Every once in a while we have the good fortune of working on a project that we feel truly matters, a project that we’ll still be thinking about years from now. Maybe even something we can imagine telling our grandkids about – surely you’ve had moments like that where something you did in your professional life really mattered?

Nico Lavachek

A feature I made called The Chemists is the most meaningful project I’ve done. I wrote it during the height of the COVID pandemic, not sure if it would ever be made. I’m inspired by actors because their jobs are difficult for so many reasons. It’s an incredibly complex art form that I believe deserved its own movie. I’m not an actor, but so much of myself is in the main character, Jack. He’s a creative trying to reach his full potential but can’t seem to find his big break. The struggles of becoming the artist you want to be is a topic I wanted to touch on, and of course that’s personal to me. Jack became a character that represented me and I hope that other people can relate to what he’s going through in the film. Read more>>

Melinda Matticoli

The most meaningful project I recently worked on was a short film, “Average Guy” we recently wrapped. This project was meaningful for me because due to multiple circumstances, the project seemed like such a far away and impossible to do vision because of budgets and logistics. This project was completed with the help and support of many family and friends. It was so meaningful to me because this project was a vision I had for over a year and bringing it to life was an extreme joy. Read more>>

Jim Spilios

I’ve written 100 songs and programmed them to be spread over 10 albums. The goal is to record these in a professional setting with talented producers. Read more>>

Mehgan Jernigan

The most recent project I’ve invested in that is very meaningful to me and my community is volunteering with our local Artwalk committee. From a full rebrand to utilizing my working knowledge of marketing, I’m providing the team with an important facet necessary to create a thriving art culture in the city of Clarksville so that other artists will find space in our community. We are working together to build something that will be a nurturing source for artists and art lovers alike, as well as the businesses we coordinate with. Read more>>

Patty Myasia

I recently launched a shorts-set collection, the “Expression Set” centered around black boys/men mental health. It reads “Dear Black Boy, It’s Okay To Weep”—in creative effort to dismantle the stigma surrounding what boys/men should “not” do. I created this same creative thought back in 2020, it was hand-painted on men’s dickie sets. Read more>>

Yonatan Meltzer

Growing up in a central city in the middle east, I had developed a strong taste for American-Popular music coming from the west coast. The music scene in my home city has been somewhat behind on trends, and as I was gaining some recognition in my community, I decided to create the first ever Hip-Hop/RnB jam session in my city. The vibe there was pure and genuine. Our audience kept on coming back and growing into a beautiful new wave and community. The Pocket Jam, later on, came to be the main hub for artists of the genre, nurturing artists that as of today have the biggest following in my home country. Pocket Jam – VOL. 1 is a homage album to the jam nights, and is available on all music streaming platforms. Read more>>

Celina Leroy

My name is Celina Leroy. I am a portrait artist that specializes in birthmarks and facial differences. I’ve created over 90 personalized portraits that celebrate Port Wine Stain birthmarks and other facial differences too, including people with craniofacial disorders, cleft palate, facial paralysis etc. I’ve had a full art show at Positive Exposure gallery in Manhattan in January 2023. I am excited to say I’m going to have another one this October 6th at the same gallery! Read more>>

Ursula Oberholzer

Breastifikation (2017) is an installation featuring knitted breasts with enlarged nipples attached to bras and suspended at eye level. This interactive display encouraged viewers to walk among and wear the pieces, prompting a re-examination of societal norms surrounding breast representation in North America. My motivation stemmed from the contrast in public attitudes toward exposed male and female breasts, highlighting accepted/common double standards. Read more>>

Nicole Reed

My most meaningful project at the moment is my Melanated Justice series. As one of the Co-Founders of the Still Searching Project, NFP, the ability to highlight the epidemic of missing black women and girls in Chicago is very important to me. The Melanated Justice series, is a docuseries in narrative style that brings to light some of the stories of missing women that the Still Searching Project has done community murals for. The Melanated Justice series are loose reenactments that will showcase the women and their lives before and after they were taken. It is bringing the visuals of the murals into 4D forum. Read more>>

