Art Connection

Innovation

New York Florist Lewis Miller colors the city streets with thrilling pop-up floral arrangements. Started in 2016, these “flower flashes” exude joy, beauty, and spontaneity. We visit Williamsburg, Virginia, to meet culinary historian and author Michael Twitty. In his work, he explores African American foodways and the role that food has played throughout history and across cultures. High Desert Harmony Chorus embraces the art of a cappella. Undaunted by the pandemic, this group of singers has found ways to continue to use their voices to make something magical. Interactive Initiative is a non-profit organization that gives artists the chance to create interactive artwork in the digital space. We hear about their new phone application “Tropi” that highlights local artists.

Innovators

Meet Melissa Janda whose has a passion for glass and painting have lead to a true love of glass artistry. We discover how an artist creates her own little worlds within our own. We take a tour of the Atwater Brewery in Detroit, Michigan and learn how endless the possibilities of a good brew really are and we watch performance painter, Brian Olsen, use his fingers, arms and elbows to bring portraits to life right before our eyes.

Inside the Mind

Across the state of Ohio one will find the fascinating remains of medieval texts. Desiring to explore this complex history, The Ohio State University’s rare books and manuscripts library exhibited over one hundred manuscript items. We travel to the American Folk Art Museum in New York City to learn about Lonnie Holley, a contemporary artist based in Atlanta. As part of the exhibit “Material Witness,” some of Holley’s work was on display and his creative collaboration with materials examined. We take a trip to Sarasota, Florida, to get a behind-the-scenes look at “Clowns Like Me,” a one-man show that examines what it’s like living with mental illness.

Insight

At the Columbus museum of Art in Ohio, the biennial exhibit “Art in Bloom” showcases floral designs by artists inspired by the museum’s collection. We head to Florida to meet digital artist Michaela Oteri. In her artwork, she represents the disabled and LGBTQ+ communities and gives them a voice. We visit the exhibit “Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.” Located at the Museum of Fine Arts in Massachusetts, the show shines a light on the post-graffiti movement and the pivotal role Jean-Michel Basquiat played in its development. Ali Armstrong is a wildlife artist and activist. In 2014, she started “Scarce,” an art series that raises awareness for endangered species. We travel to the Reno-Tahoe area to meet the artist.

Inspiration from the Past

We travel to Tampa Bay, Florida to learn more about a singular type of pottery made in prehistoric times. Through this art, we are able to gain an understanding of a past culture. We sit in on a music therapy session and find out how this universal language helps the human mind and spirit. Colorado-based artist Scott Hildebrandt, aka Mister Christmas, builds magical, miniature worlds. In repurposing vintage and antique items, he creates playful, special scenes on a very small scale. In Norfolk, Virginia, artist Spencer Tinkham sculpts wood. With an appreciation for biodiversity and the environment, he carves natural materials into an array of animals.

Inspirations from the Past

Gary Hovey didn’t let life’s hardships get in the way of his true passion, welding. He takes everyday kitchen utensils and creates fascinating sculptures based on the things he enjoys most: wildlife, welding, and humor. Gadu Doushin moved from his native Japan to study engineering at the University of Minnesota in the early 1990s. But his true passion was dance. He now performs Butoh, a Japanese performance art born in the 1950s.  Andrea Durfee is a watercolor artist based in Rochester, NY. She incorporates figures in her landscapes and channels stories of mythology as her inspiration. Lastly, we visit a mathematical optical illusion artist.

Inspire

Artist T. Eliott Mansa’s solo exhibition “For Those Gathered in the Wind” gives viewers the space to contemplate mourning and loss. with his monochromatic assemblages, he uses found materials to reflect on important topics in the world today. We head to New Mexico to meet artist Danielle Rae Miller. When seeing Miller’s work, it is clear that nature is her source of inspiration as she evokes the many species that thrive outdoors. With the help of her daughter, author S.R.D Darris writes books for children. recognizing the importance of representation, the pair tell stories that uplift, inspire, and leave an impact. 

Inspired

The Heckscher Museum of Art is a Long Island gem. The institution showcases an extraordinary work by dada artist George Grosz and its annual 'Long Island's Best Young Artists' exhibit. John F. Emery draws his inspiration from his childhood, where exploring his grandparents long forgotten trunks inspired a passion for creating watercolor on three-dimensional formed paper. In a collaborative space in downtown San Antonio, musicians, producers and music entrepreneurs are gathering to build the San Antonio music scene. Although milliner Karen Morris uses the motto “simple is good” to guide her work, the making of her hats is anything but. 

Inspired Drive

The Nevada Ballet Theatre gives us a sneak peek at their "studio series," where the audience can interact with the dancers themselves. Meet August Powers, a copper sculptor from the Florida Keys who combines fire and metal to create sculptures inspired by the wilderness that surrounds him. Writer and filmmaker, Mark Bailey, shares true tales of celebrity hijinks, Hollywood history, and movie-star mayhem. And season two Project Runway winner, Chloe Dao, discusses the art of her designs and what it takes to put together a fashion show.

