Tallahassee is a breeding ground for creatives from music to art and fashion and those hidden talents are all around us waiting to be released.
Hidden In Plain Sight, also known as HIPS, is a space solely for that. Established in 2022, a team of student creatives from Florida A&M University, Atlanta, and Jamaica have come together to produce events where student artists express themselves in a space they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
Azariah Richardson, also known by his stage name, LucidLuunar is an Atlanta native and creator of HIPS. Starting as an idea in 2020, he explained that coming from the music scene in Atlanta, he was expecting something different in Tallahassee but didn’t find it. When his friends from Atlanta came to visit him, he started witnessing the talent sitting right in front of him.
“It blossomed over that summer when I went home to decide on another show,” said Richardson. I decided to name it Hidden In Plain Sight with those same people who came down to Tallahassee.”
“For the sake of throwing a show, having fun, and creating this world that appears and disappears within the span of a few hours, this world that’s hidden in plain sight and exists only if you pay attention to it.”
Danielle Stewart, a singer/songwriter born and raised in Jamaica, is one of the performers who will be showcasing their talent at HIPS. She shares her love for music and how the theme resonates with her relationship with music.
“The theme of paradise to me, I’ve always believed that paradise is exactly what you make it and for creatives, paradise is when a bunch of us can come together and express ourselves in an artistic form,” Stewart said. “It’s when you meet a lot of people that have the same interest and appreciate the same things.”
Stewart continued to share her reasons for joining HIPS.
“When I sing I consider that paradise for me because that’s always been the best way that I could express myself and it’s been that way ever since I started singing, so for me to share that and the songs I’ve written with others people makes me think that is their form of paradise.”
Yakira Jones, a graduating history major, is hosting for HIPS and shares how her energy is most important in ensuring a lit turnout.
“The people that are coming to the HIPS event, I feel like they’ll be able to expect a bunch of just super electrifying vibes and for people to come and be themselves and express themselves in their most creative ways,” Jones said. “Music, artist lineups, vendors, I think that it’s going to be a time to live in ‘paradise’ that’s the theme we’re going for.”
Richardson’s main thing he wants the audience to take away is the sense of freedom and since the theme is paradise, there is no location but a feeling that is evoked within you, which is only created by what you make of the world around you.
Come out and enjoy a piece of the paradise, HIPS will be taking place Saturday, October 7 from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. at 650-3 Railroad Square in Tallahassee. There will be a fashion contest, vendors, food & drinks, and live performances.
This is an event you won’t want to miss!