THIS SPECIAL PRESENTATION WAS

PRODUCED IN HIGH DEFINITION BY

WEDU -- TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG,

SARASOTA.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR

"WEDU ARTS PLUS" IS PROVIDED

THROUGH THE GREATER CINCINNATI

FOUNDATION BY AN ARTS-LOVING

DONOR WHO ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO

SUPPORT YOUR PBS STATION, WEDU.

FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE

S.L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION.

IN THIS EDITION OF

"WEDU ARTS PLUS,"

A TAMPA DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS

THE VIBRANT ART OF FLAMENCO.

FOR ME, FLAMENCO IS KIND OF A

COMPLETION OF NOT JUST MY

EDUCATION BUT MY MUSICAL

EXPRESSION.

A STUNNING HAVEN FOR NEW

ARTISTS AND COLLECTORS ALIKE.

I'M EXCITED THAT (E)MERGE

EXISTS AS A VENUE FOR ARTISTS

JUST TO COME IN OF ANY TALENT

AND BE ABLE TO PRESENT THEIR

WORK PUBLICLY.

MEET A SCULPTOR WHO

TRANSLATES NATURE INTO STONE.

MY DRAWINGS ARE PATHETIC

SOMETIMES BECAUSE I SEE IT BUT I

CAN'T PUT IT ON PAPER.

THAT'S NOT MY MEDIUM.

CHISEL AND STONE IS MY MEDIUM.

AND A TEEN SHINES

ON THE CATWALK.

I FEEL LIKE PERSISTENCE IS A

VERY KEY POINT IN BECOMING

WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE.

IT'S ALL COMING UP NEXT ON

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

♪♪

HELLO.

I'M GABE ORTIZ, AND THIS IS

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

THE ART OF FLAMENCO BEGAN IN

SPAIN OVER 200 YEARS AGO.

THE SOMOS FLAMENCO COMPANY HERE

IN TAMPA SHOWS US HOW THIS

CLASSICAL AND VIBRANT ART FORM

PROVIDES AN ENDURING MUSICAL AND

VISUAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH UNIQUE

ELEMENTS OF DANCE, SONG,

AND INSTRUMENTATION.

JOIN THE SOMOS FLAMENCO COMPANY

AS THEY OFFER THEIR

INTERPRETATION.

♪♪

[ FLAMENCO MUSIC ]

I WAS INTRODUCED TO

FLAMENCO MUSIC AS A CHILD.

I HAD SEEN A PROGRAM ON

TELEVISION AND FELL IN LOVE

WITH IT.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS,

BUT I FOUND THE DANCERS TO BE

VERY POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL.

I THOUGHT THE RHYTHMS WERE

REALLY INTERESTING.

AND AS A KID, I JUST WANTED TO

KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.

♪♪

I WAS ACTUALLY AT SCHOOL,

RIGHT, BACK IN CUBA.

AND THEY HAVE, LIKE, BANDS,

LIKE SCHOOL BANDS WHERE YOU PLAY

SOME, LIKE, BASIC RHYTHMS AND

LIKE MARCH AND STUFF.

SO KIND OF LIKE I WAS ALREADY

INTEGRATED INTO ONE OF THESE

BANDS AS A KID.

AND, EVENTUALLY, ONE OF MY

NEIGHBORS, SHE HAD A BIG COMPANY

OF MUSICIANS AND DANCERS,

AND THEY WANTED TO TRAIN SOMEONE

TO PLAY ACTUAL FLAMENCO.

SO AT THE TIME, I WAS LIVING

IN NEW YORK AND FOUND ADULT

ENRICHMENT CLASSES IN FLAMENCO

AT BALLET HISPANICO OF NEW YORK.

♪♪

WHEN WE MOVED HERE, I STARTED

TAKING CLASSES WITH CURRA ALBA

WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THE

FLAMENCO SCENE HERE IN TAMPA

FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

I ALSO STARTED TAKING CLASSES

WITH HER DAUGHTER, SANDRA, WHO

IS A PART OF OUR GROUP.

♪♪

I WAS INTRODUCED TO FLAMENCO

AS A CHILD.

BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE INVOLVED

IN FLAMENCO.

