Olivia White

The most meaningful project for me has to be one that has yet to be released: my first official single, “Dreaming”. This is a song I wrote only this year, but it feels like a culmination of twenty-five years of songwriting and music-making tied up into one track. The song is in the early stages of production, but I am so excited about the process leading up to its eventual release. Read More>>

Ashley Pereira

I consider all of my projects meaningful, as I try to seek out projects that carries a greater purpose. However, there are three in particular that stand out due to the full-circle moments they represent. The first two involved collaborating with individuals who have had a profound influence on my life: global football icon Lionel Messi and international superstar Shakira. While I frequently work with high-profile talent and rarely get starstruck, it was impossible not to with them. Read More>>

Jason Sole

The Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists was created in 2021 to educate community members throughout the Midwest about abolitionist strategies. Since then, we’ve made several trips to Canada, visited over 50 sites throughout the nation, have traced my roots pretty far, have created circles to #FreePhilipVance, and currently planning for my upcoming pardon hearing. Read More>>

Jenna Wyman

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was writing my own play and producing it with my friends as part of a one-act festival called The Succubus Plays. It was the first time I had ever written something that was fully my own and brought it to life on stage. From the first draft to opening night, it was an incredibly personal and creatively fulfilling process. Read More>>

DANIELLA VALE

I worked on this immersive large scale outdoor film and photo project called Path of Liberty: That Which Unites Us. For this project, me and my team of 4 crew members, spent over 2 months traveling in a van across the country filming interviews and photographing a variety of Americans asking them What Being American means to them and reflecting on the founding principles of democracy and liberty. Read More>>

Yorkson Liu

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was Neither Donkey Nor Horse, a Student Academy Award–winning short film set during the Manchurian plague of 1910. I served as supervising sound designer—a role that deeply shaped my artistic vision and professional path. Read More>>

Maria Blanche

The most meaningful project in my creative life is the one I’m working on right now. Though it’s the most recent, it began as observational figure drawings that I made decades ago. I found them by chance twenty years later, while moving across the country from Los Angeles to Asheville. The drawings had become spotted with mold, altered by water and time. In this process of quiet decay, they shifted from drawings into artifacts. Read More>> 

Chris Mears

In 2022 I got to work on a movie called Fair Play as a music editor. It was the first time working in this particular role and it was an incredible experience. I’m based in Lexington, Kentucky, which is where I mostly worked on the film, but I got to fly out to Burbank for a week and collaborate with the team there. When the film was test screened for the studio, the final score which was to replace my music edit, hadn’t been completed yet, so my “temporary score” was played. Read More>>

Tawna Goforth

I grew up in the tiny farming community of Sedgwick, Kansas. There isn’t a single stoplight and everyone gives directions by “the four way stop” because there is only one of them. I am the third kid of four born to two entrepreneur parents. They owned and operated the only gas station/auto body shop in town. My dad fixed the cars and my mom ran the office doing the book work for the business. Read More>> 

PWOZ

Flashback to the 2000s, a time when graffiti was still seen as vandalism, and traditional muralists were disappearing. I was a young guy who wanted to paint everything — and as big as possible. Back then, graffiti was the only path, because with spray cans, you could paint fast and large. Read More>>

Mark Peay

Famed actor Denzel Washington once said, “The first part of your life you LEARN, the second part of your life you EARN, and the third part of your life you RETURN. Writing, publishing, and releasing my new book, “The Encore of Elevation” is one of my most prized projects because it allows me to return. Return as in to give back and impart knowledge, experience and wisdom to this generation and those that follow. Read More>>

Marlon Wallace

My first film was a short called ‘Peer’ and it is the most meaningful project I’ve worked on. I’ve been in love with film and filmmaking ever since I was little, but I am a gay African American artist. Seeing material or content on the big screen or even the small screen that centers queer Black people is rare. I have volunteered for the Ocean City Film Festival in Ocean City, MD for the past few years and as a juror, I rarely saw films that centered queer people of color. Read More>>

Martha May

I am currently working on my debut EP; which means quite a lot to me as I’ve been planning on doing this for years, but it finally feels like it’s the right time. It took years to develop and discover my complete brand identity, and I finally feel like I’m headed in the right direction. I always wanted to make up-beat, up-lifting, and yet emotionally charged pop music, and that’s exactly what this EP is going to be filled with. Read More>>

Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer

It’s hard to define what makes a project meaningful, isn’t it? Is it the impact it has on the world, or the mark it leaves on your heart?

