Burned earth looks very barren. As summer fires rage through a chaparral canyon, leaving smoldering, smoking scorches of embers, it’s hard to imagine the forest coming back from the pyre.

Igniting Pride is the rallying cry of the Ignite collection photo shoot which provided Arash Afshar, photographer, an opportunity to offer his perspective on the creative process, making art vs allowing art to make itself.

Miki Vale is a hip-hop artist with the heart and drive of an artivist focusing on social and political issues. She loves to create, to share, and to help others create, as well. She is also a poet, a commissioned playwright, and a teacher working with displaced and disconnected populations. Miki talks Respite, and what it means to feel at home.

When I arrived at John Reynolds’ (aka Bass Exotic) apartment on a beautiful sunny afternoon for the interview, I had one major thought on my mind:
Don’t. Get. To. Know. John. At least… not until the tape was rolling.

It’s a Friday night in the Arrow Lounge at Uptown Tavern, and Arash alternates between shots of Maker’s Mark and sips of Yerba Mate. This is the launch party for Justified Hype, a project three years in the making.