birmingham – Page 2 – Sherri Ross

Tag: birmingham

16
Nov
2015

Got Art? Birmingham Does!

Birmingham is awash with talented artists, from music to media to art and more. We are fortunate to have some of the best in the business right in our figurative backyard. Before I moved to Birmingham I never really cared that much about art, local or otherwise. However, after falling madly in love with Naked Art (thanks to my good friend, Lee) not long after moving to Birmingham, I jumped on the art bandwagon. Naked Art appealed to the non-conformist in me, carrying all types of strange and wonderful pieces by local artists. I had never seen anything like it before and I was hooked. Since discovering Naked Art, I have slowly, but steadily, grown my art collection and it’s full of some of my favorite artists like Sarah Woodall, Vero Vanblaere, Scott Thigpen, Chad Moore, Chris Davis, and others.

Sarah Woodall’s skylines are a must have for any Birmingham lover. She does commission work, but you can usually find her pieces during the year at ArtWalk, some of the monthly Art Crawls, and her web site sarahwoodallart.com. Being in love with all things Birmingham, we actually have a few of her pieces on our walls, some received as gifts and some just gifts to ourselves. From her depictions of Vulcan, the infamous Magic City sign, and more, Sarah creates masterpieces that work well in any decor.

Another one of my all-time favorites is local celebrity Vero Vanblaere. Vero actually owns the previously mentioned Naked Art gallery and that’s where I first discovered her work. Her pieces are so unique, many whimsical, and all tell a story. Vero also does commissioned work and her pieces can be found inside Naked Art, as well as many festivals around town. Vero’s talent has spilled over into filmmaking and she recently released her first short film Bottomless to rave reviews.

Chad Moore’s photography business is called Piffle Pics and the name is perfect. His photography cracks me up. I’m not an art connoisseur (or even that good with words), so the best way for me to describe it is pictures with characters inserted into them, usually in somewhat ironic or funny situations. They’re not always funny though; my favorite piece by Chad is a “You Are Beautiful” photograph that he did.

Chris Davis is another local boy made good. Between his commissioned playful dog portraits, clay platypi, and Vulcan beards, his art can be found all throughout Birmingham. Add to that his amazing graphic design skills, improv and comedy acts, and you’ve got a first-class artist.

Rounding out my the top of my list are Scott Thigpen, John Lytle Wilson, Delaine Derry Green, and Eric Johnson. Thigpens creations are beyond witty, Wilson’s robots and unicorns feed my inner child, Green’s vintage-inspired pieces make me wish for simpler times, and Johnson’s Birmingham metal works give me the warm fuzzies.

Do you have any favorite local artists? If so, who are they and why? Tell me in the Comments below.

15
Nov
2015

Birmingham’s Got Your Back

categories: #bloglikecrazy, Birmingham

It’s no secret that I am in love with Birmingham. I dub myself “Birmingham’s Unofficial Cheerleader” (at least until they create the position for me). What thrills me to no end is that I’m not alone. Birmingham is a city full of love for one another. We have helped launch hundreds, if not thousands, of books, movies, businesses, incubators, and more just from supporting each other in our endeavors.

Take Carrie Rollwagen and Amy Bickers. Active members of the Birmingham community, they decided to launch Kickstarter campaigns to try and publish books that they wrote. Success! Completely crowd-funded books by local authors because Birmingham believes in its own. Another great example is Sidewalk Film Festival, a local independent festival that recently had its biggest year due in part to thousands of Birmingham believers shouting from the rooftops how amazing it is over the years.

On a personal note, I’ve found so much support in groups like See Jane Write and Birmingham Girls Club, created to help other like-minded women find and build their own tribe. For example, I’m sitting in a coffee shop right now with a room full of other women, blogging and writing. My blogging buddy, Jennifer, and I put the word out earlier this week that we were going to be setting some time aside to just work on our blogs this weekend and invited others to come along and here we are. This is the power of our community, supporting one another even with no words and just the clicking of keyboards.

I believe in Birmingham. She believes in you. Birmingham’s got your back!

