On another walk around Baltimore, I came across another outside art exhibition like the Black Lives Matter Mural in Patterson Park in September. This time in Baltimore’s Fell Point to get out of the house for a bit and visit Sound Garden to browse some vinyl and old flicks. A trip well spent because I bought some cool new socks. But also set my eyes upon a beautiful exhibit at the How Great Thou Art Gallery worthy of a PrayForLove highlight on Doc’s Castle Media. Baltimore Mosaic Artist Loring Cornish creates I Can’t Breathe outside exhibition to bring attention to police brutality.
Last month, we were hit with the devastating news of Breonna Taylor’s verdict. And just like when I scroll my social feeds, days later, I strolled by a reminder, in person, that we’re still in the midst of a war with police policy and reform. I’m tired.
Cornish exhibit is a pause in time. It makes you think. I took a moment of silence before I visited the Sound Garden next door. I saw all the names of victims fallen by police brutality represented by burning candles just under the “I can’t fucking breathe” sign. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s pictures displayed large as day with words of frustration and “I will never understand” written in all caps all around them. This case is the loudest breakthrough we’ve had in recent years. Two pictures of Breonna Taylor stand directly along side the burning candles. The exhibit makes me upset. The build-up of all of this has gone on far too long. I don’t understand, either. So I pause to take it in.
The exhibit is getting quite the buzz as people share their experiences on their social media using the hashtag #LoringCornish. On Instagram, there are over 500+ shared posts of Loring Cornish’s exhibit.
Cornish had many other exhibitions focusing on race and police in previous years. In 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray, Cornish decorated a police box in Station North “to bring attention to police operating practices that have made millions of Americans uncomfortable.” He also received national attention for his Black “lynched” doll exhibition in response to Eric Gardner, Walter Scott, and Michael Brown. Cornish used his passion and talent to raise awareness of police brutality throughout the decade.
The How Great Thou Art Gallery is owned by Cornish and is the home to a plethora of beautiful creations made by the Mosaic artist himself. Check out more art at the Loring Cornish website.
“I will never understand,” either. Would you visit this exhibition? Leave your comments below.
Last time I did a Doc’s Thumbs Up was for 4tae’s “Right Where I Wanna Be” Official Music video in 2015. I definitely need to catch up because there is so much content I’ve seen over the years. I’ve watched so many artists flourish in their crafts. I’m just long overdue to share what dope work I come across. It’s when someone really makes me feel they put in the effort to make a creative piece, it deserves its praises from me. That’s why Jai Ivy’s “I Know” ft. Luki makes Doc’s Thumbs Up.
Ivy dropped her music video for “I know” August 11th via her YouTube Channel. It’s a simple music video that tells a story of heartbreak, something almost every girl can relate to. Honestly, during the generations full of entanglements, hook-ups, and situationships, Jai Ivy’s style is a hammer to nail when it comes to the many woes in the emotional roller coaster we call a toxic love.
The video follows Ivy as she deals with some doubt about the guy she’s dating. They get into an argument, and we watch and get frustrated along with her in the many inaudible cut scenes of her in a debate with the male actor of the video. This scene isn’t unfamiliar. In fact I think this is how Ivy pays homage to many R&B divas before her.
Check Out Jai Ivy’s “I Know” Official Music Video Below:
Jai Ivy is a Baltimore Native artist who is often spotted attending local shows throughout the city. Her album Bleu can be found on all music streaming services. Take a listen to Bleu on Spotify. Follow her on Instagram at @lovee.ivy.
What do you think about this song? Leave your comments below.
Cardi B and Megan the Stallion team up to make another banging single titled WAP, referring to a sexual preference for a women’s vaginae. & I like to just say…Of course, it’s art! But Black Twitter, Facebook, and even daily news site like the Daily Beast would like its part in providing commentary as millions of tweets were published since it’s early August release with pro and con opinions.
