Celski is M.A.D. about Seattle arts

This article was originally published on TeamUSA.org on August 4, 2010.

J.R. Celski is best known for his triumphant return to short track speedskating after a gruesome injury during 2010 Olympic Trials. Ultimately, he won a bronze medal in the 1500-meter skate at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. 

But follow him on Twitter or listen to a couple of his interviews and it becomes clear that there is more to this Olympian than just his sport.

Despite not anticipating a busy summer, Celski’s post-Olympic Games summer began with an internship and ended with the creation of a company, M.A.D. Northwest. 

A passionate fan of the Seattle music scene, Celski had originally intended to spend a good portion of his summer planning a benefit concert.  However, when plans fell through, King County councilman Pete von Reichbauer offered him an internship position with his office.  The two were acquainted after von Reichbauer set up a county recognition of Celski’s Olympic accomplishments in April.

Celski took the internship because he was interested in learning the internal workings of the city.

“As outsiders, we hear what’s going on from the news … so it was pretty interesting to be able to learn from an inside perspective how government works.”

Celski, who worked alongside University of Washington quarterback Jack Locker, spent his summer sitting in on King County Council meetings and watching councilmembers advocate for their constituents.  There was one meeting in particular, though, that struck a particular chord in Celski.

“An economics professor from the University of Washington came in, sat down, and the Board asked him to explain how the economy of Washington could change,” Celski recalled. He added he was captivated by how the professor explained the Seattle music and art scene is under-promoted and how it could be what sets the city apart, increasing tourism and bettering the economy.

Instead of walking out of the meeting and moving on to his next internship project, Celski took the professor’s words to heart. 

“I was like struck because I know personally how big our art scene and dance and music scene is,” Celski said. 

After brainstorming ways to expose the Seattle arts, Music, Art, Dance (M.A.D.) Northwest was born.

Along with Dan Torok and Terrence Jeffrey Santos, students at the Art Institute of Seattle, Celski hopes he can play a role in turning around the economy of the city he knows and loves.

“We’re creating a documentary that will showcase the urban underground independent music, dance and art scene in Seattle to the rest of the country, so that’s where I’m heading with this right now.  We’re taking steps to hopefully change the economy of Seattle.”

While the effects of the project are yet to be seen economically, M.A.D. Northwest has certainly had an impact on individuals in the Seattle area.  Just recently, the company hosted a small, private concert at the Seattle Children’s Hospital.  They brought in a number of artists, as well as a break dancing group.

“We were inspiring the kids and having these artists tell these stories about how they overcame hardships because you know, kids in the Seattle Children’s Hospital are affected by so many different things and diseases, and basically a lot of them have been in there since birth,” said Celski. “Just to see the amount of hardships they go through, I thought it’d be great to have them connect with somebody other than patients or nurses or doctors. I thought that bringing in artists would be kind of a spin on it.”

Interestingly, it was the artists rather than the children who were the most moved by the experience.

“Part of being an artist is giving back to the community that raised you,” said Seattle emcee Wizdom, one of the artists who performed at the hospital.

“To be able to talk, play and laugh with these little warriors is truly inspirational.  I feel like these kids made a bigger impact on me, than I did on them…They are the true heroes and hanging out with them all afternoon was something I will never forget.”

Celski echoed those sentiments.

“The artists just lit up when they were doing this because it’s not often that they can talk to kids in that light.”

The experience at Seattle Children’s Hospital also inspired Celski.  Like he had after the meeting with the economics professor, Celski was moved yet again to use his position to do something.

“I took that experience and said, okay, if we can change peoples’ lives doing this, you know, why don’t we change the country’s views on it?”

As an avid fan of music and hip hop in particular, Celski wants to use the musical genre to spread a positive message and to inform people that it is not all stereotypes and violence.

Wizdom is one of the artists sending out positive messages through hip hop.

“When given any amount of public stature, no matter how big or small, one must use it wisely and pass along positive messages of strength, love and courage to the youth,” he said. “I believe that is the mission of M.A.D. Northwest.”

In order to focus entirely on achieving M.A.D. Northwest’s mission, Celski is delaying his college plans.  Originally intending to attend the University of California, Berkeley, in the fall, Celski now wants to channel his energy into reaching M.A.D. Northwest’s full potential. 

“I’d love to go to college right now, but opportunities like this don’t come across in your lifetime that often,” he explained. “I want to focus on this because this is kind of like my passion project and I’ve learned that in the past that if you don’t do something with you 100% that you’re not going to be successful at it, and my heart’s in this right now.”

Along with delaying his college plans, Celski is also taking a break from short track speedskating to focus on his business.  His break, however, is only temporary.

“Right now, I’m looking at the 2014 [Olympic] Games as four years out from now and I’m looking at it in that perspective” Celski says, “A lot can change within these next couple years.  I mean, I love to skate, don’t get me wrong.  I love skating and I definitely see myself skating in the future.”

But for now his goal is clear.  He is already actively promoting  his M.A.D. Northwest project on Facebook and Twitter, stating he will continue to update fans on the projects progression via those channels.

“With anything, like I said, you have to do it with your 100% passion and right now, I’m focused on this … I think that if I focus on something and I don’t pay attention to anything else, I’ll accomplish a lot more with it.”

For more on M.A.D. Northwest, visit their website: www.madnw.org.