Art Connection

Trail Blazer

For Jeff Vollmer of Cincinnati, woodworking was just a hobby. But after losing his job, he decided to pursue woodworking as his full-time career. Miami, artist Christina Pettersson attempts to introduce all of Miami to the wonders of poetry. When Alanis Morisette’s Grammy-award winning album was released in 1995, it became a soundtrack for a generation who loved it because it was raw and it was angry. MacNeal Crank is a Navajo photographer from Monument Valley, Utah. He's been capturing stunning landscapes of South Eastern Utah for several years, but his journey started as a chef of a restaurant

Train of Thought

We get an inside look at The Copley Society’s painted works based on the music performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Professional photographer S. Kay gives adults with disabilities the opportunity to photograph and experience nature. Abstract artists Mike Elsass uses his passion and unique vision to work with steel and natural color sources. And we visit the SPUN: Adventures in Textile exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that demonstrates the vastness of what fiber art can encompass.

Transformation

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. Piano solos have the ability to quiet a room, then fill it with pure musical recreations of experiences from heartbreak to joy. Imagine multiplying that experience by 10 and you've got the Miami piano circle. Creede Repertory Theatre, an improbable success story. Carrie Saldo looks at how the Creede Repertory Theatre helped transform a former mining town into an arts destination. As part of the commemoration of the centennial of the First World War, Public Art Fund commissioned Tauba Auerbach to cover a historic fireboat in a brightly colored design known as dazzle camouflage.

Transforming Communities

The organization “Curated Storefront” breathes new life into neglected urban spaces in downtown Akron, Ohio. Storefronts that have gone unused become multimedia art installations for the public to enjoy. With his camera, photographer and activist Kwame Brathwaite has chronicled black life and culture. We visit an exhibit in New York City that displays a selection of his work, including forty studio portraits and images taken of the artistic community in Harlem in the 1950s and 1960s. Oklahoma artist Matt Goad has been creating for years. His geometric approach to art is beloved across the state—so much so that he was chosen to produce an original artwork for the Will Rogers world airport in Oklahoma City.

Trumpet Perfection

Jason Harrelson is a master of trumpet creation. We visit his Denver workshop where lovely sounds fill the air. Houston architect Brett Zamore puts a modern take on old kit homes of the past. Photographer Craig Royal creates beautiful pieces of abstract art from a unique perspective and artist Brian Kuether shares his love of painting and Wisconsin’s wildlife.

Tunnel Vision

Tampa Bay substitute teacher Francis Edwards has found a way to capture the imagination of his students through his unique three dimensional creations called tunnel books. World-renowned violinist, Midori, gives a special performance and discusses her passion for music. Artist Melissa Loop paint landscapes that challenge the collective conscience of some of the world’s most iconic places. And we have a conversation with actor and Broadway legend, Joel Grey.

Turning Heads

A visit to the historic Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, located in the Bronx. Angel Hernandez of The Bronx County Historical Society guides NYC-ARTS back to the days when the writer lived and worked here. The Philippine Performing Arts Company helps Filipino-Americans in the Tampa Bay Area connect with their heritage and their cultural identity through traditional Filipino dance. Local painters and photographers have partnered with Nevada Land Trust to help conserve Nevada's wilderness through the sales of their artistry. Josie Pace is a newcomer on the Detroit music scene. Her captivating lyrics and down-tempo post-industrial beats are sure to turn heads.

Twists & Turns

Near Houston, a neighborhood takes pride in a strange new structure called the Funnel Tunnel. Fine arts photographer JoAnn O’Hare shares her secrets on what makes a great photographer. Curator Simon Kelly takes us on a tour of the Max Beckmann gallery of the Saint Louis Art Museum and we talk with the creative minds behind the new stage adaptation of The Jungle Book.

Unexpected Talents

We visit the “Sight Unseen” art exhibit where you can look and touch all of the art installations. Travel with artist Phyllis Shafer of South Lake Tahoe, California as she ventures outdoors to paint the rocky landscapes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. World Champion ice sculptor Tajana Raukar takes us into her chilly creative space to see how her beautiful ice sculptures are made. Lastly Connie Richards and Olivia Midnight of Worthington, Ohio are the teenage hosts behind the blog, "Kids Interview Bands.” with video help from their dads, they've interviewed more than 100 musicians from bands like The Pixies, Imagine Dragons and Garbage. 

Unique Arts

The exhibit “Material Witness: Folk and Self-taught Artists at Work” presents some of the ways that artists engage with materials. From earthenware to sculpture to paintings, nearly one hundred and fifty works of art are on display. We meet Leslie Charleville, a Louisiana artist who specializes in Gyotaku. Through this traditional Japanese art form, she makes prints of marine life. Copper Cat Studio is a healing arts studio. Through workshops, instructors give people the tools to explore their creativity. We visit Ohio to hear from Myron Vernis, co-author of “A Quiet Greatness.” In the book, Vernis spotlights the Japanese auto industry and the artistry behind the cars that have been built.

