Art on the Air: Recent Episodes
Rob Hessler
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Jessica Broad, a ceramic artist, professor, and Savannah Clay Community organizer.
Jessica Broad is an artist living and working in Savannah, GA. Her art explores the sculptural and functional potentials of clay, and sometimes other media. She received a B.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1996 and her M.F.A. from the University of Arizona in 2003. She has completed residencies at the Vermont Clay Studio and the Baltimore Clayworks where she received the Lormina Salter fellowship. She was honored with the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Grant in Visual Arts: Crafts in 2006. She was featured as an emerging artist in the May 2006 issue of Ceramics Monthly, her work has also been published in countless books and magazines, and she's received countless awards and accolades. Jessica has been teaching ceramics since 2001, she is currently a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design and the director/coordinator of the Savannah Clay Community. Broad is a guest artist in the upcoming show "Fur - Feathers - Familiars: A Ceramic Exhibition Commemorating the Animal Kingdom" at Ology Gallery, located at 415 Bonaventure Rd., Unit 3 (around back), in Thunderbolt. The show runs Saturday, August 8th through Saturday, September 12th. Join us at the Opening Reception on Saturday, August 8th, from 5:30PM - 8PM, and/or the Closing Reception on Saturday, September 12th, from 5:30PM - 7:30PM. Learn more about Jessica Broad here:https://www.jessicabroadceramics.com/index.htmlhttps://www.savannahclaycommunity.com/jessica-broad.htmlhttps://www.scad.edu/academics/faculty/jessica-broadhttps://www.instagram.com/jessicabroadceramics/ Learn more about the upcoming show at Ology here:https://www.ologygallery.com/furfeathersfamiliarshttps://www.instagram.com/ologygallery/?hl=en
Join Kate Staton Melendez for an interview with Sarah Brackett, Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director of New Oak Theatre.
New Oak Theatre is a public charitable organization and non-equity professional theatre producing a wide variety of plays and musicals ranging from classics to new works. It's a place where people can gather and experience art and community in the heart of historic Savannah, Georgia. New Oak Theatre was founded by husband and wife duo, Chase and Sarah Brackett, in 2023. Inspired by Savannah’s historic architecture, willowy oak trees, and thriving creative spirit, they chose the name New Oak Theatre to reflect a blend of tradition and growth. Their new black box theater will be located at 15 and 25 E. Maupas Ave., where Maupas and Drayton meet in the vibrant Starland district, and is scheduled to open in fall 2026. Learn more about New Oak Theatre here:https://www.newoaktheatre.org/https://www.instagram.com/newoaktheatrehttps://www.facebook.com/share/1JrVJK2N4L/?mibextid=wwXlfrhttps://m.youtube.com/channel/UC82v45IIkDqnUVbC9iKHXgg?ra=m
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Lee Heidel, Owner and Managing Partner of Neighborhood Comics.
Neighborhood Comics is downtown Savannah's comic book specialty store. Open 7 days a week from 11AM-7PM, Neighborhood Comics is located just steps from Forsyth Park, at 1205 Bull Street. They offer a full line of new comic books and graphic novels, as well as extensive back issues and key books. You can also find toys, statues, collectibles, and books for young readers. New comics and graphic novels are restocked every Wednesday. If you've ever wondered what goes into producing sequential art, this is the place to be. Since 2021 Lee & Neighborhood Comics have had a dedicated Artist-in-Residence Program. Select artists have been on-site creating sequential art in some form (comics, storyboards, layouts, etc.) for a minimum of three days per week totaling ten hours or more, in one-month blocks. You can find a list of past, present, and future artists on their website, and apply to participate. (Openings starting July 2027.) Join Neighborhood Comics next door at White Whale Craft Ales on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays of every month from 6PM-10PM for a Neighborhood Drink n' Draw. It's a free community event for comics and artists of all ages to work on projects, draw in a relaxed setting, and make some friends. Neighborhood Comics also holds book & zine clubs, book signings, & holds an annual SAVAGE FST cultural exhibition each fall. A second location, Neighborhood Comics Clubhouse, is located at 822 E Derenne Ave., near Waters in Savannah, GA. It's open five days per week & is dedicated to discount comics and graphic novels. They offer thousands of $1 back issues, as well as toys, statues, and collectibles. Lean more, shop, support, and follow here:https://neighborhoodcomics.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nbrhdcomics
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Joshua Yates, founder & board chair of the Savannah Center for Photography. The Savannah Center for Photography is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching Savannah's cultural landscape by advancing the art of photography. Through a community darkroom, workshop space, and rotating gallery exhibitions, SCP provides accessible resources and education that supports image-makers at all levels, and fosters appreciation for diverse photographic work throughout the community. Explore and tour the exciting new non-profit at their open house on Friday, June 26th from 5PM-9PM, and see their inaugural gallery exhibition "SCP Presents" featuring works by local photographers. There will also be an exciting raffle of photocentric items and experiences, & you can be one of the first to sign up for their membership program. Joshua Yates is a photographer based in Savannah, Georgia. His work has been exhibited nationally, including the Atlanta Photography Group's Focus 2025 and the Houston Center for Photography's 42nd Annual Exhibition, and was awarded 3rd Place at the 2025 Slow Exposures Photo Festival. Prior to founding the Savannah Center for Photography, Yates co-founded and operated Green Truck Neighborhood Pub, an award-winning community-minded burger joint. He previously served on the boards of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market and the Thomas Square Neighborhood Association. He holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a BSIE from Georgia Tech. His first solo show will be held at the JEA's Montag Art Gallery in August 2026. See Joshua Yates' photography here:https://jwyatesphoto.com/workhttps://www.instagram.com/yatesjoshua Learn more about the Savannah Center for Photography here:https://www.savphoto.org/https://www.instagram.com/savphoto_org
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with local artist Isak Dove.
Isak Dove is a self-taught artist b. 1983 Saline, MI, currently based out of Savannah, GA. Most recently her work has been exhibited locally at Gallery 2424 and ARTS Southeast, and internationally at the Zurich Hochshule der Kunst (2025) and Material Gallery (2024) in Zurich, Switzerland. An avid traveler, Dove often combines her love of journeying the world and her passion for making art, bringing her paints and brushes with her as she travels the globe. In 2024 she spent six weeks alone in the Peruvian countryside, painting fruits and the mountains. In 2018 she was a resident artist at the fantastical Helga's Folly in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and painted in the jungle alongside mischievous monkeys for a month. In 2012 she converted an old broken-down milk truck into a little studio - in an olive grove where the goats roamed, in a desert in the Middle East. That's where she alchemized the first "Goat Girl" into being (a character that appears in many of Dove's paintings). These days Dove can most often be found locally, live painting in the beautiful Forsyth Park in downtown Savannah. She also dabbles in curating group shows, such as "The Surreal Soiree: A Group Show of Fantastical, Strange, and Uncanny Artworks", opening this week in the Cobra Room of Lone Wolf Lounge. The show features 25 local artists, & opens this Friday, June 5th from 5PM-10PM, as part of First Fridays in Starland. See more of Isak Dove's work here: https://www.instagram.com/isak_dovehttp://www.isakdove.com/paintings.html
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with visiting artist Flora Ranis.
Flora Ranis is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller from the Florida Everglades whose work explores the molten, hand-made qualities of our built environment. In a celebration of non-dualist ontologies, she explores the intimacy between traditionally natural forms and urban markers of state power. Through metalworking, stone carving, and painting, she reorients quotidian objects as conceptual artifacts and contemporary myth-makers. Flora received her BA from Yale University, where she pursued ethnic studies and learned how to weld. Flora Ranis is in Savannah through ARTS Southeast’s ON::View Residency, from April 8th through May 1st. Upcoming Events: ON::View Residency Artist Talk with Flora Ranis at ARTS Southeast on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 6-7PM. ON::View Residency Project Finale with Flora Ranis at ARTS Southeast on Friday, May 1st, from 5-9PM during the Sulfer Street Fair, in conjunction with Starland First Fridays. Learn more about the ON::View Residency here:https://www.instagram.com/onviewresidencyhttps://artssoutheast.org/onview See more of Flora’s work here:https://www.instagram.com/flora_ranis
Kendra Clark for Georgia House District 165!
Kendra has a professional background in social work, is a past co-chair of the Savannah DSA, the founder of Hostess City Mutual Aid, & a connoisseur of red lipstick. Join the fight to create a Georgia that works for the many, not the few. Kendra Clark is fighting for:Lower Rent CostsFully Funded SchoolsNo Cost ChildcareRaising the Minimum WageExpanding Access to Quality, Affordable HealthcareEnsuring Homes are Owned by Families, Not Corporations Are you in Skidaway, Truman Parkway, Dutch Island, Carver Heights, West Savannah, or Isle of Hope like me? Vote Kendra Clark. Join us at the Collage Night Fundraiser to Elect Kendra Clark at Midtown Arthouse on Monday, April 20th from 6P-8P. & listen to our last episode with Midtown Arthouse to hear about what other special events & exhibitions they've got coming up. Learn More:https://votekendraclark.com/ Join Kendra on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/votekendraclarkhttps://www.facebook.com/votekendraclarkhttps://www.tiktok.com/@votekendraclark
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for a chat with Midtown Arthouse's Joanne Morton & Marquette Shaw! Joanne Morton is a positive energy artist & co-founder of Midtown Arthouse. Marquette Shaw is a photographer, singer, dancer, actor, & social media/marketing extraordinaire. Midtown Arthouse Upcoming Calendar of Events:Monday, April 13: The Savannah MIX, Art Exhibit & Business Networking, 6P-7:30PWednesday, April 15: Ecstatic Dance with DJ AndAnanda, 7P-8:30PFriday, April 17: Elemental Fire, Group Art Exhibition, 6P-8PMonday, April 20: Collage Night Fundraiser to Elect Kendra Clark, 6P-8PWednesday, April 22: Shamanic Dance Meditation with Whirling Shaman, 7P-8:30PWednesday, April 29: Trickdame & Tom Show, Spoken Word Open Mic, 7P-8:30P Learn More: https://midtownarthouse.my.canva.site/Visit: 2016 East Broad Street, Open Saturdays 10A-1PEmail: midtownarthousesav@gmail.comCall: (912) 373-6116Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidtownArthouseSAV/Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midtownarthousesavApply for Boutique Membership: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvWUTmXzd2IyRibg6HrBqE8ZTZscpqx9d2XkM5PEMuYXRCTA/viewform?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
Join Kate for an interview with Isaac McCaslin, a Savannah-based fine artist whose narrative-driven work explores the interplay of history, identity, and the human experience. With a B.F.A. in Painting from the Savannah College of Art & Design (Magna Cum Laude), McCaslin has received accolades at regional, national, and international levels.
McCaslin’s practice is rooted in Renaissance and Baroque techniques, reimagined through a contemporary lens. His oil paintings, often described as evocative and thought-provoking, navigate themes of mortality, memory, and the collective human psyche. His works have been exhibited in galleries, museums, and public spaces across the United States, earning places in private, corporate, and museum collections. Isaac McCaslin was the Incubator Artist at ARTS Southeast for 2025, and part of Eastside 11 studio crawl & group show from past episodes. Join us as McCaslin talks about weekly Savannah Open Model sessions held at ARTS Southeast, how he illuminates figures from within, & his beloved & delicious pet goats/former models. Check out Isaac's work and follow him here:https://www.isaacmccaslin.com/https://www.instagram.com/isaacmccaslin Learn more about Savannah Open Model sessions here:https://www.savannahopenmodel.com/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Peter Roberts, Artist and Gallery Director at Location Gallery.
Location Gallery is celebrating their 10th Anniversary in March 2026 with the exhibition "Decades"! "Decades" includes 36 participating artists, who have all contributed one 10"x10" work. This special opening reception is a ticketed event at The Kennedy Pharmacy, part of the Davenport House Museum, located at 323 E. Broughton St. The exhibition opening is next Saturday, March 14th from 5PM-8PM. Tickets are available on the gallery's website, listed below. Gallery profits from this anniversary show will be donated to the Historic Savannah Foundation. Location Gallery is located at Corcoran Austin Hill Realty, at 251 Bull St. The gallery is open 10AM-5PM Monday-Friday, 11A-3P on Saturday, or by appointment. See more of Peter Roberts' work here:https://www.instagram.com/petererobertshttps://www.petereroberts.com/ See more from Location Gallery here:https://www.locationgallery.net/https://www.instagram.com/locationgallery Buy tickets for the Opening Reception here:https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/davenporthousemuseum/items/703853/calendar/2026/03/?flow=1241541&full-items=yes Learn more about the Historic Savannah Foundation here:https://www.myhsf.org/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with husband & wife duo Lino Azevedo and Jamie Azevedo.
Lino Azevedo is an artist, illustrator, and professor. Jamie Azevedo is a fine art photographer. They have been happily married for 20 years, & have 20 years' worth of art experience. They've been published in multiple magazines and journals, invited by universities and art galleries to serve as guest jurors for exhibits, and have shown their work throughout the US, Canada, & Europe. Their dual show, "Paper Dolls", debuts at Location Gallery Friday, February 27th, with an opening reception from 6PM-8PM. Gallery proceeds from this exhibition benefit CURE Childhood Cancer. From the artists:"What if it were possible to gather with all the grand and great grandmothers in your family tree? What heroic women are we related to? Imagine what wisdom we could gather. How interesting it would be to discover where we carry them within us in our attitudes, beliefs, and temperament. These pieces are dedicated to that idea; to the mystical tea party we could have with all the women in our family tree, as well as wise women of the world who have passed. Our hope is that the viewer will discover stories of the ladies that loom in their own genealogy who add to their family folklore and wisdom. And to carry those gifts onward to our future grand and great granddaughters." See more of Jamie's work here:https://www.instagram.com/jamieazevedoart/https://jamieazevedo.artspan.com/home See more of Lino's work here:https://www.instagram.com/azevedofinearthttps://www.azevedofineart.com Learn more about CURE Childhood Cancer:https://curechildhoodcancer.org/about-cure/https://www.instagram.com/curechildcancer/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Christopher Moss.
Christopher Moss (b. 1977, Wilkes-Barre, PA) received a BFA in 2000 from Marywood University, Scranton, PA and an MFA in 2006 from CUNY Brooklyn College. Since late 2016, he has lived and worked in Savannah.
Hot off the heels of a solo show "Yoink" at the Thompson Savannah, a dual show in Athens, GA, a trifecta exhibition at High Point in NC, & a group show in NYC (all closing within the last several weeks), Chris is now preparing for the 2nd annual Avondale & Victory Heights Studio Crawl and accompanying group exhibition at Ology Gallery in Thunderbolt, titled Eastside 11. Eastside 11: Artists of the Victory Heights/Avondale opens this Saturday, Valentine's Day, February 14th, and runs through Saturday, March 21st. Opening Reception: Ology Gallery, Saturday, February 14th, 5:30PM-8PM.Studio Crawl: Saturday, February 21st, 11AM-5PM. Closing Reception: Ology Gallery, Saturday, March 21st, 5:30-7:30PM. Participating Artists: Tony ArtemisiaBetsy CainMaxx FeistMary HartmanIsaac McCaslinChristopher MossWill PennyRick PetreaDana RichardsonMatt TooleEric David Wooddell See more of Chris' work here:https://christophermoss.biz/home.htmlhttps://www.instagram.com/mrhopthescissor/ Learn more about Eastside 11 Gallery Exhibition here:https://www.ologygallery.com/eastside-11 Learn more about the Studio Crawl here:https://www.instagram.com/savannah_studio_crawl/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Tamara Garvey, past host of the show, & beloved local artist & illustrator.
Tamara Garvey has a BFA in Illustration from SCAD; you can find her quirky pen & ink artwork at Gallery 209 (among others) & or catch her working in her studio in City Market. Garvey's solo show "The Winter of our Discontent" at Gallery 2424 opens next Friday, January 30th, and runs through Saturday, February 21st, 2026.
"The Winter of our Discontent" is a multimedia solo show that pairs the Log Lady from the David Lynch show "Twin Peaks" with recordings of American women responding to J.D. Vance's infamous "childless cat ladies" statements. It features witchery, suffragism, Woody Guthrie, & Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Special Events Calendar:Opening Reception: Friday, January 30th from 5PM-9PMFirst Fridays Reception: Friday, February 6th from 5PM-9PMArtist Talk: Sunday, February 15th at 3PM. Gallery 2424 is also open on Saturdays & Sundays from 1PM-4PM. See more of Tamara's work here:https://www.instagram.com/tamgarvhttps://www.tamaragarvey.com/
Read more about the solo show here:
https://www.tamaragarvey.com/winter-of-our-discontent
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with The Maxines, an all-female grunge band in Savannah, Georgia. They're gritty, high-energy alternative rock with raspy vocals, moody rifts, & wild, unfiltered performances that demand attention.
AJ Grey is vocals, twins Coco & Maddie Oke are drums & guitar, & Emma Faith Smith is on bass.
You'll be familiar with their 2023 album "Skin Tight", and the amazing anthem "Cannibal". Listen to us chat about their upcoming album, which is expected to release in the next couple weeks. The single "Sink My Teeth In" is already available on streaming platforms to preview. Take a listen.
https://www.instagram.com/themaxinesband/
https://www.themaxinesband.com/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Nono Flores, a local illustrator.
You can find Nono at Chateau Nono, an open studio shop inside "One for the Road" in the Starland District, at 101 W 41st St. Pick up some artwork, check out gifts and retail, or walk in get your live portrait done (during Fri-Sun hours). They're open Tuesday-Saturday 12PM-7PM & Sundays 12PM-6PM. Check out Nono's work here:https://www.nonoflores.com/https://www.instagram.com/nono.flores/ Show Notes: Shout out to Allison Hall Phillips, another local illustrator & one of the founders of Dreamhouse Studios. She came out & did a full interview that should have aired next week... only to have had the file corrupted & lost. I'll sit down with her again later so you can hear how amazing she is. For now, I'll be on a break until Wednesday, January 14th. In January we'll have an episode with The Maxines - who are about to release their next album! Then we'll sit down with local painter, my dear friend & past host of this show, Tamara Garvey. We'll chat prior to the opening of her show at Gallery 2424 on Friday, January 30th, 2026. But check her Instagram or this show's Instagram to see how you can contribute to a sound component of the upcoming exhibition. Thanks for everything, Savannah! See you next month! Happy holidays!
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Kristen Baird, the founder and designer behind Kristen Baird Jewelry.
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Baird initially came to Savannah to attend SCAD for architecture and Interior Design. Instead she fell in love with jewelry design, and the city, and has been here ever since. Kristen Baird Jewelry is an award-winning fine jewelry brand founded in 2015, using traditional jewelry-making techniques to craft heirloom-quality pieces. Metals are sourced from a Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC) Certified Supplier. They use ethically-sourced natural gems, as certified through the RJC or Kimberly Certification, as well as the highest quality lab-grown gems. You can shop Kristen Baird's website here:https://www.kristenbaird.com/ Use that as a jumping off point because her work is highly customizable, and many pieces are one-of-a-kind. You can get in contact with Kristen to schedule a personal shopping appointment either in-person online, or visit Gallery 209 locally to take something home with you today. Follow her work here:https://www.instagram.com/kristenbairdjewelry/ LOCAL PICKUP DEADLINE DECEMBER 22ND, 2025 Friend of the Show note: The Savannah Channel is live!Join Jude Screnci for the first episode that went live on Thanksgiving Day, as he chats with local photographer Seth Thompson about his current processes and how he arrived at them. If you like us, you'll like Jude. Watch here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=33plmEf1ilM
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Phil Musen, a local artist and Owner/Executive Director of Cute Tomatoes Gallery.
Phil Musen b.1985 Boston, MA relocated to Savannah, GA to complete a BFA in Painting from SCAD. He likes cats. You can catch him painting in Forsyth Park or working in Cute Tomatoes Gallery.
Cute Tomatoes is located at 218 E 41st Street, open 1PM-5PM on Wednesdays & Thursdays, as well as the 1st Friday of each month.
The next exhibition, "Capture/Drift" features new work by Dana Richardson and Adrienne Berkland. The opening is next Friday, December 5th from 6PM-8PM.
The word he was searching for at the end of our chat was benevolent. We need more benevolent investors in the arts and civics spaces. It used to be more common & it's disappearing.
See his work here:
https://www.philmusen.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cutetomatoes/
Check out his gallery here:
https://www.instagram.com/cute_tomatoes_gallery/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Chuck Carbia, a local fine artist, performance artist (entertainment artist), college professor, and musician.
Stanton first encountered Carbia more than a decade ago through Glitter Chariot, an indescribable collective (band, performance art, entertainment art, confusion spectacle) that explores complex relationships and emotions.
Click this link to change your life:
https://www.glitterchariot.com/
Carbia plays traditional Latin jazz with the band Tocamos Mas, based on music produced by his father and uncle under the "The Carbia Trio", pioneers of the Latin music scene in New York, Miami, and Puerto Rico in the 1950s and 1960s.
Learn more here:
https://www.tocamosmas.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tocamosmas
Carbia also plays with local anonymous surf grunge rock band Donna Savage. Their latest album, Take It, is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube.
Donna Savage will be playing at the Dairy Daze Festival on this Saturday, November 15th. This will be the festival's 3rd year. Doors open at 11AM. Tickets are only $30.52 & can be purchased online through The 912 Group.
This year the event benefits I is We Incorporated, a local non-profit organization that works to support at-risk youth through mentorship, counseling, and skill-building workshops, with a focus on reducing violence and promoting positive choices.
Learn more here:
https://cscarbia.wixsite.com/donnasavage
https://www.instagram.com/donnasavageband/
Event information and tickets here:
https://the912group.squarespace.com/
Learn more about Chuck Carbia here:
https://www.chuckcarbia.com/
https://www.instagram.com/onemoday
Check out his amazing wife Kelly Boehmer's work here:
https://www.kellyboehmer.com/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Heather L. Young, a local artist based out of Richmond Hill that sells under the name Fly Young Studio online. She does contemporary oil paintings as well as traditional pen & ink drawings, drawing inspiration from her coastal southern heritage and love for moss-draped live oak trees. She's a board member with Arts on the Coast, & a contributing arts writer for Reflections Magazine. You can find her work in ShopSCAD downtown, and Arts on the Coast Gallery in Richmond Hill, among others.
