Speak Up St. Louis

Episode 20: Dr. Bill Russell (Artist, Architect, Musician, Physician)

Dr. Bill’s acute awareness of being “different” inspired him to explore and subvert constructs of gender, sexuality, culture, and individual identity. Early influences of folk and fiber art traditions were passed down from his grandmother. He worked on trash trucks, switched trains on the Santa Fe Railroad, made a living as an archaeologist at the Cahokia Mounds, and restored historic architecture throughout St. Louis. Dr. Bill holds advanced degrees in physical medicine, acupuncture, and the fine arts including a BFA in Ceramics and Printmaking and an MA in Weaving from Pittsburg State University and an MFA in Multimedia from Washington University. Additionally, he studied dance with Katherine Dunham and DeBorah Ahmed, contact improvisation with Sarah Shelton Mann, West African percussion with Mor Thiam, and toured internationally with Gash/Voigt Dance Theater as an installation artist, videographer, and physician.

Episode 19: Tyler Small (SLAM! Agency)

Tyler Small is a St. Louis based event photographer, digital producer at SLAM! Agency, board member of The Village Path, and, greatest of all, a proud father of two beautiful daughters.

Episode 18: Paul Chan (MacArthur Foundation Fellow)

New York-based artist, writer, and publisher Paul Chan came to prominence in the early 2000s with vibrant moving image works that touched upon aspects of war, religion, pleasure, and politics. Around 2009, following a decade of art-making, Chan embarked on a self-imposed break, turning his attention to experimental publishing and the economics of information by founding the press Badlands Unlimited. Taking the notion of a “breather” as its organizing principle, this exhibition surveys Chan’s activities since his voluntary break from that point to the present.

Episode 17: Julian Keaton (The Jewel Mine)

Culture curator and music business coach Julian Keaton [https://julianjewels.com/about/] is one of the leading voices in the St. Louis music community. For the past 15 years, Julian has worked with award-winning talent and organizations across the country as an artist, talent manager, radio show host/producer, blog contributor, event & festival curator, consultant, brand ambassador, and founder of music business education and artist development incubator, The Jewel Mine [https://members.thejewelminestudio.com/landing], music discovery platform, Stereo Assault [https://www.stereoassault.com/]and social mobile game Dimensions [https://www.seekdimensions.com/]. As a creative, Julian is passionate about storytelling & producing innovative ways to communicate stories thru art, tech & food.

Episode 16: Herman "Lee" Jimerson II (Financial Advising)

Herman "Lee" Jimerson II owns a wealth management practice in Saint Louis, MO in the Chesterfield area. He started his practice in 2017 and only 5 years later was nationally recognized as not just one of the fastest growing advisor practices, but a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table. An organization that recognizes the top 1% of advisors in the industry. Lee shares with us his perspective and experience as a successful, young financial advisor in Saint Louis.