The Wanderer Edit

I am currently working on an EP that will be a collection of my past singles and a new single. My first project (which is my first album) was all about my past, going through a journey, and finding myself again. I became disabled when I was around 24 years old. I had developed chronic joint pain and later also started to struggle with chronic migraines. This EP is where I am today and how I view the world now. I consider this the most meaningful project because it’s a reflection of who I am. Read more>>

Adrien Liv

Despicable Me is a project that is dear to me because it opened the doors for me to feature film as a character animator. I was hired to help create an acting performance for one of the main hero characters, Agnes, who wishes to be adopted by someone who cares about her. She is a very naive, sweet, and innocent four years old. I was tasked to create an animation performance for Agnes seeing the unicorn toy and screaming “It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!”. With my previous experience in animating children in video games, I came up with the jump, while she burst with excitement. Read more>>

Hillel O’leary

For me, the most meaningful project has been the process of connecting with people through the arts, and through the storytelling that is possible within sculpture, installation, and exhibition. All of my historical and personal research, paired with low and high tech fabrication has allowed me to create a visual language that not only helps me to tell my story, but helps others connect my work to their own experiences. It’s about finding materials and cultivating techniques that help to contextualize a historical moment, an emotion, or a gut reaction. Read more>>

Fabiola Stevenson

The short film “Ofelia” In 2017, the studio I was directing English dubbing at, asked me to participate on the 48 Hour Film Festival. They had entered 3 years in a row and hadn’t had luck. They wanted me to direct a short film for the contest.  I’m a dubbing director, and directing a film as short as it maybe is not something I was familiar with or felt comfortable doing.  Read more>>

Antonio Lopez Fernandez

It is an honour to share my story with you. The most significant project I have worked on was the development, composition, and recording of my album titled ” Deside Mi Silencio” because I composed it from my heart and soul, thinking about situations of love and heartbreak that we have all experienced at some point. I made the public feel identified and created each song as unique and special for each person. Read more>>

Minjung Ahn

One memorable tattoo I did was for a client who was traveling not only in LA but around the world. she shared with me how their trip to Joshua Tree in LA, where they experienced the starry night sky and countless cacti, was a truly joyful experience. She wanted a custom character tattoo to capture that memory. For custom character designs, there are certain aspects I always need to inquire about. First, we identify the main elements the client wants (for example, the Joshua Tree cactus). Then, we focus on the desired actions or expressions to convey the right emotions, and I have a conversation with the client to understand their vision. I make sure to note any specific expressions, objects, or additional background scenes they want to include. Read more>>

Miguel Miller

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a collection of three surreal short films, which, in many ways, encapsulate my journey as a filmmaker. The first of these, CANONIZE ME, was made in 2011, a time when I was exploring the boundaries of reality and the subconscious, seeking to understand the spaces where the two intersect. The film was a reflection of my inner thoughts and questions about life, identity, and the human experience. Read more>>

Ken “tsunami” Shep

All of my work has deeply rooted meanings. I can’t pinpoint which one because they all represent and share different parts of, not just my own story, but those that have shaped me. My latest series being “Black Ballet, “Cassandra’s Blues”, and soon come “Mother Pearl”; all pay homage and tribute to significant figures in my life. From giving black women their flowers and acknowledgment by showing the world they’re more than just sexualized beings, to the reimagining of the lifelong, trying yet triumphant story of my maternal and paternal grandmothers, respectively, in Cassandra’s Blues and Mother Pearl. So, in short, All of them. Read more>>

Deshaun Jay

If there was a project I would label as the “most meaningful”, it would be my latest project “Then There Was One”. A couple years ago, one of my closest friends gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me since the moment he said it. He told me “You’ve lived a hell of a life to be honest man, you need to speak about it more through your music”, I was determined to reach that objective ever since. After Phone Calls 4, my most recent R&B project I had a clean slate for the most part creatively so it felt like the perfect time to provide a quality project that can be enjoyable but tells my story simultaneously. Read more>>

Wyatt Bowden

Oddly enough, the most meaningful project I ever worked on as a director for my own projects was Green Arrow: Year One. I wrote a much shorter version of my story for it years ago and then shifting into the voice acting/audio drama side of things allowed me to revisit it and improve on the original story as well as create something more meaningful for audiences to delve into. I have plans to do multiple seasons of this character – all for no profit since he does belong to DC – but I wanted to tell my own version of this man’s story as well as the stories of those in his world. Read more>>