Rik Sansone
Artist and founding member of B-Quack
Astoria
JOB DESCRIPTION: An artist by nature, Sansone dabbles in several crafts, but he focuses mainly on drawing, painting and performing arts. He has appeared off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and in local productions, including “Summer 69: The Musical Happening” and Eric Bogosian's “SubUrbia.” Most recently, his illustration of the Beatles, drawn after he finished college, was printed in a new compilation “Beatles Art: Fantastic New Artwork of the Fab Four,” published by Boxigami Books. Sansone said that the Beatles inspired him to pursue several artistic fields and not limit himself.
RESIDENCE: Born in Norwood, Massachusetts, Sansone attended the University of Framingham State College before moving to New York in 1997. After living for a year in Jersey City, Sansone discovered Astoria. “I really liked [Astoria],” he said of the neighborhood that has been his home for eight years.
FAMILY FACT: Most of Sansone's family still lives in Massachusetts. His girlfriend, Jen Ryan, however, is an Astoria resident. Both Sansone and Ryan were among the five founding members of the Astoria/Long Island City artists' group, B-Quack. The group, whose members are local residents employed in creative professions, meets monthly at the Waltz-Astoria.
INSPIRATION: As a young boy, Sansone was always looking for something to do. “This was before video games and computers and cable,” he said. His father, Richard Sansone Sr., often drew for his energetic son a sketch to copy. Sansone recently found out that his grandfather had often pushed his son to sketch also, a tradition that Sansone's father had passed down. “I'm always thankful that my dad did those sketches. They were very enriching in my life in ways that I probably couldn't comprehend,” Sansone said.
CAREER GOAL: Sansone said that he is currently promoting the Beatles book and a poster of his psychedelic sketch, but he is open to any creative project that presents itself. “I would love to have a good balance of several creative things,” he said.
FAVORITE MEMORY: Sansone said that he has several favorite memories - the birth of his younger brother, Bill; sketching with his father; performing in the “Summer 69” musical; and touring the country with a theater group one summer.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: For all artists in New York City, the biggest challenge is establishing themselves, Sansone said.
