Art Connection

Resilient

Charles Adams loves to wrap gifts. Full of personality and color, his uniquely wrapped creations become works of art. We travel to Carson City, Nevada to learn more. Artist Felix Semper makes unforgettable stretchable paper sculptures. Rather than create something stationary or solid, semper chooses to give his work movement. Brightly-Twisted creates colorful tie-dyed fashions, homewares, and accessories. Out of their production center in Detroit, Michigan, these patterned pieces become works of art. Baking is both an art and a science. We travel to Lakeland, Florida to meet the culinary artists behind Born and Bread Bakehouse, a bakery that serves an assortment of pastries that are both wonderful to look at and tasty to eat.

Revival

The Cultural Revolution in China lasted from 1966 until 1976. A new exhibition at MassArt looks at the Revolution by way of eight Chinese artists who either lived through it or were shaped by it. Hamilton, Missouri is the birthplace of J.C. Penney. But that isn’t why it's such a busy place these days. The town has become practically a vision quest for quilters, thanks to the Missouri Star Quilt Company. Artist Lauren Semivan uses a camera that dates back to the Model T era to create some very interesting prints. In the center of a diverse city stands a beautiful downtown venue that offers Angelenos a chance to enjoy an incredible array of cultural performances at no charge. 

Rhythmic

Cutting, bending and burnishing aluminum is how Jason Lebarnes creates sleek, holographic-like sculptures with reflective surfaces that mimic the sea. Musician John Covelli can easily do the difficult task of combining conducting with piano playing. Navajo Poet Laureate Luci Tapahonso shares how her poetry hones words. And we take a look at the Cosmopolitan’s “Too Much of a Good Thing is Wonderful” exhibit of famed Las Vegas performer Liberace’s costumes.

Robo Paint Strokes

Artist Bobby Zokaites embarked on a project that challenged the ideas about painting, human-technology collaboration, and creative expression when he began using a Roomba to create works of art. Physicians at the Washington University Medical School have teamed up with actors and set designers to create a theatre piece that explores the workings of the brain. Artist Robin Cass explores the idea of preservation though glass and metal work. And we sit down with operatic singer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, Barbara Padilla. 

Rockin' It

We travel to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's newest exhibition, which is all about sound. Editor Paul Barnes, who has collaborated with Ken Burns on some of PBS’ most celebrated documentaries, shares how editing impacts a film, his experience creating the Vietnam War and his love for storytelling. Immersed in a world of music growing up, Sunny Gicz had no choice but ride that wave of sound & see where it could take her. For more than 30 years, Voszi Douglas has been creating one-of-a-kind fashions in Columbus. Her garments are unstructured and notable in that they have no zippers, buttons or even patterns.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

We take a look at how artist Andrew Spear's persistence and love for doodling allowed him to make a career out of his hobby. We visit the annual Loveland Sculpture Invitational, which hosts over 200 national and international artists each year. A senior living facility in Scottsdale, Arizona has created an exhibit dedicated to the brave men and women of the Greatest Generation. And paper couldn't be a more important medium to artist Christine Weigand who creates portraits and landscapes that look like fine paintings.

Sands of Time

Ever built a sandcastle? Well, grand master sand sculptor Suzanne Altamare shares how she builds masterpieces with simple tools and minimal water. The curators at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston provide us with a deeper understanding of the roles and functions of the artistry in Samurai uniforms and culture. The Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado enlightens its audience with the spirit and improvisation of the 17th and 18th centuries and we see artist comment on our current environment concerns…without language.

Science Prints

Discover the intriguing and sometimes dark world of "Sugar Rush" art with artist Jared Konopitski. We visit the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office in Downtown D.C. and take a look at the joint effort between the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and local musicians to fully restore the space. We travel to the Pottery Capital of the world and get a look inside the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics. And we visit artist Rachel Ignotofsky, who found her way into the public eye with her lifelong interest in science.

Season 2 Opener

We take a look at Wisconsin artist Gary Kandziora’s steel sculptures that are inspired by what is found in scrap heaps and junkyards. We take flight with aerial photographer Evan Anderman as he captures the western landscape. We discover “Masterworks: Jewels of the Collection,” a rotating exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York and we uncover what draws visitors to Orlando’s downtown area.

Second Chance

Meet photographer Jonah Gouin who captures the world in his panoramic photographs, but watch as he steps in front of his camera for the first time to produce a vibrant and personal portrait. We travel to Arizona to meet artist Robert Miley, whose sculpture “Release the Fear,” was made entirely from melted weapons used in violent crimes. We visit “The Character of Cloth” exhibit which reveals the creativity behind the Houston Grand Opera. And we see how large-scale kinetic sculptures dramatically transform spaces they occupy.

Second Chances

Singer Deonna Marie has had to overcome many struggles to be where she is today. We head to Oklahoma to get an inside look at her show “The Deonna Marie Experience,” which takes viewers on an inspiring journey through her life. We head to the Red Stewart airfield in Waynesville, Ohio, to learn about aerobatic flying. Pilots become artists as they create captivating shapes in the sky. We take a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, to experience an immersive staging of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Hearing from the show’s leads, we find out more about the production.

