“Being an artist in Worcester is a challenge yet a blessing,” says Curtis Kariuki, in a video promoting his forthcoming documentary, “The Rare.” “It’s nice because of all the industrial buildings we have and the culture that really inspires us, but it’s also hard to be seen out here.”

It’s doubtful that there’s an artist in Wormtown of any stripe who would quibble with that sentiment, although the 18-year-old videographer has gotten a good deal of attention for his drone-shot video of Worcester from above, and for his collaborations with local musicians, such as his music video of rapper Danny Fantom’s song, “Crooked Smile.”

But now, Kariuki is setting his sights a little higher. With “The Rare,” he’s setting out to document the work and interactions of 20 young Worcester artists — including musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, photographers and more — and how they support each other as a collective.







The Rare from Kariuki on Vimeo.







It’s an exciting endeavor, one that promises to put a spotlight on the newest generation of Worcester artists, and Kariuki is trying to raise $5,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to fund the film. Certainly, he’s already proved he can accomplish a lot with very little. It’s hard not to be curious to see what he can do with some help.

Fight Songs

Worcester native Alisan Porter is continuing to dominate on the current season of “The Voice.” The singer, who currently lives in Los Angeles, generated serious buzz in her audition, where she had all four judges — Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams — jockeying to win her over to their teams. Porter chose Aguilera, and it’s doubtful the pop diva has regretted it for a moment.

In the so-called “battle rounds,” Porter managed to best competitor Lacy Mandigo on March 21 while dueling verses of the Mamas & the Papas’ "California Dreamin',” and in the March 29 “knockout round,” she defeated Daniel Passino with her heartrending rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River.”







Porter will move on to the “playoff round,” where she’ll sing on either April 11 or April 12. Live shows begin on April 18, on NBC.







Speaking of expatriate Worcester singers making television splashes, Jessica Cabral might not be heading for the “American Idol” finale, but that doesn’t mean she’s been, pardon the pun, idle. Indeed, Easter found her at United Recording Studio in Hollywood, working on her forthcoming album and broadcasting videos to Facebook and Periscope. Cabral’s also been busily writing new songs, such as the beautiful and soulful “They Told Me,” which she recorded at Sony’s OC Hit Factory recording studio in Tustin, California, and posted online March 29.













With “American Idol” coming to an end, it’s hard to repress a bitterness over Cabral’s early exit from the show, but it seems she’s only getting started.

Picture That

Uxbridge filmmaker Skip Shea has been hard at work on his first feature film, “Trinity,” but now says its complete and starting the process of applying to festivals. Rumor has it there will be a private screening of it sometime this week. The film stars Sean Carmichael, David Graziano, Beatrice Di Giovanni, Aurora Grabill, Lynn Lowry and Erica Jean.

According to Shea, the film is about a man who accidentally bumps into the priest who abused him when he was a child at a local coffee shop, sending him on a twisted journey through his past. “It's based on a moment from my life in 2002,” says Shea, who was a victim of clergy abuse. He says “Trinity” was filmed mostly in the Blackstone Valley, from Worcester to Providence, along with one scene being shot in Rome. Among the prominent locations used were Nick’s Bar and Restaurant and the Palladium.

Email Victor D. Infante at Victor.Infante@Telegram.com and follow Pop Culture Notebook on Twitter @TGPopCulture.