Cal Cullen and Margy Waller have made Creative Placemaking (an evolving practice that intentionally leverages the power of the arts, culture and creativity to serve a community) a part of their personal and professional missions. We discuss the evolving definition of Creative Placemaking, how we make the process and outcomes equitable, and what to expect at the Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit Midwest in Cincinnati Oct 10-12. Visit: www.cpcommunities.org/midwest www.wavepoolgallery.org www...
Oct 07, 2019•28 min
The torch has been passed, and the 2018 Haile Fellows are digging in: Nicole Armstrong is developing Queen City Certified, a business certification system focused on gender equity, and Elisa Hoffman is creating School Board School, training that provides potential school board officials with the skills, experience, and mindset to be effective in that role. We talk about what it means to manage a “streaming” project, learning from each other’s type-A tendencies, and what happens *after* the fello...
Apr 19, 2018•41 min
Photographer extraordinaire Claudia Hershner (claudiahershner.com) operates as a commercial photographer, focusing on product, with many a passion project taking place in her Newport studio. Photography marries all the artistic elements she loves and the immediacy of photography is also particularly gratifying. Her love of collaboration with other artists and the creative process of producing a shoot led to her involvement with two separate shoots for the upcoming Tether Sourcebook: Medicine Dan...
Oct 26, 2017•21 min
For this special series, I’m talking to some of the talented folks who created photo shoots for the Tether Sourcebook about their inspiration, process, and industry insights. Visual artist and graphic designer Janet Creekmore has loved photography for a long time—she even managed a photo studio. She wanted to do a food shoot that presented a challenge, and serendipitously met photographer Marlene Rounds, who connected with food stylist Jeffrey Martin. Learn how they recruited a cast of surprisin...
Oct 06, 2017•12 min
For this special series, I’m talking to some of the talented folks who created photo shoots for the Tether Sourcebook about their inspiration, process, and industry insights. Makeup Artist and Educator Stefani Carol (stefanicarol.com) had a brilliant idea for the Tether Sourcebook: an underwater beauty shoot. She connected with Photographer Tina Gutierrez (tinagutierrezartsphotography.com) to help execute the concept, and they—along with an extensive team—created beautifully haunting images. Lis...
Sep 28, 2017•18 min
Cincinnati born-and-raised Creative Director Joi Sears is a creative’s creative: she’s done everything from dance and spoken word to photography and theater, earning a BFA in Acting before shifting her focus to combining the arts and social change through entrepreneurship. We talk about her ethical fashion line Amsterdamage, her sustainable pop-up shop The Green Store, and why she was banned from Europe by the Dutch government(!). We also discuss: - Her goal of traveling 30 cities outside the US...
Jul 18, 2017•45 min
Fashion connoisseur Tony Tiemeyer (evolutionfashionstudio.com) opened his first vintage clothing store in 1984, and soon after started carrying the work of then up-and-coming designers like Todd Oldham and Donna Karan. After running several successful designer shops and managing high-end retail, he decided to take on a new challenge: e-commerce. We talk about how he started Evolution Fashion Studio, why he likes to stay incognito, and dressing Cookie Lyon in Dior. We also discuss: - How the Posi...
May 04, 2017•35 min
Jill Goulait (circlecirclejewelry.com) started making jewelry as a hobby after taking a simple soldering class, and what began as a diversion turned into a full-fledged occupation. The simple, minimalist designs that distinguish Circle Circle Jewelry are inspired by deconstructing shapes down to their most basic form. We discuss how and why she changed the name of her business, how she found the perfect Production Assistant, and why it’s important to learn from everything you try. We also discus...
Apr 19, 2017•29 min
Kick Lee landed in music production by sheer accident, after studying graphic design and discovering he wasn’t made for the corporate world. He grew up listening to music and has since become a fan of a number of genres, from bluegrass and country to hip-hop and EDM. We talk about his process for creating tracks from scratch, how music licensing works, and why he decided to make music his career (spoiler: it was when he got a $10K check for one gig!). We also discuss: - His experience at Full Sa...
Apr 12, 2017•29 min
Stephanie Bohanon studied finance and commercial real estate before a store management position at Preneur crossed her path. The brainchild of Procter & Gamble, Preneur is a yearlong 3rd party popup shop created to share new Tide products with the market and showcase local businesses. We chat about working with independent businesses, what it means to be an experiential retailer, and how today’s ambitious youths make us want to play catch-up. We also discuss: - The benefits of trying new cre...
