Creative Directory

BRIANNA ARMSTRONG

Fine Multimedia Fiber & Textile Artist | Fashion Designer | Model | Creative Director | Actress

I believe that the narrative is controlled by those who hold the pen.

In my work, I shed light on the stories of African Americans who have been overlooked. My pieces often feature real people — family, friends, celebrities — and specifically Black women. I replicate the image of what Black excellence and Black culture look like from my perspective. I carefully select fabrics and textures that reflect each person’s life while capturing their spirits and places in time.

I’ve trained myself to become a painter, sculptor, and designer. During this creative process, I incorporate those techniques by using found fabrics, denim, and UV-reactive color reactive dyes as my medium.

IG @l.ilmama
IG @designsbybrimarie_

designsbybrimarie.com

TOZCHA BEAN

Visual Artist | Jewelry Maker | Dancer | Writer | Body Painter

Body painting and body modification are a way of expressing something from deep inside and unfolding it onto the surface. It’s an understanding of the physical parts of ourselves, and it’s a furthering of the essence of those physical aspects:

the opening of a mouth, the cut of a collar bone, the curve of a hip, the wandering of a fingertip…An extension of raw self, a level of intimacy and knowingness with ourselves and one another.

Nature is my biggest inspiration. I look to nature for friendship, for guidance, for solace, and support in faith. Nature to me is the biggest physical embodiment of God. I want my creations to be a release and reflection of what I experience, and for anyone who sees it, to see a little part of their own soul. I believe the God that lives in me, lives in all of us.

IG @tozzcha

JINELL MORELES

Visual Artist | Poet

I have been practicing art since I was young and have felt my love for expression grow tremendously in the past few months as I’ve been able to share my creations with my community and loved ones.

We often use our clothing, jewelry, and makeup, as a form of self-expression. I wanted to take that a step further while painting my models. I wanted the art displayed on their bodies to embody a piece of who they are as a person.

In each piece, you will find not only a piece of my vision, but pieces of everyone who has come together to create such a loving and powerful creative community.

Jinellmoreles@gmail.com

MONET PROCTOR

I enjoy creating art and engaging in movement that informs holistic health. As a mother, I believe in inspiring my community to find freedom in the liminal spaces.

I utilize collage as a medium to contemplate life and the reason we are living it.

IG @grow_withmo

msha.ke/growwithmo
wegrowwithmo.com

MARGARET SIMIC

Visual Artist | Designer

When I hear “Where are you from?”, I know I’ve just said a word or phrase with a heavy accent. How beautiful it is that our speech represents where we come from and is one of the remnants of our home that we take with us. And what a great home The South is.

But a “y’all” isn’t appreciated everywhere I go, because The South isn’t appreciated everywhere I go. Generalizations fueled by ignorance, racism, and classism make The South “America’s Scapegoat”. If The South is what is wrong with this country, what does that make the rest of America?

I am emboldened by the history of activism practiced by those who call The South home, the rich cultures shared in the most diverse region in America, and the love and memories I created here.

I take The South with me. I will not let you generalize The South. I will not let you scapegoat The South.

IG @maggiesueart
IG @simic_digital_studios

LIZ STOKES

Photographer | Visual Artist

The connection between women and nature celebrates individuality within interconnectedness. I explore the feminine as both powerful and nurturing. Each painted form shows a vibrant representation of identity connected to the natural world.

IG @lizstokesvision