USA TODAY
As Jennifer Walter’s husband transitioned into life as a woman, it was difficult to find clothing that fit properly. So, Walter, 50, of Gilbert, Arizona, turned the problem into an opportunity.
She created a fashion line for transgender shoppers and started the Willow Scott modeling agency, now with 35 models, 11 of whom are transgender. All are either petite or plus size, sporting tattoos or piercings and represent the LGBTQ community, but unable to get mainstream representation.
Her agency represented Phoenix Fashion Week’s first transgender model, she said.
“The modeling agency is hoping to show that positive side of being transgender to the world, as well as being part of the larger LGBTQ+ community,” she said.
First Nations Artist Explores ‘Indigenous Futurisms’ in His Woodland-Style Work
In Canada, Anishnaabe and Onyota’aka artist incorporates technological and traditional imagery
Woodland style art can be characterized by its colorful figures, dark black lines, and as one British Columbia art studio describes it, as “native art that blends traditional legends and myths with contemporary mediums.” It’s a style that 19-year-old artist, Tsista Kennedy, of the Anishnaabe and Onyota’aka Nations of London, Ontario, Canada has embraced, making a distinct mark by incorporating the traditional and the modern. Kennedy’s work can be seen as murals in local health centers, in galleries, and as the visual brand for the Indigenous Friends Association, a social enterprise focusing on how technology can support indigenous communities.
Denver singer-songwriter Teresa Suydam says it’s important for her to create a sense of belonging and inclusivity in her music.
With that spirit in mind, Suydam filmed a video for her track “Take Me to the Water.” In the song, Rachel White who is hard of hearing signs alongside Sudyam as the two women sit along a riverbank.
Suydam, who is neither deaf nor hard of hearing, adds that it is important for her to create music and experiences that include as many people as possible, no matter what their individual abilities might be. Filming the video was a challenge for her and her videographer, who had never done a project like that before.