Derio Long is an artist, illustrator, and writer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His work explores the intersections of identity, history, and creative expression, drawing inspiration from Tulsa’s legacy of resilience and cultural storytelling. Through visual art and narrative-based work, Long examines how creative practice can support community engagement and collective healing. He is particularly interested in collaborative projects and sustainable creative ventures that position art as a catalyst for meaningful social impact.
Sage AjaRa is a poet, writer, and visual artist whose work explores intimacy, tenderness, and the many dimensions of love. Through lush language and introspective reflection, she creates writing that blends vulnerability with vivid imagery and emotional depth. Her Substack journal, With Love, Sage, features poems, short stories, and personal musings that invite readers into a world of connection, sensuality, and self-discovery. Her work celebrates the quiet beauty of lived experience and the transformative power of language.
Vondell J. Burns is a storyteller, filmmaker, and community architect committed to building spaces where creatives can work with care, intention, and dignity. A graduate of Howard University and former Goldman Sachs professional, her career spans storytelling and brand strategy across finance, venture capital, real estate, and creative industries. She is the founder of Thankless Production, a creative studio supporting artists, founders, and institutions through storytelling and programming. Burns also founded NDA Haus, an intentional gathering space and membership community designed to support focused, values-aligned creative lives. Her work centers artists building quietly and intentionally, prioritizing connection, sustainability, and creative integrity.
Shayna Brewer is a multi-hyphenated artist and the founder of hidden creatives. Her work explores mental health, female sexuality, and experiences with loss by placing her own image within surreal, beautiful, and sometimes humorous scenarios. Working across animation, illustration, painting, fashion, videography, and interactive design, Brewer moves fluidly between digital and traditional mediums. She has exhibited at 184 Project Space, Brooklyn Fire Proof Gallery, Pratt DDA Gallery, and TRANSFER Gallery in Brooklyn, as well as galleries in Fairbanks, Alaska. Her work has been featured in Bushwick Daily, The Creators Project, Art F City, NewHive, and Art Report.
