Beyond Coffee: Angie Wei

Ben: What is a short story of your background? Where did you grow up? Go to college? What is your day to day job? 

Angie: I grew up in Michigan and I moved to Stockton for The University of Pacific for undergrad and grad school for PT school. I am working as a part time PT and in music ministry. 

Ben: How did you begin to get into art? Who taught you? 

Angie:  I didn’t have a specific teacher, but I grew up in a creative environment with my sisters. My parents didn’t have the opportunity growing up because they were in China. It was a post communist era so there was no opportunities for them. Coming to the US they were always working and I am the middle daughter out of 3 daughters. We had a lot of free time, and we began to create a lot of things like board games, drawing etc. Both of my parents were naturally gifted in drawing, and I began to just observe what they did.  It wasn’t anybody that taught me, but rather I just observed and learned new forms of art that I wanted to pursue. 

Ben: What about living in stockton attracts you the most?          

Angie : The people attracted me the most to Stockton. I lived in the bay area and I didn’t find a great community. When I came to California it was a very high class community that I didn’t really connect with. When I was at the University of Pacific, I began to get introduced to places in Stockton that were bringing creativity to the city. People who grew up in Stockton want to reinvest in the city. They know how impoverished it is and how the stats show it to be true.  A lot of people move to another city and whatever skills they grew they realize how much Stockton needs this. I met many creatives through the Stock Market event in Stockton. 

Ben: During Covid, how was drawing and crafting art a way to express how being away from community was hard?                  

Angie: I am not actually someone who has a deep meaning behind my art. For me art is a way to fulfill an inner child in me. I love children's books and grew up watching anime. I have many other outlets like music for helping me pour my emotions into. 

Ben: What is your big dream for art being presented in all different forms around Stockton?   What do you believe that would do to the city of Stockton?  

Angie: I actually think Stockton already has a lot going for it. That big dream is already a collaboration between big artists and we already see that.There are so many different organizations that are focused around bringing artists together. There is Golden Hour Project for photography, Stock Market etc. that are already focused on bringing those artists together. It’s actually not me starting my big dream, but rather I want to get behind what other creatives are doing. For the ones who are not born here in Stockton, I believe our job is to collaborate with the people in the city. We should come along with others to help instead of creating a “new” thing because people have been doing the hard work to “revive” Stockton. 

Ben: I think it is eye opening coming to Stockton because I never knew how many creatives are here in Stockton. I am realizing that we don’t need to create new things, but rather highlight them. I want to learn from the others who have paved the path before Revive Roasters. We can’t wait to see the future for Stockton as “we strive to revive cities through community and coffee!”