The visionary Corinne Stevie certainly has a special knack at conflating art with spirit as she uses the paintbrush to detail her imagination. The Savannah College of Art and Design graduate has been studying art since she entered a visual arts program in the 6th grade. Because she is heavily influenced by hip-hop and pop culture, her particular method of expression often takes the form of graffiti and murals, a more urban aesthetic than that typically associated with traditional art training.
The native Miamians’ interest were sparked as a youth when she saw her brother drawing and decided she wanted to emulate him. Ever since, Corinne has been heavily involved in art production, creating a piece, drawing or sketching, everyday.
Stevie says, “Creating art is something I have to do. It has to get done. I have these shoes and I need to step into them.”
Besides stepping into the glamazonic pumps of art, Corinne also fills the artsy sneakers of music. Unlike her extensive training in art, Corinne has no formal musical training. As a young child, the artistically gifted Stevie would dress herself and her younger brother in animated garb and perform for family members. With her fascination for creating things that inspire her, Corinne utilized her gift in music to express the different emotions she felt as a young teenager, particularly during an upset in her life, with her sister’s move to college. At that time, Corinne’s uncle introduced her to the world of freestyling and she used these rap sessions to process her emotions. The two would have freestyling sessions and with practice Corinne got better and better. In high school, she started a hip-hop group called The Elements. The group put out three mixtapes and gained tremendous popularity in their local community.
During her time with The Elements, Corinne perfected her writing skills and gained immeasurable knowledge about the recording process. But despite her heavy connection to music, Corinne did not continue developing the talent when she moved to Atlanta in 2005 to attend SCAD. A chance meeting with an old friend, Kendrick Daye, creator of Art Nouveau magazine, would encourage her to resume involvement.
“I bought a microphone because I was feeling like half a person,” says Stevie, “And Kendrick told me I should put out a CD.” Daye also continued to assist by featuring Corinne in his magazine and currently serves as her manager.
From there, Corinne has gone on to release three mixtapes. Her first EP, The Oddity was released November 2008. She would continue on to release her second EP, Strawberry Fields in the Sky, creating all the album artwork for her releases. Stevie did five songs on the album, which consists of hip-hop remixes to classic Beatles singer, John Lennon’s songs from the Imagine solo album. Her latest project, entitled, The Other Sister, was inspired by her relationship with her own sister and the differences in the two, her sister a former law student at Tulane University and Corinne, a student of the arts.
“After seeing the movie, The Other Sister, I felt like I wanted to create a project that spoke to that relationship and how despite our differences, my sister has been an extreme supporter of myself and my work.”
If this list of accolades doesn’t make your head spin, Stevie also just finished her first children’s book, The Cannonball Woman and is seeking to be published. She also has planned to host an all female art show, entitled “Sweet Nectar,” this year featuring work from several local artists, including former Georgia State University student, Faatimah Stevens.
“I’m bringing in the dreamy-like soul element of a woman to the art show, while my counterparts are bringing in the playful elements and the depths of a woman that can be viewed through her eyes.”
Stevie’s colorful illusions, as well as her music can be accessed at:
www.corinnestevie.com
