In this episode, we feature Barbea Williams, a renowned Dance maker, Entrepreneur and Cultural Practitioner. She is the founder and artistic director of the Barbea Williams Performing Company, a dance troupe that celebrates African and African American culture through their performances. In our conversation, Barbea shares her inspiring journey of discovering her passion for the arts. She talks about growing up in a family of artists and the moment she felt her ancestors calling her to pursue a career as a creative. Barbea also talks about the exciting projects she is currently working on  ..read more

In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Lucero, AKA Halsero - a multi-talented music producer, community organizer, and DJ. He takes us on a journey through his experiences growing up in Mesa, AZ, and finding his creative community in Tucson, AZ. As a dedicated member of his community, Halsero shares his inspiration as a creative who values and serves those around him. For artists looking to make it in the local music scene in Tucson, Benjamin offers advice and insights based on his own experiences as a community organizer and leader. Join us for an inspiring conversation with Benjamin Luce ..read more

In this episode, we feature Pricilla “Nefftys” Rodriguez, Hip Hop Artist/Rapper, Writer, Community Organizer, and Arts Visionary. The episode starts with Nefftys explaining the inspiration behind her stage name, which is derived from the goddess Nephthys, who inspired Neffty’s stage name, a symbol of creativity, darkness and transformation in Egyptian mythology. She talks about growing up in Ambos Nogales, a city split between the US and Mexico, and how the early 2000s saw the rise of the Internet and the influence of hip-hop music in popular culture. Over time, Neffty’s career as a rapp ..read more

In this episode, we hear from Spring Winders, Designer, Metalsmith, and Owner of Heliotrope, which is known for creating wearable sculptures, and cast designs primarily depicting animals and plants of the Sonoran Desert. We learn of Spring’s journey as a creative and how growing up in an artist home in rural northern Arizona influenced her creative trajectory. We learn of Spring’s love for the Arizona desert, her strong connection to place, and how she partners with local conservation organizations, contributing to the preservation of the animals depicted in her fashion sculptures. She le ..read more

In this episode, we hear from Adia Jamille, Fiber Artist and Doula. As long as she can remember Adia Jamille has been creating. In this episode, she shares what is was like growing up as a creative spirit and at a young age setting a goal to one day exhibit her work in museums. Adia reveals that her enslaved ancestors worked on indigo plantations and the life changing opportunity that inspired her to bring the practice of growing and working with indigo to her studio practice in Tucson, AZ You may also listen to the full-length podcast by clicking the link above! To listen to the min ..read more

In this episode, we hear from Angelina Ramirez, Flamenco Dancer, Choreographer, and Teaching Artist. We begin the conversations by discussing her Project Creosote Start Award and the project titled Manos Trabajadoras. We learn how Angelina navigated the pandemic as a performing artist and how she is responding through her conceptual practice as a Flamenco artist. Angelina shares how “Flamenco found her” as a child and how an opportunity encounter with a Flamenco dancer in Tucson set the path forward for her life’s passion and profession. We lean into a conversation about identity and stereotyp ..read more

In this episode, we hear from Inna Rohr and Emily Hallowell of Untitled Gallery. We learn about the moment Inna (Untitled Gallery Founder) was “handed the keys” to the Steinfeld Warehouse and how she, along with a team of 7 artists, transformed the space into a cultural hub in Downtown Tucson organizing monthly exhibitions, artwalks, and workshops.  We learn about the “artistic roots” of both Inna and Emily and get into a conversation about the expansive skies of the desert serving as major influences for both artists. The co-op members discuss the importance of supporting artists in ..read more

In this episode, we hear from Luck Salway, Muralist and Owner of Arrowhead Ink and True Descendants Trading Company Est. b.c.. Luck shares stories about his experience painting two murals this summer, celebrating his ancestral lands in Tucson, AZ, and Pine Ridge, SD. We learn how he entered the Tucson mural scene by connecting with fellow artists and asking to paint on a wall in Downtown Tucson. He shares stories about the iconography in his work, including the story of his Rufus design which is featured on his very first mural titled, You Are On O’Odham Land EST. BC. We learn how stories of t ..read more

In this episode, we hear from Bibi Harris, business owner, dancemaker, and binational teaching artist. Bibi begins by sharing her experience of leading the Voces Migrantes project in Nogales, SON, with a team comprised of her family and fellow artists of the region, including Yvonne Montoya, Ammi Robles, Aaliyah Rubio, and Gerardo Alfonso Mendez Gallardo. She speaks about her connection with the region and the people who cross the border, recalling the importance of always remembering where you come from. Bibi then takes us back and shares the roots of her career as a binational artist and the ..read more

In this episode, Chezale Rodriguez leads a  conversation with Ashley Walden Davis, arts administrator, thought leader, and founder & executive director of Unlock Creative: Coaching & Management Solutions LLC. Ashley begins by discussing her connection to the Southwest and the program called Creative Flowers that connected her with Black women creatives in Tucson and Phoenix in 2020. She describes the period of leading the Arizona Creative Flowers cohort during the 2020 presidential election, a social uprising, and a global pandemic.  Ashley then takes us back and shares the s ..read more