Raeesah Islam Takes Us on Utopia Feni’s 10-Year JOURNEY

For the past decade, multifaceted creative Raeesah Islam has dedicated herself to building and nurturing Virginia Beach’s arts scene through her nonprofit, Utopia Feni. From open mics and public art projects to murals and experiential activations, Raeesah has cultivated a diverse and vibrant co-op of local artists.

Certainly, it’s Raeesah’s authenticity, generosity and genuine love of community that inspired more than 50 guests to flock to The Garage in the bitter cold of winter – at 8:30 a.m. no less! – to learn more about her transformative JOURNEY.

Raised in Virginia Beach, Raeesah grew up with the ardent support of her parents, whom she credits with allowing and empowering her to move through life to the beat of her own drum. Feni, Bangladesh, her father’s native village, also fueled Raeesah’s perspective and helped color her creative prowess. It’s Feni’s simple, community-minded lifestyle that inspired Raeesah’s message of unity through her art and community work and ultimately led her on the journey of finding ways to give back and show the value of creativity.

“If I hadn’t been taught or encouraged to be an artist, I wouldn’t have been one. I wanted to find ways to impart that message to the kids in Feni, too.”

Suffering from autoimmune diseases and medical complications, Raeesah was often isolated as a child, an experience that led to introspection, resilience and dreams of being a fashion designer in London. In 2011, she turned that vision into reality, attending the London College of Fashion and discovering that everything she had once wanted was standing before her.

“I suddenly had this realization: Everything I had wanted London to be, I had at home. Virginia Beach was a fertile and blank canvas for me…”

With a reinvigorated vision, Raeesah got to work, with the mission to share the value of creativity with local artists and with Bangladeshi youth in Feni. In 2015, Raeesah transformed her father’s former doctor’s office in Kempsville into a creative studio and 501©(3) aptly named Utopia Feni.

In its third year, Utopia Feni established an arts program in Feni; when it was forced to shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, Raeesah’s focused her efforts on serving the needs of the local creative community, helping create movements like #VAweloveyou, which connected and supported artists in the 757 during the Covid-19 shutdowns.

Over a decade, Raeesah has been an educator, a curator, an organizer and a beloved beacon of hope and opportunity for Virginia Beach creatives. She has planned a stage at Pharrell’s Something in the Water festival, curated the First Fridays series at ViBe Park in the ViBe Creative District and collaborated on new projects with The Chrysler Museum of Art.

As Raeesah reflects on Utopia Feni’s dynamic 10-year journey, she’s proudest of having built an authentic community that has helped open the doors for so many fellow creatives.

“There have been many dream-come-true moments in the past 10 years. I’m ready to slow down a bit, reevaluate my mission, and continue this journey.”

No doubt Raeesah’s incredible journey has just begun. Learn more about Utopia Feni at utopiafeni.com, or follow Raeesah on Instagram at @raeesah.757.

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Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Join us every third Friday in 2025 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Cycle, Rhythm, Endurance, Ritual and Reflection. February’s theme is LAYERS, and our speaker will be Sarah Hodge of Aura Theory.

CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.

Local Artist “Igor” Talks about the CYCLE of a Self-Employed Artist

With a singular name, Igor didn’t quite need an introduction at our last Creative Mornings gathering of the year, but he got one anyway. The reception reflected the energetic community the local artist has helped build; with more than 75 excited guests piling into The Garage, this was our best-attended morning yet!

Growing up in Delaware, Igor was inspired by car culture and by the arts, but he never imagined those two worlds would one day collide.

In the 1980s, Igor became a professional roadie for a metal rock band based in Ocean City, Md., It was in Ocean City that Igor would join the iconic 17th Street Surf Shop as a visual merchandiser, spending a decade working as a creative within the East Coast surf culture and eventually relocating to Virginia Beach.

After more than a decade designing window displays, Igor began searching for his next opportunity. “I knew I had to widen my horizons, but taking that leap was scary.” Encouraged by friends, Igor decided to pursue his pinstriping “hobby” full-time.

