Kathryn Hicks' artistic journey began with a childhood obsession with dragons that her mother once warned would never lead to financial success. Starting as a traditional artist with a strong foundation in drawing and painting, Kathryn was initially "anti-digital art" before completely reversing course. At the University of Memphis, she studied studio art before transitioning to graphic design, which taught her to think differently about creative work. Her path then led to SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), where she initially pursued animation before discovering 3D modeling was her true passion. The pivotal moment in her career came in 2015 when she experienced virtual reality at SCAD and immediately knew it was her calling. This led to working with extended reality (XR) technologies in medical device training, creating augmented reality experiences for Snapchat, and eventually founding Creature Studio (named for her love of dragons). Her expertise in spatial thinking, 3D design, and world-building culminated in her being chosen to create a location-based augmented reality experience for HBO's House of the Dragon through Snapchat, bringing her childhood dragon obsession full circle in her professional career.

Emily Burkhead is an intermedia artist whose work blends 3D printing, found materials, and surrealist filmmaking. Despite not having formal artistic training in her undergraduate years (she has a social science degree), Emily pursued an MFA where she developed her distinctive style featuring vibrant hot pink colors and varied textures. Her thesis project, "Trigger/Glimmer/Something Else," became a powerful exploration of her queer and neurodivergent identity. Emily was drawn to hot pink as a "dopamine inducer" that felt forbidden because of how society had conditioned her to view it as childish, trashy, or garish. Her work creates a visual language that communicates her neurodivergent experience - with yellow elements representing sensory triggers (like "wet socks" or "Ed fucking Sheeran") and hot pink representing sensory "glimmers" (like "weighted blankets" or "my nephew's laugh"). Though she sometimes struggled to verbalize her artistic intentions in graduate school, Emily found that her work allowed her to express feelings that are difficult to put into words.

Micah McGee, known as Strooly, began his musical journey in a family of artists and musicians. His earliest memories include playing piano at his grandparents' house at age four, fascinated by harmonies and rhythms. Growing up around painters, illustrators, and screen printers instilled a DIY creative mentality that influenced his approach to art. Though he learned multiple instruments by ear (piano, guitar, drums, cello, and stand-up bass), his transition to electronic music production happened in college when limited space made traditional instruments impractical. After moving to Memphis in 2010, he joined a collective of DJs and producers called Voodoo Village, gaining experience in the backend of running a label. This eventually led to co-founding Future-Everything with his partner Anthony Carter, creating what he describes as "a living museum" for artists he believes in, focusing on music that evokes strong mental imagery and emotional narratives.

Musicians J Opp and Benjamin Reese are co-owners of Havenhaus, a DIY music venue in Memphis. The venue began as a small house music space that J started after the COVID pandemic shut down other DIY venues like Pagan Mom House. What began as a necessity to keep the local music scene alive has evolved through several locations to their newest location next to Earnestine & Hazel's in downtown Memphis. J describes finding each new space as almost divinely ordained, with opportunities consistently appearing at the right time. When the previous Cooper Young location began showing limitations (one porta-potty, no AC, electrical issues, and noise complaints), J and Ben found their current downtown location with a built-in bar, stage, lights, and sound system - the perfect next step for Havenhaus.

At the age of 5, Suroor Hassan wanted to become a pop star. She discovered Britney Spears who taught her unapologetic self-expression and artistic presentation. This early fascination with pop as an idea has led her to experiment with the art form, blending sounds she heard growing up in Pakistan, layered hyperpop glitter, poetic themes of queer joy and angst, and performance. Not only is Suroor a pop star on the rise who recently finished a tour of the Midwest, she’s an adjunct professor and scholar working on her dissertation.

Sam Reeves Hill's artistic journey began after what she describes as an "ego death" when her basketball career came to an unexpected end. Asking herself what she would do if money didn't matter, Sam finally admitted aloud what she had always known inside: "I want to paint." Despite having no formal painting experience until college, Sam developed her distinctive layered, textured style through daily practice—what she calls "daily journal entries" of creativity. Now a prolific painter and muralist, Sam creates abstract works that embrace imperfection and depth, drawing inspiration from her family's creative heritage while carving out her own artistic identity.

Almost a year ago, the music and lifestyle platform BitchBopz—led by Ashley Koehler—was born and has since taken the Memphis music by an ultra hot storm, highlighting all things femme, femme, femme. Frustrated with not being able to use her marketing and design talents for something that gave her purpose, Ashley formed BitchBopz out of a need to amplify authentic music she loved which blossomed into an engaged online community. Eventually, artists Taylor Mix and Ellen Whelan joined as co-Bopperz, and now, the trio is getting ready to throw a big anniversary bash at Ugly Art Co. after a wildly successful Grammys Watch party—their largest feat yet, but with so much more to come. 

At just four years old, DeMarcus Suggs experienced his first transformative moment on the dance floor, swaying with his grandmother to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" at a family wedding—a joyful awakening that revealed how movement could become both expression and liberation. He found a calling in movement through ballet, leading him to create imaginative choreography pieces centered around redemption. Fast forward to now: he’s made history as the first Director of Creative and Cultural Economy for the City of Memphis. 

Singer/songwriter Victoria Dowdy started her music career relatively late. She always sang since childhood but was too shy to purse it professionally until it hit her: she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t follow her path. Now, she’s a star on the stage, collaborating with musicians (including her duo with Ethan Baker for Oakwalker), releasing albums and singles, and finding the happier side of herself through writing.

Jasmine Marie is a prolific photographer, filmmaker, conceptual artist, poet, fiction writer, and so much more. She’s currently exploring queer identity, creating an experimental documentary about being a Black tomboy and even writing her own myths, masterfully mixing and weaving mediums together to make a richly authentic body of storytelling work.

Visionary writer, drag performer, and conceptual artist Moth Moth Moth talks about the fascinating origins behind her character born from childhood struggles with sleep paralysis, sickness, and ethereal visions of a protective golden light, being mentored by trans legend Lisa Michaels, creating the Rainbow Rumble drag competition, her colorful perspective of performance art, spirituality, and activism, upcoming projects including a personal podcast and an ambitious 300,000-word literary universe.

Poet, fiction writer, musician and style icon Havi Green talks about how he ripped his Achilles tendon at Art Basel, listening to audiobooks to help with rhythmic writing, the most vulnerable time to write a poem, being a sensitive boy, Moby Dick being one of the greatest cons in history, following in the footsteps of the great Black writers, exploring Black and American identity in his novel, a four-toed cat sanctuary in Key West, Zoroastrianism, developing a writer’s intuition, and how to be your own Well of creative energy.

Artist, photographer and architect Anthony Lorenzo talks about aliens, space, queer belonging, artistic bullying, inspiring women, and coming out of a creative slump.