Art Connection

Inspiring Others

Author and illustrator Calvin Reynolds hopes to inspire the next generation. With his “Jayce the Bee” children’s books, He encourages kids to be creative and follow their dreams. The contemporary Dayton in Ohio shines a light on the art of the here and now. As the region’s contemporary art center, they present original exhibitions, programs, and events...and recently, they moved to a new home. We travel to Reno, Nevada, to meet Emmy award winning artist James Gayles who loves to paint with watercolor. Through this medium, he portrays ancestral icons. We hear from Ohio artist Debra Joyce Dawson. Whether it be landscapes in Europe or ones right at home, Dawson captures her surroundings with her paintbrush.

Instruments of Art

Painter Robert Freeman’s newest body of work takes us to the colorful parades of the Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans. As he’s done for decades in front of a canvas, he lets the brush guide him.  African textiles and natural fabrics are the inspiration for Dayton, Ohio, fiber artist Frances M. Turner, who makes dolls entirely from scratch, crafting everything from the hats on their heads to the shoes on their feet. The tools of a musical trade… the instrument… sharing and exploring the remarkable variety of makers, their means, apparatus and innovations across the world of sound. The Museum of Making Music. How NASA's Johnson Space Center influenced the stained-glass windows at a local church.

Intertwine

This week, we talk with The Heart Gallery of America about how their use of evocative photos helps with adoptions. We meet an Arizona Recycle artist who is helping his community while turning tin cans into art. We visit the K12 Gallery & TEJAS, an artist studio that encourages community involvement and we see a man build a sculptor from twigs.

In the Moment

We visit an inspiring eco-friendly artist. Brent Naughton is a painter whose goal is to evoke memories of sports seasons past and celebrate the greatness of sports legends of every era. William Souder is a renowned writer, whose biography of John James Audubon, Under a Wild Sky, was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. His biography of John Steinbeck expected to be published in 2019. MOMENTS was a one-night experimental art event on historic 25th Street in Ogden, Utah. The event showcased many temporary art pieces activating traditional and nontraditional areas.

Introductions

The Tintabulations is a hand-bell ensemble with a set list as varied as you could imagine, keeping audiences entranced with sound and style. Get a look into The Cape Playhouse where we go behind the scenes to experience the production of Cabaret. The Pop Up Art Studio “Artspace” is providing artist in Louisiana with a place to do business, get exposure and meet local art enthusiast. And we visit The Jewish Ensemble Theatre where their new production is breaking down barriers.

Jail Guitar Doors

A tough time behind bars inspired musician Wayne Kramer to offer inmates guitars to help them pick up the pieces of their broken lives with the program "Jail Guitar Doors." Dancers at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, express their thoughts of Dance and what it means to them. Doll artist Amber Groome takes us along on her journey of creation. And we visit Bush-Holley House in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Jam Session

We explore the 125-year-old Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California. Feast our eyes on the stunning gowns and furnishings of designer Charles James. We learn that behind every good guitar player is a skilled craftsman and we touch down in Miami, Florida, where one Brazilian transplant is shaking things up.

Jazz Scale

Meet artist Dan Bentley, who has a deep appreciation for product design and a unique way of breathing new life into household items. We meet internationally recognized Jazz pianist, Khalid Moss, who has played along some of the finest jazz musicians in history. A lifetime of real world experience take shape each day in cartoonist Mike Peters’ editorials. And we explore a website that is helping to streamline fashion design.

Jerri Cans

John King works as a reenactor out of the blacksmith shop at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, where he makes the most common tasks into works of art. A Houston designer makes a statement at New York Fashion Week. Artist Erin Currier searches for spiritual iconography in everyday life. And learn how photojournalist Laura Watilo Blake is advocating change for clean water in Uganda.

Journey

The musical as one tells the story of those who constructed this extraordinary railroad that linked the east and the west. In this segment, we go behind the scenes and see how this musical came to be. For the artist Scott Boris, wood is his medium of choice. With a lathe and a desire to create, he takes chunks of wood and spins, cuts, and sands them until they are unique wooden bowls. In St. Petersburg, Florida, Esteban Valdez owns Echo Bridge Pictures, an animation production company. We hear about his artistic journey and this creative field. Visual art, puppetry, set design, and performance…in this segment, we meet a hybrid theatre artist who uses her intuition and imagination to make memorable works of art.

Joy in Art

Tre’on Johnson, otherwise known as Dayo Gold, is discovering who he is as an artist. We take a trip to Ohio to find out more about his craft and the ways in which the music and culture of hip-hop influence him. In Gardnerville, Nevada, artist Rie Lunde pursues her love of tintype photography. developed in the 19th century, this technique involves pure chemistry and captures a sitter’s character in a unique way.
For self-taught artist Beverly Whiteside, joy is found in improvisation. When she creates, she uses movement and a variety of media to highlight human connections.

