Art Connection

Surroundings

Artist Kelly Pennington works outdoors. Based in Ada, Oklahoma, she focuses on natural landscapes, painting the fields, mountains, and trees that surround her. At Scarecrow Jo’s Studio in Nevada, Halloween is celebrated all year-round. We meet the artists behind the shop and take a look at the spooky paper mache jack o lanterns, witches, and skeletons that they create. We go on an art deco tour. Led by the Miami Design Preservation League, the tour highlights the stylish art deco buildings that line the sunny beaches of Miami beach, Florida. In her textured paintings, New York based artist Mickalene Thomas explores race, gender, identity, and sexuality. We head to Columbus, Ohio, to see an exhibition of her work.

Sustainable Art

Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, Fairgrounds St. Pete is an interactive art and technology exhibition. Upon entry, guests are immersed in the work of over sixty artists and have an experience that is unlike any other. Nevada-based artist Tia Flores travels to the Amazon in Peru to assist in sustainable craft making. Using natural materials, art is rendered that supports the economy. We visited the Louisiana State University Museum of Art in Baton Rouge to learn about the art of Letitia Huckaby. Combining photography and quilting, Huckaby focuses on the African American experience and reflects on the past. We head to Ohio to meet artist Matthew Mohr, the creator of “Lightning Sprites.” Powered by the sun, these sculptures resemble everyday objects and, in their whimsy, they inspire. 

Swept Away

Ephemeral artist Basia Irland shares and discusses her work, which has a clear environmental message. When Dennis DeVendra decided to take up woodturning, he had a hard time finding mentors who would teach him. See how Dennis turned his immense challenge of blindness into beautiful wood pieces. A barbershop by day becomes a contemporary performance venue by night. And join us as we watch Buddhist monks create an intricate sand drawing and then sweep it away.

Taking Action

We travel to Reno, Nevada, to meet Nicole Eldridge. As a self-taught abstract artist, she uses alcohol ink to render colorful creations that are dynamic and emotive.  In his work, visual artist and filmmaker Andrew Ina reflects on the world today and responds to the current social and political climate.  We visit an exhibit of his art at the Fisher Gallery at Otterbein University in Ohio. At Washed Up Key West in Florida, Kasidy Fritts transforms tropical hardwood into pieces that are both functional and beautiful to look at. He is also one of the founders of a collective for artists of various disciplines. Choreographer Ari Christopher created “This Car Up,” a dance film and art installation that examines and reinterprets the catalyzing event of the Tulsa race massacre. 

Taking Flight

Artist Caroline Young is inspired by the culture, mythology, and history of China. With watercolor, acrylic, and gouache, she connects with her heritage, and depicts characters and stories. We take a trip to New York to meet Shahpour Pouyan, an Iranian contemporary artist. Through an array of visual art forms, he examines power, and historical and political issues. Multi-disciplinary artist Juana Valdes created “Rest Ashore,” a large-scale multi-channel video installation that explores the migration experience and the refugee crisis. We travel to Massachusetts to hear from author, illustrator, and birdwatcher David Sibley. In his work, he portrays the different species of birds in nature. 

Talent

Tampa Bay, Florida, residents Dan and Jamie O'Berry use upcycled containers and small succulents to make beautiful, living works of art. A new Mastodon is making an appearance at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Meet Kent Ullberg, the artist behind this “discovery.” This Houston singer captured the country’s attention on America’s Got Talent. We find out what drives her passion for music. An exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art explores the ways in which black photographers and artists portray a range of familial relationships.

Talking Earth

Dutch artist Berndnaut Join us as we get a front row seat to pastel artist Rufus Chalmers’ performance of American jazz musicians. We meet a museum designer that is applying his craft to an unlikely pursuit of winemaking. We go inside the American Folk Art Museum and take a look at artist Ralph Fananella’s large-scale canvases celebrating working class neighborhoods. And we check out The Listening Room Festival, a unique festival where touring musicians provide an up close and personal performance for fans.

Technique

Native Nevadan Megan Berner is a visual artist who works with a variety of digital and experimental techniques to bring us dreamlike images that open our eyes to creative expression. Daniel Brown has a thing for burnouts, horsepower and loud exhaust. It seemed ideal to combine his love of art and his love of cars. Until he realized how hard it was for an automotive painter to be get respect. The Ballad of Baby Doe is the enduring American opera based on the true story of the Tabor love triangle during Colorado’s gold rush days, staged every ten years by the Central City Opera. John Tobin and his wife met in a clay art class. They traveled the world to pursue a career in art education with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. Years later, several of the students found them online.

Technology and Art

Colin Matthes puts a creative spin on demolition derbies while incorporating his love for alternative energy. We go behind the scenes of one of the world’s most beloved holiday classics, “The Nutcracker.” Experience the upper crust society in the U.S. during the period of Downton Abbey and multimedia artist Sheila Elias demonstrates her digital skills.