Two decades later, Igor has handpainted on motorcycles, helmets, vintage cars, storefronts, murals, banners and more across Virginia Beach and beyond. Ever holiday season, Igor paints hundreds of his iconic XXX balls, depicting irreverent, lighthearted sayings or custom messages.

Igor’s intricate pinstriping and funky lettering has also drawn the interest of national brands and celebrity clients, including Bob Ritchie (a.k.a. Kid Rock), with whom Igor has collaborated for more than eight years. Recently, Redbull Music and Gibson Guitars commissioned Igor to paint 14 custom guitars for a notable group of country music artists, including Brothers Osborne and Shaboozey.

One of Igor’s fondest memories has been presenting a guitar to Derek Wells, an award-winning guitar player for the likes of Post Malone. Inspired by Derek’s passion for wrist watches, Igor painted a Rolex Submariner on the Gibson ES, complete with Rolex lettering depicting the musician’s children’s names.

At his studio and eclectic shop located within The Alley in Virginia Beach’s ViBe Creative District, Igor also houses the “World’s Smallest Museum,” a wall-to-wall collection of some of his most cherished oddities. It was in this local creative sanctuary that Igor dreamed up the vision for The Alley’s beloved VB Flea, a curated vintage and antique market. Now in its ninth year, the VB Flea averages 4,000-5,000 visitors and has a growing waiting list for vendors.

“Part of your responsibility as a creative in a smaller community is to take the initiative and make things happen yourself. If you want to get involved, all you have to do is ask.”

In addition to painting, creating and collaborating, Igor relishes his Brazilian jiu-jitsu practice, which he credits with making him a better, kinder and more thoughtful person. In that spirit, giving back is also central to Igor’s artistic work. Each year, he donates artwork to Nashville’s Tomahawn Charitable Solutions in support of military, law enforcement and special forces operators and their families.

When asked why he has stayed in Virginia Beach when his talent could take him anywhere in the world, Igor responds: “VB is too amazing to leave. I’m way too excited to see this creative community continue to grow.”

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Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Join us every third Friday in 2025 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Ritual, Reflection and Vision. January’s theme is JOURNEY, and our speaker will be Raeesah Islam of Utopia Feni.

CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.

Check out the photos by Misty Saves the Day from the December event featuring IGOR!

CMVB Dec 2024: IGORS CUSTOM ON CYCLE | Flickr

The man. The myth. The legend. Igor will speak on December 20 for the theme CYCLE! Register now, here: Virginia Beach Artist Igor talks about the Cycle of a self-employed artist | CreativeMornings/Virginia Beach

Artist Nikki Leone Reflects on Tufting and the THREAD of Human Connection

“Making utilitarian objects that are also beautiful?! It just doesn’t get any better than that.”

The THREAD of human connection has been a tenet of Nikki Leone’s art career, and certainly, many of those connections were in attendance at The Garage on this chilly fall morning to hear Nikki reflect on her inspiring artistic journey.

That journey began during her senior year of high school in Virginia Beach, when graffiti-writing first introduced her to the art world. Using “Artro” as her tag, Nikki learned not only how vast and nontraditional a “canvas” could be but also how challenging  – albeit empowering – proving herself as “more than just a girl” would be as a female artist.

Nikki first attended college as a soccer player with the hopes of becoming a marine biologist but found herself uninspired and uninterested. Failing out, however, would prove to be a necessary and life-altering reset for the budding artist. Reflecting on her time graffiti-writing, Nikki decided to revisit art, signing up to take foundational art classes at Tidewater Community College. It was during this time that Nikki would discover her calling as a multidimensional artist and tap into her gift for building, sculpting and crafting.

“My still lives just started popping off the canvas, and I knew this is how my brain works – in the three-dimensional. I suddenly found myself expressing everything I couldn’t say verbally.”

Getting accepted into the Sculpture department at Virginia Commonwealth University changed everything. She flourished as a dynamic artist, unearthing new ways to express herself freely and authentically.