After Megan making headlines for being involved in domestic assault with hip-hop artist Tory Lanez, I assume most people had expectations for other topics for the female rap artist. Even hip-hop artist and producer Cee-Lo Greene chimed in with opinions about the video’s impact amongst younger generations. Maybe people were waiting for her to rap about domestic abuse? But honestly, what did people really expect from Megan or Cardi? With any prior songs that are released from both these rap queens, it seems like WAP is exactly what I was expecting from them. When I’m searching for a song from either of their discography, I’m looking for something that’s going to make me feel like the shit. There’s even an entire playlist on Spotify named “Feeling Myself” dedicated to the genre of hip-hop both Megan and Cardi represents.
Source: Facebook
Why is women empowerment the subject again?
To me, women’s empowerment is simply people uplifting and helping women live the best versions of their lives. That could be women speaking influence into other women. It could be someone providing support for women financially, physically, or spiritually. In the simplest way I can put it, it’s making women feel good about themselves.
Whether the message presented in this video is worthy of being shared with other women is based on the person receiving the message. Why are people expecting these women to be a spokesman for issues dealt amongst women? I don’t know anyone who turns Cardi B’s music on to hear about social injustices or domestic abuse.
Megan and Cardi are playing “make-believe” and throwing emphasis on tiny truths about their life. It’s like applying for a job and sprinkling a little extra in during your interview to make yourself look good. In this case, it’s not an interview. But it’s appealing to someone mature enough to understand its content.
This video doesn’t “inspire” me to do anything but shake my ass. But as a woman, it does make me feel proud of my lady parts. I don’t see anything wrong with having a good lady part. Haha. The language in the song may be quite vulgar but nonetheless, it is a form of expression and art. Good art challenges thought and provoke reflection. This video has everyone on Black Twitter at an uproar. It’s good art because it did what it was supposed.
Doctors are even firing back in the two rapper’s defense arguing it is completely fine to have lubricated genitalia. But I say it’s gone too far when medical professionals feel the need to step in to verify such things. Come on, who cares other than the person we’re getting in bed with? In the words of Megan, “Talk yo shit!” & let’s move on shall we?
The responsibility of who a child chooses to be a role model is ultimately in the hands of the kid. We aren’t aware of who someone chooses as their inspiration. Kids don’t realize it. But it is their parent’s responsibility to guide them. Censorship is a biggie that we struggle within the age of the Internet. But these women didn’t ask to be speakers on serious issues. From the beginning of their careers, they came with a vulgar bang. So either listen to it or just turn it off.
Did you like the song? Bump or Pass? Leave your answers in the comments below.
I did a poll via the Doc’s Castle Instagram and Facebook pages and found out 88% of followers would like me to share a few tips towards my #Thirsty30Body.
Eff the 12% of haters who said no. 😂 Agreeing to share what I know about becoming more fit will help me stay motivated to stay on track, as well. So boo to you and hooray to everyone else who’s helping me stay motivated. I will be posting blogs, videos, and tips regularly to Doc’s Castle in hopes that some of you will want to join in with me.
As I am entering into the second half of Thirsty 30 Body Challenge, I want to share four starting tips that I keep in mind as I prep for these next coming months. Here they go:
Get in the mind frame to get healthy, not only to look good.
When thinking of getting healthy, I frame my thoughts to focusing on what makes me feel good and what are good habits to have. I’m not the type to worry about having an hourglass figure or needing a big butt or chest because the attention it awards isn’t what I want. It’s already hard on women when we feel the pressures of wanting to feel attractive and there are thousands of images being pushed of models and celebrities half-naked in the mainstream media. Those pressures I’ve never embraced. It’s nice knowing that I look good. But I welcome compliments that uplift me and enjoy getting attention based upon my intellect for what I do. I want to keep it like that. So what makes this weight loss journey a “Thirsty” one?
“Thirsty” defined in the urban dictionary means:
An adjective used in describing a person deliberately fishing for compliments, attention, etc.
Too eager to get something (especially play)
Desperate
But I’m defining what “Thirsty” means for me in year 30. I’m encouraging healthy living and hopefully aspiring to be thirsty for a healthier lifestyle. So it begins with what it means to look and feel healthy. It’s not about the physique though I will reap those benefits. The #Thirsty30body is the perfect body for ME! Thirsting for wealthy health.
Spend time getting to know yourself.