Televisors

A coffee shop in Tampa combines job training and art for individuals on the autism spectrum, in an effort to provide real world work experience and an avenue for art. We chat with a video artist and photographer who makes 18th century-looking videos and builds machines he calls ‘televisors’ to watch them on. Discover how a dance program’s discipline and rigor helps gear students toward academic success. And we sit down with actor and 50’s teen heartthrob, Tab Hunter.

Telling a Story

Renee Wormack-Keels is an Ohio-based fiber and mixed media artist who quilts. Using hand-dyed and commercial fabrics, and african prints, her textured art quilts are full of meaning. Imagine Van Gogh is an immersive exhibition that provides you with the opportunity to step into the famous paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. We visit Boston, Massachusetts to find out more. In Reno, Nevada, artist June Towill Brown creates bronze sculptures. From humans to animals, she embraces realism and reproduces the structure and personality of her subjects. We take a trip to Virginia to meet Kenny Jones. For a contest, he designed a Virginia Beach-themed Nike sneaker. His design won, and the custom shoes went into production and sold out in minutes. 

Telling Stories

We visit the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts to get a firsthand look at their collection of 19th century South Asian art. In the gallery spaces, a wide variety of works are on display that help tell the story of India. Inspired by early scientific illustration, Chase Mullen is an artist who depicts southern wildlife and culture. In his paintings, he captures the environment in a realistic manner. Since the 1970s, the Reno Silver Dollar Chorus has been entertaining audiences across the state of Nevada. Men of all ages and backgrounds perform in this a cappella vocal group. Artist Lisa Lee Herman engages in the traditional Japanese method of fish printing called Gyotaku. We took a trip to Florida to learn how a fish becomes a work of art.

Textures

Doncee Coulter is a fabric artist. With his x-acto knife, he works with leathers, suedes, and denims to render textured artworks. We head to Ohio to meet the artist. We take a trip to Massachusetts to visit an exhibit focused on New England’s connection with transcendentalism and alternative thought. The exhibit explores the movement’s history while also featuring work by contemporary artists. David Felberg is a violinist. Based in New Mexico, he is able to connect with audiences across the state with his instrument. We listen in on one of his performances. At the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida, the exhibit “Glasstrees” presents works of glass from over thirty artists who don’t normally work with the medium.

The Bright Side

In this episode of Art Connection we discover an eerie way in which children’s pictures were once taken. We walk the halls of Texas Southern University, where over 60 years of student murals tell the distinct story of the black experience in the south. Comedians in Portland, Oregon show us what it takes to nail comedic timing and we go behind the scenes of a local New York production of Spamalot.

The Creative Language

Join us as we tour the iconic amusement park, Disneyland, with Marty Sklar, an Imagineer who worked alongside Walt Disney himself in making Disneyland the happiest place on Earth. Artist Andrea Geer shares her creative journey from painter to clothing designer. Hmong Qeej player, Chai Lee, performs and explains the significance of this traditional wind instrument. And we visit the FRESH A.I.R. Gallery where the creative journey of recovering artists is displayed.

The Discarded and The Dreams

Reporter Rob Stewart takes us backstage and underground at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium to see what brings a historic pipe organ to life. Baltimore-based photographer and visual artist, Lynne Parks, finds the beauty in random design and juxtapositions. We take a look at art prints of Ray Maseman that were hatched from dreams, myths, children’s stories and observations and we get the inside scoop on Ohio-based indie band, Dave Buker & the Historians.

The Fab Four

Take a look back at Beatlemania at The Beatles exhibit at History Miami and get a look into the legend of the popular band. Photographer Gordon Parks shot a series depicting the realities of life under segregation and this series was never published until the Museum of Fine Arts did. Beck & Orr Book Binders specialize in the repair and restoration of books that mean the most to us. And contemporary Native American artist Brent Learned takes us into his studio where he captures the essence of American Plains Indians.

The French Quarter

Meet Juan Trujillo and his wife Stefani Schrimpf, owners of the Kansas School for Classical Ballet, where young dancers don’t just learn the steps, but the hard work and discipline ballet requires. New Orleans artist Rolland Golden shares with us where he finds his inspiration. We visit Helen Harrison’s studio where working with organic material such as fruits and palms is artist her specialty. And we visit the RedLine Gallery where we explore play through art, which challenges traditional ideas and interactions with familiar spaces and objects.

The Green Carpet

Bollywood and Indian culture come to the U.S. as IIFA hosts its annual show in Tampa, Florida. We meet an artist that helped fill the empty frames at a historic Boston Museum. Designer Kenji Kondo is changing the game when it comes to manufacturing goods. His blueprints can be shared electronically and created wherever Kondo has customers and finally, we talk with artist Steve Slaske about his fascination with architecture and city skylines.

The Joseph

Writer Daisy Goodman shows us a young, passionate, fiery Queen Victoria. We visit Columbus, Ohio’s boutique hotel, “The Joseph” that’s filled with art. The Guadalupe Dance Company shares their wide range of arts and educational programming focused on San Antonio’s rich history. And we see how multimedia artist Philip Noyed’s work is constantly evolving.