Entrepreneur, Artist, Activist: Amanda Blake and the BHM Artist Collective


This week on The Localist, Amanda Blake, artist, art teacher, freelancer, and co-founder of the BHM Artist Collective, joins Carrie to talk about life after owning a small business. Amanda was the owner of the popular juicery and cafe Sprout & Pour. She describes how she got that business off the ground thanks to community support and partnerships, and what she learned over the course of owning a business that stuck with her after selling the business. Amanda then shares about the BHM Artist Collective: She dives into what inspired the collective, the projects they’ve worked on, and the logistics of pulling off large murals with dozens of contributing artists. Amanda and Carrie touch on the BLM movement and its expressions through art and community. They wrap up the conversation with what’s next for the BHM Artist Collective, and how you can get involved. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

BHM Artist Collective 

Amanda Blake on Instagram

The Pizitz

Church Street Coffee and Books 

StyleBlueprint Article about the BHM Artist Collective 

REV Birmingham 

Shawn Fitzwater

Shawn Fitzwater on Instagram

Blank Space Bham

Blank Space Bham on Instagram

Alabama Theatre

Sean GIlder 

Lyric Theatre

John Lytle Wilson 

Big Communications 

Wheelhouse Salon 

Civil Rights Institute

InSpero

Marcus Fetch 

Equal Justice Initiative 

Space One Eleven Arts Center

Duquette Johnston 

Merrilee Challiss

Virginia Newcomb

Mana Public Arts

About Carrie

Carrie Rollwagen is host of the Localist podcast and cofounder of Church Street Coffee & Books. Currently, she works as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Infomedia, a web development company in Birmingham, Alabama. Find the Localist at @thinklocalist on Instagram and follow Carrie at @crollwagen.

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