Second Life

We visit the first Art Basel event hosted by Opa-locka, Florida. Featuring contemporary art from Africa and the African Diaspora, the event gave artists a space to share their stories. As part of their permanent collection, the American Folk Art Museum in New York city holds an assortment of marble objects. For the exhibit “Material Witness,” several were highlighted. Canton, Ohio’s “Bluecoats” is a world class drum and bugle corps. Each season, over a hundred young adults are selected for an educational training program and an unforgettable cross-country tour. Artist Kyle Karrasch gives trash a second life by transforming it into art. In doing so, he provides commentary on consumption and environmental conservation.

Seize Your Opportunity

The story of a renowned ceramics artist who’s played a key role in Sacramento, California’s art history. Lucia Micarelli is an accomplished violinst and actress who attended Julliard at age 11. She maintains a full career even after a horrific hand accident. David Butler wants to see more images that are representative of the black community in the art scene. He’s working to fill the void from his space inside Columbus, Ohio's Blockfort Art Studios. Stephanee Grosscup is an ice choreographer and skating coach from Salt Lake City, Utah, and has been skating for 40+ years. She has been able to use her love and talents for ice skating to build an impressive career on the ice.

Self

Based in Sarasota, Florida, Jesse Clark is a fine art photographer who examines black identity through a contemporary lens. We meet the artist and hear more about the vibrant images he creates in a thoughtful series he develops. We get a behind the scenes look at the “Dark Corner Haunt” in Reno, Nevada. Last halloween, this immersive haunted house spooked visitors with live actors, special effects, and much more. Having lived in different countries, artist Beth Himsworth brings a love of culture and nature to her glass mosaics. Full of color, texture, and movement, her translucent works stand out and are very unique.

Self-Driven

Kansas City's Belger Cartage Company started in 1919. Heavy hauling is their trade, but Chairman Dick Belger began collecting contemporary art in the 70s, and has been sharing it, at the Belger Craneyard Studios. “Poldark” captivated television audiences in the late 1970s and is currently filming its 4th season. We sat down with Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson just before the launch of Season One to find out how they landed their roles. Colorado Springs photographer Larry Hulst shows us his rock and roll portraits. Artist and designer, Blair Sligar, has a passion for creating furniture out of local wood. He started the company Hog Eat Hog because of his personal drive and strong support system.

Self Starter

Self-taught graffiti artist David Gerena grew up perfecting his craft on subway trains throughout New York City. Today, David is paying homage to those roots with a style that is anything but traditional. With confident recitations of poems by Henry Taylor, Cornelius Eady, and William Lisle Bowles, Tallwood High School senior Ahkei Togun of Virginia, won his way to the 2016 Poetry Out Loud National Championship. Cedra Wood interweaves human characters and natural environments. Her paintings and drawings are the result of ongoing investigation into human/ecological relationships. Architect-turned-artist Hal Koenig shares his great love of urban landscapes through his lush and vibrantly colored oil paintings. 

Shaping Your Craft

Born in Hampton, Virginia, Dathan Kane is a contemporary artist who paints in black and white. With just two colors, he renders bold compositions featuring abstract shapes that represent what he is going through in life. When Hector Castellanos Lara creates a work of art, he thinks back to his childhood and finds inspiration in his place of birth, Guatemala. In this segment, we visit Ohio to learn more about his evolution as an artist and the impact he’s had on his community. We travel to Grass Valley, California, to meet professional woodcarver Raymond Kinman. With a decades-long career, Kinman has sculpted signs for Disney Parks and is now teaching beginners his craft. 

Shared Experience

Celebrating 60 years in show business, Pat Boone shares his milestone moments on stage, in film and in life. Yudong Shen infuses his Asian brush paintings with color and contrast. He melds traditional tools and subjects with influences of the Minnesota landscape he’s known for over 10 years. Real estate developer and art collector Ron Pizzuti opens the doors to the Pizzuti Collection in the Short North Arts District in Columbus, Ohio. The Rochester City Ballet of Rochester, New York, is one of just a handful of ballet companies in the United States that’s broken a barrier: It’s turned the music down and the lights up in the name of inclusion.

Shared Moment

Jackson Pollock’s drip painting “Autumn Rhythm” is one of the artist’s most well-known works. We head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to look back at the exhibit “Epic Abstraction,” which featured this work. In the face of struggle and adversity, Ohio-based artist Arabella Proffer still manages to create. From pop-surrealist portraits to biomorphic shapes, her contemporary art takes on many different forms. We travel to Utah to view the collaborative installation “Ummah" that teaches visitors about the Islamic faith and celebrates the Muslim community. We hear from artist Lisa Martin Smallwood, a.k.a Liasi. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, Smallwood paints iconic jazz singers and musicians in an impressionistic style.

Sharing a Gift

Author Jyotsna Sreenivasan writes about the experiences of Indian Americans. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Sreenivasan hopes to build connections with her readers. With “The Jerome Project,” artist Titus Kaphar focuses on a history that is personal. Through a series of impactful portraits, he examines the lived experiences in our society. We take a trip to South Lake Tahoe, California, to meet harpist Anne Roos. With her Celtic harp, Roos shares music with audiences from all over the world. We visit Ohio to hear about a collaboration between artist Amber D. Kempthorn and the akron symphony orchestra. Animation and classical music were brought together to create a memorable experience.