Location: Midlands

  • Bonnie Harris-Lowe

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe

    Audio

    Transcript

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:00 

    My name is Sarah Jane Thomas, and today we are talking with Bonnie Harris-Lowe, a professional creative working from and within South Carolina. As we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you’re from? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  00:13 

    So currently, I am an instructor at the University of South Carolina, and I also have my own business, which is a combination work for hire and game development studio. I live in Columbia, South Carolina, currently. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:28 

    Perfect. Before we get into details, we have a brief section of the interview called “One Career 60 Seconds”, where you describe your job in 60 seconds or less, similar to a little elevator pitch. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:44 

    Go ahead and give it a shot. Sorry.  

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  00:47 

    Okay, no, you’re good. Basking Bee Games is a combination work for hire and volunteer game development studio. Since our founding in 2023, we have been hired by multiple clients, including Legend Stories Studios, and have released a game demo, which was showcased at DreamHack Dallas and the Southeast Game Exchange. We are currently working on a multiplayer party game called Wardrobe Dysfunction internally, while continuing to work on active external contracts. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  01:16 

    That sounds absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for playing our little game. 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  01:20 

    Yeah, no problem. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  01:21 

    So, what would you describe your official job title as?  

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  01:26 

    Within Basking Bee, I’m the founder and sole full-time member. So, CEO, creative director, either of those would apply. But as far as oh, sorry, no, okay, I didn’t want to just like clarify. As far as the studio, I’m the creative director, as far as operations and everything, but when it comes to our internal projects, I do like to spread the responsibility around. 

    So, I wouldn’t say I’m the creative director for like every project that we’re doing. The development side is a much more flat structured collaborative effort. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  02:09 

    Okay, so as a CEO and creative director, is there anything in South Carolina or where you’ve grown up and lived that brings something new to your work that you think others in your field don’t necessarily have? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  02:26 

    Interesting question. So, I don’t think I said before–I live in Columbia now, but I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. So, I’ve been here most of my life. I went to graduate school in California and lived there for three years, where I studied. I got my master’s in game design and interactive media there, and what was interesting about that experience was they were kind of in… California, obviously, is a huge hub for entertainment in all sectors, including game development in the U.S. Whereas South Carolina, North Carolina has a few game studios, but South Carolina doesn’t really have that much of a scene in that in that industry.  

    So, I think as far as growing up here, I feel like a common theme with growing up in South Carolina is it gets you it gets you kind of underestimated, kind of labeled in some less than favorable ways by people who aren’t from here. I’ve seen through like mentorship opportunities that I’ve done at high schools and summer camps and things living here that there is a lot of creativity and a lot of thirst to work in these creative spaces, including games.  

    I just kind of want to not only put forth my own creative energy but also focus on doing it in South Carolina because I know that there are that there’s a lot of potential here, and I want to help kind of bring that to the forefront over the course of my career. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  04:06 

    Oh, that’s really beautiful, actually.  

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  04:08 

    Oh, thanks. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  04:10 

    Do you think that there was like a defining moment in your life that had a big impact on your creative journey, or a particular project? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  04:21 

    I can think of two big moments. So, the first one was when I was around eight years old. I was playing The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and you know, prior to that, I’d been gaming for about three years at the time I started, when I was around five. There’s a character in Wind Waker who is a little girl with brown skin, and spoiler alert: later in the game, it’s revealed that she is the princess in disguise. And when that is revealed, she goes through a transformation sequence, and her skin turned white, which really messed me up. Because as I had noticed already, that there weren’t a lot of women, especially or brown women or brown people at all, in video games, unless they were villains.  

    So, seeing a little brown girl who looked like me was really impactful, and then watching that get washed away literally just really broke my heart and made me think, “You know, if I ever start making games, I’m gonna do something about this.”  

    Then, as I was growing up, I learned more about what working in the games industry traditionally is like with bad labor practices and toxicity from within companies and within the community at large, especially being a woman of color, which kind of gave me pause. But when I went to undergrad at the University of South Carolina, which is again where I’m teaching now, I took every single class on games that I could find while still trying to figure out which part of a creative industry I would, which creative sector I wanted to work in.  

    In one of the games classes I took, we watched a documentary called Indie Game: the Movie, which hasn’t aged the best. But at the time, watching it and seeing the stories of these developers, you know, struggling but ultimately meeting their goals, it kind of made me cry and just gave me the sense that like that’s what I’m supposed to be doing, regardless of all of the horror stories. I knew I had to at least give it a try. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  06:32 

    Are you? I’m assuming you’re happy that you did…. 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  06:35 

    For the most part. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  06:38 

    Is there something particular that you felt showcased your creativity in a way that you’ve never been able to before? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  06:46 

    The biggest example is the demo that Basking Bee released in 2023 called Project Parallel, which started out as my graduate thesis project, but I was not able to finish it because my last semester of graduate school was Spring 2020. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  07:08 

    Oh. 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  07:09 

    Yes, and that kind of threw a big wrench into my team’s productivity, and you know, totally understandable. And it took me a few years to get back to it, and by the time I did, I’d already founded the Basking Bee label, so I decided to release it under that name. And in 2024, that’s the game that was showcased at two different games exhibitions.  

    I remember I have a TikTok floating around somewhere of walking into DreamHack and setting up the booth and everything. And when I saw the name of the game on my empty booth, once again, I started crying. I’m a very teary, emotional person, but yeah, that was just a really amazing feeling. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  07:55 

    Yeah, this is something that you’ve kind of already touched on a little bit, but I think a more direct question would help. Before entering your field, did you have any fears about being a professional? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  08:08 

    Yes, numerous. So yeah, like I said, the games industry is not known for being a welcoming place for women and people of color or LGBTQ people, for that matter. Just I’m not really. I don’t really fall into that category, so I tend to focus on the other two when talking about myself, but I digress. A few, I think, a year at the year after I, the year I graduated high school or my first year of college, is when the Gamergate incident happened, which was a massive harassment campaign against a targeted select few female game devs, who you know they received death threats, rape threats.  

    They were doxxed. They had to flee their homes and things like that. One of them wasn’t even a game developer. She was a content creator who just talked about feminism and representation of women in games. Somebody actually made a game where the premise was just you get to beat that woman up. Yeah, it’s pretty dark stuff, and so that really like scared me. Like if I ever get too loud about what I’m doing, get too get too feminist, get too woke, as I think I would call it these days. Like, is that kind of thing going to happen to me?  

    And then on top of that, if I were to work at a larger studio, I learned about ‘crunch,’ which is when going back to the bad labor practices, the most infamous in the games industry is the idea of crunch, where people basically have to live at their jobs and work like 80-hour weeks, no overtime for months at a time, which just does not sound sustainable for anybody. I don’t know how people out there do it. I’m sure that I could not.  

    So, between those two things, just to illustrate in greater detail what my trepidation was, I was definitely frightened. But I’ve kind of gone down a path. Obviously, I’m not working at a big Triple A studio. I can set my own hours and kind of am in control of my own schedule, my own voice. And because we’re such a small studio, there’s also not much of a reason to target any of us at the moment, which is nice. I don’t know if that will last forever because I would like to have a bigger name out there.  

