I am used
I sacrifice my comfort
but I am not worth the smallest of your discomfort
I am used
I sacrifice my time
but I am not worth the smallest of your time
I am a stepping stone
for your successes
but you are a boulder added to my uphill load
But I am reciprocity
and I will roll until I can fly
/Lauren N. Graniela @revampista
We are constantly trying to find the artistic angle. Trying to find the pulse of the community in the work and craftsmanship of the people who adorn us with ornamentation, dazzle us with striking aesthetics, and keep us in thought with their chosen subject matter. Though art lives in the intricate folds of our daily life, it is often most appreciated in its moments of isolation. These moments usually become the treads of history that are seldom captured. Well until now. . .
At the end of March 2021, Serendipity Labs hosted an “Indoor Art Walk” curated by artist Sherman Pitts. The two-day event showcased the work of several local artists. A maze of offices was filled with art created by the young, the seasoned, and the ones that have yet to be defined. Pitts' ability to bring so many artists in one space [with COVID safety practices in place] showed quite a counter-narrative to the reality we often see in the arts community. Not only are there many, but they are quite diverse.
A serendipitous moment did occur at the Art Walk, when we crossed paths with Cynthia Henry, the art collector and advocate who owns Ayzha Fine Arts Gallery & Boutique, in downtown Milwaukee. With her vast knowledge of local artists and her practices, she introduced us to several artists, weaving in the generational context that lay before our eyes.
MANUEL CORONA SR.,VEDALE HILL, ARIANA VAETH, & JAX JOYCE.
“We have several generations of amazing artists right here.”, she pointed out as she led us into the area where Khepra Jewelers was showing. A room filled with talent was an understatement. Cynthia coined the legacy markers in that space as the “New School” and “Old School”, including MIAD alumni, large mural makers, master jeweler, fine artist, and arts advocates. By happenstance, Reynaldo Hernandez, Jax Joyce, Ariana Vaeth, and Vedale Hill, were all admiring Manuel Corona Sr. work at the same time. Cynthia suggested the moment should be captured but even more so that the story of the man behind the jewelry would also be an interesting perspective to grab.
As we looked over the intricate pieces of ornamentation we found symbolism, culture, and mastery we don’t often get to see. CopyWrite scheduled a one-on-one interview with Manuel Corona to learn why his wearable art is so alluring.
Manuel is an artist. The method in which he produces high-quality hand-crafted jewelry, made from precious metal, wire, stones, repurposed beading, and much more.
CW: “How did you get into making jewelry?”
MC: “I got into making jewelry to keep out of the streets. . . I think of the sheet of metal like a piece of paper and the wire as a pencil line.”
Manuel never planned on being a jeweler. He had always been an artist who would draw but had quite a different lifestyle before he met the art from. A run-in with the law triggered him to go work for his step-father who owned a local jewelry business. Manuel was given the task to buff and polish the jewelry but with a keen eye, he noticed that he could replicate the work of the craftsman in the shop, and make the jewelry too.
MC: “I was in my thirties when I started making it. I was in the streets from like high school until I was almost thirty. I finally went to jail and I [realized] this here is not for me. . . I had loaned my stepfather $1,000 once. I remembered I had loaned him that money. So when I got in trouble I told the police that I worked for him. So he came down there and post the bail for me or something. He told me ‘Well when you get out of here you are going to work for me’. I said cool.”
And so he did. His first role in the business was to sell jewelry, oils, shirts, and African American books downtown at the Grand Avenue Mall. The money was good so the need to return to his old habits seemed pointless. Once the mall began to shut down, Manuel moved on to the “factory”. The gallery where the jewelry was being created on 52nd and Center.
MC: “I started to watch those guys over there make it. I would just look like, oh okay that's how you do that, and okay got it that's how you make that. It’s like if you show me one or two times, I get it.”
Creating the pieces became natural to him. So much so that he has now been working in the business for over two decades. In 2020, Manuel decided to rebrand the company, changing its name from Third Generation Jewelers to Khepra Jewelers, as it is known today.
Khepra being a scarab-faced god in ancient Egyptian religion who represents the rising or morning sun and also representative of creation and the renewal of life. It is symbolic of a shift in the company as a singular entity now the mastery of Manuel and his own legacy.
CW: “Clearly this is not what you thought you would be doing with your life. Are you happily surprised?”