THEY MOVED TO TAMPA TO PERFORM

AT THE COLUMBIA RESTAURANT.

MY MOM IS A FLAMENCO DANCER AND

MY FATHER WAS A FLAMENCO

GUITARIST.

♪♪

I'D GO INTO SPAIN WITH A

BUDDY OF MINE WHO WE STUDIED

TOGETHER, CLASSICAL GUITAR

TOGETHER.

AND WHEN I HAD COME BACK, MY

GUITAR TEACHER, DR. SWITZER,

ENCOURAGED ME TO ACCOMPANY

SOME DANCE.

AND AT THE TIME, HE HAD RUN A

SCHOOL HERE IN TAMPA AND HAD

HAPPENED TO BE SANDRA'S MOTHER,

CURRA ALBA.

♪♪

I GREW UP IN TAMPA,

AND A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF

THOMAS COFFEY WAS MY FIRST

TEACHER AND GAVE ME A

GREAT FOUNDATION.

WHEN I WAS READY FOR COLLEGE,

DR. SWITZER, MARK SWITZER, FOUND

ME IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I STUDIED

AT FLORIDA SOUTHERN WITH HIM.

FROM THERE, I DID MY MASTERS

WORK AT MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF

MUSIC IN NEW YORK CITY.

♪♪

FOR ME, FLAMENCO WAS KIND OF

A COMPLETION OF MY EDUCATION IN

MUSIC.

IN CLASSICAL GUITAR, YOU GET ALL

THE THEORY.

YOU GET THE HISTORY.

YOU GET THE TECHNIQUE.

YOU GET THE EXPRESSION.

YOU LEARN ALL THE BEAUTIFUL

DETAILS OF MUSIC.

WHAT VERY OFTEN IS LOST IN THAT,

HOWEVER, IS THE SOUL AND THE

SPIRIT OF THE MUSIC.

AND FLAMENCO DID THAT FOR ME.

♪♪

I KNEW SOMEONE THAT WAS

ACTUALLY A GUITARIST BACK IN

CUBA, AND HE IS A FLAMENCO

SINGER, CANTE JONDO, A VERY

SPECIAL TYPE OF SINGING.

IT'S PART OF THE BASICS OF

FLAMENCO, RIGHT?

♪♪

THAT'S HOW I REALLY STARTED

LOVING THE FLAMENCO, TRYING TO

UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN

THE SINGING PART OF IT, WHICH IS

I BELIEVE THE ROOT OF FLAMENCO.

♪♪

THE MUSIC FOR ME IS SOMETHING

THAT KEEPS DRAWING ME BACK IN.

I'VE BEEN DANCING FLAMENCO

OVER 30 YEARS.

SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU GO AWAY

FROM IT A LITTLE BIT.

I MOVED OUT OF STATE FOR, LIKE,

FIVE YEARS, SO I WAS VERY

DISTANT FROM IT BEING IN THE

MIDWEST WHERE IT'S NOT TOO

POPULAR.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING TO IT THAT

JUST DRAWS YOU BACK IN.

THERE IS A RHYTHM IN

BULERIAS, FOR EXAMPLE.

BULERIAS IS ONE OF THE CORE

FORMS FOR FLAMENCO THAT IS

12 BEATS.

HOW DO YOU PLAY THOSE 12 BEATS?

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT,

WONDERFUL WAYS TO PLAY THOSE

12 BEATS THAT IT'S FASCINATING.

[ RHYTHMIC CLAPPING ]

AND INCORPORATING THOSE KINDS OF

RHYTHMS AND LAYERS OF RHYTHMS

INTO THE MELODY AND THE HARMONY

AND THE BASS THAT I WAS ALREADY

LEARNING HOW TO DO.

IT WAS FASCINATING FOR ME.

SO FOR ME, FLAMENCO WAS KIND OF

A COMPLETION OF NOT JUST MY

EDUCATION BUT MY

MUSICAL EXPRESSION.

♪♪

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT:

THE FOURTH ANNUAL (E)MERGE

ART FAIR RECENTLY TOOK PLACE AT

THE ICONIC CAPITOL SKYLINE HOTEL

IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL.

