Ruiz siblings find their way using different artistic talents

Brothers Joel and David Ruiz are finding their own ways to contribute to Chattanooga's growing artistic community.

Natives of the Scenic City, Joel, 24, and David, 26, both graduated from Central High School. Each attended college briefly but left to pursue other ventures.

After injuring himself in a skateboarding accident, David took up photography and began photographing shows at local venues, such as J.J.'s Bohemia.

The photo opportunities started to come more frequently.

"I got tired of hurting myself, and I liked going to shows, so I used it as a crutch to get in for free," he said. "After a while, it became my job."

He picks up the occasional shift working in restaurant kitchens for extra cash, but presently, event photography is David's main source of income.

Joel works days at the Brewhaus restaurant and spends his evenings working to enhance Chattanooga's stand-up comedy scene both as a comedian and as a booking agent.

"I had helped friends book bands and helped with some benefit shows," he said. From there, he began booking his own shows and started open-mike opportunities and showcases at venues such as J.J.'s and The Office.

Doing this provides more opportunity for up-and-coming comics who can have challenges getting on stage at locations like The Comedy Catch and The Vaudeville Cafe. Established locales, Joel said, prefer to work with artists they know will stick to the club's terms and conditions.

"It's easier to get away with (edgy material at a bar) than it would be at a big club," he said.

His own material is "a self-deprecation brand of humor." He shares his brother's propensity for accidents. One of his anecdotes is about "how I set myself on fire in high school," he said.

"I talk about myself and point out how stuff is funny in my life," he said. "I'm usually the butt of every joke."

For the past year, David also has been involved in the street art community creating on local buildings what he calls murals.

The Ruiz brothers work in conjunction when they can. David will sometimes shoot photos of Joel's comedy shows, and Joel has helped David network to find other people and events who need to be photographed.

"We help promote each other's stuff all the time," Joel said. "We try to help each other out as much as possible."