“I know a lot of people, especially those I went to high school with, that don’t ever venture outside of their comfort zones. They just have to be willing to see what’s out there. I think organizations like Create Birmingham are definitely trying to bridge the gap, but it will only help so much unless people are willing to participate and get involved.”
Name: Gina Grayson
Occupation: Content Curator
Creative Industry: Media & Film
1. You and your business partner are promoting your first event; what can you tell us about it?
We decided to take the initiative to bring something different to Birmingham. The night life has gotten a little stale. We wanted to introduce something different besides going to a club or just a normal party and decided to start a series of day parties. This first event is going to be at Avondale Brewery from 3-8PM this coming Sunday afternoon.
Attendees can expect to experience diverse culture. We’re going to have two DJs, including one from Atlanta. We also will have an artist out of Huntsville named J Fresco who will be displaying some of his artwork.
2. What would you like to happen as a result of your premier gathering? Where should we look for you next?
We are planning on doing events every six weeks or so. We obviously would love for more and more people to find out and get excited about the events. We want people to realize that there is fun stuff to do. There is art here. There is culture here. There is music here.
We are specifically targeting millennials such as young professionals and creative entrepreneurs. Maybe they’ve moved here and don’t know what there is to do or they’ve been here their whole lives and are looking for something new to do.
3. Your blog, 1SharpG, promotes a very diverse lineup of cultural offerings both locally and nationally; what’s the overall goal of your blog?
My goal is to be the catalyst to expose a lot of cultural activities that people may not know about. A lot of people here may have never traveled much outside of Alabama so I want to show them the things that are going on in their city as well as other parts of the country.
4. For someone so young, you’ve been involved with fashion merchandising and styling for a number of years; who or what influenced you in that direction?
I began as a biology major and after 2 years I realized it wasn’t my passion. I just reflected on what I was interested in and decided to switch to fashion. I didn’t even realize how involved I already was (helping coordinate fashion shows on campus and serving on AU’s Modeling Board).
I thought it was all about moving to NY and struggling your way to the top of a high fashion career. The major opened my eyes to all the possibilities within, allowed me to intern in LA for a summer, and more. Over the years my interest in street wear has just grown because of my love for hip-hop and its culture.
5. You grew up in Birmingham and moved away for school; now that you’re back, how do you feel Birmingham has changed?
Definitely, there are a lot of new stores and new restaurants. For lack of a better term, they’re trying to fix it up. There’s a lot more housing downtown that seems catered to younger people.
Overall there has been a great revitalization in the city. All those old abandoned buildings are turning in to new and fun things to do.
6. How do you think Birmingham can address the division among creative sectors and creative individuals?
I think events like ours will help. Anybody is invited and the event is all ages even though it’s at the brewery. I know a lot of people, especially those I went to high school with, that don’t ever venture outside of their comfort zones. They just have to be willing to see what’s out there. I think organizations like Create Birmingham are definitely trying to bridge the gap, but it will only help so much unless people are willing to participate and get involved.
Visit 1SharpG.com for more information.