Come see her this Saturday, November 8th from 10AM-3PM at Cohen's Retreat, or at Location Gallery next Friday, November 14th from 6-8PM to see her work in the group show "6x6x20". Check out Heather's work here: https://www.heatherlyoung.com/ https://www.instagram.com/fly_young_studio/ Watch the video of her subtractive painting style here: https://www.heatherlyoung.com/subtractive-painting
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with Jeanette McCune, the Executive Director of Cleo the Project Space, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit arts organization, located at 915 B Montgomery St., Savannah, Georgia. The space is open on Saturdays from 12-5PM, or by appointment.
Their next exhibition 'Survey to a Sweet Reminder' featuring Camille Wong and Alex Adkinson opens Saturday, October 18th from 6-9PM. The artist talk starts at 7PM. Their fall fundraiser takes place on Sunday, November 9th, on the front lawn of Laney Contemporary from 1-4PM. Tickets are limited and available now. Check out Cleo the Project Space here: https://www.cleotheprojectspace.org/ www.instagram.com/cleo_the_project_space/
Join Kate Stanton Melendez for an interview with soft sculpture artist, performance artist, and college professor Kelly Boehmer.
Kelly has exhibited and performed her work nationally and internationally in over 175 exhibitions including shows in Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, New York City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, San Juan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
She received her BFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in Studio Art at the University of South Florida.
She is a member of the performance art band, Glitter Chariot.
Kelly is a Professor of Foundations Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah, GA.
Boehmer's soft sculptures combine tragic humor with a celebration of the hidden beauty found within anxiety. Her creatures serve as metaphors for personal struggles with anxiety and aging. She finds humor in her attempts to become "comfortable in my own skin" and to navigate these challenges, particularly with social anxiety.
Though the imagery may appear grotesque, with flayed and molting forms, these creatures represent growth, transformation, and positive change. She uses glittery sheer fabrics and vivid faux fur, to contrast difficult emotions with inviting textures. This creates a tension between attraction and repulsion, softening the rawness of the subject matter and making it more approachable for the viewer.
Many of her works draw inspiration from iconic pieces in art history, such as the Unicorn Tapestries, the Laocoön Group, Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, and The Arnolfini Portrait. Her aggressive hand-sewing technique is similar to an expressive line in drawing.
A key element of the process involves repurposing materials from previous sculptures, cutting them up after an exhibition and combining them with upcycled taxidermy. This gives the materials a “second life,” creating a layered history of growth and change embedded within the pieces themselves.
Check out Kelly's work here:
https://www.kellyboehmer.com/
Kelly Boehmer (@kelly.boehmer) • Instagram photos and videoshttps://www.instagram.com/kelly.boehmer/?hl=en
Buy Kelly's work from Cindy Lisica Gallery in the Atlanta Art Fair:
https://artcloud.market/show/cindy-liscia-gallery-atlanta-art-fair
See her husband Chuck Carbia's work here:
https://www.chuckcarbia.com/
Join Kate for an interview with Lisa D. Watson, an artist, gardener, and activist.
Lisa D. Watson (b.1967) grew up in Northeast Ohio where she spent many days in the wooded forest behind her childhood home. The day the bulldozers flattened the forest to a suburb was the day she found her lifelong mission; tell the stories of the voiceless species of the natural world.
Watson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio. Since her academic studies, she has used salvaged objects as her medium.
Through her art and garden designs, Watson strives to find balance between urbanization and conservation. Her company, Plan it Green Design, LLC, provides homeowners with creative and sustainable design solutions, emphasizing the use of native plant species. Currently she is collaborating with The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, The Longleaf Alliance, and the Georgia Native Plant Society.
After receiving a Certificate of Interior Design in Chatsworth, California, Lisa moved to Savannah, Georgia and works out of her studio and native garden. I was lucky enough to be able to visit and chat.
Check out Lisa here:
https://www.art-ldw.com/
https://www.instagram.com/art.ldw/
https://www.facebook.com/planitgreendesign/
Theme song by Jose Ray, an artist, DJ, & friend of the show!
Join Kate for an interview with Jose Ray, a multi-faceted artist. You can find his work on gallery walls, in public murals, in the bookstore, and you can find him in the DJ booth downtown.
Born and raised in the Midwest, Jose grew up with a love for wide-open exploration and do-it-yourself spirit. That outlook took him in many different directions while always building the knowledge and skills toward a creative path…and eventually, profession.
In visual arts, Jose works with Mixed Media to achieve lush and vibrant floral landscapes. The trail of abstraction is left to shine through in some moments, and in others, rendered into beautiful and fantastic floral forms. Playing with contrast and balance is always a motivating factor for this loaded-with-contradiction Gemini.
In audio arts, DJ Jose Ray has the knowledge and skills to set just the right tone with an eclectic mix of styles and a love for genre-jumping. Whether we're poolside chilling or sweating it out on the dancefloor, Jose will make sure you're lost in the groove!
Catch Jose DJing:
Club Bardo on Friday nights from 8PM-11PM
Starland Yard on Saturday nights from 7PM-10PM
Hotel Alida on Sundays from 2PM-5PM
Check out Jose here:
https://www.joseray.com/
https://www.instagram.com/joseraysay/
Notes:
In this episode we referenced his friend Marc, the owner of one of Jose's murals, & a super talented poet. We've realized we didn't give him appropriate credit. Marc's full name is Marc Thomas - his most recent book is "Wetlands - Low Country Haiku", which was illustrated by Jose Ray. This latest book was released last month & is available at The Book Lady & Locally Made Savannah, among others.
Join all AOTA past hosts Tamara Garvey, Rob Hessler, & David Laughlin as they welcome new host Kate Stanton Melendez, and serve as a transition team. The artists and arts journalists share background info on the show's roots, give advice on becoming a podcaster, and dispense wisdom on the state of the arts in our beloved Savannah, Georgia (i.e., reminisce and gossip). We enjoyed catching up and goofing off, and hope you enjoy it too.
Check out Tamara's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/tamgarv/
Check out David's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/theidofdav/
Rob's grown tired of being popular, so leave him alone. But you can view past artwork here:
https://loislambertgallery.com/rob-hessler
Join Tamara for an interview with musician (upright and electric bass) Marc Chesanow, whose music plays at the beginning and the end of every episode of this show! 🎉
He played drums and trombone in HS band and then came to bass later: attending Eastman School of Music in NY for undergrad and then University of Memphis for his master's degree. He's been a working musician ever since, with occasional stints as a music professor.
Marc has lived in Savannah since 2016 and emphasizes the necessity of diversifying your time amongst bands, private gigs, orchestras, etc in order to pay the bills as a musician.
He's 1/3 of beloved Savannah jazz group The Eric Jones Trio, and performs regularly with the Savannah Music Fest, Savannah Jazz Fest, and Savannah Philharmonic, as well as various "Dancing With the Stars" fundraiser shows and Juneteenth celebrations.
⭐️ This episode is extra special! It's Tamara's 3 year anniversary of hosting the podcast, and after this one she'll be handing the hosting mike over to Kate Stanton Melendez. Listen through the end of the show for all the details! ⭐️
Song clips played during this episode:
"Step Right Up" by Eric Jones Trio (Azubuike)"Where Dreams May Come" by Eric Jones Trio (Azubuike)"Azubuike" by Eric Jones Trio (Azubuike)"Four Women (Nina Simone cover)" performed by Eric Jones Trio featuring Cynthia Utterbach"Graceland (Paul Simon cover)" performed at "Savannah Salutes Paul Simon" show in 2024Check out Marc's music and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/marcchesanow/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8_T7op9aEY
https://www.facebook.com/eric.jones.muse/ (follow Eric Jones here)
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with artist/illustrator (my fellow artist at the co-op Gallery 209 on River Street!) Erica Catherine, who draws "Vintage Inspired Designs for the Old Soul."
Erica is a native Savannahian who graduated from Savannah Arts Academy and then SCAD, with a BFA in Illustration. After graduation she started her business, selling her paintings and products made from her art, including prints, cards, scarves, and tea towels. She also has her work on a few print-on-demand sites, in order to license for fabric and wallpaper.
Her illustrations are created using layers of watercolor and graphite to give an ethereal feeling that harkens back to turn of the century illustration. She is known for creating large series around a theme, such as all of the US state flowers, one lettered alphabet combined with animals and one with flowers, maps of various Savannah neighborhoods, and all zodiac signs.
Check out Erica's art and follow her here:
https://www.ericacatherineillustration.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ericacatherineillustration/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with musician (singer-songwriter, drums, guitar, bass) Markus Kuhlmann, whose IG description reads: "Pandemic-Born Dad-Bod Rock." He's a "recovering architect" originally from South Carolina who moved from Charleston to Savannah in the late 90s/early 00s.
Over the past decades Markus has been in a number of beloved Savannah bands - The Train Wrecks, Clouds and Satellites, and now East Bay-Ardsley - generally as a drummer and singer. In recent years he also taught himself guitar and then bass.
During the pandemic he recorded and released a solo five track EP, “We got Yr Smile on File" under a solo name, Mike Kilo. He regularly performs around town in solo gigs, and in May the Train Wrecks reunited at The Britannia Pub, for the first time in years! Keep an eye on his IG for upcoming gigs, and you can also chat with him most weekday mornings at Henny Penny (his partner is Jen of the Foxy coffee shops!).
Song clips played during this episode:
Slowgaze by Markus Kuhlmann
"Parlour Tricks" by Mike Kilo from "We Got Yr Smile on File" EP
"A Typical Progression" by Mike Kilo
"Fall, Run Away" by Clouds & Satellites (M. Garappolo)
"More Than a Phase" by East Bay-Ardsley (S. Harmening)
Check out Markus's music and follow him here:
https://mikekilo.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mikekilomusic/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Armando Nieto, an artist/illustrator born in Caracas, Venezuela. He has an Associate's degree in Illustration, and then came to Savannah to complete his B.F.A in Illustration with a concentration in Concept Design for Animation and Games from SCAD. He became proficient in working in Procreate, as well as in traditional painting media.
He worked as a freelance Illustrator right out of graduation, and since 2023 he has been teaching art classes for both kids and adults at Scribble Art Studio in Starland: https://www.scribbleartstudiosav.com/. More recently he also teaches art online (you can request a specific lesson/project too!) - https://www.superprof.com/master-the-art-watercolor-and-acrylic-personalized-step-step-lessons-where-you-improve-your-skills-with-expert.html
Armando also takes on commissioned painting projects (landscapes, portraits, and pet portraits) and recently completed a mural with fellow artist Nico Moscosa, at the soon-to-reopen Troupial Cafe.
Check out Armando's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/armasketch/
https://armandonieto.art/
https://www.tiktok.com/@armasketch
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Jazz Howington, a versatile painter, muralist, and illustrator who started her career in 2012 (SCAD Illustration Alumna 2011). She has a day job in UX Design and creates art part-time, out of her studio at Cedar House (go visit her on weekends, receptions, or by appointment!).
She'll have work in the upcoming Cedar House show “SPECTRUM,” June 6th - 27th, with a reception on Friday, June 6.
Her "Project Adoration" is a life-long endeavor to capture authentic queer relationships and the affection and adoration of those relationships, both romantic and platonic. The continued consideration of bold color, negative space, and degree of finish are constant themes in her works.
She is always looking for authentic relationships to capture, so if you and your partner(s) feel comfortable being photographed and then painted, sign up to model!
Check out Jazz's work and follow her here:
https://www.jazzhowingtonart.com/
https://www.instagram.com/relicz_art/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Brittany Curry, a Savannah native who started her career as the coordinator of Oconee Area Citizen Advocacy, an organization that helps people with disabilities build a life outside of professional services. In 2012 she discovered Graphic Recording, an emerging field of documenting meetings with large, hand-drawn, visual graphics.
She began doing this work during nights and weekends, and in 2015 was able to take it full-time, launching her small business, InkyBrittany.
Since then, Brittany's Graphic Recording & Facilitating work has been requested across the country and beyond. She has worked with corporations, small businesses, philanthropies, governments, public health, education, agriculture, and the disability advocacy community, to name a few. She now also leads workshops teaching others the skill of visual communication.
Mark your calendar for May 24 - Brittany is throwing a 10 Year Anniversary Party for her business at the American Legion downtown! :)
Check out Brittany's work and follow her here:
https://inkybrittany.com/
https://www.instagram.com/inkybrittany/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Dana Richardson (b. Sewanee, TN), an artist, muralist, and art instructor at Savannah Christian Preparatory School. Her connection to landscape painting began during a year spent at the Marchutz School of Painting in the south of France.
Dana first moved to Savannah to get her B.F.A. in Painting from SCAD, and is currently pursuing an M.F.A. at the Maryland Institute College of Art, expected to graduate in 2026. In her current work, she explores the re-enchantment of spaces through her subconscious painting method, using automatic processes to channel internal landscapes.
Dana returns annually to Ossabaw Island, where she completes a residency to study the unique environment. She currently has a piece installed at Artfields (running through May 3), and in June she and artist Lisa D. Watson will install collaborative work in the Boxed In/Break Out windows at the Jepson Center.
Check out Dana's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/danawrich/
https://www.danarichardsonart.com/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with singer-songwriter (and ukulele queen) Mandy Madson, who trained in opera and musical theater and then eventually "traded the stage of Carnegie Hall for the dim lights of the honky tonks."
Mandy is one half of Andy and Mandy - she and Andrew Sovine are "a brother and sister classic country duo that brings low brow laughs with a high lonesome sound across the lowcountry."
She has a Bachelor’s in Music Education with a focus in Voice from Brewton-Parker College and currently works remotely as a middle school Music Teacher, and a freelance accessibility designer. Mandy has also developed a Mary Poppins-esque vibe for her "Miss Madson’s Magical Music" project of leading singalongs for children.
Song clips played during this episode:
Duet cover of Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy by Judy Garland & Barbra Streisand
Solo cover of Proud Mary by Tina Turner
Solo cover of Crazy by Patsy Cline
Original song: Holiday Heartbreaker by Mandy Madson
Check out Mandy's music and projects and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/mandylynnmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/andyandmandyband/
https://www.instagram.com/missmadsonsmagicalmusic/
https://andyandmandy.bandcamp.com/track/holiday-heartbreaker
https://andyandmandyband.com/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Savannah, GA artist Maxx Feist, a nonbinary self-taught artist from Asheville, NC who spends all the days and all the times painting! Highly influenced by a regular regiment of caffeine, heavy metal, and true crime podcasts, Maxx fights to connect the cerebral with the visual…always trying to maintain a balance between the dark and the light. This generally come through by way of underworld subject matter highlighted in bright colors and fun abstract shapes, borders, rope-like imagery, and other whimsical additions.
*** For this episode, I (Tamara) am very happy to participate in this 3rd edition of Podcasthon! For one week, more than a thousand podcasts will highlight a charity of their choice. There's no money involved—it’s all about raising awareness for various charitable causes.
I am highlighting The ACLU, which defends the rights of all people nationwide.*
“With immigrant rights, trans justice, reproductive freedom, and more at risk, we’re in courts and communities across the country to protect everyone’s rights — and we need you with us.”
https://www.aclu.org/
If you enjoyed my episode, feel free to visit https://podcasthon.org/ to discover hundreds of other great causes through the voices and talents of other podcasters around the world! **
Check out Maxx’s work and follow them here:
https://www.instagram.com/maxx_feist/
https://www.maxxfeistart.com/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Ben Copperwheat, a versatile artist known for his exceptional work in fine art, wearable art, and interior concepts.
His distinctive style is characterized by vibrant colors, bold graphic imagery, and captivating screen prints. His art bursts with a riot of rainbow and neon hues, encompassing a diverse range of motifs and icons that form a unique visual language.
Ben was born in 1975 in Luton, U.K., and received a BA and an MA in the arts before moving to NYC in 2003. He worked as a Print Designer for Calvin Klein for a few years and then freelanced - co-founding an avant-garde menswear line, and working with stylist Patricia Field at events like Berlin Fashion Week and Art Basel Miami. In 2018, he moved here to Savannah and became a Professor of Fibers at SCAD.
Check out Ben's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/bencopperwheat/
http://www.bencopperwheat.com/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with singer-songwriter Cyril Durant, who has lived in Savannah since 2013, after receiving a BM and an MM in vocal performance from Georgia Southern University.
His early professional life was as an opera singer (!), including performing at Opera Fayetteville in Fayetteville, AR as Friedrich Bhaer in Little Women. Since then, he has performed in the Savannah Music Festival, headed up the funk/jazz band "Those Cats," performed solo around Savannah as a singer and guitar or keys player, and has also been teaching Modern Band (like "School of Rock") at Benedictine Military School for the past 10 years.
Cyril plays solo shows around Savannah - particularly at Alida, Toasted Barrel, and Bar Julien - each week. Follow his IG to catch him live, and check out his work on all streaming platforms! (And if you go to the St. Patrick's Day Parade, look for Cyril in the midst of about 360 Benedictine marching band students.)
Song clips played during this episode:
Opera performance as Professor Bhaer of Little Women
Those Cats cover of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
"Love is a Drug," his first solo recording
Solo cover of "Toxic" by Britney Spears
Check out more of Cyril's music and follow him here:
https://www.cdurantmusic.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cyrildurantmusic/
- Time to vote for Connect's 2025 "Best Of Savannah!" now through 3/17/25 - From Cyril: "Made it through to the voting rounds! Cash in a daily vote for me in the categories for Best Singer-Songwriter, Vocalist, and All-Round Musician."
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with oil painter Carmen Aguirre, a Miami native who got her BFA Fine Art in Miami, and then went to Spain for graduate study with Valencian classical painter Amadeo Roca Gisbert.
Carmen moved to Savannah in 2016 and then spent about 10 years working for the former Grand Bohemian Gallery at the Mansion, eventually becoming Gallery Director. She is a figurative painter working in oil on canvas and/or panel. While she represents scenes of daily life, her objective is also to convey how the subject touches and inspires her.
Check out more of Carmen's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/carmenmaguirre/
https://www.carmenmariaaguirre.com/
Topics in their chat include:
The sharp learning curve of her graduate program in Spain, where she was thrown into the deep end of representational oil painting; she reminisces about her college and grad school era of not being super concerned about what her art would lead her to, career-wise, but just being at peace about pursuing your art degree for learning's sake; living in Miami and attending Art Basel from when it began in 2002; how she moved to Savannah about 20 years ago after having visited her daughter here many times; how she met good friend and fellow painter Dana Richardson when coming across Dana painting in Forsyth Park; her preference for including a frame on her art to call it "finished;" lessons learned from a past solo show at the JEA in which she had 24 (!) paintings; what are mangroves?; her conceptual painting of an orange LifeSaver candy; her years of having real creative control over discovering new Savannah artists and bringing them into the Mansion's Gallery; her recent series of paintings exploring Daffin Park and depicting the sense of vast space there; and her goals for 2025 of: building up a big series of paintings, putting on a public show, and possibly starting a series of artist salons.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with oil painter Darcy Melton, a local native who attended Savannah Arts Academy and then tried fashion school in NYC for a year, before returning to Savannah and the self-directed study of fine art. Her work focuses on portraits (she accepts commissions) and still lifes, and she has taught painting workshops at the Jepson Center and at Arts on the Coast in Richmond Hill.
Darcy's mother-in-law is Melinda Borysevicz, a former local figurative oil painter who has moved to Italy, and through her Darcy's been able to gain Italian residency too. She now splits her time between Savannah - look for her in shows at Location Gallery, SLAM, and Isle of Hope Art Fair - and Padula, Italy!
Check out more of Darcy's work and follow her here:
https://www.darcymeltonfineart.com/
https://www.instagram.com/darcymeltonfineart/
Topics in their chat include:
How Darcy transitioned from watercolor painting to oil, and her advice that if you can work simply, with a limited palette and just one "solvent," moving from watercolor to oil painting is actually way less intimidating and complicated than people tend to think; once she started showing her work in person at a Sulfur Street Fair, and expanding to portrait work, both around 2021/2022, her career rapidly got a foothold; a large part of her art business recently is portrait commissions (she is open if you would like to book one!); juggling trying to learn Italian and/or Neapolitan, the dialect spoken in her town of Padula; and the 2 projects she shares with her husband Nathaniel Mellor - the "Only a Bag" podcast of Italian travel tips, news, and history tidbits, and their art & literary magazine "Pigeon Review," which they started during COVID and hope to reinstate in the near future.
P.S. - at some point we could not remember what ASMR actually stands for and I promised to do research, so here it is! "ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a relaxing sensation triggered by specific sounds or visuals, often described as a 'tingling' feeling in the head or spine."
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview (actually, we're calling it a conversation!) with notable movie producer Andrew Meyer. What exactly does a movie producer do? You better believe we cover that in the first few minutes!
Andrew spent years in Hollywood, where he served as the President of Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’ A&M Films, Robert Redford’s Wildwood Productions, and Norman Lear’s Act All Productions. For the past 20 years, he has lived in Savannah and worked as a Professor of Film and Television at SCAD.
Notable among the many films Andrew has produced are Fried Green Tomatoes, nominated for two Academy Awards; The Breakfast Club, which Entertainment Weekly named “The Best High School Movie of all Time;” Birdy, which won the Grand Prix Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival; and the iconic fan favorite Better Off Dead.
