Highlighting Petersburg's "The Delectable Heights" Neighborhood: Tamara Tazewell

Tamara Tazwell, b.k.a. Taz, is a local visual artist who was born and raised here in Petersburg, Virginia's, Delectable Heights neighborhood. She walked the streets of The Heights to attend elementary school and remembers being inspired by her community, family, and love for music, which led her to express herself creatively.

Taz is a maker and entrepreneur who has led several successful businesses ventures in both Richmond and Petersburg, and an advocate and mentor for other artists. She makes her art from all forms of media, including pallets, repurposed furniture, scrap metals and woods. Her art shares a story of who she is and where she's come from, and pays homage to the resourcefulness and resilience of Petersburg's natives.

Her message to the art and real estate development community here in Petersburg is to consider hiring artists for small creative projects at your business or home. She says, artists are skilled laborers who work with wood, paint, and other materials and it's possible to infuse their talents into places otherwise not normally considered for artists.

For more ways to support Taz, contact her at tazewellt@gmail.com or one Instagram at @herstoryrepeated