The Culture Beat: Art, Music, Food & More

Welcome back to the Culture Beat, our newsletter featuring projects that further the collective culture. This issue features standout campaigns in theater, food, art, and music. Time to dive in!

PROJECTS WE LOVE

SNAPSHOTS

BY KAT TORONTO

A hardcover photobook chronicling the collaboration between Kat Toronto as her alter-ego Miss Meatface and her dad, Richard Toronto.

Ba + Me - Seattle Deli

BY LISA BI

No pho, no banh mi. Just a Vietnamese deli and dinner table for the future, serving the food Lisa grew up eating in a neighborhood space that feels like family.

The Difference Between Bullets and Stones

BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER BROWN

Bear witness to the grief, resilience, and vitality of the Palestinian people through the works of Pulitzer Prize winner Mosab Abu Toha and National Geographic photographer Michael Christopher Brown.

The Legend's Cookbook: Hero of Tides

BY LEGEND'S COOKBOOK

Voyage through sea-swept isles and ancient temples through recipes worthy of a hero in this digital cookbook inspired by summer vibes, island snacks, and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

Crafting Port Wine Cocktails by The Port•ologist

BY RUUD SCHOLTEN

Unleash your inner mixologist with this port wine cocktail recipe book, including over 50 cocktails and stories from the Douro Valley.

National Park Radio's Next Album & Remake of The Great Divide

BY NATIONAL PARK RADIO

Help bring new heartfelt, inspired music to life — made for the open skies, wild trails, and the people who walk them.

Lights Out 2025 - Promoting Art in Maine

BY DANIEL SIPE

Support photographers, sculptors, painters, and other artists who are culturally enriching communities in Maine.

The Music of Adventure Games, Live in Portland

BY SEAN PARKER

Help Error 47 get on stage to perform live for the first time and pay tribute to adventure game community member Roberta Vaughan.

CREATIVE INSPIRATION

🔮 Witchstarter Returns

October 1-31

Calling all creators enchanted by the mystical. Witchstarter unites projects inspired by magic, divination, and the supernatural. Got something spooky in the works? Apply to participate and replay our recent webinar to get prepared.

Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland has set up a £50,000 fund with backing from The National Lottery to support Scotland-based creators running Kickstarter projects. The fund will support creators during their projects and champion their work to a global audience. Discover participating projects →

COMMUNITY PICK

Evan Butler is the founder of JobJob, a small publishing company based in Washington, DC. For the past six years, JobJob has specialized in creating playful, novelty cookbooks and other projects that bring a lot of “community theater” energy to the kitchen. Beyond books, they’ve branched into cookware, cutlery, and aprons, really any excuse to get together and recipe test (even when things don’t always go as planned!). 

Plant Simple Sauces

"The thing that excites me most about Plant Simple is how clean and straightforward their sauces are. We're talking about real ingredients, no nonsense, just flavor. I love that! As a self-proclaimed fry-head, I can’t wait to dive into their ketchup, but I’m equally curious about the Secret Sauce. After all, who doesn’t love a good secret?”