(uplifting music) - Coming up next on "Curate."

- [Nadd] It's really amazing how central art is to everyday life.

Even the very practical, tangible things has some artistic aspect.

- [Jo Ann] Kim's idea was we give them finances to help them so they don't have to worry.

- If you saw a band in their heyday right before they got famous, that's when you should have saw 'em, and that's what I feel the Dome had.

(uplifting music continues) - Welcome back.

I'm Heather Mazzoni.

- And I'm Jason Kypros.

Artist Nadd Harvin grew up in Newport News, where inspiration wasn't always obvious, but the hunger to create never faded.

- Through the language of Blue Ink, Nadd explores identity, spirituality, and the power of representation in art.

- Deep down, I probably knew that I always wanted to be an artist, but not knowing the path to do that, not having examples is kinda like, this isn't realistic, especially not being in a huge art city.

Felt like if I did have to do it, I'd have to leave Newport News.

(soft music) I started off just sketching.

There's always paper, there's always pen, so that's like my earliest source of art.

High school, I started getting more serious about my study, started learning new mediums, figuring out color, how to paint and whatnot.

But it still just always felt like a hobby maybe 'cause there weren't too many examples here of successful artists that look like me.

(upbeat music) We were in a career assembly and accounting was the first on the list, and I was like, "Okay, that's a good salary.

I'm good at numbers."

Don't recommend that be the way that you think why you go to school.

Because the whole time I was there, I was thinking about drawing.

(upbeat music) 2020 was a perfect storm of things.

Working my job, I was like, "I don't wanna do this.

I feel like if I put all my emphasis on the thing that I actually wanna do, there's no way that I can't make it."

And so I said, "I'll save up enough to last me a few months, and then in that few months, I need to make enough to last me a few more months," and that's when the pandemic hit.

And then suddenly, there were opportunities in the midst of so much loss.

(upbeat music) Helped an artist move a piece of artwork.

A week later, I'm helping her on a project.

I meet some of my best friends now and I'm just in the art scene.

(upbeat music) I had heard about the CAN and then I saw that they were having a workshop.

It was just a great experience, and it being in Newport News, I was like, "Wow!

This is pretty magical."

(upbeat music) So to have a painting on a building on a street that I just casually drive up and down for my whole life was incredible.

This is so much more enriching.

I've never seen the city in this way.

I was asking about studio space.

They were like, "We could wrap this into a residency."

It's time to come back to Newport News I guess.

(soft music) (gentle music) First and foremost, I'm looking for people who look like they're staying a while, at least enough to get some kind of language down.

And then once I've picked my mark, I try to stabilize the body, whatever, like the most grounding forces.

Usually it's the torso and hips so I can get the main anchor of their body.

From there, I'll get the arms and the legs on, and then if they're still there, which usually they're not, these people are so kind right now, I can get on the feet, the shoes, any identifying details that are fun.

But most importantly, I want that grounding expression.

It controls how the person moves and what mood and emotion they have.

(gentle music) It's really amazing how central art is to everyday life.

Even the very practical, tangible things has some artistic aspect.

(gentle music) As a kid, I really, really loved basketball.

I just watched it way more than I played.

I was in the house reading books.

I started skating.

I always wanted to skate as a kid, but I was like, "There ain't no Black girls skaters."

I be skating now.

I be falling.

It's just a freedom to the mind.

Agility, the flow, it's all similar things I look for in my art.

(gentle music) It's just fun to see how my mind learns a thing and then the mind-body connection.

If your core is not engaged, if you're not balanced, the shot's not going in, you're gonna fall off your skateboard.

And so it's just been extremely helpful for its simple posture and being able to stand up on a ladder all day.

(uptempo music) Usually I'm a studio rat.

I don't even wanna talk to nobody, I wanna see nobody.

But just since starting this residency a year ago, it's like, I can't drop this.

And it's because we traditionally haven't had these spaces.

If there were ever a chance to say everything, to not pull any punches, have a culminating show for this very special residency, what would it be?

And so Tremaine and I went through a lot of iterations of what the show would look like exactly, but the underlying theme that was always central to our thoughts were our creative practice as a metaphor for spirituality and the sacrifices that come with becoming a full-time artist.

So this is meant to be a space for us to dive deep into our creation and really explore ourselves, but also to be a place for the community to do the same.

A sanctuary for creative freedom.

(mellow music) So try to invite as many people in so that can get some kind of safe space that will lead to longevity and sustainability.

How do we get people to value what we do as much as we do?

(mellow music) Just giving people the foundation to really dig into this thing that they want to do.

If I had more examples of ways to be successful at what I was doing, I might have made different choices.

(mellow music) (gentle music) (uptempo music) Blue is my favorite color.

