Art Connection

Our Environment

Isamu Noguchi was one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century. In 1985, he founded a museum dedicated to his work. Located in Queens, New York, “The Noguchi Museum” features the artist’s innovative sculptures, drawings, and models. As part of the front triennial, a public contemporary art exhibition in Ohio, artist Abigail Deville created a two-part sculptural installation that shines a light on the culture and history of Cleveland. At the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt lake City, AIR is made visible in a contemporary art exhibition that underscores its importance. The work of artists, poets, engineers, and designers is shown, as well as posters by student artists.

Our Stories

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Miami City Ballet presented a series of outdoor pop-up performances throughout the city. Called “To Miami, with Love,” each of the new works was inspired by a Miami neighborhood. We take a trip to ohio to learn about the radio station WYSO’s training program “Dayton Youth Radio.” As part of the program, local high school students are able to share their stories and perspectives on air each week. Opened in 2019, Poster House is the first poster museum in the United States. Through exhibitions and events, they explore the history, art, and global impact of the medium. We head to the New Bedford Art Museum in Massachusetts to see a retrospective of the work of academy award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter. 

Overcome

Four years ago, after a trip to England to work on her Master’s Degree in art history, Nina Irwin decided it was time to “go for it” as a painter. It didn’t take long for paintings and ceramics to be warmly embraced. Artist Nicolas Lobo manages to construct a stimulating space with caffeine-infused flooring and potentially explosive sculptures for his solo exhibition: Bad Soda/Soft Drunk. The Saratoga Monument at Saratoga National Historical Park, is a 155-foot tall obelisk that commemorates the American victory in the October 1777 Battle of Saratoga. One of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation; Peter Boyer takes almost a cinematic approach to bring new works into a classic art form.

Painting History

Thirty years after the "Miami Generation" exhibition debuted in South Florida the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale is looking back at the works by these Cuban-born artists. We look at the story of activist photographers who documented the Civil Rights Movement. We visit the Glass Studio where artist Debbie Howell and her team create a variety of colorful glass. Lastly, we talk with painter Laura Nugent about her geometric paintings, her process and how she has learned to embrace accidents to create art. 

Painting with a Connection

We learn about the life and art of elder Anderson Johnson. A  preacher, musician, and visual artist, his work has found a permanent home at the downing-gross cultural arts center in Newport News, Virginia. Artist Derin Fletcher works with colored pencils. During the pandemic, she gained attention on social media for her striking monochromatic portraits. We met the artist in Ohio and hear about her creations. Zahra Marwan is an illustrator based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. working with watercolor and ink, she tells stories, connects with her ancestors, embraces her cultural roots, and explores her identity.

Paint & Wool

Meet Boy Kong, an artist who wants to spark curiosity in people who come across his work on the streets. Discover an eco-friendly fashion line with couture fashion designer, Celeste Malvar-Stewart, who works with sustainable materials and weaves her love of Columbus, Ohio into her recent collection. We visit the “American Tropical” mural, a politically-charged mural in Los Angeles created by David Siqueiros. And we meet photographer, Dan Fong, who captured intimate glimpses of history’s greatest musicians.

Paper Ducks

Critically acclaimed actor Matthew Arkin tackles a new way to showcase his talent in his debut novel “In the Country of the Blind.” As a way to wish newlyweds prosperity, wealth and long-life together, a Korean tradition has inspired paper artist Aimee Lee to begin creating a traditional form of art. Influenced by both religions and a love of contemporary art, painter Salma Arastu, creates calligraphy paintings. And we discover how artist Emily Stover became interested in the space between art. 

Passing the Torch

Artist Mindy Colton developed a love for horses at a young age, now a sculptor, she creates art paying homage to horses and the experiences that shaped her love for them. We visit glass blower Mark Sudduth's studio as he creates a few large glass sculptures. We take a look at how analog and digital technologies collide to create hybrid arts practices with artist Nathan Meltz. Painter Philomene Bennett has a long history of supporting other artists and at 80 she's still making strong, vital art and sharing her passion with the younger generation.

Passion and Drive

Lina Gonzalez-Granados is a conductor of both national and international acclaim. With passion and expertise, she interprets music from all over the world that spans centuries. At the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida, visitors have the chance to explore the home of one of this country’s most famous writers—Ernest Hemingway. In her lifetime, Amanda Wicker was many things. She was a fashion designer, teacher, business owner, and mentor. In the face of hardship, she became an integral part of the African American fashion community in Cleveland, Ohio. Mayflower Two is a full-scale replica of the ship that brought the pilgrims to America. For three years, a team of shipwrights and artisans worked to restore the ship.

Past and Future

We take a trip to New Mexico to meet Harry Bicket, the music director of the Santa Fe Opera. He shares his love of music and speaks about the future of opera. We head to the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, to visit a solo exhibition by the artist Sa’dia Rehman. Through drawings, sculptures, video, and more, the artist explores the history of their family and the embodiment of memory. Artist Jeff Williams is the owner of the sign company “Sun Signs.” Founded in 2015, Williams works with local and independent businesses in the greater tampa bay area to create eye-catching hand painted signs.

