Fox’s Empire has been a smash hit since it premiered two years ago. Some say it’s a modern day telling of Shakespeare’s King Lear. I don’t really like Shakespeare and don’t have cable, so I’ll have to take their word for it. An aspect the show is constantly praised for is its Afrocentric art. Where’s all that art sourced from? Well, it comes from Baltimore. Particularly from the lavish Galerie Myrtis. I met Myrtis (the gallery’s owner and director) after attending a panel discussion at the gallery, “Food as a Paradox”. I thanked her for the discussion and was taken aback when she agreed to do the interview. The interview itself is an amazing one, probably my top 3 favorite since starting the podcast. Myrtis’s life sounds like one from a work of fiction, and one I feel honored to catalog. Click here to look at the gallery’s page, and look at upcoming events! Galerie Myrtis is open to the public as well!
Episode 24 – Andre Mazelin
As the Creative Alliance’s Operations Director for almost ten years, Andre’s seen and done it all. Organized events, rent out venue space, and even had to deal with a performer having a stroke on stage. Andre’s life is an interesting one, with beginnings in Jamaica and travels to the U.S. by way of Miami. Listen as he talks about his “Coming to America” moment and the culture shock, his time at school with Ziggy Marley, and his hopes for The Room, his soon to be open cafe in the heart of Mt. Vernon. Follow @theroom800 on Instagram and follow its journey from idea to reality!
Episode 23 – Wendy Wolock
What started as an innocuous post on Reddit’s (relax) Baltimore board turned into me checking out MissionFit Baltimore’s spacious and lofty work out area. I met with MFB’s trainer Geoff Blake, who taught me a new way to do squats (Bulgarian Split Squats) and alked about MissionFit’s vision. After our conversation I got to meet the nonprofit’s founder, Wendy Wolock. We talked for a bit and decided she’d be a great guest for the podcast. A self described “suburban white woman”, Wendy combined her desire to give back to the community with her fitness background to give Baltimore kids a safe space to work out and be surrounded by positive vibes. The initial spark for MissionFit was a teacher that taught Wendy in her childhood. The result is a gym space in Remington where kids and adults can come and do better. If you’re interested in getting involved, head over to missionfit.org to learn more. If you’re REALLY interested, just drop in at the gym! 2720 Sisson St, Baltimore, MD 21211. If you’re REALLY REALLY interested, run there from your house right now!
Episode 22 – Rob Simmons
I met Rob last year at an Impact Hub event organized by Jermaine Bell (listen to his episode here) and hosted by Edgar Reyes (listen to HIS episode here). It was about how Blacks and Latinos could benefit from organizing and grouping together to create change. The message resonated with both Rob and I, and we got talking about how we can be the change we want to see in our city. After talking and meeting at the wildly popular Dovecote Café (listen to THAT episode here! I’m on fire!) Rob agreed to come on the podcast and talk about his life and work. It was a great conversation, and I see him doing great things in Charm City. Rob posts on IG a lot, stalk him! @scholarsimmons.