He recently published his second book, Walking In the Fast Lane - purchase it online here for now, and it will come out in print later in January! https://tinyurl.com/3rdrcnku
Check out more of Andrew's work and follow him here:
https://andrewmeyerentertainment.com/
https://www.instagram.com/andyhmeyer839/
Topics in their chat include:
The different types of producers; how Andrew's best advice to become a producer is to option a book (acquire the rights); his early career as a music producer and a story of how the Police had to fight for "Roxanne" to be a single; his sabbatical year of traveling around the world, which ended when he received a telegram (!); the usefulness of learning the "Movie Magic" software; how The Breakfast Club went from being a small indie movie to a much larger-budget movie with a much better set; why authors are frequently not great at adapting their own work into a screenplay; the 2 different types of screenwriters; the fact that Stephen King sells the rights to some of his short stories for just $1, allowing aspiring filmmakers and students to adapt them into movies; and his job interview with Robert Redford that involved him traveling to Sundance and then being asked to ride horses through mountain territory together.
Tune in and get all the details!
Hi everyone! It's the holidays and I'm taking a little break. Please enjoy a compilation of songs from many of the Savannah musicians I've interviewed over the last 2.5 years (since Rob Hessler handed the show over to me).
Here are timestamps of the musicians included, and links to listen to their interview and to follow them, if you like what you hear and want more of it!
1:27-9:55
Kristin King (harpist and co-owner of New Arts Ensembles, a music booking agency)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-s-on-the-air-with-kristin-king/id1483496536?i=1000577827751
https://www.instagram.com/kristinharp9
https://www.facebook.com/newartsensembles
9:55-13:22
Derek Hakikta AKA Kola Hak (solo electronic musician and also bassist for the metal band Black Tusk)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-s-on-the-air-with-derek-hak%C3%ADkta-lynch-kola-hak/id1483496536?i=1000580221896
https://www.instagram.com/kola_hak/
https://kolahak.bandcamp.com
13:22-22:01
Veronica Garcia-Melendez (half of synth band Bero Bero - singer, keys, songwriting)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-s-on-the-air-with-veronica-garcia-melendez-of/id1483496536?i=1000597614544
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSeLKL2d5alzeNSpMAQHDVg
https://www.instagram.com/beroberoband/
22:01-27:54
Matt Eckstine (Americana/Folk singer, guitar, songwriting)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-s-on-the-air-with-matt-eckstine/id1483496536?i=1000640427905
https://www.instagram.com/matteckstinemusic/
https://www.matteckstinemusic.com/
27:54-35:44
The Maxines ("a badass all chick rock band in Savannah, GA - grunge w/ a kiss of metal")
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-s-on-the-air-with-the-maxines/id1483496536?i=1000644487928
https://www.instagram.com/themaxinesband/
https://themaxinesband.bandcamp.com/album/skin-tight
35:44-42:19
Jason Bible (Americana and rock singer-songwriter, guitar, harmonica)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-s-on-the-air-with-jason-bible/id1483496536?i=1000664592162
https://www.instagram.com/jasonbiblemusic/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UXKMDrq24J2TJIJi4DJAN
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-7NvBK95xe8bPrdmvtW_IA
42:19-56:13
Eric Jones Trio (Jazz band who kindly provides she show's intro and outro music)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLwMrATqJ7yl6ZCM_o1_VJA
https://www.instagram.com/edjmusicworld/
Thanks so much for listening, to this show and in general! I appreciate all of your support and kind words about our interviews.
Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and see you back here with a new interview on Weds, Jan 1, 2025!
--Tamara
Knives out! Join Tamara for an interview with Charles Alexander, the Chef de Cuisine at Farm Bluffton. He grew up in NYC with a father who worked as a chef in Manhattan, and Charles has worked at fine dining restaurants in Key West, Atlanta, and now Savannah/Bluffton.
Passionate about high quality and seasonal cuisine, Charles is trained and experienced in classical French, Mediterranean, Asian, and American cuisines.
Mark your calendars: Charles will be putting on a ramen pop-up at Strangebird on Tues, Dec 10! Edit Dec 6 - unfortunately this has been canceled, but keep an eye on his IG for events to come
Check out Charles's work, follow him, and get news on more pop-ups he'll be doing here:
https://www.instagram.com/chefcharlesalexander/
Topics in their chat include:
Knives - seriously, so much info about Japanese knives!; the crossover between working in ceramics and working as a chef; how to use a thin metal probe to test whether fish is cooked properly (it's not as simple as using it to test a cake); the importance of math - how Michelin star restaurants measure ingredients out to the gram, so a recipe can easily be scaled up and down; the French term "mise en place;" why the earliest restaurant kitchens were run by military cooks; his tips on food photography and on multitasking when cooking a meal with multiple components; and how "farm to table" means that Charles has personal relationship with local farmers.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with photographer Bailey Davidson, a Milledgeville native who lived in NYC as an aspiring actor for a few years, before returning to Georgia in the late 90s to pursue his MFA in Photography at SCAD.
Since graduating, Bailey has built his freelance career in all aspects of professional commercial and editorial photography, working with a wide range of clients, including Savannah Music Festival, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and The London Observer.
This past spring he opened a studio in City Market - go visit him and his 20 years' worth of Savannah photos there!
Check out Bailey's work and follow him here:
https://www.facebook.com/BaileyDavidsonPhotography
https://baileydavidson.com/
Topics in their chat include:
Bailey's indie movie he acted in, called "Bringing Down Dejonga" (this was the ending title after all! I found out online. --Tamara); how while in NYC he started taking headshots for his fellow actors and gradually took more and more photos, getting into art shows, and drifting from acting to photography; how he first heard of SCAD because his parents happened to meet the Poetters on a cruise; his Flannery O'Connor tie-ins of having grown up in Milledgeville and then living in the garden apartment of her childhood home as his first Savannah apartment; his practice immediately post-grad of shooting weddings and family portraits, to support himself as he built up his clients for commercial and editorial shoots; his show at the JEA last year that was a continuation of his MFP thesis show, "Bailey's Acres," all Holga pinhole camera work; the nostalgia of taking photos with an analog/film camera and then being surprised by the images once you pick up your developed photos; his Storyboards website where he displays his series of photos that combine to tell a story, influenced by David Hockney and Robert Rauschenberg; his photography books "Seasons of Savannah," "Savannah Past and Present," and "Milledgeville Then and Now;" recently getting published in the fine art mag "Black & White Magazine;" and his advice to students and young photographers to just shoot shoot shoot as there's no substitute for practicing your craft.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Julia Roland, a Savannah native who graduated from SCAD earlier this year with a BFA in painting and a minor in art history. The paintings in her portfolio symbolize the many different layers of African American culture and human identity through the juxtaposition of frontal facing confrontational figures, saturated colors, bold shapes, and loose patterns. These paintings are reflections of her identities intersecting as a black, queer woman.
You can view her work in the current FAAA Small Works show at the Jepson Center, through November 26, 2024; at Bobby Bagley's studio/co-op gallery in City Market; and murals at Kim's Cafe and the outside door of a Head Start off of MLK.
Check out Julia's work and follow her here:
https://www.juliaroland.com/
https://www.instagram.com/j.r.art_/
Topics in their chat include:
How Julia began showing her work in various Savannah spots as young as 18; she enjoys hand-building her substrates and using a jigsaw to cut out organic shapes for her wood panel art; she's always been into design and pattern but didn't want to create strictly abstract paintings, so her current work is portraits with abstract backgrounds; to build up the abstraction she relies on the underpainting to guide her, letting areas peek through or inform a pattern she's going to emphasize; creating murals at Kim's Cafe on MLK, including a portrait of MLK, Malcolm X, and the owners' mother, Kim (and thus the pressure to get portraits right when they're of recognizable people); what is a collagraph and why is it a good printmaking process for someone with a small working space?; her collagraph inspired by her experiences with roommates of different races and thinking about the differences in their hair; the challenge of using a handheld jigsaw to cut out her organic-shaped panels - it has to be thick enough to cut cleanly, but if it's too thick then the piece is very heavy, so Julia likes 1/4" plywood or a small piece of birch; her upcoming group show at Swan Coach House Gallery in Atlanta; her best advice to young artists who are looking to to find their style, message, and audience: thinking of creating art as a lifestyle and not a career, so that you find success in your productivity and not necessarily in your sales.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Zack Turner, a Savannah native who studied Sequential Art at SCAD for 3 years, until COVID happened. Since then, he has been working and pursuing his art by creating sequential art zines, illustrations, and occasional murals.
For the month of October, you can find Zack every Saturday 11-6 and Sunday 1-5 at Neighborhood Comics, where's he's working as the Artist in Residence.
And check out “Sunday Scaries” - his newly-self-published 16 page horror-comedy comic collection - available at Neighborhood Comics or through his IG.
Check out Zack's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/intentional_zombiehorde/
https://www.zackturnercomics.com/
https://neighborhoodcomics.com/pages/neighborhood-comics-sequential-artist-in-residence-program
Topics in their chat include:
The challenges of working in traditional sequential art media - pencil and then pen and ink on paper or board - when you have a "heavy hand;" how the industry really calls for artists being able to do at least some of their work in digital, unless there's a big enough budget for the time it generally takes to work traditionally; for his artist residency Zack is working on a collaborative zine called Radio Jammers, with a few artist friends in Texas, creating narratives based on songs they've chosen (Zack's is Death Machine by AJJ); the physical challenges of painting murals, including the need to constantly run back and forth away from it, to evaluate the entire scene; learning how to do comic book lettering with an Ames Lettering Tool; thinking of comic books as "a movie on paper," and you do the work of the director, sound designer, costumer, screenwriting, etc, so a lot of comic book artists also work in storyboarding for movies; the common practice in comic books to collaborate with a different artist who specializes in the graphic design and lettering aspects; did you know that the GA Southern Armstrong campus has a print shop available to the public?; the joy of classic Sunday newspaper comics such as Peanuts, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes; how much fun he had during the SOY X SOY Art Battle back in July and how surprised he was to make it to the last round; and finally: Zack loves art collaborations - feel free to reach out to him if you're interested!
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Brian MacGregor, a fine artist and - more so over the past couple of years - a muralist who's had a studio in City Market for 20+ years now. He moved to Savannah from Richmond, VA in 2000 and got an Illustration degree from SCAD.
Brian says: "You may have noticed all the handwriting in the backgrounds of my paintings. These pages come from thousands of different people's hand written nocturnal dreams that I collage into the background of my work. I have been collecting these dreams for over 15 years in several journals hanging outside my galleries for the public to write in. I call my style "Romantic Surrealism" inspired by the artists of the late eighteen hundreds, mixed with contemporary artistic methods."
Check out Brian's work and follow him here:
https://brianmacgregor.net/
https://www.instagram.com/brian.macgregor/
Topics in their chat include:
How Brian started showing at A.T. Hun Gallery in City Market in 2003 (until 2008), while still a student, because he was assertive about getting involved in, and volunteering for, the gallery; his trial and error with layering different colors as transparent layers that will be saturated, yet still show the collaged handwriting pages beneath; how he plans out and draws the compositions of his paintings precisely, but then wants the painting stage to be fairly loose; how currently his art business has shifted to be more mural jobs than fine art sales; the importance of researching how much sunlight an outdoor mural is going to get; renting a construction lift for his big murals; how physically arduous painting a mural is; the huge ceiling mural he did on the soon-to-open Subaru dealership in Pooler (and how hard that was on his body); his devotion to Behr paint and toned primers; the recent mural he did for the City, right on the surface of a road at an intersection in Cloverdale, intended to slow down traffic; and Brian's advice to begin your mural portfolio just by painting your own walls.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Kasey Jeffrey, a mixed media artist and graphic designer. She is currently focusing on collage and watercolor, often incorporating organic and hand done elements into her digital designs and illustrations.
She's a member of Dreamhouse Studios, an artist workspace above the Starland Strange shop, where she both creates her art and leads various craft workshops.
You can order her "Magic Beet" book through Barnes & Noble, etc!
Check out Kasey's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/kaseymakesstuff/
https://www.kaseyjeffrey.com/
https://www.dreamhousesavannah.com/workshops
Topics in their chat include:
How Kasey moved here from Pennsylvania in 2022, sight unseen, with her partner, and loved it here right away; her degree in Communication Design - comprised of graphic design, advertising, web design, and illustration - and how the illustration parts have inspired her to bring in handmade, physical collage into her graphic design; her first post-college job as an in-house designer for Martin Guitars in PA, doing such work as the labels inside sound holes, art on the guitar neck and fretboard, and the graphics for the company's guitar museum; visiting the workshop where the "inlay guys" were hand-creating the fretboard art she had designed; the joy of using a "clay pasta" machine to make her polymer clay jewelry; she's now a year into being completely freelance, juggling her graphic and web design work, making and selling her own prints and jewelry, and hosting regular creative workshops; "Magic Beet," a book illustration project she landed while still in college, after having proactively reached out to local design businesses for gigs; Kasey's belief in the benefit of cold-calling potential clients to grow her graphic design business; her advice to only show work in one's portfolio that's the type you want to continue to make; and going forward, she's pushing herself to work on larger and more detailed pieces, using paper that expands out beyond the page and has non-flat elements, and working through how to finish/frame it.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Mary Carol Kenney, a "figurative artist known for her work in painting and mixed media, often drawing inspiration from her surroundings to explore themes of nature, people, and culture."
Mary Carol moved to Savannah in early 2021, largely because someone once told her she would really like it here, and joined the City Market Art Studios at the beginning of July, after having spent years working from her home studio. Visit her symbolism-filled figurative paintings and her pop art screenprints in her studio, or on Saturdays at the farmers' market/lane of artists selling in Forsyth Park!
This Sunday, Sept 8 from 4-7pm we're throwing an Open Studios event at the City Market North side (above the Georgia Tasting Room) - please join us to chat with the artists and enjoy light refreshments and music!
Check out Mary Carol's work and follow her here:
https://www.marycarolkenney.com/
https://www.instagram.com/marycarolkenney/
Topics in their chat include:
How Mary Carol transitioned from being a "happy hermit" in her home studio to working out of City Market at the beginning of July, to boost her sales from just selling Saturdays in Forsyth Park; what are cyanotypes and screenprints?; her time spent in Santa Barbara taking all variety of art and craft classes at the local school; her first career of working as a self-taught seamstress for 40 years; her thoughts about the "generosity of spirit" she saw amongst artists both in Savannah and in Santa Barbara; how Mary Carol ended up in Savannah based on someone once telling her she would really like it here; how she began her painting series of shells with Dutch pours through doing crafts with her young grandchildren, of which 6 paintings were recently chosen by a new interior decor shop downtown (!); how her "To Err is Human" series was inspired by the time she spent caring for her mother with late-stage dementia; getting involved in a few upcoming art fairs this fall: Gordonston and Isle of Hope; and her thoughts about selling in Forsyth Park and all of the energy the SCAD students bring to town.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Lusiana Morales, who was born in Puerto Rico and began an architecture program there, while also apprenticing at a local tattoo shop and honing her linework skills. Midway through her degree she moved to Savannah to instead get her BFA in Painting at SCAD - she arrived in town in early 2020, so her first months here were during the height of Covid!
Since graduating, Lusiana spent some time in Miami before returning to Savannah to work at Tramp Art Studios and pursue her MFA in Fibers, which she is currently halfway through.
Check out Lusiana's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/lusiana.arte/ (art)
https://www.instagram.com/lusiana_morales/ (tattoos)
https://www.lusianamorales.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How Lusiana got into art and making by carrying her coloring books and markers around everywhere as a child, and then by her Grandma teaching her how to use a sewing machine growing up; growing up amongst the nature of Puerto Rico (including snakes and iguanas); her 2 years of architecture school, which led to her apprenticeship as a tattoo artist, and the gradual realization that she wanted to study drawing painting instead; how she arrived in Savannah at the beginning of 2020 and the challenge of then immediately taking her Life Drawing and other studio classes over Zoom; what kind of undergarments do life models wear when they are modeling over Zoom?; the tattoo licensing exam is mostly about how to handle bodily fluids and about pathogens and CPR; her recent 1-month internship in various rural areas of Guatemala to learn about traditional textile techniques; the difference between back-strap weaving and a floor loom; being able to travel around and do guest residencies at other tattoo shops, and how she packs her inks for plane travel; and what she's looking forward to: the annual SOY X SOY group show this fall at the Cultural Center, and looking ahead to her final year of her Fibers MFA program.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Jason Bible, an Americana and rock singer-songwriter and instrumentalist who was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He began performing and recording music in the 90s - singing and playing guitar and harmonica.
He left Texas and moved to Savannah in 2001 (due to a "banking issue"), and immediately began playing multiple shows a night, focusing on bars on River Street, and eventually out on the islands. In 2005 he formed the band The Train Wrecks, who are still going strong today.
Nowadays you can catch Jason playing solo, with The Train Wrecks, and, recently, out playing Nirvana covers with his teenage son Jack.
Check out Jason's music and follow him here for concert and album news:
https://www.instagram.com/jasonbiblemusic/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UXKMDrq24J2TJIJi4DJAN
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-7NvBK95xe8bPrdmvtW_IA
Topics in their chat include:
How Jason started learning guitar and harmonica in HS, through private lessons focusing on early Dylan songs; playing solo both in indie coffee shops and in various Barnes & Nobles in Denton, TX during the heydey of the coffeehouse era; his recent gig opening for BB King's daughter and Stevie Ray Vaughan's nephew at Tybee Post Theatre; what does he mean by "leave sawdust on the stage?;" how his longtime band The Trainwrecks started, playing 3 gigs a night running around out on Tybee and Wilmington Island; how he and a co-writer have written 2 books, with a corresponding song per chapter, named for principles/tenets of Buddhism (contact Jason for these books); how difficult it is to find left-handed guitars and Jason's recommendations for where to buy them; the "Quarantine Concerts" Jason played during the pandemic; Jason's recent musical endeavor with his drummer son Jack, performing Nirvana covers around town for the past year, and the challenge of reenacting Kurt Cobain's screams; his karaoke song is "Roadhouse Blues;" and his upcoming projects: keep an eye on his IG about a new record and book coming out hopefully fall 2025, and about all of his upcoming gigs.
Tune in and get all the details!
It's the 2-year anniversary of Rob Hessler handing the podcast over to Tamara Garvey (after having done it for 5 years)!
To celebrate, Tamara, Rob, and David Laughlin - who also did the show for a few year with Rob - met up for a looooong wild chat about Savannah's creative scene and the art(s) of interviewing and writing about it.
(One thing we all agree on is the excitement of getting feedback from people who are listening to/reading our interviews HINT HINT!)
Do you want even more of our unhinged thoughts? Check out each of our social media here:
https://www.instagram.com/tamgarv/
https://www.instagram.com/work_by_rob_hessler/
https://www.instagram.com/thedavidlaughlin/
Topics in our chat include:
Rob insulted his way into a regular writing gig at the Savannah Morning News; the in-and-outs of the current publishing cycle of the SMN; how the nature of the 1-on-1 interview is much easier for (introverted) creatives to talk about their work than at public Artist Talks; how creating each interview episode is an art project in itself; how rewarding it is to interview a burgeoning artist and give them a little boost; particular interviews that have stood out to each of us; the time David recorded a car crash during one of his interviews; the fact that Savannah has been a cultural mecca for years and we are wondering if it has/is peaking (a la Key West), because of housing prices; we each answer a few of David's "studio questions," including a great piece of advice we've each received; Rob talks about a recent article he wrote that has drawn some heat; choosing interview subjects and the necessity of being inspired by each other; "art decorates space and music decorates time;" the shared experience of trying to protect our time and our creative labor when society tries to get these things for free.
Bonus article David found that related to our talk about Savannah!
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Adriana Iris Boatwright, a creative photographer and writer with a focus in social media. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and came to Georgia in 1994 by way of NYC and Germany.
Her clients include: Coca Cola, Savannah Morning News, H&M, Bath and Body Works, Ghost Coast Distillery, Paramount Pictures, Do Savannah, and more.
Adriana is also an editor for La Voz Latina (a Spanish online magazine for SMN), and one of about 4 founding members of SOY X SOY, a space for Latino and Native American artists and creatives to meet, collaborate, and exhibit their work.
- Get ready for Art Rumble - A @soy_x_soy event!
8 artists will go head to head to win it all. What they draw is up to you! So make sure you attend to participate.
July 13 | 5-9 pm | Starland Yard *
Check out Adriana's work and the SOY X SOY group here:
https://www.instagram.com/adrianairis/
https://adrianairis.com/
https://www.instagram.com/soy_x_soy/
Topics in their chat include:
How Adriana was involved in Starland becoming an artsy district from its early days, throwing theme parties at the Wormhole; how her creative career came about through her blog about her baby daughter - she wrote a post about her brother's death and it went viral, and she suddenly got photography offers from various publications, including Savannah Morning News, where she still works; she transitioned out of blogging about her daughter as she got a bit older, to writing and photographing for SMN, particularly when they first launched "Do Savannah;" she shot the covers for years, including covers with the first gay couple and the first drag queen; how much she loved doing photo shoots with bands and collaborating about their location and their visuals; the pressure that comes from having a large Instagram following and a lot of people keeping an eye on you; the fact that Savannah has about 300 professional photographers (!); the importance to her of still going out to do personal and conceptual photo shoots for fun; having to transition from film photography to digital, including teaching herself Photoshop; being a sort of "purist" who doesn't rapid-fire during a shoot; doing food photography for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and SMN; she tells a wild story about the time an alligator suddenly walked through City Market, until being rehomed by Animal Control; shooting the yearly Lowcountry Pow Wow at Hardeeville, the only one in the area; upcoming Conde Nast Traveler in England of our local coffee shop Agatha's (!); and the upcoming SOY X SOY Art Battle.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Henry Dean, who works in various modes (drawing and mixed media works on paper, installation, painting, sculpture, video), and is also a Foundations professor at SCAD.
Our talk centered around his recently completed "Now and Then," a national immersive land-art project inspired by Nature and Cosmos - specifically the April 8th, 2024 total eclipse. As an Arts-Science initiative it imagines Nature and environment as unique and wonderful attributes of the cosmic whole (and was a project two years in the making!).
Henry graduated St. Andrews University, Scotland (1980, MFA honors, Geography and Fine Arts combined), and Savannah College of Art and Design (2003, MFA Painting).