It's always been.

Everything I have is pretty much blue.

It speaks in a tone that I think really parallels my own energy and it really took over in my work.

Once I started realizing that that earliest form of art, that most pure and expressive and organic form is when I'm drawing.

And that's something that I can do on the road.

I could do it when I'm walking.

I be doing it in my sleep.

I came across this blue pen and this blue pen was just super perfect, the thickness, the flow of the ink.

And then I realized I could get some really, really deep blues and tones.

It just became this language that felt like my own voice.

And so all my work after, whether it was painting, whether it was murals, it was a emulation of this blue sketch work.

(gentle music) In my past shows, I've been doing murals and then they get covered up.

And that had been part of my practice for a while, the temporary nature of work and being okay with loss and re-creation.

But I did not wanna see this work go away this time, so stretched 48 canvases.

Each wash is a representation of that moment.

The piece is composed of imagery from the past year or so of all the community engagement events.

And each stage really exemplifies this whole process of this little marathon that I've set out on.

(gentle music) (soft uptempo music) Coming back to drawing really opened up the kid in me.

The murals and the being in the street, I feel like a bad teenager out there painting on walls.

I doodle for a job.

How awesome is that?

(upbeat music) Legacy's not my business.

Took a long time to get there.

And this body of work has been super helpful for that.

The past already happened.

That me held it down.

The future me is gonna hold down the future.

All I have is right now to keep my mind sharp, to keep my body focused so that hopefully in every moment, I'm balanced and that the math will take care of the rest.

But while I have the opportunity to do these things, I have to go out and make these connections.

I have to keep teaching classes and being engaging and welcoming people in until other people have the space, until it's not a privileged few.

Whatever it turns out to be, I was my best me in every second.

You'll know that I've made it when you never see me again.

You won't see me on social media.

You won't see me in person.

If anything, I'm working towards hermit status again.

Yeah, that's about it.

(upbeat music) - [Jason] Join Kayda Plus each week for a curated list of arts, culture, and lifestyle events happening right here in Hampton Roads.

It's the perfect guide for discovering something new and exciting to do every weekend.

WHRO.org/CanDo.

- Kim Keene was a wonderfully creative spirit whose love for art and community were absolutely unparalleled.

- Even as Keene was fighting her own battle against cancer, she founded Paint Pink, a nonprofit providing financial support to other cancer patients.

- After her passing, her best friends, along with many of the people she inspired throughout her life united to honor her legacy, ensuring her mission of kindness and support lives on.

(gentle music) - [Lauren] You just instantly become Kim's friend.

It just happens that quickly.

She just had this personality.

You were always laughing when you were with Kim.

- It's kind of funny 'cause myself and Kim, we're very much kind of opposites.

I was kinda joke and say she was the glitter and I was the glue.

We had a very collaborative, you know, relationship when it came to our partnership.

- We just sort of became painting buddies.

You know, in the back of our minds, we were always like, "We've got to do more with art."

And so Kim said, "You know, we should open a gallery together."

Hence we started the gallery.

- Her artwork is amazing.

(gentle music) I was always astounded at how she could just come up with some different, I don't know, just her original artwork, how she came up with different ideas all the time.

(gentle music) - One day we were sitting out on the beach and she said, "I've got this idea that I wanna start a nonprofit and I want to do something to help others and raise money to give to people who are fighting cancer and they need assistance and you don't have enough insurance or good insurance or just need something that insurance doesn't cover.

Paint Pink was born.

- When she was sick for the second time, she had a support group around her that was just tremendous.

And she realized that many people didn't have that same support group, so that's where Paint Pink was a big help.

(ethereal music) - Kim's idea was we give them finances to help them so they don't have to worry.

It's bad enough you have to think about and be concerned about your health and then you don't know how you're gonna pay this next bill that's coming in.

Because cancer's not cheap; it's expensive.

And so anything that we can do to help alleviate that burden, that's what we do.

Kim died September the 16th.

And the people that reached out to me, to Laura, to Nicole, they wanted to do something.

The community stepped up and said, "What can we do?"

(inspirational music) - So Kim's celebration of life was on October 1st, and that started out Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

We had many events during that time.

The Starving Artist Cafe, formerly owned by Kim, did a Paint the Block Pink, and it was a block party and we had silent auction.

There was a deejay.

We sold T-shirts and really, it was very soon after the celebration of life.

And I feel like a lot of Kim's friends came and just continued to support.

We set up a memorial at Stockley Gardens with her picture and a book that people could sign and I spray-painted "Kim" and the breast cancer ribbons on the ground.

And tons of people, even people who did not know Kim, stopped by and wrote in the book and it just was a really nice tribute to her since she really wanted to do Stockley Garden's art show.

