Rich and Jess Théroux: Rumble House
Rumble House has been a safe haven for artists for years — somewhere to both create and witness art in its making, to experience a sense of community and family, while ultimately providing space to test boundaries and creativity. For artists Jess and Rich Théroux, it has always been important to provide an alternative to the more commercialized art scene in Calgary. The seeds of Rumble House were planted in Rich as a teenager by a seemingly unlikely source: Music on film.
“…I saw Rattle and Hum when I was a teenager, and Bono had spray painted on a wall while he was performing, and I thought, oh, that’s where it’s at,” he says.
“I’ve never told anybody this, but, yeah, I was watching (Eminem’s) Eight Mile, and I was thinking about the rap battles and how there should be art battles.”
Having an idea for what they wanted to do was great, but then the couple had to figure out where and how. “We wanted a studio space that was also a public art space that integrated the art making before the public, so that if five people were renting a studio, why can’t we just get a window of space and make art in the window? And then the people that are buying the art would see the art forming and appearing,” says Rich.
Jess explains that their desire was to create a different way to market and consume art “…because you were looking at the discrepancy and kind of the separation between artists and viewers. Because at that time especially, I think contemporary art was moving in almost a hostile manner towards the buyers.”
Rich agrees. “Very, very exclusive. Yeah. And it was difficult. I had a number of friends that had, sort of, these collections of art that were looking for places to show.”
Rumble House offered just such a space. “We wanted a space where you didn’t need permission to come in, where you didn’t need to apply, or you didn’t need to jump through any hoops and there wasn’t any gatekeepers. And we wanted to, pull the gates off the doors and have a space for everybody, …everybody is welcome. We built our whole philosophy on inclusion.”
Through this philosophy and by tapping into people’s love and appetite for what they were creating, they built an unrivaled arts community.
Why did they choose Calgary? Rich explains his complicated relationship with the city, admitting that he hasn’t always loved Calgary, but as the city changed, so did his views. “Calgary is a complication of ideas, and it’s a really nice blank place to start. But there’s challenges here that aren’t anywhere else.
“I grew up next to the Pacific, and I always thought that was a powerful force. And then in 2013, the river swallowed the city…. I had a real sense of how powerful this place is, and it can be really inhospitable, and it can be really sweet.
“I love the the challenges of this place.”
Rumble House will be closing its doors at the end of this year, with the couple transitioning to their new project, Isle of Roux.
Tune into this week’s Storytelling Podcast to hear more about the origins of Rumble House, how it helped make art more accessible in Calgary, how deep its community ties are and what’s next for Rich and Jess Théroux.
About The Storytelling Podcast
Sharing diverse stories of creativity in our city, The Storytelling Podcast shines a spotlight on artists and projects that connect Calgarians to the arts. Part of The Storytelling Project, this series raises awareness about Calgarians who, by living creative lives, are making Calgary a better city, affecting positive change and enriching others’ lives.
Have a story to share? Email us at submissions@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