Check out his work and the "Now and Then" project specifically, and follow him here:
https://www.henrydean.art/
https://www.instagram.com/nowandtheneclipse24/
Topics in their chat include:
Before Henry moved from Philadephia to Savannah in 1999, he was mostly making and selling very large, plein air landscape paintings; his theories on why North America has had 2 total eclipses a few years apart, after not having had any for years; we try to wrap our heads around the experience of the Old Masters who created art in obscurity, died, and then were discovered & lauded throughout the world for centuries (!); how a long creative career always involves different waves of work, including transitional periods, and how craftspersonship can carry your work through successfully; coming to see that "Now and Then" was not specifically about the eclipse, but really about people, honoring communities and landscapes, expressing a wonder for nature, shared experiences, and tying communities together; and the details on that project: two years' worth of work and planning, 15 sculptures across 6 locations, driving across the country reaching out to local governments and chambres of commerce to make pitches for an art project that hadn't yet been completely designed.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Sharon Norwood, a conceptual artist whose work spans several media to include painting and ceramic. She was born in Jamaica, then raised in Canada, before moving to the US to earn BFA and MFA degrees in art & painting from schools in Florida.
Sharon's work investigates the ways in which race, gender, and cultural identity shape our perceptions of ourselves and other people. In her work the curly line becomes a metaphor for the “black body." She is an active educator and lecturer, and her work is part of public collections at notable institutions such as the Gardiner Museum, Washington & Lee University Museums, The Telfair Museums, and The National Museum for Women in the Arts.
Check out Sharon's work and follow her here:
https://sharonnorwood.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sharonnorwoodartist/
Topics in their chat include:
Sharon and other family members emigrated from Jamaica to Canada when she was about 9 years old, which plunged her into a period of muteness; getting her BFA and MFA degrees after an early career in graphic design; a "controversially famous" poet uncle; how her time at art school began with her trying to get better at painting realistic portraits, but because she was then the only student concerned with mixing colors for painting dark skin tones, her work immediately became tagged as "political" or "about race," when that wasn't even her intention; so her work then became an examination of that phenomenon; how many porcelain tea sets are luxury items; her group show in 2019 at Laney Contemporary; her great practice of traveling around the US and Canada for artist residencies; and a recent installation she did in the drawing room at the Owens-Thomas House, in which she also incorporated sound.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Will Penny, who grew up in Ontario and first moved to Savannah about 20 years ago, to get his BFA in Painting from SCAD. After graduation he moved away, later returning for his MFA in Painting, and has been in town ever since.
* Special note that on Weds 5/22 and Thurs 5/23, he will participate in a two-day event at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum: a light and sound festival entitled “Celestial Seafarers,” featuring Will and 6+ other local artists. Info and tickets here.
Will is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice incorporates an assortment of media ranging from painting, video, sculpture, programming, and projection. His work aims to combine traditional art making tools with new technologies, to create space to explore themes such as embodiment, presence, fantasy, and the sublime.
Check out Will's work and follow him here:
https://www.willpenny.com/
https://www.instagram.com/willpennyart/
Topics in their chat include:
During his BFA Will focused on refining his skills at painting realism, but when he returned for grad school he focused more on exploring concepts, and took elective classes in motion media design and visual effects; his interest in nostalgia (ex. the history of hockey masks) and working through his childhood of the 80s and 90s, both the good memories and the more traumatic ones; working through your memories, with all of the associated emotional attachments; how he came to be represented by Laney Contemporary; the whole emerging element of how archival work that incorporates technology or media is, whether it might degrade over time, and whether a museum or artist should maintain it; how his past series of 3D printed pieces were exploring the "sublime experience" of nature (but ended up too expensive to continue to produce); lessons he learned from his Big Mouth Billy Bass AI project, both from the summer heat outside of Green Truck and indoors at the recent ArtFields Festival; and his upcoming two-day event at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum: a light and sound festival entitled “Celestial Seafarers,” featuring Will and 6+ other local artists.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara and David for an interview with Autumn Gary, a largely self-taught American/First Nations painter, sculptor, and art instructor from Portland, Oregon. Her practice revolves around therapeutic art outreach, public art, and intertribal collaboration with indigenous/native arts communities.
Mark your calendar: Autumn and Alexis Javier (of Sulfur Studios) will have a joint exhibition at the #art912 space in the Jepson Center from July 19 until next February 9, with an Artist Talk & Reception on July 18!
Check out Autumn's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/autumn.gary.art/
https://www.telfair.org/exhibitions/of-one-mind/
Topics in their chat include:
Growing up in an artistic and inclusive environment; making pilgrimages to the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec; learning the Mohawk language and discovering how many words and feelings are untranslatable between it and English; having moved to Savannah in 2008, largely as the result of a dream; her sculpture project at the Savannah Center for the Blind and Low Vision, which was a collaboration with the blind users of the center; the center's Training Sidewalk, which recreates the various topographies of a city, so blind people can practice getting around; what she and AJ are planning for their collaborative sculpture and immersive Jepson Center exhibition coming up in a few months; the unstructured way she teaches at the Telfair's art summer camps; the awesome surfing metaphor we came up with toward the end of the show; and dancing with seniors.
Tune in and get all the details!
- And some cool podcast news: Feedspot has highlighted Art on the Air as one of the Top 3 Georgia Art Podcasts on the web. Hooray!
https://blog.feedspot.com/georgia_art_podcasts/
Join Tamara and David for an interview with Melyssa Amann, who was born and raised in the Caribbean country Trinidad and Tobago. She came to Savannah in 2016 to attend SCAD, and after trying a couple of directions, earned a BFA in illustration with a minor in scientific illustration.
Her website shows a wide variety of her work - portraiture, editorial and commercial work, murals, and scientific illustration - and she does a great job including sketches and progress images for each project.
Since graduating, Melyssa has gotten a steady stream of mural commissions. You can go see her public work at Kanpai II on Chatham Pkwy., the new Artstryngs Gallery on Liberty St.; and the JEA's basketball court.
Check out Melyssa's work and follow her here:
https://www.melyssaamann.com/
https://www.instagram.com/melyssaamann/
Topics in their chat include:
A little background info on Melyssa's birthplace of Trinidad & Tobago; her roundabout journey to studying illustration at SCAD after trying engineering and industrial design, due to not knowing how one would make a living in the arts if not in a "serious" design field; the weirdness of graduating college in spring 2020; how working at Wasabi's on MLK while studying at SCAD led to her first mural, of koi fish, which has in turn led to multiple other mural commissions (even today!); the agony of seeing your chalk mural getting accidentally smudged by restaurant diners; the pluses and minuses of having many different styles and types of projects on one's website; the arduous experience of painting on a basketball court during June in Savannah; her desire to continue breaking away from just depicting strict and tight representation, but to be able to incorporate concepts as well; and a lovely piece of advice Melyssa would give to other artists.
Tune in and get all the details!
- And some cool podcast news: Feedspot has highlighted Art on the Air as one of the Top 3 Georgia Art Podcasts on the web. Hooray!
https://blog.feedspot.com/georgia_art_podcasts/
Join Tamara for an interview with Danèlle Lejeune, who is a poet, memoirist, and photographer, as well as the Assistant Director at the Ossabaw Writers’ Retreat.
From her website: "Danèlle was a livestock farmer in Southern Iowa. She moved to Georgia with her three kids and nothing else in 2016, to begin again from the ground up. After a twenty year hiatus she's writing poetry, making art, and creating a a lot of chaos with her opinions on onions and pies."
You can find her debut poetry collection, Landlocked: Etymology of Whale Fish and Grace (Finishing Line Press, 2017), at the Book Lady here in Savannah, or online at the major book retailers.
Check out Danèlle's work and follow her here:
http://www.danellelejeune.com/
https://www.instagram.com/danelle_lejeune_author/
https://ossabawwritersretreat.org/
Topics in their chat include:
Coming to Savannah in 2014 for the first time to attend the Ossabaw Island Writers' Retreat...but she was actually undercover to research and study the Ossabaw pigs, to help with her and her then-husband's pig farm in Iowa; how her quick iphone photos taken while hiking on Ossabaw were published as the posters for AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs); how that conference led to her getting an invite for a free(!) writers' retreat & residency in Prague, where she wrote enough Irish mythology-related poems to make an entire book, which was also quickly published; teaching composition classes at University of South Carolina at Bluffton; how dramatic a writers/artists retreat can be; and how supportive the Book Lady shop has been for her and for other local writers.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Molly Cusick, who works in the dual arts of photography and pottery, and shares a City Market studio with her mother (who also works in two art forms!). Traveling through the world's most beautiful places, Molly sees beauty where others are not looking. Faces of rocks, creek reflections, abandoned cars and barnacled boats offer a rich interplay of texture, color, and tone. Her eyes are drawn to the way that nature overtakes manmade objects.
She has a specific project called the Tree Pilgrimage:
"...born from the ashes of the Thomas fire, in January 2018, is a project honoring embodied connection and awakening.
I followed a calling from deep within my heart to be with and photograph the amazing Trees around the world while I still had the chance."
Check out Molly's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/mollycusickphotography/
http://www.mollycusickphotography.com/
https://www.thetreepilgrimage.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mollycusickpottery/
Topics in their chat include:
Growing up in a creative home and receiving her first (film) camera at 14; her affinity for junkyards and rusty old cars; in February 2020 Molly went to New Zealand for a 3-6 month photography trip, and when the pandemic hit she ended up staying there for 1 1/2 years, extending her visa to travel solo and do nature photography; her early time in Savannah selling work at the Savannah Gallery of Art; being a part of the Clayer & Co pottery teaching studio in Thunderbolt; getting photo prints made and her discovery of metal prints; close calls with bears and cobras; and her plans for future photography trips to Bulgaria and Madagascar.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Phoebe Plank, who is just a few months from finishing her MFA in Fibers at SCAD. Her path to making art in the first place began when she studied abroad in Paris during her undergrad program, and had her eyes opened to a more unconventional way of life by the older woman who housed her. After graduating, she moved from Vermont to San Francisco, eventually making a bunch of artsy friends and attending the Burning Man festival, and from there she decided to move to Savannah and pursue her art.
Phoebe says: "With what might be considered waste, or overlooked foraged materials, I assemble and create useful art objects and experiences. To address an overwhelming degree of alienation in our time, I aim to make work that is useful, even if in quiet sensory ways."
Check out Phoebe's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/phoebe_plank/
https://phoebeplankart.squarespace.com/
Topics in their chat include:
Phoebe coining the name "stickwork" for her recent series of pieces, alluding to a magical, whimsical, wand-like vibe; playing around with hanging her stickwork on the wall with one point of contact, as a metaphor for how one exists/balances in the world, vs. hanging it from the ceiling and allowing it to sway around; what is "wet lab" felting and how do horses come into it?!; how is a jacquard loom like a player piano?; how "Dobby" refers to both a Harry Potter character and a person in the weaving process; weaving weeds in Lacoste; Phoebe's "pocket Rumi" book and how she pairs a poem with each of her pressed flower pieces; the amazing Rumi poem about cooked chickpeas that sticks in her memory; and her goal to live in France and pursue her art, post-MFA.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara and David for an interview with Stephen Kasun, who moved to Savannah and began working in the City Market studios back in 2009, and now has two ground-floor studios/gallery spaces. Before that he went to art school at Memphis College of Art, and then University of Cincinnati, and then sold his work in art fairs for years.
Lately painting with acrylic paint and a palette knife, Stephen says: "My subject matter can be anything--as long as it’s about mood and light. My direct, deliberate approach requires a lot of pre-mixing my colors and doing most of the "thinking" on my mixing plate. Each paint stroke is carefully considered beforehand."
Check out Stephen's work and follow him here:
https://www.kasunstudio.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kasunart/
Topics in their chat include:
His switch from oil paint to acrylic 10 years ago and the experimental nature of acrylics; how both pig bladders and earwax (!) have figured into creating paint through the centuries; falling in love with Savannah and City Market back in the 1990s; his recommendation to young artists starting out; the time he lost an entire wall full of paintings into the Savannah River because of a gust of wind during a River Street art fair; how does one pronounce the word "scourge?"; the benefits of selling art through a gallery even though they're taking a commission; is a palette knife the Ferrari of painting materials?; the requirement when you have a ground floor space in City Market to staff/open your studio 7 days a week, but the tradeoff of how high your sales are; the specific qualities of acrylic paint that allow Stephen to be a "mad scientist" and do experiments with air brushing, mediums, etc; Stephen's bespoke palette knives (!); how the Six Pence phone booth is a "gift to artists;" and his upcoming work hopefully to be based on his new drone photography hobby.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara and David for an interview with The Maxines, "a badass all chick rock band in Savannah, GA - grunge w/ a kiss of metal."
They're led by AJ Grey on vocals, with Emma Smith on bass, and twins Coco and Maddie Oke on drums and guitar. You might remember them from our musical episode back around Thanksgiving - if not, go have a listen!
The Maxines released their debut album "Skin Tight" - named after the first song they ever wrote - back on October 1.
Their next show will be Feb 24 at El Rocko!
Listen to The Maxines and follow them here:
https://www.instagram.com/themaxinesband/
https://themaxinesband.bandcamp.com/album/skin-tight
Topics in their chat include:
Their great experience recording their recent and first album, Skin Tight, with Scary of Black Tusk; their new bassist Emma, who replaced Veronica Garcia-Melendez (a previous interviewee on the show!); the addition of an instrument called a "donkey jaw;" how the band formed through word-of-mouth of various female musicians around Savannah, and all of the shared songs they wanted to cover; AJ's physicality during their performances and her philosophy on preparing ahead of time for that; Madonna's lifelong influence; working through the stage fright of their first performance; the complicated bass solo in their song "Letter to a Pill" and how Emma faces it; the success of their first show - an open mic in late 2021 at the Wormhole; their collaborative process of songwriting; going on their recent first tour, lasting 2 weeks, with Savannah band Neckromance; how Coco and Maddie have taught themselves screenprinting to produce all of the band's merch; the excitement of getting CDs made (they still have some available!); their brand-new band manager!; the success of the album release party / music fest they threw in October; new experimental sounds they look forward to trying, such as megaphones; and how metal singers take care of their voices, both in general and especially on tour.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara and David for an interview with Logan Artisan, a painter who works in an impressionistic style and who shows/sells her work primarily at the Savannah Gallery of Art.
Originally from Fayetteville, NC, she earned an undergrad degree at Wingate University in music & vocals, with an aim to becoming a professional opera singer (!). After moving to Savannah, she studied fine art and illustration in graduate school at SCAD.
Stick around for the 54-minute-mark of the show, when Logan sings "Habanera," an aria from Carmen!
Check out Logan's art and follow her here:
https://loganartisanart.weebly.com/
https://www.instagram.com/loganartisanart/
Topics in their chat include:
Challenging the "artistic snobbery" against painting Savannah landscapes; painting soft edges and working in an Impressionist style; earning an undergrad degree in music & vocals, with an aim to becoming a professional opera singer (!), but then unfortunately being waylaid due to the effects of Lyme disease; her success in selling at Savannah Gallery of Art; the occasional horror of countryside living, as far as animals killing each other; the beauty of Ginnie Springs in Florida; Logan's practice of making a daily "drawing of a girl;" quitting drinking; her early years living in Savannah and working in the service industry (complete with server nightmares); discovering a love of egg tempera during her MFA in Illustration program at SCAD; and the wild realization during the interview that she was attempting to do illustrations in her painting classes, and paintings in her illustration classes.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with full-time musician Matt Eckstine, whose songs we featured on a recent special musical episode. Within this episode you'll also hear a few snippets of his music, both solo and with past band The Accomplices.
Matt was voted Best Local Americana/Folk/Roots Band/Artist in Connect Savannah's "Best of 2022" awards. Harnessing a wide range of influences from Tom Petty and Jack Johnson to Steve Earle and James Taylor, he released a debut solo album in 2017, and then in 2020 he created a home studio, resulting in his album "Lil' Blue."
Matt sings and plays guitar regularly in Savannah, Bluffton, and Hilton Head. He plans to work on a brand-new album after the New Year, so keep an ear out!
Listen to Matt's music and follow his show schedule here:
https://www.instagram.com/matteckstinemusic/
https://www.matteckstinemusic.com/
Topics in their chat include:
His recent show at the Lucas Theatre with the Savannah Philharmonic, and in a Traveling Wilburys tribute show at Victory North; how he taught himself guitar in high school; moving to Bluffton and then Savannah from Ohio; his years in the band The Accomplices, including an anecdote from touring life that would make a heartwarming Christmas movie!; and how he balances his time between performing live and creating/recording/editing new music.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara – and David Laughlin, previous co-host of the show! – for an interview with Bobby Bagley, a full-time painter. Born and raised on a military base in Arkansas, he painted his first piece during his freshman year of college.
After moving to Savannah, he spent 10 years spent selling every painting he created through the Morris & Whiteside Gallery (now the Red Piano Gallery) in Bluffton. After that relationship ended, he moved into his own City Market studio (307 W. St. Julian Street, Upper Level, Studio #11), where he now works and sells his art.
In his highly realistic paintings, he typically depicts landscapes that are "a perfect bubble," like his childhood environment, yet they always include some winks to Black history as well. His titles are evocative and include "The Brown Girl You See" and "Come Sunday."
Check out Bobby's artwork here:
https://www.instagram.com/bobbybagleyfineart/
https://www.connectsavannah.com/savannah/bobby-bagley-painting-his-own-story/Content?oid=19995496
Topics in their chat include:
Bobby burying hints/nods to Black history in his paintings and/or titles; composition, story, and color are the most important elements in his work; "Come Sunday" is a nod to the items in his grandmother's purse during church services; why he doesn't depict a person's entire face; Bobby's view that "art doesn't always have to be fun," because it's work, and making it can be tedious; his 10 years spent selling every painting he created through the Morris & Whiteside Gallery (now the Red Piano Gallery) in Bluffton; how that relationship eventually ended because of a disagreement over Bobby's desire to experiment with a different direction with his art's content; currently he works out of a studio in City Market (on the south side), juggling a few paintings at once; the surprising disclosure that Bobby listens to "the saddest music possible" while he works (!); how his color palette is heavily influenced by the colors in stained glass windows, because of all of his church memories; and Bobby's recent practice of revisiting old drawings from years ago, working in a quicker and less detailed way than he usually does.
Tune in and get all the details!
Happy holiday season! We're celebrating with a special show of music by some of Savannah's beloved local musicians.
First, Matt Eckstine, voted Best Local Americana/Folk/Roots Band/Artist in Connect Savannah's "Best of 2022" awards. Harnessing a wide range of influences from Tom Petty and Jack Johnson to Steve Earle and James Taylor, Matt released his debut solo album in 2017. In 2020, the mandatory quarantine provided him with an opportunity to move to a home studio, resulting in "Lil' Blue," 8 brand new tracks that vary in sound and feel but are grounded in their influence. We're playing 9 of his songs, most of which are from that album, plus a few older ones.
https://www.instagram.com/matteckstinemusic/
https://www.matteckstinemusic.com/
Then after our station break, switching the vibe up! We're playing music by The Maxines, an all-female rock band led by AJ Grey on vocals, with Emma Smith on bass, and twins Coco and Maddie Oke on drums and guitar. With angsty, swoon-worthy guitar riffs and moody vocals paired with powerful performances, their mesh of grunge rock and metal speaks for itself. Listen here to 6 songs from their debut album "Skin Tight" - named after the first song they ever wrote - just released on October 1 of this year.
https://www.instagram.com/themaxinesband/
https://themaxinesband.bandcamp.com/album/skin-tight
Stay tuned for future weeks of the show, because we will be featuring an interview with each of these bands, as separate episodes, as well!
Join Tamara – and David Laughlin, previous co-host of the show! – for an interview with Ron Martinez, owner of Hostess City Hot Glass, and his assistant Chris Charley.
A native of nearby Metter, GA, Ron was first introduced to glassblowing while in college in the Pacific Northwest. While supporting himself in jobs ranging from salmon fisherman to antiques dealer, Ronald continued to pursue his love of the ancient craft in Seattle, the Bay Area, and even on a program in Sweden! Ron eventually returned to Savannah with his wife and daughter, and after a few years of working at the now-closed Drayton Glassworks, he opened Hostess City Hot Glass in 2018.
In his amazing glassblowing studio you can take a class, book an event, and shop online and in-studio. They even put on seasonal "epic little scavenger hunts" called Glass Hunts, which allow folks to explore a certain spot in Savannah and find their very own one-of-a-kind hand blown piece of art!
Check out Ron's glasswork and follow the shop here:
https://www.hostesscityhotglass.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hostesscityhotglass/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HostessCityHotGlass
Topics in their chat include:
Ron considers himself to be a glass turner, as opposed to a glass blower; how a glass business is really difficult to maintain, not least because your electric and gas bills are super high - the temperature in his studio frequently reaches 2300 degrees so they have fans running and much of their making is done at night; Ron's belief that his business's success is due to keeping a balance of both making/selling products, and teaching glass making; his term "glasshole" for the jerks in his business; the glass hunts they put on every few months - keep an eye out on their social media! - basically an Easter Egg hunt in a particular spot in town, but you're finding and keeping one of Ron's small glass objects!; at the beginning of the second half Ron goes into the history of glassmaking and info about the modern scene, how the two major tracks are Venetian and Swedish; creating all of the art for his show last year at the Mansion on Forsyth Park in one week; how Ron will be exploring light fixtures for his new/upcoming work; his focus on symmetry as the main technical element in his work; his loss of fingerprints on one hand (!); their new shopdog, Peaches the bulldog; and his awesome answer to David's last question: What's something you can do with glass that you can't do with other mediums?
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara - and David Laughlin, previous co-host of the show! - for an interview with Ted Michalowski, a Professor of Illustration at SCAD with a long career as an On-the-Spot/Reportage/Lifestyle Illustrator. He graduated in the inaugural class of Murray Tinkelman’s MFA Illustration program at the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford.