We had a brunch at d'Art Center.

Lots of artists there who were friends of Kim's donated original artwork.

And we had silent auctions, we had live auctions at the event and we raised $18,000.

(inspirational music) I think it's obvious how much people loved Kim by how much money that we've raised since she was in the hospital.

A bunch of us promised Kim that we would keep Paint Pink alive to keep her legacy going.

I promised her I would keep the gallery going.

(inspirational music) Kim was just this bright light.

Her smile lit up a room.

- She just wanted to help everyone.

Like, that's it, she just wants to help.

- We made a promise to her that we would continue Paint Pink to continue her heartbeat, and that's what we're gonna do.

(inspirational music) (inspirational music ends) - To find out how you can support this incredible cause, go to PaintPinkInc.org.

(soft electronic music) - [Interviewee] In the '60s, people wanted to see bands, those huge acts.

They played our little town in that venue.

- [Announcer] They came to virgin soil and they called the land Virginia Beach.

- [Gene] That was a different world at the Virginia Beach Dome.

- [Interviewee] It was kinda like the Fillmore Auditorium.

The greatest times of my youth.

(uptempo music) (singers vocalizing) - [Interviewee] The Dome was the only venue in Virginia Beach.

- [Rock Star] Show the audience that you are a frustrated character.

(uptempo music) - So therefore, you don't even worry about the building.

You just go on and play your gig.

(upbeat rock music) ♪ Well I stand up ♪ - People would be asking me to play Jimi Hendrix.

People started to discover this music on these underground stations.

(upbeat rock music) ♪ Pick up all the pieces and make an island ♪ - It was just a really exciting show.

♪ Cheer up, sleepy Jean ♪ - [Gene] Black Sabbath, we did everybody.

♪ I want to reach out and touch the sky ♪ ♪ I want to touch the sun, but I don't need to fly ♪ - The ceiling was actually coming out.

It was full of asbestos.

♪ And find the dish that ran away with the spoon ♪ - [Interviewee] Put you in handcuffs, take you into custody.

- [Interviewee] These people are high now.

- It's two different cities, but they didn't see that, I guess, at the time.

- [Interviewee] Instead of fixing things, they didn't wanna deal with it.

- Atlantic Avenue is being Honky Tonk and T-shirt City.

- Comes back to the bottom line.

The larger capacity, the greater the profits.

- The industry had evolved.

♪ Hello there, ladies and gents, are you ready to rock ♪ - The history and the legacy kinda went away because there's nothing that replaced it.

- It's just been a parking lot for, what, 30 years now.

- [Reporter] City leadership, it's toxic.

- You know, I can't tell you how excited I am for this.

♪ She let you do what no one would do ♪ ♪ She let you do what no one would do ♪ - Welcome to "Curate Presents."

Hi, I'm Kayda Plus and I am here with Paul Unger, director of "That Was Our Room."

How's it going, Paul?

- Hey, how you doing?

I'm doing great.

- I'm doing pretty good myself.

I hear you're known as the guy in the crowd with the camera.

How many concerts do you feel like you've filmed?

- Oh my goodness.

- I know it has to be a lot.

- Hundreds.

- Hundreds?

- Yeah.

I still have the habit of picking up my camera and going to a show and hoping that something absurd will happen and I'll make something of it.

Usually, I can never wait to get home and see what I got on film.

- Yeah, yeah.

- You know, I mean, I'm sure a lot of cinematographers feel that way, you know, especially when they catch something live.

And yeah, it's almost like a habit.

I can't shake it.

- I understand.

(Paul laughs) So tell me about "That Was Our Room."

- I spoke to Barry at Birdland Records, - Okay, Barry.

- a friend of ours, Barry Friedman, and he said to me, "You know, Paul, Jimi Hendrix appeared here in Virginia Beach."

I'm like, "What?

Where?"

And he goes, "Yeah, he was here twice at the Dome."

The Who was too, even the Stones.

I'm like, "Where is it, can I?"

"Oh, they tore it down years ago."

It originally started where I was going to just document the Jimi Hendrix appearances at the Dome, and then it just grew and grew.

Before I knew it, the Dome all of a sudden became its own character.

And so I was like, "Why don't you make a film all about this geostructure that everybody's seen these great shows at, our heroes from the yesteryear and many years ago that you cannot see anymore."

I have a personal philosophy.

- Okay, what's that?

- I don't believe in reunion tours.

If you saw a band in their heyday right before they got famous, that's when you should've saw 'em.

And that's what I feel the Dome had, the Stones in 1966, The Who in July 1968, you know, a year before they hit the Woodstock stage and became mega stars or rock stars or whatever have you.

Steppenwolf played there, Three Dog Knight, the Troggs, Blood, Sweat & Tears.

