March 18, 2025 • 36 mins
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Shelbi Toone, Community Activist, takes us on a remarkable journey through her evolution as an artist, community organizer, and cultural preservationist in Columbus, Ohio. What began with watching her grandparents honor their elders has blossomed into a multifaceted career dedicated to ensuring Black history and community stories aren't lost to time.
Today, as project lead for the Poindexter Village Museum (soon to be Ohio's 59th historical site), Shelbi is creating her most enduring legacy yet – a space that will preserve African American history in Central Ohio for generations to come. Through her inspiring story, we discover that true legacy isn't just about the art created but the platforms built and stories preserved that might otherwise be lost.
Growing up as what she calls an "art jock," Shelbi brought unique strengths to her creative pursuits – the teamwork, discipline, and practice ethic from basketball and track meshed perfectly with her artistic talents. While many know her vibrant murals around Columbus, fewer understand the deeper purpose driving her work: creating space for underrepresented artists while preserving cultural narratives.
After graduating with her master's degree in 2010 amid economic uncertainty, Shelbi took a leap of faith by starting her own creative services business rather than pursuing traditional employment that didn't align with her passion. This bold move not only launched her career but sparked her commitment to building platforms where other artists could thrive. From founding All People Arts gallery on Columbus' South Side to establishing the Walt Neal Mural League, she's consistently created opportunities specifically for Black artists who historically lacked access to public art commissions.
Perhaps most fascinating is the story behind her signature "new peace symbol" and the evolution of her artist name "Peace Shelbi." What began as a personal journey to find peace transformed into a powerful artistic statement that "peace begins with you" – a philosophy she's integrated into virtually every artwork for over a decade.
Want to support Shelbi's work? Visit shel10.com to learn about Columbus' Black history and explore poindextervillagemuseum.org to follow the museum's development.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I have a special relationship with my
grandparents because I would saythey are foundational in how
I'm thinking, how I choose to domy purpose work.
I know how important it is tohonor our elders and I think it
started very early for mewatching my grandparents honor
their elders, always knowing howimportant it was to respect
(00:22):
those that came before them.
I watched them all be veryhumble in their own personal
journeys while beingtrailblazers in the work that
they were doing, and so fastforward into the work that I do.
I just have a passion formaking sure that elders remain
at the forefront of our voiceand that we're hearing them.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Welcome to Be A Baller where we're building a
lifelong legacy for our families, communities and the world.
Your host, coach Tim Brown, isexcited for you to join him on
this journey.
On each episode, we'll betalking about how to be
intentional about building alasting legacy.
We'll be exploring what itmeans to leave a mark that goes
beyond just our lives but has apositive impact on those around
(01:03):
us and even generations to come.
So if you're looking forinspiration, guidance and
practical tips on how to build alasting legacy that makes a
difference, then you're in theright place.
So grab your earbuds, getcomfortable and let's dive in.
It's time to be a baller.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Welcome to Be A Baller podcast.
I'm your host, coach Tim Brown,and I'm blessed and honored to
have in studio with me a goodfriend who I watched grow up and
mature into the communityactivist like she is today, and
that's Shelby Toon.
Shelby is a distinguishedartist and community organizer
dedicated to using creativity asa tool for social change.
(01:44):
Since graduating from GahannaLincoln High School, she has
championed cultural preservation, public art and inclusive
community engagement throughoutCentral Ohio.
As a Columbus Art Commissionerand a board member of the Ohio
Alliance for Arts Education,shelby plays a pivotal role in
shaping the city's artistic andculture policies.
(02:06):
She has led transforminginitiatives through her
leadership at All People's Art,the Neighborhood Design Center
and the Poindexter VillageAfrican American Museum.
Shelby, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Boy, I was trying to read all that.
You've been busy since somedays at Second Baptist Church.
You know you were recentlyinducted into the high school,
into the High School Hall ofFame of Gehenna Lincoln.
How was that recognition?
How was that honor?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Definitely amazing.
I didn't really know that Iwanted that kind of honor.
Once I got it, I was like youknow what I really do appreciate
this.
I'm representing Gahanna here.
So it feels good to you know.
Put my Gahanna pride on my backtoo and continue the work that
I'm doing.
So I'm so blessed Amen.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
You know, I know, growing up you had a strong
village.
You know you mentioned school.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I know church and the community as well.
That raised you.
Can you talk about theinfluence of your village in
your life?
You know, being close to mygrandparents, their community
was their church.
So St Paul, AME, and you knowGood Shepherd.
So I just had a good foundationof a church life and very
actively involved in danceministries and choir.
(03:35):
I sang in the choir, did plays,so just always very actively
involved in church and it's beenreally the foundation to my
artistic expression.
You know, and I'm blessed tohave community through church
and growing up with my familyand all of them.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
I know your family was artistic as well.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, they are Singing and all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Can you talk about how that impacted you and kind
of what you do today?
Speaker 1 (04:02):
So you know my parents both of my parents are
full-time city employees butthey're both artists.
So my dad my entire life he'salways been in the theater
directing plays, acting in plays.
And then my mother she's a jazzsinger.
So I grew up watching her dobig band and you know do jazz
concerts and reallyunderstanding and appreciating
(04:24):
the arts in Columbus reallyearly and even their impact in
it.
You know do jazz concerts andreally understanding and
appreciating the arts inColumbus really early and even
their impact in it.
You know watching my dad serveon our boards.
You know Cat Co and mom withthe jazz arts group just always
being intertwined and seeingthem firsthand have full-time
jobs and still have passion forthe arts.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
You know another side of your family is a community
part.
We can't get off of that.
Can you talk about that andwhat you saw in that and learned
from your family being involvedin the community projects?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Very actively involved community.
My family was always in thecommunity.
You know I had a grandfatherwho was a city council member, a
dad who was heavily involved incommunity initiatives.
Just being able to be a witnessto what it means to pour into
your community, I definitely gota front row seat to that.
I think it's made me a lot ofwho I am today very actively
(05:19):
involved in community.
I understand that if you wantanything to change, you have to
be, you know, an active part ofthat change and I think that
that became who I was just bywitnessing others do that in my
family.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
So that's good.
I know you spent a lot of timewith your grandparents.
You know.
Can you talk about the impactand share with the audience some
of those life lessons that youlearned from them?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, I have a special relationship with my
grandparents because I would saythey are foundational in how
I'm thinking, how I choose to domy purpose work.
I know how important it is tohonor our elders and I think it
started very early for mewatching my grandparents honor
(06:02):
their elders, always knowing howimportant it was to respect
those that came before them.
I watched them all be veryhumble in their own personal
journeys while beingtrailblazers in the work that
they were doing, and so fastforward into the work that I do.
I just have a passion formaking sure that you know elders
remain at the forefront of ourvoice and that we're hearing
(06:24):
them.
I think my grandmother sheinstilled those things in me.
I had a another.
Both of my grandmothers arevery actively involved in the
arts.
One was a singer and one was acommunity liaison for many, many
arts initiatives.
So just being able to watchthem I think that's really a
part of my makeup today was them.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Why are you so passionate about honoring those
elders and keeping their voicesaround?
A lot of times we'll see olderpeople we just push them off to
the side and young people.
But why is that so important toyou and how have you been able
to do that?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, I think it's foundational and very important
to have those traditions passeddown.