Knowing how much I weigh, though it’s good to start with, wasn’t enough for me to get moving and actively exercising because, as I said in the intro to the #Thirsty30Body Blog Series, I never looked at myself to be “big.” My motivation sparked after hearing results from my doctor’s visit to my primary care provider. As preventive care, it’s important that I know everything inside of my body is copacetic because I have things to accomplish, goals to achieve, and a life to live with people that I love. So I like to get bloodwork and vitals taken annually. I do this to be aware of what’s happening in my body so that I can control what happens to and within me.
I like to live by this saying: No one should know you more than you know yourself mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It just seems foolish to me to go an entire life doing what is told of you at all times. If you live your life questioning things, you learn new things about the world and yourself. I apply this to everything I do. It makes sense to do it while on this journey as well. So I say do more than weighing yourself on the scale. Really get to know your body past the numbers. Really get into the anatomy and understand what makes you feel good or bad.
Set your Goals and tracking system for accountability.
After getting my measurements, vitals, and all that is needed to understand my body, I went into the “Taylor University” mode, which is when I spend time meditating with my journal. Healthy living is better than simply losing weight because I prefer to not hear the same disappointing results again the following year. So I use my journal to make goals writing out everything about my body in its current state, and I keep track as often as I want of my progress.
There are multiple other ways that helped with tracking that don’t necessarily require you to drag around a notebook, like joining and participating in fitness groups and clubs online where people can help encourage you, taking and saving pictures whenever weight loss milestones are met, or simply regularly recording your weight loss in a monthly calendar. All these activities helped hold me accountable and motivated me in some way to stick to #Thirsty30Body.
Be kind and patient with yourself and keep pushing through it.
This is probably the most important tip I could give because at the end of the day, you are responsible for holding yourself accountable for getting healthy. People forget how hard they can be on themselves when critiquing their own work in whatever they do. They can start off strong, then fall off so fast because they didn’t pace themselves to be realistic in their journey. After that, they give up. Be kind to yourself and don’t get lost in disappointment if you haven’t quite met your goal. Be patient and allow a realistic timeframe to meet those goals. But also know when to pick yourself up to get the work done to achieve what you’ve started.
Something my mother would say whenever we’d talk about going through hard times is “There’s Always Tomorrow.” She’d say this whenever we’d hear crazy things happen like mass shootings or awful dealings that ended in demise or turmoil. Though resulting in thinking like this might be a little extreme for pursuing losing weight, it works perfectly for me. It won’t hurt me if I haven’t met a goal to lose 2 lbs in one week. I can dust myself off for the following week, and I’m not saying that without revisiting “Taylor University” to make changes to finally meet that goal at some point. I just keep pushing through it. Eventually, I’ll lose those two pounds. So be kind to your mind and body, and also remain determined.
What are somethings that you do to help prepare to lose weight? Leave your answers in the comments below. Also, subscribe to get updates to your email for the next #Thirsty30Body post via subscription form below.
We’re living in the foreshadowing of what really happened during the time of our ancestors. For two years, Texan slaves didn’t know they were actually freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. Today in 2020, we have the president of the United States taking credit for making the holiday famous in the midst of rescheduling his first 2020 presidential campaign in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Though there could be some truth to that statement for many Americans, Trump is not the reason why I know about Juneteenth and also many other people who are fortunate to be educated on the true history of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteeth 2020 was more proactive because of the current social climate of our country. Since the death of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police department on Memorial day, daily protest bringing attention to police brutality and excessive force has remarkably surged throughout the nation. People are making it their duty to protest in support of their stances against systemic racism and support or police reform. Every day there are new updates around the country changing legislation and proposed laws. It’s liberating to see.
But it was a first for me to see black people telling others how to celebrate Juneteenth. Entertainment site xoNecole shared a series of infographics encouraging how people could celebrate their Juneteenth. While I am a black woman, I have never had a tradition for this day. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that there are many black people who honor it.
I felt like I needed to do something to bring more awareness of my history, especially currently with what’s happening. Until June 19th, I’ve remained in my home social-distanced, and my only knowledge of what’s occurring in the outside world is met through the Internet. I needed to get out of my selfmade COVID-19 dungeon. So Juneteenth, I thought of doing something safe that could give me an escape and purpose.
