When Creatives Thrive: a BOPA Podcast

On this episode of When Creatives Thrive, we feature Sarah Doccolo. With a background in the arts, she has been deeply involved with multiple award-winning theater companies in Baltimore as a director, performer and educator for more than a decade. She is passionate about applying her love of the arts within the intersection of Baltimore tourism, education and conservation to celebrate her communi...

This episode we are joined by Baltimore-based poets, organizers, cultural architects, and Slam Champions: Kenneth Something and Unique Robinson. Their shared story begins at a poetry competition, where they met as young artists finding their footing in the power of spoken word. From that early connection, they built a creative partnership that has spanned decades and includes a recent collaboratio...

This episode of When Creatives Thrive we feature B.K. Borison, a #1 New York Times  bestselling author and Baltimore native. Her most recent release, AND NOW, BACK TO YOU, is a warm, witty romance novel inspired by When Harry Met Sally . Its main characters, two rival meteorologists, are forced to cover the storm of the century - only to get snowed in together. Set in her beloved home city, the no...

On this episode of When Creatives Thrive we feature Jamaal ‘Feedy’ Jackson, a textile artist based in Baltimore. Feedy's venture into art began in 2021 while searching for a creative outlet during the pandemic. A simple video of tufting on social media inspired him to experiment with yarn and consider a new method of self-expression. Initially designing rugs based on popular images intended to...

On this episode of When Creatives Thrive, we feature Red Giant, an artist-run gallery, studio, and workshop, located in the Bromo Arts District of Baltimore City. Red Giant’s mission is to create a platform for art and artists by curating exhibits and embracing their neighborhood to develop cultural offerings that bring opportunities to local creatives. They are powered by ideals of access, inclus...

Boob Sweat is a Baltimore-based, woman-led film collective. Formed while in graduate school at the Maryland Institute College of Art, “Boob Sweat” has come to signify the empowerment the founders still feel as a team of women working in the entertainment industry. Whether they are producing, directing, animating, sound engineering, shooting, or editing, the crew has what it takes to make a film an...

Ayana Gordon is a self-taught Antiguan-Haitian photographer and multimedia artist based in Baltimore, MD. Working primarily with analog film and darkroom printing, she creates textured, immersive images that explore identity, heritage, and the spiritual connections between people and their environments. Ayana’s practice celebrates Black identity, feminine strength, and the intimacy of place, memor...

On this episode we feature Amanda Leigh Burnham, a visual artist based in Baltimore who makes drawings and large, site specific installations which are also drawings. Amanda’s vivid, chaotic compositions incorporate a variety of materials, styles, and techniques which result in three-dimensional collages that leap off the walls. The effect is somewhere between a comic book and a stage set. In 2025...

On this episode we feature Adam Kaufman, the creator of Jewish Jerky Brand. After a move from Los Angeles to Baltimore and a few literal signs along the way, Adam has shifted his focus onto an unexpected project: snacks. Made with Chutzpah, Jewish Jerky Brand has set out to create a new take on an age-old practice. Drawing on the spices, seasonings, and cuisines found in the places where Jews have...

This episode features the multi-hyphenate theater artist and writer, Bell Gaskin-Burr. As a writer, Belle works to uplift through the content on “Pop Culture Uncovered" aka PCU, a social and media commentary platform she helps run. Her goal is to amplify underrepresented voices, advocate for equity, and give back to the city of Baltimore. Bell is also heavily invested in the Baltimore theater...

Alanah Nichole Davis is a Bronx-born, Baltimore-raised writer, cultural strategist, and social designer whose work bridges storytelling, civic imagination, and community care. She’s built a legacy of using creativity and empathy to connect people, nurture ideas, and reimagine what’s possible for her city. Her essays, talks, and public projects often explore the intersections of race, womanhood, te...

On this episode we're joined by Robyn Murphy, the CEO of the newly announced Create Baltimore. Create Baltimore is our new name and brand identity, launched this week with blessing of the city and Mayor Brandon M. Scott under Robyn’s leadership. Just as Robyn has created a space for us to connect with creatives and hear their stories on our podcast, this week we’ll hear from her about her expe...

On this episode we feature Katie Pumphrey, an interdisciplinary artist and ultramarathon open water swimmer living and working in Baltimore. In June 2024, Katie swam an incredible 24 miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Her effort was a celebration of a swimmable Inner Harbor, which has been transformed into a safe, recreational resource for the city. Pulling from her...