Ted went on to work as a courtroom artist in a variety of high-profile trials, broadcasted by CNN, CNN en Español, CBS News, ABC News, and Fox News. For ten years he also studied privately under Fred Brenner, prominent children’s book illustrator, wildlife artist, fashion illustrator, and educator.
He and his students got the chance to create live drawings of many actors visiting for the recent SCAD Film Fest, including Bob and Erin Odenkirk and Kevin Bacon. Ted also has an original piece in an exhibition opening Nov 17, at the Society of Illustrators in NYC!
Check out Ted's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/tedmichalowski/
http://tedmichalowski.com/
Topics in their chat include:
Ted's hilarious quote about courtroom illustration: "capturing people through drawing; drawing people who have already been captured;" his father's influence on Ted and instilling the value of making, keeping, and maintaining friendships; the "friendliness of drawing" in connecting with a person visually; teacher Fred Brenner who inspired him to start drawing people while sitting out in public, and his thoughts about a face being a landscape; a teaser of Ted's AMAZING rock DJ voice at the beginning of the show's second half; the annual live music and live drawing events Ted and a musician friend puts on throughout Poland; Ted's thoughts on society's salacious interest in violent video games and in the famous trials he's illustrated, vs. the real-life emotionally difficult experience of sitting near the families involved, having to listen to the testimony, etc; Fred Brenner's words: "the role of the artist is to reinforce the value of life;" Ted's compliments on the quality and emotional depth of the movies shown at the recent SCAD Film Fest, especially "American Fiction" and "Poor Things;" and his thoughts that becoming a teacher was about finding something he loved that gave him meaning, and then turning around and passing it along to a new generation.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Ivan Chow, who's lived in Savannah since 2013 and is in the process of retiring from his lifelong career as an architect. At the same time, he's ramping up his fine art practice - Ivan has been drawing buildings and cityscapes throughout his life, of Savannah scenes and of everywhere else he's visited.
For a few years now, he's been working as an Artist-in-Residence and Educator at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. He's also self-published two books of his artwork, created both en plein air and in the studio: "Sketching Savannah" and "Travel Sketching."
Check out Ivan's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/qkkdraw/
https://www.facebook.com/ivanchowsketches
Topics in their chat include:
Ivan was in Harvard grad school in the early 80s was when computer-based design programs started to take over in educational curriculums, quickly pushing hand drawing to the back seat; his thoughts on the importance of "the craft," of using one's hands for drawing, building, etc; the book "The Thinking Hand"; his experience as a young architect using the infamous "diazo printer" amidst all of its VOCs; his work with Fallingwater: performing a survey and recommendations of all the properties for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; and developing his art/illustration practice by hanging work at the Savannah Gallery of Art, making prints and cards of his drawings, and self-publishing his books so he could make sure to have gloss finish paper on the interior pages.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Axelle Kieffer, painter and handcut collage artist. She was raised in a tiny French town on the German border, then moved to Strasbourg for college, and eventually came to Savannah at age 35 and has been here ever since.
She currently has a show up at Sulfur Studios - Paper Cuts, An International Collage Exchange - which runs through this Saturday, Oct 21. She's collaborated on over 200 collages since 2019, mostly through the postal service with other artists from around the world, and this exhibition is displaying many of those pieces.
Also this year, she's been published in MA LANGUE SUR TON CŒUR (MY TONGUE ON YOUR HEART), a collective book published by Joie Panique that brings together texts and images about love, by 70 artists from all over the world.
Check out Axelle's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/axellekieffer/
https://axellekiefferart.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How Axelle defines the difference between surrealism and Dada; how for her first years in Savannah she created oil paintings of skulls, skeletons, etc, and she realized that her childhood was spent amongst medieval churches that had chandeliers and other decorations made from bones, which had made its way into her subconscious so thoroughly that she didn't even think of it as macabre; how she started thrift store shopping and found lots of old medical books, and the colors and shapes inspired her to begin taking them apart to create paper collages; her thoughts on using a scalpel to cut paper for a collage vs. tearing it to create an interesting, textured edge; and her involvement in "Collective Concern" - an upcoming show that will be traveling around the U.S. for the next 4 years.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Matt Toole ("Maker. Teacher. Explorer. Collector.") of Toole Sculpture Works. He creates contemporary artwork, custom furniture, lighting, and other unique objects for a variety of home and garden applications. Most elements are handcrafted from ferrous metals or upcycled from selected materials both manufactured and found in nature.
Matt grew up around the barrier islands and salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia. He received a BFA from Georgia Southern in 1994, and an MFA from Southern Illinois University in 2000. He returned to Savannah for good around 2003, and then spent time as a professor at both Georgia Southern and at SCAD, before eventually creating his company and becoming a full-time sculptor.
Check out Matt's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/toole_sculpture_works/
https://toolesculptureworks.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How Matt fell in love with pouring and melting metal during his BFA program for 3D art; working as an art mover and installer in Atlanta between undergrad and grad school; how seeing a George Beesley iron performance inspired him to go into iron casting and making art for a living; what's the difference between casting and forging?; the safety mishap he had during a metal splashing demo; how a Minnesota winter drive him back to Savannah for good, around 2003; how many of his commission clients want to collaborate on the thinking and planning processes and how much Matt enjoys that; his work with the city's Storm Drain and Rain Garden Flowers projects, educating kids (and adults!) about environmental issues; how towns with "bloom" in the name come from the steel industry, ex. Bloomington, Indiana; his upcoming group show at Ology Gallery in October; and the music festival he's organizing for Nov 18 - a benefit for Pegasus Riding Academy, which helps kids and veterans with special needs.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Kurtis Schumm, a 20-year Tybee Island resident who started his adolescence playing guitar in the "esteemed haunts of Nashville and beyond, including the famed Bluebird Cafe at 14." After moving here, he transitioned into a culinary career, opening Tybee Island Social Club with his wife and eventually running 4 successful restaurants at once.
Just before Covid, they sold their restaurant concepts and Kurtis transitioned again, into a full-time art career. His work largely depicts female portraiture and an island aesthetic, and his materials are truly unique: epoxy and acrylic paints, and ink, on plexiglass. (And because he's painting on a clear surface, he works "backwards," i.e. painting in mirror image on the back side of his substrate.)
Check out Kurtis's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/givemeschumm/
https://www.kurtisschumm.com/
Topics in their chat include:
The connection between wine and colors, and how that led Kurtis to visual art; moving to Savannah about 20 years ago, when his artist mother moved to Tybee; studying food under a woman from Verona, Italy; Kurtis's idea to teach cooking to underprivileged communities so they can get the most healthy food out of a small budget; how he began painting just to create some art for the walls of his restaurants, and finding success selling them; details about how Plexi behaves - how you can cut it down by scoring, how he hangs it with or without frames, how various types of paint and ink behave on it; doing a portrait commission for realtor Cora Bett Thomas that included her surrounded by 10 of her dogs through the years; if you own his art and repaint the wall it's hanging on, you can change the color tone of his piece; getting his art printed on the labels of 2 wines for California-based Seamus Wines; how you can buy his work around town at Grand Bohemian Gallery and One Fish, Two Fish, as well as on St. Simon's Island; and also at the Isle of Hope show on Oct. 21, where Kurtis will be selling various sizes of original paintings.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Charla Pettingill, a published illustrator, surface designer, and illustration professor with 14 years of industry experience designing for print and pattern. A native of East Tennessee, she graduated from SCAD with a B.F.A. in Illustration and an M.A. in Visual Communication, then moved to Atlanta to work in the industry.
She's now back in Savannah, having returned to SCAD's Illustration department as a professor. Charla juggles this with her freelance work creating artwork for magazines, product packaging, floor coverings, fabric, gift wrap, and greeting cards, as well as children's activities and books. Repeat patterns are her passion!
Check out Charla's work and follow her here:
https://www.charladraws.com/ https://www.instagram.com/charladraws/
Topics in their chat include:
Savannah feeling like a big city when she arrived in 2004; learning the "straight line technique" in life drawing class; interesting facts about the use of gouache in mid-century illustration, and its revival now, including being used in Rifle Paper Co.'s greeting card illustrations; while in "Intro to Illustration" class as a sophomore she got a freelance job illustrating a family friend's book, "The Last Voyage of the Cosmic Muffin;" what does "Work for Hire" mean in a contract?; how print on demand sites are great for artists to continue making passive income; how Charla transitioned into digital art during SCAD, learning Illustrator and Corel Painter (now surpassed by Procreate); her advice to anyone doing graphic or surface design to "make friends with Illustrator;" what is "collateral" in the design world?; how nowadays illustration can overlap with animation, film, graphic design/advertising, and architecture; what is "fairycore?"; and the time a journal she design was featured in Apartment Therapy.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Faran Riley - local artist, geology enthusiast, fine jewelry connoisseur, and aspiring surfer. A Savannah native, she was one of the first classes to go through Savannah Arts Academy. After living in both Boston and NYC, she returned to town in 2020 and now works out of Sulfur Studios, exhibiting her drawings, paintings, and rock collections.
Faran begins her paintings with abstract imagery in Sumi ink (and sometimes acrylic paint), then "carves the image out," adding backlighting and moments of realism and surrealism using colored pencils. Her fantastical landscapes are inspired by a combination of her Night Walks around Savannah, and time spent at her family home in coastal Maine.
Check out Faran's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/faranriley/ https://www.faranriley.com/
Topics in their chat include:
Working on performance art and installation while attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, including a diner in her studio made of cardboard, operating 24 hours a day; the emotional turmoil of her college critiques and review boards; her post-college years living in NYC and working as a studio assistant to Yunhee Min; Faran's thoughts about the contemporary versions of the Old Masters artists who subcontracted parts of their painting work to assistants; her interest in gemstones and diamonds, stemming from working for years in a high-end jewelry boutique; getting back into art by taking drawing classes at the 1898 NYC institution, The National Arts Club; how she moved back home to Savannah at the start of Covid; using materials to experiment with markmaking in order to depict textures in her landscapes; the well-loved NYC art model Madeline; Savannah's new gallery space Ology Gallery near Bonaventure Cemetery; her current pieces merging the foliage and landscape of Savannah with her family's home in Maine; and her final words about Savannah feeling like such a supportive community because there are enough artist opportunities to go around without us competing.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with singer and musician Trae Gurley. He's a long-time Savannahian who specializes in songs by The American Songbook legends, such as Sinatra, Mercer, Porter, Gershwin, and Cahn. Over his 30-year career, Trae has performed at restaurants, jazz bars, private parties, and weddings, from The Hollywood Hills to Cape Cod.
When downtown staple Jazz'd first opened in 2003, Trae began a weekly Thursday night singing gig, and he stayed for 10 years! After all these years, he and his band El Alma are about to return for 3 performances: Saturday August 19, Saturday September 23, and Saturday October 14.
Check out Trae's music and follow him here:
https://www.traegurley.com/ https://www.instagram.com/traegurley1975/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9b7-deggc&t=4s
Topics in their chat include:
How Trae got started in music by learning saxophone in high school; his memories of growing up in Garden City and then Pooler; the thriving musical theatre scene in Savannah during the 90s (did you know there used to be "Shakespeare in the Square?!"); how he spent years emceeing kids' dance competitions every weekend before segueing into becoming a voice performer; his earliest performances in a Savannah club called Moxie's, singing in an oversized tuxedo at midnight, to people playing pool; the term "The Great American Songbook" to describe Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc; his night singing "Moon River" at a gig next door to Johnny Mercer's old house; and getting to return to musical theatre by performing this past spring in "Once."
(Side note re: our conversation about Sinatra, per Google it is true that "He didn't have any formal music education, but he had perfect pitch.")
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for a re-interview with freelance artist/illustrator Adonis Deking. He was Tamara's first interviewee, so we're checking in to see what the past year has brought him!
Adonis recently had a month-long exhibition of landscapes and pet portraits at the Churchwood Gallery in Pennsylvania. He's a self-directed learner who recently taught himself the impasto and sgraffito techniques, and he's juggling his pet portrait commissions with fulfilling orders of his stickers and prints on both Faire and Etsy.
Check out Adonis's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/deking_art/ https://adonisdeking.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How Adonis started having more success selling his stickers and prints wholesale, i.e. to businesses, than directly to people; how his pet portrait business has grown massively since he raised his prices substantially -- he now provides a certificate of authenticity, plus a sticker and a print of the pet; the difficulty of painting landscapes on-site (en plein air) as an introvert; his easel that has a built-in carrying case and wheels, so he can safely transport a still-wet painting; what do the techniques impasto and sgraffito mean?; Adonis's cool project of tracking all of the states to which he's shipped Etsy orders; the excitement of buyers wanting to see you hand-sign the print they're buying; his practice of looking at other artists selling similar items for inspiration of how he can package/market his pieces better; and his goal to sell a higher amount each month even if by $5, to constantly be "a better version of himself."
Tune in and get all the details!
It's the one-year anniversary of Tamara taking over host duties from Rob Hessler!
Join her for a replay of the first show - an interview with then-co-host Melissa Taylor of recent SCAD graduate Adonis Deking. This episode originally aired on July 20, 2022.
And stay tuned for our next show, when I'll re-interview Adonis to see where he is in his freelance artist/illustrator career now that it's one year later!
Check out Adonis's work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/deking_art/ https://adonisdeking.com/
This episode includes the following, plus much more: What is Adonis’s theory of the 3 groups his fellow Animation students can be broken into? What inspired him to pick up brushes and paints instead? What early degrees did Tamara and Melissa get, before pursuing completely different fields? What 1980s method of transportation does Adonis use?
Join Tamara for an interview with Kristopher Monroe: "writer, editor, and freelance culture assassin with over two decades of experience writing about the arts and other symptoms of human creativity." He was born and raised in Atlanta, where he began his freelance writing career, then lived in Seattle and NYC before settling in Savannah in 2013.
You've probably read Kristopher's arts column in the Savannah Morning News, which he wrote for many years. He's also contributed to publications ranging from The Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, Village Voice, Juxtapoz, Dazed & Confused, Beautiful/Decay, and Swindle. Lately he's been serving as the current Chair of the Savannah-Chatham County Historic Site and Monument Commission, AND has returned to his first writing love - sci-fi and cyberpunk - and is actively looking for an agent for his recently-completed first novel!
Check out Kristopher's work and follow him here:
https://www.cultureassassin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/savartscene/ https://www.amazon.com/What-Tired-Web-We-Breed-ebook/dp/B07XPD8PH6
Topics in their chat include:
What Kristopher means by calling himself "a cultural assassin;" how the World Trade Organization protests impacted his life trajectory; how he fell into writing about fine art, street art, and pop art despite no formal art education; how 2013 was the last time that either Kristopher or I had a full-time job (!); his years spent balancing a weekly SMN column with 1-2 columns in the Do magazine; how he has blossomed into full adulthood in his community work; and how in the past couple of years he has gotten back to his early love of sci-fi and surrealist creative writing - one short story is available on Amazon for $1 (with cover art by local designer and art aficionado Don Sanders!) - plus a full novel; and his obscure skills with running and fixing a 35mm film projector.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with commercial photographer and SCAD grad Anna Young Byrd, who works out of Sulfur Studios. She fell in love with Savannah at age 12 when her sister came to attend SCAD, and has now lived here since 2017. Two years out of school, she's at such an exciting time in her career - just about to transition into doing her freelance photography full-time!
Anna's goal during a shoot is to make the subject feel like "the coolest person ever," and her dream project would be shooting Dave Grohl for a Rolling Stone cover.
The main design element she focuses on in her work, especially during the editing process, is color. From her site: "Anna is a forward-thinking, hard-working, and inquisitive artist. She is the first to introduce herself, the first to think, and the first to solve a problem. Her fulfillment in life is to bring joy to others. What better way to do that than taking some kickass photos."
Check out Anna's work and follow her here:
https://www.annayoungbyrd.com/ https://www.instagram.com/annas_eyeball/
Topics in their chat include:
How being a people person is so beneficial to her work in making her photo subject feel comfortable as quickly as possible; how coming to Savannah and finding other creative people made her transition from introversion to extroversion; using a digital Nikon as her first camera when she was young and experimenting; how the current trendy look in digital photography is to make it look like it was done with film - light leaks, grain, dust marks - i.e. the perks of digital but with the aesthetics of film; an added bonus of working in photography is working with her hands - putting lights and backgrounds together, and breaking things down; how getting her "big boy camera" allows her to take photos with huge file sizes, big enough to print at billboard size; the importance of using a reference photo to show clients her inspiration/direction/essence of her idea; she takes us through the start-to-finish process of a shoot; how choosing the wrong music once hurt her connection with a model on a shoot; being the creator of her set; how photography is the study and control of light; what is a "treatment book?"; how one's artistic community can help each other through imposter syndrome; and the elaborate setup and editing process it took to create her beautiful shot of a Neutrogena jar leaning over in water.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Ariel Felton, a writer and editor with a decade of experience in feature writing, travel writing, and copywriting. She first arrived in Savannah in 2013, to pursue her MFA in Writing from SCAD.
Post-graduation, she held writing jobs with SCAD and then taught creative writing for local non-profit Deep Center. Her writing has since been published in The New York Times, Vogue, The New Yorker (Shouts & Murmurs), The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Bitter Southerner, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Scalawag Magazine, and more. Her essay “A Letter to My Niece,” first published in The Progressive, was listed as Notable in “Best American Essays 2020.”
Check out Ariel's work and follow her here:
https://arielfelton.com/writing https://www.instagram.com/ar.felton/ https://twitter.com/Ariel_R_Felton
Topics in their chat include:
When Ariel began her MFA program there were only 2 other Writing students; the aspiration to become a David Sedaris-type writer of personal essays; keeping her own creative writing going while she worked as a creative writing teacher for middle- and high-schoolers at Deep Center; her observation that today's young generation cares about anti-bullying and how the internet has handed them terminology that helps them not internalize the various -isms they experience; showing her piece "A Letter to My Niece," a response to James Baldwin's "A Letter to My Nephew," to her parents and sister before it was published; her love for Twitter and using it to find publications' pitch calls; how writing travel blurbs for Atlas Obscura led to a door opening with a Washington Post editor; how she formats her email pitches to editors; how she pitched to the editor at the New Yorker for a year before getting an assignment; branded content is the "cheat code" for a writer to pay the bills; and how she's currently throwing herself into an upcoming book project.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with photographer and multidisciplinary artist Nathaniel Thompson. He was born in Thailand, grew up on St. Simon's Island, and has now lived in Savannah for about 4 years. He primarily uses vintage and analog devices such as early digital cameras, 1980’s slide projectors, medium formats, 35mm, and instant film.
Nathaniel finds inspiration through his current geographical location, road trips, and historical reenactments, depicting images of everyday architecture that are both nostalgic and beautiful, and the relationship between the past and present.
He has a show up now through June 21st at Cafe M here in Savannah, which includes photographs, a vintage iMac displaying his images, and a hand-bound limited edition photo book for sale.
Check out his work and follow him here:
https://www.nathanielryanthompson.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nr.thompson/
Topics in their chat include:
Nathaniel grew up with a photographer dad and grandpa and received his first camera at age 6 (a digital Kodak point-and-shoot); in high school he entered Reflections, the PTA-run art contests, and won multiple times up to the county and/or state level; armed with his first film camera, he took a 3ish-months-long solo road trip from Ohio all over the eastern U.S., generally just sleeping in his car; how his drives on the small roads between Savannah and Brunswick inspired his love of folk and outsider art, as well as estate sales and thrift stores to find ephemera and vintage photography equipment; how he recently spent time with Nomadic Photo Ark, learning their darkroom process and how to use their vintage 4x5 camera; what is lomography film?; development is happening very quickly here in the south, and he is driven to discover sites and buildings and document before they've changed; what was Kodachrome film, other than the title of the Paul Simon song?; and the recent shift of people going back to printing out photos and hanging them up in their home, or even reenacting "vacation slide viewing" by having PowerPoint parties (!). Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with textile maven Katie Glusica. She came to Savannah in 2008 to pursue her MFA in Fibers from SCAD, where she would have access to a then-rare and sought-after jacquard loom.
Post-graduation, she exhibited her personal textile work in tons of renowned shows, including the Smithsonian Craft Show, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, and a SCAD booth at Design Miami of Art Basel. She uses weaving as a means to engage her viewer with the quantum concept of wave/particle duality.
At the same time, Katie launched her business of repairing and restoring handmade rugs, caning, wicker, and rattan. In recent years she has also done consulting work with the Telfair Museum and the Owens-Thomas House, assisting them with various textile preparation, installation, and appraisal.
Check out her work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/katieglusica/
https://www.katieglusica.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How landing a part-time job at a rug restoration shop in Richmond during undergrad inspired Katie's lifelong work; at her fine craft shows she created an immersive gallery space to create an "experience;" she built her business of restoring furniture and rugs with an eye toward sustainability, which is antithetical to the design world which relies on you consuming every few years; her work with the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, dedicated to preserving the Savannah Downtown National Historic Landmark District; her message to artists: tenacity is very important and don't be afraid to hear "no;" rugs are a special niche even within the special niche of textiles, and not taught in very many academic spaces; what does "deaccessioned" mean?; and how the Jacquard loom, developed in 1804, was the first machine to use binary code. More info on the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition:The National Historic Landmark District in Savannah, Georgia, designated in 1966, is now under threat from excessive and inappropriate development. The district is supposed to be protected by local ordinances, but increasingly, important provisions in these ordinances are not being enforced. The National Park Service grades the district as “threatened,” and preservationists are now grouping together to take action to restore the district’s integrity.*https://oglethorpeplancoalition.org/
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Curtis Bartone, printmaker and SCAD printmaking professor, who's lived in Savannah since 2001. His paintings, drawings, and etchings focus on the uneasy relationship between human beings and the natural world, exploring the idea of wilderness and how it has changed from being a real place–mysterious, unknown, and pristine–to a distorted fiction.
Curtis does a great job breaking down all the ins and outs of various printmaking processes, including lithography, intaglio, and etching, and also his subject influences -- from Italian Renaissance painting and 17th-century Dutch still life to 19th-century scientific illustration.
