Dorcas Brandon

Hometown: Baton Rouge

Age: 43

Artistry: Associate Director, The Red Shoes; Photographer/Videographer, Locally Vocal

Online: theredshoes.org, @locally___vocal

Creativity can do more than put a canvas on a wall. It can put food on the table.

A former educator in the public school system, Dorcas Brandon serves as associate director of the women’s wellness nonprofit The Red Shoes, and one of her goals is to keep its Community Fridge on Delphine Street, off Government Street, fully stocked for those in need.

“Awareness is through the roof right now,” she noted during our interview on day 37 of the federal government shutdown last fall, a stretch that saw access to SNAP funding decrease for some beneficiaries. “With that campaign, I want to be very intentional, from being in front of the camera and incorporating my personality in the videos, to the music I choose. What draws people? What feeling do they get when they watch this? Well, the response since I started has been overwhelming.”

Brandon’s video work began as simple monthly life updates, but from Flower Fest’s charitable blooms to Ellemnop’s daring art showcases, they quickly evolved into colorfully cultural vignettes under the name Locally Vocal—with the artist seeming to pop up everywhere genuine community and creativity intersect and capturing that positive energy for Instagram reels.

Brandon and her camera are a fixture at Baton Rouge Gallery’s monthly First Wednesday events, and in 2025, she produced the gallery’s In the Studio artist series. The award-winning artist’s dream-like, often surreal photography has appeared in multiple galleries and community events, a step that took some bravery.

“I like to put a play date on my calendar,” she says, “with the intention of creating something, but with no clue of what the outcome will be.”

This creative courage first arrived when she attended an art and entrepreneurship conference hosted by consultant and BRAF veteran Gerri Hobdy.

“Suddenly, I was hearing the possibilities that come with being an artist, and up to that point I had not really considered myself one,” Brandon admits. “But I knew it was in there.”

Embracing her identity as an artist has made her an arts ambassador within a creative community, going as viral as some of her videos spread from Instagram story to story, and a prime motivator for the meals filling the Community Fridge.

“Just being more outwardly authentic, your people find you,” Brandon says. “I can say I’ve never felt so supported in the Baton Rouge art community, but then, I’ve never been so outwardly expressive in the art community, either. So it’s quite interesting how that works.”