Unfortunately, you know, ourcommunity has had a lot of
disruption in passinggenerational stories and, you
know, essentially passing thetorch to the next generation to
make sure they have the toolsand the history and knowledge
(07:22):
they need to move forward, surethey have the tools and the
history and knowledge they needto move forward.
You know this is not news thatthe Sankofa thinking in the
process of looking back to goforward.
It's just foundational in whowe are as a people and I think
that I've become very passionateabout it because the growth in
the city and all the changesthat are happening do not
(07:42):
prioritize that right.
It's about changing the old andbringing in the new and so
often we're not preserving whatwas there or, you know, we're
very often watching things wipedaway rather than uplifted, and
so I just try to be a part ofthe preservation experience and
making sure that we're notlosing those stories.
(08:03):
It's good to have new thingsand you know we're not always
going to be a part of thepreservation experience and
making sure that we're notlosing those stories.
It's good to have new thingsand you know we're not always
going to be here one day, butit's our job to you know.
Make sure that we do our partto make sure that our kids get
the information.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, that's it.
That's it Particularly duringthis time of year.
You know, as we're in the BlackHistory, you know, february
just making sure you said itreally well making sure our kids
get the information.
That's what it's all about.
That next generation, you knowkind of changing gears.
You got involved in this sportsthing.
I knew you as a basketballplayer and then you went over to
(08:35):
Gahanna and you captained thebasketball team and track as
well.
You know can you talk aboutthat sports experience.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
You know sports.
I think I used to call myselfan art jock.
Okay, all right.
I did sports all the time playsoccer, basketball, ran track
but at the heart of my off timewas art.
And a lot of people didn't knowthat because I was, you know,
more of a sketchbook artist orjust in my free time.
But I happen to have a motherwho knew I was good at art, so
(09:04):
she cultivated that for me.
I started very early inunderstanding I could sell my
art and be an artist.
So I would say I saw myself asan artist as early as like the
age of 10 to 12.
So meanwhile, while I was doingsports, I always tried to also
balance that energy with thearts and doing something you
know, whether it was at KingArts Complex, a Saturday art
class, or and doing something,you know, whether it was at King
(09:25):
Arts Complex, a Saturday artclass, or just kind of, you know
, staying actively involved.
And I think I had the fortunateprivilege of going to like a
Second Baptist Church, forexample.
We would, second, would do anart challenge, you know, and I'd
be, I'd do the art challengeand win a, you know, a savings
bond and I, you know it wasgiving me all the encouragement
(09:45):
I needed to believe in myself,to know that I could do this.
So sports was foundational.
I also think that you know Iwent on and did some some good
things in high school and ontocollege, ran a little college
tracks and things like that.
But those were foundationalteamwork, repetition and
(10:06):
practice and those things arewhy I think I'm a little
different as an artist than mostartists.
People often say like oh, youknow artists.
How do you do you know you canwork both left and right side of
your brain, you know?
I think that's all coming frommy makeup in sports and growing
up a team player andunderstanding how to put work
(10:27):
ethic in.
And yeah, so I think you know Ioften I'm concerned about folks
who don't do sports.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
So many life lessons besides just running up and down
the court on the track and somany of those things you learned
in that.
When was that light bulb momentwhen you clicked that?
You know what I'm good at thisart thing.
When was that moment?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I think for me it was when I graduated from graduate
school.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
So I had always shown my art and done artistic things
endeavors, shows, all kinds ofthings but I think I had my
breakthrough moment when Igraduated in 2010 with my
master's, in the middle of atime where no one was hiring and
people were telling me that Ineeded to take my degree and go
(11:17):
get this other job.
That didn't.
It wasn't really in alignmentwith what I wanted to do, and so
I just stepped out on faith.
I came home and I probably washome, you know, all of a couple
of months before I decided tostart my own creative services
business, shelton LLC.
And within that year, I youknow gate, you know put some
(11:40):
faith in the work and I wasgetting phone calls all the time
for work and I realized that Icould.
I didn't necessarily need a jobto thrive because I was good at
art.
I was good at graphic design, Iwas good at branding, I was good
at being a creative and Ineeded to lean in more to what
that meant and I also liked thebenefit of helping people.
So in 2010, a lot of peopleneeded to update Right, right,
(12:03):
oh yeah, Including me.
People needed to reimagine theway they saw themselves and so I
feel a part of.
I see so much success out herewith a lot of entrepreneurs and
small businesses, nonprofits andorganizations and I feel like
I've had a piece of being a partof people's journey because you
know, they've called on me todo a design or do some artwork
(12:25):
or put a mural up in theirbuilding and I get to be a part
of.
You know those avenues andthose things.
So I think that's when Istarted to really lean in, is
when I started the business andI was like you know, I've got
this and I started to not onlydo my business and the creative
services stuff, but I alsostarted to create platforms for
artists to show work, because Iwanted to show my work.
(12:47):
Ok.
And so that's a whole otherjourney of you know, I'm still
curating today.
There's a show that I have uptoday at Art of Republic with 15
artists, you know, still tryingto cultivate that too.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
That's awesome.
You know I've seen your workall over murals, murals all over
the city.
What's been your?
What's your inspiration whenyou decide to create a mural?
What is your inspiration forcreating that?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I often think about the youth a lot in my work.
So I'm always thinking aboutwhat it looks like for a little
girl or a little boy to drivepast what they're looking at,
and so I try not to be toocomplex, because my audience I
want to get you young.
You know I really do thinkabout the young people a lot.
I have a huge background inarts education and so even as I
(13:37):
approach my work now, where it'sa little more complex and it's
more about culture and history,I still try to approach it in a
lens of perspective of a littlegirl or a little boy who needs
to also make their owninterpretation of what they're
seeing.
And I just I really love art andwhat it can do to transform
(13:57):
people's thinking, bring peopletogether, people together, and
I've enjoyed being a part ofkind of planting some of those
seeds to have art be a part ofthe conversation.
The art that I'm creating isplanting a seed of bigger things
.
A lot of the early work I wasdoing, people weren't really
giving me the big opportunitiesthat I wanted to, so I inserted
(14:19):
myself in communityconversations and inserted art
as a solution to a lot of theyou know conversation pieces
that we were having.
And so fast forward now you seepeople all the time kind of
using art as a avenue to bringcommunity together, have
community.
Do you know, address an issue Ican say, gosh, more than 10
(14:42):
years ago that wasn't as commonas it is now and I feel like I
jumped in that lane very earlyand helped kind of be a part of
the wave of facilitating how artcan meet community.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
That's good.
I think God has a way of histiming and he puts you in that
space at the right time.
As we think about the GeorgeFloyd incident and all the
murals and pictures that weregoing up or whatnot, and you
were a big part of that.
Can you talk about how thatvision for social change and
using art as social change- yeahGosh.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So 2020 was, I think, the year where everyone thought
that it was going to be a gamechanger in their own personal
lives.
Everyone kind of had things setup for themselves and I was one
of those people who had a showthat I was going to do and you
know these initiatives that Iwas just, you know, passionate
about and already kind of had acalendar for 2022.
I actually was in the heart ofopening All People Arts, which
(15:38):
is a Southside art gallery, andI had got the keys to the
building March 2020.
Gallery and I had got the keysto the building March 2020.
So it was a very interestingyear for me because I was in the
heart of trying to open up agallery on the South side for
artists, but the whole town hadbeen shut down.
