Sheila is an art lover and founder of Polly Gallery, a brownstone gallery in Bedford Stuyvesant. But during our conversation I learned even more. Sheila is 1 of the 4 women behind 4W – Women Working and Winning for the World (4W) Circle of Art and Enterprise. In 1991, 4W rented its storefront to entrepreneurs at 704 Fulton St. in Fort Greene. After almost 17 years of helping black entrepreneurs open their own businesses, the Fort Greene group closed in 2008 due rent increases. Sheila shares what she learned working with friends, taking risk and the importance of supporting local artist. NY Post article on the closing of 4W http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2007/12/21/2007-12-21_entrepreneur_group_forced_to_close.html
MY SMALL STORY
Over the past 15 years I have traveled, filmed and and acquired a library of over 6,000 hours. From the recording studio in NYC to South African Safari’s, I have filmed my conversations and watched my library grow. On April 26, 2010, I launched www.MySmallStroy.com in NYC as a way to share insight. My Small Story contextualizes life through a collection of unscripted filmed conversations with small businesses, entrepreneurs, artists and everyday people filmed, edited & shared weekly by LaRon Batchelor – a videographer/ethnographer with 15 years experience filming conversations in 4 continents.