Inspiring and Healing

College sweethearts John and Marcia Koverman are passionate about the arts. Learn how veterans, their loved ones, and volunteers create art out of military uniforms through a lengthy but therapeutic process made possible by Combat Paper Nevada. Wildwood School located in Schenectady, New York, provides education for students with complex learning disabilities. Lastly, we go to Utah where Repertory Dance Theatre inspires and encourages students to learn about the benefits and history of dance.

Inspiring Moments

We sit down with a band who is thriving in the Cuban Music scene, with a style that has a west coast flair. Meet artist Jeremy Johnson who uses remains from humane sources, to explore the natural world with techniques of taxidermy. Visit a one-night experimental art event on Historic 25th Street in Ogden, Utah. Students from Weber State University created sculptures which incorporated light as a central design element. Also, over the span of her lifetime, Maya Angelou inspired others to think about and share their stories and history. In that same spirit, literary organizations Gemini Ink and Second Verse are working with local students to learn life lessons from poetry.

Inspiring Others

Author and illustrator Calvin Reynolds hopes to inspire the next generation. With his “Jayce the Bee” children’s books, He encourages kids to be creative and follow their dreams. The contemporary Dayton in Ohio shines a light on the art of the here and now. As the region’s contemporary art center, they present original exhibitions, programs, and events...and recently, they moved to a new home. We travel to Reno, Nevada, to meet Emmy award winning artist James Gayles who loves to paint with watercolor. Through this medium, he portrays ancestral icons. We hear from Ohio artist Debra Joyce Dawson. Whether it be landscapes in Europe or ones right at home, Dawson captures her surroundings with her paintbrush.

Instruments of Art

Painter Robert Freeman’s newest body of work takes us to the colorful parades of the Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans. As he’s done for decades in front of a canvas, he lets the brush guide him.  African textiles and natural fabrics are the inspiration for Dayton, Ohio, fiber artist Frances M. Turner, who makes dolls entirely from scratch, crafting everything from the hats on their heads to the shoes on their feet. The tools of a musical trade… the instrument… sharing and exploring the remarkable variety of makers, their means, apparatus and innovations across the world of sound. The Museum of Making Music. How NASA's Johnson Space Center influenced the stained-glass windows at a local church.

Intertwine

This week, we talk with The Heart Gallery of America about how their use of evocative photos helps with adoptions. We meet an Arizona Recycle artist who is helping his community while turning tin cans into art. We visit the K12 Gallery & TEJAS, an artist studio that encourages community involvement and we see a man build a sculptor from twigs.

In the Moment

We visit an inspiring eco-friendly artist. Brent Naughton is a painter whose goal is to evoke memories of sports seasons past and celebrate the greatness of sports legends of every era. William Souder is a renowned writer, whose biography of John James Audubon, Under a Wild Sky, was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. His biography of John Steinbeck expected to be published in 2019. MOMENTS was a one-night experimental art event on historic 25th Street in Ogden, Utah. The event showcased many temporary art pieces activating traditional and nontraditional areas.

Introductions

The Tintabulations is a hand-bell ensemble with a set list as varied as you could imagine, keeping audiences entranced with sound and style. Get a look into The Cape Playhouse where we go behind the scenes to experience the production of Cabaret. The Pop Up Art Studio “Artspace” is providing artist in Louisiana with a place to do business, get exposure and meet local art enthusiast. And we visit The Jewish Ensemble Theatre where their new production is breaking down barriers.

Jail Guitar Doors

A tough time behind bars inspired musician Wayne Kramer to offer inmates guitars to help them pick up the pieces of their broken lives with the program "Jail Guitar Doors." Dancers at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, express their thoughts of Dance and what it means to them. Doll artist Amber Groome takes us along on her journey of creation. And we visit Bush-Holley House in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Jam Session

We explore the 125-year-old Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California. Feast our eyes on the stunning gowns and furnishings of designer Charles James. We learn that behind every good guitar player is a skilled craftsman and we touch down in Miami, Florida, where one Brazilian transplant is shaking things up.

Jazz Scale

Meet artist Dan Bentley, who has a deep appreciation for product design and a unique way of breathing new life into household items. We meet internationally recognized Jazz pianist, Khalid Moss, who has played along some of the finest jazz musicians in history. A lifetime of real world experience take shape each day in cartoonist Mike Peters’ editorials. And we explore a website that is helping to streamline fashion design.

Jerri Cans

John King works as a reenactor out of the blacksmith shop at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, where he makes the most common tasks into works of art. A Houston designer makes a statement at New York Fashion Week. Artist Erin Currier searches for spiritual iconography in everyday life. And learn how photojournalist Laura Watilo Blake is advocating change for clean water in Uganda.