Art Connection

Past and Present

Air, an exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, invites the community to learn about the Wasatch Front’s air quality issues. Air features recent works by sixteen artists, poets, engineers, and designers from around the globe and Utah. We take a trip to Tampa, Florida, to attend a poetry slam celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali. Using their words, poets from the city battle it out and pay tribute to the legendary boxer. Adam Paddock is a singer- songwriter from Ohio who is pursuing a career in the music industry. with his alternative chamber pop records, he wants to be positive and uplift his listeners. For more than thirty-five years, photographer Alabama Milner documented the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. We meet archivist Jill Hartke who tells us more about Milner.

Past Influence

Griffith Davis was a pioneering photographer. Serving as both a journalist and senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he recorded history and captured important moments at home and abroad. We travel to Groveport, Ohio, to meet artists Sandra Lang and Walter Weil. Having met in art school, this talented pair creates unique pottery that is made by hand. The Avery Fisher Career Grant Awards give assistance and recognition to emerging instrumentalists full of great potential. In 2023, one of the recipients was Emi Ferguson, a flutist whose repertoire spans centuries.

Past & Present

Potter Jim McDowell preserves history & tradition with his "face jugs." The largest mural festival on the west coast creates an opportunity of art for all. It lasted only 14 years, but the Bauhaus, a German art school, became a force in 20th century art, architecture and design. The Bauhaus gained a foothold in the US through Harvard University. Bringing light from the midst of war encapsulates the essence of the “Remembered Light” stained glass art exhibit in Salt Lake City, UT in December of 2018.

Past to Present

In New Mexico, professor Lois Rudnick and author Jonathan Richards sat down to try to determine which writer is more important, William Shakespeare or Mark Twain. We head to Ohio to meet Dinara Mirtalipova, a self-taught illustrator and designer from Uzbekistan. Passed down generation to generation, Uzbek and Russian folklore shape her work, with the stories from her youth being a source of inspiration. The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog features a wide assortment of canine-related artwork. founded in 1982, the museum highlights the meaningful role dogs play in society, and the strong bond they share with human beings.

Patience and Beauty

Photographer Larry Hamill sees beauty in the world around us. Through color, texture, light, and composition he tells a story with each photograph he takes. We visit Columbus, Ohio, to meet the artist and find out more. James Vella is a Louisiana-based glassblower. With patience, skill, and imagination, he renders hand-made art that is one-of-a-kind. We head to the studio to see his process. Janice Darko is a dental student at the University of Utah School of Dentistry who started the Black and Art Dental Student Association. She also started the BDSA Art Gallery Exhibition, where dental students showcase their artistic side.

Perseverance

A group of artists connects professionally in a southern California art club. Local poets share their stories during the annual Hemingway Story Contest in Miami, Florida. Milwaukee artist Julie VonDerVellen is a master paper weaver. She finds a way to incorporate stories into the weaved 3D works she creates. “The Making of a Maestro, from Castelfranco to Carnegie Hall,” documents the Italian roots of musical director Antonio Pappano.

Perspective

BLINK was a four-day event that transformed 20 square blocks of Cincinnati into an open-air art gallery including large-scale, interactive art and light displays. The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, MA just opened a show called Wood As Muse. There you’ll find a group of sculptors finding their way in and out of the wood. Painter Douglas Bourgeois employs religious iconography, Louisiana landscapes and tributes to musicians, writers and other artists in his work. We know Astronaut Scott Kelly from his remarkable year aboard the International Space Station. And with some of that time, he honed his artistic photographic skills.

Phantasmagoria

Join us as we visit Little Free Libraries where the mission of “take a book, leave a book,” hopes to expand literacy opportunities in Ohio neighborhoods. The big questions in life, the irrational, the unconscious, and the intangible are reshaped by sculptor Ed Haddaway. Detroit quilter Carole Harris, reveals tales of Detroit’s architectural history and her personal past through fiber art. And we stop by to see a performance by the Florida theater troupe, Phantasmagoria.

Pieces

We travel to Florida to meet Helen Tilston and Mary Rose Holmes, two plein air cottage artists working to preserve the history and architecture of their city through their paintings. We get a look inside the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum. Located in Elko, Nevada, the museum examines the life and times of the American Cowboy in their exhibitions. Artist Marsha Monroe Pippenger’s Kaleidoscopic Collages are paintings made out of paper. We travel to Dayton, Ohio to see firsthand how she brainstorms ideas, gathers her materials, and puts together a remarkable finished product. Debbie Baudin is a glass artist. Using her skills and tools, she creates striking hand-painted glass designs for her customers. We head to Stock Island, Florida for the story.

Pieces of a Whole

Urban photographer Miki Lansdowne examines how her photos link the past and the present day. We groove with the Detroit band, The Third Coast Kings, who mix funk, jazz and Motown to create a new take on an old sound. Mark Bradford a.k.a. “Scrapdaddy” takes others “junk” and creates magical mechanical beasts and we look at playwright Tarell Mccraney’s adaption of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.”

