Keisha Carroll, Artist Extraordinaire Featured in Liberated Muse Art Exhibit @ the Potter's House

Art imitates life imitates art”.

This is the philosophy that inspires me as I conceptualize my next painting.

I am inspired by my community, my culture, and people that I admire.

While life experiences serve as inspiration, my style, technique, and skill are a result of natural talent, university-level training, and spiritual revelations.

A former professor would comment that I have the ability to capture the spirit of a posing subject. I attribute this to a willingness to go beneath the surface level to learn about my subject. Focusing on the “why” instead of the “what” is, in my opinion, the shortcut to harmony, understanding, and brotherhood. It was around middle school when I discovered a passion for creating art.

After graduating from high school, I went on to study Art Management and Art History at Howard University. My style flows from abstract, through surrealism, and into realism. I do not believe in limiting nor categorizing who I am and what I do as an artist. My influences are the variety of communities I have lived in -New York, Michigan, D.C. My work is a melting pot of Midwestern, Southern and East Coast experiences. Growing up as a daughter of a seamstress, I am often inclined to mimic the appearance of fabric in my work through patterning, folding and dimension. I also incorporate symbolism in most of my work.

I often use West African Adinkra symbols, but sometimes I will develop my own symbols.

-Keisha Carroll

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Visit Keisha on http://www.liberatedmuse.com/ to view more photos and read more about her by clicking HERE

Visit her work in the current Liberated Muse art exhibit at the Potter's House in Washington, DC @

The Potter's House

1658 Columbia Rd NW

Washington, DC

The art exhibit is curated by Sharon Burton of Authentic Contemporary Art. The artwork is from artists from the book Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul and the network www.LiberatedMuse.com.

Liberated Muse Walks for Lupus in Baltimore

Liberated Muse member Ben Dawson is team leader for our Liberated Muse team ForOurMoms which will walk in tomorrow's Walk for Lupus in Baltimore. Please donate or come out to support. You can click here for details.

Are You a Creative Writer or Aspiring to Be One?

Aspiring Artist Playcation Series (AAPS) Overview:

Everyone is creative. However, many of us are at different stages of our creatve journey. AAPS is an engaging series for creative adults beginning their creative journey. If you are interested in participating in intense fun-work to help you get in touch with your creative muse, learn how to integrate your creativity in your 9-5 and begin the first steps toward becoming a full-time creative being, this playcation series is for you!

The AAP series is facilitated by Khadijah Ali-Coleman, a performer, professional writer and editor of the literary anthology Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul (June 2009). Ali-Coleman is co-founder of Liberated Muse Productions which produces the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest and owns the online social network for artists, www.LiberatedMuse.com.

APPS for Creative Writers
Tuesdays
6:30pm-8pm Oct 13-Dec. 8
Cost: $15 per class
$80 for 8 week session
(payment for 8 week session includes copy of Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul, a writer's kit which includes a journal, pen & journaling packet and free membership to www.LiberatedMuse.com) $15 for first class due by Oct. 1.

Payments accepted via PayPal.
Registration for APPS for Visual Artists & APPS for Performing Artists in 2010 begins Dec. 2009.

Email LiberatedMuseProductions@gmail.com for additional information and to receive a registration form.

Playcations will take place at the Riverside Community Center in northeast DC.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD to those in the DC, MD, VA area you think would be interested!!!!

Liberated Muse Performing Artists Represented in the 2009 International Soul Music Summit

This year, Liberated Muse is so proud to learn that several members of the network will be featured as performers at this year's Interntional Soul Music Summit.

The International Soul Music Summit (ISMS) returns to Atlanta, Georgia, September 24th – 27th, 2009 with a new theme, more artists, networking and nightlife activities.

With the theme: A Change Has Come: The Resurrection of The Real Thing the International Soul Music Summit is continuing its mission of educating and exposing soul music in all its forms. The largest music conference in the world dedicated to the soul genre; the International Soul Music Summit provides mainstream, emerging and independent soul artists, retailers, consumers and executives with information, networking opportunities, and technology on how to build noteworthy careers while continuing to make passionate, timeless music.

Terry Bello, Executive Producer/Creator of The International Soul Music Summit and Billboard’s 2006 Music Director of the Year, says this year’s summit will be the event of the soul music world. The first, second and third conferences attracted attendees from across the US and as far away as London and Germany. By calling attention to the importance of networking and education to fulfill the soul scene’s needs, we have invited people from other music scenes to honest, open and frank conversations about music. We have opened the door for artists to speak directly to the decision makers who are placing music, generating spins and we have provided the opportunity to gain the knowledge and contacts to augment their careers.

Components of the 2009 International Soul Music Summit, September 24th – 27th, include:

Continuous Daytime Panels and Workshops
Live Performances & Concerts/Acoustic Jam Sessions
Themed Networking Sessions/ISMS Network
Unsigned Artists Showcases
DJ Spins and Showcases
Exclusive VIP Parties with Headlining Artists
Fashion Show
The Recognition Awards and Kick-Off Party
The Homage Awards

Liberated Muse members performing at the ISMS are:

Colie Williams
Teisha Marie
Chaquis Maliq
Al Chestnutt
Afi Soul

Check out Colie and Teisha below:

Teisha Marie


Colie Williams

Liberated Muse's Celebration of Freedom Featured Phenomenal Talent

If you missed the Celebration of Freedom show we held this past Friday, Sept. 11, 2009, then you missed a phenomenal evening of spoken word, music, and live art. Here are some video clips that highlight the evening.











