Art Connection

Comic Adventures

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's director of 25 years has recently announced she will be stepping down. We chat with her about why it's time to go and the theft that still haunts her. Painter George Kovach, best known for his landscapes of Texas, shares with us that nostalgia is what inspires his work. We talk with notable comic book artist Jason Aaron. And The Urban Conga works to make a difference by getting people out in the community.

Coming Together

A long-standing controversy involves an 18th-century work composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. His St. John Passion has been the subject of protests and boycotts down through the ages. A Sacramento painter recounts her artistic journey. San Antonio’s East Side community is graced with unforgettable performances, innovative pop-up exhibitions, and cutting-edge multi- media works at the ninth annual Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival. Jordan Senarens wants to share art with scientists... and science with art lovers.

Communicating with Art

For artist Henry Hess, art is a way to communicate with others. Based in the Franklinton Arts District of Columbus, Ohio, he finds inspiration in the 20th century, surrounding himself with characters from classic movies—especially musicals. For the exhibit “Black Pearls,” Washington D.C.-based photographer Reginald Cunningham traveled to the historic Pearl City neighborhood of Boca Raton, Florida to capture a community with his camera. For over thirty years, artist Marilyn shaker has expressed herself through painting, and it has transformed her life in a remarkable way. 

Community

The Ummah exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts educates and allows the public to immerse in Islamic culture. This artistic collaboration with the Emerald Project demystifies a religion, inviting the community to see how Islam transcends the boundaries of nations. For artist David Hinchen, historic houses ignite his creativity. Rendering architectural marvels from New York’s Hudson Valley to Boston, Massachusetts, he sees the value in their design. Larry Patchett and Ken Hendricks are a creative duo who provide an opportunity to travel back in time through their forced perspective photography. We hear from an artist who chooses to work with a wide variety of materials. From wood to steel and acrylics to musical instruments, his creations are full of unexpected discovery.

Community Impact

At the Moab Valley Multicultural Center in Utah, one will discover “The Multicultural Mural.” Ten local artists and community volunteers came together to render an artwork that features important figures like Maya Angelou, Harvey Milk, and Nelson Mandela. We head to Ohio to meet Alice Blumenfeld, the artistic director of the award-winning Flamenco music and dance company “Abrepaso.” Founded in 2016, the company presents creative works to audiences in the state. We take a look back to when the Tampa Museum of Art in Florida celebrated their 100th anniversary. Founded in 1920, we learn more about the museum’s history and how it came to be what it is today.

Complex

Artist Hyman Bloom was interested in the human figure and the complexities of the human condition. We visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Massachusetts to see an exhibit of the artist’s work. The installation “Cuban Caricature and Culture: The Art of Massaguer” features the modernist works of caricaturist and publisher Conrado Walter Massaguer. We travel to Miami, Florida to stop by the show. We travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to meet artist Ahmad Darouich. Born in Syria, we hear about his journey to the United States and his passion for painting. The Battleborn Memorial in Carson City, Nevada pays tribute to Nevada’s fallen service members. We meet the artistic team behind the meaningful structure and find out more about its design.

Concertos

Pianist Lara Downes created a program where young artists could have a platform to gain the skills and experiences needed to build their craft. The Human Race Theatre Company is Dayton's only professional regional theatre company and is one of the few theatre companies in the nation dedicated to bringing new musicals to the stage. We see how Bobby Scuteri has been honing his craft as a balloon artist since 1989. And artist Cat Del Buono describes her inspirations behind her video installation piece, Riders On The 4.

Confidence

We meet two barbershop owners who have mastered the art of cutting hair. With their creative set of tools, they help their customers be more confident in themselves. Wisconsin’s “Ex Fabula” is a non-profit that embraces the power of personal storytelling through workshops, storyslams, and more. We attend one event where members of the deaf community came together to share their stories. Centered around a glistening 100-foot-tall hot air balloon, Doug Aitken’s “New Horizon” is an unforgettable project that leaves a lasting impression. Ruth Gilmore Langs is an abstract expressionist. In her vivid artworks, she favors texture, color, and shapes. We visit the artist in her studio gallery to find out more.

Connect

Cervilio Amador, principle dancer for the Cincinnati Ballet always enjoyed the freedom of movement he found in ballet. But "freedom" took on a new meaning when he defected from Cuba to the United States. Architects at kinneymorrow architecture explain how they transformed an old home into their Houston Texas-based office space. Mequon, Wisconsin, oil painter Pamela Ruschman shares her great love for Wisconsin's landscapes and livestock in her paintings. She brings out the personalities of her beloved farm animals in her works. A person-to-person cultural exchange in Colorado where a music teacher connects with a violin student in Rwanda from inside a re-purposed shipping container with high-tech connections.

Connected

Musician Jim McCutcheon is known as “The Guitar Man.” He doesn't just play music, though. He also teaches it to students…and his lifetime dedication to music education was honored with the governor’s award for the arts in Ohio. Taking place at the Bailey Contemporary Arts Center in Pompano Beach, Florida, the annual Artists in Residence Program gives artists the space to create, collaborate, and engage with the community. For 35 years, Mcavoy Layne has played the role of Mark Twain. Based in Incline Village, Nevada, the artist has brought the writings and musings of the famed author to audiences across the state and around the world.