(E)MERGE CELEBRATES THE ENERGY

OF ART WITH AN IMMERSIVE

ATMOSPHERE FEATURING

MORE THAN 50 ARTISTS FROM

AROUND THE WORLD.

I'M JAMIE SMITH.

I'M FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF

(E)MERGE ART FAIR.

THIS IS OUR FOURTH YEAR FOR THE

FAIR IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

WE HAVE 85 EXHIBITORS COMING

FROM 32 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO WELCOME

EVERYONE HERE TO THE CAPITOL

SKYLINE HOTEL.

THERE'S AMAZING DEPTH OF WORK ON

VIEW HERE, INCLUDING PAINTING,

SCULPTURE, PERFORMANCE,

CONCEPTUAL ART, VIDEO,

EVERYTHING WE CAN IMAGINE.

♪♪

MY NAME IS SHELDON SCOTT.

I LIVE IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS IN

WASHINGTON, D.C.

AND THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR HERE

AT (E)MERGE.

MY THIRD TIME EXHIBITING.

I THINK (E)MERGE HAS BEEN

ESSENTIAL TO MY ARTISTIC CAREER.

WHEN I CAME HERE THE FIRST YEAR,

I CAME JUST AS A SPONSOR.

SO I ACTUALLY WAS INSPIRED BY

SEEING PEOPLE PRESENT THEIR WORK

TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE

FIRST TIME.

♪♪

THIS IS OUR FOURTH YEAR AT

THE CAPITOL SKYLINE HOTEL.

SINCE ITS LAUNCH, (E)MERGE HAS

BEEN HERE.

WE LOVE THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE

HOTEL.

IT OFFERS A WONDERFUL SOCIAL

SPACE WITH A POOL DECK, LOUNGE,

MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.

THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE FAIR IS

VERY RELAXED.

IT'S VERY CASUAL.

EVERYONE CAN EXPLORE AT THEIR

OWN PACE.

ONE OF THE MEANINGS OF THE NAME

(E)MERGE IS EMERGING COLLECTORS

AS WELL AS EMERGING ARTISTS.

SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME

HAVE FUN AND TO FIND SOMETHING

THAT APPEALS TO THEM HERE,

WHETHER THEY ARE A SEASONED

COLLECTOR OR THEY ARE LOOKING

FOR THEIR FIRST ART ACQUISITION.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

WE HAVE PANEL DISCUSSIONS.

ALL OF THE EXHIBITORS ARE

EXPERTS, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.

SO IT'S JUST A VERY WELCOMING,

FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.

♪♪

WE TRY TO MAKE AN OPPORTUNITY

FOR ARTISTS TO CONNECT WITH

THEIR PUBLIC, INCLUDING

COLLECTORS AND CURATORS AS WELL

AS GALLERISTS.

MANY NEW RELATIONSHIPS FORM AT

THE FAIR.

SOME UNREPRESENTED ARTISTS FIND

GALLERY REPRESENTATION THROUGH

THEIR EXPERIENCE AT (E)MERGE.

SO THIS IS A BODY OF WORK

CALLED FOLKLORE THAT I JUST

PRODUCED OVER THE LAST YEAR,

AND IT'S AN EXPLORATION OF THE

MYTH AND LEGEND OF AMERICAN

BLACKNESS THROUGH STORY, SONG,

AND RIDDLE.

I HAVE THE RIDDLE EENY MEENY

MINY MOE, THE STORY OF

JOHN HENRY, STEEL-DRIVING MAN,

WHICH ACTUALLY INFORMS MY

PERFORMANCES AND PORTRAITS THAT

YOU SEE HERE.

♪♪

MY NAME IS AVNER SHER.

I AM AN ISRAELI ARTIST.

AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME

IN D.C.

MY WORK IS AN EXPRESSION OF HOPE

IN FACE OF FEARS.

IT'S A UNIVERSAL WISH TO COLLECT

PIECES FROM CHAOTIC SITUATION

AND THEN TO BUILD A NEW WORLD,

AND THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT

I'M DOING.

FIRST, DESTRUCTION, AND AFTER

THAT CONSTRUCTION.

I COMBINE THEM, AND THEN

SUDDENLY IT BECOMES STRANGE

FACES.