After George Floyd, my boyfriend and I talked about our feelings about our current social climate in America. Both of us expressed a desire for wanting to do more with our brands in support of the Black community. I don’t know what it was, at that moment we felt like we weren’t doing enough. It’s like a kick of activism sparks in your spirit when something you know that isn’t right eludes in fairness. So boom I had an idea. Taking pictures of BLM signs, morals, businesses in support of #BlackLivesMatter while driving around Baltimore could give us that oomph we were missing. We can still do this and remained social-distanced.
Defund the Police. Need I say more?
I don’t think it’s necessary. We haven’t kept quiet since Floyd. I think people are fed up and won’t keep quiet.
CtrlMyCamera takes the credit for all these photos. That’s why I want to bring attention to supporting this talented black artist.
It’s always fun to catch an artist at work. It’s even more fun when you can get a class from it. Haha. Akeel is the most skilled photographers that I personally know in Baltimore city. So if it came down to finding the perfect person to coach me during a photo walk, no doubt it would be Ctrlmycamera.
A nice night hanging by the fire with friends in our blackness 12 am on Juneteeth.
Akeel Shabazz is the owner of the photography brand CtrlMyCamera. CtrlMyCamera specializes in portrait, event, wedding, landscape, and nature photography. Check out more from Akeel found on his Instagram @ctrlmycamera.
When did you first hear about Juneteenth? Leave your comments below.
Wine and beer festivals and tastings scattered all around this country. A person could probably find over 25+ festivals in the DMV alone. When it comes to heavier liquor and spirits tastings, one would need to pay for the excursion on an exclusive vacation to attend one that’s worth experiencing. It’d simply be a waste of time, money, and gas to go to any local liquor store for a tasting. I know this so I decided to throw a tasting many of my friends would enjoy in a safe and comfortable environment.
Few people know that they can find tastings at their local liquor stores. They tend to be lackluster events. A tasting hosted in the average neighborhood spirits store would usually host a 2 hour tasting of a bottle sold in their store. They invite customers to taste small swigs of drinks housed on the shelves of their store as they shop. So most times these tastings aren’t formal or advertise for the public to attend. This could be due to Maryland liquor laws that prohibit many businesses from serving based on the type and class of a business.
Three stores you can visit for weekly tastings in Baltimore, MD:
HoneyGo Wine and Spirits located in Perry Hall, MD, has weekly tastings in their tasting room on Friday’s from 4pm to 7pm.
Quarry Wine and Spirits, located in Baltimore, MD, often hosts wine tastings in their liquor store on Fridays from 3pm to 6pm.
Wine Loft in Pikesville, MD does tastings if their wine collections on Saturdays from 1pm to 6pm.
These tastings are slim in their pickings of alcohol as they make the choice of beverage for you per the tasting. But if you are someone looking to buy a drink for later, such satisfaction is suitable in attending a tasting as such. But wouldn’t you want to really experience your drink? How will you know you really like it from just a sip? Why wait for later? Honestly the taste isn’t something great in any alcoholic drink, either. A spirits or wine tasting should let the drinker know what they’re getting themselves into.
That’s how it was for me at least. Wine tastings are best when you have them on cruise ships like how I’ve experienced when cruising to Mexico over the summer.
Doc and her dad in the Blue Agave fields in Mexico.
During my vacation cruising to Mexico, I did three tastings of my favorite drink, tequila. All the tastings educated its attendees about how tequilas are made, how many different types there are, and how to tell what brands are authentic tequila brands. I visited a field of Blue Agave Cactuses with my family and enjoyed exploring tequilas distilled into many different delicious flavors such as mango, coffee, and cream.
This experience was so fun to have I wondered if there were any tasting for Tequila in Maryland. It wasn’t a surprise to find the kind of tasting I would come across is the usual Wine and Spirit Store sample tasting. Really, where are the tequila tastings?! Not in Baltimore. The closest someone might find a tequila tasting is in a restaurant in Washington, DC.
So I threw my own tequila tasting during the holidays and I had a blast!
I spent hours and days prepping to grant my friends and family an experience worth sharing with others. I wanted this tasting to be talked about for weeks, or maybe even months. I wanted people to experience something they’ve never done before. So I studied, studied, and studied long to really educate my guests on what they’d be consuming. I became Catadora, someone who specializes in tasting tequila, for the night pairing my holiday chocolates with a kick of tequila. Bien de salud (in sound health, of course.)