    But yeah, I’ve managed to squeak through all of the problems that I have described, and you know I know better now what I’m willing to accept and what I’m not if I ever were to pivot to working for a game studio again, and there’s one other thing I wanted to say on that subject, but I can’t remember, so I’ll stop there. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  11:13 

    Okay. Aside from, you know, you setting up your own company and being able to do all of this yourself, are there any other things that kind of helped you continue and push forward into this field?  

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  11:28 

    I would definitely have to shout out my two collaborators for that, Jessica and Pernima. Pernima is still a student and an absolute rock star programmer, and Jessica is a longtime friend. We met at what was my first industry job in games? I think it might have been her first job in games as well. She is a prolific 2D artist. She was also a bridesmaid in my wedding. So, we’ve known each other for oh my gosh, it’s been like six years now. But yes, they are working with me on our new game, Wardrobe Dysfunction, and it’s just really nice having somebody to touch base with every week. We stream on Fridays at 5:30pm on Twitch. The channel is called Basking Bee Games, if you want to check it out.  

    But yes, just having that time to collaborate with people who, while we’re all making something that we are excited about, because you know, working by yourself can get pretty lonely. It can be hard to motivate yourself, especially for like the internal projects. But the contract stuff, it’s easier because that’s somebody who’s hiring me and paying me to perform a service for them, whereas the internal development can get easily pushed off because it’s just like something I’m doing in my free time.  

    Doing contract work and now teaching–it’s exhausting. So, definitely having people who are willing to come along on this ride with me, and who have been so instrumental in you know the process of brainstorming, creating this idea, and now building this game has been lovely. So big shoutouts to them! 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  13:23 

    Oh, good! I’m glad you had people to come alongside of you. Do you have any advice for young adults or students who have an interest in pursuing a similar career path? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  13:35 

    Yes. So, I think the games industry is in a weird spot right now. So, another problem in the games industry is layoffs are rampant. Oh, I remember the thing I was going to say earlier. There are starting to be movements towards unionization in games, especially in QA (quality assurance), which is one considered a lower rung or lower tier job in games, even though it’s extremely important. So, I’m optimistic about unionization efforts for the future of games.  

    So, if you want to work at a big studio, know that I would say keep watch on those kinds of efforts. See which companies are supporting those versus which ones are trying to suppress them. But the future of the games, I think, right now is pivoting towards indie studios, independent development, because in 2023, the layoffs we experienced were in historic numbers.  

    I think there’s a whole Wikipedia page just on layoffs in 2023, even though it’s always been a common thing. And since then, there’s been a big upswing in people who are working at indie studios, starting indie studios like what I did, or even forming volunteer teams, which is essentially what Basking Bee is as far as the internal development part, like with the contracting. Obviously, we get income from that, but the internal development, we are all volunteering our time for that.  

    I had the good fortune of meeting Alla Derrick at a game jam in 2023. I want to say, or yeah, 2023 or four, and she shortly after that started a company called Cave Bear Games, which is now a nonprofit volunteer game studio. Their whole mission is to connect small studios to each other, to aspiring talent, and just help people find other people to make games with. That’s how I found Pernima, who is the backbone of this organization’s programming, so I think being willing to volunteer your time and look for those opportunities to collaborate with people who can fill in the gaps in your skill set and who can motivate you to continue working and whom you like working with is a big first step.  

    Even if you do want to transition into working at a more traditional studio, the best thing that you can have in your portfolio, if you want to be a game designer and apply to game design companies, is a game that you’ve already finished and released. So, I think looking for those volunteer opportunities and those collaborators that you can be close with and maintain relationships with, and you know ideally keep working with, is a critical first step. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  16:37 

    I guess along the same lines of finding people and continuing with people and finding those opportunities to volunteer your time, are there any particular skills you would suggest refining before stepping into the career path? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  16:52 

    I mean, it’s never a bad idea to learn to code. That’s one of the most in-demand and secure career paths in game dev. I personally am not a programmer. I have tried to learn several times. I know enough to do basic things, but it stresses me out so much. I have not been able to breakthrough that barrier to doing the more advanced things. But knowing at least how to build simple things with code will help you contribute. It will help you contribute to volunteer projects.  

    It might not get you a job unless you are really dedicated to learning the more advanced stuff. But if you do want to go down that path, again, it’s very secure. The two big game engines that I would recommend are Unity and Unreal Engine; they’re both free to download. Unity is much more common at small indie studios. A lot of big studios have their own custom engines, but if they don’t, a lot of them will use Unreal because it’s a bit higher fidelity. It’s got a lot more bells and whistles than Unity.  

    Other than that, learning the basics of game design, game theory can help if you already have some creative background. It can help you learn how to pivot those skills into games because let’s say you’re coming from television or you’re coming from music or something, the skills that you have in those fields are transferable, but they do need to be tweaked when you are incorporating interactivity into the medium.  

    So, learning how interactivity can change and augment the skills that you already have is also a great step. So, the last thing I’d say on that is, if you want to work at a larger studio, it’s good to specialize in something. Whether that’s programming, whether it’s animation or character rigging, that’s a big one. If you want to do 3d characters, a lot of people can animate and model, rigging is a bit more of a specialized skill set, but if you want to work at a bigger company, specializing in one thing and showcasing that a lot is a good idea. Whereas if you want to work at an indie studio, it’s generally a good idea to develop and showcase multiple different skills across your projects because at indie studios, it’s much more common that you will have to do multiple jobs because the teams are smaller. So yes, I’d say tailor your skills to the kind of studio that you want to work at. Does that help? 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  19:43 

    Yes. Okay. I just want to thank you so much for talking with me and taking the time out of your day. Out of your day, would you be willing to talk to one of my team members again? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  19:55 

    Sure. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  19:56 

    Well, I will take that off. I have a personal question. I would like to ask you. Okay, have you ever read the book, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow? 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  20:05 

    I have not. Let me look it up really quick. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  20:07 

    It is. I think it takes place over the span of like 25 years, and it’s about these three people who go on to develop these games. I haven’t read it in a few years, so I can’t remember like all the specifics. But just hearing you talk about the Unreal Engines and stuff like that just reminded me of it, and I feel like it might be up your alley a little bit. Yes, but it is a really good book. 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  20:36 

    I’m skimming the Wikipedia right now. It does look very interesting and super applicable to what I was talking about. That’s why check this out. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  20:43 

    That’s why I wanted to ask because hearing you talk about all of this, I’m like, I have read a book about this stuff.  

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  20:49 

    Yeah, there you go. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  20:51 

    Well, it was wonderful to meet you. Thank you so much for talking with us. We will get a transcript of your interview, and I believe the video clips to it, and your profile all sent to you, so you can check over that. Thank you. 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  21:05 

    All right, thanks so much. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  21:06 

    Have a good rest of your day. 

    Bonnie Harris-Lowe  21:08 

    You too. Bye. 

  • Mana Hewitt

    Mana Hewitt

    “Challenge yourself to try new approaches and techniques.”

