Doing Both: Art, Film, and Building Worlds with Aaliyah Shae

Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears!Join the noseyAF Dispatch 📬 At the end of the month, your inbox gets a little happier — all the month's noseyAF episodes sent straight to you. → Subscribe to the noseyAF DispatchThis conversation was recorded Live at Lumpen Radio on Saturday May 9th, 2026Ep #113: Doing Both: Art, Film, and Building Worlds with Aaliyah ShaeSummaryThis episode is for everyone who's ever looked at a film set and wondered who put that there, and why it matters. Aaliyah Shae is a Chicago-based production designer, photographer, and painter whose work is all about building worlds that feel lived in and deeply human. We talk about production design, what it actually means to create a "false reality" on screen, and how the small details, a hair tie on a nightstand, height markers on a door frame, are what make a story real. We also dig into Aaliyah's community work with the People's Panther Party, a Pilsen-based mutual aid organization she helped launch just before Halloween, and what it looks like when art and activism melt into one.Chapters00:00 — Introduction to the Episode00:36 — Exploring Design and Creativity20:33 — The Art of Storytelling Through Design33:55 — Community Engagement and Activism53:16 — People's Panther Party Updates & Free People's Press LaunchWhat We Talk AboutHow Aaliyah figured out she could do both : design and film and why "pick a lane" is not the only way to build a creative careerWhat production design actually is and why every single thing on a film set has been accounted for (yes, even the books on the shelf — don't judge the books)"Life layers" — the small details that make a set feel real — hair ties, kids' drawings on the fridge, height markers on door framesHow travel sparked her design eye — from a high school architecture program in Kentucky to France and Barcelona with her French classThe film Portrait of a Lady on Fire — Aaliyah's go-to visual inspiration and why she says just Google the imagesWorking in indie film vs. studio projects — and why she encourages every filmmaker to just write something and design the heck out of a roomHow the People's Panther Party got started — collective exhaustion, a plane ride back to Chicago the day before Halloween, and the realization that some kids were going to sit inside while everyone else trick-or-treatedWhat they've done in just a few months — reverse candy drive, holiday grocery deliveries to 30 families, a bi-weekly grocery program, a grant win, and now the launch of Free People's Press, a quarterly community newspaperHer advice for anyone who wants to start showing up for their community — it starts with listening, not with having it all figured outPilsen as a neighborhood — why she loves it and what it gets right about communityThe crossover between film and activism — and how craft nights became a sneaky good way to build communityThings We MentionedPeople's Panther Party — Pilsen-based mutual aid organizationFree People's Press — their new quarterly community newspaper, available at Foxglove Coffee in PilsenFoxglove Coffee — woman-owned coffee shop in PilsenAaliyah Shae's WebsitePortrait of a Lady on Fire — French queer period film, Palme d'Or winner at Cannes; Aaliyah's visual inspo pickCUSP — Chicago United Solidarity Project — organization that helped People's Panther Party secure a grantPilsen Arts & Community House — one of the few free creative spaces in Chicago Aaliyah mentionsLiberate Your Business — book by Becky MollenkampAll about... Aaliyah ShaeYou're gonna love Aaliyah Shae — she's a world-builder in the truest sense. A Chicago-based production designer, set decorator, photographer, and painter, Aaliyah creates spaces on screen that feel like real people actually live in them. She also co-founded the People's Panther Party, a Pilsen-based mutual aid org doing bi-weekly grocery deliveries, community events, and now a neighborhood newspaper — all born out of the belief that you don't have to be a professional organizer to show up for your community. She started making outfits out of paper for her little brother. She hasn't really stopped creating since.Connect with Aaliyah ShaeInstagram: @aaliyahshaeWebsite: aaliyahshae.comPeople's Panther Party Instagram: @peoplespantherpartyPeople's Panther Party Website: peoplespantherparty.orgMore ways to connectEmail: [email protected] to the noseyAF DispatchCheck out my workFollow me on Instagram @stephaniegrahamListen to more episodesSupport & FeedbacknoseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛⭐ Rate & Review the Show — it gives the show street cred and helps new listeners find the show📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear thisEpisode CreditsProduced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie GrahamLyrics: Queen LexInstrumental: Freddie Bam FamCover Art: Emma McGoldrick