Simply having people taste tiny sips of tequila wasn’t enough. I needed to know that my guests were gaining knowledge from me lecturing them about my favorite drink. So I threw a pop-quiz using a spinning wheel that ultimately turned my tasting into the most exciting Tequila trivia game known to man.
The night was so lit, I slightly beat myself for not preparing to have people in my house until 4 am. But no worries, I enjoyed the company and knowing everyone was safe. They had fun learning about Tequila and I loved being the teacher. I’ll definitely throw more tastings in the future.
What’s your favorite drink? Have you gone to a wine or spirits tasting for your favorite beverage? Share your experience in the comments below.
The Rotunda Baltimore threw a mini block party in front of Cinébistro for food truck lovers at The 2018 Summer Solstice Gathering. Over hundreds came out showing their support for their favorite caterers while many were also there being introduced to new cuisines.
It’s not foreign for me to spot a food truck anywhere in Baltimore City during the summer months. I’m always attending entertainment and art festivals because of the nature of my job. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s basically THE season for celebrating festival dishes. So I had to do a special blog dedicated to what I catch myself getting involved in supporting every year.
I’ve eaten from a number of the food trucks present while attending other festivals. But I have never seen such presented as if I was entering a little community full of nothing but mobile eateries. It was like going to a food court at your local mall except it was outside. People could walk straight to the counter at the window, view all the choices on the menu, and order away.
I had a smorgasbord of delicious delicacies of all sorts. If you mesh a bunch cultures together in one space, you’ll run into people of all different backgrounds enjoying tastes from around the world in a small cul-de-sac. Just to name a few of the trucks at the gathering were Deedle’s Mini Donuts, Taco Bar, Bistro Lunch Box, Mexican on the Run, Greek on the Street, and many others.
Even in the rain people came out to get what their taste buds couldn’t resist. The gathering was scheduled to go on through both rain and shine. Tents were set up to fit any occasion. For this day, it was to shield people from getting wet. The turn out remained notable and people continued to show their satisfaction with what was happening.
The food was great! I had Bistro Lunch Box Old Bay fries, which is exactly what it states it is; a basket of french fries smothered in Old Bay seasoning and Vinegar. Also, I ate some delectable Curry Lamb from Bombay Kitchen. My best friend who came along with me to the festival had Shrimp tacos from the Taco Bar and Fruity Pebble Donuts from Deedle’s Mini Donuts.
Support a young Black Baltimore Artist today with her dreams to open her very own food truck! Chef Kierra is an aspiring local culinary artist seeking donations for her food truck start-up! Help Donate to her Best Mobile Catering Service Campaign “Food Truck In Atlanta” via her GoFundMe.
Chef Kierra has awesome food. I tried a few dishes while attending collaboration events with the Mini Hip-hop Museum. One of her delicious meals I’ve had the pleasure of taste testing was fish nachos. Mmm, mmm good.
Have you ever attended a Food Truck Festival? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
My way of celebrating Black History Month this February 2018 was through showing my support for those who are creating waves in our city currently as entrepreneurs. I showed my support for local black-owned restaurants by participating in the Baltimore Black Restaurant Challenge.
The Baltimore Black Restaurant Challenge was created and hosted by Chef Casey Jenkins in 2014 after a wave of challenges arose on social media, one in particular which drew direct inspiration was the infamous 2014 ALS Water Bucket Challenge. The Black Restaurant Challenge encourages local foodies when choosing to dine out in the month of February, they should visit at least 2 black own restaurants in Baltimore.
There are a number of participating black restaurants in Baltimore that offer specials during the challenge. People who are eager to try out delicacies from those restaurants can find a list of who’s participating by visiting at the Black Restaurant Challenge official website or any of their social media channels. But for me, I just thought of a few names of restaurants I often hear about and strolled right through their front doors.
The two restaurants I chose was Teavolve and American Fusion Flight Baltimore.
I went with my best friend and boyfriend to each spot and ordered popular dishes.
