4Q Interview with Matthew Williston - VJ, DJ, Escape Artist...

Matthew Williston is a man of many skills, actor, director, VJ, DJ, experimental projectionist& sound technician, co-founder of L’Art Ici SVP.(a public art company in Moncton) Also co-founder of **Gay Poutine** (an alternative LGBTQ night in Moncton)  He has spent many years developing those skills while living in Montreal for the better of 13 years as well as western Canada. He currently resides in Moncton, NB where he is presently building the cabin of his dreams in the country. He works under the pseudonym of M K W. He’s gregarious, witty, generous and an all-round nice guy.  (B&W photo by Robert T Wilson Thank you Robert)

4Q: Tell us how you became involved in the music business as a DJ, VJ and projectionist.

MW: I’ve always been drawn to and appreciated music .The reason I got my first job was because my folks would not by me a boom box. They may have been worried that the sounds of rock’n’roll would corrupt their little boy…They were right.

I started mixing records at the age of 14/15 .We were putting on “all night dance parties” in Moncton by the time I was 16. Electronic music was deep inside me at this point, as was the love of movement and dance.

Moving to Montreal was where my schooling really started, I was fortunate enough to meet and have the pleasure of working with 4 guys who had big dreams for projections in the world. 2 of these guys are still running an internationally renowned company called Moment Factory. The 2 others also have an innovative businesses in the Multi media world as well.(NOMAD NATION,BAILLET,CARDELL & FILS)

Having already been carrying a video camera in my backpack for a few years before this, I was a sponge and engaged in what could be done with a camera and some video editing software. Hired on mostly as a VJ (video Jockey) I was mixing images with world class talent in internationally renowned clubs and venues.

I continue to push my visual installation experiments and my DJ style in the Atlantic Canada.  The east coast festival circuit in the summer is a blast, with such a great community of people coming out to support, engage and experience in a creative coming together of minds. 

 

4Q: As a co-founder of the art movement in the city, tell us about the development and goals of L’Art Ici.

MW: My partner Lisa J Griffin and I started this initiative at the end of last year. We have since put up two murals on St. George St. Curated 12 bins to be painted downtown with DMCI(downtown Centreville Moncton Inc) We were involved with Gallery days with the City of Moncton in which we built  a structure and had in painted live in front of city hall.

We have some really exciting things lined up for next spring and summer. Our main goal is to bring out color and character in our great hub city. We want to be inspired and to inspire creation and vibrancy in our daily lives. Bringing a community together is also important to us.

You can keep up with us at our facebook page for now as our website is under onstruction.www.facebook.com/l’articisvp. 

 

 

 

4Q: Please share a childhood anecdote or memory.

MW: I was in Florida with my parents, probably around 6 years old. I like most kids, loved animals. Also like most kids I wanted to pet them and cuddle them. Even if it was a pelican. Well to my surprise pelicans weren’t friendly. This monstrous beast tried to swallow me whole. There’s not much in life that I’m scared of, but pelicans still freak me out a bit. 

 

4Q: What’s Gay Poutine all about?

MW: It came from a lack. A lack of contemporary gay and dance culture, A lack of visibility of the LGBTQ community in Moncton. My partner in Poutine, Danderson, and I had been talking about this lack and our interest in filling that void. When he was travelling in Europe last year he hit me up … “GAY POUTINE” he said. I said, “I love it”. Upon his arrival we started putting the forum for these events together. Local café/bar owner Marky was supportive in our endeavors and offered us to do our first **Gay Poutine** at LAUNDRO on St. George St. We have had Poutine served at all our events, usually served up by Harry and Taco from Harry’s Pizza, another strong Allie in the LGBTQ community.

 

The community has been very supportive, both the straight and LGBTQ, We were invited to join in the gay pride parade this year, which I feel still has a big place in creating acceptance and assimilation in Moncton NB.

Every event is mixed with gay, lesbian, straight, trans-gender, and others…We are inviting and accepting to all. We hope that this movement will spark the imagination and drive of other freedom fighters in the city. We hope to see more LGBTQ events pop up in our ever growing cultural landscape.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the 4Q Interview Matt.  If any readers want to connect with this artist or are looking for someone to spin the right tunes at any event, you can reach Matt at matt.k.williston@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Next week be sure to drop by and meet Chris Eboch of New Mexico. She writes Children's Stories, Historical Fiction and Mystery/Thrillers. She will be offering advice on writing vivid scenes, adapted from her book Advanced Plotting.