Featured
A lifelong artist, Olayami Dabls created a one-of-a-kind museum out of a desire to combine his passions. The space constantly evolves to encompass his ideal of art for all.
An artisanal hat-maker with a preference for hand-crafted detail over mass production, Anna Zeitlin makes future family heirlooms, heavily linked to the wearer's self-identity.
From her Detroit-based studio Art Problems, printmaker and artist Mo Neuharth does everything from handmade books to branding, all with a very personal touch.
In a post-industrial city attempting to establish its 21st-century context within the United States, artist Tiff Massey searches for the authentic.
The first-time novelist, a Webster University alum, explores why people are the way they are through an unexpectedly realistic story of running away to join the circus.
There's an earth-friendly human behind every pair of Chicago-based Ms. Amy Taylor's gorgeous, natural-dyed underwear.
In her new novel "Hard Mouth," this former St. Louisan explores the impulse for escape that hits when life takes an unexpected turn for the worse.
Pauline Andrès grew up as a coal miner's daughter in France, but she's found her forever home in Nashville. She sings of wanderers and those just trying to get by, of heartbreak (which she knows all too well) and moments of joy.
With her hand-drawn textiles and unexpected patterns, Jennifer Felts, winner of Indiana Fashion Week's Emerging Designer Competition, traverses cultures to create pieces that celebrate her travels abroad and the city she loves.
The artist, who was born in Ghana and now lives in Detroit, explores the idea of hybrid identity: the person you once were holding space within the body with the person you’ve become; the identity you had in one country merging with the identity you take up as you acclimate to another.
the cheeky, pop-art shape language of Ellen Rutt’s primary medium keeps appearing in her mixed-media work. She’s the kind of maker whose vision is so singular that it verges on a brand—and strong brands, as we know, can shape virtually every element of our reality.
Earthy tones and flavors of story and legacy are the foundation of this neighborhood diner, where Molly Mitchell and Eggy Ding combine forces to serve patrons everything from egg sandwiches and breakfast noodles to Grandpa Richard’s Pancakes and chocolate milk.
The poet, essayist and music critic has a style of storytelling that is unique across genre and form. He shares his artistic journey from early criticism to a fruitful melding of his music roots and writing, with his hometown as a steady backbeat.
The clothing and furniture company Oil/Lumber defies easy categorization. And that's just fine with O/L's hands-on founder, Ethan Summers.
If early summertime has you in the mood for tunes about love, check out these two tracks—written by Nashville musician, artist and songwriter Amy Stroup—from Chaka Khan's first album in 12 years.
The Nashville-based sculptor talks about his unique medium, Crayola crayons, and how they’re helping him color the art world with fun and original pieces. He reflects on how the idea came about—quite literally following a dream—and the inspiration he draws from nature.
ALIVE's current issue reflects subtle updates to the design and mission statement—but the editorial philosophy is still the same: “Rather than telling everyone how impressive artists and creatives in the middle of America are, we would rather show you what’s happening in this moment, in this place.”
A single chair from Loll Designs can keep as many as 400 milk jugs out of landfills. It can also add style to any outdoor setting.
Rebecca Blevins' ceramics—sometimes perfect, sometimes exploding in the kiln after being pushed too fast—are a celebration of the human spirit.
The Nashville-born writer crafts stories rooted in the heartland, weaving together real and imagined experiences, and smashing the personal and the political together, in order to care for herself and other black women.
After a lot of 'Nos,' Danielle and Kevin McCoy have quietly built an impressive clientele and are now making waves with their mix of experimental printmaking, letterpress, design, illustration and textile work.
This newly opened women’s clothing, accessories and home goods boutique aims to connect with customers and creatives, support local designers and independent brands, and restore the magic of in-person shopping.
Nina Ganci of St. Louis-based SKIF International has built a brand anchored in extraordinary knitwear. But what’s catapulted SKIF into the closets of Hollywood stars like Lily Tomlin isn’t about Ganci’s keen eye for color, texture and drape.
Minnesota photographer Wing Young Huie, whose parents emigrated from China, will soon release a new book, "Chinese-ness," a broad look at identity in both the United States and China.
“I’m the sort of person that people immediately tell their secrets to,” says artist Lisa Luck, whose business Daughters and Sons pops up around the Minneapolis area. “In the grocery store, or wherever. I think I have a rigid way of thinking in some ways, so I try to be purposeful by being empathetic.”
Zoe Woodyard and Zach Cleary of Nashville innovate with a radically ethical, slow-fashion shoe company that moves just a beat more quickly than its peers.
Finefolk boutique and lifestyle shop in Kansas City thrives on personal connection, and owner Leslie Fraley has curated a space that prioritizes community, comfort and vulnerability.
It’s a humid morning, and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in Saint Louis’ Grand Center Arts District is wreathed in a bevy of shifting clouds.
This labor of love for the unexpected becomes a kind of art in itself—one of patience and resolve that, as Josef Harris puts it, “takes your whole life to practice.”