I. Molly
She’s not loud, but she seems to take command of the room. Her nails are painted a smooth black; her hair falls perfectly in a slight wave; she wears yoga pants and a ripped shirt, dons very little make up and yet she is entirely put together. She is the definition of college glam. She is Molly Rosner, a spunky, 24-year-old college graduate starting her own business.
Molly was a painting student at the Boston University College of Fine Arts. After graduating in 2013, she has used her skills as a talented artist to market herself through American Dream House, her upcoming lifestyle brand devoted to all-original pop art. By selling Molly’s original artwork from canvas paintings, to posters, to glamorized lighters and accessories covered in glitter, American Dream House promotes Molly’s mission statement for her company: “I aim to create striking pieces that will pop right off the canvas and onto your living room or bedroom wall. I’m inspired by all things; colorful, bright, sparkly, graphic, glossy, glamorous, sexy, retro, and patriotic. My work reflects the blast I have when creating it. Art should be fun!”
“Andy Warhol inspired me to start American Dream House,” Molly begins, “He started a movement by successfully linking art, business and pop culture.” With a clear look of determination she states, “I want to do the same thing.”
II. Early Inspiration
Starting American Dream House was a brave and gutsy act but it was in no way just another shot in the dark. Molly knew what it was going to take. She has a combination of fiery determination and witty brains to start a business from the ground up. Molly never let herself become a victim to the fears of a working artist. Even while she was still in college, she drew her own path and never let others discourage her artistic integrity.
During her junior year at CFA, Molly began experimenting with pop art.
“For one project, I wanted to create a painting of a ‘My Little Pony’ toy in neon colors,” Molly begins. With a grin on her face she tells the story of how in front of the whole class, a guest professor from Mass Art took one look at her painting and said, “Are you serious?”
“I answered, ‘Yeah, I’m dead serious,’” Molly continues, “And that was it. I got such a rush from the surprising and controversial reactions my artwork provoked in CFA and I knew I had something to share.”
III. American Dream House Takes Off
American Dream House is a symbol for fulfilling one’s passion in life. Young adults who continue to pursue their dreams, especially in the arts, must be brave and strong-willed. Molly decided she was ready to take this risk. “I decided junior year not to go to grad school because I was in this great creative writing class and my professor spoke about the importance of experiencing life a bit after college before jumping right back in. She was so right.”
“I’m honestly in such a transition phase of my life right now, it’s difficult to say I’m following my passion because I have so many different passions,” she laughs. “I believe in doing what you enjoy. Generally, people will work harder and improve faster if they like what they’re doing.”
Over the course of the past few months, American Dream House has featured products all over the city. The College of Fine Arts at Boston University has held Molly’s artwork on display and poster sales open to the public have been held at popular locations like Newbury Street. She was even asked to design a local indie band’s CD cover. Fun fact: Recently the AMA Twitter account retweeted Molly’s painting of Taylor Swift, featured above. Fangirling for T-Swift really does pay off!
IV.Aiming High for the Future
As for any plans for the future, Molly’s doing what she does best: following her gut. Currently Molly is painting every day out of her home in New York. She has a large following there and in Boston, where her team continues to work on promoting Molly’s artwork and having it featured in showcases and coffee shops.
Molly is absolutely radiant as she talks about how far ADH has come in a little more than a year. With a new team, new products and a new website, Molly plans to feature her custom artwork in shops around Boston and continue to sell original work to high-paying clients.
When asked where she sees ADH going in five or ten years, Molly states with confidence, “In five years I see ADH having a storefront in Boston, or maybe California. In 10 years, I see ADH having multiple storefronts in different cities. And yes, we will be a nation-wide brand one day and maybe even international.” The confident determination in her eyes is all one needs to be assured that American Dream House is going for gold; Molly is in it to win it.
For any aspiring art students and business leaders, Molly has a couple pieces of advice: “First, take advantage of the free studio space. Be in your studio as much as humanely possible and paint everyday, no matter what. Second, don’t ever play it safe and don’t ever change your style or direction to fit expectations of others.” As Molly learns to balance her life as a young artist and businesswoman, she reminds herself every day, “Real art takes time, just like anything else worthy of good quality in life. All you have to remember is to aim high.”
Follow American Dream House!
Twitter: @AmDreamHouse
Instagram: americandreamhouse