Resurgence leads to a move

Are you excited by Birmingham’s continuing revival? Lindsey Christina is.

“I’m exhilarated by the resurgence I’ve witnessed in this area,” she said. 

And the local art scene plays a large part in her enthusiasm.

Born and raised in the Magic City, Christina has been surrounded by art all her life.

“I have been encircled by a family of creative individuals. My mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins, sisters and grandfather were or still are artists,” she said. “However, it wasn’t until late 2011 that I decided to pursue art further. I enrolled at UAB in 2012 as a studio art major, and I haven’t looked back since.”

That decision to pursue art eventually led her to become the managing director of Birmingham Art Crawl — a monthly exhibit of local artists in downtown Birmingham founded in 2014. She first became connected to the organization after her graduation in 2015, when she started working as community outreach coordinator at MAKEbhm in Avondale. 

“Part of my mission was to reach out to other art organizations, businesses and related nonprofits in our area to build partnerships and collaborative experiences to create a unified art experience in Birmingham,” she said. 

In creating those experiences, Christina began volunteering with the Art Crawl. She realized the aims of its founders, Rich Burton and Miranda McPherson, matched her own. 

“They are incredibly passionate about contributing to the art scene in downtown Birmingham while also promoting the local, growing businesses in the area,” she said.

By the following year, she was taking on more responsibilities at the Art Crawl as McPherson and Burton became increasingly busy with McPherson’s law firm and the couple’s young daughter. In summer 2016, Christina transitioned into the role of managing director.

The Art Crawl focuses on providing local artists — from established to up-and-coming to students — with an affordable and regular way to exhibit and sell their work.

“Our hope is that artists and makers will benefit from the experience both artistically and financially,” Christina said. “There is a profound and well-established creative scene in Birmingham that has existed for quite some time, and Birmingham Art Crawl’s mission is to help it survive and flourish.” 

Christina is also part of that creative scene as an artist, focusing on printmaking, painting and collage.

“I attempt to illustrate specific emotions through my investigation of the myths and vulnerabilities that develop through the varying experiences and memories of women,” she said. “I consider my work to be unconventional, extreme self-portraits with a more open-ended and universal approach occasionally incorporating pop culture images of women, specifically depictions of struggle, peril and vulnerability.”

This month, Christina will lead the Art Crawl forward by moving the organization from its previous location on Second Avenue North between 20th and 25th streets to The Pizitz at Second Avenue North and 19th Street. 

“It will be sad to leave behind some of our most valuable and supportive community members, businesses and venues,” Christina said. “However, I’ve chosen to move forward with Art Crawl’s collaboration with The Pizitz because they are incredibly enthusiastic and thrilled about hosting our happening each month.” 

Christina said the move will enable the organization to feature more artists than ever before. She cites the advantages of The Pizitz’s large rental property; the courtyard where artists can exhibit their work; the Food Hall, which is home to more than 15 restaurants; and the fact it will be the location of Sidewalk Film Festival’s new office and Yellowhammer Creative’s new retail shop.

“I believe this is going to be an incredible opportunity for our artists,” she said. 

March’s Art Crawl is March 2 from 5-10 p.m. at The Pizitz. See birminghamartcrawl.com for more information.

Editor's note: This article was produced in partnership with artsBHAM. To learn more about them, visit artsbham.com.