"Her Power"

Tori Meglio next to Baron Batch grenade in Big Dog Coffee - photograph by Alex Young

Tori Meglio, a 22-year-old from Pittsburgh, is the brand manager for artist Baron Batch and creative collective Studio A.M. She introduces local communities to Batch's artwork and the encouraging atmospheres that Studio A.M. provides, like Sunday brunch. Meglio is mindful of her interactions with amazing women and men throughout the city. Though her work is cool, it's also professional. Curating display spaces for Batch's artwork in the Heinz History Center or collaborating with local businesses like Threads On Carson to celebrate "Her Power," Meglio is prideful of her presence in the city. Her confident personality allows her to navigate business waters that men think they own. In a brief interview below, learn how Meglio impacts equality, puts men in check and still enjoys the workplace because she could meet Mr. Right on the job.

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Meglio: First, let me explain where I've been with politics in the past nine months. I have successfully never watched a video of Donald Trump. None of my social media feeds have that. I plug my ears. That's not my battle to fight. So, I have come to this realization that it's the one-on-one interactions you have with people every day that will change the perception of what women are. By me holding myself as the kind of woman that I am and how I interact with men will change the perception of all men in the future. The way that I interact with women will change that perception. Be kind, and that's how I am going to make change. Every day, every woman I talk to I'm engaged. 'What project are you working on? How are you doing? What are you into?' It's about going deeper, making people think about themselves and respect themselves because they are accomplished in some sort of way and are proud of what they're doing. There's an impact I can make by doing that. 

ITR: Why is it difficult for women and men to collaborate with mutual respect and an appropriate professional relationship?

Meglio: I think there's two scenarios, there's the mature man and there's the immature man. The mature man probably approached me to do business with him, or the way we have come to collaborate we have mutual respect for each other. So he is respectful because he understands what's going on. Also, I'm never afraid to say what the boundaries are. Some people never say that out loud and if you don't say it out loud before it's a problem the immature man could flip it on you, 'wow, why would you ever say that?!' Like, yo, it's just for the record. This is more about me than him.

I've also found that, I'm 22-years-old right, it's time to date people, work is a great place to find a special person. Think about all of our parents who met at work or these people you find out they met at work. That's totally cool. That means you have the same interests. I hope it just didn't affect your work, or if you met them at work you then had other jobs. I would hate for you to have to put your feelings with your significant other into your work unless you really wanted to.

ITR: How does Baron Batch represent women fairly?

He's doing a wonderful job because for Baron it's not about saying 'make a woman your business and project manager.' He's like, 'My business is thriving and I have a woman doing it and she is doing a bomb-ass job.' It's much more about leading by example than verbalizing. I think he would just hire the best person of any race or any orientation for the job with the right timing. Beyond Baron, people who can work with all types of people have welcoming work environments.

Discover more about Tori and her involvement with Baron Batch and Studio A.M. here. May we absorb their legendary movements as a creative collective more thoroughly soon.

Live with the Youth at A.I.R.

Quaishawn Whitlock, Anthony Quesen, James Jaap and Nate Weaver - photograph by Alex Young

Being youthful is having unrelenting energy coupled with a burning desire to absorb new information and new skills.

The youth spirit can be inspiring, especially for those who feel like they've lost that twinkle in their eye, their vigor for a vibrant life.

Specific organizations in Pittsburgh strive to foster the essence of youth for kids by supporting their creativity.

Together, The Andy Warhol Museum and Artists Image Resource, an artist-run printmaking facility on the North Side, have partnered for Youth Open Studio. Their collaboration has gone on for some years now, at least since 2013, and their work teaches teenagers the photographic silkscreen printing process, new art techniques, and provides the kids with a creative space to complete their independent projects.

At A.I.R. for the open studio, 13 to 18-year-olds fill the workspace. The Warhol's artist educators offer assistance and company to the kids. The studio time is an opportunity for the kids to push their artistic talents outside of the classroom. Many of the participants go to CAPA, Pittsburgh's Creative and Performing Arts school.

A.I.R.'s facility is spacious with several levels and various print machines. The top floors are saved for feature exhibitions by artists in the community. Anthony Quesen, James Jaap, and Nate Weaver, a senior, freshman, and eighth grader at CAPA, chill in one of the printing spaces on the first floor. Lil Yachty bumps from the speaker system, and not that bubbly Lil Yachty, the Lil Boat with rawness and bars in his songs like "Mase in '97" or "Hasselhoff." Quaishawn Whitlock, one of The Warhol's resident artist educators, supervises the young crew.

"We come here every Wednesday," Anthony says.

Anthony, the senior primed to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art next fall, helps James refine his screen printing process. I go live on the InTheRough Style Instagram as the kids draw white paint over black hoodies to adorn them with a graphic of a hand with a rocket ship as one of the fingers. They bob their heads to the background music, stopping the prints to dance in front of my camera as they realize they have an audience.

The kids' energy is infectious. I fixate on their positive attitudes which precede them because of Anthony's pink unicorn shirt and porcupine crown he wears. They are patient with each other, Anthony tells James to apply more pressure when he draws the squeegee across the screen so that his print shows crisp on the hoodie. They marvel at the finished project. "I'm definitely wearing this to school," James says.

