176 Collective
On March 3rd, 2020, rapper/producer Justin “Demeanor” Harrington pulled into the parking lot of American Flag Storage in Greensboro, NC. He had a vision. A vision to start his own music studio where artists come unabashedly to be themselves, free to speak their truth and explore their artistry in a safe and empowering space. The sign in the parking lot said ‘$35 for your first month, $125 every month following.’ Can’t beat that!
Coincidentally that same day Demeanor had a meeting scheduled with filmmaker Alexei Mejouev. Although their meeting was to further discuss a documentary series they had been planning, called Underground Everywhere, they both knew something bigger was about to take place. See, Alexei shared Demeanor's vision. He wanted to document the history taking place around him and uplift the voices of local artists and creatives. He arrived in the same parking lot and they headed towards the office door.
There was only one 10x20 climate controlled unit available that day, number 176. The papers were signed, the keys were exchanged, and so was the birth of Studio 176. Since then, the collective has been expanded and encompasses a record label (lead by Justin Demeanor Harrington and Antion Scales), a production studio (lead by Alexei Mejouev) and philanthropic ventures (lead by Savannah Thorne).
As a musician and filmmaker Alexei Mejouev has found himself a fruitful career stuck somewhere in between. As a college student Alexei was invited to work on a movie set in Atlanta, GA, and what was supposed to be a summer fling turned into a lifelong passion. He likes to tell stories of compelling people, while incorporating his style of cinematography.
Justin “Demeanor” Harrington (@demxmusic) is an artist born in Greensboro, NC. Merging Hip Hop and unorthodox folk elements, Harrington bridges the gap between contemporary and traditional cultural music. Professionally trained as an actor, he weaves storytelling and character to engage and inspire all around him.
Taja Seafus (@tseafus) is a 24 year old, black female Scene Designer based in North Carolina. Her work is an emotional reflection of herself to the piece. Coming from a small family, and a single parent household, her upbringing has influenced her to appreciate and value the little things in life. Taja holds a BFA in Scene Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Her works include, Scene Designer for The National Black Repertory Theater in Winston Salem, Prop Designer for the Theater Raleigh, Scene Designer and Painter for Peppercorn Theater at Kaleidium, Production Designer for Mothman: An Anti-Hate Superhero Comedy and more.
T. Kemari Bryant is a film director and actor based in North Carolina. He has been making film projects for the past 5 years, and his most recent projects include co-writer and director for short films INSPACE, Sad Clown, Libations, Brina, and Mothman: An Anti-Hate Superhero Comedy. He has recently been awarded the “Resisting Narratives of Erasure Filmmakers Lab” grant through Visionary Justice Storylab, a film collective based in Atlanta, GA.
During her college career Cameron Linly Robinson (@heyheyronnie) has produced four short films. Two of which she co wrote, and one of which she co-directed. These films explore issues ranging from mental health to BIPOC, queer, and gender issues. The focus of her work is inclusivity and diversity. Additionally, Cameron has worked on several grant projects in which she created an after school arts workshop for high school students in the Greensboro area. Her goal in her work is to always help and support artists sharing their stories with the world.
Maggie McCullough (@maggiemcculla) is a creative from Wilmington, NC. Her passions include writing, social media, and fashion. With degrees, in both Journalism and Writing for the Screen and Stage, from the University of North Carolina, Maggie is a disciplined writer who loves to express herself through characters. She tends to find her inspiration through fashion; spending many weekends in thrift stores. Post-grad Maggie has worked as a set production assistant on an upcoming Netflix series where she has learned a great appreciation for filmmaking. She has taken this to her TikTok where she takes great pride in the content she creates.
Robert “Visine Vision” Richardson (@visine_vision) is a videographer and editor based in Greensboro, NC. As a music video director Robert’s style includes creative editing of satirical themes. By the time Robert was seven years old, he knew he wanted to become a neurosurgeon. But then he took his first college level chemistry class and immediately understood that he wasn’t cut out for operating on brains. Around the same time that he was dropping from his first chemistry class, he bought his first camera. Thank you FAFSA.