And then, you know, here we aretrying to open this gallery
(16:00):
space and then George Floydhappens, and I've always been a
voice for, you know, blackhistory, black history in arts
and I felt that, as the worldwas kind of shutting down, this
was, you know, I couldn't sitstill, while the answer I had
always known was art.
You know, I'd always known that.
(16:21):
You know we could lean in toart, but I didn't really see
anyone lean in until GeorgeFloyd happened.
There's always pros and cons tothat.
We don't, as artists, want tobe used either, and there is a
huge message in the George Floydsituation that we can't ignore.
(16:43):
And so it's not using art tocover up the ugly, it's using
art to express how we truly feelabout the ugly and also keep
moving through the ugly at thesame time.
So I was honored to be a partof you know what I would say a
huge movement that happened inColumbus, and I did get a lot of
(17:06):
calls.
So I did answer a lot of callsand got out there, probably a
lot more than I originallyanticipated, but it was.
You know, in my eyes,everything happens the way it
should, and I think thatColumbus, you know, went through
a huge turning point in the waythat they see in not only just
(17:29):
a Black Lives Matterconversation, but even arts in
community.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
You mentioned you were in the middle of starting
Arts Plus what was it All People, arts.
All People Arts.
Can you talk about thatinitiative?
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Sure.
So you know, there's alwaysdifferent sides of town, you
know, and the South Side,traditionally for Columbus, has,
you know, always lacked ouraccess, among other resources.
The Community Development forAll People organization had
actually started an initiativewhere they wanted to do healthy
(18:03):
food and arts, and this was kindof as early as like 2017, 16,
17.
And one of my closest friends,april Tsunami.
She had asked me to kind oftake a look at what they were
doing and see if I couldn't helpnavigate next steps on how to
create a gallery or some kind ofart access space for the South
(18:25):
Side.
And I had just done some workon the Near East Side with
William H Thomas Art Gallery andbeen there for a while and had,
you know, kind of curated showsand done festivals.
So it was an opportunity topull back and see if I could be
of use on another end of town.
And so in 2018, I officiallycame on to work with All People
(18:49):
Arts and see if I couldn'tbasically create a gallery space
somewhere on the south side tocreate our access.
And so we did that.
We ended up founding directorof All People Arts.
We ended up opening our gallerydoors in 2020 in the heart of
the pandemic, but we're thrivingon our fifth year anniversary
this year and there's a directorthere, sydney Spivey, and I
(19:12):
serve as the chair of the boardand we I mean artists now know
that if they want to get theirstart, they can definitely start
at All People Arts.
That was something that wasn'tan option before.
They didn say artists beforedidn't really have too many
options other than trying tomaybe fill around on the Short
North Alliance area or the ShortNorth area or maybe jumping in
(19:35):
in the studio in Franklinton,but I would say All People.
Arts provides an instant accessopportunity for people to get
their start, be able to saythey've shown in Columbus, and
so I'm proud to be a part ofthat.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Something about that name All People's Art.
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I mean it means brown , white, purple, blue.
You know everybody deservesaccess to art.
It deserves access to art andwhen I think about all people
arts, it's about really justmaking sure people understand
that this space is for them andso I've always believed in.
(20:14):
You know, there are kind ofdifferent hierarchies in the
arts world and I believe allpeople arts is setting the tone
to say no, everyone's an artistand everyone can start being an
artist right here.
So it gives it makes it anentry point, gives the access to
folks and you know, and thefuture is bright.
(20:34):
You know galleries and artstuff is either.
You know it's fluctuating and Ithink it gives the South side
some stability in the in theconversation.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
You know I've seen a lot of your murals.
With teamwork, you have a wayof bringing persons together on
projects.
It's not just you.
How are you able to do that incollaboration, bringing artists
together?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, that's like really the heart of a lot of, I
would say, my work has been ishow do I get more artists, more
opportunities?
And you know, when we startedthe Walt Mill Mural League, it
was always first seeded an ideathat I knew that we were lacking
opportunities in murals and itwas specifically Black artists.
(21:17):
We were not gettingopportunities to do murals.
And when we were gettingopportunities to do murals,
often enough they were not largescale murals or permanent
opportunities.
So I knew, going into startingthe All People Arts Gallery,
that we also wanted to start agroup for artists to get
(21:38):
opportunities to create inpublic spaces.
And so you know we've done justthat.
We actually, the one that mostpeople know about is our first
mural is at Easton Town Center,where we were able to do a Walt
Neal original replica of themoon goddess, and that speaks
volumes to what the goal hasalways been, which is to not
(22:01):
only give artists a voice Blackartists specifically but also
pay homage to the shoulders westand on.
And Walt Neal was one of thefirst, if not, you know, the
first muralist whose work yousaw in the city and you know
whether that be on garages or onsides of buildings.
You knew that was Walt Neal,and so you know.
When we lost him in 2020, itjust felt right to rename this
(22:24):
kind of initiative that I wasdriving for after him, and so
bringing artists together isactually at the heart of that
mural group, but we also givethem individual opportunities so
they can shine, too, insecuring walls, but there's
nothing more beautiful thanbeing able to see artists
collaborate on something.
(22:44):
It's not everybody's cup of teaI realize that I'm a special
breed of folks who likes to dothat, but all artists don't like
to collaborate but it justhappens to be a gift that I feel
like I can bring.
And, yeah, what a blessing itis to have several collaborative
murals around the city and,hopefully, artists feel inspired
(23:08):
by being a part of them, andthen now they're also equipped
to do that same work forthemselves.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
We had someone on the show talked about how important
mentoring is, but he went astep further.
He said it's good to have amentor, but you have to have a
sponsor.
And that's the level thatyou're at now.
Where you're that sponsor, youknow.
When you're doing a project,you can say, hey, I know
somebody, you know, let's givethem an opportunity, give them
an opportunity to showcase theirtalents and whatnot.
And that's what it's all about.
(23:35):
When you get to a certain level, it's about being a sponsor.
You know, bringing people alongwith you.
You know, and not just talkingabout it, but actually doing it.
We do a lot of talk now, we doa whole lot of talk, but then,
when it comes down to bringingpeople along, you know, and
that's where I see what you'redoing, and it's truly a blessing
to the community being able todo that.
So, you know, as someone who'sbeen involved in the trenches of
(23:55):
community engagement andleadership, what wisdom can you
share with our listeners andwhat advice would you give to
those looking to make a lastingimpact?
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Um, the advice I would give is that you know, um,
one joy is on the other side.
Everything is not always as itseems.
There will be hard days,there's always ups and downs,
but for me, I try to stay inalignment with how good God is
and what joy actually means tome, and being able to know that
(24:30):
peace starts with me.
Know that peace starts with me,and?
Um.
So my advice would always be tobe reminded that peace starts
from within, it starts withyourself, and that joy is always
on the other side.
So keep pushing, and keeppushing for that, um, that self
assurance and peace that you'relooking for, um, but you know,
(24:51):
mainly for me, art is the, the.
There's many purposes to doingart, but I think the sole
purpose for most people shouldalways be to find that purpose,
or you know whether that's the.
You know anchor on the news.
You know, whomever, whomeveryou think you are, there is an
art and a craft about what youdo.
(25:20):
There is creative thinkingbehind how you do your work, and
I think it's important foreveryone to tap into that,
whether they can draw or not youknow still being okay with
knowing that there's a creativeside of themselves that they can
also tap into and knowing thatoften when you tap into that
you'll find joy in it.