    Quick Facts

    • Undergraduate
    • 50 years of experience

    About

    Mana Hewitt is a jeweler and metalworker based in Colombia, South Carolina who specializes in sterling silver and vitreous enamel. She recently retired from the University of South Carolina where she was a Senior Instructor of Jewelry, which supplied her with a constant source of inspiration in the form of her students.

    Mana began her creative journey with clay, and her enduring interest in technique building led her to her love of metal’s many possibilities. She highlights the importance of challenging yourself while trying new approaches and techniques, believing in working every day and never giving up “the satisfaction of working with your hands.”

    Currently, Mana has been working with a series of commemorative medals honoring women throughout history and is currently up to 110 pieces. Mana’s goal is to create works that are aesthetically pleasing and conceptually interesting, finding the most satisfaction in sharing her ideas and works with others.

  • Kelley Pettibone

    Kelley Pettibone

    Interview

    Transcript 

    00:00 Victoria Bartolotto

    Hello, everybody.

    My name is Victoria, and today we are talking with Kelly Pettibone, a professional creative working from and within South Carolina.

    As we get started, can you tell us about your current career and where you are currently located?

    00:14 Kelley Pettibone

    Yeah, I live in Columbia, South Carolina, and I am an educator. I teach for the School of Visual Art and Design at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

    As an artist, as a working artist, I mainly am a printmaker, but also mixed media artist and sculptor. I’m a mom and a dog mom. I’m a wife and my husband is a retired Army veteran and a disabled veteran.

    So, I wear many hats. I do a lot of different things.

    00:50 Victoria Bartolotto

    Okay. Before we get into the nitty gritty details of being a professional educator, but also a studio artist, we have a brief section of our interview called “One Career, Sixty Seconds,” where you give an elevator style pitch about what your work is and how it kind of functions. Are you ready?

    01:08 Kelley Pettibone

    I’m ready.

    01:08 Victoria Bartolotto

    Okay, you can go ahead.

    01:11 Kelley Pettibone

    All right. Primarily printmaking and mixed media collage art, I focus mainly on grief. That’s the nature of my art. My art was born in grief as a therapy for myself. I look to my studio as a way to heal myself and work through my grief. That has blossomed now into more of a joyful space.

    I also work sculpturally. I entertain the idea of home and what home means to me in the essence of losing my entire family in a decade of time. That is kind of where all my body of work began and where it has continued to grow, through living with that grief rather than living in grief. I love to do art as therapy, but it’s become so much more.

    02:05 Victoria Bartolotto

    Wow. I know art speaks to a lot of people and with that being your main focus, is there anything about South Carolina in particular that brings, in addition to your family and the grief that you experienced, does the state or your particular region or the city of Columbia bring anything to your art as well?

    02:25 Kelley Pettibone

    It does. My father passed away of leukemia, and he was treated at the MUSC Center in Charleston. My parents lived for a while down across the street from the Folly Beach Pier in Folly Beach. That’s where he was getting treatment. I used repurposed wood when they rebuilt the Folly Beach Pier. I was able to get a lot of that wood.

    I use that in my sculptural work because of the place and it’s from Folly Beach. It’s significant to South Carolina in the region.

    03:07 Victoria Bartolotto

    So that project with the reclaimed wood is just one of many. Is there another project in particular that had an impact on your creative journey as well?

    03:17 Kelley Pettibone

    Absolutely. In working with my mother, she passed away in 2018 on Mother’s Day, so May has been a big month for me. I had all of her clothing after she passed away. No one tells you what to do with people’s stuff. You have to make these rough decisions.

    As a printmaker, I needed paper. And so, I took her cotton clothing and pulped it and turned it into paper. That was a significant experience in learning to let go of things, but repurposing it into something that’s going to be useful for me in my art practice.

    I have now started a whole new series of handmade paper using four generations of denim. It’s my grandmother’s, my mother’s, mine, and my daughter’s blue jeans. So all denim. So, I have quite the denim pulp happening at the moment.

    Things like that, learning how to let things go, but then repurposing it into something else within your art and giving it a new space and then sending it out in the world to exhibit or wherever it ends up. It’s kind of cool and fascinating.

    04:31 Victoria Bartolotto

    Before entering becoming a studio artist full-time and obviously with teaching and things like that, did you have any fears about pursuing studio art as a full-time job? Was there anything that kept you back from maybe pursuing that as a source of income? If there was, what might have inspired you to continue beyond it?

    04:58 Kelley Pettibone

    Right now, I’m entertaining the idea of, and I haven’t yet, and only because I’ve been holding back. I wasn’t ready to pull the plug yet on it, but I want to join like art events as a vendor to sell art outside of a gallery environment, but in like an art fair and community events.

    I want to do that in terms of like the capitalism side of selling my art, but I work to fund my art. That’s kind of why, being an educator and getting that check from being an educator helps fund my studio passion and my art helps me buy more materials so that I can do that.

    Well, now I’m at a point where I have a lot of art and I need to get rid of it. I’m running out of space. So now I’m at the point where how do I sell this and how do I do both? How do I make money being an educator as well as making money being a studio artist? It’s great I can make it, but now I need to figure out selling it.

    06:12 Victoria Bartolotto

    Can you talk a little bit about the gallery experience and how a student who might be wanting to pursue becoming a studio artist or have their art exhibited in a gallery? Can you talk a little bit about that and how that works?

    06:26 Kelley Pettibone

    Yeah, it’s a full-time job in and of itself. I’m trying to find open calls, who’s looking for work, for what type of work, making sure that your work fits in that space. My work, because it’s grief in nature, doesn’t fit in a lot of places. So, you kind of have to pick and choose.

    Also, if it’s sculptural art, it might be an environment where there are a lot of traffic. Maybe sculpture isn’t okay to say show in a bookstore where there’s going to be children and families and things like that.

    So, you kind of have to know the gallery or do your homework and research the places. But it’s a lot of time spent on the computer. It’s a lot of administrative type work in the looking, but also in the applying. I had someone tell me one time, “if you haven’t collected a box of nos, then you haven’t made it yet as an artist.” Throwing all the pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks, basically.

    You have to be okay with being told no. I’ve applied and reapplied at places, I’ve been told no and then reapplied, and then I’ve been told yes with the same body of work. So maybe it’s just not the right time, but maybe later. And I’ve been told no, not this year, but next year, and that’s okay. You can put it on a back burner for next year.

    Planning ahead and keeping a good calendar of what you have going on and what you have applied where, so you don’t overbook or double book your work. Last thing you want to do is have this body of work in one gallery and then you’ve promised another space the same images or the same pieces.

    So being a good juggler and a good manager but also being good administratively and researching.

    08:27 Victoria Bartolotto

    With the different types of mediums that you work with, do you approach each one through the lens of grief, or are there different lenses that you approach the different mediums through?

    08:40 Kelley Pettibone

    I kind of always seem to fall into that vein because it is so therapeutic for me. But when I work with printmaking, mainly I’m a woodcut printmaker and so I carve wood and carving is meditative, but it’s also very mindful.

    I have to be present while I’m carving because one carve and now it’s gone and I can’t get it back. So, you have to be fully present and fully mindful of what you’re doing in that.

