Art Connection

Lose Yourself

Edward Hopper was a prominent American artist and a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art discusses his creative process and Hopper’s connection between his most iconic works and the New York he knew so well. We become a part of the interactive play, “Inanna and the Huluppu Tree.” Filmmaker Dyanna Taylor shares her experiences and what inspired her to create a film about her grandmother, Dorothea Lange and we talk with the principal cellist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Dariusz Skoraczewski.

Loss and Hope

Focused on the daily life of soldiers in war-zone Vietnam, veteran Herb Lotz captured a loss of innocence in his photography. Muralist and graffiti artist Adam  Hernandez describes his work as "ghetto hieroglyphics," and hopes his illustrations contribute to the mythological landscape of public art. Visit the sponge capital of the world in Tarpon Springs, Florida, where these versatile sponges are cultivated and used by artists and have contributed to the rich history, art and culture of the area. Twenty years after sustaining serious injuries in a car accident, Justin Echols is an accomplished Jazz musician who has played with the greats in America and Europe.

Love and Dedication

In her quilts, artist Cynthia Lockhart tells a story. Through layering, painting, silk screen, embellishment, and more, she creates images full of power and hope. We head to the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio to view an exhibition of Lockhart’s work. Woodworker Audie Maxey takes an ordinary log of wood and makes it into an extraordinary work of art. Based in Louisiana, Maxey recognizes the beauty in nature. For 30 years, the comic strip “Pickles” has been delighting viewers across the country and around the globe. We head to Sparks, Nevada to meet the artist behind the comic, Brian Crane. Welder Cindy Wynn creates furniture out of scrap metal. Wynn goes to the scrap yard, gathers pieces, and welds together a distinct finished product.

Love for Art

Hudson, New York-based artist Jeffrey Gibson believes in the "transformative nature of materials." He takes inspiration from his own multi-cultural background as he blurs the line between craft and fine art. Santa Fe, New Mexico, photographer Philip Augustin simplifies the world into minimal, formalist compositions. He uses abstraction to question the boundaries of the photographic process. Young Jean Marie Glazer is a multi-talented musician who plays classical cello and sings barbershop and opera. He is a student at Boone High School in Orlando, Florida. Trained as an architect and painter for over two decades in Italy, Aziz Osman returned to his native Somalia only months before the outbreak of civil war. He paints his prewar memories of Somalia and memories of Italy.

Making Connections

The exhibit “Inventing Acadia: Painting and Place in Louisiana” at the New Orleans museum of Art presented a wide variety of Louisiana landscape paintings. In exploring the artworks and the people who made them, the show demonstrated Louisiana's influence on the arts. The Sierra Nevada ballet combined Shakespeare, steampunk design, and dance to create a production that is one-of-a-kind. We traveled to Reno, Nevada, to see how the show came together. Artist and freelance photographer Amber N. Ford’s art can be seen on both a national and local scale. well known for her portraiture, she connects and collaborates with her sitter to create a meaningful image.

Making Rainbows

Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde has teamed up with an optics scientist to develop a large scale prism in order to make his own rainbow art. We visit Louisiana artist Mary Ann Caffery’s gallery which houses her large collection of work which includes sculpture, stained glass, mosaics, and photography. We go inside a woodturner’s studio where he makes beautiful bowls that represent family, the breaking of bread, community, and craftsmanship. And we sit down with photographer William Fields to discuss how he finds his inspiration in varied landscapes.

Mastering the Craft

Corky Bennett, aka “The King of Reno” is a Nevada-based musician and entertainer who loves to play the accordion. With his instrument, he has traveled across the country, delighting audiences for decades. We take a trip to the Bass Museum of Art in Florida to visit the immersive exhibit “Better Nights.” Created by the artist Mickalene Thomas, viewers are able to walk into and experience an interactive three-dimensional work of art. We meet Jim “Dauber” Farr, a hall-of-fame master Pinstriper. For over 40 years, he has been working on his craft, transforming cars into one-of-a-kind customized creations. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, artist Lisa Difranza has been creating sketches as a way to process what is going on in the world. We visit the artist in to find out more about this project.

Memoirs

Jorge Pérez is an art collector. At a young age, he started his collection and has been building it ever since. We head to his contemporary art space “El Espacio 23” in Florida to find out more. We travel to New Mexico to hear from Lois Rudnick, the preeminent scholar on Mabel Dodge Luhan. Luhan was a writer of memoirs. In her work, she gave an intimate look at her life and her battle with depression. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Fitchburg Art Museum in Massachusetts to temporarily shut its doors, staff and volunteers still found ways to give back to the community. We meet Trey Valentine, a window cartoonist in Reno, Nevada. For various businesses, he creates painted window displays full of color and imagination.

Memorable

We meet the Whiskeybelles, a musical trio from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who blend Country, Bluegrass, Americana, and folk to create their own memorable sound. Kathleen Tesnakis is part of the sustainable fashion movement. A recycling designer based in Troy, New York, she makes clothing and accessories in an eco-friendly way. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Dance Theatre of Harlem presents performances that acknowledge their past, while also focusing on their present and future. Whether he is depicting pop culture icons, landscapes, or angels, the tool of choice for artist John Schmitz is the airbrush. Since he was 14 years old, he has been using this technique.