At Teavolve, I had their signature Carolina Shrimp and Grits with a side of roasted potatoes. The food was so good. I failed to get a picture before my meal was half devoured.
Partially Eaten Shrimp and Grits from Teavolve
The atmosphere of Teavolve was giving me “millennial young black professional” vibes. Everyone present in the restaurant that afternoon felt like they were someone of great importance. I even thought to myself maybe I should talk with my volume a little low. I didn’t want to feel the “ratchetness” of my conversation in the air. Especially since it was also a special guest in the building that afternoon. State Attorney Marilyn Mosby often dines at Teavolve, and she chose the day that my best friend and I was there to eat, too. I still didn’t filter my mouth. Real is real.
Teavolve is the perfect place for young professional to have small business meetings and small intimate events.
Check out some of what’s listed on their drink menu.
My second choice to dine at was Flight American Fusion, also known as Flight Baltimore, with my boyfriend for Valentine’s day. It was my treat to him to celebrate the holiday with one of his favorite foods…fish! There I ordered Salmon Quesadillas for my appetizer and a Vegan Veggie Mojo as an entre.
Flight Baltimore’s atmosphere was laxed. There was only one other couple there that afternoon. I could tell business was slow because of the time. But it was the best afternoon for me because it made my visit a lot more romantic that way. I enjoyed viewing the artwork posted on the walls by local artists while I appreciating good conversations with my man. I’d definitely go on another date there.
Flight Baltimore is a great restaurant for people who aren’t tied to the idea of impressing others. It’s a small quaint neighborhood restaurant. They have the option to order your food as carryout so it gives a feeling that you don’t have the obligation to dine in. Food is affordable for a quick bite, too.
Though I did the bare minimum to complete this challenge by only attending 2 restaurants, next year I hope to visit more because I hope to have more money to cash out. Ya feel me?!
What are some black-owned restaurants you frequently visit in Baltimore? Leave your comments below.
Thanks to one of my nine-to-five jobs, I was able to attend the 2018 American Art Craft Show held at the Baltimore Convention the last weekend in February. It was amazing and very inspirational being in the presence of “real” artists.
I work as a promotions assistant at Entercom radio for the 80s, 90s, and today’s pop hits station Today’s 101.9. My job had the pleasure of being press at the craft show on Saturday morning. We did our usual at the show; assist our radio personality Fran Lane with the spinning wheel and gift giveaways. So I didn’t do anything that was out of the norm workwise. But I’m grateful, to say the least, that I was working in surroundings in which capacity I’m not familiar. When I go to these events with my job, we have only a few moments where the promotion staff can walk away to take a look at what’s happening throughout the show. But this time our press appearance was only for 2 hours. So I didn’t have the time to see what the featured artists had to offer until later in the afternoon when I came back to walk the show off the clock.
Artist Cred: Kimmy Cantrell
The American Art Craft Show is a popular traveling art convention sponsored by Visit Baltimore, where emerging artists from all different crafty backgrounds come to one mutual space to sell their work. Like a traditional merchant’s market or flea market, the American Art Craft Show is a high-class version of original arts and goods show made available for any shopper who’s into scavenging for unique pieces not found anywhere else.
I snuck into the exhibit using the American Art Craft Show press pass given to me earlier for my work shift because I felt it necessary for me to have a deeper look into what was at the show. I needed to know what drew me to what I saw while there. Why did it feel like my spirit was suddenly lit seeing all the unique things? It was like a strong magnetic force between my eyes and the artwork, just something about it that made me fall in love with that moment. I wanted to know what made these artists work so hard and achieve such success to be placed in such a popular arts convention.
Artist Cred: Liz Cummings
The American Art Craft Show is quite a pricey show as the quality of the artifacts in the show exhibits each artist passion through sincere detail in the craftsmanship. I saw sculptures of every medium from stone, metal, glass, and traditional clay. I saw clothing designers use unique and expensive fabrics from basic cotton to rich leathers. The jewelry pieces were to die for as I literally choked off my drink of water when told what the price tag said on a pair of stunning earrings. There were immaculate paintings of mixed media forms utilizing fabric embroidery and infused clay on large canvases. Any observer could tell the artists put their everything into their work, and each piece was argumentatively worth what each price tag listed.