You know, and you know you canuse that however you need.
(25:43):
What was your second question?
Speaker 4 (25:45):
You said what advice would you give to someone making
a lot to make a lasting impact?
Speaker 1 (25:50):
a lasting impact, being intentional and making
sure, again, it has to be inalignment with what you yourself
enjoy and what your purpose,work is and who you are.
I think so often we see otherpeople's lives and we want kind
of what they have Right.
But I do think that God hasgiven us all a special journey
and a special purpose and aspecial place and we just have
(26:12):
to do the work with ourself toidentify.
You know what those steps are.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
You talk a lot about joy and peace, and I've seen
your work and you always sign itpeace, shall we?
That's how I know that's you.
What does that?
Where did that come from?
What does that mean to you whenyou sign that?
Speaker 1 (26:33):
So I'm a graphic designer and at the heart of
learning graphic design, youlearn about logos and symbols,
and when I was graduating well,I guess I would say, maybe
softly, after 2012, 2011.
So I had graduated, started mybusiness and really started to
paint regularly on the side andreally doing my art all the time
(26:54):
.
I realized in those momentsthat there was so much history
attached to symbols and therewas more to what I was seeing.
I started to grow a love forhistory and knowing more things,
about things.
I think a lot of times, aspeople, we take things off the
surface and I started to take adeeper dive into.
Well, we take things off thesurface and I started to take a
(27:14):
deeper dive into.
Well, no, but really, where didthis come from?
After doing some research, beinga person who strived for peace
and what does peace mean to me,I learned about the peace symbol
and how it came about, what itwas and to me, in the process of
kind of finding peace formyself, I wanted to free myself
(27:35):
of things that were not of myculture, not for my people, and
so in 2011, I felt kind of likeI had come up with this symbol.
It felt really connected to theAdinkra symbols and often what
you see in that background.
(27:59):
So I came up with this newpeace sign and so 2011 kind of
started this thing where I waslike, oh, this is new peace,
this is a new peace sign and, asan artist, everybody has their
thing or like they believe in it, and so I just believed in it
wholeheartedly.
This is the new peace sign.
Why do we need a new peace sign?
You know well if you do somehistory and even if you think
about what, what has happened.
(28:20):
We need an opportunity to seepeace for ourselves, and the
original peace symbol is abouteveryone, including you know
where this peace symbol is about.
Peace begins with you, and so Istarted.
There's probably not manypieces of artwork that are out
there that don't feature thispeace symbol.
In my work, I put it ineverything and it's just to
(28:42):
symbolize that peace is possible, and I think you know sometimes
we overcomplicate peace tothink that world.
You know this world peacepicture, but peace genuinely
starts with oneself, and so I'vejust been driven by that for
now over a decade, or you knowum in my work and the things
that I do and people who listento, because often, as an artist,
(29:04):
you're overlooked, justnaturally.
People who really pay attentionknow that I'm doing this work
in what this peace symbol is andall of a sudden people just
start calling me peace and itreally is interesting.
It started with the elders.
Actually, they would hey,there's Peace.
Right right right Peace, Peace,Peace.
So I got used to it.
Then I also got to a placewhere I had to start responding
(29:25):
to it.
Oh yeah.
Because they were reallycalling me Peace, right, right
right.
So it's fun and it means thatthe people understand me and I
feel blessed, you know when,anytime, someone understands me
or my artwork.
So, yeah, that's where thatcomes from.
Yeah, peace.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
And in 2020, actually , I decided because I had been
doing it since 2011.
And when the Black Lives Matterhappened, I decided to just you
know new peace 2020.
New peace 2020.
And I just went really, reallyall in on people understanding
that it was time to self-checkand start with peace from within
(30:06):
.
Man, that's good.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Come around the corner.
You know this is a legacypodcast.
So what is the legacy thatShelby Toon has built in our
community?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Yeah, I feel blessed that art has moved my career in
a direction where I can truly beimpactful.
So you know, I am now theproject lead for Poindexter
Village Museum.
It's an African-American museum, Point Dexter Village Museum
it's an African-American museumand it'll be the 59th site of
(30:38):
Ohio History Connections Stateof Ohio site system.
What that means to me is when Ifirst started, I always knew how
art could be impactful.
I also tried to use art as aplatform for opportunity.
I was blessed to be able to bepulled into opportunities where
I could voice what artistsneeded and what was important
for community arts to meet at ahead.
I feel like fast forward.
(31:00):
Through my work, I was able tocreate a reputation of building
legacy and so when theopportunity came where Ohio
History needed to hire someoneto lead the African-American
museum project for central Ohio,um, I think, naturally it, it
(31:21):
just fit for me to fall in thatrole, and I think a lot of
people you know it, it itdefinitely caught people off
guard like, oh, aren't you anartist?
You know, but this is my legacy.
My, I have always, um, been a.
Aren't you an artist?
But this is my legacy.
I have always been a folkartist, so that's an artist who
cares a lot about history andstorytelling and preservation.
(31:43):
And so, fast forward and tryingto make sure that that's a part
of the fabric of our communityis a huge part of my legacy to
make sure that we are leavingsomething for the next
generation to also be able totap into that, and so the work
that I'm doing with the AfricanAmerican Museum.
It will preserve the arts andculture, history of the Near
(32:05):
East Side and beyond.
It will stand up those ColumbusBlack history heroes that we
often hear about and don't hearabout.
It will, you know, really getto the heart of the impact of
racism and, you know,discrimination in housing as far
(32:26):
as, particularly to CentralOhio, and I just feel like that
work is the, is the legacy workthat I'm in right now.
That work is so important,whether people understand it or
not, um, so that we have aplatform when we're not here, so
that our kids also have thisinformation.
Because even for me, at my bigold age, I'm still learning
(32:49):
stuff that I should have knownabout my community a very long
time ago, and so I'm just tryingto carve out a little piece so
that it doesn't have to be thischallenging for the future to
get connected to the past.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Wow, that's truly legacy building.
You know that's what this isall about.
So, as we come to theconclusion of today's episode
with Shelby Toon, a trailblazingartist, curator and community
organizer, we're so grateful tohave you here to share your
wisdom with us, and I thank youfor answering that call.
You know getting off that track, giving up that gym and really
(33:24):
answering the call that God hasfor you, and so we're so
appreciative for that.
So thank you for leading thechange, the social change,
through art and your commitmentto peace.
You know joy, love andcommunity.
As we wrap up, how can theaudience support you and your
initiatives?
Can you share with the audiencehow they can support the
projects that you're working on?
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Okay, you know I always tell people, you know, be
informed.
I think that the heart of whatI'm doing is to make sure that
you're learning about thehistory of Columbus, black
history specifically.
So be informed, I think youknow.
Go to my website, shell10.com.
There are resources there tolearn about the community, to
(34:08):
learn about ACE, to learn aboutAmina Robinson, to learn about
Amina Robinson.
You know I've put now almost twodecades of work into sharing
stories within the community andyou know those resources are
there and so I think for mostpeople, I think being informed
would be a great first step.
And then also, you know, buylocal art.
(34:33):
You know whether it's mine ornot.
I think that there's a lot tosay about us starting to really
turn the way that we think andspend and really investing into
artists and investing into, youknow, instead of going to TJ
Maxx to get your art really, youknow, going, maybe, and being
(34:53):
thoughtful and buying someShelton art or whomever else.
