All the way from Maryville, Missouri, singer-songwriter Christian Dixon stopped by the studio to share his music and the stories behind it; including his experiences with grief and why he believes the best songs are often the saddest ones.

We first met Christian a while back and immediately connected with his songwriting. The way he tells a story reveals someone who has lived through profound, life-changing experiences, especially at such a young age. His songs are honest and vulnerable, reflecting both heartbreak and resilience. Though he's faced his share of hardships, he continues to lead with grace and gratitude, carrying those experiences forward through his music.

Christian has become a familiar face in the Kansas City music community, regularly appearing at writers' circles, open mics, coffee shops, and venues throughout the heartland. We've also had the pleasure of featuring him at our House Arty series, where his thoughtful songwriting and heartfelt performances left a lasting impression on friends and fans alike.

If you'd like to follow Christian on his musical journey you can find links to his social media and website below.

Meet Skyler Walton AKA Odessa Doolittle. Skyler is a multi-disciplined artist that embodies painting, drawing, sketching, illustration ceramics, film making and so much more! In this session we learn about Skyler's mormon upbringing, his travels of growing up in a military family, and his desire to connect with like-minded artists who share his enthusiasm for character work and anti-capitalism! Skyler is currently touring the Con scene with his new graphic novel and comics and doing caricature art at fairs and festivals. We hope to incorporate some of his amazing art in our venue as well. If you would like to follow Skyler on his journey please click the link below.

Enjoy!

Content Warning, this artist talk references sexual violence and non-consensual imagery. If you need to abstain, pause or skip the content, please feel free to do so. This is a heavy topic which we feel helps de-stigmatize victims of social and sexual violence. Please tend with care.

Multi-disciplined artist and educator Mandie Harding stopped by our studio to show how her work was a type of therapy for her and how sharing her story helps get through the trauma and onto a path of recovery and redemption.

If you would like to follow Mandie and see what she is working on next, please follow the link below. We've also included a link for MOCSA, the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault. Help is available if you need it.

The amazingly talented singer/songwriter and storyteller Abbie Hullinger stopped by the studio to share her songs and her story. Abbie is a singer songwriter from Lineville, Iowa. Her journey began at only 14 years old, when she was gifted her first Fender. Her sound could be heard from the groove of Northern Iowa radio, down to the song swaps of Nashville, Tennessee. Her music is heavily influenced by rock, country, blues, and soul.

After a long hiatus Abbie returns to her roots singing the songs that heal and nurture. Her powerful vocals and empowering lyrics had eyes watering throughout the room. We had a wonderful time getting to know Abbie and we hope you do to!

If you'd like to follow Abbie please click the link below.

Tatiana from Violette Designs stopped by the studio to share her art and her story. She focuses on nostalgic media, anime, spooky/romantic horror, D&D and RPG, Dark Fantasy, and whatever her brain decides to hyper focus on! Merchandise ranges from prints, original paintings, charms and stickers, to dice bags and desk mats! I also hope to do apparel and custom plushies soon too!

We fell in love with her art and her humor. If you'd like to find out more about Violette designs please follow the links below or catch her at the next Con in your area!

Artist Laura Orr stopped by the studio to share her work, her passion, and some of her favorite pieces. Laura is a fine art muralist who specializes in interior work that adds elegance and meaning to commercial and residential spaces. With her expertise in large-scale interior murals, she turns spaces into visual experiences.

If you would like to see more work by Laura or book her to paint your dream interior click the link below!

We bumped into Beatrix at a local show where she was singing and playing guitar solo on stage and she was really putting her whole essence into her performance. Beatrix reminds us of that passion that exists when we don't hold back and we don't wait for permission.

In this episode, Beatrix will talk about her childhood and starting out on violin, turning to bass guitar to establish her rock roots and now living her life as a singer/songwriter and putting in the steps to start her own band.

If you would like to learn more about The Beatrix Project you can follow the links below or better yet, catch her performing live with KC rock band Ramona Clay.

Originally from El Paso Texas, visual artist Chico Sierra now resides in the midwest. Having relocated from his familial homeland, Chico attempts to connect the dots of his cultural history and create new stories based around humanism, class structures and social justice. Influenced by his interests in varying social sciences and spiritual iconography he is attempting to create new narratives using symbolism that has been previously clouded by colonialism and more recently appropriated by euro-centric new age spiritualism.

Chico has shown consistently in various galleries in Kansas City, and has work that has been acquired and has shown at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. He has spoken on cultural appropriation at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and was a featured artist as part of their Picasso exhibit. He has also assisted with the Nelson Atkins Museum Day of the Dead exhibit for several years through their collaboration with Mattie Rhodes. Because of his work on culture and ethnic identity he has taught various workshops, has been asked for his thoughts on varied panels and is outspoken in regards to these subjects. Chico also curated exhibits of local artists alongside a Maya cultural artifacts exhibit showing at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.

You can find out more about Chico and his amazing work on his website linked below.

The precarious duo of Miss Anelyse and Jayme Smith from Chaos in Red swung by the studio to share some songs, some stories and some sass. We would say the experience was eclectic for sure. Embracing the chaos is how they have survived and got through this topsy-turvy world of ours. If you would like to follow the chaos you can find them on YouTube where they are chronicling their adventures and taking you along for the ride. You can also visit their website for show dates and geocaching updates!

The multi-faceted Poppy Flowers stopped by the studio to share her story, her art, and her poetry with us. This was an amazing experience from someone who has spent decades gaining insight and curiosity in painting, fabrication, poetry, artistry, publication, and curation.

To learn more about Poppy (Alice McCaan) check out her Creative Spark Gallery website or better yet, go visit her in the Englewood Arts District.