I Create Birmingham: Daniel Drinkard
“It’s not all about making money. As a local business, I feel like it’s your duty to give back to the community that supports you”
I Create Birmingham: Phillip Forstall & Annette Taylor
“Art in schools is an investment in Birmingham’s future. Many of the creative thinkers and problem solvers of tomorrow will come from our public schools.”
I Create Birmingham: Ajene Williams
“She taught me that putting your art out there is like putting a piece of yourself on display and that it’s always good to keep your passion flowing. To me, she was the heart of the school.”
I Create Birmingham: Daniel Martin
“Both professional and non-professional, the different kinds of shows that our theatre scene offers are just mind-blowing. Plus, the spaces here are so unique so it requires everything to be staged so imaginatively.”
I Create Birmingham: Gabriel Marrero & Maria Isabel Medina
“Sharing our history and culture through our recipes, and showing locals how similar we both are in terms of history and cuisine is one of the main goals of Tropicaleo. “
I Create Birmingham: Salaam Green
“My goal has always been to promote the healing power of words in a unique way and impact community through social justice and advocacy.”
I Create Birmingham: Brian Bohanan
“Media exposure is the most important key to success out there. You have to get your name out! Navigating marketing is a huge asset to your career building.”
I Create Birmingham: Vulture Whale
“Fifteen years ago the music scene in Birmingham was practically nothing. A waste land. Now it’s a real scene with cool clubs, and interesting people who are interested in enriching this town, and not moving to Austin or Seattle or LA or New York etc . . . We all owe The Bottletree a big thank you for the fantastic scene that we now enjoy. “
I Create Birmingham: McWane Exhibit Design Team
“We are seeing so many more people out and about which is very exciting both for us and our community. One of the things we are discussing internally is how McWane can play a bigger role in this revitalization process and how we can maximize our relevance to the new community growing up around us.”
I Create Birmingham: NULL
“I think it’s great that Sloss Fest, in partnership with Seasick Records are having a locals stage this year. It may be a little too early to see the impact of these festivals on the deep underground of Birmingham’s music scene, but it is a great sign for future years. .”
I Create Birmingham: Patrick Nelson
“Finding a way to reuse historic structures can be a challenge. We don’t live, work & play the way we used to, so it takes some creativity sometimes to figure out how best to utilize these historic spaces.”
I Create Birmingham: Love Moor
“I live day to day, to be honest. You can definitely expect me to be out doing everything that feels right. Just make sure to keep up with me. I would love for you to see my journey.”
We Create Birmingham: Willie Williams of Studio 2500
We Create Birmingham: Klein Arts and Culture
We Create Birmingham: Andrea Early
We Create Birmingham: Ashley Woods
We Create Birmingham: Will Mason
We Create Birmingham: Aaliyah Taylor and Gelenda Norman
We Create Birmingham: Jordan Higgins and Jacob Patrick of Electra Film Lab
We Create Birmingham: Cameron Sankey
We Create Birmingham: Dr. Leah Tucker
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Jones
We Create Birmingham: Edina Shrestha
We Create Birmingham: Cristal Laraé Brister
We Create Birmingham: Jessica Moody
We Create Birmingham: Ursula Smith
We Create Birmingham: Anthony Waller
We Create Birmingham: Viola Ratcliffe
We Create Birmingham: Jorge Castro
We Create Birmingham: Anna Foshee
We Create Birmingham: Jefferson County Memorial Project
“I think what we are trying to do here is change the historical memory of our community, and to do that we need everyone involved — not just those for whom racial justice is the central focus of their daily work.” — Abigail Schneider
I Create Birmingham: Virginia Newcomb
“Sometimes, I think that people are just beginning to catch on to this rich, creative, storied culture we have in the Deep South. But, we’ve always been here. Coming home has been key in discovering my truth, making my own art and opportunities, and finding other creatives to lean on.”
I’m a Starter: Chloe York
“I believed in my artistic ability but, as an introvert, I didn’t feel confident going out and networking. CO.STARTERS gave me the tools to learn how to market myself and a network of like-minded people to advise and support me. “
I Create Birmingham: Janet Simpson
“My writing now is reflective of my life now, and that centers around the norms of adulthood: being a caretaker, a friend, a spouse. I suppose that’s songwriting in your 40s.”
I Create Birmingham: Bettina Byrd-Giles
“There has been a stigma associated with Ensley, and those stigmas create barriers. I hope we will establish opportunities and a counter-narrative and spark a renaissance in what is a close-knit, family-friendly, and vibrantly creative community.”
I Create Birmingham: Charles Williams and Charles Williams II
“I’ve learned so many valuable lessons from my dad over the years. What has been most impactful has been watching him create space for the the future and building roles that the next generation is able to step into. I think that is a social responsibility we all have: to pay it forward and create career paths for the generation behind us.”
We Create Birmingham: Willie Williams of Studio 2500
We Create Birmingham: Klein Arts and Culture
We Create Birmingham: Andrea Early
We Create Birmingham: Ashley Woods
We Create Birmingham: Will Mason
We Create Birmingham: Aaliyah Taylor and Gelenda Norman
We Create Birmingham: Jordan Higgins and Jacob Patrick of Electra Film Lab
We Create Birmingham: Cameron Sankey
We Create Birmingham: Dr. Leah Tucker
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Jones
We Create Birmingham: Edina Shrestha
We Create Birmingham: Cristal Laraé Brister
We Create Birmingham: Jessica Moody
We Create Birmingham: Ursula Smith
We Create Birmingham: Anthony Waller
We Create Birmingham: Viola Ratcliffe
We Create Birmingham: Jorge Castro