While earning her MFA in Studio Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Nikki learned about prop-making and set design, an artform that relies on some of what Nikki does best: envisioning, designing and building. “What’s the worst that can happen?” she asked herself, emboldened by the chance to challenge herself as an artist.

That opportunity would appear unexpectedly in nearby Norfolk, Va., where Nikki became a display artist for Urban Outfitters after having earned her chops, so to speak, as a gallery assistant and museum preparator. After two years at Urban Outfitters, Nikki served as a display artist for Anthropologie in the Virginia Beach Town Center for more than seven years, a role in which she once handcrafted 5,000 paper crabs from toilet rolls she had donated!

Committed to balancing her career with family and motherhood, Nikki sought ways to downshift her schedule. It was in this exploration that she discovered tufting, an art practice she could feasibly take on at home. It wasn’t long before she acquired a home tufting gun and got to work. The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.

Today, as the founder of Poplar and Pine Studios, Nikki designs immersive activations for events and retail spaces. She continues to design colorful and playful tufting creations but has since outsourced their fabrication to award her more time for her personal art practice – a lesson in relinquishing control and in trusting others’ mastery of the process.

Nikki’s commitment to freeing herself from constraints and diving into her curiosity has paid off. She currently has a solo exhibition at Virginia MOCA titled “Rule Breaker,” which runs until Jan. 5. She also has her eyes set on creating larger-scale works, all while continuing to push her artistry in colorful, conversational and community-minded ways.

“Everyone is on a different timeline. I am just getting started.”

Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Such an amazing turn out today for local creative Nikki Leone! Check out the pics by Fresh Look Photography here:

Creative Mornings VB: November 2024 with Nikki Leone | Flickr

Watch the full video at: Anita Patel | VISION: Collaborators Anita Patel and Stephanie Walters Talk about building creative connections, community and belonging | CreativeMornings/VB

VISION: Collaborators Anita Patel and Stephanie Walters on Creativity, Connection & Community

“Creativity is inherent to the human condition. It’s an act of love.” – Anita Patel

Community has been central to the careers of Anita Patel and Stephanie Walters, so it was not surprising to see our Virginia Beach community show up in droves to listen to them share their VISION at The Garage on this beautiful fall morning.

Anita and Stephanie have long been creating spaces for themselves, their creativity and their community. While their respective journeys to Virginia Beach were different, these two powerhouses are now collaborating to fulfill the city’s vibrant vision through art, music and events that celebrate creativity and build community.

Anita attributes her success – which has included leading special initiatives for Gordon Ramsay, Zaha Hadid, Louis Vuitton Europe and Louis Vuitton Americas, to name a few – to her conviction in herself and her vision. It was Hadid, the world-renowned architect, who taught Anita to never compromise as a person or a creator.

Stephanie, too, credits her steadfastness for her illustrious professional journey, which in addition to the countless initiatives she has led for YELLOW has included hosting a variety of television programs and launching Dream Pusher, a storytelling and vision-building studio to help women reclaim and accomplish their dreams. “I’ve believed in myself more than all of the nos I’ve ever received,” she shared.

“I call it FAITHing it, instead of faking it. I believe in myself– I can do it!” - Stephanie Walters

Anita and Stephanie have challenged themselves (and each other) to make and hold space for creative collaboration. Creativity is the ultimate act of love, they say, and uplifting others, is the only way to fulfill the collective vision for a vibrant, and hopeful, city.

Working together at YELLOW – the nonprofit organization founded by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams whose mission is to EVEN THE ODDS through education – Anita and Stephanie build and nurture community relationships, create engaging community activations, and facilitate invaluable conversations that help advance possibilities for all. Together, Anita and Stephanie have collaborated on Bright Sparks Live, The Mighty Dream Forum and Something in the Water, all of which have contributed to our vibrant local culture.