Apr 05, 2017•17 min
Film Director Brandon Faris co-founded video production studio LEAPFrame in 2013, but his real first love is music. After studying sound production, he took on stints engineering music for commercials (he wrote a song a for Ford Truck ad!) and as a youth minister before learning to edit video by creating classic spots and mini-documentaries for Current TV. We talk about how he got his first videos on air, why he started his own podcast (Filmmakers Drinking Bourbon), and how he’s really a fashion...
Mar 29, 2017•28 min
Friends Suzy and Brittney met in the first day of class during their 2nd year in college, and have been inseparable ever since. They started Handzy (hellohandzy.com) as a graphic design studio, creating branding for small businesses and stationery for craft fairs before embarking on a new venture: retail. We talk about working with other independent creators, how a more visually holistic approach to design has streamlined their process, and why Instagram Friends are (almost) as good as IRL ones....
Mar 22, 2017•26 min
Designer Chris Glass (chrisglass.com) intended to go to school to study film, but wound up in Visual Communication, transitioning from analog to computer-based work on the cusp of the digital revolution. We talk about how he progressed from creating CD-ROMS (remember those?) to designing the logo for the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, how taking daily photos turned into a motivator to lead an interesting life, and why the Beliebers came after him on Twitter. We al...
Mar 15, 2017•29 min
We’re back for Season 4! In episode #31, I talk to Pam Kravetz, an Artist and Art Educator with a penchant for "tutus, big wigs, and faux furs.” She’s done everything from performative art and yarn bombing to teaching children and radical puppetry. We chat about how she found her voice as an artist, the importance of connecting with people through public art, and earning two college varsity letters as the University of Cincinnati Bearcat mascot(!) We also discussed: - Celebrating what you’re goo...
Mar 09, 2017•38 min
For the final episode of Season 3, I talk to Project Manager Extraordinaire Janet Hill (janethillevents.com), who’s a pro when it comes to finding the path to get things done. She’s worked on everything from ArtWorks’ 21 Candles anniversary celebration to location management for the Marauders movie filmed here in Cincinnati. We chat about the reward of seeing a vision come to life, why collaboration is SO important on large-scale events, and how working at Kenner Toy Co was just as fun as you th...
Dec 16, 2016•31 min
Katie Fraser & Jacob Trevino founded Gorilla Cinema (gorillacinemapresents.com), a creative experience company. What started as a pop-up pairing cocktails and movies led to opening immersive bar environments (The Overlook Lodge, Video Archive) that are playful, approachable, and incorporate the element of surprise. We talk about the importance of building trust among your community of followers, their plans to create other large-scale immersive experiences, and how convenient it is to be abl...
Nov 23, 2016•27 min
James Avant IV started Obsessive Cake Disorder (ocdcakes.com) to make mental health more approachable by associating it with something positive—like cake. As the winner of the 2016 ArtWorks’ Big Pitch, he’s using the winnings to grow Bakeologie (bakeologie.co), a community kitchen with the goal of getting friends and neighbors around the table to eat, build, and create community. We talk about his background as a culinary instructor, the versatility of baking, and why he didn’t bring any cookies...
Nov 16, 2016•23 min
Fashion Designer Jenifer Sult is the founder of Cut + Sewn (www.cutsewn.com), a multidisiplinary studio that provides design and sewing services in addition to a full product development package for fashion and soft-good product designers. Jenifer’s love of sewing started at an early age, when she started making her own clothes in elementary school(!), and hasn’t waned since. We talk about launching a collection of home-sewing patterns called Daughters of Style, how she helps clients get from th...
Nov 09, 2016•37 min
Artist-Designers Janet Creekmore and Ben Neal focus on branding for retail, restaurant, and mixed-used lifestyle centers via creative studio Eye Candy (creativeeyecandy.com), but their passion can be summed up thusly: they design for place. We talk about their mobile gallery project POPPED ART, the benefits of being nosy, and how they bring high art into the design process. We also discuss: -How they initially partnered up and joined forces -Becoming part of a community by activating underutiliz...
Nov 02, 2016•28 min
Spoken Word Instructor Jori Cotton and Teaching Artist for music Nick Rose work with Elementz (elementz.org), an youth-focused organization dedicated to social and emotional development through the arts. We talk about poetry slams and music performance, the upcoming Artist Showcase, and the rewarding work of helping young people find their voice. We also discuss: -The Elementz Artist Showcase on Thursday October 27th, featuring music, dance and youth poetry -Louder Than a Bomb and the new Poetry...
