This week, Ryley and Ellie interview Ray Wyland of Seattle about his introduction into tiki, how his involvement in the tiki world has changed over time, and where he sees tiki headed in the future. This episode’s artist spotlight features Stacy McClanahan of San Francisco about her Polynesian pop influences and the black velvet paintings they have inspired. 

Ray Wyland has been exposed to little bits and pieces of tiki and tiki-adjacent culture since adolescence, but it wasn’t until his move to Seattle from the east coast that Ray visited his first tiki bar and began putting all the pieces together. He started his blog Tiki with Ray in 2016 and transitioned it into a YouTube channel in 2017. He covers a wide range of topics in the tiki and tiki adjacent spaces as well as highlighting and reviewing home tiki bars from across the world. Ray combined his passion for tiki with all things creepy and punk to form the Tiki Goth Club, a bona fide membership club with membership cards, meetups, and a private Facebook group to share with other members. Ray has developed from someone who chronicles stories within the tiki space to being the subject of them, most recently being highlighted as Tiki Famous in the latest issue of Exotica Moderne. You can find Ray at tikiwithray.com, learn more about the Tiki Goth Club at tikigothclub.com, and visit Ray’s YouTube, Tiki with Ray, here https://www.tikiwithray.com/. You can also find Ray on Facebook and Instagram at the handles listed below. 

@tikiwithray - Instagram 

Tiki With Ray - Tiki Goth Club - Facebook

Stacy McClanahan has been exposed to Polynesian pop art since childhood and has been an artist even longer. Stacy’s path into art may have been somewhat traditional with two fine arts degrees and a love for traditional mediums, but her path forward has been nothing short of exceptional. Stacy’s art showcases two opposite ends of the art spectrum. At work, she takes her skills digital to design video games and popular digital media. However, her passion for tiki has led her to the lost art of black velvet paintings. Now, Stacy creates and sells her velvets at thefogden.com and even teaches others the art medium that was once at risk of going extinct. You can see Stacy’s artwork on her website and purchase some of her fabulous creations from her Etsy store http://thefogden.etsy.com. Be sure to keep an eye on her socials which are linked below for information on her upcoming events around the Bay Area and beyond. 

@fogdensf - Instagram 

Thank you for joining us on the tiki talk show. If you’re interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at [email protected].

-Ryley and Ellie