Of course, as exemplified by their joint CreativeMornings appearance and the visible ease and love in their conversation, being surrounded by good people is also essential. No doubt, thanks to Anita and Stephanie’s extraordinary vision, Virginia Beach will continue to nurture its creative pursuits, inspiring us all to live more artistically and authentically.

“Why should we accept anything but the highest standards for ourselves and for what we’re trying to build? – Anita Patel

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Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Join us every third Friday in 2024 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Ritual, Reflection and Vision. November’s theme is THREAD, and our speaker will be Nikki Leone.

CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.

NEXT UP!

VISION: Collaborators Anita Patel and Stephanie Walters Talk about building creative connections, community and belonging.

Oct 18, 2024 • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EDT • The Garage VB FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. Please RSVP to save your seat.

FREE Parking at Hearth 605 Virginia Beach Boulevard across the street from The Garage VB event space.

Light refreshments provided. Come network with your creative community.

This event is supported in part by grants to the ViBe Creative District nonprofit from Virginia Commission for the Arts, NEA Arts and the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission.

About the speakers

Anita is a creative producer, community builder and strategic partner. She currently leads Special Projects at YELLOW.

She is passionate about building impactful initiatives through a multi-disciplinary approach and has led MarComm projects on local, national, and global scales. With over 20 years of leadership in brand development and social impact campaigns, Anita has led initiatives and special projects for Gordon Ramsay, Zaha Hadid and spent 7 years honing her craft at Louis Vuitton Europe, Louis Vuitton Americas and thereafter independently for brands across the LVMH and Kering portfolios, as well as a range of Fortune 500 organizations.

As a graduate of the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications at Hampton University, TV Host and Producer Stephanie (Steph) Walters has edified her skills in journalism, storytelling, and production through education and experience. From moderating empowerment and lifestyle panels and hosting at music festivals and conferences, to covering fashion week shows and reporting on live red carpets, Stephanie is a dynamic talent who brings out the depth and intriguing personality in those she interviews. Following college, Stephanie became the co-host of ‘The View From Hampton U’ and created her own lifestyle TV show, Montage, airing on several public access stations around the country including Atlanta (GA), Washington, D.C., Manhattan (NY), and Fresno (CA). Stephanie frequently hosts fashion, beauty, empowerment and food lifestyle TV segments on local and national NBC, FOX, and CBS affiliates. Stephanie is the creator and host of Before Brunch, a television show with a mission of women ‘Pouring Into Each Other, Then Their Glasses.’ Believing that we are all connected in some way, Steph has purposed Before Brunch as a space for women to not feel like they’re alone in their thinking, current state of life, or their past experiences, engaging guests in thought-provoking conversations that we typically have behind closed doors.

Alongside her media career, Stephanie is also the Director of Engagement & Communications for YELLOW, a 501©(3) non-profit founded by musician, producer, and philanthropist Pharrell Williams whose mission is to EVEN THE ODDS through education. In her role at YELLOW, Stephanie is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships between community and civic organizations; developing and implementing special projects at the local and national level; creating hyperlocal community activations; and curating YELLOW’s digital footprint and internal and external press, currently hosting their conversation series, Bright Sparks Live, which has now expanded to different parts of the United States and has been hosted at Netflix Studios (Fall 2023) and SXSWEdu (Spring 2024). Stephanie’s skills have been displayed locally and nationally: she was the host for More Than The Music conversations for Pharrell’s inaugural Something In The Water Festival (SITW and; host of the It Takes a Community conversations in Washington D.C. at the 2nd annual SITW; a host, moderator, and Voice of God for the Mighty Dream Forum; a 2021 panel host for the National Urban League’s Annual Conference; a red carpet correspondent for Philo TV at TVOne’s 2024 Urban One Honors; and moderator for Starz’s Take The Lead: Transparency Talks, to name a few. She also served as the Head of Media Relations + Communications for the inaugural Cousinz Festival in Norfolk, VA, co-founded by rappers Pusha T and Fam-Lay. In August 2023, Stephanie launched her company, Dream Pusher, which is a story-telling + vision-building studio to help women reclaim and accomplish their dreams through content creation, media training, and lifestyle and empowerment workshops, now located inside The Mustard Seed Place. Stephanie is a 2021 inductee in Hampton University’s 40 Under 40; a member of Norfolk State University’s School of Education Advisory Board; an Advisory Board Member of the Cash In Grad Out Foundation; and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and GirlFriends, Inc.