For me, with *Evanston Salt Costs Climbing*, it was both. I’ve been part of over 40 Rogue Machine productions in the past decade, and every single one has left something with me. Since my very first show, *We Are Not These Hands*—a rare staging of Sheila Callaghan’s post-apocalyptic exploration of survival and technology in 2017— Read More>>

Laura Ollikainen

Having had the chance of being a part of different kinds of film projects, it’s actually quite hard to pick one. There are many that are meaningful and I’ve learnt from them all, but I would have to say that one of them would definitely have to be a film called “It’s Who You Know” directed by Ricky Rosario. I had a small part in the film and during the filming days I was able to see one of the lead actors, an Oscar winning Cloris Leachman, act which was brilliant and educational at the same time. Read More>>

Katherine Knight

This past fall, I completed my first ever site- specific installation: ‘Pool’, at VisArts in Rockville, MD. I
transformed the entire gallery into a summer afternoon spent poolside, including multiple life-sized painted figures swimming, jumping, and floating in the ‘water’, which was created with billowing hand dyed silk fabric and fans. This installation was meaningful to me for several reasons. Read More>>

Sarah

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Chiaroscuro Chronicles, a capstone exhibition supported by a SEMAC Artist grant. This project culminates in a public event at Rochester Beacon Academy, a charter high school, where I’ll unveil 12 original paintings that fuse the drama of Italian Renaissance art with the mood and mystery of Film Noir. Read More>>

Kandi Lake

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on has to be this unreleased song I have with my band The Kavities. The song is called “Of Course I Still Love You” and it’s simply just my take on confronting mortality; sadly there is no exciting story I can tell or big cinematic revelation I can describe. It honestly means so much to me just because it’s something I think and feel constantly in almost a preordained way and I’ve finally been able to put it into words and make it sound entertaining; hopefully when it’s released it will be understood and felt aswell. Read More>>

Zaira Campos

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is my podcast, Adoptees Crossing Lines. I created it as a space to speak the truths many of us were never allowed to say, to challenge the dominant narrative around adoption and expose the harm of the family policing system. As a Black queer adoptee I was tired of being expected to smile through my own erasure. This podcast was born out of grief, anger, and the deep need to connect with similar lived experience. Read More>>

Francesca Montanile Lyons

Just after finishing grad school, I created “Dear Diary LOL.” This was a fun, pink-soaked ensemble show made up of the verbatim text from my middle school diary, and those of my friends and collaborators. This show taught me that shining a light on something that made me feel embarrassed, or ashamed – like the truly cringe-worthy words I wrote when I was 13 – and creating art from it, is transformative. Read More>>

Lisa Schwerin

I have been working on my second campaign to shoot 40 women over the age of 40 ending in a celebration gala event for all 40 participants. When my friend and I started this portrait photography business it was because of a session that my friend had had. She was turning 40 and wanted to do a boudoir photo shoot. She did and had a really bad experience. That was what started our entire business, knowing we could do a better job at giving women a wonderful experience and beautiful images. Read More>>

Reiten Cheng

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Polyformer, a machine I developed that turns discarded plastic bottles into usable 3D printer filament.

The idea for Polyformer came from a simple but frustrating realization: in many parts of the world, 3D printing is becoming more accessible—but the filament needed to print is still expensive or hard to find. Read More>>

John James

I’m captivated by the interplay of color and light, which offers limitless combinations in the world around us. A single landscape or still life can be painted hundreds of times, yet each rendition remains unique because the artist brings a different skillset to each painting. The artist Giorgio Morandi comes to mind—he spent his entire life painting the same objects in his studio, and his still life work, studying the interplay between two and three dimensions, continues to be groundbreaking today. Read More>>

Susannah Fletcher

Taking over the Central Coast Choral Festival from our founder of the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble, Gary Lamprecht. We are so proud to be able to share the love and joy of choral music with thousands of children who come from all over the state of California ages Elementary to High School. They all come with a thirst for music and they get to perform and be adjudicated on the California Polytechnic State University Performing Arts Center Stage, Read More>>

Amy Sun

It was my dream ever since 2nd grade to be an author. I used to write stories on napkins or offering envelopes (in church). I was brimming with ideas! Over time, life happens and dreams are set aside. I forgot about that long ago hope, but God didn’t. In 2010, my daughter prayed to receive Jesus as her Savior and I wrote a letter to her about her experience so it wouldn’t be forgotten, but I also wrote an allegorical story as a gift to her. Read More>>

Michael Pollack

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on is my New Haven Pizza Club art collection. (newhavenpizzaclub.com & @nhvpc on instagram) After 20 years of working as a commercial creative director for many different brands I wanted to do something where I had complete creative control and something that truly represented who I am and where I am from. I chose pizza as my subject since it is a universal symbol of joy and bringing people together which is exactly what I wanted my work to do, and represents the Pizza Capital of The U.S. Read More>>

Zachary Hoaglund

The most meaningful project that I have worked on was a film series called, The Voice Inside. I played an autistic character who struggled throughout high school to get a diploma that would lead to higher education. This struggle stemmed from the fact that he was misguided by the education system that was meant to give him the best possible outcomes. However, as we see in the film, that is not at all what happened. Read More>>

SHERRI BRADLEY

It is so hard to choose the MOST meaningful project, because our entire focus in our work is to CAPTURE the beautiful and precious moments for our clients. EVERY moment we capture with our lenses is meaningful. From weddings, Graduations, Milestones, Family moments, EVERY aspect of life has memories they want captured, and it’s all priceless. ALL memories have meaning. Read More>>