- Were you able to find a lot of the footage that had these artists there?

- This was an extreme challenge.

There is no footage.

- Wow.

- I had, in the editing post-process, had to bring the photographs that were taken to life some way, somehow, - Ah, okay.

- [Paul] you know, superimpose them or maybe a 2D, 3D effect and make it look as though something was actually happening in the photograph.

- Okay.

- [Paul] I relied greatly on newspaper articles - Ah, okay.

- that I had to dig up from 50, 55 years ago and find things, quotes from editors or quotes from the actual musician when, like, say the "Virginian-Pilot" would interview them.

- So if people wanna see the film, where can they see it at?

- Well, when I was making it, I considered putting in royalty-free music, or music that would be maybe played by local bands around here - Okay.

- that could supplement for the music that, you know, maybe Jimi Hendrix or The Who.

It didn't work.

It just didn't grab it.

So I put the music in there, the actual tracks that were played by several of the artists who played the Dome many, many years ago and thought, "Well, first off, we won't make a cent from this."

So I was happy to show it for free at several places in Virginia Beach.

With that said, it was to be a film that sort of had a mystery to it.

It was briefly on Vimeo for all to watch for free, but I took it down.

And I thought, "Why don't we make it available for download?"

But they'll have to find it (both laugh) in such a way.

It's kind of a mystery.

It's like, "Oh, you know, no, no, no.

There's a film about this Dome.

You know, I saw it, but I can't find it."

For some reason, I'm just one of those types of people that love mystery.

- I love that idea.

Well, Paul, thank you so much for stopping by.

- Absolutely.

I'm so glad to be here and, you know, answer your questions about that film.

It was a really great privilege to make it, and it's awesome.

I suggest you go see it yourself if you can find it.

- That's right.

(laughs) (Paul laughs) Well, here is a bonus clip from "That Was Our Room" detailing Jimi Hendrix's second performance at Virginia Beach's original Dome venue.

- [Production Assistant] "Where It's At," Hendrix interview, scene roll one, take one.

(clapperboard clacks) - [Terry] Do you find that the bigger the building the harder it is to play?

- You know, why try to break down according to the building, you know?

Some of these people don't care what kind of building they put you in anyway, the promoters, you know, as long as they get the money out of you and get the money out of the people, so therefore, you don't even worry about the building.

You just go on and play your gig.

- The second time that I got to see him was in the August concert in '68.

- I already had his album, but to see him live was just incredible.

(hard percussion music) (fans clap and cheer) (typewriter clicks) - [Announcer] They came to virgin soil and they called the land Virginia.

(hard percussion music) (fans clap and cheer) (hard percussion music) (fans clap and cheer) - Nobody knew what was gonna happen.

Jimmy came on, the last song that he played at the second show was "Voodoo Child."

Nobody had heard it before.

Understand, it was the first time that song was played live in the United States, right, right here at the Dome.

(energetic rock music) (energetic rock music continues) ♪ Well, I stand up next to a mountain ♪ ♪ I chop it down with the edge of my hand ♪ (energetic rock music continues) ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Pick up all the pieces and make an island ♪ ♪ Might even raise a little sand ♪ - He set the guitar on fire with a little small fire, not a big one.

- Lighter fluid, and apparently he couldn't light it.

- [Joseph] A lot more people came up towards the stage.

- The Dome wouldn't let him set a guitar on fire.

- Police were starting to get, take notice of this stuff, that something was going on.

- Police came out on stage.

(energetic rock music) - Nobody had seen anything like it before.

- He beat up an amplifier or something.

That was a standard thing.

He had a watermelon that had been under a tarp there.

Hendrix had kind of come over to me and said, "You better move.

This is going to get very messy."

And they pushed it to the front of the stage and he started to beat the watermelon (chuckles) with his guitar.

And it was going all over the audience, all over the stage.

- He ended up smashing his guitar into a couple of different pieces and throwing that out to the audience and we all went bananas.

(energetic rock music) - At least we got to see the Destructo act.

At least we got to see the guitar flying through the air.

- All that experimentation were evidence of the culture itself as a reaction to it.

We all got experience that night and we walked out very different people.

(energetic rock music) - (laughs) I'm not sure what I wanna see more of, the documentary or Paul Unger.

- He is definitely a character.

And you're right, his film looks pretty epic.

It really takes me back to that era.

- I can't even believe all the big name acts that played at the Dome.

- Well, you know, speaking of big name acts, we have more artists to feature on "Curate," but you'll have to wait until next episode.

- Well, who do we have coming up next episode?

- You're gonna have to wait.

- Even me?

- Yes, even you.

- Okay, fine.

Alright, we'll see you next time.

- On "Curate."

(uplifting music) (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues)