Adrian Grenier on Life Before YoungArts: "I Thought, 'Maybe I'll Be a Rock Star'"

courtesy of Reckless Productions

Just as every mighty oak began as an itty bitty acorn, so too did Entourage star and patron saint to bros Adrian Grenier start as just a little boy with dusky stubble and a dream. But it wasn't only childhood fantasies of inspecting Jeremy Piven's wig collection that gave Adrian Grenier the encouragement to try for a life in the arts. There was also YoungArts.

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"So much in this day and age is focused on test scores and overly tangible things," Grenier tells Cultist. "Does that really create an inspired life? I don't know. YoungArts is an organization that supports the non-cognitive skills that inspire creation and expression. They help to create a more well-rounded individual."

For over 30 years, the Miami-based organization has been providing grants to artists under 18 years old across nine disciplines. This January, YoungArts will continue its tradition of bringing about 150 of these early-career artists to Miami for a week of master classes and mentorship. Previous awardees have included Nicki Minaj, Doug Aitken, Josh Groban and, of course, Adrian Grenier.

On Saturday, Grenier will return to Miami for a Basel-tied stop of his Teenage Paparazzo Empowerment Tour, on which he is pairing screenings of his 2010 documentary, Teenage Paparazzo with speakers, educational materials and a traveling art exhibit. Held at the YoungArts campus, the film will be screened at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion between Grenier, Christian Slater, and several other media personages. A reception and tour of the art exhibit will follow.

"We have ten pieces of amazing work that help to further articulate the ideas in the film. Now it's not only on film but also in three dimensions," Grenier says. The film follows Grenier's relationship with a 14-year-old papparazi in Los Angeles as Grenier tries to understand through the boy how art can thrive for teenagers in a media-saturated culture.