As curious as I am of their aura, their inquisition of Quaishawn and I is just as strong. "Alex, are you an artist too?" Anthony says. I tell him I write the news for the youth in Pittsburgh. All of their eyes get big, but I direct the conversation back to them. "Q showed me your prints. You're crazy, man," I tell Anthony. He moves to show me more of his art that he holds in a folder. Anthony's work is like a dream world from the mind of an adolescent on acid or something trippy like that, reflective and colorful.

Around the three kids again, James says he is into music but takes interest in just about everything. Nate is reserved, the youngest of the bunch and a skilled printer. I tell the freshman and eighth grader to keep hanging out with older kids. "It means you're ahead of your time," I say.

The background music cuts off at this point, so I go to the speaker and plug in my iPhone. I need to play a song that matches the youthful energy in the room. I had to play XXXTENTACION's "Look At Me!" Blaring bass hits and hype vocals resonate with a rage and fun that compares to teenage spirit. The five of us break out into a spontaneous turn-up. We're jumping high up and down, shimmying our shoulders and shouting the lyrics. "Look at me, YUH!" Anthony daps me up. "This song is too hard," he says.

After, we wind down. Quaishawn puts everything back in order and locks A.I.R.'s doors. As we leave, I tell the kids to keep their energy no matter what. We follow each other on IG and depart.

"They're so inspiring to be around," Quaishawn says. "They make me want to go home and lose myself in my artwork."

Astonished by the interaction, Q reflects on the kids. "Everyone has that spirit in them. But when we come home from work we're tired. You just have to do it, be willing to get lost in your youth."

The Andy Warhol Museum and Artists Image Resource will continue to be present for Pittsburgh's young community. Youth Open Studio continues to run on Wednesdays from the North Side studio, and on April 28 The Warhol will host its annual Youth Invasion party at the museum with food, silkscreen printing, and musical performances by groups like hip-hop oriented 1Hood.

A.I.R.

518 Foreland Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

The Warhol: Youth Invasion

April 28, 2017 | 5-10 p.m.

117 Sandusky Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Observing a Gang of Wolves

Gang of Wolves photographed by Alex Young

Success can happen with numbers just like success can happen individually. While readers here know success in Pittsburgh's creative community feeds off of support and togetherness, Gang of Wolves legitimizes the pack mentality as an artistic collective.

Comprised of outgoing twenty-somethings, G.O.W. operates as a multimedia production group delivering graphic, music, and video content. Jacob Finch is the creative director who manages Dillis, Pk Delay, and Patches all of who rap.

Essentially, Gang of Wolves aims to enhance the outputs of a co-working network of artists. Before Dillis, Pk, and Patches linked together they were acquaintances working in the 'Burgh's hip-hop community. Each of the youngsters carries a contemporary persona that appears in photographs, on stage, and on the internet. The G.O.W. artists "understand how to use the internet as the place to go to establish their brands," Finch says. Pk has executed multiple wearable merchandises on the net that have accompanied his music. His "Dad" hats symbolize the smart marketing habits available to Gang of Wolves. Dillis and Patches are clever too. Their latest work, "We're the WET BOYZ, and You're Watching Disney Channel," is so nostalgic with its imagery that the album cover is perfect advertising for a playful project. On the fast-paced web, marketability is valuable for getting attention to specific people or projects.

With training in photography and multidisciplinary graphic design, Finch organizes the Gang of Wolves to be funny and smart in their media on a consistent basis. Inside the building that was formerly known as Allegheny Center Mall on Pittsburgh's North Side, Finch and videographer Alden Roth made G.OW.'s efforts visually cohesive as Dillis, Pk, and Patches wandered around the sprawling facility.

As a group, Gang of Wolves makes its mark with "Grand Opening," video and animation that assists new music singles. Along with promoting music, the gang entertains their audience with thorough visual content to compliment the rappers' lyrics. Music mixes will also be available on the group's SoundCloud. Working in a pack makes Gang of Wolves more efficient in their delivery.

For 2017, those who are interested should look for editions of "Grand Opening" weekly. To learn more about G.O.W. go here or follow them socially here. Introduce yourself to the group with the trailer below shot by Finch.

An Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Magazine

Creative Nonfiction magazine covers photographed by Alex Young

True stories are everywhere. People can hear real tales from many walks-of-life in different mediums. The story subjects range in an almost infinite amount of topics, and they often comment on certain time periods, geographic locations or societal characteristics.

In Pittsburgh, a publication called Creative Nonfiction operates to share written works that use "the crafts of storytelling" to explore factual narratives and interviews. What began as an academic journal 22 years ago is now fascinating prose that delivers significance through truth.

Issues of Creative Nonfiction magazine publish quarterly, and educated, suburban Baby Boomers enjoy the text-heavy compositions. Although there is a young Generation X and Millenial influence felt around the magazine and inside the CNF office that Lauren Boehm, the building and events manager, showed me.