25
Feb
2014

Who inspires you, Birmingham?

categories: Birmingham

I recently met a new friend, Kevin Storr, who helps run PRSA Alabama. He asked ma great question during our meeting, “What happened when you moved back to Birmingham (from D.C.) to make you want to get involved in the community?” I don’t know that I had ever been asked that question before though a lot of my friends know how much I love Birmingham. Why do I love Birmingham? How did it come to be? I had never given it much thought…it just happened.

I had previously lived in Birmingham, in a beautiful apartment in Southside. I loved the vibe of the area, the scenery, and being in the heart of the city. While I had a great first experience I really fell in love with the city the second time around. I am sure it had to do with the revitalization that was happening when I moved back in 2010. Railroad Park was brand new, Regions Park was moving downtown, 2nd Avenue North and surrounding areas were exploding, and people were excited. Upon my return, I was instantly greeted by buzz and excitement, people were talking. I looked for ways to get involved and connected and I didn’t have to look far. Within my first few weeks I heard the name Laura Kate Whitney multiple times. Who was this Birmingham phenom that everyone seemed to know and love?

I don’t remember when I first met LK (I have a very selective memory as my husband will tell you), but I do remember that I knew I would never forget her. She was a firework finale packed into a single firecracker. My “big” personality was no match for her hypnotic happiness and enthusiasm for all things Birmingham. I was hooked. This is what I wanted to do. I wanted to drink in the city and all its good and bad with unwavering devotion and celebration.

I set up a meeting with LK to get to know her better. As per usual with LK, she completely turned the conversation around, got to know me better, wanted to hear about my loves, and we came up with a new name on the spot for this new rookie Birmingham cheerleader (me) courtesy of the Alabama Power building downtown – Electra. Even though the moniker was meant for me, it fitted her better: LK is electric and has a way of spreading her electricity to everyone around her and getting them equally excited about the topic at hand.

Bottom line: the girl is magic. She casts spells, she gets people excited and involved, and everyone I’ve ever asked has fallen madly in love with her. How could you not? She is, after all, Birmingham’s original cheerleader.

Update: Laura Kate is one of the notable speakers at this weekend’s sold out Birmingham TEDx event. You can find more information about and listen to a live stream of the day’s events here: http://www.tedxbirmingham.org/

20
Nov
2013

Mission Impossible

categories: bloglikecrazy

Today’s #bloglikecrazy post asks us to define our mission statement or goal of our blog. I remember doing this last year so went to see if it still rang true. Last year’s mission statement:

YouGotRossed is a blog about the great loves of my life with the main focus on Birmingham, Alabama. It will be used primarily to educate readers about the city and promote Birmingham’s various offerings including geographical, cultural, historical, and current events. This will be a space for fostering community involvement, while also encompassing some other passions like fitness, feminism, writing, self-improvement, and volunteering.

Yup. that still about sums it up. I’ve had to scale back on the fitness since the doctor told me I have pre-osteoporosis and arthritis in my hip, but said I can get back to it once I build those hip muscles around that bone up. So swimming and recumbent bike, here I come!

And I still love Birmingham with all my heart and immerse myself in the city whenever I can.

Link to your blog’s mission statement in the comments section below.

Love yourself.
Find peace inside.
Share happiness.

08
Nov
2013

What’s in your bucket?

categories: bloglikecrazy

NOTE: I started this yesterday, but didn’t finish it before midnight. But it’s still yesterday’s #bloglikecrazy post. 🙂

Today’s #bloglikecrazy writing prompt asks us what we want to be when we grow up. I’m kidding. It does ask us to talk about what’s on our blogging bucket lists. To be honest, I don’t have a blogging bucket list and had never heard of it until this prompt. And I’ve read a few friends’ posts today and they are outstanding! Since I don’t have a blogging bucket list, this post is done.

I JEST! I will say that I’d like to integrate this blog into more of a web site that highlights my various activities and invites people to get involved. I would like to brand YouGotRossed a bit more, make it a landing page for the Dance Walks, the Birmingham Girls Club, my blog, and whatever else I create. So, that’s what I will be working on in the new year. Stay tuned!

Love yourself.
Find peace inside.
Share happiness.