You know, those kinds of things, but I think those are the best
steps.
And then, of course, check outpoindextervillagemuseumorg.
That's the current project I'mworking on with the museum, but
yeah, that's it.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
So I want to thank you for being on the show today,
and I want to remind theaudience that building a
lifelong legacy is not justabout what you leave behind.
It's also about the impact youhave those on around you every
day.
Every day, and so I thank ouraudience for listening to Be A
Baller podcast.
You can listen to it on allsocial media platforms.
So thank you, shelby, for beinga part of the show.
(35:33):
Thanks for having me.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it
with family and friends.
The Be A Baller podcast isavailable on all major podcast
platforms.
This podcast was created byCoach Tim Brown and recorded and
edited by the video productionclass of Worthington Christian
High School.
Be sure to come back next weekas we continue to discuss on how
to build a lifelong legacy.
(35:57):
Until then, don't forget to bea baller.
I have a special relationship with my
grandparents because I would saythey are foundational in how
I'm thinking, how I choose to domy purpose work.
I know how important it is tohonor our elders and I think it
started very early for mewatching my grandparents honor
their elders, always knowing howimportant it was to respect
(00:22):
those that came before them.
I watched them all be veryhumble in their own personal
journeys while beingtrailblazers in the work that
they were doing, and so fastforward into the work that I do.
I just have a passion formaking sure that elders remain
at the forefront of our voiceand that we're hearing them.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Welcome to Be A Baller where we're building a
lifelong legacy for our families, communities and the world.
Your host, coach Tim Brown, isexcited for you to join him on
this journey.
On each episode, we'll betalking about how to be
intentional about building alasting legacy.
We'll be exploring what itmeans to leave a mark that goes
beyond just our lives but has apositive impact on those around
(01:03):
us and even generations to come.
So if you're looking forinspiration, guidance and
practical tips on how to build alasting legacy that makes a
difference, then you're in theright place.
So grab your earbuds, getcomfortable and let's dive in.
It's time to be a baller.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Welcome to Be A Baller podcast.
I'm your host, coach Tim Brown,and I'm blessed and honored to
have in studio with me a goodfriend who I watched grow up and
mature into the communityactivist like she is today, and
that's Shelby Toon.
Shelby is a distinguishedartist and community organizer
dedicated to using creativity asa tool for social change.
(01:44):
Since graduating from GahannaLincoln High School, she has
championed cultural preservation, public art and inclusive
community engagement throughoutCentral Ohio.
As a Columbus Art Commissionerand a board member of the Ohio
Alliance for Arts Education,shelby plays a pivotal role in
shaping the city's artistic andculture policies.
(02:06):
She has led transforminginitiatives through her
leadership at All People's Art,the Neighborhood Design Center
and the Poindexter VillageAfrican American Museum.
Shelby, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Boy, I was trying to read all that.
You've been busy since somedays at Second Baptist Church.
You know you were recentlyinducted into the high school,
into the High School Hall ofFame of Gehenna Lincoln.
How was that recognition?
How was that honor?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Definitely amazing.
I didn't really know that Iwanted that kind of honor.
Once I got it, I was like youknow what I really do appreciate
this.
I'm representing Gahanna here.
So it feels good to you know.
Put my Gahanna pride on my backtoo and continue the work that
I'm doing.
So I'm so blessed Amen.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
You know, I know, growing up you had a strong
village.
You know you mentioned school.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I know church and the community as well.
That raised you.
Can you talk about theinfluence of your village in
your life?
You know, being close to mygrandparents, their community
was their church.
So St Paul, AME, and you knowGood Shepherd.
So I just had a good foundationof a church life and very
actively involved in danceministries and choir.
(03:35):
I sang in the choir, did plays,so just always very actively
involved in church and it's beenreally the foundation to my
artistic expression.
You know, and I'm blessed tohave community through church
and growing up with my familyand all of them.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
I know your family was artistic as well.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, they are Singing and all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Can you talk about how that impacted you and kind
of what you do today?
Speaker 1 (04:02):
So you know my parents both of my parents are
full-time city employees butthey're both artists.
So my dad my entire life he'salways been in the theater
directing plays, acting in plays.
And then my mother she's a jazzsinger.
So I grew up watching her dobig band and you know do jazz
concerts and reallyunderstanding and appreciating
(04:24):
the arts in Columbus reallyearly and even their impact in
it.
You know do jazz concerts andreally understanding and
appreciating the arts inColumbus really early and even
their impact in it.
You know watching my dad serveon our boards.
You know Cat Co and mom withthe jazz arts group just always
being intertwined and seeingthem firsthand have full-time
jobs and still have passion forthe arts.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
You know another side of your family is a community
part.
We can't get off of that.
Can you talk about that andwhat you saw in that and learned
from your family being involvedin the community projects?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Very actively involved community.
My family was always in thecommunity.
You know I had a grandfatherwho was a city council member, a
dad who was heavily involved incommunity initiatives.
Just being able to be a witnessto what it means to pour into
your community, I definitely gota front row seat to that.
I think it's made me a lot ofwho I am today very actively
(05:19):
involved in community.
I understand that if you wantanything to change, you have to
be, you know, an active part ofthat change and I think that
that became who I was just bywitnessing others do that in my
family.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
So that's good.
I know you spent a lot of timewith your grandparents.
You know.
Can you talk about the impactand share with the audience some
of those life lessons that youlearned from them?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, I have a special relationship with my
grandparents because I would saythey are foundational in how
I'm thinking, how I choose to domy purpose work.
I know how important it is tohonor our elders and I think it
started very early for mewatching my grandparents honor
(06:02):
their elders, always knowing howimportant it was to respect
those that came before them.
I watched them all be veryhumble in their own personal
journeys while beingtrailblazers in the work that
they were doing, and so fastforward into the work that I do.
I just have a passion formaking sure that you know elders
remain at the forefront of ourvoice and that we're hearing
(06:24):
them.
I think my grandmother sheinstilled those things in me.
I had a another.
Both of my grandmothers arevery actively involved in the
arts.
One was a singer and one was acommunity liaison for many, many
arts initiatives.
So just being able to watchthem I think that's really a
part of my makeup today was them.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Why are you so passionate about honoring those
elders and keeping their voicesaround?
A lot of times we'll see olderpeople we just push them off to
the side and young people.
But why is that so important toyou and how have you been able
to do that?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, I think it's foundational and very important
to have those traditions passeddown.
Unfortunately, you know, ourcommunity has had a lot of
disruption in passinggenerational stories and, you
know, essentially passing thetorch to the next generation to
make sure they have the toolsand the history and knowledge
(07:22):
they need to move forward, surethey have the tools and the
history and knowledge they needto move forward.
You know this is not news thatthe Sankofa thinking in the
process of looking back to goforward.
It's just foundational in whowe are as a people and I think
that I've become very passionateabout it because the growth in
the city and all the changesthat are happening do not
(07:42):
prioritize that right.
It's about changing the old andbringing in the new and so
often we're not preserving whatwas there or, you know, we're
very often watching things wipedaway rather than uplifted, and
so I just try to be a part ofthe preservation experience and
making sure that we're notlosing those stories.
(08:03):
It's good to have new thingsand you know we're not always
going to be a part of thepreservation experience and
making sure that we're notlosing those stories.
It's good to have new thingsand you know we're not always
going to be here one day, butit's our job to you know.