    But whenever I am, say, mixed media collage or painting, it’s more playful and it’s more joyful and I can dance around and listen to music while I’m working, and I don’t have to necessarily be as mindful with that. And it is more of a playful in nature process for me and also very impromptu.

    When I am working in printmaking, it’s very planned and it’s very organized. I have to have an idea of where it’s going, or it’ll fall apart quickly. With collage, it’s very throw it all up in the air and see where it lands. And then if I don’t like it, just cover it up with paint, you know? So, it’s not a lot of planning at all, if any. I might start with a color story and that’s about the extent of the planning on that.

    But with sculpture, also, it’s more mindful. I have to kind of have an idea of what I’m going for and then sculpt it out. But it also can be more playful than the printmaking for me. So, I kind of go back and forth between the two or three or four. I might have three or four things going on.

    And when I’m tired of being present and I’m tired of being mindful, then I might say, “okay, it’s time to play.” Then I’ll go do something else that feels more playful for a while.

    10:34 Victoria Bartolotto

    It seems like there’s a good balance that you have.

    10:36 Kelley Pettibone

    Yeah, I try. I try to, and I don’t know if maybe it’s the ADD or the ADHD in me that I can’t sit still for very long. So, I have to kind of hop around in both process and in my pieces. I get bored with something for very long. And so, I can only sit here for a few hours and then I gotta, oh, I gotta go do something else.

    11:01 Victoria Bartolotto

    Yeah.

    11:02 Kelley Pettibone

    Seasonally, I’m like that in my own house too. Like I change around spaces and I change around things. I just get tired of it after a while and I have to do something different and freshen it up.

    11:14 Victoria Bartolotto

    Do you have any advice for young students, particularly like high school or freshmen in college who might want to pursue studio art and multimedia art as a profession? Do you have any advice? Are there any particular skills that they should have or a mindset they should go into it with?

    11:32 Kelley Pettibone

    The only real advice that I have after having taught studio art for a while is that I have a lot of students. The very first thing they’ll say at the beginning of the semester is, “I don’t know how to do this very well” or “I’m not a good drawer” or, you know, “I can’t draw” or “I can’t do this”. Nobody does when you begin.

    I didn’t even know of printmaking or like my idea of printmaking was making posters or t-shirts. I had no idea, and everyone starts somewhere. And don’t be afraid to learn and play and allow yourself to play because through play is when you learn what works well and what doesn’t work well.

    But also, I think my greatest advice, because I started as a biology anatomy major. That’s a heck of an adjustment. But I spent a lot of time and a lot of money in classes that didn’t translate over to studio art.

    But don’t spin your wheels and waste your time doing something because it’s what you feel like you ought to do. Or like, “I had an uncle that was a biologist. I should study biology.” No, you should not. You should admire your uncle for being that and what he was and his hard work. But if that is not innately you, that is not what you should do.

    And I feel like everyone should follow their passion. And if the world were full of people that were passionate about what they do every day, imagine the space we’d live in. I mean, it’d be different.

    13:21 Victoria Bartolotto

    It would be so different.

    13:23 Kelley Pettibone

    Everyone waiting to take your order would be so happy you’re here. “My pleasure,” everywhere. If it was like that, it would be wonderful. And I feel like that if making art is your passion, you’ll find a way. Everything else will fall into space. The money will come. All the questions will get answered. You will find a way to make it work if that is what your passion is.

    If it’s not what your passion is, then that’s gonna be a struggle bus. But if it is what you’re passionate about, then you will find a way. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. But definitely don’t do something because — I have a lot of students that are in my class, classes, studio art classes, and I’ll say, “what’s your major?” “Math.” “Why? Do you like your major?”

    And they’ll say, “well, I really wish that I was a studio art major, but–” and I’m like, “why aren’t you a studio art major?”

    And then they’ll say, “well, because I can’t make money at that, because my dad said I can’t make money at that.”

    Well, you can, make money at that. As a matter of fact, I have artist friends that sell art for the price of cars, houses. You can make money at that, but you have to decide how much you’re willing to sacrifice to make that happen in the beginning to make that money in the end. Passion is where it lies and do from the get-go what you are passionate about doing rather than having a 25-year college plan like I did before you finish up.

    15:20 Victoria Bartolotto

    Yeah, no, I can totally sympathize with that because I graduated with an English degree. And a lot of people come up to me and they’re like, “oh, what do you want to do with an English degree? Do you want to be a teacher?” And while teaching is an amazing profession, it is not for me. And I’m like, “oh, no, I want to be an author. I really want to write books.” And they’ll be like, “Authors don’t make any money. You won’t make any money.” It’s just like, well, I have a vision. I have a plan. I want to make it work. And so, I can totally sympathize with that kind of mindset, for sure.

    15:55 Kelley Pettibone

    I remember specifically coming home after I had discovered, I was in clinicals, and I was going through all of my notes. I had tons of notebooks full of all anatomy stuff. And I was going through all my notebooks, and I realized that all my notes were drawings. I draw all my notes rather than write notes. I have pictorial notes.

    And all my notes were mainly drawings of like body parts and like the human body and its inner workings. And I thought, “I’m an artist”. That’s what I am. I don’t want to be stuck in a lab for the rest of my life.

    There’s no creativity in that, and like you feel about teachers. That’s a life for somebody, but that is not the life for me. That is not what I want to do. We need those people, but that is not my jimmy jam. I went home and I told my parents, I remember I was not living at home at the time, but I told them one night over dinner, I said, “I’ve decided that I’m gonna change my major.”

    And both of them were like, “what?” And I said, “I’m going to art school.” And I remember my dad, who was a chemical engineer, he said, “How are you going to support yourself being an artist? Like you’re going to be one of those people that sit on the side of the road and tries to sell art out of your trunk. Like, how are you going to do that?” And I was like, “I don’t know if I haven’t figured it out yet, but I will.”

    And my mom, she was always so supportive and she was like, “Well, I know you’ll do it, and you’ll do great because you’ve been drawing since you were like 2. So, I think you’re going to be fantastic. Like maybe you can make Hallmark cards.” That’s what she said.

    17:43 Victoria Bartolotto

    That’s what my mom said, too! She was like, “You can write for Hallmark.” And I was like, “I don’t know, maybe?”

    17:49 Kelley Pettibone

    You write it; I’ll make it comical. There we go! It’s a collaboration.

    I just remember them thinking, “How are you gonna do this?” But my mom being very supportive, but also she couldn’t support you forever. I know now, once I figured out that I do love teaching, I love teaching, I love creating artists. That’s like my thing.

    Like, I believe everybody is an artist. You’re an artist. You’re an artist of words.

    18:25 Victoria Bartolotto

    Yeah.

    18:25 Kelley Pettibone

    We’re all artists in our own way. You don’t necessarily have to be a painter or a sculptor. We all have a gift and that’s an art. Being able to write is an art. You’re in the literary arts. I couldn’t write a book. Maybe I don’t know. But I have written poems and poetry. So, it’s all an art and we’re all creatives in some way.

    I feel like being a teacher is kind of the vein where I fell into and creating and encouraging students to follow their passion is like right where I belong.