Check out his work and follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/cabartone/
https://www.curtisbartone.com/
Topics in their chat include:
Our perception of the natural world vs. the reality of it; his fascination with animals who have been brought / have migrated to an area where they aren't naturally found; how Curtis started out as a painter but fell in love with printmaking in an etching class during grad school at Northwestern; what is Bavarian limestone?; the Tamarind Institute, a a lithography workshop in New Mexico; the art of purposefully leaving some areas of a piece unfinished; how printmaking is the art of "thinking in layers"; his experience doing an artist residency in Iceland; how much he's learned from bearing witness to his students' printmaking experiments in his 20+ years; and the best artist advice he's gotten.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Mary Hartman, who moved to Savannah in 1996 to get her M.F.A. in Painting from SCAD and has lived here ever since. She works with vine and compressed charcoal, pastel, and acrylic washes, traditionally on heavy hot pressed watercolor paper, but lately has branched out into canvas and panel as well.
Her work is very distinctive - an abstracted, gestural way of depicting realism. The subjects of her ethereal drawings include: horses and other livestock; still life objects such as lemons, juice presses, and cast iron pans; and anvils; as well as portrait commissions.
Check out Mary's work and follow her here:
http://www.maryhartman.net/
https://www.instagram.com/maryhartmanstudio/
Topics in their chat include:
How Mary spent the pandemic delving into lots of virtual foundation & drawing classes on classical technique; the different types of erasers one can use on charcoal, including parts of your hand; how the starting of a piece is the absolute worst but using toned paper or laying down an immediate field of charcoal helps a bit; her love of depicting a lemon; what is liquid pencil?; her night owl tendencies; the technical aspects that have to go into framing a charcoal or pastel piece - floating mats, and spacers in the glass; how you can currently view Mary's work upstairs at PW Short on Whitaker St., and finally - she's working toward putting on a solo show sometime in the next year, possibly called Decommissioned!
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Monica Jane Frisell and Adam Scher, who have been on the road since July 2021, working from their Nomadic Photo Ark - a converted cargo trailer equipped with a full black & white darkroom and photo editing space. Together they're creating A Portrait of US, "photographically exploring and recording audio of the divisions and similarities in ideologies within our current American culture as we emerge from the pandemic."
Monica & Adam are documenting the U.S. one community at a time, one person at a time, one story at a time, and have been working here in Savannah since early March. They have an exhibition up at Sulfur Studios, with a closing reception this Friday, April 7.
Check out the Nomadic Photo Ark project and follow them here:
https://portraitofus.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nomadicphotoark/
https://www.nomadicphotoark.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How this project perfectly combines Monica's training in analog photography, plus Adam's experience of traveling and working in audio recording and editing; what is the first radio station that ever played Lady Gaga?; Monica's 1800's-type steel camera that was built in the 1940s; the process of shedding your worldly goods to live on the road; how this long exhibition at Sulfur Studios has allowed them to analyze their how they pair art & sound for display; how they made a typical "rookie mistake" with their trailer early on in their project; how they juggle the administrative tasks involved in their work, such as constantly booking artist residencies; and how Adam edits peoples' response down to 5 minutes.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Kamryn Shawron, who moved to Savannah from Ocoee, Florida about 10 years ago to earn her SCAD degree in Fibers, and now works as a multimedia artist. Her work focuses on the integration of portraiture, embellishment, and fibers, and she describes it as "stitching and sewing beads into both found and original photos, canvas, and everything else."
Kamryn has created a large body of work stemming from her own photos shoots, which she directs and designs, using friends and family as models, and then embellishes the photos to craft her desired narrative(s). In the past 2 years, she's had both a group and a solo exhibition at galleries in Atlanta, and she also installed a large piece in the Whitaker Street Windows, which locals will know as the tall windowed column just outside of Starland Yard.
Check out Kamryn's work and follow her here:
https://www.instagram.com/kamrynleelu/
https://www.kamrynshawron.com/
Topics in their chat include:
How Fibers artists Tricia Cookson and Sam Norgard influenced her early career; describing her art as "painting with beads;" the post-college transition and how being furloughed during COVID was what really gave her the time first to create a big extensive piece, and then to launch her full-time art career; lessons she has learned about running a needle back and forth through a photograph as opposed to a piece of canvas; does Kamryn's way of working make her a crow, a raccoon, or a surgeon?; her words of wisdom when it comes to stitching various areas across a large surface; her "Mystery Bag" pieces and how she loves decorating and embellishing them; and the theme of celebration/joy/happiness in her work.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Jessica Leigh Lebos: Writer, Adopted Southerner, Anti-Socialite, Camellia Thief (and, as we decided during the interview, Public Menace).
She arrived in Savannah around 2005, and then spent years writing 3 columns a week during Jim Morekis's era of the Connect Savannah, where she was voted Best Newspaper Columnist. She's also a 2022 Winner in the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
In 2018 she compiled her essays into a book called "Savannah Sideways." Since then, she publishes regularly to a Substack (which you can subscribe to), and has a second novel due to come out soon!
Read Jessica's work and follow her here:
https://jessicaleighlebos.substack.com/ https://www.instagram.com/savannahsideways/https://www.amazon.com/Savannah-Sideways-Jessica-Leigh-Lebos/dp/0692950877 (But we encourage you to shop local ;) )
Topics in their chat include:
Spending her first Savannah year living on Tybee Island; her view that the writing is just the deliverable for the privilege of the research, thought, visits, and conversations she gets to do; how a Savannah River visit by Ralph Nader in the 70s eventually led to the Clean Water Act; her recommendations for for the best camellia viewing around town; will Jane Fishman's musical "Johnny Mercer and Me!" eventually make it to Broadway?; juggling other copywriting gigs, including for Savannah Bee Company; and can she be a cross between Carrie Bradshaw and the Joan Didion of Savannah? Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with William Kwamena-Poh, who moved from Ghana to the U.S. as a young man. After studying art in college, he eventually arrived in Savannah in 1995 and has been here ever since.
He's a full-time artist with a City Market studio, a busy schedule of selling (and winning awards) in art fairs across the country, and he even had a solo exhibition at the Jepson Center for the Arts in 2019-20. Through his gouache paintings, William depicts scenes from Ghana, in order to communicate to diverse communities about a people who have been disenfranchised and viewed negatively throughout the years.
Also, William was one of 5 artists profiled in the recently-released Savannah episode of the Amazon Prime show "The Story of Art in America!"
https://www.williamkfineart.net/https://www.instagram.com/kwamenapoh/
Topics in their chat include:
being taught to draw without holding/using an eraser; how making $600 in a 1-night art show in Chicago in the late 80s made him move there; how screenprinting teaches you to really pare down your work's shapes and colors; his philosophy on being open to bargaining when you sell art at fairs; opening his City Market studio AND a gallery in 1996; how he started painting with gouache literally because a tube cost less than a tube of watercolor; his love of driving cross-country for shows; and working toward a big museum show coming up in 2025 at the Dennos Museum in Michigan. Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Ashley Havy of Pashley Pottery, who works on the wheel to create mugs, pots, TINY pots (!), vases, and ceramic jewelry, using such varied techniques as mishima, sgraffito, hand painting, carving, and sculpting. She describes her inspiration as coming from flowers/nature, Art Deco patterns, nail art, and clothing. The first ceramicist Tamara has interviewed, Ashley wisely stated that "ceramics is the art of letting go."
https://www.pashleypottery.com/https://www.instagram.com/pashley.pottery/
Topics in their chat include:
Living in Alaska for 6 months post-college to work in a brewery; is Ashley the last person left who has a few undeveloped film canisters sitting around?; how she defines pottery vs. ceramics; what is "trimming"; why have there not been more horror movies that take place in photography darkrooms??; how her pop-up art show in the notoriously haunted upstairs room in Moon River went; how she makes her 1" mini pots; why are handles so complicated to make and attach?!, and what is the thickest that a ceramics piece really can be before it won't ever dry sufficiently. Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Veronica Garcia-Melendez, who is half of synth band Bero Bero - described as Sade meets Kate Bush - as well as a member of the more recent grunge/metal band The Maxines. You might remember hearing a few of Bero Bero's songs on our Local Music show at Thanksgiving, and there'll be 3 clips that play during this interview as well. Awesome to be learning the details on how they were created!
Check out Bero Bero's videos on IG:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSeLKL2d5alzeNSpMAQHDVg
And follow both bands for news about shows and upcoming releases here:
https://www.instagram.com/beroberoband/https://www.instagram.com/themaxinesband/
Topics in their chat include:
The importance of a music teacher/tutor being a consistent presence in kids' lives; the success of using Craigslist to find musical opportunities in NYC vs. Savannah; getting up on stage at a Wormhole open mic night; which Bero Bero song is most often filmed at their shows and shared online; recording on others' albums as a hired musician and/or singer; what are Timbales?; what is a layered ostinato?; how the keytar has changed Veronica's live performances; and singing karaoke at the Jinx.
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Angela Burson, who works in a variety of media to depict images of (frequently cropped or headless) figures, their belongings, and interior spaces, which indicate complex psychological and social relationships with one another. Her sharply painted work includes detailed classic clothing and accessories, and is frequently compared to the aesthetic of Wes Anderson movies. Angela first moved to Savannah from Liberty, Missouri in the late 1980s, to get her B.F.A. in Painting from SCAD. After a few years away, she returned in 2004 and has lived and exhibited here ever since.
Her 2020 feature in New American Paintings has led to a rush of national and international opportunities over the past year, including shows and art fairs in NYC and Madrid, and she's currently preparing for a solo show in L.A. in December 2023.
http://www.angelaburson.com/https://www.instagram.com/angelaburson/
Topics in their chat include:
Angela's early years in the late 1980s living near Colonial Park Cemetery, and then on Jones St for $250 a month (!); how her first solo show of cowboy- and gun-themed artwork inadvertently boosted local gun sales; how her painting entitled "Danny Hansford's socks" led to her long running fascination with observing and painting peoples' socks; which rock star's hand is her frequent reference for depicting cigarette smoking; her History of Menswear reference book; which one specific outfit from a Wes Anderson movie she has included in a painting; and her advice to keep applying to New American Paintings no matter how many rejections you get. Tune in and get all the details!
Content note: in the 2nd half of the interview, we discuss Sarah's advocacy with sexual assault issues and navigating the legal system.
Join Tamara for an interview with Sarah Cuda, local photographer, hairstylist, and barber. Her favorite subjects to shoot include musicians and dancers during performances, as well as nature closeups - she believes that everyone has a different viewpoint of the world that one can capture with their photos.
Sarah loves to collaborate with other businesses, to bring growth to the small business community, and one of her many upcoming projects is a photo blog promoting other Savannahians' life and work.
https://www.sarahcudaphotography.com/https://www.instagram.com/sarahcudaphotography/
Topics in their chat include: leveling up your camera lenses; working at the Legion in 2007; going on nature photography trips; what is an Anhinga?; shooting concerts at Victory North and the Juneteenth festival on Tybee; putting on her first art show last May at the Sentient Bean; and what is a soft box?
Bonuses! Mini-interview at 49min with Gullah artist Sabree, a long-time City Market favorite. http://www.sabreesgallery.com/ A song by beloved local musicians Maggie & Jackson Evans at 56min. "Red and White," written by Jackson Evans. http://jacksonevans.com/maggie/ Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Antwan Eady, author of children's book NIGEL AND THE MOON along with upcoming titles MICAH'S RISE, THE LAST STAND, and the YA anthology POEMHOOD. He writes with the intention of occupying a space within literature where the underrepresented may see themselves as the main character.
NIGEL AND THE MOON - featuring a Black schoolboy who moves past his fear of judgment to share his big dreams with his class during Career Week - has been a HUGE success! It was named a Barnes and Noble Most Anticipated Kid's Book of February, Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Month Pick, Colin Kaepernick's Current Favorite Children's Picture Books, and Today Show Best Children's Read, amongst many other awards.
https://www.antwaneady.com/https://www.instagram.com/antwan.eady/
Topics in their chat include:
Antwan having a 10-year-plan in 8th grade; how meeting Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah at Savannah’s Book Festival in 2019 inspired him to start writing; the lack of both characters of color and creatives of color in the book world; his terms "young dreamers" and "young dreamers of color" for children; his edict that "having no agent is better than having a bad agent;" having kept a gratitude journal since 2002, learning to advocate for some down time to recharge during his book tour; and a possible future Christmas rom-com type story! Bonus! Antwan was kind enough to provide a terrific list of resources for writers.Podcasts: The Manuscript Academy - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-manuscript-academy/id1171799743 First Draft - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-draft-with-sarah-enni/id896407410 Save the Cat- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/save-the-cat-podcast/id884651026 Society of Children's Books Illustrators and Writers - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scbwi-podcasts/id1465188050 The Growing Readers Podcast- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-childrens-book-review-growing-readers-podcast/id1550324351Books: Writer's Market (latest edition) - can be borrowed from local libraries. P.S. - During the first few minutes of the interview, you'll hear the train passing by off in the distance, which gives it a real genuine Savannah feel! ;) Tune in and get all the details!
Hear ye, hear ye! Our show is now moving to the 1st and 3rd (and 5th) Wednesdays of the month, instead of every Wednesday. We want to continue making as high quality a show as possible, and biweekly will fit much better with our schedules and workloads. Thank you all so much for your great feedback on our first few months!
Join Tamara for an interview with self-taught artist Paul Downs, who works in oil, acrylic, and watercolor paints, striving to evoke a sense of storytelling and design in his work. He shows regularly in art fairs in Savannah, St. Simons Island, and Hilton Head Island. Paul serves on the board of Arts on the Coast and is a member of Savannah Art Association, and has recently launched a watercolor painting class for adults!
https://www.pauldownsartist.com/https://www.instagram.com/art_monkey16/
Topics in their chat include:
Paul's recollections on living in Seattle during the 90s grunge scene; the gallery scene in Savannah's City Market in the late 90s/early 00s; how his pet portrait commission business has exploded just since Covid; what shape of head and eyes reads as "cuter" in a yeti holiday card; in which store you can shop his "tasteful nude" painted bookmarks; and the learning curve of doing your first outdoor art shows, including Paul and Tamara's hot tips for securing your small paper products during windy shows. P.S. - the local crime novelist he was trying to think of was...Rita Herron! Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara and Melissa(!) for an interview with Gabrielle Torres, who earned her MFA in Painting from SCAD in 2021. She works in collage, installation, sculpture, etc, with media that runs the gamut from paint, wires, chains, live plants, fabric, and plastic bags.
In just the year since she graduated, she's shown her art at Sulfur Studios, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah Cultural Arts Center, Savannah State University, and the September Gray Gallery in Atlanta, as well as having completed an Artist Residency at Sulfur Studios. Whew!
https://www.gabrielleelizabethtorres.com/
Topics in their chat include: what Gabrielle's early artwork of horses represented to her, teaching art to kids as early as possible, explaining to gallerists the watering process for her artwork, the symbolism of English ivy, the location that her thesis show shared with recent horror movie "Halloween Ends," and using her Sulfur residency to talk to Savannahians about colonialism and other weighty topics.
Tune in and get all the details!
Happy Thanksgiving week! We're celebrating with a special show of music by two of Savannah's beloved local groups.
First, Bero Bero - a synth band that has been described as Sade meets Kate Bush - made up of Veronica Garcia-Melendez and David Murray. Here are songs from their EP called DANCE (2020), and they are currently working on their 4th EP, set to release early 2023. Follow their IG to keep up with their news, including lots of live shows!
https://www.instagram.com/beroberoband/ https://www.beroberoband.com/
Next up, music by the Eric Jones Trio, who play every Sunday and Thursday nights at Good Times Jazz Bar downtown, and have also appeared at the Savannah Jazz Festival. These songs are from from their 2020 album Azubuike (which our show's theme song is also from), provided to us by their bass player Marc Chesanow.
https://www.ericjonesmusic.net/ https://goodtimesjazzbar.com/
Join Tamara for an interview with Jennifer Mack Watkins, a printmaker with a studio in Sulfur Studios. She was born in Charleston and holds a B.A. in studio arts from Morris Brown College, an M.A.T. from Tufts University, and an M.F.A. in printmaking from Pratt Institute. Her work investigates the societal constructs that can leave women feeling isolated, resisting definitions of femininity based on widely held notions of beauty and cultural norms.
If you happen to be in NYC in the next couple of months, Jennifer currently has a piece on view in The Metropolitan Museum of Art(!) - "The Power of Portraiture: Selections from the Department of Drawings and Prints," October 13, 2022–February 7, 2023.
https://www.instagram.com/mack_jenniferprints/ http://www.mackjennifer.com/ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675828/you-gotta-meet-mr-pierce-by-chiquita-mullins-lee-and-carmella-van-vleet-illustrated-by-jennifer-mack-watkins/
Topics in their chat include: Shina plywood (a soft wood for woodblock printing), what Jennifer's dream print shop would contain, what is risograph?, what getting rejected from an AP art class in high school inspired in her, and the soon-to-be-published children's book she illustrated: "You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!"
Tune in and get all the details!
Join Tamara for an interview with Emily Heid, author of the children's books "Scarlett Moves to Savannah" and "Scarlett Wins the Race," illustrated by SCAD alum Chelsie Liberati, as well as the 'non picture book' "Establish." She's also created a consulting business called Bootstrap Books, in order to help authors self-publish professional-looking work.
We chat about the 3 types/rounds of editing that a manuscript goes through for publication, the nitty-gritty of self-publishing and selling an e-book and/or physical book through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the Weenie Dog races of Savannah, Queen Elizabeth's corgis and dorgis, and combating writer's' block.
Bonus - toward the end of the show you'll get to hear music clips from 2 of our past interviewees - harpist Kristin King and electronic musician Derek Hakíkta Lynch (Kola Hak).
Check out Emily's books, plus the others she's consulted on via Bootstrap Books, here:
https://bootstrapbookspublishing.com/books/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
Does Emily recommend that professional authors set up an LLC? How has "print on demand" made life so much easier for up-and-coming authors? How did the children's book collaboration between Emily and illustrator Chelsea Liberati come about? What is a life lesson/tip that Emily builds into her children's books?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara and David as they interview Erin Dunn, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Jepson Center. Her retrospective "Feels like Freedom: Phillip J. Hampton," has recently opened and will run through January 2023, and you have to go see it!
We chat about how Erin got into curation, tips and advice for anyone looking to enter the field, and the steps a museum takes when art arrives for an exhibition and needs to be checked over for any degradation, plus lots of specifics about the Hampton exhibition and his incredible artistic range.
Toward the end David gets to ask her his favorite query, and she really knocks it out of the park!
Connect with Erin and her curatorial life here:
https://www.instagram.com/erindunn_art/ https://www.telfair.org/exhibitions/feels-like-freedom/ Bonus - a mini-interview with painter Laura Till Barton (at 56 minutes) about her most recent series of large-scale figures and interiors. https://www.instagram.com/laura_barton_fine_art/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
What are Erin’s favorite and least favorite aspects of being a curator? What were the steps involved for her to curate and put up her current exhibition? How did Philip J. Hampton’s work run the gamut from social realism and speaking about the Black experience in Savannah, to the expressionist/conceptual art that had begun to boom in the art world in general? Why might artists want to avoid making too much work on newsprint?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara for a roundtable discussion with local authors Judy Bean, Helen Pitts Bradley, Susan Earl, and Beverly Willett. They've been meeting every Wednesday for over 5 years as a writers' critique group, the Wednesday Writers.
Topics include: the process of reaching out to agents and/or directly to publishing houses, the Ossabaw Island retreat, Savannah courthouse drama, letting real people find their way into your writing, how a group keeps you accountable, having reading/book launch events in local shops, and the usefulness of Query Tracker.
Check out each of their work here:
Judy Bean https://www.linkedin.com/in/judy-bean-8aa1475 Helen Pitts Bradley https://nexttribe.com/grandparents-raising-grandkids/ Susan Earl https://www.susan-earl.com/ https://sulfurstudios.org/susanearl Beverly Willett https://beverlywillett.com/ https://www.independent.co.uk/us/voices/breast-cancer-awareness-month-pink-b2205494.html
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
What are a few recommendations for getting past creative block? How does a writer/artist decide whose advice/criticism to take? What are the marketing materials you need to be top notch in order to pitch your novel?
Tune in and find out!
With Melissa on a break, original show host David Laughlin joins Tamara for an interview with Adrienne Berkland, a portrait and plein air painter who had work in a recent Atlanta show called "Rage Becomes Her." The conversation touches on making art as a response to the current political moment, gouache, SCAD sports, women's hair, working to music, painting live at events, and the use of hot pink.
https://www.instagram.com/adrienneberklandart/ https://www.adrienneberklandart.com/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
How did Adrienne transition from sports to art? What part of a human or pet portrait do you really have to get right, for the painting to be "successful?" Who in the interview has to paint to background music, and who absolutely can't? Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara for interviews related to the City of Savannah's current "Storm Drain Art" public mural project, which is taking place all over the city. From their site https://waterconnectsusall.com/ :
"What connects us to these waters, plants, and wildlife we don’t see? It is the storm drain in front of our homes, schools, offices, parks, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations....This project is part of a larger campaign to lift the lowly storm drain to a level of prominence, so we are reminded of our connection to our rivers and ocean. We are reminded that our actions impact the wildlife and local economies that depend on our waters staying healthy."
The first half of the show is a group interview at Heard Elementary School, with storm drain muralist Jen Palmer; STEAM Lab teacher & 5th grade teacher Angela Willis; 4th grade teachers Deanna Fanning and Ms Green; Assistant Principal Mary Ann Rogers Lamberth; AND three students from the school.
In the second half, Tamara interviews another storm drain muralist Dana Richardson, on site at White Bluff Elementary School. The discussion includes her other mural work (including at the Jepson Museum and Starland Dairy), and her work as an art teacher at Savannah Christian, including her theory about the process of teaching paralleling the design process.
https://www.instagram.com/jenpalmerart/ https://www.jenpalmer.art/
https://www.instagram.com/danawrich/ https://www.danarichardsonart.com/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
What do the science teachers recommend that homeowners do, to keep yard detritus from blowing into the storm drains?
