Celebrating the Legacy and Future of DiverseWord
Diverse Word, established in September 2006, stands as the longest-running open mic in Orlando, offering a platform for local artists to showcase their talents. At the heart of this artistic haven is Shawn Welcome, founder and long-time host, who has been a critical figure in nurturing the city’s creative spirit. Diverse Word has become a […]
How an Individual Artist Grant Led to Some of Orlando’s Biggest Celebrations
Cole NeSmith is a Florida-based artist and founder of the Creative City Project, an organization “birthed out of the belief that artists can change a city for the better by making it a more beautiful, meaningful, and interesting place to live.” NeSmith has produced hundreds of public art installations, which began with his and Josh […]
Jessica Caldas: Artist, Advocate, Activist
Jessica Caldas, Puerto Rican American artist, advocate, and activist always knew that art would be a part of her path. Growing up in an artistic family where the arts were always supported and present, Caldas never hesitated in pursuing her dream of being a full-time artist. Throughout her artistic journey, Caldas became inspired by her […]
Juried Student Show Winners: Willy Lopez & Mimi McDowell
Although these two Juried Student Show winners come from different parts of the world, they share a common interest in one thing – their love for Crealdé School of Art. While their journeys were unalike, Willy Lopez and Mimi McDowell found their way to Crealdé while discovering their passion for the arts. Willy Lopez grew […]
Nadia Garzón: Descolonizarte TEATRO
The theater was no unknown territory to Nadia Garzón, Executive Director of Descolonizarte TEATRO. Growing up in Colombia and attending a primarily performing arts-based school and acting academy, Garzón always knew that she had a dream of one day opening her own theater organization. After 20 years of acting, directing, playwriting, and pioneering several projects […]
N.Y. Nathiri: Preserve the town of Eatonville, Florida
Truth be told, Black History Month isn’t a special time for N.Y. Nathiri, executive director of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (P.E.C. for short). For her and the rest of the (mostly volunteer-driven) team that spends 365 days a year working tirelessly to preserve the town of Eatonville, Florida, the first incorporated all-Black […]
Shawn Welcome: Orlando Poet Laureate
Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome wants to be the frame for the local arts community. The frame is a term he coined when mentoring up-and-coming open mic show hosts and emcees. If a guest in an art museum walks away from a painting talking about the piece’s frame, he says, then they’ve missed the point. […]
Open Scene Orlando
Thamara Bejarano has a dream. When she closes her eyes at night, she sees the doors opening to a cultural center in Orlando. Inside lies a beautiful space where folks from local grassroots arts organizations can sing, dance, perform, exhibit, rehearse, and connect, all in their native tongues. Orlando is home to world-class arts institutions […]