MC: “I am definitely surprised. There are also more things in the fire that I want to do. It’s just that when I started to do this I really started making money. I got so caught up in the jewelry and making the money from it I haven't stopped.”
One of the new ventures he would like to take on is putting together his own art shows, where he can create large-scale events that include entertainment and a full creative experience.
CW: “Now that you have been in the business so long, and you have the experience of learning by watching people, do you train or teach.”
MC: “Absolutely! There are 5 or 6 [people] out there that are doing their own thing now that I taught. Basically, this is like an incubator business.”
He explained that the effects of COVID-19 have been hard on the industry. The limit shows subtract from what is usually a lucrative market. Still selling online and through commission, he has been able to sustain a few days of the week of man-hours in his small production studio. However, it does not compare to the experience you receive shopping with Khepra Jewelers face to face.
MC: “The business is full service. So if somebody needed a ring smaller, we could make the ring smaller then and there. You don't have to wait two or three weeks to get your ring sized. We do it on the spot right there. It takes about 30min to an hour to do. If I have to make the ring larger it only takes a few minutes”.
Manuel says it's the luxury of actually being the craftsmen behind what you sell. Where there are many vendors of jewelry there are not many who make it. It separates him and those he teaches from the rest of the market while bringing light to the practices of making. He also pointed out that often people have doubted his ability to make it because of him being Black. The ignorance is put to rest when he publicly creates jewelry with everyone around.
The process of art-making is often intimate, thus the transparency in the craft is non-existent. However, Manuel doesn’t see a need to hide the process and suggested I have a look at his creative space. He gave me a virtual tour of his jewelry factory, showing me the bulk of the material used, machinery needed, designs that are always trending, and some of the repurpose antique material whose lineage derives straight out of the motherland.
Though the factory is extensive, with everything a master jeweler could ever need, Manuel suggests that all he really needs is a 12”x 12” space, and a little crockpot to get the job done.
The aesthetic of Manuel’s art can not be done justice through verbal description. As much as objects may be defined it is their tangible presence that holds value. When asked if he is ever asked to create designs that are far outside of the box, he asserts that it happens often.
MC: “Nine times out of ten I am up for the challenge. I like challenges. I like to see if I really can do it or how close I can get to the design they are looking for.”
Keeping the practices of jewelry making alive, Manuel believes in sharing his skills. He pays the people he trains instead of having them pay to learn. He teaches the craft in the hopes that others may one day carry on the traditions without him.
In need of some wearable art? Check out Manuel Corona Sr. work at http://www.kheprajewelers.com/ and tell them CopyWrite sent you.
Lexi S. Brunson for /CW
You can hear the God in him and that is something to fear.
Elliott is introducing himself to the /CW audience base with an assertive project he calls Clarify and Grow. This project challenges the track to success. College, music, money, religion, love, dreams, and realities. What are the options? What will be the outcome? It is too early to say, but there is no doubt that he is willing to work for it.
A crips 9 tracks with nostalgic production woven masterfully through, Elliott’s bars are not meaningless. They are stroked with layered ideologies, swaying in a space we like to call the “introduction to adulthood”, and drenched in the aura of something heavy to provoke or to prove.
“I’m a God body. I’m only living for the ni**as that would die by me”.
Where do we draw the genre line? Listen….we draw it wherever it moves you. This could be R&B, Hip Hop, New Era Gospel. It is what it is. The lifestyle is not a monolith and that’s the stuff we rock with.
Our favorite tracks are “Late For Class”, “More and Less”, and “The World We Live In”.
So we are going to have to make at least one #CWApproved.
Keep on the lookout for this new talent. We expect to be seeing more from him.
/CW
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The East Side Business Improvement District is looking for artists to participate in its second year of The East Side Art Lot. This seasonal outdoor space is offering new pieces of public art and seating to those that use and enjoy the space.
Their current call to artists is to request applicants 18 and older to submit a proposal to create their designs on one of the provided bench seating. Each commissioned artist will receive $500 and materials.
With a high prioritization of BIPOC/ LGBTQ+/Women artists in the selection process we wanted to insure that all members of our creative community heard about this great opportunity. Larissa Gladding, Special Projects Manager from The East Side Business Improvement District virtually sat down with /CW Editor-in-Chief, Lexi S. Brunson to give us the 411 on the project details, advice on applying, and other insight that may make this public art programing worth your while.
View the East Side Art Lot's 2021 Call to Artists HERE.