SOMETIMES CHILDISH.

SOMETIMES SOMETHING THAT I COULD

NEVER IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE

THE RESULT.

WELL, I HOPE THAT ANYONE THAT

SEES MY WORK WILL WONDER,

COULD IT BE THAT ALL THOSE FACES

WERE RAISED FROM TOTAL CHAOS.

WELL, YES.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL

HOPE THAT WE STARTED WITH

NOTHING, WITH A CARELESS

SITUATION BUT AT LEAST WE BUILD

A NEW LIFE.

WHEN VISITORS COME TO THE

FAIR, WE WANT THEM TO HAVE AN

ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE, WHETHER

THEY ARE COMING AS SEASONED

COLLECTORS OR CURIOUS VISITORS

WHO DO NOT FREQUENT ART FAIRS.

WE WANT THEM TO ENJOY THE

RELAXED ATMOSPHERE AND THE

ENERGY THAT'S HERE.

WE ALSO WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY A

SENSE OF HOW IMPORTANT ART IS IN

OUR LIVES.

I'M EXCITED THAT (E)MERGE

EXISTS AS A VENUE FOR ARTISTS

JUST TO COME IN OF ANY TALENT

AND BE ABLE TO PRESENT THEIR

WORK PUBLICLY.

I THINK THAT'S A RARE FORMAT,

AND IT'S EXCITING TO HAVE THAT

HERE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

STONE SCULPTOR KAREN HEYL

FOUND A NEW CAREER AND A LATE

CALLING WHEN SHE PICKED UP HER

FIRST CHISEL IN HER 30s.

NOW, YEARS LATER, YOU CAN FIND

HER WORK IN BUILDINGS, PARKS AND

CITYSCAPES THROUGHOUT THE

UNITED STATES.

AND TODAY, SHE'S EXPLORING NEW

MEDIUMS AND FRESH FORMS,

SHOWING THAT PASSION ISN'T

ALWAYS SET IN STONE.

I NEVER SAW MYSELF AS A

STONE SCULPTOR OR ANY KIND

OF A SCULPTOR.

SO WHEN MY KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL,

I DECIDED TO GO TO THE ART

ACADEMY HERE IN CINCINNATI.

AND IT WAS THERE THAT I WAS

INTRODUCED TO STONE SCULPTURE.

AND I WAS IN MY 30s AT THAT

POINT.

I THINK WHAT ATTRACTED ME TO

STONE CARVING AND WHAT I SAW IN

IT WAS THAT NOT ONLY WAS IT

A CHALLENGE MENTALLY,

BUT PHYSICALLY.

I WENT HOME TIRED, AND I STILL

DO GO HOME TIRED FROM THE

PHYSICALITY OF DOING STONE

SCULPTURE.

MOST OF WHAT I DO IN BAS RELIEF

STONE CARVING IS COMMISSIONED

WORK.

IT'S FROM EITHER CORPORATE

AMERICA, HOSPITALS, OR PEOPLE'S

PRIVATE HOMES.

MY GREATEST JOY COMES FROM WHEN

THEY JUST SAY DO WHAT YOU DO,

AND THEN I CAN GIVE THEM A

NARRATIVE ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE

TALKING ABOUT BASED ON NATURAL

FORMS THAT I GATHER FROM

NATURE -- FLOWERS, LEAVES,

EVEN ANIMALS, BIRDS.

♪♪

TO BEGIN THE PROCESS,

KAREN SEES THE PIECE IN HER MIND

AND THEN MUST PUT IT ON PAPER

FOR HER CLIENTS.

MY DRAWINGS ARE PATHETIC

SOMETIMES BECAUSE I SEE IT,

BUT I CAN'T PUT IT ON PAPER.

THAT'S NOT MY MEDIUM.

CHISEL AND STONE IS MY MEDIUM.

ONCE I HAVE THE DRAWING,

I GRID THE DRAWING.

IT'S A SCALED DRAWING TO MATCH

THE SIZE OF THE STONE,

AND I TRANSFER THAT DRAWING

TO THE STONE.

AND THEN I BEGIN CARVING.