On this episode we feature VILLAGER, a Nigerian-born artist living in Baltimore. VILLAGER's work spans across various media in an interconnected ritual of honoring and remembering Indigenous Yorùbá knowledge systems, visual & material culture, and African spiritual technologies and philosophies. After immigrating to the United States, VILLAGER was left to process the trauma and grief of ab...

This week we feature Chris Wisniewski, the Executive Director of The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Chris was formerly the Executive Director of the arts organization Studio in a School and Deputy Director for Education and Visitor Experience at the Museum of the Moving Image. Each year, The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers presents The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which...

On this episode we feature Jaz Erenberg, a Baltimore-based public artist, community organizer, and advocate for creative expression and social justice. As a muralist and visual storyteller, Jaz’s work focuses on the intersection of art and activism, with a deep commitment to creating public art that reflects and celebrates the diversity, resilience, and history of the communities she serves.  Jaz...

This week we’re joined by Lesley Malin, a founder of The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and its Producing Executive Director. Under her supervision, CSC has grown into one of the largest theatres in Maryland and the fifteenth largest Shakespeare theater in the U.S. Lesley discusses equity in the theatre space, including CSC's Black Classical Acting Ensemble, as well as the joys of opening door...

On this episode of When Creatives Thrive, we’re featuring Camila Leão. Camila is a Baltimore-based multimedia artist working across illustration, murals, public art, and fine art. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, she grew up between the fast-paced urban energy of the city and the raw, untamed beauty of the coast. And recently, during Project Urban, she was able to bring this duality to life in t...

This episode we’re joined by Reginald Lewis, a visual artist born in Baltimore, Maryland, who is known professionally as Insanely Dope Designs. Despite challenges, including a recent car accident, Reggie is guided by the mantra “Dedicated On Purpose Everyday,” i.e. DOPE. Over the past year, Reggie has been busy creating art that inspires and leaves a lasting impact, starting last summer with the A...

This episode we’re joined by Deyane Moses. Deyane is an Army veteran, multidisciplinary creative, educator, and curator living in Baltimore. She is also the current Director of Partnerships and Programs for Afro Charities Inc.   Deyane discusses her passion for Black History, archives, and her mission to honor the legacy of Tom Miller (1945-2000). Miller, a MICA grad like Deyane, created colorful,...

This episode, we’re excited to feature James Lane of The Shaky Experience - a local Baltimore band performing this year on Artscape’s Echoes of the City Stage. The Echoes stage was created to let homegrown, Baltimore talent shine at Artscape in front of their city. It will feature local bands of different genres, DJ sets, musical theater, and more! James reflects upon his dreams of playing Artscap...

On this episode of When Creatives Thrive we feature De’Shaun Fortune, a Baltimore native and creator of the Mustard Cast, a podcast inspired by the art of storytelling. De’Shaun is also a graphic designer, and has worked professionally at Wide Angle Youth Media, an organization dedicated to amplifying youth voices in Baltimore, since completing an apprenticeship program there. With the support of...

On this episode of “When Creatives Thrive” we welcome Brittain Duckworth, the leader of Baltimore-based band, Whiskey Feathers. Whiskey Feathers blends rock, Americana, and livetronica influences into a dynamic, immersive sound. The band is currently comprised of Brittain Duckworth on Vocals and Rhythm Guitar, Jenny Fitchett on Vocals and Keys, Luke Chohany on Lead Guitar, Jon Schreoder on Bass Gu...

Ainsley Burrows is a poet, musician, performer, and painter based in Baltimore. On this episode, we begin with childhood experiences in Jamaica that informed Ainsley’s abstract style and point of view. We discuss his move to Baltimore from New York and why this city was the best next step in his creative journey. We also reflect upon Ainsley’s 2024 exhibit “The Third Future: A Self-Portrait.”  The...

Amy L. Bernstein is a Baltimore-based author, book coach, and creativity counsellor. She is also a past BOPA grant recipient and participant in Free Fall Baltimore. Throughout her career, she has worked in playwriting, journalism, speechwriting, and communications. These days, she leads creativity workshops that focus on recognizing each artists’ personal inspiration, as well as identifying and ma...