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
Alana Baumann and Samra Michael are the creators of She Well Read, a podcast with the mission of empowering women by encouraging them to invest in themselves and others. The best friends share their love for reading by discussing their book picks chapter by chapter, mixing in anecdotes from their personal experiences and engaging with guests about current events. In this conversation, the pair talk about how they’ve cultivated their own creative passions before and
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Jeff Nixon
Jeff Nixon is Festival Co-producer and the event coordinator for Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema and serves on the Board of Directors for AIDS Alabama. The seasoned event producer shares with us how 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted his work at the end of what would normally be a busy month of organized gatherings to celebrate PRIDE, the shifts Sidewalk has made in their programming, and how our community can continue to support
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Dr. Adrienne Starks
Dr. Adrienne Starks is the founder and CEO of STREAM Innovations, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering young innovators, particularly in underserved schools and communities. The CO.STARTERS graduate shares with us her passion for science and the arts and her work as an AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Ambassador focused on spotlighting women working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in the media.
We Create Birmingham: Eryka Perry
We Create Birmingham: Deanna Sirkot
We Create Birmingham: Irene Latham + Karim Shamsi-Basha
We Create Birmingham: Katherine Cobbs
We Create Birmingham: Eric Wallace
We Create Birmingham: Mary Fehr
We Create Birmingham: Jon Osborne
We Create Birmingham: Kevin Key, Jamie Cottle, & Kyle Roberts
We Create Birmingham: Paul Janeway + Jesse Phillips
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Price
We Create Birmingham: Tyler and Jennifer Lyne
We Create Birmingham: Talaya Champion
We Create Birmingham: Graham C. Boettcher
We Create Birmingham: Camille Spratling
We Create Birmingham: Ambre Amari
We Create Birmingham: Scott Register
We Create Birmingham: Ethel Morgan Smith
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Alana Baumann and Samra Michael
We Create Birmingham: Irene Latham + Karim Shamsi-Basha
“One small act can create change… That can happen anywhere.”
We Create Birmingham: Katherine Cobbs
“Moving here and immediately being immersed in the food scene with local chefs allowed me to really get to know Birmingham, Alabama, and the South through this culinary lens. It was indoctrination by food!”
We Create Birmingham: Eric Wallace
“Having the opportunity to connect through a shared passion can radically change how you see the world and navigate your life moving forward.”
We Create Birmingham: Mary Fehr
“I’ve always felt that we all are deserving of great love. It might not look how you or someone else imagined or it might take a long time to find. Sometimes, it might not be the first time. But I really do believe there’s a fairytale for everyone. My work is about telling those stories.”
We Create Birmingham: Jon Osborne
“My inspiration comes from listening to music, being a part of a support group, and volunteering. I try to be present in the moment, to focus on my craft, and allow inspiration came and go.”
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: Eryka Perry
We Create Birmingham: Deanna Sirkot
We Create Birmingham: Irene Latham + Karim Shamsi-Basha
We Create Birmingham: Katherine Cobbs
We Create Birmingham: Eric Wallace
We Create Birmingham: Mary Fehr
We Create Birmingham: Jon Osborne
We Create Birmingham: Kevin Key, Jamie Cottle, & Kyle Roberts
We Create Birmingham: Paul Janeway + Jesse Phillips
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Price
We Create Birmingham: Tyler and Jennifer Lyne
We Create Birmingham: Talaya Champion
We Create Birmingham: Graham C. Boettcher
We Create Birmingham: Camille Spratling
We Create Birmingham: Ambre Amari
We Create Birmingham: Scott Register
We Create Birmingham: Ethel Morgan Smith