Aaron Jaramillo

I’ve worked on many art projects. While many projects have been a blessing, the most meaningful would be the custom cornhole boards I made for Dalton Risner. Dalton played for the Denver Broncos and grew up in Colorado. I reached out over Instagram, made him a custom cornhole set, and we became good friends. I’ve also participated in many of Dalton’s Foundation events, The Risner Up Foundation. Read More>>

Samantha Franklin

My latest series is one that holds significant importance to me especially during a time of civil unrest. In January 2023, I painted an iconic candy, Bazooka Bubble Gum, a global brand that has a particularly strong and unique presence in Israel. Read More>>

Quentin Pullen

In recent years, I’ve turned my focus fully toward my community, making it my personal mission to help build something stronger and more united. Over the past five years, I’ve run for political office twice, not out of ambition, but out of duty. As a veteran, I believe service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. It’s a lifelong calling. Read More>>

Nina Katz

A few years ago, the New York Times reported on a memo circulating within the federal government that aimed to strip transgender people from some of their civil rights. It was then that I felt even after years of advocating for my transgender child, the activism I was participating in wasn’t enough. I had to use my art to make a stand. I painted a series of portraits out of a desire to support and to share my love for the Trans people in my life and in my community. Read More>>

Mariana Otalora

There is meaning and purpose behind the images in all my projects. But if I had to choose one, I would say Loteria. I’ve been working on a personal project called Loteria! by Mariana Otalora. Loteria is a popular Mexican board game, often called Mexican Bingo, where players get a board with characters from the Mexican culture on it. Read More>>

Tramelle Stroman

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my recent short film What Was / What Is. The inspiration came from observing how deeply relationship trauma can affect our mental well-being, not just during the breakup but long after. I wanted to tell a story that reflects what happens to someone mentally and emotionally after losing the version of life they thought they were building with someone else. Read More>>

Lindsay Coulter

I worked on along nine law firms and two doctors on a mass shooting case not realizing that the majority of the victims were children until after agreeing to work on it. I struggled with this a lot but came to the realization that these children needed to be represented and have a voice at their bench trial. I ended up assisting the attorneys to secure a 230 million dollar verdict against the United States Government! Read More>>

Ailene Pasco

As a public art coordinator for the Clark County Public Arts Office, the most meaningful project I have worked on is the ZAP Utility Box project. The ZAP project began in 2005 to celebrate the City of Las Vegas’ Centennial 100 Murals project. Since then, it has been running annually giving local artists opportunities to display their artwork. Read More>>

Alison Soens

I recently took on my 100 day “Doggie Doodle a Day” project. This project is dedicated to honoring my dog, and best friend of 15 years, who passed away in January 2025. Every day, for 100 days, I committed myself to drawing a doggie doodle a day each day and posting about it on my instagram and Facebook accounts. Read More>>

Isaiah Lake

I’m currently working on an event series. It’s called “The Lake House Event.” The first one takes place on August 9th in Atlanta, Georgia. This event is very personal to me because I am quite literally building my own stage and platform. It’s been 7 years since I started making music. On that journey, I’ve struggled with navigating social media as an artist trying to sell myself. With all of the systems and algorithms in place, it’s very hard to reach people online if you’re not fitting in all of the boxes. Read More>>

Jiayi Xia

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is ZETA (Zero Emission Transit Analysis), a simulation tool I designed to help transit agencies transition from diesel to electric fleets more efficiently.

Transit agencies often rely on costly consultants and disconnected spreadsheets to plan their zero-emission strategies. I led the UX design process to create a more scalable and collaborative solution. I conducted field research at a major metro transit agency, interviewed subject matter experts, and tested prototypes with nine stakeholders from different teams. Read More>>

DJ Funsize

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has honestly been my entire journey of becoming a professional music producer and DJ. As DJ Funsize, I started like so many — just a kid passionate about electronic music, experimenting in my bedroom, learning DAWs, plugins, and production techniques from scratch. What started as a hobby slowly turned into something much more serious as I dedicated countless hours to studying sound design, arrangement, mixing, and developing my own style — Read More>>

Edamovement Lab

One of the most meaningful projects we’ve created is Edamovement Lab, a collective of young Japanese artists based in New York.

We started this group with the desire to build a space where we could create freely, on our own terms, and express what truly matters to us—with our own power. Read More>>

Dolapo Okunola

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a short film called On the Brink. It’s a documentary-style film that focuses on young people sharing their experiences with mental health, identity, and the pressures they face. The idea came from listening to the stories of people around me and realising how much is left unspoken. I wanted to create a space where those feelings and experiences could be expressed honestly and visually. Read More>>

Lefty Pachino

My album entitled Virginia..brings to the for front of poverty and death to an environment at a time when drugs were often used as a means to make money but also how it infested and demolished communities and destroyed family’s..my world is graphic and it’s not for the faint at heart but it describes a multitude of how we overcame such a horrific state of events … Read More>>