NEWSPAPER ARTICLE FOR SUMMIT DAILY NEWS
Title: From a Mountain Town to a Glossy Art Magazine"Is it too sexy to run?" That was the question at the Summit Daily News on Friday night as editors looked at the photo of Artist Interviews magazine founders. In the photo, three publishing partners held its debut issue of the glossy art magazine, which features Antoine Verglas' cover of model and actress Victoria Silvstedt. Dawid Szmyd, who grew up in Breckenridge, joined editor-in-chief Mauricio Saravia and associate editor Marisa Darnel. He helped convince Saravia and Darnel to expand the publication from the Internet to print format. The magazine has garnered 3 million hits and worldwide attention from its existence on Internet since 2001, and Saturday, its print edition debuted at Cecilia's in Breckenridge. The bimonthly magazine combines different aspects of the art world, with a focus on music, Hollywood, fashion, science-fiction, fantasy art and literature. The trio distributes 40,000 copies of the print version from Los Angeles to New York and in between. The average reader is 23 years old, and males make up 64 percent of the readership.
Artist Interviews shows readers well-known artists' daily lives and work habits in a question-and-answer format. The Summit Daily News took a similar approach, laying out the interview with Szmyd, Saravia and Darnel in much the same way the magazine does.
Summit Daily News (SDN): What is the passion behind the magazine?
Darnel: We are art lovers, and we wanted to make an online magazine combining all different genres of art together. Saravia: I have been an artist for 14 years and have always been attracted to art in all of its different facets, so the magazine was a medium for me to learn from the artists that I admired and to meet them, as well. After having the experience of being interviewed on television in South America, I wanted the artists that we speak with to feel comfortable with the interview and to find that it was more like a calm conversation. I guess that's how Artist Interviews became popular - and also due to our labor of love.
Szmyd: Yes, being a musician ... one night an idea arose from three individuals, brainstorming our dream, which became reality.
SDN: What is the purpose of the magazine?
Darnel: To introduce to readers the most renowned names in art of the 21st century. I'm speaking about what the youth is more in tune with now. Saravia: The magazine is all about the future of art in all aspects.
SDN: What makes Artist Interviews' stories different?
Szmyd: There is a leisure environment in which the artists can feel comfortable expressing their opinions, which makes the interview different.
Darnel: We go deep into their career, beginnings and interesting anecdotes that they all have. Saravia: Yes, it allows the reader a direct communication with the artist, without additional interruptions.
SDN: What challenges have you had, and how have you overcome them?
Szmyd: Just like everybody else in the public eye, we had to struggle. We overcame personal problems that each of us dealt with in reality. I came from the "Land of the Lost" and the world of lost dreams. The exit was at my fingertips. Saravia: I guess for me it was endless business meetings that seemed to go on forever. SDN: What's the secret of your success?
Szmyd: Heart, respect and honor - believing in your dreams and how far you can take them. There are no borders - you make your own paths and write your own story until your book is written, and never look back
Saravia: Our love of art, for one, and the persistence as well. I agree with Dawid about that. Also, I don't feel tied to concepts that have been taught to us by society since we were born.
SDN: What are your goals for the magazine?
Szmyd: To transcribe what we have learned: The details of the Hollywood and the art world and what we feel internally through the magazine.
SDN: What is your background?
Szmyd: I was born in Radom, Poland. I came to Breckenridge when I was 5 years old. When I graduated, I worked for corporate companies, organizing events and marketing strategy. I also worked as a graphics designer. I'll be continuing to learn music and follow my passion to produce.
Saravia: I am originally from Montevideo, Uruguay. Since I was 6 years old, I have traveled and lived in several cities and countries. As a writer, I published two books of poetry, and as a painter I have done several art shows. I also enjoy business and marketing, and I started a television interview program in Montevideo.
Darnel: I was also born in Uruguay, where I was an English teacher and translator. I studied English and journalism in a British institute. I have worked for a television channel production company, handling the marketing. Here in the States, I worked as a diplomat for the Consulate of Uruguay.
SDN: What else would you like to add?
Darnel: We want to thank all of the people that have helped Artist Interviews become what it is - the readers as well as the artists.
Szmyd: Follow your dreams. If you fall down, get up. It's now or never. You have those choices. You are the writer of your life. Give back to the people that have given you what you took for granted.
Saravia: Yes, I agree. Life is out there, waiting for you to live it, mold it and design it.