REFLECTION from the waters and on life with Ed Obermeyer

“Life is a series of patterns we’re constantly diving in and out of.”

As a former Virginia Beach Public Schools educator, Ed Obermeyer is no stranger to presenting to a group of people, and on this first fall morning at The Garage, everyone in attendance surely became his student, as Ed shared his REFLECTION on the ebbs and flows of nature, art and life.

Ed first picked up a crayon when he was two years old and proceeded to draw all over the world. Rather than scold him, his mother purchased him paint and art tools, fostering his artistic affinity. It wasn’t until the 1970s, however, that the prolific Virginia Beach-based artist, photographer and Army veteran would begin capturing nature in its most detailed form, exploring various art styles, from Cubism to Realism. Traveling the world, including several immersive journeys to Australia, inspired him to portray his vision of the world’s natural landscapes with the intricate patterns of lines and swirls that would soon become the trademark of his contemporary works of art.

Ed’s distinct paintings are further characterized by his use of long, liner, scroller and pin-stripe brushes – several of which he shared with those of us in attendance – that he uses to create dually realistic and abstract representations of the natural world around us.

After retiring from teaching 13 years ago, Ed dove into his art full-time and spent the first seven years of his retirement traveling to more than 30 art shows per year. Ultimately, he would find that the life – and the subjects – he’d been seeking were right here in Virginia Beach, a community he credits largely for his successful career as an artist.

“Happiness is right here, where we are right now.”

Always in pursuit of finding new ways to see the world, Ed found himself quite literally diving into the ocean to capture one of his most cherished natural forms: waves – plenty of which he also found in our coastal town. An avid surfer and WRV’s first surf team captain, Ed reflects frequently on how his journey as an artist has gone hand-in-hand with his physical movement – traveling across the world and surfing the waves, always vigilant to capture it all as he sees it.

A unique angle and personal perspective give Ed’s iconic surfing photographs, featuring both surfers and standalone waves, their distinguishing characteristics, which, like his paintings, have made him a longtime staple at Virginia Beach’s notable Boardwalk Art Show.

On a good surf day, Ed rises at 4 a.m., gears up with his fins, wetsuit and safety equipment and takes to the waves at his favorite local spot in Croatan. Duck-diving under the waves, he’s both a rider and a passenger, observing the movement of the ocean as he captures the shot.

And photographing water in its rawest form is no easy feat! Ed wears no flotation and has to date broken five ribs as he trades water next to, in between and under surfers – all the while handling an impressive suite of equipment that includes water housing for his cameras and a variety of lenses and ports suited for all conditions and temperatures. Having held one of Ed’s housed cameras during his lively show-and-tell, I can vouch for how strong he must be to handle it all with water (and surfers) well above his head!

At the end of the day, Ed says, his career as an artist has been an exercise in reflection, an appreciation for community engagement and a gift for connection. His affinity for teaching and learning has made him an invaluable asset to Virginia Beach’s thriving arts scene, with which he openly shares his resources, lessons and gifts, whether you’re in search of the right tool, printer, backdrop or tent.

Undoubtedly, Ed’s art has been distinguished by his unique, and refreshing, perspective on life. In that spirit, he encourages everyone to be who they are – individuality being the best lens of all.

Browse Ed’s artwork, including the recently published 2025 “Storm Riders” Calendar featuring his photographs, at www.edobermeyer.com.

“It’s important to always look back on where you were. Reflecting on the past makes you realize just how good it is right here in the present.”

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Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Join us every third Friday in 2024 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Simplicity, Pride and Treasure. September’s theme is VISION, and our speakers will be Anita Patel and Stephanie Walters on Oct 18.

CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.