    And that funding my art, you know, my independent art as a fine artist, as a studio artist, that’s necessary. But also having a creative space for me is necessary. My grandmother used to say, “Idle hands are a devil’s workshop.” And that’s true. Like I cannot not create. That’s essential for me. It’s essential to get all of these feelings and all of these thoughts out.

    If it becomes a whole body of work that gets shown in an exhibition, if it touches somebody, even if just one person, job well done, you know?

    19:51 Victoria Bartolotto

    Yeah. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today. I sincerely appreciate it.

    19:59 Kelley Pettibone

    Enjoy your summer and congratulations to you.

    20:01 Victoria Bartolotto

    Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I hope you have a lovely day.

    20:04 Kelley Pettibone

    All right, you too.

  • Aldrena Hicks

    Aldrena Hicks

    Interview

    Transcript 

    00:00 Victoria Bartolotto

    Hello everyone. My name is Victoria, and today we are talking with Aldrena Hicks. She’s a professional creative working from and within South Carolina.

    As we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you’re from?

    00:13 Aldrena Hicks

    Yes. So, my name is Aldrena Hicks, as she said. I am a maker, artist, creative director, and founder of Only Lovely Creative. So, I’ve spent the last 20 years working across higher education, nonprofits and cultural organizations, leading design work that blends strategy, storytelling, brand, and design thinking.

    My work ranges from large-scale public projects like the Briggs v. Elliott case. That’s a case that led to the big paved the way for the Brown v. Board of Education. Then to editorial work, like the stitch cover I did for Louisville Magazine, honoring Breanna Taylor.

    At the core of it, I’m always making, and it’s through Only Lovely. I do design weddings and experiences that feel personal and lasting. It’s things that people actually want to keep.

    So one of the things that is near and dear to my heart is also making sure I care deeply. I care deeply about who gets to be in these rooms. So, making sure the next generation of creatives, especially those that look like me, see a path forward and know that this space is a viable career.

    01:32 Victoria Bartolotto

    Wow, that’s awesome. That’s amazing work.

    Before we go into the nitty gritty details, we have a brief section of our interview called “One Career, Sixty Seconds,” where you kind of describe your job in an elevator pitch style.

    01:47 Aldrena Hicks

    Oh, that’s what I just did.

    01:49 Victoria Bartolotto

    Oh! Oh! It’s okay. If that was your script, that’s totally fine. We can continue, but that was great. I didn’t know if you had anything else.

    02:00 Aldrena Hicks

    No.

    02:01 Victoria Bartolotto

    No, okay. That’s perfect. Thank you so much. So as a graphic designer, as a maker, is there anything about South Carolina or your region in particular that brings some uniqueness to your work?

    Does it have any kind of influence on you?

    02:18 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah, that’s a great question. So of course, I grew up in South Carolina, Somerville, Charleston area. Everybody knows Charleston, right?

    I come from a long line of makers. So, my grandfather was a brick mason. He’s actually paved some of the walkways with brick work in some of the plantations when they’ve needed somebody to redesign some or fix it up. Then also some of the walkways in the downtown Charleston area, I remember going. My dad would take us to visit him while he was laying bricks on those special pave ways and stuff. So that was nice. My grandmother was a seamstress, very well-known and well respected. Then of course, a family of musicians. All of that I bring into the things that I do.

    I’ve always been around creatives growing up. So just having that flair. What I try to do is then incorporate that identity into little nuggets here and there in the work that I do. But that’s why I’m hyper focused on when I’m doing stories, especially when I’m working with brides or organizations. I want to hear the story because that’s important, incorporating that into whatever we’re going to create for them.

    03:43 Victoria Bartolotto

    Definitely. I feel it really depends on who the person is in order to continue the project.

    03:48 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah.

    03:50 Victoria Bartolotto

    Was there a defining moment in your life that had an impact on your creative journey, whether in education or just personal life? Was there anything that kind of marked that?

    04:00 Aldrena Hicks

    Oh, there’s so many. Which one do I choose?

    04:06 Victoria Bartolotto

    Any one! Any one!

    04:08 Aldrena Hicks

    I will probably say my experience with my graduate work. I am a graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts, and I majored in graphic design. That was my concentration, of course, the MFA in graphic design. When I started there, I applied sight unseen.

    I was already in some other graduate programs. I bounced around a little bit, but nothing felt personal. Nothing felt like this is what I want to do. There was nothing wrong with those other programs, but I didn’t want to lean into the corporate world like that. I’ve already felt I was losing a sense of self because, as you know, when you’re designing and you’re doing work, it is about who you’re designing for. So, you kind of lose that, and I didn’t want that to happen.

    When I got to VCFA, I immediately fell in love because the school focuses on the work, the creative, who you are, and then that comes through. That typically doesn’t happen in this case, in cases of grad school work.

    So, the probably the pivotal moment is when, I was in a two-year track. Probably after my year and a half review, they’re like, “Aldrena, listen, girl, we love you, but we don’t see you. We don’t see, you’re giving us all the polish and that’s cute, but we’re here to discover the messy and you know, who are you?”

    After that little talk, I had my little cry and all that stuff. I realized, “Okay. This is the time where I need to shine and show and dig deep into who I am, my roots, my culture, and be proud of that.”

    From that came my thesis work, which has paved the way for other things that I’ve done since then. I will say that was probably the most transformative experience. I’m very proud to be a part of that legacy.

    06:08 Victoria Bartolotto

    That’s amazing. So, speaking of your thesis project, was that something particular that you produced that maybe showcased your creativity in a way that it never had before? What about it was different compared to previous work?

    06:28 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah. So, I took the approach. I did weave in some research because that’s part of the requirements. I took the approach of creating a storytelling experience, because I told you storytelling is part of my thing. What I did was I explored how the media portrays black women and how we’ve influenced the media and culture. I wove certain pieces of history and then turned it back on to how it affected me personally, how it did as a creative.

    I studied and talked about hair, respectability, politics, and then skin, colorism and all that stuff. I then found ways to remember how those things affected me growing up and how I now advocate for, especially young black women and my daughter, to be proud of who they are.

    So yeah, the approach was different because I did a personal narrative, but I wove in some history and some research in that. It has won a few awards. I’ve written a children, a self-published children’s book out of that. So yeah.

    07:56 Victoria Bartolotto

    That’s really awesome. Especially just seeing that I’m a writer too. A lot of the times that I’m working on projects, it’s like seeing something grow from a tiny little seed into this huge thing. You have to step back and be like, “Wow. I did that. You know?”

    08:14 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah.

    08:16 Victoria Bartolotto

    So before entering your field, maybe in your education process, did you have any fears about becoming a creative professional? If there were some fears, what inspired you to keep going beyond them?

    08:30 Aldrena Hicks

    I knew I wanted to do creative work. Like I said, grew up with musicians, makers and all that stuff. I never knew graphic design was an actual thing. I’ve been doing that, just didn’t know that’s what it was.

    So, I was at my undergrad, working at Columbia College, SC, not Chicago. When I discovered graphic design, I was like, “People make money doing this?” They’re like, “yeah.”