Past and Present

Air, an exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, invites the community to learn about the Wasatch Front’s air quality issues. Air features recent works by sixteen artists, poets, engineers, and designers from around the globe and Utah. We take a trip to Tampa, Florida, to attend a poetry slam celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali. Using their words, poets from the city battle it out and pay tribute to the legendary boxer. Adam Paddock is a singer- songwriter from Ohio who is pursuing a career in the music industry. with his alternative chamber pop records, he wants to be positive and uplift his listeners. For more than thirty-five years, photographer Alabama Milner documented the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. We meet archivist Jill Hartke who tells us more about Milner.

Past Influence

Griffith Davis was a pioneering photographer. Serving as both a journalist and senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he recorded history and captured important moments at home and abroad. We travel to Groveport, Ohio, to meet artists Sandra Lang and Walter Weil. Having met in art school, this talented pair creates unique pottery that is made by hand. The Avery Fisher Career Grant Awards give assistance and recognition to emerging instrumentalists full of great potential. In 2023, one of the recipients was Emi Ferguson, a flutist whose repertoire spans centuries.

Past & Present

Potter Jim McDowell preserves history & tradition with his "face jugs." The largest mural festival on the west coast creates an opportunity of art for all. It lasted only 14 years, but the Bauhaus, a German art school, became a force in 20th century art, architecture and design. The Bauhaus gained a foothold in the US through Harvard University. Bringing light from the midst of war encapsulates the essence of the “Remembered Light” stained glass art exhibit in Salt Lake City, UT in December of 2018.

Past to Present

In New Mexico, professor Lois Rudnick and author Jonathan Richards sat down to try to determine which writer is more important, William Shakespeare or Mark Twain. We head to Ohio to meet Dinara Mirtalipova, a self-taught illustrator and designer from Uzbekistan. Passed down generation to generation, Uzbek and Russian folklore shape her work, with the stories from her youth being a source of inspiration. The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog features a wide assortment of canine-related artwork. founded in 1982, the museum highlights the meaningful role dogs play in society, and the strong bond they share with human beings.

Patience and Beauty

Photographer Larry Hamill sees beauty in the world around us. Through color, texture, light, and composition he tells a story with each photograph he takes. We visit Columbus, Ohio, to meet the artist and find out more. James Vella is a Louisiana-based glassblower. With patience, skill, and imagination, he renders hand-made art that is one-of-a-kind. We head to the studio to see his process. Janice Darko is a dental student at the University of Utah School of Dentistry who started the Black and Art Dental Student Association. She also started the BDSA Art Gallery Exhibition, where dental students showcase their artistic side.

Perseverance

A group of artists connects professionally in a southern California art club. Local poets share their stories during the annual Hemingway Story Contest in Miami, Florida. Milwaukee artist Julie VonDerVellen is a master paper weaver. She finds a way to incorporate stories into the weaved 3D works she creates. “The Making of a Maestro, from Castelfranco to Carnegie Hall,” documents the Italian roots of musical director Antonio Pappano.

Perspective

BLINK was a four-day event that transformed 20 square blocks of Cincinnati into an open-air art gallery including large-scale, interactive art and light displays. The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, MA just opened a show called Wood As Muse. There you’ll find a group of sculptors finding their way in and out of the wood. Painter Douglas Bourgeois employs religious iconography, Louisiana landscapes and tributes to musicians, writers and other artists in his work. We know Astronaut Scott Kelly from his remarkable year aboard the International Space Station. And with some of that time, he honed his artistic photographic skills.

Phantasmagoria

Join us as we visit Little Free Libraries where the mission of “take a book, leave a book,” hopes to expand literacy opportunities in Ohio neighborhoods. The big questions in life, the irrational, the unconscious, and the intangible are reshaped by sculptor Ed Haddaway. Detroit quilter Carole Harris, reveals tales of Detroit’s architectural history and her personal past through fiber art. And we stop by to see a performance by the Florida theater troupe, Phantasmagoria.

Pieces

We travel to Florida to meet Helen Tilston and Mary Rose Holmes, two plein air cottage artists working to preserve the history and architecture of their city through their paintings. We get a look inside the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum. Located in Elko, Nevada, the museum examines the life and times of the American Cowboy in their exhibitions. Artist Marsha Monroe Pippenger’s Kaleidoscopic Collages are paintings made out of paper. We travel to Dayton, Ohio to see firsthand how she brainstorms ideas, gathers her materials, and puts together a remarkable finished product. Debbie Baudin is a glass artist. Using her skills and tools, she creates striking hand-painted glass designs for her customers. We head to Stock Island, Florida for the story.

Pieces of a Whole

Urban photographer Miki Lansdowne examines how her photos link the past and the present day. We groove with the Detroit band, The Third Coast Kings, who mix funk, jazz and Motown to create a new take on an old sound. Mark Bradford a.k.a. “Scrapdaddy” takes others “junk” and creates magical mechanical beasts and we look at playwright Tarell Mccraney’s adaption of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.”