About IPMM

What is IPaintMyMind?

IPaintMyMind is a Nonprofit Arts and Culture Web Magazine and Art Advocacy Organization.

We make art yours by partnering with creatives of all stripes to provide quality opportunities and outlets for real people to connect with the art and music that inspires them. IPaintMyMind is a nonprofit web magazine and art advocacy organization that grows organically, based on the willingness of creative people to share in their enjoyment of the arts. We believe IPMM is taking an important step in the direction of art sustainability by providing the virtual and physical spaces to promote the art we love. Whether an artist, musician, writer, photographer, or art-lover, IPMM is a portal for connecting to the art, music, and culture that celebrates your perspective. IPMM's focus is to encourage creativity, positivity, and community - an attempt to improve quality of life through exposure to beauty. We promote creatives who inspire us, and we're confident you'll be inspired by them too. We hope to see you at our FREE events, and look forward to sharing culture that breathes life into our colorful and chaotic world.

Who is IPMM?

Executive Board

  • Brian Flannery

    Creighton University - 2005 - BA in Cultural Anthropology with a Latin America focus Brian is a Chicago based ethnographer. who during his time at Creighton University (Omaha, NE), worked as the curator of the fine arts gallery space, exhibiting student's and staff's and thesis works. His artistic interests lie in documentary filmmaking, photography and the local music scene. He also currently works for Conifer Research, an ethnographic research company in Chicago. He works with video and media, and conducts interviews, among other things. His work has allowed him to travel abroad and soak up a variety of global cultures that inform his worldview. bflann@ipaintmymind.org

  • Erik James Albaugh

    Erik has been in the web business for over 14 years, working for some of the top creative agencies along the way. About a year ago, he moved to Chicago from New York City and has started his own creative web agency, Maintain Web Solutions. His web portfolio includes sites for Johnson and Johnson, Chicago Bears, Bridgestone, Dell as well as many more, including our very own, IPMM. Erik is also a digital artist and former DJ. Erik's web portfolio and digital art can be found at leoken.com. erik@ipaintmymind.org

  • Greg Kohlhagen

    Greg Kohlhagen - Executive Board Member / Photographer The George Washington University - 2005 - BA in Psychology with a Marketing focus Greg is the President and Managing Broker of Blueprint 606. He's been working in real estate development and brokerage since he graduated from The George Washington University (D.C.). Greg works with several community development organizations, including the Quad Community Development Corporation of Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Kenwood, and The Gap, as well as the Rogers Park Builders Association. Greg spends his free time in the local arts and music scene as a photographer with 6 years of classroom experience and as an MC with a variety of local music groups. He is always looking forward to collaborating with future conspirators. greg@ipaintmymind.org

  • Jesse Golfis

    Luther College - 2001 - BFA with an emphasis on Studio Painting and Sculpture. Jesse's artwork plays on the emotions of his audience. He uses a series of movements and or gestures to try and invoke a particular feeling. He feels like he's been riding a wave of creativity and is starting to feel the overwhelming draw of mother ocean to do what he loves - create. Jesse's surge professionally and creatively can be felt when looking at the progression of his work, from his first pieces through what was created yesterday. Jesse says,"Find your passion and do it as often as you can!" It sure has worked for him. Jesse's art can be found at JesseGolfis.com jesse@ipaintmymind.org

  • Lindsey Fox

    St. Louis University - 2005 - BA in Theology with a Philosophy minor Lindsey currently works at East Bank Club in Chicago, where she is the Children's Activity Center and Summer Camp Manager. She recently was certified as a Life Line practitioner, under the guidance of Dr. Darren Weissman. Life Line is a holistic energy system, that balances and harmonizes the subconscious mind through the healing power of infinite love and gratitude. She's also a certified Yoga instructor, after studying both in India and Chicago. She teaches a Yoga Bonding class for mothers and their newborns. Lindsey also has excelled at pottery and is taking on a new form of recreation, Hoop Dancing. linz@ipaintmymind.org

  • Mark Sandoval

    Beloit College - 2004 - BA in Sociology Mark is an MC/Producer born and raised in Chicago, IL. Mark is also known "Clever One", of the underground hip hop group Noble Savage. Mark is currently working on a Noble Savage studio album, as well as other solo projects and collaborations with other artists. He's also a hip hop historian, a veritable encyclopedia of rhymes and beats. Mark has also worked for various youth-based non-profit social service agencies in Chicago, most recently, with the Juvenile Justice Diversion Program. He is a crisis worker for Alternatives, Inc. domus@ipaintmymind.org