These artists were seasoned with their expertise. I witnessed only techniques I see online when I watch art videos on YouTube for inspiration for my own crafting. The techniques were those that people dig for when yearning to add that extra oomph to their “art baby.” The techniques were ways of the art world that makes the observer ponder how did something turn out a particular way. Ways that I could not resist having mini-interviews with the artists on how they achieved such beautiful masterpieces.
I went into journalists mode interviewing the artists from my favorite booths. One particular artist that I had the pleasure of speaking to, Natalya Aikens, creates architectural structures using fabrics and threaded stitching. She references photographs from her own collections and experiments with replicating her images by following traditional shading and coloring techniques.Her work comes off as abstract because of all the vibrant colors being used that aren’t naturally present in the original photos. Mihira Karra, who’s another artist similar to Aikens utilizes the same technique but instead recreates portraits of celebrities, landscapes, and influential figures.
Artist Cred: Mihira Karra
Artist Kathleen Scranton shares her creativity quite uniquely as her booth was unlike any other during the craft show. She takes her favorite novels and children’s books and turns them into small purses or wallets. Her station was one of the booths that had the most traffic because her idea was the most unique. She ran with the theme “Everyone reads.” The booth had to be the most recognizable because most books she used were classic American literature. The interior walls were draped with Dr. Seus, Star Wars, and The Great Gatsby. What made it even better was the buyer got to take home a copy of the novels, as well, after their purchase.
Artist Cred: Kathleen Scranton
I met many ambitious artists whose main focus while working on their art was to enjoy it. None of the artists I spoke to envisioned themselves as experts. Most didn’t think they’d be selling their art when they started. I bring this up to talk about my usual theme for Baltimore artists. With examples as those spotted at the American Art Craft Show, artists in this city could visualize true talent with purpose. It’s not about the social climb like mentioned in my blog series Quality vs. Quantity (Part 1). These artists monetize using pure passions where the love or their work comes first and everything that precedes it comes afterward. At showcases and in the work done here, we only see this reflection of that in prestigious art shows. I write about it to awaken the people who want it to more prevalent in Baltimore’s Art culture.
View more photos from the 2018 American Art Craft Show.
The biggest take away from this event was that it made me feel inspired. That’s what an artsy event suppose to do. They spark the creative soul within and changes the atmosphere around you. The American Art Craft Show did just that. It was due for my soul to feel that awakening.
What artist do you think should have attended or exhibited at the 2018 American Art Craft Show? Leave your comments or tag an artist below. Have you read any of the Quality vs. Quantity Blog Series? Catch up on it on Doc’s Castle Media.
As we should all know, the media helps shapes the perspectives and minds of many that stay abreast of current events. There are millions and millions of people in the know of what’s happening around them. They take what they read and watch on news outlets as fact. It shapes the way each individual chooses to live their life. Most importantly, it’s extremely influential in molding the opinions of people participating in buying and selling. More recently we’ve found it’s one of the leading factors as to why America is in so much turmoil in politics and policy with our current president. So this is why I cannot overlook critiquing Baltimore Media in my second post of Quality vs. Quantity because, with or without media, it continues to be influential to Baltimore’s art culture.
Indie Media has the ability to mold the careers of inspiring artists by helping them move from 0 to 100 through merely talking about an artist’s successes and downfalls. From covering an artist’s success when they have a breakthrough project to talking about movements that aren’t too favorable to the progression of an artist’s career, the media has the power to make or break whether an artist will make it to legendary status.
Having this knowledge that the media has this much an impact in shaping an artist’s career should be the leading factor for why artists should be involved with getting to know their local underground media like the bloggers, podcasters, and many other commentators who are fans of the city’s art culture.
Artists and media need to work hand-and-hand in the progression of the industry of Baltimore’s art culture. But somehow the light bulb hasn’t powered on with that idea and there’s is a big gap in linking the two.
Photo from Facebook
Why is Baltimore Indie Media not helping the Baltimore Art Culture Progress into an Industry?
Traditional media is falling by the wayside as more journalists are left without work. There are fewer printed newspapers and more online news sites. But passionate journalists work hard to continue to do what they love; by recording the history of which they currently live through. They do this on more accessible platforms that some of these journalists invest in on their own.