Deadline Thursday, May 6th at 11:59 PM.
Hip Hop is now global and so is the impact from its places of origin. Including NYC. around here we have our own method of doing things but one must be in tune with other spaces to survive the ride.
This video from Taiyamo Denku & Urban Legend, “Not From New York”, plays up on that logic. Classic hip hop flows, production and street vibes.
Your welcome!
/CW
The lead single and visual from CyphaDen Music's own Taiyamo Denku & Urban Legend is "Not From New York ". They do however talk that New York shit in their b...
See this one is clever. Even if we can't fully follow the vibes there are always some gems in there.
2Hi, is pressing some of those futuristic rap elements with his project Keys to Nexus. It’s man-ish but that’s not surprising. The key is who is pressing on the follow through with the imagery? Check some of the the track titles:
FOLLOW ME
PROGRAMMED
CRUISE CONTROL
It’s robotic. It's strategic. It's the digital programming of the young mind and the over saturated digital world. Are we reading in too far? Tuh! Y’all not thinking deep enough.
Tap in and tell us where you see the lie!
/CW
Listen to Keys To The Nexus on Spotify. 2hi · Single · 2021 · 5 songs.
What is this truth we seek and reality we live in?
Joe Quinto has dropped a new project called Blue Genes that has us questioning just that. From the mix of hip hop and folk music, the subtle grasping for a second wind in life's fight is present in a firm pollination of locality [it’s Wisconsin baby] and imagery.
“For many, it’s been a tough year to pinpoint exactly how we feel about our chaotic world right now. Joe Quinto is no exception. He’s had a difficult time expressing his inner turmoil of anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration. Even the simple tasks get exhausting. Blue Genes is about acknowledging those tribulations on one hand and working through them with the other.”
Our favorite track is definitely “Just Breathe” featuring Klassik, with its calming melody and reflection.
Is this one a knockout? We will let you decide this round.
/CW
Listen to Blue Genes on Spotify. Joe Quinto · Album · 2021 · 9 songs.
I let you go.
Slipping through my fingers
Like water on the run
You were never mine to catch
Knew it from the moment we met
We smiled and I saw the future
Friends forever? maybe
Lovers? Not yet
I'm way too awkward to have swag
Just brought along my pen and pad
Thought to make use of my offering
In an attempt amuse you
Muse you, include you
Until I started writing dope lines that infused you
For when I couldn't muster up a simple "hello"
Started sending silly little love notes
That allowed you access to my psyche
Not sure how far I wanted this to go
The lies we tell ourselves
If anything, the heart always knows
We commenced, the writing was on the wall
An enigma became us
Curiosity led me to fall
Kaleidoscopes and tightropes
My nerves went through it all
Late nights, early mornings
Still, I knew something was wrong
I would scribble your name in my melody
Until you became my song
Set the track on repeat
So you could always put me on
Closed my eyes for just a moment
It was no surprise, you were gone
I must be that sucker for love
Who longs for the many signs
Like the ribbon in the sky
Chasing the clouds
Begging for their blessing
To let your heart find mine
Playing devil's advocate to my own lies
As the truth played back
While I laid back in my own mind
"He's not the one"
So I ask myself, what am I doing
Why even try
To love without relent
If in the end you say goodbye
Encountering a mental deficit
From poor emotional investment
Growing weary from my giving
But in my giving, I'm strengthened within
In the name of love or something like it
I'd do it all over again
Though it's getting harder to breathe
Do not be deceived
If chance should acquaint me once more, I will not hesitate
This is me saying yes to love again before I suffocate.
/Brit Nicole @poeticallybrit
Let me get a PICK 3.
Showing up with his video “Lottery”, Eddie Jame$ is showing us discreetly about that life.
Shiny coat and all [its a look], the visuals move natural to a track that has a nice little sway to it. A few punchlines, some ego, and some wit, it's catchy.
Eddie Jame$ is a wild card in the current MKE music scene. And you know what you do with a wild card right?
Keep it ready. You might even win the “Lottery”.
/CW
Eddie Jame$ Debuts A New Single Titled "Lottery", Paired Up With Hot Upcoming Videographer @Shot_By_DH, The Two Have Flawless Chemistry, On This Dynamic New ...
CopyWrite Magazine, Media & Design LLC is a Milwaukee based organization & company that promotes the ever morphing nature of Urban culture.