  • Sonny Kay

    Artist Liaison University of Colorado at Boulder - 1995 - BFA in Studio Arts SK is a graphic artist/designer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He is the Art Director for Rodriguez Lopez Productions, a record and film imprint dedicated to issuing the work of Omar Rodriguez Lopez (guitarist and songwriter with The Mars Volta). Previously he founded the independent record label, Gold Standard Laboratories, which existed from 1993 until 2007. His experience with the label allowed him to travel the world repeatedly, and gain a vast, hands-on knowledge of the converging independent record industry and underground art world. In 2009 Sonny began exhibiting his collage work at galleries around Los Angeles, and is esteemed for his delightfully psychedelic collage art album covers. Check out Sonny's stunning work at SonnyKay.com

Co-Conspirators

IPaintMyMind is proud to have worked with the following artists/groups, and we’re excited to see this list expand:

Evan La Ruffa (IPMM’s Editor-In-Chief) has interviewed the following creatives, either for IPaintMyMind or other outlets:

IPMM

The Citrus Report

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Mission

Nonprofit Media Outlet (method)

IPMM is a source for real perspective, not the pre-packaged entertainment we’re commonly sold. You can be sure that the reason we feature something in the webmag is because we think it’s fantastic. No sales diagnostics, no surcharges or hidden costs – IPMM’s role is to expose people to inspiring art, music, and culture, that’s it.

Art Sustainability (impact)

Making it as an artist isn’t easy, which is why IPMM believes in serving as a conduit for artists to make their art viable. We want to encourage and help grow a climate in which artists and artwork are valued and supported. The more we know about the creative things going on around us, the more participatory we become, and artists can be creative, instead of wasting away in a cubicle.

Coalescing Creatives (community)

We hope to bring positive-minded people together through an aesthetic that celebrates the entire spectrum of expression, and represents the realities of various experiences. You’re gonna see a wide range of content on IPMM, and we believe that diversity is the backbone of this project. IPMM strives to represent the openness that we feel connects all lifelong learners.

Artist-Direct Sales (accountability)

By facilitating artist-direct sales, we hope to help the artists’ we love, by connecting them with you, the public! If you enjoy the art or music you find on IPMM, go their website and buy something cool already! OK?!

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Nonprofit Status

We are currently (as of launch date) in the process of applying for 501c3 status with the United States Government. This not-for-profit tax exemption would allow us to offer tax deductible contributions to our supporters. IPaintMyMind is a nonprofit web magazine and art advocacy organization, and as such, we look forward to being able to offer an added incentive for you, the people who revel in creativity, to donate to this sustainable art community. Like any nonprofit organization, we depend on generous contributions from various sectors, and look forward to earning your support through our innovative media outlet, and our FREE events.

Thanks for helping us build this.

Sincerely,

Evan La Ruffa

Founder / Creative Director / Editor-In-Chief

Donate to IPaintMyMind via Paypal!

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Statement to Artists and Musicians

Creatives -

Since IPMM began, the main premise has been that l’ve been a big fan of anything I’ve covered. The great part about this, is that I get to interview and highlight people who inspire me, and who are doing a great service to society by expressing themselves, and sharing their lens. I think it’s important that as a society, we reassess what we care about, and give more of ourselves to the things that make life so amazing – sounds, colors, textures, images, words, and ideas.

IPMM hopes to serve as a resource for artists to connect with one another and their fans, based on a positive outlook and a shared enjoyment of the arts. Being able to make a living creating, is something we’d like to see secured into the distant future.

Art makes life better….and the IPMM community thanks you for being you.

Evan La Ruffa

Founder / Creative Director / Editor-In-Chief

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Web Mag Description

IPMM draws on the past, the present, and the future. The webmag will feature content from all three temporal dimensions. We have nothing against the present moment, in fact, what’s going on right now is very important to IPMM. Perspective is achieved by acknowledging the latitude of time, and IPaintMyMind intends to do so. The texture allowed by acting as both historian and contemporary, is a certain scope we deem necessary, in becoming and remaining, a viable part of a forward-thinking future.

Journalists’ Disclaimer: If you’re looking for “unbiased reporting,” you’re in the wrong place. IPMM features content we dig….ya dig? In fact, as a nonprofit art advocacy organization, we’ll be straight up, we very much want you to visit the sites of the people we highlight!

We cover the things we like – period. The nice thing is, we think you’ll like a lot of it too…

Check out what moves IPMM – They Paint Their Mind

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Events

IPaintMyMind works in conjunction with various partners to provide FREE arts, music, and culture events, for the Chicago-land community. We’re always looking for venues, galleries, lofts, bars, and most importantly, artists and musicians, who would like to come together to provide a vibrant space for people to enjoy themselves.

Donations are not suggested, but are always warmly accepted – hell, if you have fun, we think some of you would be down to donate less than a Ticketmaster “convenience fee” to help us continue to provide creative spaces. You can anticipate DJ sets, gallery exhibitions, workshops, collaborations, and much more.

Here are some pictures from a few IPaintMyMind rendezvous’ in the past…we look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.

If you’d like to combine, drop us a line – ideas@ipaintmymind.org

Who is IPMM?

Executive Board