Oct 26, 2016•27 min
Illustrator Erin Barker (erinbarkerillustration.com) always knew she wanted to be an artist, deciding to focus on illustration after several years of experience. We talk about growing up with parents who were designers, how an unfulfilling job taught her what she shouldn’t do as a career, and the importance of creating projects for yourself in your desired line of work. We also discuss: The advice she gives to aspiring illustrators Making personal work as a creative outlet Why copying your idols...
Oct 12, 2016•34 min
Photographer Josh Anderson (josh-anderson.com) got his start in photojournalism a little over 10 years ago, and has since moved into fine art and fashion photography. We talk about what it’s like to be part of a traveling press pool, his first professional job (for Interview magazine, no less!), and his best advice for new photographers looking to get experience. We also discuss: -Moving from the literal work of newspapers to more creative endeavors -The trick to “capturing something before it h...
Oct 05, 2016•29 min
Artists, designers, activists, and nonprofit leaders Anh Tran and Catherine Richards make conceptual art that’s an expression of love and friendship through collaborative enterprise Hark+Hark (harkandhark.com). We talk - and laugh - about staying true to yourself as a maker, listening to your gut instincts, and why talking to *everyone* is the best way to learn and grow. We also discuss: - How they found manufacturers to produce their jewelry line - Real life research and development - How the “...
Sep 28, 2016•34 min
Photo Stylist and all-around creative babe Jessie Cundiff (jessiecundiff.com) started as a fine artist and has been a successful freelance stylist for six years. We chat about what it takes to build your portfolio, the importance of doing the work, and why being part of a community makes a difference in work and in life. We also discuss: -How Jessie got her start as a stylist -How her fine arts skills help her on the job -What she looks for in an assistant stylist -Why it’s fun to experiment and...
Sep 21, 2016•33 min
Social and Civic Innovation Specialist Tamaya Dennard spends her time sparking civic engagement at Design Impact, a nonprofit design firm focused on social justice and social change issues. It’s no wonder she went from being voted “most likely to change the world” in high school to working as an agent of change, but just how did she make the leap from real estate to politics? We talk about how she went from stuffing envelopes for a friend to managing PG Sittenfeld's political campaign, why quitt...
Aug 03, 2016•29 min
Dynamic creative duo Emmit Jones and Josh Jacob founded Cosette (ouicosette.com), a cross-disciplinary design practice focused on serving the fashion, luxury, lifestyle, and culture industries. Their small (3 person!) team works within the branding realm and favors a direct client-to-creative relationship, but they choose to focus on the brands they like to serve, including the “new creative class.” After plying me with liquor, we talked about the roots of their subversive core ethos, why Emmit ...
Jul 27, 2016•31 min
Fashion Designer Chanel Scales of SHINGO (facebook.com/ShingoLLC) talks designing custom styles for confident women, her plans to produce a ready-to-wear line, and the importance of having a supportive team who believes in you AND in themselves. As part of Cincinnati Music Festival’s Throwback Thursday event highlighting fashions from the 60s through modern day, Chanel is busy handling the “good stress” that comes with increased opportunities. One of her afrocentric prom dress designs went viral...
Jul 20, 2016•24 min
Fashion designer and two-time Project Runway contestant Asha Daniels (ashaama.com) gets real about reality show casting (psych evaluation, anyone?), how she went from interning at Garanimals to creating designs for a major fashion house, and why she decided to forgo corporate in favor of her own couture line. We got into details about the email that got her an internship at Marchesa (listen up, aspiring designers), a random draping experiment that eventually became the showpiece of the bridal co...
Jul 13, 2016•28 min
Copy Director and Brand Consultant Katie Hicks of Kith Creative (www.kithcreative.com) talks about the ins and outs of starting your own creative business, her journey from small agency copywriter to working with international fashion brands, and why it’s so important to have faith in your own decisions. Katie and I have a lot in common, despite the fact that she actually enjoys writing (how, Sway?): Listening to podcasts made her want to create her own, one that highlighted the people making mo...
Jul 07, 2016•27 min
Rosie Kovacs of Brush Factory Furniture (brushmanufactory.com) talks starting a business right out of school (and in the middle of the recession), learning to be strategic about growth, and why it’s important to make design accessible to everyone. Brush Factory won $20,000 via an ArtWorks Big Pitch business grant, so we chatted about what really happens during the application process and how she and her partner wound up (unexpectedly!) spending the money, their initial desire to combine fashion ...
Jun 29, 2016•33 min
