Meet Mariah Scott | Cultural Producer & Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariah Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariah, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Being genuine, being passionate, and not being afraid to work my way up no matter if an instant reward is attached to it, has to be one of the strongest factors behind my success. I’m a true enthusiast when it comes to the avenues I’m attached to. I love to be a student to my craft..I love being a fan..it inspires me to connect & create with others by any means necessary…it’s the way I’ve been able to get my foot in so many doors. I love it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a cultural producer, I essentially curate civic engagement experiences in collaboration with other creatives in the realm of art, music, and wellness. I wear a lot of hats: I promote And advertise, I coordinate, I manage, I do event logistics and sourcing..I host & provide creative direction in project formation. I do a lot!!

What sets me apart from others I believe is the fact that I’m the creative who isn’t creative in the same way as many in the room. I’m not the singer or the rapper or the visual artist…I’m not here to step on anyone’s toes or take away from one’s situation…I’m here to add to it and that affords me the privilege of being involved & invited to as many rooms/projects/initiatives as possible!

My passion and fascination for the blooming scene inspired me to find some way to get involved. I was an amateur photographer who found out about one of the city’s most influential festivals of the 2010’s..I made myself sound more experienced than I really was, but was granted access to the event & it truly snowballed from there! I was covering events & stories for the love and no pay & my work began to get traction & I earned the trust of others & opportunities began to manifest!

It wasn’t extremely easy to do what I was doing..but it wasn’t extremely difficult. All creative scenes are competitive…and if you didn’t have a huge following or the finances, booking venues or getting the opportunity to be apart of someone’s show wasn’t happening for you. My peers and I felt that were the underdogs & since we were young & still developing, we decided to stop asking for folks to open their doors and make our own doors. We created our own shows at unconventional venues & it was a big hit! This framework is a blueprint that I’ve used for creating experiences in music, art, and wellness.

I learned that you make a way where there is no way. I learned that you focus on what works and who appreciates you instead of wasting time being upset over what/who doesn’t.

I want the world to know that my heart burns for all things music, art, and wellness…that the foundation of my brand is having love for the community and having a desire to give everyone a voice & a space to flourish.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooh there’s so much to choose from! I would definitely make sure my friend came on a weekend that’s action packed from all sides of town so they can get a feel for all the things!

Black owned venue space & novelty shop Dupp & Swat at Camp North end always has something going on for the community to enjoy- jam sessions, listening parties, popups etc. I would take them next door to the black owned art gallery Blk Mrkt clt (Black Market) to check out some of Charlottes finest artists..I’d have them take a walk with me in camp north end and we’ll stop at Leah & Louise – black owned restaurant where we’ll have food a drinks that you can’t get from anywhere else…

If my best friend is a coffee/tea person I’ll definitely have them come to Enderly Coffee to get the beat brewed coffee in the city. I’ll take them to common market deli where my friends and I frequent for beer/wine…I love to give my friends a home like experience so I’d have my two creative friends who also make the best fried chicken in town- Matthew Thomas (@mattmadethebeat) and Kenion ‘Cuzo key’ Sherrill (_cuzokey) do a ‘Chicken Versuz’ at my house where all my peers are invited- lots of food drinks and good vibes.

If there are any good live hip hop/electronic dance/R&B shows, they’re most likely at Snug Harbor over in Plaza Midwood and I’d definitely take them there… and if they want to dance all night, I’ll take them to Jasiatic’s monthly afro beat dance party ‘Su Casa’ ..

My friend would be in for an unforgettable weekend in Charlotte!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I feel the entire creative culture in Charlotte, NC deserves a huge shoutout. I’ll forever be grateful to be both a witness and a participant of a movement that deserves more credit than it currently receives. We are the heartbeat of the city..it’s not just one genre or one medium…it’s everything… and we helped build it. No matter how much the city changes, no matter how many come and go.,, WE built something incredible & I’m so grateful to be apart of it.

Instagram: Peculiar_hippie

Twitter: peculiarhippie

Image Credits
J Mrlo Gothikamag Marc Prosper