Cheri Basak
Our head witch in charge, Cheri, is a fiery Aries who is not afraid of her swords! She co-owns Sideshow Gallery with her best friend Anne and has been a Western Ave Witch since 2002. Cheri also co-owns Revolution Tattoo next door with her husband Omar. She is inspired by her travels, metal music, friends and her practice. As a buyer for the shop, Cheri loves to find antiques and unusual merchandise so her clients have a unique experience every time they stop by. She is great at bringing people together for events and art shows. It’s very important to her to contribute to the art scene by giving artists and makers a beautiful, cared for space with good intention to showcase their work.
Cheri's witchcraft is based on spell crafting, self care, setting intentions and soul searching. She uses herbs, crystals, candles and talismans to empower her practice. She realizes her ancestors, the moon, the earth and the zodiac influence her. She is a shrine builder and altar maker who likes to express herself visually with her rituals. Her own artwork is assemblages of found objects and adornments. They usually take shape in shadow boxes or displays in the shop. Cheri finds beauty in death and inspiration in the Ossuaries, Voodoo, Memento Mori and Day of the Dead. When you visit the shop, Cheri can help you dress a candle, make a witch bottle or you can pick up one of her handmade altar talismans. As a collector she likes to hunt for trivets, bottles, copper and anything with a mushroom on it. Her therapy is banging her head at metal shows and long road trips in her 70s van.