    So, I don’t think I was ever afraid of being a creative in this space. It was more of finding the right place to let that talent grow. Of course, through trial and error and all the careers and stuff, I quickly found out that advertising work is not my scene. I met some wonderful people and did a lot of things. But again, going back to the why behind things, the history behind things. So, then I veered into the nonprofit world. Now what’s scary now is that I’m doing this full time. So, it’s more like, “who’s going to get these invitations? Who wants to have brand work done?”

    09:53 Victoria Bartolotto

    Oh, wow. Do you have any advice for young adults or students who may have an interest in pursuing becoming a graphic designer? Are there any particular skills that you think someone should practice or at least have before entering the industry?

    10:08 Aldrena Hicks

    Yeah. One of the things I want to say is that, and I know people have different networks and all of that, all of that is great.

    I read a book along, I think I might have mentioned in my pre-interview, one of the books I recommend is reading is Talent is Not Enough, because a lot of people think talent will get you all the places, but it really is the soft skills, building these connections and learning how to relate with folks. It will show up in your work. So, make as many connections as you can.

    I know it’s hard because a lot of times you feel like people aren’t going to respond to you. But there are a lot of us out here who really love and want to reach back and help. I mentor. I’m still in touch with many of the students that I taught during my time as a professor.

    Do not discount your people skills. I know it’s hard when folks like love the internet, love being on Chat and all that stuff. That’s great. Still learning how to write with and without AI. Learning how to write, learning how to speak, learning how to read the room, that will get you further than just having a talent because you can be the most talented person in the

    world. If you don’t know how to relate to folks, you don’t know how to talk with them, get with them on a personal level or at least be professional about things; you won’t last long.

    11:45 Victoria Bartolotto

    Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. This has been an amazing interview. Have a great day.

    11:51 Aldrena Hicks

    Thank you so much. You too.

    11:53 Victoria Bartolotto

    Bye.

    11:53 Aldrena Hicks

    Bye.

  • Angela Gallo

    Angela Gallo

    “Have determination and resilience. Commitment to the craft is very important. Seek feedback from others in the field and always keep learning.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Graduate School

    Years of Experience: 30 Years

    About

    The art of dance has always been part of Angela Gallo’s life. For thirty years, she has worked as a choreographer and movement artist, creating work in contemporary dance, film, and multimedia. She believes the body is an instrument for art, and that it should be properly maintained, protected, and aware of its limits as part of the practice. 

    Angela runs two organizations out of Columbia, South Carolina. She serves as the Artistic Director of Sapphire Moon Dance Company and Executive Director of The Movement Lab at NOMA, a creative arts and wellness space. Both reflect the same belief that movement is not just performance; it is a way of existing in the world. Both Angela’s artistic spheres emphasize the importance of caring for the body and mind equally for an optimal and enjoyable experience. 

    Her work blends dance with film and text, mixing multiple mediums into one performance. The restlessness and curiosity burning inside her has kept the practice alive for over three decades in the world of dance. After such an expansive time, Angela carries the challenge and the reward of it with equal honesty and reverence.  

    She knows from experience that artists who last are the ones who show up first and stay curious. Her advice to those willing to put the work in is simple. “Have determination and resilience,” she says. “Commitment to the craft is very important. Seek feedback from others in the field and always keep learning.” 

  • Shannon Ivey

    “Don’t give up. But also, don’t give in to toxic groups or people, because that will squash your creativity.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Graduate; Has taught at SCSU, York Tech, and Midlands Tech

    Years of Experience: 25 Years

    About

    Shannon Ivey is a professional theatre artist who works in applied theatre, storytelling, and creative non-fiction. Her passion for the stage developed in early childhood, with a love of books, experience in puppet ministry at her church, and an admiration for performances of the older students at her elementary school. These pieces built up a language for storytelling unconfined to a stage or single form, a language that fully blossomed twenty-five years later when she decided to build on what started back then.  

    Shannon taught at South Carolina State University, York Tech, and Midlands Tech. She is the Founder and Chief Story Officer #whatshesaidproject, and from that, has gained experience of the business side of being a creative. “It is so much more than entrepreneurial than school prepared me for,” she says. “So. I’ve learned a lot about business.” 

    She is also an advocate for positive, healthy work environments, especially in creative industries. The creative life is long, and the network matters. Toxic people and groups have a way of quietly flattening creativity before it is even noticeable, so she promotes working with others who focus on the positive. Shannon is glad she is integrated across many artistic genres and is always learning as well as experimenting. “Restlessness,” she says, “is a gift.” 
     

  • Joshua L. Shumak

    Joshua L. Shumak

    Interview

    Transcript

    00:00 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Hello, my name is Ryleigh Kelley, and today we are talking with Joshua Shumak, a professional creative working from and within South Carolina. As we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you’re from? 

    00:23 Joshua Shumak 

    I serve as the tribal liaison for the State Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement, as well as the Assistant Chief for the Wasamasaw Tribe of Barnertown Indians. 

    I am from Monk’s Corner, South Carolina, moved to North Charleston, South Carolina, and ever since I took on my state role, I’ve been in Columbia working statewide. 

    00:46 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Before we get into the details of your profession and what you do, we have this brief little section of the interview called “One Career, Sixty Seconds”, where you describe your job in sixty seconds or less, similar to an elevator pitch. 

    01:03 Joshua Shumak 

    Understood. 

    01:04 Ryleigh Kelley 

    So, let me get my timer started. Alright, are you ready? 

    01:16 Joshua Shumak 

    Yeah, yeah, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll have less than sixty seconds, maybe more. We’ll see. 

     01:21 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Alright, great. Okay, let’s begin. You’re on the clock. 

     01:25 Joshua Shumak 

    I’m Joshua Shumak, and I’m a Native American leader and cultural preservationist from South Carolina. I serve the Assistant Chief with the Wasmassaw Tribe of Warner Town Indians. 

    And for a little bit over the past decade, my work is centered around Native American affairs, where I focus on advancing tribal communities through policy, partnerships, and programming across the state. 

    My work mainly centers on historic and cultural preservation, food sovereignty, expanding opportunities for Native American artists and small businesses across the state. I’ve led some initiatives ranging from statewide cultural programming, film festivals, agricultural and community development projects that directly support tribal citizens. 

    And really, at the core of everything I do, I do it with a commitment to preserving our state’s Native American history and culture, and ensuring that Native American communities are represented, not just for our presence in the past, but as peoples who actively shape the future of the state. 

     02:21 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Oh, perfect! You had three seconds left. That was really good. Thanks for playing! 

     In your profession, is there anything South Carolina, or in your region, or in the city in particular, brings to your work? Does it have a unique influence on you compared to people in the same profession in different states? 

     02:45 Joshua Shumak 

    When we’re talking about Native American affairs, I think it’s really different state to state. I’ve worked in South Carolina for this past decade, but I’ve also talked with some of my correspondence and equivalents in Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, and even when I spoke at the UN, I got a lot of different worldviews and perspectives. 

     Each state has its own history, and that history and how it’s worked with its Native people shape where their Native people are today. There are some states where there’s a lot more opportunity, and there are some states where there’s a lot less opportunity. My job has been trying to find out where those opportunities have been in other states, and seeing if I can bring them into our states. Working with our Native American business owners, our Native American artists, seeing if I can put them into some more mainstream art shows. 

