Cassandra, or Cas as her friends like to call her, is one of the most genuine people I know. Her personality puts everyone around her in a good mood and she is always looking for inspiration in a world that can be so cruel. Cas is fully dedicated to art and creates beautiful work that is real and unique. She is a part of a band of artists that label themselves as Funk N Vibe. Her creativity stems far beyond the classroom and she is always looking to influence others with her work as well as feed off of the people she surrounds herself with. I am happy to call her my friend.
Name: Cassandra Balado
Year: Sophomore ‘18
Major: Communications with a dual degree in Fine Art (hopefully a minor in Fashion Marketing)
What made you decide to come to pace?
“I’m from Long Island, so it is super close and I dig that because I’m close with my family plus the city is cool because there’s a lot of opportunity here. It’s not too far; it’s a big city and that’s what I wanted.”
How has studying art, as well as pursuing it in your free time helped you to see the world differently?
“I feel that I have an open mind, I was spoon-fed art and classic artists. I’m not a very judgmental person; I feel that’s very important especially in today’s society, accepting all types of people and opinions. I feel like I see things in a lot of different ways in comparison to other people. Sometimes when I give my opinion on something people are shocked and confused as to why I think the way I do. I think it’s important to have people with different backgrounds and ideas calibrate.”
You are a creative mind behind Funk N Vibe, can you explain what their brand is?
“Funk N Vibe is a creative platform that connects artists. The art can be any medium, for example film, fine art, and music in the form of singing or producing. The main goal is to create a network of people so we can calibrate amongst each other and create to inspire. We’re just a bunch of kids trying to pursue our dreams.”
Do you hope that the brand will become something bigger than just your group of friends?
“I think it already has. We have reached people from across the US and for us that is a huge step. We actually just trademarked our brand name, so we are hitting important milestones. As long as we are inspiring those around us, we have already done what we wanted to do.”
How do you balance all of your hobbies, such as art, dance, and Funk N Vibe, when you are busy?
“A lot of naps and deep breathing. Things do get very stressful but I am really good at multitasking; I keep a lot of lists so that really helps. I use the reminders application on my phone to set timed alarms so I know when I have free time. It’s honestly just a matter of time management and a lot of sleep; that’s really it.”
Who do you idolize?
“Who do I idolize? I don’t know I feel like I am a collection of all of the people that I meet. Yes, I idolize Beyoncé, she’s cool, but I’ve never actually met her, she’s never actually personally affected me. So I feel like for me to say I idolize her isn’t exactly accurate. I feel like I idolize my mom, I idolize my friends and my professors that have genuinely affected me and inspired me. But honestly, everyone that is a part of Funkn’vibe with me, push me everyday towards what I want to do. Those sort of people are the people that idolize because they are me.”
What are your goals for the future?
“My goals for the future…I’m not sure I have any specifically. I’m kind of just putting myself in different pathways and positions; whatever holds onto me is where I am going. Right now, I was hoping to get into PR and some type of radio but I’m actually getting involved with a gallery uptown which is very cool.”
Can you explain your internship for next semester?
“I will be a gallery intern at The Center for Italian Modern Art. A lot of Italian art is usually focused on the renaissance and classic pieces, but they focus on modern art. I feel that not enough focus is put on Italian modern art. One of their main attributes is that they want people to come and stay unlike larger museums where you just roam around. It’s more of a family oriented gallery. There are couches to lounge on and hangout, it’s more about the connection between the viewer the artist and the piece.”