What animals have the kids found in the creek behind Heard Elementary?
What are Dana's thoughts on teaching students about representational vs. conceptual art, and the ways we can appreciate each in their own way? Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara for an interview with David Laughlin - freelance artist, muralist, and original host of this show! If you know David then you know that this will be a conversation about basically everything, but topics include: freehanding a mural, bicycle theft, Norman Rockwell, the Key Westying of Savannah, farm life, and auditory vs. visual learning.
https://laughlinkw.wixsite.com/davidlaughlinart https://www.instagram.com/thedavidlaughlin/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
How does David cope with peoples' interruptions when he's painting in public? What's the backstory of the name behind this new jazz club where he's muraling? How does he define the difference between "hostess" vs. "host" when it comes to Savannah's motto?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara for an interview with freelance artist and longtime Savannahian Willie Smith. He's worked on an independent web comic with his brother, titled "BlackGuard," as well as channeled his love for Professional Wrestling into a career drawing portraits of many wrestlers in the industry, and even a freelance project for World Wrestling Entertainment itself.
https://www.instagram.com/suicidal_assassin/
Plus a Mini Interview with Michelle Perez about selling her art in Forsyth Park (starts at about 53min).
https://www.instagram.com/chelpaints/ https://www.chelpaints.com/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
How did Willie manage to get his portfolio reviewed by one of his favorite artists? What made Willie break out from black-and-white media and venture into colors? Just how hard is it to airbrush a t-shirt anyway?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara for an interview with Derek Hakíkta Lynch. He's the bassist for the metal band Black Tusk, makes solo electronic music under the name Kola Hak, AND makes kooky Max Headroom(!!!)-inspired videos with his brother.
https://www.instagram.com/kola_hak/ https://kolahak.bandcamp.com
Get the answers to such burning questions as: What the heck is a marimba? What were some of downtown's best rock clubs in the mid-2000s? And most importantly, which is the superior movie - 300 or Maid in Manhattan?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara and Melissa for an interview with Becca Cook, a folk artist from the islands off the coast of Savannah. She works in needlework, lacemaking, dollcrafting, performance, installation, and painting, and also manages Escape Savannah, an art collective and escape room experience. https://www.beccacookart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/beccacookart/
PLUS a Mini Interview with REM about her Immersive Gallery space in City Market. It provides individualized and small group Creative UV experiences.
https://www.facebook.com/The-REM-Mark-Immersive-Gallery-111364634948265/ (Starts around 52mins.)
Get the answers to such burning questions as: How long did Becca sit and crochet chain stitches to represent the number of people incarcerated in the U.S? What's the longest scarf Becca has made and where has it traveled? What's a fun game you can play to make dish washing more fanciful?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara and Melissa for an interview with Gerry Stecca - artist, muralist, and full-time Foundations professor at SCAD. His first degree in Biology eventually led to creating fantastical and nature-inspired sculpture out of such materials as clothespins, wire, snails, nut shells, and other organic materials found in his own backyard and neighborhood. https://www.instagram.com/gerrystecca/ https://gerrystecca.com/ Get the answers to such burning questions as:
How did Gerry end up showing one piece for one night only at Art Basel in Switzerland?
How long can a "tree wrap" last? What is his ingenious invention that frees up his hands during mural painting? Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara and Melissa for an interview with photographer Joy Dunigan, a Savannah native! (We love a Savannah native.) Her images reveal her endless intrigue and fascination with Georgia heritage and culture, mainly its sea islands and their dynamically stable surroundings. She's a member of Kobo Gallery, a downtown co-op, and the owner and director of the Photopoint Gallery in Richmond Hill.
https://www.instagram.com/joydunigan/ https://www.joydunigan.com/
PLUS a Mini Interview with Jennifer Nolan about her current show - mixed media paintings of wild animals - at Location Gallery. (Starts around 53mins.) https://www.instagram.com/jen.jen.nolan/ https://www.jennifernolanart.com Get the answers to such burning questions as:
Where can you take a beautiful shot of an oak tree lane that's more obscure than the iconic Wormsloe image? Which local island has a creepy, abandoned resort? What happens when you keep a little cup of resin sitting around?
Tune in and find out!
Join Tamara and Melissa for an interview with artist Tafy LaPlanche, who splits her time between Savannah and NYC. If you’ve passed by the Jepson Museum’s Boxed In/Break Out windows, you’ve seen her large portraits. She also maintains a studio at City Market and takes portrait commissions.
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
How can one become adept at uncorking a wine bottle in a dark movie theatre? What’s so special about painting a pomegranate? What injury did Tafy sustain when attempting to paint Italian landscapes?
Tune in and find out! —— https://www.instagram.com/lepouf_art/ https://lepouf-art.com/
Original air date: Aug 24, 2022
Join Tamara for an interview with local harpist Kristin King. She performs both classical and contemporary music, and has co-owned New Arts Ensembles, a music booking agency, since 2002. Keep an ear out for the 3 Kristin’s harp clips we play!
https://www.instagram.com/kristinharp9 https://www.facebook.com/newartsensembles
PLUS a mini-interview with Michelle Perez about how she transitioned into working from home as a full-time artist!
https://www.instagram.com/chelpaints/ https://www.chelpaints.com/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
Do Fleetwood Mac’s songs sound good on a harp? What instrument do harp musicians usually start learning on? Which instruments sound better as they age and which don’t?
Tune in and find out!
Original air date: Aug 17, 2022
Join Tamara & Melissa for an interview with local author Taylor Brown. He’s written 6 (!) novels, including the recently released Wingwalkers. He settled in Savannah after long stints in Buenos Aires, San Francisco, and the mountains and coasts of North Carolina.
http://www.taylorbrownfiction.com/ https://www.instagram.com/taylorbrown82/
PLUS a Mini Interview with Sabree, a Gullah artist, about running her City Market studio. (Starts around 52mins.)
http://www.sabreesgallery.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sabreesgallery/
Get the answers to such burning questions as:
How does Taylor gauge the perfect length for a chase sequence? If one’s laptop battery is good enough, is it possible to write a novel while sitting in a square? What is “muscular prose” anyway?
Tune in and find out!
Original air date: Aug 10, 2022
Join Tamara & Melissa for an interview with Maggie & Jackson Evans – jazz musicians, longtime Savannahians, and generally just two of the nicest people around.
Get the answers to such burning questions as: How did each of them originally choose their signature instrument? What is Jackson’s #1 piece of advice to up-and-coming musicians? What question of Melissa’s stumped Maggie to such an extent that we are literally still waiting for an answer?
Tune in and find out! —— https://www.maggieevansarts.com/video-recordings http://jacksonevans.com/
Original air date: Aug 3, 2022
Join Tamara & Melissa for an interview with Jamie Jones – “Cartoonist and Illustrator living in Savannah, GA. Creator of the Baboon, artist of Quarter Killer, and beer can label dude for 81 Bay Brewing co. Making comics on the reg!”
What visual image in the show caused Melissa to need to take a moment and fan herself? Who is Jamie’s favorite of all of the Stooges? Is it possible to define the difference between comic books and sequential art?
Plus a new segment for the show…a Mini-Interview! Tamara chats with painter Laura Till Barton about maintaining her art studio at City Market.
Tune in and get all the answers! —— https://www.instagram.com/artofjamiejones/ https://bio.site/artofjamiejones
https://www.instagram.com/laura_barton_fine_art/ https://www.lauratillbarton.com/
Original air date: July 27, 2022
Join us for the first show by new hosts Tamara Garvey & Melissa Taylor! We’re chatting with recent SCAD graduate Adonis Deking. He’s launching his art career…we’re launching a new (to us) show…SYNERGY.
What is Adonis’s theory of the 3 groups his fellow Animation students can be broken into? What inspired him to pick up brushes and paints instead? What early degrees did Tamara and Melissa get, before pursuing completely different fields? What 1980s method of transportation does Adonis use?
Tune in and find out! https://www.instagram.com/deking_art/ https://adonisdeking.com/
Original air date: July 20, 2022
"Creative Soul Mates" Phillip Davis and Zay Hutchins have partnered with some of the most exciting young artistic entrepreneurs in Savannah to create "The Collage," a new multidisciplinary space in midtown Savannah. Join us as we broadcast our tour of their latest endeavor, from Zay's art and tattoo studio, to the music production facilities that Phillip helped build, to the creative heart of 4 Dot Tees, and so much more! Tune in!
Using simple line work and a whimsical style, Carys LeRoy creates joyful illustrations with pens and markers. Join us as we invite the young artist to tell us all about here process in designing one of her illustrations, and how the work of Jack Kirby and the show Schoolhouse Rock influenced her work. Tune in!
“I have a hard time lately with creating objects just because of environmentalism,” said Susan Hopp during our conversation for this week’s Art on the Air. "And do I want to contribute to more things living in my flat files in my studio before and after they go to exhibition.” Join us as we air our interview with this intriguing digital artist!
Lowcountry artist Amiri Farris has created a new image to commemorate Juneteenth, a digital print that he's giving away for free! Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of the piece, why he decided to give it away, and why Emancipation Day is so important to him. As a bonus, we'll be broadcasting his new song Analogous Summer for the first time anywhere! Tune in!
We begin the show with a tribute to Rob's dad, Duke Hessler, who passed away on Monday, May 30th, 2022 after a long illness. Then we dive into a discussion of First Friday and everything that Sulfur Studios and Arts Southeast has to offer, after which we play our Field Note with current On::View Artist in Residence Timothy Harding! Finally, we end the show touching on a few other local events happening during First Friday, including HYPE at Location Gallery, Starlandia Supply's 7-year anniversary celebration, and Meg Kettelkamp's "Ghosts," a pop up show at a former house. Tune in!
Two big interviews this week! First, we spoke with several members of The Artists and the Truck, a group of men whose history as friends and artists goes back over thirty years, about their current exhibition at Location Gallery. Then we chatted with Samantha Mack from her studio about her upcoming exhibition Through a Kaleidoscope. Although technically a thesis show for her MFA in painting, the artist is bringing a unique show of crochet and light to the gallery at Sulfur Studios. Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're pleased to present our Field Note with Rule of 3 Gallery Director Stephanie "Sunshine" Forbes and her father Rob Forbes all about Rob's exhibition "Childish Things!" Raised in an orphanage, Rob Forbes childhood was a combination of moments of light and darkness. His latest exhibition at Rule of 3 Gallery is the kind of artistic and personal undertaking that is over fifty years in the making. Meanwhile, for Stephanie Forbes, as both curator of the show and the artist's daughter, the exhibition is a profound moment of connection between here and her dad, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of properly showcasing the work of a man who has inspired and raised her. Tune in!
Kathryn Shriver is a fiber artist, but her use of beads and manufactured and found home goods makes such a qualification too limiting. Join us as we broadcast our Field Note from her space at Sulfur Studios, where the artist will discuss how her grandparents have inspired her work, using beads, and the unexpected reason for her forthcoming move to Pittsburgh. Tune in!
Jam-packed episode for you this week! We've got Charlie Ellis and Deborah Sherron Miller talking SLAM (Savannah Local Artist Market). We've got Joanne Morton talking Circles of Hope! AND we've got a bonus Field Note with Frances Gootman! Listen in!
Gabe Torres is an artist who defies classification, both as a person and as an artist. She's a painter, a mother, a black woman, an environmentalist and so much more, and yet she doesn't fit easily into any box. Join us this week as we broadcast our Field Note with this exciting young creator, recorded live from her studio!
Artist Lila Klinck of Elate Apparel has spent years in the grind, balancing creating her print making business with tending bar. Last year, however, she took the plunge and decided to lease a new space at 2105 Skidaway Road. Join us for this week's episode of Art on the Air as we air our on-location Field Note interview with Klinck, a fascinating tale of hard work, perseverance, and community partnerships that you won't want to miss!
Monica Jane Frisell & Adam Scher have been driving around the United States in a truck, hauling a custom trailer that they've converted into a darkroom and office. At each stop, they're recording stories and taking portraits of the locals, compiling them for their series, "Portrait of US." This month, the pair have brought "the Ark" to Savannah as part of the On::View Residency at Sulfur Studios, and we're delighted to share our Field Note with them for this week's episode of Art on the Air! As a special bonus, Frisell and Scher have sent us four stories that they've recorded during their travels that we'll be airing during the second half of the episode, powerful tales of moments that have had a profound impact on the person doing the telling. Simply put, a can't miss episode!
One of the most unique artists in Savannah, Ben Copperwheat's screen printed images and fashion presents bold colors and vibrant ideas. Join us for this week's episode of Art on the Air as we speak with this UK-born artist about the inspirations behind his work, his time in the New York City fashion world, and how he ended up settling in a small town in the south. Tune in!
Shawn Turner is one of Savannah's most unique artists, a "Fabric Sculptor" crafting everything from animals to abstracts. Join us for this week's episode of Art on the Air as we broadcast our Field Note recorded live from his studio, where we talked about his inspirations, how he utilizes his materials, and how used one of his creations to play a practical joke on his husband. A fun and interesting interview that you won't want to miss!
Toni Hazel has spent years studying spirituality, creating an artistic style that marries his creative practice and his views on God. Join us for this week's episode of Art on the Air as the young artist shares his personal journey, from growing up in a strict Judeo-Christian environment, to exploring comics and cartoons as a means of escape, to finally find a place where he felt free to be himself with his artwork. A powerful conversation not to be missed!
Three big guests on this week's episode of Art on the Air! First, we spoke with Jon Field, the current On::View Resident at Sulfur Studios, about his Dada-inspired project "The Desiring Machine," and how the community is helping to create it. Then we caught up with Sulfur Studios co-founder and Arts Southeast Executive Director Emily Earl about how the residency has evolved, including the recent addition of an apartment for residents to stay in while they're in Savannah. And finally, we chatted with Jim Bailey from The Sentient Bean, where his exhibition "Interpretive Woodworking" is currently showing. A jam-packed episode that you won't want to miss!
This week, we're excited to present our far-reaching interview with Patrick Kelsey! Kelsey is not only a founding member of both Georgians for the Arts and the Arts and Culture Alliance of Chatham County, but he was recently unanimously elected for a second term as Chairperson for the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC)! Join us as we take a deep dive into Kelsey's background, discuss the important role of the CAC in our local art community, and why more artists need to take advantage of the funding opportunities that the city has to offer (Spoiler Alert: There's money for the taking!). Tune in!
Join us this week as we broadcast our Field Note with painter Maxx Feist! The recent Savannah transplant just completed their new mural “Bird is the Word: The Monsters of Avondale,” and we were on hand to chat all about it! Plus we delved into how Feist developed their unique artistic style, how music influences their work, and the differences between Savannah and Asheville. Tune in!
This week we're pleased to present our conversation with multi-disciplinary artist and Friends of African American Arts (FAAA) board member Sharonna Ray! Inspired the death of her brother, Ray artfully recreates the desserts she shared with loved ones to speak on issues of intimacy and memory. Additionally, through FAAA, she works within the community to increase representation, and helps to inspire local youth as a elementary school art teacher. Listen in!
On this week's episode we're excited to present our conversation with multidisciplinary artist Tamara Isaak-Harrington! Born in Russia and adopted to the United States as a baby, Isaak-Harrington has spent a lifetime traveling to world, exploring music and art, and creating her own story. Join us as we delve into the background of this intriguing young artist!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to present our Field Note with Betsy Cain, recorded on-location from her studio! Cain is one of Savannah's most well-known and prolific artists, and during our conversation she opens up about her process for creating work for her latest exhibition "the nature of not knowing," on view now through March 19th at Laney Contemporary. Created entirely during the two years of the pandemic, the works showcase both her trademark style, and an artistic progression born of experiences that many of us can relate to. Tune in!
Two guests together this week: We spoke with art world outsiders Eoley Mulally and Michael Mahaffey about taking chances, creating your own opportunities, and what Savannah needs to do to match other cities both for the creatives who live here and as a possible arts destination. Although the artists couldn't be more different stylistically (Mulally focuses on punk circus-like performance art and recontectualized altars, while Mahaffey is known for creating stencils and paintings incorporating pop culture figures and snarky humor) in terms of how they view where Savannah stands as an art community they're remarkably unified. Definitely a can't miss episode!
Join us for this week's episode of Art on the Air we're we'll be broadcasting our interview with the controversially creepy Liz Bishop! Her work delves into both macabre pop imagery as well as the dark side of her own experience.
Tune in!
We've got a really fun episode lined up for you this week: We spoke with illustrator NoNo Flores live from Lone Wolf Lounge all about her current exhibition, "Lone Wolf Sketchbook!" Flores has spent the years since the popular neighborhood bar opened collecting images of the employees and clientele, and the show captures the best of her "love letter" to the folks who call the place their second home.
Check it out!
Two big interviews this week!
First, we spoke with Stephanie "Sunshine" Forbes and Nora Harrison about Forbes' art, how she came to open the new Rule of Three Gallery, and Harrison's latest exhibition, "Sometimes I Miss You."
Then we checked it with our good friend Lisa Rosenmeier to chat about "To The Future," he new exhibition at Blick Art Materials featuring Spock the Mouse, and utilizing technology in a unique and interesting why never before seen in Savannah!
Check it out!
Tate Ellington and Heather Young straddle two worlds: That as a full-time artist; and as parents to young children.
Join us for this week's episode of Art on the Air are we chat with the pair from their Mom Art Camp, gatherings at Heather's studio where the two work on art, shared strength, and navigate the local art scene!
Tune in!
THREE guests on this weeks episode: Today we're joined by Gallery Director Leslie Lovell along with artists Christine Sajecki and Michael Henderson to talk all about "You/Lift Me Up," the first exhibition at the new location of Roots Up Gallery!
Christine and Michael met through Instagram, and soon developed a close friendship and collaborative relationship. A year later they joined together as an artistic couple, spending three weeks in Baltimore creating over 70 works of art. 30 of those pieces would go on to form the backbone of "You/Lift Me Up."
Join us as we explore the work and lives of these two exiting artists, and learn how they ultimately convinced Lovell to open her new space!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to present our long form interview with Noel W. Anderson and Erin Dunn about Anderson's "Heavy Is The Crown," his brilliant new exhibition at the Jepson Center!
Recorded via zoom from Anderson's home in Brooklyn, the multi-disciplinary artist will guide us through the philosophical underpinnings of the exhibition, as well diving deep into the meaning and purpose behind many of the works included in the show.
Special thanks to Telfair Museums' Curator of Contemporary Art Erin Dunn for her guidance and help in setting up this very special interview with one of today's premiere contemporary artists!
Do. Not. Miss. It!
Ready to be enticed?
Join us as we welcome erotic artist Tatiana von Tauber back to the show!
The sometimes controversial artist is opening a new space at 509 Barnard Street in downtown Savannah, and we had the opportunity to record an on-location interview with her! It's an exciting new endeavor, and a wonderful addition to the Savannah art scene.
Tune in to learn all about it!
Back in 2008, artists Katherine Agurcia, Lee Ashburn, Tamara Garvey, and Matt Hebermehl, all servers at The Lady and Sons, decided to put on an art show. 13 Years later, the group is getting back together for an exhibition at Sulfur Studios! Join us as we discuss "4 Top (Still Standing)" with all four creatives, delving into how they all met, what those days of yore meant to them, and why it was time to show together once more. Tune in!
Creep on over to WRUU for this week's interrogation of...ahem...Interview with the delightfully wicked Lauren Boyle! From serial killers to murderous hags to villainous ne'er do wells, Boyle's work delves deep into the macabre. Fortunately for you listeners, she's also got a kind heart, and has promised not to poison your fragile little minds through your radio speakers (there will plenty of time for poisoning later, anyway). Join us...IF YOU DARE!
Join us this week for Art on the Air as we broadcast our interview with Mahsa Yousefi! From her beginnings as a young artist growing up in Iran, to her travels in a RV across the US, to finally coming to feel like Savannah is home, Yousefi's story is both intriguing and inspirational. A feel-good episode that you won't want to miss!
José Ray has established himself as one of Savannah's premiere artists. Join Art on the Air this week as we welcome him back to the show to discuss his latest exhibition at Grand Bohemian Gallery, "Organic Ephemera," the origins and evolution of the series, and his maturation as an artist. Ray is a true professional, and this episode is one that you won't want to miss!
Who in your neighborhood is doing amazing creative things that you don't even know about? On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we chat with three artists from Parkside in Savannah, folks who you may not have heard of but who could easily be your next door neighbor. We spoke with multi-disciplinary artist Heather Szatmary about how she utilizes counting and data collection to inform her intricate and beautiful pieces. We dove into how musician Nick Bulka first found his love of music, and what he's doing to bring a large collection of unreleased songs by a prolific local band to the public. And we had a conversation with writer Nicole Rivas concerning her transition from poetry to flash fiction and non-fiction, and what role running plays in her compositions. Three interesting and fun conversations that you won't want to miss!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're excited to welcome Shelley Smith back onto the show to talk all about her latest project, "Saints & Sinners," a series of 120 oyster shell portraits that she'll be showing at Hospice Savannah's Summer Nights Party on Friday, September 24th 2021 from 6-9pm at Soho South Cafe!
Smith began the series shortly after a car accident left her temporarily unable to do the metal work for which she'd become known. Exploring the many personalities of Savannah, from well known folks like Jessica Lebos, Katherine Sandoz, and Mayor Van Johnson, to ordinary saints like her favorite post office worker, the affable artist not only found an alternative creative outlet, but a way to feel connected to her community during a time when in-person meetings were difficult.