Play By Ear

Fabric artist Kate dePara demonstrates how she threads together her passion for textile creation with design to create a series of unique garments. Muralist and painter, Geeta Dave, who draws inspiration from her Indian heritage, brings a fierce passion to her art, her teaching, and her community. We sit down with violinist Regina Carter, who unlocks the past with every note she plays. And we visit "In Blank We Trust," an exhibit that addresses the complex nature of money and its relationship to art.

Poetry in Motion

“Walking with words” is a collaborative exhibition in which humanity, community, inclusivity, and diversity are celebrated. Graphic Design Students from the University of Dayton got together to visualize the poetry of artist Sierra Leone. The organization “Regional Dance America” supports the future of dance by giving dancers the opportunity to excel. In 2022, they selected Reno, Nevada, to host their Pacific Festival, which welcomed dancers from various regional companies and included programming that inspired. Next, we take a trip to Ohio to hear about the screen-printed poster show “Prints and Pints.” This annual event pairs twelve local artists with twelve breweries to create special posters that are then sold to members of the community.    

Portrait

The exhibit “The Neighbors: Slide Shows for America” presents photographic slide shows from five different artists that focus on the communities that make up America. In Berea, Ohio, people gather together by the train tracks to watch, photograph, and admire the trains that come and go. These train enthusiasts appreciate the art and technology behind these incredible machines. For muralist and graffiti artist El Mac, public spaces are his canvas and his monumental artworks have a powerful impact. We take a trip to Miami, Florida, to meet the artist. We meet the artists behind the Love sculpture located in front of Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada. This large-scale aluminum artwork shines as a beacon of hope during challenging times.

Possibilities

A woman who is passionate about life drawing and painting sees her art as a way to focus and re-direct her thoughts towards the positive appreciation of beauty. 4th Wall Theatre Company creates a safe space for people of all abilities to learn and practice performing arts…kids and adults sing, dance and act while gaining confidence and learning important social skills. Meet Gailmarie Pahmeier, one of 2016’s honorees into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. Experience the poetry and other works of this highly-recognized creative writer and teacher. The Orlando Museum of Art hosts a quarterly event, "Yoga in the Galleries" in collaboration with College Park Yoga. The couple that runs the studio discuss the impact of art on a yoga practice. 

Powerful Experiences

With her camera, photographer Megan Wynne explores the maternal experience and the powerful relationship between mother and child. In Sparks, Nevada, Sarah and Jason Harrell love to decorate for halloween. With originality, they bring their ideas to life and adorn their home with creatures, lights, and pumpkins. We travel to Tampa Bay, Florida, to meet artist and teacher Junior Polo. In addition to painting and sculpting, he gives back to the community through teaching and shares important skills and methods with his students. We get a look at the exhibit “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming” at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts. On view are an assortment of artifacts that date to this moment in history.

Powerful Words

Artist David Blondell combines his two passions, using his artistic skills to recreate some of sports most memorable moments. See how artist Jera Rose Petal Lodge melds metal into wearable art. Take a behind the scenes look at "Louis & Keely 'Live' at the Sahara," a musical play about the legendary music duo. And teacher Erin Gruwell shares "Stories from an Undeclared War" the real life chronicle of 150-at-risk students whose lives changed with the power of the written word.

Practice and Caring

In his workshop in Athens, Ohio, acclaimed luthier Don Macrostie creates mandolins. Having studied the instrument for decades, he makes each one by hand and uses his immense knowledge and skill to produce an incredible sound. We travel to Florida to hear from artist Dean Mitchell. Whether it be a landscape, still life, or figurative work, when he paints, he draws from the challenging experiences of his youth and examines the world we live in. Janina Marie Fuller is the author of “The Gecko in the Bathtub.” In it, she includes stories about her many encounters with different types of animals. We head to Louisiana to learn more about the book and the writer’s love of nature.

Preservation

Jim Deyoung is the senior conservator at the Milwaukee Art Museum in Wisconsin. In his role, he preserves artwork from around the world, so that it can be appreciated for years to come. Formed in 1971, M Ensemble Company is the longest running African American professional theater company in Florida. They bring impactful stories to the stage for audiences. We visit the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts to see an exhibit focused on women’s groundbreaking influence on fashion and design. We meet artist Lea Gray. Inspired by nature, she transforms paper into realistic, intricate sculptures of plants and flowers. We travel to the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Ohio to see an exhibition of her art.

Preserving History

We took a trip to Ohio to hear a performance from singer-songwriter Meg Paulsen. Inspired by the Brazilian music of the 1960s, she has a compelling Bossa Nova sound. Nevada-based photographer Jeff Ross hopped on his bike and cycled coast to coast via the trans-america bicycle trail. accompanied by his wife and dog, he photographed the people they met on the journey. The Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre has become a mainstay in South Florida. In a historic space, the company puts on productions that leave audiences coming back for more…and for their 36th season, they opened with an original play.

Providing a Path

Visit an exhibit that features portraits of older, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals whose lives have been marked by both hardship and joy. The arts conservatory for teens provides an exciting arts education for youth in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. In Detroit, Michigan a program brings music to those suffering with mental health challenges. The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory in Denver, Colorado stands as a concrete architectural marvel and features hundreds of exotic plants from around the world.