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.
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Erica Chisolm
Erica Chisolm is a fine artist and muralist who has a vision of bringing art, beauty, and inspiration to pedestrians in Black communities — highlighting surrounding businesses, encouraging walkability, and adding value to the neighborhoods Erica describes as “culture-rich and art poor.” With a mission to help others realize their opportunity to dream, the Urban Impact fellow and National Black Arts Festival award recipient is painting her way through Birmingham’s historic Fourth Avenue Business District.
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Eunice Elliott
Eunice Elliott is a standup comedian, writer, and journalist. Formerly a sports public relations expert and news anchor, Eunice decided to pursue her passion for bringing people together through comedy and her series of children’s books based on her two dogs, Sugar Baby and Bella, that teach lessons of empathy and inclusion for all ages. Eunice hosts a podcast called “Oh No, Girl Yes” about her experiences and observations on dating as a single woman
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: T. Marie King
T. Marie King is an activist, facilitator, organizer, and volunteer. Serving on the core coalition for the Jefferson County Memorial Project and the board of the Greater Birmingham Arts Education Collaborative, T. Marie has combined her passion for the arts with her purpose of advocating for social change. Her most recent venture is Local Voices Network, a community-driven platform that shares the stories of those whose voices often go unheard.
Virtual Conversations with Creatives: Duquette and Morgan Johnston
Duquette and Morgan Johnston are the husband and wife team behind Woodlawn’s welcoming and eclectic boutique Club Duquette. The Johnstons share with us their response to the coronavirus pandemic, its effect on their store operations, Morgan’s art, musician Duquette’s touring and writing, and how the two are finding opportunities to step up in our community.
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: William J. Rushton
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: 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