    I’ve worked with the Columbia Museum of the Arts. We’ve been doing our Native American Art Marketplace during Soda City for the past four years now. I know that the Native American Studies Center at USC Lancaster has also been a big supporter and are even doing their quarterly art shows now, along with their monthly programming. And there’s just so many different partnerships that are getting built out across the state. And so, even though we started in 2005, with statewide Native American programming and positioning, I think that we are slowly coming along. 

    04:08 Ryleigh Kelley 

    You mentioned that you spoke at the UN, is that correct? 

    04:11 Joshua Shumak 

    That’s correct. 

     04:12 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Could you talk a little bit more about that experience? 

     04:15 Joshua Shumak 

    That was the first time I had been to Geneva, Switzerland. It was a very interesting experience. The food is very different. I love the public transportation. You can just go anywhere by their little train system. 

    It was my first time speaking at that body. I think I was the first representative or tribal delegate from South Carolina to approach that specifically for the expert mechanism on the rights of Indigenous people.  

    The UN Voluntary Fund brought me up to represent South Carolina in that conversation; basically talking about what are the things that we’ve gone through, what are the things we are looking at, those to connect with some of our peers, both in the United States and the Indigenous population across the globe. 

    05:01 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Very cool, very cool. 

    You were talking about the UN and these really interesting experiences, but was there a defining moment in your life which had an impact on your creative journey? 

    And was there any particular project or something you produced which showcased your creativity in a way that it never had before? 

     05:25 Joshua Shumak 

    Well, coming from a Native community, I feel like I’ve been ingrained in the arts and culture since a very young age. I know that since 2005, I’ve been going to our local my tribe-specific culture classes, which are usually monthly culture classes where we do pottery, basket weaving, and beadwork.  

    I’ve been very blessed to have taken some apprenticeships through our cultural preservationist, Tammy Leach, who is a Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award winner, who herself learned some of her artistic skills from Will Goins, who was another Gene Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award winner. 

    And having been able to work since 2005 to present day, and now actively working in our community, I think one of the things that is the best that I have seen come out is some of the programming is what we’ve been able to do with our own youth. 

     For example, we just started our own master apprenticeship program based on the one I was able to take through the South Carolina Art Commission with Tammy, and now I believe we have about fifteen different apprentices being trained by five different masters, all from different tribes, to bring in some of that culture. 

    Something about Native American communities is that, especially on the East Coast, our culture was very targeted and erased due to the Code of Indian offenses, which was a code that existed that basically, illegalized a lot of our ceremonies, a lot of our arts, a lot of our practices. 

    It’s only now recently, within the past twenty to thirty years, we’ve been actively allowed and actively pursuing these practices publicly that had been stripped from us. And so that, all these tribal artists and culture bearers coming together, being able to bring them together, work together with them to re-inject that in our tribe and recultivate that in our youth is something that I think I’ve seen that is very important to my community. 

    07:15 Ryleigh Kelley 

    With this kind of tension that you’ve outlined, especially growing up in Native American community, being ingrained in the arts from such a young age, but also there is that external, cultural erasure slash pressure. Before entering your field, did you have any fears about becoming a creative professional? And if you did, what inspired you to continue beyond them? 

     I know you’ve kind of discussed that  throughout the interview, but, what really inspired you to just work beyond those barriers and try to push against those? 

    07:54 Joshua Shumak 

    I think that your question raises a few good points. I think almost it’s the wrong question, only because from my perspective, coming from a twentieth century child, twenty-first century, I think we are going through life not understanding our history. For me, I really didn’t start understanding the importance of the history of my community or these cultural practices, even though I grew up ingrained in it, until I was about fifteen to my early years in college. 

    When I started to get exposed more to other people, other communities, I started to really appreciate and realize the importance of my own community. And I think for me. The kind of the erasure of community that you see going along throughout the nation, just as urbanization comes with the rise of the internet. Some of the things that are fraying community bonds all across the nation, not just the Native communities. 

    It really helped inspire me. That it was so important to make sure that we were able to keep culture alive, keep practices alive, document it, and try to especially capture and inspire tribal youth. I think that having that cultural identity also can bring a lot of pride and be an anchor in a world that can blow you away. 

    09:15 Ryleigh Kelley 

    You’re talking about talking to tribal youth and bringing awareness to what you do. With that being said, do you have any advice for young adults or students who have an interest in pursuing a similar career in the creative world? Are there any particular skills one should practice or have before entering this industry? 

     09:40 Joshua Shumak 

    I think that we all take ourselves very seriously as people. I have that issue sometimes. I think once you learn it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to be silly, and it’s okay to learn, because I think a lot of things that stops people from getting involved in creativity, or even things that they don’t fully understand, is that discomfort that, “Will I be laughed at, will I pick it up?” 

    You will make mistakes, and it’s okay to make mistakes. I think that’s why it’s so good to have mentors within whatever field you’re trying to go into, and to be able to laugh at yourself.  

    It’s kind of the same thing when you go into public speaking. You have to know how to have fun with it. Otherwise, you’re just going to tremble and just sit there in that discomfort. I think it’s all about a mindset that you have to be okay with. Okay with learning something new, knowing that there are going to be bumps along the way. 

    10:33 Ryleigh Kelley 

    I resonate with that, because it can be easy to take yourself seriously, but I like that piece of advice to have fun with it, and whatnot. So that was the last of my questions. Is there anything particular that you would like to speak on, before we wrap up? 

    10:44 Joshua Shumak 

    I am bad at speaking about myself, but I’m really good at answering questions. So ask away anything that may have piqued your interest that you might want to know a little bit more about. 

    11:07 Ryleigh Kelley 

    I would love to hear about how you mentioned that you didn’t get really into learning more about your community until you were a teenager. Could you maybe talk about that experience a little bit more? 

    11:21 Joshua Shumak 

    Well, for me, up until I started to actually get truly engaged with my community. 

    It almost seemed like a little bit of a chore when you’re a kid, and you’re like, “Oh, why is history important? Why is this important? I want to go play video games; I want to go and do this fun thing over here.” I think it’s that aspect of not knowing what you’re sitting on.  

    It’s kind of like whenever someone in your family dies, or your grandparent dies, and you’re like, “I should have been closer to this person,” and then you hear all the stories about them after the fact. 

     And I feel like it’s kind of like that mindset where you suddenly have that shift, and you see what’s important, especially in your community and your context. And I think that shift happened to me, like I said, end of high school, early college for myself. 

     After that, I was very much involved in my community, working with tribal government, working with the cultural preservation team, bringing in cultural programming and other programming for my tribe, and some collaborations with other tribes around the state. 

    12:24 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Very cool. One common thread I’ve seen, or I’ve noticed, as you’re talking about is the kind of intention that you have behind your creative practice is mindset. And I feel like, especially right now, there’s all these different pressures and external forces. Especially as young adults, it can be easy to get swept up in that. When a young creative is kind of, like, trying to navigate all those spaces and craft their mindset. 

     I know you briefly talked about this a little bit, what are some pointers or just gentle reminders that young adults and young creatives should remember when they’re crafting that mindset, amidst all these different potential distractions and whatnot. 