Special thanks to Hook of MYSTstudios.com for the above footage. Special thanks to Sharon Burton for curating the art exhibit. The art featured in the background is part of an ongoing Liberated art exhibit that will extend from Sept. 11-Dec.1.

Fly Gypsy Representing DC & Beyond

Gums are a-flapping about the hot new hip-hop duo of Kowboy Kom (aka Komplex) and Alexai Tendayi. Music critics are praising the Washington DC-based duo for their ability to attract commercial appeal without compromising musical quality or message. http://www.liberatedmuse.com/ first introduced members to the hip-hop duo Fly Gypsy last year when the duo released the single "The Ruler". The eclectic video, featuring DC's Kuku was an instant fave on the network and pretty soon, Fly Gypsy eclipsed local awareness, gathering a national and beyond following.

Kowboy Kom, the group’s vocalist, moved from Montego Bay, Jamaica to Brooklyn, New York with his family when he was still a child. Growing up in New York during the golden era of Hip-Hop, Kom was inspired by hip-hop artists of West Indian descent coming up in Brooklyn, such as Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes, and Notorious B.I.G. When he was in the seventh grade, Kom began to write poetry and rhyme. By his early twenties, Kom rose to become one of the nation’s best recognized spoken word artists and emcees, praised for his clever storytelling, signature style, and natural swagger. He has headlined numerous college tours, appeared on BET J, and opened for artists such as Jill Scott, Dwele, and Doug E. Fresh.

Kom stands apart from other emcees in his preference for performing with a live band, rather than just a DJ. A true musician, who himself plays guitar and dabbles in piano, Kom has an intimate understanding of music and infuses his flow with musicality seldom seen in modern hip-hop.

Alexei, the duo’s producer and its one-man band, grew up on stage, dancing and performing music. Born and raised in Russia during the tumultuous years of the Soviet Union’s collapse, Alexei began playing piano and dancing when he was only six. When he was eight, his parents bought the family’s first double-deck boombox and within a few weeks, Alexei was selling mixtapes in his elementary school.

In his teens, Alexei came to the United States as an exchange student and later returned to attend college. He became known in the DC area with his affiliation with folk soul singer Kuku, collaborating on Kuku's projects and performing in various venues with him, including in Kennedy Center appearances born from an initial meeting at the famous Bar Nun open mic.

Kom and Alexei first met in a freestyle cipher at Bar Nun, as well, the legendary D.C. open mic spot where Raheem DeVaughn cut his teeth. Alexei was playing guitar, and Kom stopped by and dropped some verses. The two exchanged verses and guitar riffs much to the delight of the crowd that gathered around them. They then went on to focus on their individual projects until two years later, when Alexei invited Kom to feature on a hip-hop record that Alexei was working on. Fly Gypsy was born soon after. In a few short months, Kom and Alexei created an impressive collection of music, grown its worldwide fan base and attracted significant interest from the industry. Check out their spot HERE and catch their latest interview on WHUR 96.3 HERE

Liberated Muse Brings Another Celebration of Freedom

This Friday, September 11 @ 7pm, Liberated Muse Productions brings another Celebration of Freedom to the Potter's House in Adams Morgan in Washington DC. The live music extravaganza will feature artists Colie Williams, Ozara Ode, Craig Von, Quineice Clarkson and Gary Young and spoken word artistry from Jade Andwele and Margaux Delotte-Bennett of the Saartjie Project. Andwele and Delotte-Bennett are featured writers in the book Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul, the first volume in the Liberated Muse anthology series.

This performance event is part of the book tour for Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed my Soul. Tour stops have included this past summer's Artomatic, the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest and a previous appearance at the Potter's House during the Friday Sound of Hope benefit concert series produced by Mary Shapiro in June. Proceeds from the June showcase went to students from DC's east of the river area who were beginning college this Fall as part of the DC College Success Foundation program. Proceeds helped the students pay for entrance fees, including housing deposits.

This Friday, Sept. 11, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Saartjie Project's outreach work with young people. The Saartjie Project is an artist collaborative that performs work inspired by the life of Saartjie Baartman, the woman known as the Hottentot Venus.

Submit Your Visual Art Today for the Fotoweek DC Festival: DEADLINE 9/13

Entries to the 2009 Fotoweek DC Festival are pouring in, according to Fotoweek DC's website, and with the Sunday, September 13th deadline just around the corner, it is encouraged that you submit your best work!

The annual festival, November 7th to 14th, is shaping up to be yet another amazing year with critically acclaimed international exhibitions, portfolio reviews at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, stimulating lectures by sought after photographers, and exciting events throughout the metropolitan area.

Nine good reasons why you should enter!

* Have your work displayed at FotoWeek DC Festival Nov 7-14, 2009

* $21,500 in cash awards

* Media & online exposure at fotoweekdc.org

* National Geographic Society Awards Ceremony & VIP Reception Nov 5, 2009

* Published in Limited Edition 2010 FotoWeek DC Book

* Open to all professionals, amateurs, and students around the world!!

* Entries judged in 12 separate categories (including social documentary and multimedia)* Images accepted in digital, film, cell phone, and alternatives processes

* Distinguished p judgesEnter no later than 11:59pm PST on Sunday, September 13th!

Visit http://www.fotoweekdc.org/ for a complete listing of award categories, eligibility, rules, judges and information on FotoWeek DC 2009.