Art Connection

Illumination

A platypus meets an overhead projector, and mayhem ensues. We shine light on General Electric's advertising plan to convince the country to give the light bulbs a try. We visit metal sculptor and painter Bill Reid and take a look at his moveable, whimsical art that delights. And we talk with Steve Piscitelli, a sculptor and Vietnam veteran, about how his art helps him heal emotionally from the images of combat.

Images of Life

See a living history art project that pays tribute to African American veterans with first-hand narratives of World War II. We sit down with Suzanne Heintz and get an inside look at her photography as she creates Kodak moments with her manufactured-mannequin family. Travel to Tampa, FL. for the annual Conga Caliente festival that invites the community to experience the art and music of Latino culture. And we talk to artists Katha Seidman and Laurie Kaplowitz, the creators of “Once There Was a House.” An art installation in Cohasset, MA. inspired by the destruction of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Imagine

With wood as her medium, Oklahoma-based artist Ebony Iman Dallas created the mural “Greenwood Imagine.” Based off a poem, the work imagines a world in which the 1921 Tulsa race massacre never happened. We meet the community of roller skaters in Tampa Bay, Florida. Each time they go around the rink, they dance to the music and show artistry in their movements. Since she was a teenager, artist Judy Holley has been practicing the art of quilt making. With skill and concentration, she renders colorful quilts rich with pattern and design. We visit “Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Massachusetts. For the first time in 25 years, the museum exhibited its entire collection of Monet paintings.

Imitation

With charcoal in hand, 84 year-old Jim Seigler looks back at a long and magical career designing prints for the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Choreographer Mark Morris discusses his landmark work "L'Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato." Sculptor Mark Rice uses power tools to sculpt his distinctive wooden statues and with such finesse, we had to take a closer look. And we sit down with experts at Ohio's Canton Museum of Art as they take a look at the long and profitable history of art counterfeiting.

Immersive

We head to Denver, Colorado to check out Kaleidoscape, an immersive, multimedia installation that brings passengers on an exciting adventure. We learn about sheet music and its fascinating history. With professor Daniel Goldmark as our guide, we look at sheet music cover art and discover more about the popular music industry. Rachelle Eason is excited about art and all that you can do with it. Based in Lakeland, Florida, the artist explores all kinds of mediums and methods in her work. In Houston, Texas, we tour an exhibition focused on the life of Alexander Hamilton. Full of remarkable historical objects and pictures, the exhibit provides a glimpse at one of the most important figures in united states history.

Impact

In this episode, we tour an exhibition of celebrated Tarpon Springs painter, George Inness, Jr. We visit Ten Chimneys historic summer home of Broadway acting legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Poet, author, screenwriter, and educator Terry O’Neal shares her heart and soul with the world, so with every word, she hopes to encourage others. And The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center hosts cutting edge arts, artists and performances.

Important Legacies

Inspired by the fantasy novel “The Last Unicorn,” Rosine Bena of Sierra Nevada Ballet decided to bring the text to the stage, and created an original ballet based on the work. Taking three years to complete, the ballet was presented in 1989 and 1991, and it returned in 2023 for audiences to enjoy. From an early age, painter Said Oladejo Lawal has been creating art. A life journey that brought him from Nigeria to Columbus, Ohio, today one can find him creating colorful works that overflow with motion and feeling. Author Anne Hillerman is continuing her father Tony Hillerman’s legacy. We travel to new mexico to hear how she’s been developing her father’s stories and the characters he created.

Important Work

Founded in 1983, Stageworks Theater is the longest-running professional theatre in Tampa, Florida. through the plays they present and the arts programming they provide year-round, they strive to eradicate intolerance. With his art, award-winning choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson examines issues of race and encourages conversation. We meet the artist in Ohio to find out more about his recent work that explores the lives of four black male characters in the wake of police violence. The Rafael Soriano Foundation preserves and honors the legacy of Latin American painter Rafael Soriano. We traveled to Miami, Florida, to hear from the artist’s daughter and get an inside look at the foundation’s archives.

Impressions

Founded in 1954, the Sacramento Ballet in California has made a lasting impact on the world of dance. We get a behind the scenes look at how a ballet is choreographed for the stage. Scratchboard Art dates back to the 19th century. A form of direct engraving, the artist creates by scratching through a surface coated with black ink to reveal a layer of white below. Based in Reno, Nevada, American Duchess is a company that creates historically accurate shoes. From the 1700s to the 1940s, a multitude of past styles and designs come to life in the modern day. We travel to Tampa, Florida to meet Adam Goldberg, a pet photographer. With his camera, he takes adorable photographs of animals and encourages pet rescue and adoption.

In Another's Shoes

Identical twin brothers Eric and Anthony McGriff discuss their musical influences, their compositions and how they are helping their community with their music. We take a private tour of the late Laureen Landau’s studio with curator D. Neath. Animator David Tart gives us some tips and tricks on how to bring an animated character to life and we take a look at Christopher Steele’s extensive penny scale collection.

Influence

We visit artist Barbara Sorensen whose main artistic focus is the relationship between humans, nature, and the growth that happens within ourselves and in the world around us. We explore over sixty years of Jewish influence in rock and roll music at the “Jew Who Rock” exhibit. Iraqi-born poet, Dunya Mikhail discusses how her past and new life in America has impacted her work and a daytime super couple recast themselves as authors.