    13:24 Joshua Shumak 

    I think you have to find joy in what you’re doing. I worked in beadwork with seed beads and master beadwork. I’ve also now started working more seriously in pottery. I find both of them very fun. I think sometimes, for me, some of the hardest things were actually doing hands-on art. 

    13:46 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yes. 

    13:47 Joshua Shumak 

    Psyching myself up to get started, because I know it’s a long process, and once I get started, I’m good. Then it’s psyching myself up from there.  

    I think it’s a lot about community, too. Like, do you know somebody that you’re willing to go up to and say, “Hey, are you willing to teach me this? Is that available to you? Does your city have an art guild if your community isn’t as involved in it?” 

    I think a big part about Native American art that I feel is that it’s very stereotyped still. In that regard, where it comes from. It’s very hard for emerging Native artists who are practicing folk art specifically to be able to put their art in places contemporarily. Because you see these museums sometimes that — let’s bring up Catawba pottery, for example. That is a very strong folk art. It has a very unique, distinct style to it. 

     And you see sometimes, a museum or an art museum may say, “We have this piece from 1924, why do I need to invest in this kid’s piece from 2026?” And so you see that that does not happen as much. 

     And I think just the fact that folk art is less celebrated across the United States right now means that a lot of these grants that museums have don’t really apply to that category, so sometimes it’s hard to get that breakout for Native artists who specifically are using folk art. 

    I was even talking with South Arts and different programming that could be involved in potentially making funds specifically for African American community, the Native American community’s art acquisition in museums, which I think would be very, very needed. But I think sometimes they can be discouraging, so I think sometimes trying to find these opportunities is very hard for young Native creatives. 

    15:45 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Like you said, that’s kind of hard to find these opportunities for Native creatives. Do digital platforms like social media, the rise of all these technological advancements, do you feel that it might complement young Native artists, or does it complicate their efforts, especially as they’re trying to find more opportunities? 

    16:15 Joshua Shumak 

    I feel like it is adjacent. I wouldn’t say it complements, but I would say it’s adjacent. I feel like it is a way to get them out there to people who do value folk art and the art that is being created, but I do think there is still sometimes that issue when it comes to Native Americans breaking into the contemporary greater art field. It’s very exclusive for Native art for a long time. Because the art sells, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it’s hard for a young Native creative to be celebrated outside of the niche Native American or folk art-specific community.  

    17:00 Ryleigh Kelley 

    You said you talk about poetry, let’s discuss! Feel free to add it, whatever it is about that. Yeah, I can’t believe we missed that. 

    17:11 Joshua Shumak 

    Well, one of the things that I think I was very blessed to have been able to go through is the Berkeley County arts program. I started out getting into the lottery to be able to go to Howe Hall Ames Elementary School for the Arts. Then I went to Marrington Middle their art program, and then I was able to go into the Goose Creek High School art program, where I really started to go into the creative writing field, specifically poetry, and I’ve been able to publish quite a few poems since my high school years. 

     And a lot of it goes around some of that theme of identity, culture, and even into that, what Native communities today are facing, which includes a lot of land loss, cultural loss, trying to reclaim culture and some of the struggles and victories that we face every day. 

    18:04 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Is there any particular style or creative style of poetry that you like? 

    18:11 Joshua Shumak 

    I usually do free verse spoken word, only because my creative writing teacher really hated rhyming poetry. He wanted us to do very different things, sometimes avant-garde poetry, which is all about doing unique poetry writing styles. Sometimes you basically speak around a poem instead of saying the poem. Sometimes it’s the words that are missing in the poem. Things along that line. 

    18:40 Ryleigh Kelley 

    I love to hear that. Very cool to hear about your background in that as well. You have a creative writing component and a hands-on craft component. I’m curious on how all of those flow together in your creative process. Is there one that you feel really speaks to you more? Do they all have some sort of personal component? 

    I do digital work as well as creative work, and those are all in different conversations with each other. I’m curious for you, how do those kinds of mediums of art and your creative practice talk to each other? 

    19:31 Joshua Shumak 

    Of course, poetry, I think, is the only one that actually talks. 

    I think that that one is one that you can go into a lot more different directions with what you are actually saying. I feel like that almost goes hand-in-hand with beadwork. I know that that usually in itself, is like painting a picture, but without words. What am I trying to express?  

    Some of the beadwork I’ve done has been more nature-based. It has more symbolism, especially when you’re talking about making regalia, or sometimes the tribal symbols, putting that together, what that means to the community or myself. And I feel like it’s almost the opposite with pottery. I feel like pottery is almost more of a resilient, defying art form. 

    One of the things I try to incorporate in my pottery is in my slip, which is what we use to bind the different coils of clay together for hand building, I try to include some soil from either the Charleston Peninsula or Edisto Beach State Park, which is our first contact location. And that way, in each of my pieces that I’m creating, there’s a little bit of our history in it.  

    We are basically using the Earth, putting back into the Earth, creating things from nothing. I almost feel like art in itself is just such a big gift. From the creator to be able to create things ourselves. 

    21:01 Ryleigh Kelley  

    I really love to hear how, especially with pottery and the bead making. I love to hear about resilience. I think it’s interesting through something like that it speaks to that, whereas poetry maybe could be more literal, and like, “I’m literally telling you what it is.” 

    21:30 Joshua Shumak 

    I would even say that through poetry and beadwork, those two pieces of art, saying something and painting a picture. I would say pottery is the opposite. Pottery, it tells you what it wants to be and it tells you what it doesn’t want to be. 

    21:47 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yeah. Alright, well, I love how we went on that little tangent. Thank you for sharing about your poetry background as well. I really appreciate that. 

    Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. I really appreciate it. 

    22:03 Joshua Shumak 

    Will do. Thank you very much. Hope you have a good rest of your day. 

  • Augusto Gil

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    Quick Facts

    Level of Education: Graduate at University of South Carolina 

    Years of Experience: 10 Years

    About

    Augusto Gil is an Artistic Director who teaches, performs, and conducts choral and contemporary music within and beyond the Midlands. He affirms the uniqueness of directing choirs at the professional level while maintaining the most difficult part is making music and the process accessible to everyone.  

    As a child performing in church and school, Augusto had always been interested in and performed music. He was encouraged by the professionals around him and believes that had been the first step toward his current career. He emphasizes how “lifelong learning and collaborative projects” are the best way to gain experience into one’s craft while understanding where success blossoms. 

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    “Don’t jump the gun! Knowledge is power!” 

    Quick Facts

    Level of Education: 2-year Technical College

    Years of Experience: 20 Years

    About

    Originally from Alabama, Lindsay Swinford has loved flowers since she was a child. In her 20s, she started out by doing small events and proms, eventually landing herself a professional job. From there, she gained knowledge, experience, and mentorship. Today, she strives to create unique and beautiful floral designs, insisting by doing so, “you are creating a memory!” 

    Lindsay believes flowers are special because they are ephemeral, and she prides herself on keeping healthy flowers to enhance customer experience. She tends to favor lines, asymmetry, and movement, saying “the crazier the idea, the better!” 

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