Make sure that we do our partto make sure that our kids get
the information.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, that's it.
That's it Particularly duringthis time of year.
You know, as we're in the BlackHistory, you know, february
just making sure you said itreally well making sure our kids
get the information.
That's what it's all about.
That next generation, you knowkind of changing gears.
You got involved in this sportsthing.
I knew you as a basketballplayer and then you went over to
(08:35):
Gahanna and you captained thebasketball team and track as
well.
You know can you talk aboutthat sports experience.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
You know sports.
I think I used to call myselfan art jock.
Okay, all right.
I did sports all the time playsoccer, basketball, ran track
but at the heart of my off timewas art.
And a lot of people didn't knowthat because I was, you know,
more of a sketchbook artist orjust in my free time.
But I happen to have a motherwho knew I was good at art, so
(09:04):
she cultivated that for me.
I started very early inunderstanding I could sell my
art and be an artist.
So I would say I saw myself asan artist as early as like the
age of 10 to 12.
So meanwhile, while I was doingsports, I always tried to also
balance that energy with thearts and doing something you
know, whether it was at KingArts Complex, a Saturday art
class, or and doing something,you know, whether it was at King
(09:25):
Arts Complex, a Saturday artclass, or just kind of, you know
, staying actively involved.
And I think I had the fortunateprivilege of going to like a
Second Baptist Church, forexample.
We would, second, would do anart challenge, you know, and I'd
be, I'd do the art challengeand win a, you know, a savings
bond and I, you know it wasgiving me all the encouragement
(09:45):
I needed to believe in myself,to know that I could do this.
So sports was foundational.
I also think that you know Iwent on and did some some good
things in high school and ontocollege, ran a little college
tracks and things like that.
But those were foundationalteamwork, repetition and
(10:06):
practice and those things arewhy I think I'm a little
different as an artist than mostartists.
People often say like oh, youknow artists.
How do you do you know you canwork both left and right side of
your brain, you know?
I think that's all coming frommy makeup in sports and growing
up a team player andunderstanding how to put work
(10:27):
ethic in.
And yeah, so I think you know Ioften I'm concerned about folks
who don't do sports.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
So many life lessons besides just running up and down
the court on the track and somany of those things you learned
in that.
When was that light bulb momentwhen you clicked that?
You know what I'm good at thisart thing.
When was that moment?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I think for me it was when I graduated from graduate
school.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
So I had always shown my art and done artistic things
endeavors, shows, all kinds ofthings but I think I had my
breakthrough moment when Igraduated in 2010 with my
master's, in the middle of atime where no one was hiring and
people were telling me that Ineeded to take my degree and go
(11:17):
get this other job.
That didn't.
It wasn't really in alignmentwith what I wanted to do, and so
I just stepped out on faith.
I came home and I probably washome, you know, all of a couple
of months before I decided tostart my own creative services
business, shelton LLC.
And within that year, I youknow gate, you know put some
(11:40):
faith in the work and I wasgetting phone calls all the time
for work and I realized that Icould.
I didn't necessarily need a jobto thrive because I was good at
art.
I was good at graphic design, Iwas good at branding, I was good
at being a creative and Ineeded to lean in more to what
that meant and I also liked thebenefit of helping people.
So in 2010, a lot of peopleneeded to update Right, right,
(12:03):
oh yeah, Including me.
People needed to reimagine theway they saw themselves and so I
feel a part of.
I see so much success out herewith a lot of entrepreneurs and
small businesses, nonprofits andorganizations and I feel like
I've had a piece of being a partof people's journey because you
know, they've called on me todo a design or do some artwork
(12:25):
or put a mural up in theirbuilding and I get to be a part
of.
You know those avenues andthose things.
So I think that's when Istarted to really lean in, is
when I started the business andI was like you know, I've got
this and I started to not onlydo my business and the creative
services stuff, but I alsostarted to create platforms for
artists to show work, because Iwanted to show my work.
(12:47):
Ok.
And so that's a whole otherjourney of you know, I'm still
curating today.
There's a show that I have uptoday at Art of Republic with 15
artists, you know, still tryingto cultivate that too.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
That's awesome.
You know I've seen your workall over murals, murals all over
the city.
What's been your?
What's your inspiration whenyou decide to create a mural?
What is your inspiration forcreating that?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I often think about the youth a lot in my work.
So I'm always thinking aboutwhat it looks like for a little
girl or a little boy to drivepast what they're looking at,
and so I try not to be toocomplex, because my audience I
want to get you young.
You know I really do thinkabout the young people a lot.
I have a huge background inarts education and so even as I
(13:37):
approach my work now, where it'sa little more complex and it's
more about culture and history,I still try to approach it in a
lens of perspective of a littlegirl or a little boy who needs
to also make their owninterpretation of what they're
seeing.
And I just I really love art andwhat it can do to transform
(13:57):
people's thinking, bring peopletogether, people together, and
I've enjoyed being a part ofkind of planting some of those
seeds to have art be a part ofthe conversation.
The art that I'm creating isplanting a seed of bigger things
.
A lot of the early work I wasdoing, people weren't really
giving me the big opportunitiesthat I wanted to, so I inserted
(14:19):
myself in communityconversations and inserted art
as a solution to a lot of theyou know conversation pieces
that we were having.
And so fast forward now you seepeople all the time kind of
using art as a avenue to bringcommunity together, have
community.
Do you know, address an issue Ican say, gosh, more than 10
(14:42):
years ago that wasn't as commonas it is now and I feel like I
jumped in that lane very earlyand helped kind of be a part of
the wave of facilitating how artcan meet community.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
That's good.
I think God has a way of histiming and he puts you in that
space at the right time.
As we think about the GeorgeFloyd incident and all the
murals and pictures that weregoing up or whatnot, and you
were a big part of that.
Can you talk about how thatvision for social change and
using art as social change- yeahGosh.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So 2020 was, I think, the year where everyone thought
that it was going to be a gamechanger in their own personal
lives.
Everyone kind of had things setup for themselves and I was one
of those people who had a showthat I was going to do and you
know these initiatives that Iwas just, you know, passionate
about and already kind of had acalendar for 2022.
I actually was in the heart ofopening All People Arts, which
(15:38):
is a Southside art gallery, andI had got the keys to the
building March 2020.
Gallery and I had got the keysto the building March 2020.
So it was a very interestingyear for me because I was in the
heart of trying to open up agallery on the South side for
artists, but the whole town hadbeen shut down.
And then, you know, here we aretrying to open this gallery
(16:00):
space and then George Floydhappens, and I've always been a
voice for, you know, blackhistory, black history in arts
and I felt that, as the worldwas kind of shutting down, this
was, you know, I couldn't sitstill, while the answer I had
always known was art.
You know, I'd always known that.
(16:21):
You know we could lean in toart, but I didn't really see
anyone lean in until GeorgeFloyd happened.
There's always pros and cons tothat.
We don't, as artists, want tobe used either, and there is a
huge message in the George Floydsituation that we can't ignore.
(16:43):
And so it's not using art tocover up the ugly, it's using
art to express how we truly feelabout the ugly and also keep
moving through the ugly at thesame time.
So I was honored to be a partof you know what I would say a
huge movement that happened inColumbus, and I did get a lot of
(17:06):
calls.
So I did answer a lot of callsand got out there, probably a
lot more than I originallyanticipated, but it was.
