Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunflower B. Rose.
Hi Sunflower, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Cool! So to start, I think I have to define where I even am right now. I’d say today, I am a multi-hyphant artist.
I am a painter, producer, performer, poet, theater maker, filmmaker, teaching artist, and business owner. I fell in love with art at a very young age and my family really fed all my creative desires and let me sign up for any and every activity that tickled my fancy. As a child with ADHD It was easy to jump from robotics, to dance team, to swim team, to band. I pick up skills and ideas really fast, so when it feels like the novelty of something wears off, I jump to something new. But Art. Art never gets boring, or old. You’re making something new each time you step up to create.
When I think about what I’ve wanted to do, it’s always been to help people. I was quirky, queer, fat, black, femme, and growing up in suburban Maryland. I was quickly taught and shown how hard it was going to be for me and people who were like me to be taken seriously, or given the same access to liberty, freedom, and happiness. Just from consuming the media that I did, I understood, that in order to make change in the world you needed a platform. And I saw performing as my platform.
I took to acting to be on stage and speak. But then as an actor, I had issues with my directors and teachers, because I didn’t have the creative freedom that I wanted, or the option to communicate the creative choices that were trying to burst out of me. So I got into directing as a way of facilitating rehearsal spaces where we could collectively speak and give life to the story that was on the page. I went to WVU to be a musical theater major, but as I was there and realized how much the program didn’t want to support the growth of its Black students, I got into self-producing to create an opportunity for us that wasn’t going to be given to us. Next to all my creative classes I deep dived into philosophy, sociology, and race and ethnic studies. It became more and more obvious that the dreams I had for new systems, structures, and practices could not be implemented in existing spaces. I needed to start my own company. So I transferred to the University of the Arts to become a Directing, Playwright, and Production major. A triple threat of a different breed, I wanted to study the behind the scenes work, and the business of theater so I could make this new dream come to light. As I stacked up on those classes, I dabbled in a few other arts that I knew I had an interest in photography, and film. Somehow the new obstacles I was running into were folks who wanted you to pick a lane and stick to it. As I looked around at all those around me who were learning a multitude of skills to support themselves, my dream expanded. By the time I graduated, I was left with so much passion and information on a variety of topic, I just started getting to work.
I got gigs as an assistant director, assistant producer, teaching artist. And then I got an apprenticeship at the Wilma Theater during a year where the company was in flux and re-examining leadership structures. I got to engage with the changes of power as they unfolded and reckoned with them through the shifts that were happening on a global scale with COVID, and the summer of protest. As I grew tired of existing in structures while actively trying to push them, I finally made a leap to being a full time freelancer, and made OMG! Studios LLC, a multidisciplinary arts production company with a mission of creating opportunities for love and education to thrive through art.
I took everything I knew and just started making with the support and belief of the community around me. I know you said brief, but I think that’s as brief as I can make it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacles are time, patience, and white supremacy. I think some of the things I’ve faced are just simply because I am a creative and I have desires to see things in new ways and when you’re in school or a pre-existing structure, you can’t always alter the curriculum or the course of a process in real time, because that disrupts the flow of what’s already been established. I don’t aim to disrupt for the sake of disruption but for the sake of process, inclusion, and equity. I get frustrated by the delay in progress, but it motivates me to keep working for the future of me and we. From Elementary to College I have made it a point to sit down with principals, administrators, and department heads to talk about how the programs were being run , and how I had ideas of how to diversify the learning experience. In some cases, I’ve seen results. Like getting my elementary school to start a multi-cultural festival to celebrate all students. At WVU I heard excuses about how certain shows wouldn’t sell tickets, or certain classes would clog up other departments’ schedules. In the working world, I’ve been told it was better for me to not speak up so much, and let the real leaders make decisions. But I’ve also been given space to lead conversations about cultural practices and changes in rehearsal rooms. It’s a case by case situation. I will say since moving to philly, the amount of people who are here to help outweigh the folks who want to keep you down. Philly is such a supportive arts community and host many educational opportunities for more learning and growth to be had.
At the end of the day, I know the world isn’t perfect, and it may never be. All I can do, is use whatever power I have to see others for who they are, and give them the resources to be heard. Myself included. The art will speak for itself once I have the time and space to make it.
We’ve been impressed with OMG! Studios, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
.OMG! Studios is about to close out its first inaugural season, and I could not be more proud of the work that has been done. In our first year, we have produced 2 podcast, an art show and auction, a series of workshops, a Blackity Black joy fest, and our 3rd short Black Film Fest. We’ve also hosted a low stakes writers group, and commissioned 3 playwrights to develop some “episodic theater” which is an experiment in theatrical form.
OMG! Has officially been run with 2 people but really it’s the community that has kept us up and going. We are excited to be expanding our team in the next season, and introduce new web series content like FOLLOW YOUR TASTE BUDS, a traveling cooking show, and SUNI DA RENAISSANCE SIM CHALLENGE, where I Suni, turn my life into a sims game, and our exclusive Patreon DIY series, PAINT W/ ME.
In all of our endeavors, we’ve been able to pay artists for their times and talents while amplifying their voices and creative choices. We’re a company that is built on pillars of adaptability, experimentation, community, and fun.
The dreams and goals I have for this company are to build, support, and amplify our various communities through the creation and sharing of artistic experiences. Eventually, I hope to have more educational opportunities for folks to come learn from the artist who make with us, and for audiences to learn how to tap into their creative practices even more.
How do you think about happiness?
I enjoy spending time with the loved ones I’ve surrounded myself with. I really enjoy people! I like to hear the stories of where they’ve been, and where they want to go. I like to share experiences because it feels like it validates the reality of that experience. I enjoy games nights, movies, beaches, hikes, good meals, and dancing.
These are the things that keep me on my toes, or help me sink further into waves of gratitude. I really appreciate being able to relax and laugh. I love living in those euphoric moments.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: omgstudiosphilly.com
- Instagram: omgstudiosphilly
Image Credits
Suni B Photography
