Local artists T.A.G. city with color
The T.A.G. Art Co. takes its motto literally.
“T.A.G.! We’re it!” isn’t just a reference to the fast-paced, freewheeling recess game, it’s also an apt description of the company’s do everything, everywhere philosophy.
T.A.G. has added colorful fun to many of the city’s festivals, fundraisers and community events, including Art Crawl, Johnny Appleseed, Mastodons on Parade and RibFest.
And its freelance artists have a palette full of entertainment art services: face painting, caricatures, balloon animals, murals, silhouettes, portraits, airbrushing, faux tattoos and henna.
That doesn’t include the after-school programs, art classes, graphic arts and Web design services, or performance art for charities. Oh, they’re available for private parties, too.
“We can draw your kid or draw a crowd,” says owner and artistic director Troy Ganser.
When most people think of artists, they probably think of painters and sculptors, he says, “that’s probably what we do the least.”
But they’re known for their intricate, theatrical face painting and caricature portraits, of which Ganser estimates he draws 10,000 a year.
He founded the company (www.tagartcompany.com) in 2000 with his artist-wife, April, who is a fine arts graduate of University of Saint Francis.
He likes to joke that it’s the “Wal-Mart of art,” but he takes his mission seriously. He believes it’s key for anyone to develop their creative potential, whether they want to be an artist or entrepreneur.
Ganser is doing both – and living his dream, as he predicted at the wise age of 7, when he decided he wanted to be an artist.
Growing up in South Bend, he took every art class he could find, with the encouragement of his parents (neither of whom was an artist). In seventh grade, he had his first professional gig, to design a coloring book for a local bank.
He was also shy, so he tried theater and stand-up comedy. Now, he puts all his skills to the test when he does performance art for charity events, creating murals in 10 minutes or so – “that’s my skydiving, my bungee-jumping.”
Those skills also come in handy when working with kids (he has four of his own). Ganser has taught at the F.A.M.E. Summer Arts Camps for the past six years, where he’s known as “Mr. G.”
And he figures his jack-of-all-trades approach benefits his company, which is a hybrid of creativity and pragmatism.
He’s an idealist and a Christian.
While there have been plenty of opportunities to grow the business at the expense of their values, by jacking up prices or trying to undercut the competition, they’ve let those go by.
“We’ve always been rewarded when we’ve taken the high road,” he says. “The thrill is the reward.”
They wanted to build a business – “we’re not just trying to scrape by” – and they have. T.A.G. Art Co. has enjoyed annual growth of 15 percent to 30 percent in the past few years, he says.
And they’ve had plenty of fun along the way. In May, Ganser created what just might be the world’s largest comic strip for Art Crawl. Upcoming projects include the Bust a Move event at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and a mural for Leadership Fort Wayne.
All of which is proof that there is plenty to do in the Summit City region.
“I scoff at folks who say there’s nothing in the city,” Ganser says.
sscarlett@jg.net
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