WE ARE THE COMPTON ARTISTS ALLIANCE

We got our start in the city of Compton in 2017. Our first meetings were held at local restaurants and at the homes of a few of our Compton neighbors who believed in us. Our team was built based on a genuine love for the arts and the community of Compton and it’s surrounding cities; which make Compton “The Hub“ City”. We know the true history of Compton and the stories of the Artists that’s have submerged from this great city and we also know what image the world tries to paint. We believed that the Art Community needed to be revived and the local Artists elevated. We have curated a handful of successful Art Galleries, Film and Artists Discussions, Music events, sponsored Artists to travel internationally, encouraged Artists to push themselves to new levels, Collaborated with other foundations in and outside of the city of Compton and  created spaces for the youth to express their creativity. We’ve been active going on 4 years and we aren’t slowing down. If anything we have been learning more and growing towards bringing Artists of all kinds together to create and expand the Art Culture in the city of Compton Ca. 

We focus on actively contributing, supporting and educating the Artists community in Compton, Ca.  That includes but is not limited to their participation in the arts economy, providing opportunities for professional and personal development, while continuously supporting collaborative projects, and continued arts education.

Rosie Shields began her art career in her hometown of Los Angeles, CA at the age of 18. She is a Multi-Medium Fine Artist, Published Author, Business Owner, Art Curator and previous elementary school Art Teacher. She met Corey Nash in 2017 and after a brief aquaintance a business partnership was formed. With a great deal of passion, structure and love for the arts Shields and Nash wth the mentorship of Greta Mandell CEO of The Compton Arts Council, Professor Akinsanya Kambon and Mrs. Kambon over The Pan African Art Museum, Mayor Aja Brown and Compton city staff, The Compton Artists Alliance Board members, Local Artists and Art Enthusiasts alike. From these connections and collaborations the Compton Artists Alliance was formed and have been going and growing for the past 3 years. 

Charlotte "Arikai" Tabeson has worked in Public Relations since 2016, when she worked her first Sundance Film Festival as the assistant to the festival's New Frontier Category publicist. From that point on, she's continued to work with creators who are first-timers, emerging artists, and innovative thinkers at festivals like SXSW, Tribeca FF, Venice Biennale (FF), Moogfest, the Los Angeles Museum of Broken Relationships and more. While she's worked with a mix of creators in film, fine art, and music, she took to the world of immersive and virtual/augmented/ reality tech and storytelling because of out-of-the-box creations and boundary-pushing potential of the medium—she has been blessed to work on groundbreaking projects like "SPHERES" VR series (Eliza McNitt, EP'd by Darren Aronofsky

), "Awavena" VR experience (Lynette Wallworth), "The Last Goodbye" VR experiences (Gabo Arora & Ari Palitz in collaboration with USC Shoa Foundation), and "Greenland Melting" VR experience (Nonny de la Peña aka the Godmother of VR, in collaboration with PBS' NOVA) among many others.

In her personal time, Arikai enjoys the outdoors, hiking in the surrounding LA area, taking care of her potted garden, finding new music and creators, dancing and spending quality time with family. She has continued to stay involved with the Compton based org RapSessions, Compton Artists Alliance 501c non-profit. Arikai has a passion for natural self-care remedies, sustainable living, and staying connected to her roots in Cameroon, West Africa. 

Emile Ovasi is Gg the StoryTeller, she is also known as Ghetto Gospel, the spoken rap artist. With her first CD titled,  ‘I Don’t Understand Christianz’ in 2005, and hosting her own open mic, ‘Hotwordz Presents, ‘Relax, It’s Just Poetry’, she moved on to produce Hotwordz Lyrical Theatre, an open mic show with its first start on Collabo Radio in Atlanta, GA.

After 11 years, the show moved from BlogTalkRadio to Accelerated Radio in Inglewood, CA, in February, 2020. She is a poet and after going to her first open mic in 2003 at the Kotton Club in Los Angeles, CA. , she was hooked.  As a writer and photographer, she records her surroundings and stories in an effort to reach those who may be experiencing the same stories. She was born and raised on the west side of Compton, Ca. and have seen so many changes in the community. In 2017, she joined Compton Artist Alliance and later became one of the board members. With her words, she uses her voice to speak to those fighting the good fight on the grassroots level in hopes of a real change In communities. Everyone is not cut out for politics, however, it is through her creativity, she feels action speaks louder than words