OPA Live! Culture, Community, and Creativity

Host Janel Young takes over the OPA Instagram account for a live conversation with guest Melissa Kimble.

Culture, Community, and Creativity

Artist Janel Young and writer Melissa Kimble will discuss Melissa’s journey to being a cultural producer and why it is so necessary. Their conversation will also cover topics of how staples like the #blkcreatives community are showing up for creators, and Melissa’s inspirations and aspirations for the communities they are a part of. They will also touch upon how Melissa’s writing and work with well-known brands has impacted how she pours back into other creatives.

About Janel Young

Janel Young is a Pittsburgh-raised, Chicago-based painter and muralist focusing on expressionist and landscape works. Janel’s community-centered creative process is reflected in her style of bright colors, masterful blending, and symbolic-filled geometric inspiration. She has been recognized locally and internationally, from New York City to the coast of Sydney, Australia, and named Pittsburgh’s 2021 Person of the Year in Visual Arts. Young’s most notable works have themes of addressing social issues, celebrating Black women, and creating from a place of joy. Commissioning clients include Yahoo!, Verizon Media, the U.S. Open, City of Pittsburgh, City of New York and the Chicago Sky.

About Melissa Kimble

Melissa Kimble is a writer, cultural strategist, and community builder with two hometowns – Chicago and Memphis. Melissa’s impactful viral manifesto ‘This world does not move without Black creativity’ reflects her work’s central theme and focus: preserving, producing, and prioritizing Black stories, culture, and creativity for the betterment of the world around us.

Melissa is a writer and strategist creating at the intersection of culture, creativity, and community wellness. She is the founder of #blkcreatives – a staple in the Black creator community and only digital collective providing genuine support for the Black creator while honoring Black creativity in all phases of existence and development. Melissa is also the community manager for the Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute uniting and advancing Black-owned media businesses.