Keeping the Arts Alive

The wildly popular "Stitching History from the Holocaust" exhibition has returned to the Jewish Museum Milwaukee. One incredible piece of art goes on a remarkable journey to its new home in Texas. Most authors aspire to have their words leap off the page. Keith Allen of northeast Ohio aspires to have his images and words "pop" off the page. A local theater program in Sacramento, CA challenges kids to grow.

Kokeshi Dolls

Artist Craig Galentine puts an American spin on the classic eastern art form of Kokeshi dolls. The Russian Nutcracker ballet is traveling to more than one hundred American cities allowing young ballet students to perform and learn alongside them. We visit and exhibit that simulates what life is like in the USA for undocumented immigrants. And we take a look at the American opera, Elmer Gantry.

Labor of Love

We head to the south street seaport museum in New York City to see Wavertree, the flagship of the museum’s fleet. We get an inside look at the 1885 globe-trotting cargo ship, learning about her history and remarkable architecture. For the Reno Film Collective, collaboration is essential. Located in Reno, Nevada, members of this community film group work together to tell a story and create a work of art. As the owner and executive chef of two Bangkok inspired restaurants in Michigan, chef Genevieve Vang makes tasty dishes that everyone can enjoy. She takes us on a culinary journey. Artist Delita Martin does not limit herself to one artistic process or technique. Through printmaking, layering, drawing, painting, and installations, she uses her canvas to convey a powerful message.

Larger than Life

Printmaker John Costin creates detailed, life-sized portraits of birds. Although it is a lengthy, challenging process, the end result is well worth it. For artist and musician Ramblin’ Randy Battaglia, creative expression provides solace. Living out of a van, he travels place to place, finding opportunities to explore his craft. The Sidaway Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio, has a story to tell. Completed in 1930, it was closed after a period of racial unrest in the 1960s. Ever since being placed on the national register of historic places, however, efforts are being made to give this landmark a second life.

Lasting Achievements

We travel to the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in Florida to visit an exhibition that celebrates the black pioneers of the American West. Through quilts, their stories are brought to life, and their occupations and achievements are explored. We head to New Mexico to meet curator and art historian Amber-Dawn Bear Robe who created “The Southwestern Association for American Indian Arts Fashion Show.” Starting in 2014, the show gives indigenous fashion designers a platform to present their collections and express their creativity. Thanks to a generous donation, one can find Andy Warhol’s “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century” at the Temple-Tifereth Israel in Cleveland, Ohio. From Sarah Bernhardt to Albert Einstein, Warhol depicted ten Jewish luminaries who made a lasting impact on the world.  

Lasting Impact

California-based artist Pat Blide creates unique sculptures made out of metal. With his tools, he transforms discarded objects into wonderful artworks. We travel to Florida to meet photographer Sal Patalano. Through his camera lens, he captures striking black and white portraits of passerby that have a lasting impact. The Pfister artist-in-residence program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin gives artists the opportunity to pursue and present their art to an eager audience. We hear from the vibrant brasshouse trio ‘Too Many Zooz’. Based in New York City, this group of musicians comes together to play dynamic pieces of music that excite listeners.

Layers of Color

Artist Michael Hudock finds inspiration in the surfaces the surround him. We translate the colors and textures of these surfaces to his work on canvas. We go into Heather Swenson’s screen printing studio where she shares her techniques. Photographer and filmmaker Emily Peacock cast herself and members of her family as subjects in her works. And artist Caitlin Warner has created a unique way to get her work into the hands of the public.

Learn and Grow

In Reno, Nevada, artist Joe C. Rock creates art for public spaces. His large, energetic murals liven buildings and streets, and are available to everyone. Boston Arts Academy is a public high school focused on the visual and performing arts. The school provides its student body with a place to learn and grow as artists and individuals. We meet Louisiana artist Heather Ryan Kelley who finds inspiration in symbolic paintings and the writings of James Joyce. In her art, she features objects that are full of meaning. The exhibition “Teresita Fernández: Elemental” gives viewers the opportunity to encounter landscapes of the natural world. We travel to the Pérez Art Museum Miami to get a look.

Learning

Ka Vang immigrated from Laos when she was five. Vang’s career began as a journalist for Saint Paul Pioneer Press and the Chicago Tribune. She performs her spoken word piece and talks about keeping Hmong traditions alive. A review of the broad career of Susheel Bibbs, an actress, filmmaker, scholar, professor, author, and internationally renowned American opera singer. Centerville, Ohio’s Derry Cox taught himself photography in the early 1970s. And he’s never stopped learning. In 2007, he made the leap to digital photography. Megen Nelson is a Palm Bay, Florida, artist who is mostly self-taught. Her science fiction images offer a twist on reality…and have drawn national recognition.