Entertainment | October 10th, 2023
Hidden In Plain Sight: An Event of Endless Possibilities
By: Alexis Rejouis
Tallahassee, a conventional city like any other, is actually somewhat of a breeding ground for creatives looking to showcase their talents. “Hidden In Plain Sight,” a multimedia art showcase, allows the city’s most underground creatives to do just that.
Florida A&M University student Azariah Richardson, or Lucid Luunar, a musical visionary who built his stage name around the metaphor of dreaming and endless possibilities, wanted to create an event that showcased the duality of creatives in Tallahassee. Lucid Luunar and Antmann, another artist and FAMU student, organized the event on Saturday, featuring musical and visual artists, as well as a collection of clothing and food vendors.
“It was after quite a while, I think maybe 10 months of living in Tallahassee, I had some friends from Atlanta come down and finally visit me,” Luunar said. “We were just chilling in the studio, and I’m like, ‘wow!’ This is the type of life I [want to] live in Tallahassee, the type of music I want to see in my life and what I want to see for the city is truly hidden in plain sight.”
Luunar, originally from Atlanta, came to FAMU and, along the way, began searching for a place to express his musical talents. He felt that there was so much creative energy in Tallahassee that didn’t have a lane or outlet, so he took matters into his own hands.
Official HIPS flyer. Photo Courtesy: @hipscmty on Instagram.
Now, his vision has grown, and he has organized his third HIPS showcase. With a collection of artists, many from Tallahassee and some from Luunar’s hometown, they all truly embodied the idea of being “hidden in plain sight.”
The host of the night, FAMU student Yakira Jones, more affectionately known as KiraDaStarr, started her journey with the project about a month ago. She was selected for her own charismatic and artistic talents.
“The beautiful team at HIPS Community, while they were creating this event, were trying to look for a new host, and luckily and thankfully, my name came into the conversation,” Jones said. “I’m so glad they decided to do that because now I’m hosting, and I’m loving it. I’m having a good time.”
As the event grows, it continues to reach those beyond Tallahassee. A music artist, Greatest Competition or GC, traveled from Atlanta to support Lucid and the different artists featured at the event.
“I came down here today for Lucid Luunar,” GC said. “He had a HIPS event that’s going on in Tallahassee, by way of FAMU, and [we’re] just here at a networking type event.”
The event’s success has Lucid Luunar and his team already looking for who will be featured and included at the next HIPS showcase.
“Going forward, I may actually have to do a selection process because we have very high demand,” Luunar said. “ I always want to highlight people who have supported me, who have really been an important part of the journey, and I feel like speaking to some of the experiences I have and some of the light that I want to bring to the world.”
Tallahassee creatives can expect the next “Hidden In Plain Sight” showcase event in Feb. 2024.