CNF issues at HQ

Part of Boehm's objective with holding events at CNF's headquarter is exposing the magazine to a more youthful audience and to those who are engaged with the contemporary, creative culture in Pittsburgh and other cities nationwide. The building's location one street over from Penn Avenue's art district, which many Pittsburghers frequent for gallery crawls, like First Friday, plays a pivotal role in the magazine's growth within the community. Establishments like Boom Concepts diversifies the artsy East Liberty neighborhood that Creative Nonfiction situates itself in. 

Creative Nonfiction also interacts with local academia. Find some Chatham University students from Shadyside as contributors to the magazine. Additionally, various advertisements for postsecondary institutions' writing-centered Master of Fine Arts degree sprinkle throughout magazine editions. Chatham, City University London, Northwestern University, and Sarah Lawrence College feature in CNF issue 45. The college listings allude to Creative Nonfiction's reach across the United States and abroad.

While Creative Nonfiction has roots in Pittsburgh, their focus as a literary magazine draws mass appeal due to the numerous and talented authors who the magazine publishes. Having a title that represents a college program and genre keeps the quarterly relevant too. 

One thing that Creative Nonfiction's young audience has to understand is that the work is "true stories, well told," reads their slogan. Those who enjoy reading good long-form or short-form stories by good writers should pick up CNF. Though the organization does well by offering programs that quick-reading people could get into. Tiny Truth Contests dares Twitter users to tell an interesting true story in 140-characters or less. "'I don't have any cash on me,' he said. The Moscow traffic cop, waiting for his bribe, pointed. 'There's an ATM right over there,'" @amalchik wrote in her online micro-essay.

The content the magazine values is cleverly written true narratives. Each piece displays literate skill on an interesting topic from special perspectives thanks to artistic authors. Ears are top of mind in Steven Church's piece, "Speaking of Ears and Savagery." Regarding the body part, he references Tyson vs. Holyfield II, other worlds, and a wild chimpanzee named Travis. "Grave Robber: A Love Story" titles Joyce Marcel's story following Church's in issue 45 about brutality, crime and violence. The honest tales in Creative Nonfiction are interesting, insightful reads.

Editors of CNF also publish a monthly pocket-size issue called "True Story" that features "one exceptional essay by one exceptional writer." In the first edition learn about two teenage brothers who self-recorded an album in the 1970s, in a log-cabin, and on their family farm. Upon the music's initial release the album flopped, but it was re-discovered and reached critical acclaim in 2008.

Quality storytelling keeps people reading Creative Nonfiction magazine. As the publication continues, it will offer opportunities for skillful writers to share true stories that reflect life from various concepts and backgrounds. Pushing CNF's presence as a media outlet in Pittsburgh that is beneficial to creative writers and storytellers could open up opportunities for CNF to collaborate with the youthful parties who find success in the city's urban environment.

Discover more about Creative Nonfiction and purchase the latest magazine issue, "Learning From Nature," here, as well as "True Story" here.

Creative Nonfiction Foundation

5119 Coral Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

An Appropriate Place to Discuss Sneakers

Curated by Sean Beauford

There is cultural significance in sneakers. Beyond wearing a shoe for comfort and function, some people wear certain brands and silhouettes because they symbolize a popular adoration for sports, music, creativity, and style. Some people have accomplished great achievements in their shoes that the footwear itself becomes historical in-line with the person's legend. Heroes like athletes Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan, musical talents like Pharrell Williams and Kanye West, as well as genius Steve Jobs all triumphed in their Reebok, Jordan, adidas, Nike, and New Balance sneakers respectively. Factors such as these, along with special colorways and limited collaborations with exemplary design houses, make many sneakers attractive to wear and valuable to collect.

Frequent curator of art exhibitions in the Pittsburgh area Sean Beauford expounds sneaker culture with his new forum. "GRAIL abandons the idea of sacred material possessions, reconsiders consumption, and urges thoughtful creating," is written at ongrail.com. 

Through an exhibit and panel discussion, artists John Geiger, Dylan Graves, LinShuttr, as well as entrepreneur Soley Ghost, and moderator Grits Capone underline the significance and complexity of iconic shoes, nicknamed after the Holy Grail.

GRAIL's cast mates all have their own contribution to or appreciation for sneaker culture. John Geiger's imagination has led him to craft many unique designs with Nike's Air Force 1 and his own collection of footwear. Artist Dylan Graves offers an abstract representation of Jordan Brand's beauty while illustrator LinShuttr plays into MJ's icon. Soley Ghost is the proprietor of a couple sneaker shops, like East Coast Boutique in New Jersey. Poet and journalist Grits Capone will concentrate the conversation on an all-encompassing culture.

Establishments in Pittsburgh's East Liberty support Beauford's GRAIL and GRAIL TALK. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater presents the show, and sneaker consignment store Refresh PGH sponsors the affair. Music by iB-Rease will aid the atmosphere. GRAIL will open on Thursday, October 13 at Ace Hotel, also in East Liberty. Discussion will be held from 6-7 p.m. and after the gallery will unveil.

Ace Hotel

120 S Whitfield St

Pittsburgh, PA 15206