CONVERSATIONS
We Create Birmingham: Kevin Key, Jamie Cottle, & Kyle Roberts
“Legacy is about doing what it takes — recognizing something inside you that drives you beyond your current circumstances.”
We Create Birmingham: Paul Janeway + Jesse Phillips
” I think that’s how creative people cope. When life is disrupted and you feel weird or anxious, you just go create something because that’s what you do to feel fulfilled or keep yourself busy… It’s part of our DNA.”
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Price
“To succeed as an architect, I think you have to be a constant observer of what works over here, what worked there, or what worked a hundred years ago. I hope to know that I’m doing something, while being respectful of wherever I am in the world with the architecture, to create good buildings.”
We Create Birmingham: Tyler and Jennifer Lyne
“People connect over a meal. Food brings people together, and food is tied to your memories and what comforts you… As a chef, that’s easy to see and understand. We know what goes into each slice of bread, the life cycle of every ingredient that made it on to a plate, and what it’s like to work 12 hours for something that’s gone in five minutes but hopefully creates this moment of happiness.”
We Create Birmingham: Talaya Champion
“There is a lot of work to be done in how society views Latinx women. On average, we are the lowest paid minority women. People box us into the roles of housekeeper or cook. I asked myself, “Could I do what I do without bringing my ethnicity into it?” The answer is yes, but I want to be a part of changing that mindset. I’m a Mexican fashion designer.”
We Create Birmingham: Graham C. Boettcher
“This is one of the most creative places in the country; we’ve got a lot of serious practitioners in the performing arts, literary arts, visual arts, culinary arts—people that have gotten national and even international attention from right here in Birmingham… And that’s something our curators and educators have really been focusing on—underscoring the talent within our own community and bringing artists onto our walls and our pedestals and our stages who are from this city.”
We Create Birmingham: Camille Spratling
“A lot of other cities build parks that are designed for tourists. But the primary focus of Railroad Park has always been our residents… We wanted to make sure that if you live in Birmingham, you know that this park is for you.”
We Create Birmingham: Ambre Amari
“In life, we can only go forward, and sometimes it passes us by so quickly. When I’m behind the lens, I’m forced to pay attention to the present. I get to press pause on what I see and what I feel and create something that maybe lasts forever.”
We Create Birmingham: Scott Register
“At the end of the day, I want to know that I’ve done something to make this city a better place to live. Birmingham has so much to offer. We keep growing and getting better. It’s a city where we suffer the sins of our fathers, but we can keep working to change peoples’ attitudes and outlooks. You can’t change everyone, but if you can change one person you’ve done something worthwhile.”
We Create Birmingham: Ethel Morgan Smith
“I don’t understand why race is so complicated… But I know that we don’t learn unless we ask questions and have conversations. That is what opens people’s minds — having an encounter and learning from each other.”
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Alana Baumann and Samra Michael
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Jeff Nixon
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Dr. Adrienne Starks
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Erica Chisolm
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Eunice Elliott
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: T. Marie King
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Duquette and Morgan Johnston
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Adeeba Khan
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Bryan Johnson
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Emily Meisler
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Salaam Green
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Hannelore Melville
I Create Birmingham: Kate Orsini and David McMahon
I Create Birmingham: Mayumi and Tariq Masri
I Create Birmingham: Sam Cohen and Jesse Daniel
I Create Birmingham: Brandon Bruce
I Create Birmingham: Sarah Mason
