Meet Vanya Allen | Artist: Scenic Design, Fiber Arts, Vocal Music, Acting, Arts Administration.

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

Hi Vanya, how do you think about risk?

I regard risk as an assessment of the failures, dangers, disappointments, and unpredictability. Risk-taking is an integral component in the adventure of creating. Because I don’t approach my life or my art from a place of perfection, I’m inclined towards risk-taking. An immediate failure often paves the way for noteworthy improvements in performance that would otherwise be unattainable. Besides, you cannot enchant without taking risks. Without risk, there are fewer opportunities to find escape inside of the art. Audiences sense risk-taking and respond to it.

Will it make you vulnerable and land you flat on your ass at times? Yes. Yes, it most certainly will. The reward for it, if you can properly self-reflect and recover from disappointment, is a level of bravery and assurance never allotted to the cowardly.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I’m a multidisciplinary artist who works across genres including (but not limited to) scenic design, vocal music, fiber arts, and installation art. My most recent scenic design project is Juggerknot Theater’s Conjuring the King which is playing through April 28, 2024, in Little River (Miami). Immersive theater is my favorite and nobody does immersive theater like Juggerknot, so I was thrilled to get the call for this one. The work is broad and beautiful in terms of moods and messages. I encourage everyone to check it out before it closes. It’s a truly unique experience that I’m incredibly proud to be a part of.

I’m the lead vocalist of a soul music project called Vanya and The Bandoh where I write and perform original music at live music venues around the country. I am currently putting my coins together for our debut recording which is about as thrilling as anything could be. The musicians on this project, in addition to being like brothers to me, are incredibly creative. Over the years we’ve crafted a signatured and soulful sound that I can’t wait to share with the world. I also get my gig on as a soloist and work with some of South Florida’s best and brightest in the world of cover bands; so, cash me outside!

In terms of visual arts, my current focus is fiber art and installation work. Most recently I have been creating with appliqué and quilting techniques that explore the varied cultural and natural experiences of the African diaspora through narrative concepts. I’m delighted to be part of this year’s artist cohort for Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Summer 2024 Participatory Public Art: Textile and Memory. Through free and open community workshops, we will examine how weaving connects to our utilization of agreements to create societies. The workshops culminate in a final performance art installation of a mega-woven work in Vizcaya’s gardens on the evening of Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Artistry has been a lifelong throughline for me. It has not been an easy path, nor has it been one that I have been willing to abandon in pursuit of an easy way. Stop by my website for details on acting, dance, and display design (yes, your girl has ALL the jobs).
www.VanyaAllen.com

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

A week with me in Miami is going to have some chill and some thrill. Depending on the bestie I’m hosting I’d include an Everglades trip because it’s an intensely unique ecosystem and people should see it before it swallows up the entire state (insert emoji of choice here). I would spend some time in my neighborhood, Coconut Grove because there are so many great restaurants, boutiques, hotels, spas, and parks along the water to enjoy within walking distance. Miami without traffic is true vacationing. We’d have to hit the beach, so I’d start with Rickenbacker and pretend South Beach isn’t a real place unless there are demands to be taken there. I’d take the South Beach visit to hit up The Bass Museum and give them a chance to walk the strip (yes, I’m rolling my eyes).

If you visit me, we are going to Overtown to spend money, baby. We’re hitting Red Rooster or Little Greenhouse Grill. With stomachs on full, we will walk over to the Historic Lyric Theater for a show or to The Urban for a hangout. Pre-pandemic I loved taking guests to Le Chat Noir (r.i.p, big homie) so I’d track down some good live music by tapping into my music network as well. The cabaret at Faena is a world-class show that I’d see a hundred times while pretending it’s the first time every time. If we need some hole-in-the-wall good times and dancing (and sometimes we do) I am pre-gaming and taking them to Da Cave.

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 love this. Major Shoutouts to my dad, Fred L Allen! He was a single dad and my number-one cheerleader in life. One of his many mottos of encouragement was, “Give ’em hell and tell ’em Fred L. Allen sent you.” My siblings and I say it to each other all the time and while it makes me chuckle, it also really motivates me to turn up. Since he passed away in October, raising hell in his name has become even more of a priority. When you see me, you see him. Shout out to my Pops.

Website: www.Vanyaallen.com

Instagram: datgirlgood

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8DCOT2sat5utf7hoU_Koaw

Other: I graduate from FIU in April 2024 with my Bachelor’s degree! I earned my associate’s in architecture from Miami Dade College and now my Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies from FIU. I’m really proud and super thrilled about this. Thanks so much for the opportunity to share my work and projects with your amazing audience! Warmest regards, VANYA ALLEN

Image Credits
Johanne Rahaman Jeffery Salter Vanya Allen