I JUST TAKE THE EDGE OF THE

CHISEL AND I START OUTLINING THE

FORM.

SAY IT'S A BIRD.

IT WILL BE LIKE A SCRATCH IN

THE SURFACE WHERE I OUTLINE

THAT FORM.

THAT'S GOING TO POP FORWARD.

THAT'S THE PART THAT'S GOING TO

STICK OUT.

SO EVERYTHING SURROUNDING THAT

BIRD HAS TO COME OFF.

THEN THERE IS A LEAF.

THEN I HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING

AROUND THAT LEAF OFF WITHOUT

LOSING THE OTHER LEAVES.

THIS IS THINKING THREE

DIMENSIONALLY, SO YOU HAVE TO

KNOW WHICH THINGS ARE COMING

FORWARD AND WHICH THINGS ARE

STAYING BACK.

WHEN I MAKE A MISTAKE, NOBODY

KNOWS IT BECAUSE A LEAF CAN BE

JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF SHAPE

YOU WANT TO MAKE IT.

THE TOOLS THAT I USE NOW ARE

ALL PNEUMATIC.

BUT WHEN I BEGAN CARVING,

IT WAS ALL HAMMER AND CHISEL

LIKE THEY DID IN THE OLDEN DAYS,

BUT IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET A

PIECE FINISHED.

SO I WAS INTRODUCED INTO

PNEUMATIC TOOLS WITH A SPECIAL

HAMMER THAT'S A VERY SMALL

VERSION OF A JACKHAMMER

IN A STREET.

ONLY THE CHISELS DON'T LOCK IN.

YOU HAND-HOLD BOTH PIECES AND

YOU GUIDE IT.

SO YOU'RE WORKING BOTH HANDS,

BOTH ARMS AT THE SAME TIME,

AND YOU CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF

PRESSURE THAT COMES THROUGH THAT

AIR HOSE, SO YOU DON'T TAKE OFF

TOO MUCH OR YOU CAN TAKE OFF

MORE BY HAVING MORE PRESSURE

COME THROUGH.

MY STONE THAT I USED MOSTLY AT

THIS POINT IN MY LIFE IS

INDIANA LIMESTONE.

MOST OF IT COMES FROM BEDFORD,

INDIANA.

I CHOOSE LIMESTONE, NUMBER ONE,

BECAUSE IT'S AVAILABLE.

NUMBER TWO, BECAUSE IT'S SOFT.

NUMBER THREE, IT WEARS

WELL OUTDOORS.

AND NUMBER FOUR, IT FORCES ME TO

PUT A REALLY GOOD DESIGN IN IT.

SD1, NORTHERN KENTUCKY'S

WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER

UTILITY IS USING ART TO EDUCATE

PEOPLE ABOUT OUR PRECIOUS

RESOURCE -- WATER.

THEY COMMISSIONED KAREN TO

CREATE THREE SCULPTURES --

WATER: GIFT OF THE EARTH.

WATER: SOURCE OF LIFE.

WATER: SCULPTOR OF THE LAND.

I ACTUALLY WENT DOWN TO THE

QUARRIES, AND I FOUND THESE HUGE

CORES OF STONE THAT ARE PROBABLY

36 INCHES ACROSS.

AND I THOUGHT, WOW, WHAT

ARE THESE?

THEY SAID, OH, THAT'S

JUST GARBAGE.

THOSE WERE CORE SAMPLES.

THEY WERE EACH FIVE FEET TALL,

SO WE CUT THEM IN HALF.

SO WE HAD THESE FOUR PIECES.

THEN THERE WAS GOING TO BE A

FOUNTAIN, SO WE HAD TO CORE

THE CENTERS OUT.

SO THE TITLE COMES FROM "WATER:

SCULPTOR OF THE LAND" WHICH THE

WATER CUTS THROUGH THE EARTH AND

REVEALS THE FOSSILS WHICH TELLS

THE HISTORY OF THE LAND,

HOW MANY MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.

AND THE FOSSILS, SOME OF THEM

ARE CARVED.

SOME OF THEM ARE MADE OUT OF

TERRA-COTTA CLAY.

