Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Secret Mall Apartment’ chronicling the tale of how a negative space deep inside a mall was transformed into a fully furnished residence, we get a documentary unlike any other. The 8 Rhode Island artists involved in the project that lasted 4 years come forward here for the first time not only to identify themselves but also to explain the deep artistic meaning behind it all. As per the documentary, it was originally started by just 4 creators, but others like Greta Scheing were later brought on through personal connections and for their collaborative abilities.
Greta Scheing is Proud of Having Been a Part of the Apartment Project
Greta Scheing was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Film, and Video from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) when she first became involved with the Apartment Project. It was her drawing teacher, Michael Townsend, who introduced her to it, and she immediately knew she wanted to partake owing to how complex, out-of-the-box, yet human it seemed at its core. “It sounds like such a magic thing, to take a space from the mall,” she candidly said. “It seems like you shouldn’t be able to pull it off. So, trying to pull it off, it feels like somebody needs to do it.”
Greta still remembers that the one big rule they had was not to bring outsiders, so it was a rather exclusive group that even knew about the apartment inside the Provide Place Mall. Then, once the 8 decided they wanted it to be more than just a hangout spot, they built a wall from cinder blocks and had a proper locking front door to make it a functional living space and their artistic hub. Nevertheless, the main thing they used the relaxing, quiet space for was discussing and planning rather significant public projects, which she remains incredibly proud of to this day. These included a city-wide memorial in New York paying tribute to the first responders who lost their lives after 9/11, as well as a tape mural in Oklahoma City for the 1995 bombing.
Greta Scheing is an Artist Who Hasn’t Let Anything Box Her In
Greta Scheing graduated from RISD in 2008, following which she continued on the path she was on while making sure not to let any medium or technique box her in as an artist. She kick-started her career as a Freelance Animator and Videographer before serving as an Assistant Animator at They’re Using Tools! from June 2012 to December 2014. She then evolved into a Senior Designer & Animator at Animus Studios, where she worked until she landed the opportunity to be a Senior Animator at (Add)ventures in April 2020. She left in November 2023 to become a Senior Motion Designer at WebMechanix and an Associate Creative Director of Motion Design at Level Agency, but parted ways with the former company in December 2024.
In other words, with credentials from the School of Motion, Greta continues to serve as an Associate Creative Director of Motion Design at Level Agency, specializing in video creatives. However, that’s not her sole professional avenue since she has long been a part of the entertainment industry as a Set Decorator and a Visual Effects artist, too. In fact, some of her credits include a video titled ‘Rhode Work’ (2014), the television mini series ‘Sistership TV’ (2019), and the short movie ‘Hip Cat’ (2022). Moreover, she absolutely loves playing around with a simple pen and paper, as well as ceramics, which has even led her to become an artist-in-residence at the Wedding Cake House. It thus goes without saying that the Providence, Rhode Island, resident is thriving today.
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Greta Scheing is an Outdoorswoman Who Enjoys Her Downtime
While Greta is deeply passionate about the career path she has carved for herself, she also enjoys quality downtime with her loved ones while being surrounded by the outdoors. In fact, she has long maintained that whenever she is not busy with a project or devoting herself to creative work, she is thinking about being around nature, the intersectionality of our current society, speculative fiction, and rollerblading, often all at once. She is a proud daughter, sister, aunt, and friend who is always excited about going to the beach, is a travel enthusiast who hasn’t ever shied away from an adventure, and is deeply involved in the world of rollerskating. In fact, she served as a Board Member of the Providence Roller Derby for a year, from January 2019 to January 2020.