Unique Design

We head to Florida to meet costume designer Brian “Two Horns.” Inspired by the world of science fiction, he invents futuristic wearable art that is distinct and daring. The annual Griswold Challenge in Sparks, Nevada, encourages members of the community to come together and create dazzling holiday light displays for everyone to enjoy. We take a trip to Shreveport, Louisiana to meet fiber artist Sherry Tamburo. Using sustainable materials, she experiments and makes colorful eco-friendly accessories. Since 1825, the National Academy of Design has been promoting fine arts in America. We visit the society of The Four Arts in Florida to see an exhibit highlighting a key characteristic of the academy’s collection—the joint display of an artist’s portrait and their representative work.

Unique Ideas

Artists transform payphones into interactive neighborhood time capsules. Emily Bartelt of Norfolk explores aspects of daily life through glass. A couple of actors and playwrights in Cleveland, Ohio have been hard at work on their latest creation. Jeff Sonksen is a carpenter by trade but an artist that loves to beautify his community.

Unique Styles

Detroit Institute of Music Education, also known as DIME, provides a unique music education that centers on the contemporary music industry. In Albany, New York, illustrator Cara Hanley creates artworks that encourage individuals to get in touch with their thoughts and emotions. For Reno-based artist Tina Vines, a love for vintage clothing and western wear led her to the art of chain stitch embroidery. We meet the artist and find out more about her designs and method. The Milwaukee Bucks art collection presents a variety of works in an unlikely venue. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this art gallery celebrates the surrounding community and the state, as a whole.

Unique Visions

Visit artist Tia Flores and her unique Calabaza art that is influenced by her cultural heritage and the vast beauty of the Nevada desert. Travel to St. Louis and talk to artist Barry Leibman who creates abstract works of art layered with oil paint and a variety of other materials. Giselle Bellas makes her mark in the world of opera and talks about how she’s launching her career in new directions. And, David Rogers’ Big Bugs have landed at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus for summer (2015)! 

Unprecedented

We check in with the Houston Symphony, which is welcoming their new music director, Andres Orozco-Estrada. Bruce Lowney explains the inspiration for his New Mexico landscapes combined with mythological overtones. We see how artist Noah Deledda spends his days, pushing dents and geometric shapes into aluminum cans. And we meet up with artist Dorothy Tanner at her Denver studio.

Unusual

Jaden Christopher-Meunch is a Senior at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida. He uses his talent for playing the clarinet to perform both classical and jazz music. Mary Giles has been working with textiles for more than 30 years. Rooted in the traditions of basket making, her work combines traditional and non-traditional materials and found objects. Woody Gwyn travels miles to paint expansive landscapes. Soundsuit creator Nick Cave, a former student of the Cranbrook Academy of Arts in Michigan heads back to the academy with a project that includes Detroit public school students.

Using Your Surroundings

Pairing instruments with education to keep kids engaged and excited in Los Angeles, California. Rick Brunner has turned his love of nature and the beauty of natural wood into a thriving career as a sculptor. A new play at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater about Marquette basketball coach McGuire's life and wisdom, written by his friend and broadcast partner Dick Enberg, stars Marquette alumnus Anthony Crivello. Wolfgang Parker is a fixture in the Columbus, Ohio music scene. He also writes and illustrates books for young readers including a recently-released book in his "Crime Cats" series, which features an 8-year-old superhero.

Utopia

In this episode of Art Connection we visit an exhibit in Houston that highlights contemporary Arab photography. Artist Amy Kollar Anderson depicts narratives about obsession, duality, and containment in order to explore the differences between being in and out of control. Pamela Glose is a Central Florida artist who is constantly inspired by the bright colors she finds in nature around her. And author Nikki Giovanni’s book takes us on a journey into her past and provides insights into the people, places, and events that have shaped her.

Vibrant

We meet the team behind the martial arts program, Midtown Miracles. Through this ancient art form, students are able to gain confidence and express themselves. Based in Truckee, California, Three Peak Designs is a company that restores vintage ski lift chairs into works of art. Designed for homes, offices, and more, these custom chairs are full of history and appeal. “Hatched: Breaking Through the Silence” was a four-week multi-sensory experience that illuminated the night sky in Massachusetts. We meet the creative team behind the show. Nicole Jarecz is a fashion illustrator based in Detroit, Michigan. In her skilled drawings, she reveals the vibrancy, beauty, and spirit of fashion design.

Vibrant Art

We sit down with internationally known designer Tim Harding makes large-scale textiles out of colorful Chinese silks and other vibrant materials. Travel to the Dayton Art Institute to see how the Curator of Collections is continually changing up their permanent collection. Painter Candice Alexander has discovered that Louisiana residents love her pieces of art featuring crawfish, the Fleur de Lis, migratory birds and the Brown Pelican. Lastly, the Ghana Fantasy Coffins at Houston's National Museum of Funeral History show the relationship between art and the afterlife.