You know, in my eyes,everything happens the way it
should, and I think thatColumbus, you know, went through
a huge turning point in the waythat they see in not only just
(17:29):
a Black Lives Matterconversation, but even arts in
community.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
You mentioned you were in the middle of starting
Arts Plus what was it All People, arts.
All People Arts.
Can you talk about thatinitiative?
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Sure.
So you know, there's alwaysdifferent sides of town, you
know, and the South Side,traditionally for Columbus, has,
you know, always lacked ouraccess, among other resources.
The Community Development forAll People organization had
actually started an initiativewhere they wanted to do healthy
(18:03):
food and arts, and this was kindof as early as like 2017, 16,
17.
And one of my closest friends,april Tsunami.
She had asked me to kind oftake a look at what they were
doing and see if I couldn't helpnavigate next steps on how to
create a gallery or some kind ofart access space for the South
(18:25):
Side.
And I had just done some workon the Near East Side with
William H Thomas Art Gallery andbeen there for a while and had,
you know, kind of curated showsand done festivals.
So it was an opportunity topull back and see if I could be
of use on another end of town.
And so in 2018, I officiallycame on to work with All People
(18:49):
Arts and see if I couldn'tbasically create a gallery space
somewhere on the south side tocreate our access.
And so we did that.
We ended up founding directorof All People Arts.
We ended up opening our gallerydoors in 2020 in the heart of
the pandemic, but we're thrivingon our fifth year anniversary
this year and there's a directorthere, sydney Spivey, and I
(19:12):
serve as the chair of the boardand we I mean artists now know
that if they want to get theirstart, they can definitely start
at All People Arts.
That was something that wasn'tan option before.
They didn say artists beforedidn't really have too many
options other than trying tomaybe fill around on the Short
North Alliance area or the ShortNorth area or maybe jumping in
(19:35):
in the studio in Franklinton,but I would say All People.
Arts provides an instant accessopportunity for people to get
their start, be able to saythey've shown in Columbus, and
so I'm proud to be a part ofthat.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Something about that name All People's Art.
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I mean it means brown , white, purple, blue.
You know everybody deservesaccess to art.
It deserves access to art andwhen I think about all people
arts, it's about really justmaking sure people understand
that this space is for them andso I've always believed in.
(20:14):
You know, there are kind ofdifferent hierarchies in the
arts world and I believe allpeople arts is setting the tone
to say no, everyone's an artistand everyone can start being an
artist right here.
So it gives it makes it anentry point, gives the access to
folks and you know, and thefuture is bright.
(20:34):
You know galleries and artstuff is either.
You know it's fluctuating and Ithink it gives the South side
some stability in the in theconversation.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
You know I've seen a lot of your murals.
With teamwork, you have a wayof bringing persons together on
projects.
It's not just you.
How are you able to do that incollaboration, bringing artists
together?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, that's like really the heart of a lot of, I
would say, my work has been ishow do I get more artists, more
opportunities?
And you know, when we startedthe Walt Mill Mural League, it
was always first seeded an ideathat I knew that we were lacking
opportunities in murals and itwas specifically Black artists.
(21:17):
We were not gettingopportunities to do murals.
And when we were gettingopportunities to do murals,
often enough they were not largescale murals or permanent
opportunities.
So I knew, going into startingthe All People Arts Gallery,
that we also wanted to start agroup for artists to get
(21:38):
opportunities to create inpublic spaces.
And so you know we've done justthat.
We actually, the one that mostpeople know about is our first
mural is at Easton Town Center,where we were able to do a Walt
Neal original replica of themoon goddess, and that speaks
volumes to what the goal hasalways been, which is to not
(22:01):
only give artists a voice Blackartists specifically but also
pay homage to the shoulders westand on.
And Walt Neal was one of thefirst, if not, you know, the
first muralist whose work yousaw in the city and you know
whether that be on garages or onsides of buildings.
You knew that was Walt Neal,and so you know.
When we lost him in 2020, itjust felt right to rename this
(22:24):
kind of initiative that I wasdriving for after him, and so
bringing artists together isactually at the heart of that
mural group, but we also givethem individual opportunities so
they can shine, too, insecuring walls, but there's
nothing more beautiful thanbeing able to see artists
collaborate on something.
(22:44):
It's not everybody's cup of teaI realize that I'm a special
breed of folks who likes to dothat, but all artists don't like
to collaborate but it justhappens to be a gift that I feel
like I can bring.
And, yeah, what a blessing itis to have several collaborative
murals around the city and,hopefully, artists feel inspired
(23:08):
by being a part of them, andthen now they're also equipped
to do that same work forthemselves.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
We had someone on the show talked about how important
mentoring is, but he went astep further.
He said it's good to have amentor, but you have to have a
sponsor.
And that's the level thatyou're at now.
Where you're that sponsor, youknow.
When you're doing a project,you can say, hey, I know
somebody, you know, let's givethem an opportunity, give them
an opportunity to showcase theirtalents and whatnot.
And that's what it's all about.
(23:35):
When you get to a certain level, it's about being a sponsor.
You know, bringing people alongwith you.
You know, and not just talkingabout it, but actually doing it.
We do a lot of talk now, we doa whole lot of talk, but then,
when it comes down to bringingpeople along, you know, and
that's where I see what you'redoing, and it's truly a blessing
to the community being able todo that.
So, you know, as someone who'sbeen involved in the trenches of
(23:55):
community engagement andleadership, what wisdom can you
share with our listeners andwhat advice would you give to
those looking to make a lastingimpact?
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Um, the advice I would give is that you know, um,
one joy is on the other side.
Everything is not always as itseems.
There will be hard days,there's always ups and downs,
but for me, I try to stay inalignment with how good God is
and what joy actually means tome, and being able to know that
(24:30):
peace starts with me.
Know that peace starts with me,and?
Um.
So my advice would always be tobe reminded that peace starts
from within, it starts withyourself, and that joy is always
on the other side.
So keep pushing, and keeppushing for that, um, that self
assurance and peace that you'relooking for, um, but you know,
(24:51):
mainly for me, art is the, the.
There's many purposes to doingart, but I think the sole
purpose for most people shouldalways be to find that purpose,
or you know whether that's the.
You know anchor on the news.
You know, whomever, whomeveryou think you are, there is an
art and a craft about what youdo.
(25:20):
There is creative thinkingbehind how you do your work, and
I think it's important foreveryone to tap into that,
whether they can draw or not youknow still being okay with
knowing that there's a creativeside of themselves that they can
also tap into and knowing thatoften when you tap into that
you'll find joy in it.
You know, and you know you canuse that however you need.
(25:43):
What was your second question?
Speaker 4 (25:45):
You said what advice would you give to someone making
a lot to make a lasting impact?
Speaker 1 (25:50):
a lasting impact, being intentional and making
sure, again, it has to be inalignment with what you yourself
enjoy and what your purpose,work is and who you are.
I think so often we see otherpeople's lives and we want kind
of what they have Right.
But I do think that God hasgiven us all a special journey
and a special purpose and aspecial place and we just have
(26:12):
to do the work with ourself toidentify.
You know what those steps are.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
You talk a lot about joy and peace, and I've seen
your work and you always sign itpeace, shall we?
That's how I know that's you.
What does that?
Where did that come from?
What does that mean to you whenyou sign that?
Speaker 1 (26:33):
So I'm a graphic designer and at the heart of
learning graphic design, youlearn about logos and symbols,
and when I was graduating well,I guess I would say, maybe
softly, after 2012, 2011.