AND THAT WAS A PROJECT I WORKED

IN COLLABORATION WITH ALLAN

NAIRN WHO IS A CINCINNATI POTTER

NOW WORKING AT THE

ROOKWOOD POTTERY.

HAVING WORKED WITH STONE FOR

YEARS, KAREN HAS TAKEN ON A NEW

MEDIUM -- CLAY.

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS

DOING IN CLAY, SO I THOUGHT HOW

CAN I MAKE CLAY MORE A PART OF

ME AND ME A PART OF THE CLAY?

SO ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY

IT JUST CAME TO ME -- WHY NOT

CARVE THE CLAY?

AND THEN I FOUND OUT, TOO,

BECAUSE I HAVE ESSENTIAL TREMOR

THAT I CAN'T THROW AND PULL

CLAY.

I CAN'T THROW CLAY BECAUSE MY

HAND SHAKES THE WHOLE WAY UP.

SO I HIRE SOMEBODY TO THROW A

BASIC VESSEL FOR ME.

AND THEN I EMBELLISH IT.

I ADD THE HANDLES,

THE DECORATIVE HANDLES TO IT.

I ADD THE STUFF THAT MAKE

THE BEAK.

I'VE FOCUSED ON PITCHERS.

AND THEN THE PITCHERS REMINDED

ME OF BIRDS.

SO, NOW ALL I DO ARE THESE

VESSELS IN CLAY THAT ARE BIRDS.

AND ONCE I FIGURED THAT OUT,

AND I LIKED THAT I HAD THIS

CARVED CLAY VESSEL, THEN I

THOUGHT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

SO THEN I DECIDED I'LL CARVE A

BASE FOR IT OUT OF LIMESTONE.

SO THEN I BROUGHT MY STONE

CARVING BACK INTO IT.

SO NOW I'M CONFLICTED BETWEEN

CARVING AND MAKING CLAY.

BUT I FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THE

STONE CARVING INTO MY LIFE BY

CREATING THESE VESSELS.

SO THAT'S HOW THAT ALL

GOT STARTED.

RIGHT NOW THE CLAY VESSELS ARE

JUST OCCUPYING ALL MY TIME.

I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT DOING THIS.

I MEAN, THE ONLY WAY I WON'T DO

THIS IS IF I'M DEAD, BECAUSE

THIS IS WHAT I FEEL LIKE I WAS

BORN TO DO.

IT IS MY PASSION, AND I THINK

THAT'S WHAT MY LEGACY IS,

TO JUST FULFILL YOUR DREAMS

BY DOING YOUR PASSION,

FOLLOW YOUR BLISS.

FOR MORE OF KAREN HEYL'S

STONE SCULPTURES, VISIT:

DESIGNER AMIR TAGHI HAS BEEN

MAKING WAVES FOR YEARS ON THE

TEXAS FASHION SCENE, WHICH IS

QUITE A FEAT GIVEN HE'S STILL

IN HIGH SCHOOL.

AND NOW THE REST OF THE COUNTRY

HAS A CHANCE TO VIEW TAGHI'S

WORK, TOO.

HERE'S A LOOK.

♪♪

FASHION IS A JOB THAT'S

ALWAYS CHANGING.

IT'S DIFFERENT FROM

ANYTHING ELSE.

YOU'RE INVENTING.

YOU'RE CREATING.

YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IDEAS.

YOU'RE ALWAYS UP AND ABOUT

LOOKING AT IMAGES, LOOKING AT

DIFFERENT THINGS, AND CREATING.

AND THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT.

♪♪

MY NAME IS AMIR TAGHI,

AND I'M A FASHION DESIGNER.

AND I'M 18 YEARS OLD.

♪♪

I WAS 15 WHEN I FIRST SHOWED

MY COLLECTION.

I WAS A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I SHOWED IT AT MY HOUSE.

THE RUNWAY WAS OVER THE POOL,

AND WE HAD MODELS THAT WERE MY

CLASSMATES.

AND I WANTED TO KEEP IT VERY

HIGH SCHOOL, I GUESS, AND SHOW,

LIKE, THE TALENT WE HAVE

AT MY SCHOOL.

THE AMIR TAGHI LABEL IS A

MIXTURE OF FEMININE BUT STILL

VERY MODERN AND SLEEK AT THE

SAME TIME.