Memories

Meet a Houston wood-turner with an emotional connection to his craft. Katherine Reynolds is a neon glass artist in Oklahoma City. She is the founder of Reynolds and Son Neon where she and her son Dustin create stunning signs that light up the city. This short profile features Baltimore-based filmmaker and curator Margaret Rorison’s emotional film about her Grandmother, who is failing due to Alheizmer’s Disease. Filmmaker Caleb Oosterling teamed up with local musician Johnny Maio to create a fun, catchy music video that highlights all that's special about living in Tampa Bay.

Merging

In Ohio, the Weavers Guild of Miami Valley is a nonprofit Organization that embraces handweaving, hand spinning, and the textile arts. At the University of New Mexico, the computer Program Art1 gave artists the opportunity to use technology to render works of art. One of these artists was Frederick Hammersley who made over 150 groundbreaking illustrations in this manner. We take a trip to Reno, Nevada to see how art is being incorporated into the commercial space. Businesses and artists are working together to bring art to the community. Responding to the covid-19 pandemic, artist Talle Bamazi created a series of paintings that visualize the virus and its effect on the world

Mile High Art

We meet a second-generation sculptor who finds peace in constructing elegant metal structures. We tour The Bush-Holley House, an American historical gem. Take a walk through the new Aspen Art Museum in Colorado an architectural space that merits equal - appreciations as the art collection it houses. And we take a look at award-winning playwright August Wilson's life through the making of American Masters "August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand."

Mindset

Meet Austen Brantley, an artist who has molded a hobby of sculpture making into a passion. We get a look inside Greater Orlando C.A.R.E.S. an organization investigating the impact music has on developing minds. We check out a giant inflatable art piece called “Wiggle Giggle Juggle.” And we meet a Nevada based artist with cerebral palsy whose work is an inspiration through perseverance.

Minute to Monumental

We take a tour of St. Louis Art Museum’s new addition with museum director, Brent Benjamin. We check out the recently transformed Sky Train at the Phoenix Airport. Nevada artist, Steve Liguori, gives us a tour of his studio where he mastered sculpting and we take a step into the light-scapes of British artist Bruce Munro.

Mission

A church in suburban South Florida that caters to a 21st century audience from their signature hash tag (#NoPerfectPeopleAllowed) to their impressive social media reach to their rock-concert inspired performances. A look at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and an exhibit that's changing the "face of science.” Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Reno Little Theater in Reno, Nevada and meet technical director and production manager, Chad Sweet. Jeweler Marisa Martinez’s career is marked by her family ties, her Mexican-American heritage, and the women mentors in her life.

Mixed Art

Renowned musician, Bela Fleck, talks about the history of the banjo and his influence on its perception in the general public. Milwaukee artist Jesse Meyer is a self-taught metal sculptor. With a background in metal fabrication, he shifted his artistic focus from industrial to more accessible art. The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables has once again commissioned artist Dale Chihuly to create stunning installations. In Sacramento, CA, an artist is mixing his visual and musical art forms to create unique works of art.

Mixed Media

As Artist Stephanie Cole puts it, she “paints with stuff.” Glass, wood, fiber… her mixed media constructions explore different aspects of her life. We visit the Fuller Craft Museum in Massachusetts to see an exhibit of her work. As a way to honor their volunteers who help serve food to those in need, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada decided to create a mural that reflects all that they do. We take a trip to Florida to meet with the team behind Key West Pottery. Originated in 2009, the artists Kelly Lever and Adam Russell render a variety of unique styles and designs out of clay. The history of witchcraft and sorcery is a fascinating one, rich with magic and myth. Up next, we meet New Mexico Historian Robert Martinez who speaks about the state’s connection with the occult.

Molded Forms

Photographer Watson Brown captures evocative images of rural North Carolina. PUSH. Physical Theatre, based in Rochester, New York, has taken storytelling to new levels. They’re able to tell rich, powerful stories through physical expression and movement. New Mexico’s Cochiti Pueblo potter Helen Cordero’s renowned storyteller figurines were inspired by her grandfather’s stories. Reno, Nevada based Lisa Kurt uses her dreamlike art to tell stories that involve people, animals, and nature in mysterious settings.

Monoprints

New Mexico artist, Nick Abdalla, creates his works of art like it's a journey with no destination in mind. Creating art that has a certain identification to him, but another to another individual. The students that form The Empire State Youth Orchestra share their thoughts and feelings about how performing in an orchestra shapes them into better human beings. Print artist Jack Pachuta combines ink and colored pencils to create "monoprints" with distinct foregrounds and backgrounds that help him images leap from the page. And we meet artist Sibylle Szaggers Redford who creates multimedia art performances that pay homage to planet Earth.

Motivated

In response to the covid-19 pandemic, artist Melissa Vogley Woods set up a public installation at her home that allowed viewers to connect with art at a safe distance. We travel to New Mexico to meet Gemma New, a New Zealand-born music Director and Conductor known for her vision and expertise. We find out more about her musical journey. We visit the exhibition “Beyond the Cape: Comics and Contemporary Art.” Located at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida, this exhibit features contemporary artists influenced by graphic novels and comic books. With a passion for fashion and design, designer Melissa Michelsen uses the ancient technique of marbling to render vibrant reusable masks. We head to California to find out more.