Art Connection

100% Pure

Honeyrun Farm, a small family-run farm near Williamsport, Ohio, makes the most out of their bee by-products, from 100% pure raw honey and bee pollen, to handcrafted soap and beeswax candles. Grand Junction based Greg Vigil likes to carve out time for woodworking. We visited with him to learn more about his process. For nationally known painter Tom Uttech, the inspiration for his landscapes comes from his time traveling by land and by canoe to the Northwoods and the Boundary Waters. The annual Folk Alliance International Conference is underway in Kansas City, but as you’ll see, the people who plan, build and get it ready to showcase thousands of talented players work year-round.

A 442

Go behind the scenes of a unique ballet company that celebrates the creative relationship between dancers and musicians. Take a trip to the Colorado mountains and visit Dennie Ibbotson, a wood carver who celebrates the Colorado mountains and the wildlife that surrounds him. See what happens when two musicians from the St. Louis Symphony team up with tow members of the jazz-pop Erin Bode Group. And artists Enrique Celaya forces his work to become difficult and uncomfortable as to lead to artistic authenticity.

Abandoned

Finding beauty in discarded items, artist Ramona Audley, transforms lost works into fun, whimsical sculptures that are pure fun. Photographer Kirk Gittings finds the greatest sense of presence in abandoned and unpopulated places. We visit the “Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars” exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. And we visit a dance studio that’s teaching students the art of hip hop.

Accomplished

When taking a photograph, Grant Kaye looks to the night sky. As a landscape astrophotographer, he captures remarkable landforms and the celestial objects that appear above them. Born in 1894, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca was the writer of one of New Mexico’s first cookbooks. During her lifetime, she taught families different ways of cooking, introduced new recipes, and passed on household traditions. For more than 50 years, artist, Luthier, and spiritual philosopher Freeman Vines has been building guitars out of found materials. We visit Virginia to learn more about these hand-carved instruments and the truths they carry. 

A Compelling Story

12 Years a Slave tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a wrongfully enslaved man who fought more than a decade for freedom. The film was made possible by the research of late historian Sue Eakin and we speak with Eakin’s son to learn more about her life and work. We meet the creative duo Barbara and Larry Domsky in Las Vegas. We travel back to the prehistoric age with professional artist John Gurche and we learn traditional dance forms to the beat of African and Caribbean music.

Adapt

The Satellite Art Show is an inclusive artist-driven fair that encourages visitors to experience striking interactive projects. We head to Miami, Florida for a closer look. Ghada Henagan is a Louisiana-based ceramicist. From plates to mugs, wall art to ornaments, she molds clay into a variety of functional and decorative creations. In Stockbridge, Massachusetts, sits Chesterwood, the home, studio, and gardens of sculptor Daniel Chester French. We explore the estate, learning more about the artist and his artwork. The music festival “Classical Tahoe” presents orchestra concerts, chamber music programs, and more to audiences in Nevada. We hear how it was possible for the festival to continue during the covid-19 pandemic.   

Adapting

We meet first time filmmaker Jackie Shelton. A few years ago, Shelton became interested in screenwriting, so much so that she began writing screenplays. Fast forward to today, she has decided to try her hand at directing. As the grandson of the famous potter Margaret Tafoya, artist Nathan Youngblood learned how to not just work with clay, but respect it. Throughout his career, he has honored his family’s legacy. Ever since the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio opened its doors a century ago, the performing arts has played an important role at the institution. As a companion to their expansive visual collection, the museum highlights performing arts from around the world.

A Different Way

Osa Atoe is a ceramic artist. When making pottery, she connects with her Nigerian ancestors and the indigenous people of Florida. Outpost office is a design practice based in Columbus, Ohio. Through inventive design and experimental production, they are redefining the meaning of architecture. Collaborative and sustainable, Tyde Music is a company that makes instruments out of reclaimed materials. Founded in 2010 by a pair of self-taught luthiers, we visit North Lake Tahoe in California to find out more.

Aerial Artists

Musician Rick Recht, the creator of Jewish Rock Radio, a 24-hour Internet radio station, reaches younger generations and delivers a dose of culture. A DC-based non-profit, Words Beats & Life, strives to teach self-knowledge through the elements of hip-hop. The Fishtank Performance Studio seats about 30 people, but director, Heidi Van sees the theater as a crucial link the Kansas City theater scene. And we meet silk aerial artists who seemingly effortlessly swing overhead while performing graceful movements.

A Gathering

In 2012, Trinidad, Colorado began hosting its Art-o-Cade, transforming the otherwise quiet community into a sculpture gallery on wheels. In Dayton, Ohio, a group of gay men attract sold out crowds to their charity driven comedic drag performances. They've has been performing since the late 1980’s. We follow Illustrator Tom Richmond, regular contributor to MAD Magazine, from his home studio to his caricature booth at The Mall of America, where he makes a rare appearance of drawing a few lucky fans caricatures. The Toast of Tampa, a Sweet Adeline chorus has been competing internationally for more than 25 years. With the dedication of over 100 women of all ages they are guaranteed to get those toes tapping and hands clapping.

