Born and
raised in Poplarville, Mississippi, Rudy “RK” Rowell’s work has very
distinct style associated to southern culture. A primarily self-taught
painter, RK has a degree in Education and Performing Arts from the
University of Southern Mississippi. As a music teacher for over 20 years in
both Mississippi and Louisiana, he was able to touch on what he loved, yet
not pursue it.
With his
artwork in high demand, RK began painting more and more. Allowing his true
passion to manifest, he began his home studio in 2003 part-time and within
two years was painting full time. Just as he was getting off the ground,
Hurricane Katrina knocked him right back down. With over five feet of water
in his Bay St. Louis studio, Rudy still felt lucky. With his optimistic
spirit, he gathered what he could and moved to Memphis, Tennessee.
Here,
Rudy truly realized he was doing what he loved. Everything there became art
to him. The sights, sounds, and life experiences correlated into beautiful
artwork. This solidified his calling, and when he moved back to Poplarville,
his makeshift studio brought his creativity into reality. Painting on just
about any type of medium he could get his brush on, his new line was born.
“VigoBOOM! Designs” went from being an old brand name for marching band
performances in his previous career to now being the name of his art
gallery. The chant, “We go boom…we’re on FIRE!” is exactly where Rudy is
today with his passion of painting.
Until
2007, I had not heard of Vigoboom. Then in the summer of 2007, one of our
board members, Garrett Pizzaloto, suggested we take a look at his artwork as
a possibility for the upcoming year. It didn’t take very long to realize
that his unique style would fit perfectly into Swollfest. Rudy had not
painted for a fishing rodeo before, but was willing to give it try. After a
rough sketch and a few images, our new artist earned his place in Swollfest
history.
In 2008,
RK painted the 12th annual Swollfest artwork and with the help of
photographer, Allen Zakem, a new milestone was reached, the first Swollfest
poster. We printed a series of posters and began another great relationship
in fighting for our cause.
After
great feedback and anticipation for the next year’s design, Rudy has become
our official Swollfest artist. Our team works very hard to make each year a
success and with Rudy’s effort, we have one more avenue in achieving our
goal.
Nick
Rauber
