Season 3 | Episode 3: Interview with Artist Rita Burkholder

Sam Roberts is a Birmingham born interdisciplinary artist, informal educator, and curator. They graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with their Bachelor of Fines Arts. Sam currently works as the Youth Program Coordinator at Studio by the Tracks, the assistant gallerist at Canary Gallery, and as a teaching artist with UABs Artplay and various independent partnerships. Their creative process blends organized chaos with research, helping them explore themes of healing trauma, identity, neurodiversity, processing, and connection. Through a balance of conceptual planning and intuitive practices, Sam delves into layered approaches to art, using their work to process emotions, thoughts, and understand the world around them. They've been heavily experimenting with upcycling fabrics into new things and various mixed media processes.

Rosie Fitzgerrel is a landscape and figure painter and graphic designer whose paintings study the influence and interruption of natural world by humanity and presents the meeting of these two elements as a neutral observer. Her vibrant works are primarily created with vinyl emulsion paint, as well as gouache and oil pastels. The abstraction of components within her work is informed by her experience as a graphic designer.

Rosie Fitzgerrel is a landscape and figure painter and graphic designer whose paintings study the influence and interruption of natural world by humanity and presents the meeting of these two elements as a neutral observer. Her vibrant works are primarily created with vinyl emulsion paint, as well as gouache and oil pastels. The abstraction of components within her work is informed by her experience as a graphic designer.

Amanda (she/her) is a textile artist specializing in sustainability and natural dyeing. After a decade in New York City’s art and fashion scenes, she moved to Eufaula, Alabama, in 2021 to reconnect with nature and focus on her family. This transition deepened her commitment to organic materials and eco-conscious practices. Inspired by motherhood, Amanda explores plant-based dyes and the longevity of textiles, blending traditional techniques with modern design. Her work celebrates change, sustainability, and our bond with the natural world. She is passionate about preserving textile heritage while innovating with natural processes. Amanda’s artistic journey began early, studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design. She has exhibited at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts, where she won a Merit Award in 2023, as well as Bells Gallery and the Fearrington Art Show. Through her evolving practice, she continues to create meaningful, sustainable art.

Isabel Marie Atha is a 23 year old Animation graduate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. In her last semester, she fell in love with tattoo art, and rapidly switched her portfolio concentration from video game concept art to tattoo designs. Her passion for game art never quite left her, though, and she’s a proud developer for the indie game “Phantasmal Reality” which was nominated by UAH for consideration in the BAFTA Student Awards. Isabel is inspired by all things creepy, medical, and surreal, but also dainty and feminine. Her portfolio is built around beautiful women, bugs, and biological phenomena. She’s inspired by pop surrealist painters like Camilla d’Errico and gothic manga masterminds like Yana Toboso and Junji Ito. She’s a proud workaholic who’s almost always at her jobs, saving up money for a tattoo apprenticeship— but when she’s not working, painting, collaborating with Team Phantasmal, or designing merchandise, she’s probably watching films with her friends and making extensive tier lists about them.

A fascinating conversation with Holly Meyers, the owner of the Dothan AL gallery "The Bells Gallery"

Fascinating discussion with Amita Bhakta about her work, heritage, indian culture and our footprint as artists in the world

Meet the amazing artist Ashley Chancellor, the lead curator of Free Art Bham and Free Art PC!

A great conversation with Birmingham artist Morgan Jones Johnston about her experiences as an artist and her advise through the many artist's challenges.