So I had graduated, started mybusiness and really started to
paint regularly on the side andreally doing my art all the time
(26:54):
.
I realized in those momentsthat there was so much history
attached to symbols and therewas more to what I was seeing.
I started to grow a love forhistory and knowing more things,
about things.
I think a lot of times, aspeople, we take things off the
surface and I started to take adeeper dive into.
Well, we take things off thesurface and I started to take a
(27:14):
deeper dive into.
Well, no, but really, where didthis come from?
After doing some research, beinga person who strived for peace
and what does peace mean to me,I learned about the peace symbol
and how it came about, what itwas and to me, in the process of
kind of finding peace formyself, I wanted to free myself
(27:35):
of things that were not of myculture, not for my people, and
so in 2011, I felt kind of likeI had come up with this symbol.
It felt really connected to theAdinkra symbols and often what
you see in that background.
(27:59):
So I came up with this newpeace sign and so 2011 kind of
started this thing where I waslike, oh, this is new peace,
this is a new peace sign and, asan artist, everybody has their
thing or like they believe in it, and so I just believed in it
wholeheartedly.
This is the new peace sign.
Why do we need a new peace sign?
You know well if you do somehistory and even if you think
about what, what has happened.
(28:20):
We need an opportunity to seepeace for ourselves, and the
original peace symbol is abouteveryone, including you know
where this peace symbol is about.
Peace begins with you, and so Istarted.
There's probably not manypieces of artwork that are out
there that don't feature thispeace symbol.
In my work, I put it ineverything and it's just to
(28:42):
symbolize that peace is possible, and I think you know sometimes
we overcomplicate peace tothink that world.
You know this world peacepicture, but peace genuinely
starts with oneself, and so I'vejust been driven by that for
now over a decade, or you knowum in my work and the things
that I do and people who listento, because often, as an artist,
(29:04):
you're overlooked, justnaturally.
People who really pay attentionknow that I'm doing this work
in what this peace symbol is andall of a sudden people just
start calling me peace and itreally is interesting.
It started with the elders.
Actually, they would hey,there's Peace.
Right right right Peace, Peace,Peace.
So I got used to it.
Then I also got to a placewhere I had to start responding
(29:25):
to it.
Oh yeah.
Because they were reallycalling me Peace, right, right
right.
So it's fun and it means thatthe people understand me and I
feel blessed, you know when,anytime, someone understands me
or my artwork.
So, yeah, that's where thatcomes from.
Yeah, peace.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
And in 2020, actually , I decided because I had been
doing it since 2011.
And when the Black Lives Matterhappened, I decided to just you
know new peace 2020.
New peace 2020.
And I just went really, reallyall in on people understanding
that it was time to self-checkand start with peace from within
(30:06):
.
Man, that's good.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Come around the corner.
You know this is a legacypodcast.
So what is the legacy thatShelby Toon has built in our
community?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Yeah, I feel blessed that art has moved my career in
a direction where I can truly beimpactful.
So you know, I am now theproject lead for Poindexter
Village Museum.
It's an African-American museum, Point Dexter Village Museum
it's an African-American museumand it'll be the 59th site of
(30:38):
Ohio History Connections Stateof Ohio site system.
What that means to me is when Ifirst started, I always knew how
art could be impactful.
I also tried to use art as aplatform for opportunity.
I was blessed to be able to bepulled into opportunities where
I could voice what artistsneeded and what was important
for community arts to meet at ahead.
I feel like fast forward.
(31:00):
Through my work, I was able tocreate a reputation of building
legacy and so when theopportunity came where Ohio
History needed to hire someoneto lead the African-American
museum project for central Ohio,um, I think, naturally it, it
(31:21):
just fit for me to fall in thatrole, and I think a lot of
people you know it, it itdefinitely caught people off
guard like, oh, aren't you anartist?
You know, but this is my legacy.
My, I have always, um, been a.
Aren't you an artist?
But this is my legacy.
I have always been a folkartist, so that's an artist who
cares a lot about history andstorytelling and preservation.
(31:43):
And so, fast forward and tryingto make sure that that's a part
of the fabric of our communityis a huge part of my legacy to
make sure that we are leavingsomething for the next
generation to also be able totap into that, and so the work
that I'm doing with the AfricanAmerican Museum.
It will preserve the arts andculture, history of the Near
(32:05):
East Side and beyond.
It will stand up those ColumbusBlack history heroes that we
often hear about and don't hearabout.
It will, you know, really getto the heart of the impact of
racism and, you know,discrimination in housing as far
(32:26):
as, particularly to CentralOhio, and I just feel like that
work is the, is the legacy workthat I'm in right now.
That work is so important,whether people understand it or
not, um, so that we have aplatform when we're not here, so
that our kids also have thisinformation.
Because even for me, at my bigold age, I'm still learning
(32:49):
stuff that I should have knownabout my community a very long
time ago, and so I'm just tryingto carve out a little piece so
that it doesn't have to be thischallenging for the future to
get connected to the past.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Wow, that's truly legacy building.
You know that's what this isall about.
So, as we come to theconclusion of today's episode
with Shelby Toon, a trailblazingartist, curator and community
organizer, we're so grateful tohave you here to share your
wisdom with us, and I thank youfor answering that call.
You know getting off that track, giving up that gym and really
(33:24):
answering the call that God hasfor you, and so we're so
appreciative for that.
So thank you for leading thechange, the social change,
through art and your commitmentto peace.
You know joy, love andcommunity.
As we wrap up, how can theaudience support you and your
initiatives?
Can you share with the audiencehow they can support the
projects that you're working on?
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Okay, you know I always tell people, you know, be
informed.
I think that the heart of whatI'm doing is to make sure that
you're learning about thehistory of Columbus, black
history specifically.
So be informed, I think youknow.
Go to my website, shell10.com.
There are resources there tolearn about the community, to
(34:08):
learn about ACE, to learn aboutAmina Robinson, to learn about
Amina Robinson.
You know I've put now almost twodecades of work into sharing
stories within the community andyou know those resources are
there and so I think for mostpeople, I think being informed
would be a great first step.
And then also, you know, buylocal art.
(34:33):
You know whether it's mine ornot.
I think that there's a lot tosay about us starting to really
turn the way that we think andspend and really investing into
artists and investing into, youknow, instead of going to TJ
Maxx to get your art really, youknow, going, maybe, and being
(34:53):
thoughtful and buying someShelton art or whomever else.
You know, those kinds of things, but I think those are the best
steps.
And then, of course, check outpoindextervillagemuseumorg.
That's the current project I'mworking on with the museum, but
yeah, that's it.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
So I want to thank you for being on the show today,
and I want to remind theaudience that building a
lifelong legacy is not justabout what you leave behind.
It's also about the impact youhave those on around you every
day.
Every day, and so I thank ouraudience for listening to Be A
Baller podcast.
You can listen to it on allsocial media platforms.
So thank you, shelby, for beinga part of the show.
(35:33):
Thanks for having me.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it
with family and friends.
The Be A Baller podcast isavailable on all major podcast
platforms.
This podcast was created byCoach Tim Brown and recorded and
edited by the video productionclass of Worthington Christian
High School.
Be sure to come back next weekas we continue to discuss on how
to build a lifelong legacy.
(35:57):
Until then, don't forget to bea baller.
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