Connecting Communities

We visit the renovated northwest coast hall at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The restored gallery space features an array of treasures that highlight the living cultures of the pacific northwest. Born in India, Padma Chebrolu shares the dances of her home country with students and audiences in Ohio. As the president and artistic director of Cultural Centre of India in Cincinnati, she offers dance classes, workshops, and performances for people to enjoy. We head to Miami, Oklahoma, to experience “Mural Fest Sixty-Six.” Since 2017, this mural festival has given artists the opportunity to express themselves in a big way…and it has reinvigorated a small town in the process.

Connecting through Art

Located in their own historic house built in 1842, the Weavers Guild of greater Cincinnati offers classes, workshops, and programs to people of all skill levels. Music therapists work at a children's hospital in Sacramento, California. Learn about the art of Japanese drumming from the performers of the Tampa Taiko ensemble. A series of artworks help Houstonians connect on the bayou.

Connecting with the Past

We tour the May-Stringer house, a four story, fourteen room historic home in Brooksville, florida. Built in the Victorian era, it is full of history and character. Founded in 1880 by artist Maria Longworth-Nichols, Rookwood Pottery Company was one of the first female-owned manufacturing companies in the country. Today, its team of dedicated artisans create unique art pottery and architectural tile. We travel to New Mexico to hear how photographer Stacia Spragg-Braude put together a portrait of a Navajo family. Through photography, the experiences of this family were documented, including the reintroduction of the churro sheep to their land.

Connections

Native American tribes come together to embrace tradition, share their culture, and create wonderfully woven baskets. Each basket is a special work of art. For artist Skylar Suarez, the street is her canvas. Based in Tampa, Florida, this muralist, painter, and illustrator renders bold, expressive art that is available for everyone to experience. In Colorado, Caleb Alvarado wishes to create connections through portrait photography. With his camera, he interacts with individuals and tells their story. Founded in 2017, Ballet Edge Detroit is a dance company that presents classical technique with an edgy, modern twist. We hear from the company’s founders and dancers, and learn more about their mission.

Contemporary

The Eeldercare Concert Series brings live music to eldercare facilities in Nevada. Residents are able to come together as a community and enjoy performances by local musicians. Jeff Gilkey loves to fly. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s quest to take to the air, Gilkey looks at da Vinci’s drawings and reflects on the fascinating observations he made. We take a look back at the 2019 Decordova New England Biennial in Massachusetts. Featuring twenty-three artists from the New England area, this survey of contemporary art presented paintings, sculptures, photography, and more. The exhibit “Anime Architecture” presents Japanese animation before the digital era. The show features drawings and paintings used to create remarkable animated films.

Contribution

In the 1930s, poet Langston Hughes and artist Elmer W. Brown worked together on a children’s book called “The Sweet and Sour Animal Book.” A group of high school students curated an exhibit that shines a light on this book and collaboration. Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet is an organization that presents and promotes the contributions of black ballet artists from across the globe. We take part in their symposium, which invites dancers to learn, grow, and express themselves. We head to Massachusetts to meet photographer Rosamond Purcell. With a fifty-year long career, the first ever retrospective of her work was presented at the addison gallery of american art.

Cowboy Poetry

In the 1960s, Sister Corita Kent found the best way to spread the gospel was through art. She was radical for her time, but was relegated to history. We visit the Harvard Art Museum where they see her as an important pop art figure. We journey to Elko, Nevada to find out how poetry, music, and stories have turned into an annual celebration at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. We visit an early 20th century experimental planned community in Cleveland. And we experience “Sanatorium,” a participatory exhibition from Pedro Reyes. 

Create

Welder Jim Moffitt of Fernley, Nevada, has transformed his passion for metal working into 360° works of art. See how he creates intricate fire pits with an artistic flair. The City Girl Farm is a place from which chicken footstools emerge. And they don’t go for chickenfeed either. They’re serious pieces of fiber art. A question of faith lies at the heart of Disgraced , a Pulitzer Prize winning play. It’s a wrenching conflict given that the main character at the center of it is at pains to conceal his background because he’s Muslim. Karen Barsy has been a dance therapist for over 25 years. She works in different places throughout metro Detroit. Let’s check out Karen and the amazing advances dance therapy can achieve.

Create and Adapt

Mimi Holaday is a hat maker. With her brand “Halo Mimi,” she designs one-of-a-kind luxury hats that leave an impression. We head to Louisiana to hear more about her creative process. Through exhibitions and educational programs, the Sarasota Art Museum brings contemporary art to Sarasota, Florida. What was once a high school has become a space for the arts to flourish. Bryan Moss is a visual artist based in Columbus, Ohio. From comic books to large-scale murals, Moss’s art takes on many forms. We meet the artist, learn about some of his projects, and find out how he became the full-time caretaker for the home of the late artist Aminah Robinson.

Creating the Unique

In this story, we follow Merrilee Cleveland to a foundry at the Fine Arts Center of East Carolina University to witness the birth of her latest series of works, "The Cosmo Dancers." A group of renowned artists from Sacramento find comfort and friendship while creating works of art. We meet Chinonye Chukw, the creative mind behind Pens to Pictures, a collaborative designed to teach incarcerated women how to tell their stories through film. Fashion designer Stephanie Schultz is now the 10th Pfister Artist in Residence in Milwaukee. Her creative fashions are historically inspired and paying homage to the Victorian art at the hotel.