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Making Colorful Waves
If there is an embodiment of the archetypal cool, artsy girl, Caya Crum is it. At 16 years old, Caya has made a name for herself in the Fort Worth art scene. With her modern Texan spin on pop art, Caya is making some majorly happy and colorful waves in Cowtown.
Caya works from her bedroom in her parents’ home that is busting at the seams with artistic talent. Her mother Betsy, a talented artist, and father Carl, a photographer, instilled a love of all things creative in her from the start. They have a business called Sort of Cool Art which features works which highlight all things Texas. Think Whataburger, Willie, Will Rogers, Dr Pepper, and rattlesnakes.
Photo courtesy of Caya Crum
Caya credits her parents as being her biggest inspiration and rightfully so. Her earliest art memory is running around various art shows across the state with her parents. Betsy and Carl instilled a love of art into Caya from very young age, so it is only natural that she is already running her own business and creating beautiful pieces with a unique modern Texan touch unlike any other.
Photo courtesy of Caya Crum
A junior at Paschal High School, Caya runs cross country, collects vinyl, and has developed a deep love of music, especially that of David Bowie and Kate Bush. She also loves old movie soundtracks, and this affinity for music is reflected in her art. A stunning piece of hers recently sold at the Fort Worth Stock Show featuring Townes Van Zandt.
Caya and her family spend a lot of time traveling and she credits her time in New Mexico as another artistic influence. When she’s not running cross country, she spends a couple afternoons a week after school at her booth in the Montgomery Street Antique Mall where you will find her work for sale. From custom works to portraits of famous people, Caya’s work will make you smile.
Fort Worth’s beloved Swiss Pastry Shop recently hired Caya to paint a mural on the side of their building. You can’t drive down West Vickery Boulevard without noticing the girl on the wall eating the bakery’s legendary Black Forest cake. And more murals are coming soon. Caya is currently working on a 55-foot mural on the side of the Welman Project’s building, also on West Vickery, which brings to life the mission of the non-profit which helps provide surplus materials from businesses to classrooms and teachers in need to encourage creativity in their classrooms. Full of color and warmth, the mural is an exciting addition to this area of town which is undergoing quite the renaissance.
Photo courtesy of Caya Crum
In 2021, Caya was awarded the commission to repurpose the iconic Massey’s Restaurant and Chicken Fried Steaks sign. When the Fort Worth landmark on 8Th Avenue was demolished in 2014, the sign remained until Everly Place, a senior apartment community was built. A contest was held to repurpose the beloved sign, which will hang in the art gallery of the complex, and Caya won, beating out over 50 artists with far more experience.
When she is not busy with painting murals, winning contests, running cross country, and being a high school student, Caya is preparing art to show at 2022’s Christmas in Cowtown and at the Armadillo Art Bazaar in Austin where she will be the featured artist for 2022. As the featured artist, Caya will design the branding for the show which features national and local artists and is held two weeks before Christmas.
Caya is as driven and brilliant as any artist, and yet she is undeniably a teenager; her artistic energy and whimsical fashion sense are combined with a professional poise far beyond her years. She dreams of studying abroad and working for the National Gallery in Washington D.C. There are big things to come for this rising star, and we are most definitely here for it.
Photo courtesy of Caya Crum
Angela Weaver is a native Texan, raised in Keller, but she got to Fort Worth as soon as she could. At 17, she joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. After her military service ended, she went to work for a hedge fund and then a whiskey distillery, both in Fort Worth. Her most important role started in 2009 when she became a mom. She lives with her two boys in Fort Worth and spends as much time as possible on fun adventures with them. She loves to spend her time with her boys outdoors getting the full Boy Mom experience, even if that means being covered in dirt, catching fish, or shooting BB guns. She loves the sense of community she has found in Fort Worth and can’t wait share that with our readers.
