Afriye We-kandodis has always found art to be her release, and her way of coping with the hard times in her life, especially when she arrived in Selma with barely any money and nowhere to stay.

We-kandodis is from Chicago, but decided to move to Selma after moving her mom back home to Selma.

“Oct. 4 2004, I was on the bus on my way to Selma. I have no regrets. When I arrived here, I had $20 to my name, no place to stay,” We-kandodis said. “I always tell people God set me up, and what a set up.”

We-kandodis said she could only stay with her mom for so long, so she had to find somewhere else to stay.

After volunteering and eventually being offered a job as the director at the Slavery Museum, We-kandodis saved up enough to open her studio and store, By the River Center for Humanity.

“I’m blessed and I’m humbled by the experience,” We-kandodis said. “Being able to create art out of chaos, I find that very interesting.”

We-kandodis said she has always seen the value in art and creating, and she knows that art can help bring people together.

“All my life, I understood that there was magic in creating different things,” We-kandodis said.

“I’ve been here in Selma now 11 years, and was blessed with the opportunity to open up the facility about five years ago.”

We-kandodis said she is a recycling artist, and she enjoys creating something out of items others throw away.

“What I love, is to see things that people throw away, and be able to see something new,” We-kandodis said. “When I’m able to give something a new life, it reminds me of how God is constantly giving us new life and how God is the greatest recycler there is.”

We-kandodis said she is constantly looking for new ideas, and it helps to have a creative brain.

“It pays to have a real, real wild imagination,” We-kandodis said with a laugh. “I can look at something, and other people don’t see it, but I know I can do something else with that. That’s the magic [in art] to always be able to create something new.”

Pricing her work is a struggle to her, but We-kandodis said she wants her work to be affordable so other people can buy it and enjoy it.

We-kandodis said it’s a great feeling to see other people connect with her work and even buy it for themselves.

“I have found that when you’re creating, you’re not creating for yourself,” she said.

We-kandodis said it’s not just physical arts that she likes to create. She also enjoys writing and storytelling, and all types of art have helped her get through some of the toughest time in her life.

She also has different groups that meet at her studio, like a writing group and even a drum circle.

She said anyone interested in learning more about the groups that meet there or to join one can call her at the studio at (334) 505-6158.