained to only one medium– she sought to contribute to her community in the same spirit her family served in throughout her life. Desiring to engage others through Art, Marisa created Fat Stache Studio as its own medium, inspired by her Father’s notorious mustache and her family’s generous legacy of serving their communities. 

Combining her enthusiasm for rich colors and strong fluid lines, this emerging Artista and her bold work are capturing the attention of art enthusiasts across the Valley. With over 25 years of exploring acrylic paints, sculpting, watercolors, markers, pencils, pens, and digital media, Marisa’s love for Art continues to grow today, and her characters are just as entertaining as the cartoons she still indulges in. Though her passion and goals in the Art world are serious, Marisa is all about having a good time and laughing as much as possible. Meet her at 5pm this Friday, September 5thfor the Grand Opening of the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center on 2nd Ave & McKinley.