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2020 Creative HUB Cohort
Since our inception in 2011 we has intentionally created opportunities that support the careers of creatives of color and women and enable their work to be more widely seen and their practices to develop and expand From showcasing local talent in our music festivals to providing creative spaces for the community to present their works RISE continues to enlighten Chattanooga s cultural landscape by investing in our city s creative communities of color We continue to invest in initiatives that offer career exposure and preparedness opportunities to next generation of black and brown arts professionals and women In 2019 we developed creative entrepreneurship initiative called The Hub that is focused on providing a strong foundation in what it means to thrive as an independent contractor creative entrepreneur here within our local region We hope our efforts will lead to increased exposure employment and career mobility of current and next generation arts professionals of women and color The 10 week core course program facilitated by local professionals covers legal structures fundraising grant writing networking and many other skills It also comes with the opportunity to earn up to 2 000 at completion of the course to do an community arts project or and event and enhance the participants portfolio of work We are extremely excited to officially announce the completion of our 2nd cohort of these amazingly talented creatives and look forward seeing them all move forward on their journeys toward making our city truly a place where we ALL can LIVE WORK PLAY AND ENJOY its cultural landscape
SHERYL BENFORD At the age of 49 years old and working 22 years in Corporate America Sheryl Benford began to re evaluate her life and realized she desired a more fulfilling future A future doing something she loves to do After eight months of unemployment frustration depression and loss of selfconfidence set in so she began to paint and cry To her surprise this provided therapy for her that was beyond her imagination While painting she had an Ah Ha moment and thought I wonder how many other women could be blessed by this As a result Tob Art was born Sheryl has been married to her sweet husband Demetress for 20 years They are the parents of one son Tobyus who lives in New Orleans LA
LA TESIA POOLE La Tesia Poole Chattanooga TN is a dynamic multidisciplinary artist working in poetry visual art performance and community engagement Beginning her career as a poet by writing and sharing the universal pain of heartbreak Poole evolved as an artist captivating the Chattanooga scene with her works and voice As a visual artist Poole draws from the illustrations and inspirations that she s always explored to create poetic and energetic works speaking to identity personal regality and culture
DESHANEE THOMAS DeShanee Thomas has been in the Chattanooga area since 2017 She has been writing poems and short stories since 6th grade Her writings are based on childhood adolescent observations psychology aspects of love and coping Her writing style is eclectic with influences including Octavia Butler Edgar Allen Poe and Clive Barker DeShanee has participated in open mic reading poetry in Chattanooga and Nashville TN as well as Springfield IL She has also written a short play for Suicide prevention week for the US Army When not writing DeShanee enjoys viewing and participating in theater painting attempting to sing dance and working on crafts DeShanee lives by the words It s not just art its therapy DeShanee Thomas has been in the Chattanooga area since 2017 She has been writing poems and short stories since 6th grade
ERIN HALL Erin Hall is a native Chattanoogan with a BFA from UTC in painting and drawing and a law degree from UTK She is hoping to eventually merge these paths into a single career in Arts Administration Erin enjoys the outdoors and traveling and almost any recreational activity These days you may find her rollerblading on the Riverwalk serving up pies at Pizza Bros or picking up coffee from any of the numerous coffee shops we have here in town
Felicion McMillon Diakhate holds an undergraduate degree in Education from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mrs McMillon Diakhate taught general education 2nd 3rd and 4th grades for ten years at Barger Academy before becoming the dance teacher Mrs McMillon Diakhate has choreographed musicals for RISE Chattanooga and other local theatre companies She has also worked as an independent choreographer and teaching artist for many middle and high school dance and cheer organizations Mrs McMillon Diakhate started performing at the early age of 6 She is the director of an award winning inner city competitive dance company Tinillik designed to use dance as a means to keep kids positively engaged Some of her dancers have gone on to perform in The Broadway Production of the Lion King dance with American Ballet Theatre in New York and sign with major record execs She likes to think that she MAKES STARS Mrs McMillon Diakhate is a lifelong learner and seeks to gain more knowledge of the business side of the arts FELICION MCMILLONDIAKHATE
ANTHONY GLADDEN Anthony D Gladden set forth his dream to instill hope and opportunity for black urban youth by teaching them the world of Chess Anthony established Kingship Chess Academy to use the game of Chess as a tool to enhance the decision making skills cognitive brain mechanics and conflict resolution skills within our child So many times parents force their kids into physical sports not knowing they may be of an introverted personality or even greater one who likes to engage intellectually Anthony Gladden
I am a self proclaimed photographer and journalist I have been capturing people through digital and film photography for 3 years As a photographer I have learned my best work is shown through my mistakes My portfolio is a reflection of my inner thoughts passions expressed through film and film inspired digital photography I strive for my work to convey a sense of wonder passion and a reflection of time Art is a life long journey that I hope will introduce me to new people take me to new cities and give me more stories to share with the world JUSTIN BRICKLER
ADDIS A H S A O T N A L Latasha Addison grew up the Highland Park area in Chattanooga as a tomboy never thinking about fashion but her personal journey on self awareness and acceptance inspired her to create her fashion brand Unique Curves BBW Boutique The uniqueness of her creative brand is that it caters to the plus size community Here s Latasha in her own words I created my brand because I love fashion and to making others smile Plus I am very passionate about what I do and it makes my heart beat when I see other Queens look good in their fashion I have talked to women who gained weight from depression having children and even health issues You have to love yourself and feel comfortable in your clothes no matter what size you are even if you have life situations that occur