Read more about the article I Create Birmingham: Avani Patel
Photo by: Ambre Amari

I Create Birmingham: Avani Patel

"I think relationships are integral to the design process. Jewelry is the most personal thing we wear. Clothing trends come and go, but fine jewelry is something we put on our bodies every day or on our most special occasions for the rest of our lives. We pass it down through generations. That means something."

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Read more about the article I Create Birmingham: Chris Hastings
Photo by: Ambre Amari

I Create Birmingham: Chris Hastings

"I was just a kid and didn’t know what my career would be, but in hindsight, [my summers around Pawley's Island] was teaching me how to be a chef — how to think about where food comes from, the hope of that food — gathering it, cooking it, and sitting at a table with my family to eat it."

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Latest Data Shows Increase to U.S. Economy from Arts and Cultural Sector

The arts and cultural sector contributed $804.2 billion or 4.3 percent to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016. This represents an increase of .1 percent from 2015 when economists reported that the sector added 4.2 percent or $763.6 billion to the U.S. economy. The 4.3 percent contribution for 2016 is part of the latest report of the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA), produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the…

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