We Create Birmingham: Ursula Smith
“I can’t just teach dance. I use dance to teach life.”
We Create Birmingham: Anthony Waller
For me personally, it was also just good because the more time I spend downtown, the more of an intimate feel I get for it. I didn’t even know all these businesses were down here, and it was really nice to frequent them and actually have a better understanding of everything Birmingham has to offer.
We Create Birmingham: Viola Ratcliffe
“Also, quilts mark a place and time in something tangible. They link generations together and connect us in surprising ways. Textile art has the ability to break down barriers because you can see it and analyze it independently while embracing its warmth, humanity, and history.”
We Create Birmingham: Jorge Castro
“Your passion needs to reach beyond the food. It has to be about the people who come to eat here and make memories here. It’s all about the people.”
We Create Birmingham: Anna Foshee
“I think a lot of folks think about the Arts & Culture scene as something reserved for bigger cities, but I take dance wherever I go. The arts are for everyone – including those in small communities.”
We Create Birmingham: William J. Rushton
“I look for subtlety. Being able to capture the feeling underneath a calm exterior is challenging… and that’s what I aim for — to capture personality and emotion that isn’t always outwardly expressed.”
We Create Birmingham: Meghann Bridgeman
“I strive to leave something better than I found it. And if I can do that in any small way, here in Birmingham, that’ll be an accomplishment.”
We Create Birmingham: Keith Cromwell
“We, the arts, are having an enormous economic impact on the success and vibrancy of this city… We are literally creating jobs – and in a field where it’s so hard to find an artistic home.”
We Create Birmingham: Kiwi Lanier
“I want to encourage curiosity and make sure our programs are as accessible as possible… The online film or Film Twitter community can sometimes feel insufferable — there’s lots of gatekeeping about knowledge and taste. My personal mission is to burn that to the ground.”
We Create Birmingham: Buddy Palmer
“Looking back, it’s easier to see the moments that were crystallizing for me…. One friend asked me what I was going to do, and I said, ‘I don’t know, but I know I want to make a difference.'”
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: William J. Rushton
We Create Birmingham: Meghann Bridgeman
We Create Birmingham: Keith Cromwell
We Create Birmingham: Aaliyah Taylor and Gelenda Norman
“Whenever I feel like I need to refine myself to be like others, I have to remember that I have purpose in who I am. I am unique, and it’s important to remain true to you. And by doing that, you remind others to stay bold and authentic.” Aaliyah Taylor, Exalting in Beauty
We Create Birmingham: Jordan Higgins and Jacob Patrick of Electra Film Lab
“When you’re shooting passively on the phone, you can be taking pictures, but when you have a film camera, you’re photographing actively. It’s the activity you’re doing. Similar to the rise of vinyl records. I’m listening to music. That’s the activity.” Jacob Patrick
We Create Birmingham: Cameron Sankey
“I always go the extra mile because you don’t know when that opportunity comes to you. You never half-do something. You always go full force. It’s always better to be prepared.”
We Create Birmingham: Dr. Leah Tucker
“Jazz is democratic because everyone has a chance to add their own voice to the music. I want to keep passing that on. It’s the only original art form created in this country and now it’s celebrated in so many countries around the world. If it’s not passed down it may disappear.”
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Jones
“We don’t want to add noise. We want to put something in the world that moves someone. We want to be thoughtful in our work, not just reactive.”
We Create Birmingham: Edina Shrestha
“My design is inspired by my culture. We are deeply spiritual people, and I can see myself in every customer.”
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: William J. Rushton
We Create Birmingham: Meghann Bridgeman