Tag Archives: Justin Neely
Update: Justin Neely Reflects On The Fire That Destroyed His Art Studio And The Path Forward
On September 17, a 19th century warehouse located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, went up in flames, resulting in a five-alarm response that was unable to spare Justin Neely’s art studio home of over 12 years. He’s facing the loss of every painting he has ever made, photographs that chronicle his life, computer equipment, and a treasured collection of sports jerseys.
In this episode, Justin demonstrates remarkable generosity of spirit, acknowledging that others have it worse and that authorities who are trying (and sometimes failing) to help have the best of intentions. He has a tough road ahead, but he’s showing the sort of resilience that I believe will get him through it.
If you’d like to help support Justin, there are a couple of ways to do it. You can reach out to him directly (justin.neely@gmail.com, @jn33ly on Instagram). You also can contribute to a GoFundMe he has established to help him relaunch his art practice: https://www.gofundme.com/f/red-hook-fire-plea-and-protest-justin-neely
Finally, at Justin’s request he encourages listeners to enjoy his podcast at 2x speed. I don’t think that’s necessary, but I promised to mention it.
Justin Neely Navigates Shift From IT And Digital To The Arts
Justin Neely may be the most liberal arts-y person you’ll ever know. A polyglot (I had to look it up, too; it means one who is fluent in speaking and/or writing many languages), Justin has achieved impressive things in both the world of business and in the arts.
As with many guests on Pre-Made, Justin is navigating a significant life pivot, in this case from a career defined mostly but not entirely by IT and digital marketing to one that’s entirely focused on his art, at least for now.
In this episode, you’ll learn about:
How a trip to the then-Soviet Union nearly derailed his college plans
The dramatic impact the film Basquiat (starring Amherst College graduate Jeffrey Wright ’87) made on Justin
How former members of Amherst rock band Rosemary Caine encouraged Justin to apply for and eventually land a side hustle he was unqualified to do at the time, and how that work propelled him into a business career in IT and digital
The one person in the Amherst Class of 1994 Justin wants me to talk to next
All about Justin’s artwork and its expression of his worldview, which you can explore on his website, justinneely.com
Photo courtesy of Gordon Eriksen (http://gordoneriksen.com/)
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