Underground media has little to no funding to push its indie brands. This leads them to depend heavily on instant gratification online. No longer are they going to work for large media companies aiding them with story leads and money to put food on the table. They report where most people spend their time in order to get recognition, which means social media is where the majority of these outlets can be found excelling.
But if they all can be found on the same platforms, it means most media has the same story leads. They all report about the same things. One great example is knowing about Baltimore’s own comedian Monique’s recent battle with Netflix. Everyone knows she’s called out the black community to a boycott. But, I can bet you that no one can remember which news sites reported the Monique story first.
Major outlets, like the Baltimore Sun, 92Q, Fox 45, and Baltimore Magazine are not the only sources for breaking and entertainment news in the city. There are a plethora of small name underground websites, blogs, podcasts, and magazines that flood social media with opinions about current events on a daily basis. If more local artists and media worked together to saturate the internet with UNIQUE stories on smaller platforms instead of focusing on what everyone else is reporting, we wouldn’t have to see recurring topics on our timelines.
How many times are we going to talk about the same stories? How many times will we only talk about Young Moose or Lor Scoota like they were Baltimore’s only rap artists? Or why aren’t local media coming up with new creative ways to highlight an artist on their websites without doing the usual “get-to-know-the-artist” interviews of creatives who nobody knows about on their podcasts or blogs? There’s a lack in the quality of content in the media that’s similar to the lack of quality in the artists. I think it’s time we stop ignoring the lack of distinction in media if we want to work towards the change I spoke about in my previous essay Quality vs Quantity Part 1: The Saturation of Wanna Be Artists In Baltimore Art Scene.
Underground media in Baltimore city are not exempt from the numbers of individuals seeking to be the voice of the culture. Like many artists and entrepreneurs, inspiring journalists seek to be the “it” factor for change in Baltimore, as well. Everyone wants to be a legacy. But each platform shows proof that following the same formula doesn’t help push progression. We have multiple online radio stations in the city that follow a similar strategy for marketing and studio production, which shows there’s little research done to help each radio brand standout amongst larger successful media. We have podcasters whose production comes off parallel to the other, which shows there’s a lack of research for what’s actually working that’s helping successful podcast accelerate. It’s easy to tell who’s taking the necessary steps to push their brands and who’s not. Who’s going to be our leading TMZ of the city- breaking all the details of our industry if these brands can’t differentiate themselves?
Being similar isn’t the only thing that’s keeping Baltimore’s Underground Media from helping progress the art culture…
The rise of social media brings a wave of opinionated perspectives from every crevice and corner of the Internet. People are not afraid of sharing their thoughts online. But there comes an increase of sensitivity to the opinion that has arisen which makes me concerned about the status of Baltimore City’s urban art culture. More people are sensitive to opinions, and it’s one of the reasons Baltimore’s art scene is lacking genuine underground media outlets willing to step up when it comes to critiquing Baltimore artists. This is a problem because constructive criticism is what Baltimore artists need in order to improve their crafts.
There is a downfall of quality in even the highest-rated of underground media. I believe it’s caused by the lack of direction of each company’s branding techniques, and the additional pressure to chase lead stories. What we’re experiencing as readers and followers of pop culture is brands fearing their power being lost because they’re considering readers’ opinions of what they share. Instead, these companies should be focused on pure facts of what’s necessary to share and not what’s going to make them popular.
The integrity of emerging media is at stake alongside the quality of artwork being circulated. Both sides need to take a moment to pause when evaluating their influence in Baltimore’s Art “Industry.” To improve the stance of our industry, the questions that should be asked by both artists and underground media are “what am I doing to help the current art community,” “Am I making a positive or negative impact in this culture,” “Is what I’m doing necessary for this industry’s growth,” and “Are there any other platforms available currently doing what I do that I can collaborate with and add my input?” Once creators can answer these questions with the benefit of the city’s culture in mind and become successful in getting implementing their findings, then maybe we will see a change for the better?
What do you think? Do you believe the underground media outlets in Baltimore have an impact on the stance of Baltimore’s Art Culture? Leave your comments below.