A LOT OF DRESSES AND LACE.

AND AFTER THAT, IT WAS MORE A

DEVELOPED COLLECTION WITH

TOPS AND BOTTOMS, SPORTSWEAR,

EVENING WEAR, AND IT COMPLETELY

CHANGED FOR ME THE OUTLOOK I HAD

IN FASHION.

I'M IN HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW,

SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO MANAGE MY

TIME BECAUSE AT THIS TIME AND

MOMENT I'M APPLYING FOR COLLEGE.

I'M CREATING A COLLECTION

FOR FALL.

I'M ALWAYS TIED BETWEEN

DIFFERENT THINGS.

I INTERNED WITH OSCAR DURING MY

SOPHOMORE SUMMER OF HIGH SCHOOL.

WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM MY

INTERNSHIP AT OSCAR DE LA RENTA

WAS REALLY STICKING TO MY

PASSION AND GOING WITH IT AND

PURSUING IT AS HARD AS I CAN.

BECAUSE OSCAR, WHILE HE WAS

THERE, HE WOULD GO TO WORK

PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND IT SHOWED HIS, LIKE,

DETERMINATION TO REALLY, LIKE,

SHOW WHAT HE REALLY LOVES.

I TOOK THAT AWAY FROM IT.

I WAS ASKED BY A COUPLE OF

PEOPLE WHY DO I NOT TRY NEW YORK

FASHION WEEK?

I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM A GROUP IN

NEW YORK THAT HAS BEEN DOING

FASHION WEEK PRESENTATIONS IN

THEIR SPACE, AND I WAS ASKED TO

PARTICIPATE AS WELL AND SHOW MY

COLLECTION PRIVATELY.

SO IT WAS A VERY SURREAL POINT

OF MY TIME THAT I NEVER KNEW

THAT AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, AT

ONLY 18, I COULD BE ABLE TO

SHOW A COLLECTION AT

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK.

MY FASHION STYLE HAS BEEN

EVOLVING SINCE THE BEGINNING,

BUT I TRY TO ALWAYS STICK TO MY

ROOTS AND MY ROOTS ARE HAVING A

VERY FEMININE SILHOUETTE

BUT VERY MINIMALISTIC,

VERY TO THE POINT.

WHEN CREATING A COLLECTION,

IT STARTS OUT WITH A

CONCEPTUAL IDEA.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, MY LAST

COLLECTION WAS STRONG WOMEN.

SO I WANTED TO PORTRAY THAT

IMAGE.

SO I STARTED FINDING VERY STRONG

IMAGES INCLUDING STRONG ART

PIECES AND THEN VERY STRONG

COLORS, AND WE STARTED SKETCHING

THE PIECES.

FROM THEN, I SENT MY SKETCHES TO

OUR MANUFACTURER, AND WE STARTED

DRAPING THE PIECES AND CREATING

THE PATTERN.

FROM THEN ON, WE WERE STYLING

AND THEN THE SHOW CAME AND WE

PRESENTED THE COLLECTION.

I WANT TO EXPRESS A WOMAN

THAT'S FIERCE AND CONFIDENT,

A WOMAN THAT'S NOT AFRAID TO

SHOW WHO SHE REALLY IS AND NOT

AFRAID TO WEAR WHAT SHE WANTS

TO WEAR.

I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT

THEY ARE WEARING A NEW,

INNOVATIVE DESIGNER.

I GOT TO BECOME A DESIGNER AT

SUCH A YOUNG AGE, YES,

BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY'S SUPPORT,

BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF PERSISTENCE.

I FEEL LIKE PERSISTENCE IS A

VERY KEY POINT IN BECOMING

WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE.

TO SEE MORE OF AMIR'S

FASHIONS, VISIT:

AND THAT WRAPS IT UP FOR THIS

EDITION OF "WEDU ARTS PLUS."

FOR MORE ARTS AND CULTURE,

VISIT wedu.org/artsplus WHERE

YOU'LL FIND FEATURE VIDEOS,

LOCAL EVENTS, AND ARTS

AND CULTURE PARTNERS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M GABE ORTIZ.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

♪♪