A Great Effort

With her large-scale pastel drawings, New York-based artist Zaria Forman documents the destructive effects of climate change. We meet the artist and find out how her visits to remote regions have inspired her work. We take a trip to the Chama Canyon wilderness in New Mexico to experience the “Monastery of Christ in the Desert.” designed by the architect and woodworker George Nakashima, we hear about the church’s construction. The exhibition “Queens of the Heartland” features thirty pioneering African American women who all had connections to Ohio. We travel to the state to learn how a curator and visual artist came together to tell the story of these important historical 

A Hidden Message

We take a look at the Italian ideal of “La dolce vita,” present in full force at a new exhibit in Houston, Texas, celebrating 130 years of famed Italian jewelry house Bulgari. We go inside the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with David Allan Miller, conductor of the recent Grammy Award winning Albany Symphony Orchestra. We visit Missing Peace Art Space, which uses art to promote peace. And we look at former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s historic collection of unique brooches.

Airigami

Artist Hugo Medina explores the idea of old vs. new through the changing landscape, architecture, and politics of Phoenix, Arizona. We discover the art of Airigami with Larry Moss and Kelly Cheatle, who specialize in creating large-scale installation, entirely out of balloons. Take a look at the “Art of Transformation” series which is part of an annual celebration of urban and civic renewal. And we go inside a custom wedding gown shop and look at the creative process behind the stunning works of art.

A Journey of Discovery

The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio, welcomes visitors from around the world. It’s the permanent home to one of the largest collections of Afro-American materials in the country. We visit Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana, to hear about the latest projects from Oscar-winning creative partners William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. Something Rotten! If you love musicals you’ll probably love this show. If you hate musicals, you’ll probably love this show. We get an insider's view into the making of the show. We travel to Monument Valley, UT, where Navajo photographer MacNeal Crank has been capturing stunning landscapes for several years. Crank shares his unusual journey from chef to photographer

Alive

At the Denver Art Museum in Colorado, art and history come alive as impressionist painting and music join together in a special exhibition focused on the works of Claude Monet. For over 25 years, Marjorie Book Continuing Education has been providing an inclusive space for people of all backgrounds and abilities to come together and take part in theater. Pixels and ink is a print shop in Reno, Nevada dedicated to art reproduction. We get an inside look at the technical and artistic process. Art Ovation Hotel in Sarasota, Florida is changing the way you vacation. This luxury hotel is art-focused, featuring visual art, performing arts, and music in its rooms and suites, lobby, and gallery spaces.

A Look at 2019

Stephanee Grosscup is an ice choreographer and skating coach from Salt Lake City, UT and has been skating for 40+ years. She has been able to use her love and talents for ice skating to amass an impressive career on the ice. Remembered Light” was a touring stained-glass art exhibit in downtown Salt Lake City that showcased beautiful art made from the destruction of World War II. The musical “As One” tells the story of those who constructed the transcontinental railroad that linked the east and the west. In this segment, we go behind the scenes and see how this musical came to be. In Salt Lake City, Utah the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the Emerald Project put together Ummah, an art exhibit that invites the community to see how Islam transcends the boundaries of nations.

An Artist's Fire

We’re introduced to Kasia Bilhartz, an artist that uses flames to bring her work to life. Suzanne Vilmain proves that books in themselves are a work of art, no matter the subject. We take a look behind the scenes of Britain’s Got Talent winner Paul Potts journey to the top and Scott Hocking shows us how he found art in abandonment.

A New Language

We visit The Note-Ables, a Reno-based music therapy group that provides band, music, and dance lessons for the region’s disabled population. We take a look at a collaboration between internationally renowned Columbus visual artist, Ann Hamilton, and SITI, an experimental theater company. We sit down with renowned artist, Xu Bing who outlines his artistic practice and highlights his innovative twist to traditional Chinese calligraphy. And the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston celebrates the tenth anniversary of its waterfront museum.

Animals

Alonzo Williams Jr. is a street photographer from Houston who relishes any opportunity to meet new people and learn their stories. Artist Cannupa Hanska Luger use of animals in his artwork believes it helps us reflect on ourselves and the human race as a whole. Illustrator John Martel, crafts work with stunning detail and today his work can even be seen in a Hollywood film. And we visit “The Streets of Old Milwaukee” exhibit that was build 50 years ago, but is still relevant today.

Anthropomorphism

Meet Reno, Nevada artist, Michelle Lassaline, who combines painting, performance, and mask-making to inspire the childlike wonder in all of us. We take a look into the Hearst Tower in New York City, where architect, Lord Norman Foster and artist Richard Long, blended materials and styles to achieve a magnificent work environment. We meet the two musicians of the Portland based band, Heli Sequence, and we get a glimpse of their layered recording techniques. And we visit an interactive gallery created with an environmental twist.