Ingenuity

In Tampa, Florida photographers Matt Larson and Rebecca Sexton Larson don’t operate your typical gallery space. Rather, they offer workshops, create art, and inspire others in a 23-foot airstream travel trailer. We travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to witness a sacred artistic tradition. For a week, Tibetan monks ceremoniously constructed and dismantled a sand mandala in city hall. Embracing her culture and heritage, artist Chela Lujan practices the art of beadwork. We head to La Junta, Colorado to see how she makes meaningful pieces of jewelry with beads. From a very young age, Yvette walker Dalton from Dayton, Ohio has been an artist. We hear about her time in the art world, her long and significant career, and how her art continues to thrive in her retirement.

Initiative

Find out how artist Steven Spathelf made it his mission to add color to the town of Dunedin, Florida through public murals. Jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. and his six sons are regarded by many as New Orleans’ first family of jazz. In 2011 they were named the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters, Ellis Marsalis spoke with us. The corset has a long history. Designer Larissa Boiwka has made it her business to bring this stiff undergarment out from under the shadows of confinement and give it a chance to sparkle on the outside. A young boy’s endless interest in collecting objects of art blossomed into a full-time obsession with sharing art with as many people and in as many places as possible. Kim Martindale and the LA Art show.

Inner Creativity

Fashion designer Christian Micheal Shuster draws inspiration from military history, sometimes even from the battlefield itself. We sit down with Marie Romero Cash as she expands on traditional Hispanic arts in New Mexico. We go inside some classrooms in Cleveland, Ohio where teachers have added a fourth “R” to the traditional curriculum of reading, writing and arithmetic. The Rumba! And Eddie Osborne delivers lectures on African Linguistic Retention and composes music using his own handcrafted African instruments. 

Innovate

Blindworm Guitars is a shop that makes inventive custom instruments. We learn more about the inspiration and technique behind these incredible creations. Otto Piene was a German American artist who focused on Kineticism and technology in his works. We visit the Fitchburg Art Museum in Massachusetts to find out more.The Educational Theatre Association in Cincinnati, Ohio wishes to give students the space and time to explore the art of theater. At the University of Nevada, Reno, there is a stairwell entirely covered in graffiti. Located in the James Edward Church Fine Arts building, the stairwell provides a place for people to express themselves through this artform.

Innovation

New York Florist Lewis Miller colors the city streets with thrilling pop-up floral arrangements. Started in 2016, these “flower flashes” exude joy, beauty, and spontaneity. We visit Williamsburg, Virginia, to meet culinary historian and author Michael Twitty. In his work, he explores African American foodways and the role that food has played throughout history and across cultures. High Desert Harmony Chorus embraces the art of a cappella. Undaunted by the pandemic, this group of singers has found ways to continue to use their voices to make something magical. Interactive Initiative is a non-profit organization that gives artists the chance to create interactive artwork in the digital space. We hear about their new phone application “Tropi” that highlights local artists.

Innovation

In Colorado Springs, Colorado One comes across an English Tudor-style castle called Glen Eyrie. Built in the early 1870s, the estate is rich with history, architectural splendor, and archaeological discovery. We visit the Cleveland Museum of Art to learn more about contact sheets. An important component of 20th century photography, these sheets display all images from a roll of film and allow a glimpse into the artist’s method. Artist Teresa Melendez practices the art of Native American beadwork. Since the age of 15, she has been creating eye-catching designs full of color and creativity. We meet the creative team behind Rebel Nell, a social enterprise based in Detroit, Michigan that designs one-of-a-kind graffiti jewelry.

Innovators

Meet Melissa Janda whose has a passion for glass and painting have lead to a true love of glass artistry. We discover how an artist creates her own little worlds within our own. We take a tour of the Atwater Brewery in Detroit, Michigan and learn how endless the possibilities of a good brew really are and we watch performance painter, Brian Olsen, use his fingers, arms and elbows to bring portraits to life right before our eyes.

Insight

At the Columbus museum of Art in Ohio, the biennial exhibit “Art in Bloom” showcases floral designs by artists inspired by the museum’s collection. We head to Florida to meet digital artist Michaela Oteri. In her artwork, she represents the disabled and LGBTQ+ communities and gives them a voice. We visit the exhibit “Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.” Located at the Museum of Fine Arts in Massachusetts, the show shines a light on the post-graffiti movement and the pivotal role Jean-Michel Basquiat played in its development. Ali Armstrong is a wildlife artist and activist. In 2014, she started “Scarce,” an art series that raises awareness for endangered species. We travel to the Reno-Tahoe area to meet the artist.

Inspiration from the Past

We travel to Tampa Bay, Florida to learn more about a singular type of pottery made in prehistoric times. Through this art, we are able to gain an understanding of a past culture. We sit in on a music therapy session and find out how this universal language helps the human mind and spirit. Colorado-based artist Scott Hildebrandt, aka Mister Christmas, builds magical, miniature worlds. In repurposing vintage and antique items, he creates playful, special scenes on a very small scale. In Norfolk, Virginia, artist Spencer Tinkham sculpts wood. With an appreciation for biodiversity and the environment, he carves natural materials into an array of animals.