A wonderful interview that you won't want to miss!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to share our conversation with multi-talented artist Jimmy Butcher! Jimmy is perhaps best known as a tattoo artist and owner of The Butcher Tattoo Studio on Bay Street. But his passion has always been in creating fine art projects with a variety of media, from painting and illustration, to murals and shoe design. Most recently Butcher has been working for none other than Kanye West! Join us as we delve deep into Butcher's path through the arts, the origins of his visual style, and what he'd like to see more out of in the Savannah art community!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to share our interview with painter, musician, and installation artist Maggie Evans! In-addition to a discussion about her new exhibition "Intermission" at J Costello Gallery in Hilton Head, we do a deep dive into how she developed her haunting style, including how the meaning of her work has changed during a time when isolation is the norm rather than the exception. A powerful interview that you won't want to miss!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to present our Field Note with Karen Wilharm! Karen is a portrait painter and pastel artist who has recently been exploring the "alla prima" technique to great effect. Join us as she discusses her transition from medical illustration to working full time as a fine artist, how her children influence her work, and how she uses Instagram to both help other artists and as a means to sell her paintings! Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to present our Field Note with Carmen Loup, recorded live from the back office of their community center and spiritual store Cosmic Corner! They gave us all of the details on their recent book release, how they balance their illustration work with their writing, and their young origins as a business owner. An insightful interview that you won't want to miss!
Susie Chisholm is one of Savannah's most accomplished sculptors.
Join us this week as we present our Field Note with the acclaimed artist from her home studio, where we talk all about her artistic philosophy, attention to detail, and meticulous process, as well as why her space is filled with severed heads (don't worry-they're made of clay)!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to present our Field Note interview with P.T. Bridgeport! He's currently exhibiting "East of Savannah" at La Terra Natural Oils, as recently released a book of his musings called "The Moon and I Confer," and hosts the WRUU radio show "When the Moon Sings" on Saturdays from 5-6pm. Don't miss it!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to present our Field Note with Stuart Miller! Stuart is the Director of the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Resources, and heads the team that runs the Cultural Arts Center. He was hired in February 2020, and a month later the pandemic hit, so it's been quite a year-plus for the city's top art official. Tune in and learn all about what they've been up to while they were closed, and what plans they have as the center reopens!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're happy to present our Field Note with Fredo Martinez! Fredo has done murals all over Savannah, and has done graphic design work for the likes of Deep Center, Starlandia Supply, and Beach Institute.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we've got a special Field Note with Brian MacGregor! He's spent the last several months working on a new mural for West Savannah, and we got the chance to chat with him all about it!
Plus, Gretchen and Rob delve into a long conversation about the Historic Site and Monuments Commission's recent decision to go against staff's recommendation and deny Clinton Edminster's proposed "Living Wall" project in the Starland District.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're pleased to welcome The Hilmers Family to the show! Aaron Hilmers, Gretchen Hilmers, and Walter Hilmers Jr. will share their experience of being a family that loves and lives the arts, from when Gretchen and Aaron were kids until now. A fun, upbeat gathering that you won't want to miss!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're excited to present our Field Note with photographer Bridget Conn!
We stopped in to talk with her about Deep Breath, her project for Sulfur Studios On::View Residency Program, where she's taking long exposure portraits of folks while they share their experiences during the year of quarantine. During the conversation, Conn delves into the beginnings of the idea, how she creates the photographs, and they way that the project is helping her to overcome her own struggles.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to present our interview with LA-based photographer Kevin Cooley! His exhibition "Exploded Views" opens at Laney Contemporary in Savannah, GA on July 1st, 2021.
During our conversation, Cooley discussed the philosophical underpinnings of his work, the technical details of how he creates his pieces, and why the notion of "explosions being cool" is a perfectly acceptable reason to like what he's doing.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to present our Field Note with fiber artist Anya Molyviatis! During our conversation, Molyviatis discussed the path she took to becoming a weaver, her "Gradient Waffles" series, and combining music with her pieces. Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're ecstatic to finally have Tittybats on the show! We had the opportunity to drop into his studio for a nice long Field Note, where we talked about the origins of his famous moniker, overcoming artist block, and how he's built his business. You're not going to want to miss this one!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we broadcast our Field Note with Kevin Block, the lead organizer for the new Savannah Artist Collective 2.0! He's restarting the once successful organization, and will give all of the details on what he's got planned and how local artists can get involved!
Tune In!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to present our talk with Troy Wandzel, recorded live from his Savannah studio! In our far-reaching conversation, we touched on the philosophy behind his work, the importance of his work with The Artists and The Truck, and his thoughts on the Savannah art scene. Tune in!
On this week's episode we're thrilled to present our Field Note with renowned public artist Jerome Meadows! During our nearly hour long conversation, Meadows discusses his African Burial Grounds project in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Confederate monuments, and the Weeping Time grounds. Plus, he gives a preview of his talk “Demystifying the Monumental Burden of Public Art,” set to take place Thursday, May 27 at 6 p.m. at Grand Bohemian Gallery at the Mansion at Forsyth Park located at 700 Drayton Street. Truly a can't miss episode featuring one of Savannah's most highly-regarded artists!
For this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're excited to present our Field Note with the talented Olivia Beaumont! During our wide-reaching conversation we discuss the inspirations for her wonderfully whimsical anthropomorphic animal paintings, how she's built a career as an independent artist, and her new series of extraordinary sea creatures! Tons of fun and one that you won't want to miss!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air, we're excited to present our Field Note with Sauda Mitchell! This very special interview was recorded LIVE from the Jepson Center's #art912 gallery, and includes an audio tour of Mitchell's incredible exhibition "Re-Cor-Dare" hosted by the artist herself! A deep and powerful discussion that you won't want to miss!
Faux fur. Glitter. Taxidermy. That's what you can expect to see in the next iteration of Telfair Museums' Boxed In/Break Out project, featuring the work of Kelly Boehmer! On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to present our Field Note with Boehmer, recorded live in front of the windows which will soon hold "Embedded!"
Perc. Green Truck. Foxy Loxy. Everyone in Savannah knows these popular local businesses. But did you know that Kay Wolfersperger is the one who designed much of their imagery? Tune in to this week's episode of Art on the Air as we speak with this talented Graphic Designer and Illustrator about not only her commercial work, but also "Hey Y'all," her new project for the Drive Thru Art Box!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're thrilled to present our interview with the amazing Sharon Norwood! We delve deep into her "curly line" and the profound philosophical ideas presented in her incredible work, as well as discuss how she navigates her career as an artist. You definitely won't want to miss this one!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re pleased to present our interview with the talented Shelley Smith! Smith works in a number of different media, creating metal sculptures out of 55-gallon drums, painting on oyster shells, staged photography, and more, following her instincts with each new project. During this fascinating long-form discussion, we delve into the origins of that multi-disciplinary approach to art-making, as well as the challenges that come with such a diverse creative output. You do not want to miss this!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air, we’re pleased to air our Field Note interview with surrealist painter Britton Dockery!
Dockery is a self-taught artist and a native Savannahian. During our far-reaching discussion, we delved into his roots as an artist, how he comes up with inspiration for his work, and how he’s utilized smart marketing strategies to bring more awareness (and sales) to his work.
A fascinating conversation that you won’t want to miss!
On this week’s episode we’re happy to bring Art on the Air co-creator David Laughlin back to the show! We absolutely LOVE David’s new “Lowcountry Spirits” series, and wanted to bring him in to give us all the details about it, including how they relate to his background as a farmer, the son of a game warden, and grandson of a Cherokee. An illuminating conversation that you won’t want to miss!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re delighted to present our Field Note with SLAM (Savannah Local Artist Market) Founder and organizer Charlie Ellis! We get into all the details about the 3rd annual event, from artists to food trucks to the community canvas, and delve into how the project first got started. A fun and upbeat interview that you won’t want to miss!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re excited to welcome our good friend and incredibly talented illustrator Ugis Berzins to the show! During our extended Field Note, we delve into how he uses “bad humor” to tackle challenging artistic concepts, making people feel bad when they’re looking at his work, and ham. You won’t want to miss this chat with one of the more enigmatic and interesting artists in Savannah!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re pleased to broadcast our Field Note with local artist and curator Antonia B. Larkin! She recently organized the exhibition “Revival: A Call for Radical Care” at Sulfur Studios, and our discussion about the idea of quiet reflection and rest as a path to personal power was absolutely fascinating. You won’t want to miss this deep dive into some issues that are truly critical to not only where we are today as a society, but where we might be going. Tune in!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re excited to present our interview with Georgia Pearce Weaver! Weaver has recently surpassed one hundred thousand followers on TikTok, people who love her alien Stash Babies. We talk all about the wonderful creations, how she got internet famous, and her new Stash Buddies program designed to help LGBTQ kids as well as young people in need. A fantastic interview with a fresh, new Savannah artist that you won’t want to miss!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re pleased to welcome Eoley Mulally back to the show! Mulally is getting ready to release The March Hare, a new multimedia stage production, which will take place on Saturday, April 3rd in the parking lot of Cosmic Corner at 305 East 38th Street. She’ll give us all the details about not only the show, but also the amazing collection of artists that she’s put together to perform at the event, and her Saw the Wheel mobile venue project. You won’t want to miss it!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re pleased to present our long form Field Note with ceramicist Derek Larson! During our nearly hour-long conversation, Larson shared his story of losing his way as an artist, only to re-discover his love for sculpture while on a spiritual quest of sorts. Derek’s story of redemption is one that many artists will identify with, and we can’t wait to share it with you!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re happy to present out conversation with artist Calli Laundrè! During our conversation we talk about how she rediscovered her creative process via a fortuitous phone call to local artist Rubi McGrory, as well as her feelings representation in the arts. It’s a fascinating and deep conversation that you won’t want to miss!
Two great interviews on this week's episode of Art on the Air on WRUU - 107.5 FM Savannah!
First we spoke with Samita Tcb Wolfe of Film Biz Recycling about the history of her non-profit prop house and how the community came together to help save it.
Then, in perhaps our most powerful interview ever, Lisa Rosenmeier Kyriakos talked about the state of the art scene in our community and her role as "canary in a coal mine" in being the first to reopen her gallery space down at Savannah City Market.
Seriously folks:
Do. Not. Miss. It!
Two uplifting Field Notes on this week's episode!
First we'll hear from Haley Wars, whose whimsical painted stones have been delighting walkers in the Parkside neighborhood of Savannah, Georgia.
Then we chatted with Ijtihad Muhammad and Really Khalil about the Love Matters movement and their efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve.
Two stories of positive folks doing good things for the community during the health crisis!
Tune in!
With the announcement this week that our good friend Leslie Lovell will be closing the brick and mortar portion of Roots Up Gallery and moving to an online and pop-up model, we be re-aired our 2018 interview with the artist and curator! Tune in to hear all about Lovell and how the gallery got started, as we raise a glass to her and everything that she's done for the Savannah art community!
Prior to airing the interview, we reflected on what the space has meant to us and discussed some of what the future might hold for the gallery as it shifts focus.
Don't miss it!
On this week's episode we aired our conversation with Julia Thompson and Kiri Williamson about Thompson's large scale quarantine piece about happiness, as well as delving into Williamson's thoughts on working in the restaurant industry during a shelter in place order.
Tune in!
Two long for Field Notes for your listening pleasure!
First we spoke with Carmen Maria Aguirre about her exhibition at Roots Up Gallery, her role as curator of Grand Bohemian Gallery Savannah during the health crisis, and what she's got planned artistically now that we're sheltered in place.
Then we talked with Harry DeLorme about his 30+ years making environmentally-conscious artwork, as well as all of the work that he's been doing for Telfair Museums as Senior Curator of Education as they work to get more content online.
Two great interviews that you won't want to miss!
Two long form Field Notes on this week's episode of Art on the Air!
First, we spoke with Peter Erwin Roberts of Location Gallery all about having a show open in New York City as a pandemic hits, his role as curator, and how he's being safe while still trying to inspire others.
Then we chatted with Leslie Lovell of Roots Up Gallery all about her new foray into painting, her efforts to move her gallery online, and her Creatives in Need program to help local artists.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're happy to present three Field Notes for your listening pleasure!
We spoke with Becca Cook, Rubi McGrory, and Susan A. Laney of Laney Contemporary each about their experiences and plans thus far during the COVID-19 health crisis. Each had a unique perspective, but all three provided messages of hope that we think you'll want to hear.
Tune in!
Art on the Air is pleased to present a special interview with internationally-known multidisciplinary artist Sheb Wooley!
From his bio:
"Sheb Wooley primarily works in the medium of raw materials from a classical standpoint, bringing lofty aesthetics to earth by engaging urbanistic methodologies. Making a statement of the environment with tools of the world by cultivating transparent mappings. His recent work, in his hometown of Ludowici, Georgia, was titled “Cream for a Day”, an interactive installation where visitors driving through would experience, in textures, smells, and screen projections, becoming a cake. From primary materials, through the baking process, and completing the journey with a light, fluffy icing made with the natural elements from the area. Mr. Wooley’s next project on the horizon is named “Mudder”, set to be in Savannah, Georgia, downtown at Forsyth Park, and will be a humble tribute to the roots of the lowcountry region with a medium of modern days. His creations have appeared in municipalities throughout the world, in remote settings, and have gained critical recognition and acclaim."
TUNE IN!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to air our long-form sit-down interview with Jennifer E Moss! Her exhibition "Marked: Rusted Wovens" is currently on view at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center Gallery!
Plus we'll be broadcasting our Field Note with Kench Lott Weathers about his Drive-Thru Art Box project "die Existenz" at Green Truck Pub!
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to welcome fiber artist Suzanne "Suzy" Work Hokanson into the studio! She's the current On::View Resident at Sulfur Studios, and there's a good chance that you've seen her work in many, many locations around Savannah over the last few years.
PLUS we'll be broadcasting our Field Note with José Ray and Carmen Maria Aguirre from Grand Bohemian Gallery Savannah all about Ray's latest exhibition Pollen – A Celebration of Spring in Mixed Media!
Tune in to the Art!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're excited to invite several members of the Savannah Art Association into the studio! We'll be delving into their 100 year history, including their corresponding Jepson Center for The Arts exhibition and their On::View Residency at Sulfur Studios!
Plus we'll be broadcasting THREE Field Notes!
We spoke with Tate Ellington at the new Washed Ashore Collective. We met with Bradley Collins at the new exhibition space at Moodright's. AND we chatted with Parker Stewart about his upcoming show at Starland Yard.
Listen in!
On this week’s episode of Art on the Air we’re pleased to welcome Phillip Davis into the studio, along with special guest co-host Xavier Hutchins!
From Davis’ bio:
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Phillip Davis is the Executive Director of The Indigos, Inc., a non profit organization comprised of artist of all crafts and backgrounds. Through The Indigos, Inc. Phillip and a number of the members host various creative expressions and community based events for youth and adults.
Davis is a published author and poet, debuting his first book in 2016, a collection of poems titled "To The Soul, Sincerely Love”, and has also published and released his second book, titled “GEM: Grow. Evolve. Manifest.”
Davis is the host of a local poetry/open mic event called "Creatively Crafted", where he dares his peers, locals, and tourists to express themselves creatively and encourages them to dig deeper into their passions and what they love.
Additionally, Davis works as a “Teaching Artist” for the DEEP Center and a “Residential Manager” for Park Place Outreach.
Davis believes support is fundamental which lead him to create “Creative Savannah”, a online directory that create access to artist, creatives, entrepreneurs, and small business here in Savannah. "Live you, love you, be you" is his mantra and he will continue to spread love, hope, creativity, and awareness to those he can reach through his poetry, non profits and events here in the city and surrounding areas.
In addition to Phillip Davis, we’ll be broadcasting our Field Note with Peter Roberts from his studio!
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to welcome Erin Wessling into the studio! Wessling is the founder of W Projects, which is responsible for a number of high profile projects in Savannah including the A-Town Get Down Festival, Mossterpiece at Judge Realty, and the Pavement-to-Parks installation with The Revival Society as a part of CNU.26 Savannah.
Additionally, we'll be broadcasting TWO Field Notes: First, we spoke with Dana Richardson from the Jepson Center about her new mural project curated by Erin Dunn as part of the #art912 initiative; and we talked to Kate Greene about "On The Line," a show highlighting the worldwide refugee crisis.
You won't want to miss it!
BIG show this week, with THREE extended on-site Field Notes!
We've got Amy Pleasant from Laney Contemporary talking all about "Echo!"
We've got Tamara Garvey from Starland Cafe giving us the details on Let's all pause for a moment - Artwork by Tamara Garvey!
And we've got Ben Tollefson and James Labuschagne taking us on a tour through "Another Body for Myself" at Hen House Gallery at The Stables!
It's almost TOO MUCH good art talk, but I know you can handle it: Tune in!
(Image courtesy Laneycontemporary.com)
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we were excited to welcome H. Gene Thompson into the studio, with special guest co-host Becca Cook!
H. Gene Thompson is a Pittsburgh resident and an On::View Artist in Residence at Sulfur Studios. "The Rainbow Connection Project" had us thoroughly intrigued and we were interested to chat with them all about it!
From sulfurstudios.org:
"The Rainbow Connection Project connects people both physically and energetically.
During this residency H. Gene Thompson proposes to further delve into these concepts and adapt this work for Savannah and the needs of its community. With the work, they will seek to build metaphorical bridges, and develop refreshing perspectives on how to use physical proximity as a tool for connecting people. A public call will be made for performers to join in the facilitation of this project, and three movement workshops will take place on Wednesday evenings to explore how community members engage, and what content they bring and work through in their exploration. Most central to the work is getting people to engage with one another using fabric sculptures, movement workshops and live facilitation.
In this adaptation of The Rainbow Connection Project, built for the space at On::View and for multiple communities in Savannah, GA, the artist is interested in working with performers to develop ways we can hold space for audiences to connect and work through energetic pathways using movement. As we share psychic space with an audience, they would like to delve into questions relating to how we can also use ourselves as a medium to connect the audience to the land where they live, and address deeper unresolved issues of past versions of ourselves. As an audience observes us tapping into these energies, the artist would like to pose the question: how do we hold this vulnerability and create opportunities that are truly motions for change and rebalancing of energy, through the observation of the performer moving energy?"
PLUS we broadcast our Field Note with Kelly Boehmer and a surprise second mystery guest.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we welcomed InkyBrittany into the studio! We'd been admirers of the way she melds art and activism for a long time, and were excited to delve into her inspiration and practice. With special guest co-host Tamara Garvey!
From her bio: Brittany Curry is a Graphic Recorder & Facilitator who uses pictures & symbols to capture the messages being shared in meetings, conferences, and events of all kinds. She has worked throughout the country with corporations, small businesses, non-profits, government entities, and institutions of higher learning, and in 2017 was named to GeorgiaTrend Magazine’s list of “40 Under 40” rising entrepreneurs. Brittany received her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from Georgia College & State University and worked as the Coordinator of Oconee Area Citizen Advocacy from 2011—2016 before launching her business, InkyBrittany. She currently serves on the Board of Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy and the Safeguarding Citizen Advocacy statewide committee.
PLUS, we broadcast our Field Note with Lisa Rosenmeier from her new City Market studio space!
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to welcome Lisa D. Watson and Jessica Leigh Lebos into the studio! They gave us all of the details on the Re::Claimed exhibition at Sulfur Studios, as well as engaging in a broader discussion on environmental and found material art.
PLUS we broadcast our Field Note with Zoe Huddleston, whose project "Insides" is currently on-view in the Drive Thru Art Box at Green Truck Pub! More information on her project can be found here: Insides by Zoe Huddleston at The Drive Thru Art Box
Listen in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we're pleased to welcome one of my "Savannah Heroes," none other than Patt Gunn into the studio, with special guest co-host Alexis Javier "AJ" Perez!
Gunn is the CEO of Underground Tours Savannah, the founder and Executive Director of the Geechee Institute, and has recently opened the Savannah Gallery on Slavery and Healing! She's also the driving force behind the yearly Jubilee Freedom Day festivities, and has an extensive history of working to empower others.
Plus we aired a Field Note centered around the work of Philip Davis from the Jubilee Day discussion circle at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center held on January 11th, 2020.
This is an episode that you won't want to miss!
Join us for a very special broadcast of Art on the Air, the 2019 Bobi Perry Awards! With guest co-host Kristopher Monroe!
We asked former guests of Art on the Air to vote for 2019's best exhibitions, projects, events, and more, and on this week's episode we revealed the winners!
What's more, artist Greg T Davis designed and created a beautiful award to be given to each of the awardees.
Tune in to hear what Savannah's art community has chosen as 2019's best-of-the-best!
On this episode we broadcast the third and final Public Art Panel Discussion from the Cultural Arts Center that took place October through December of 2019!
Hosted by Kristopher Monroe, this one came with the subheading "Getting it Done," and the panelists truly fit the bill: Stephanie Raines, Arts Division Administrator for Athens-Clarke County (and originator of Savannah’s #art912 program); W Projects founder Erin Wessling; and the ever-brilliant internationally-recognized fine artist Jerome Meadows.
A MUST-LISTEN for anyone who is interested in doing public art, in Savannah or elsewhere!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we broadcast an edited version of the second of the three of the recent Public Art Lecture Series organized by Kristopher Monroe! The roundtable took place on November 14th, 2019 at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.
The discussion focused on public art funding and included Rob Hessler, artist and host of "Art on the Air" WRUU 107.5., Melanie Wilson, Director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission and Katelyn Kirnie, Public Art Director for Public Art Chattanooga.
Made possible thanks to the generous support of Starlandia Supply!
https://starlandiasupply.com
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we broadcast an edited version of the first of the three of the recent Public Art Lecture Series organized by Kristopher Monroe! The roundtable took place on October 10th at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.
Monroe was joined by panelists Clinton Edminster, owner of Starlandia Supply and the organizer of the Starland Mural Project, artist and author José Ray, and Ryan Jarles, Cultural Resource Planner at the Metropolitan Planning Commission, for an in-depth discussion about local public art projects and their process!
PLUS, we grabbed a Field Note with artist Alexis Javier of Sulfur Studios about Jubilee Freedom DAY' 2019 and it's accompanying art exhibition at the Cultural Arts Center Gallery.
Tune in!
This episode is made possible by Savannah's ONLY independently-owned art supply store, Starlandia Supply!
According to Dictionary.com, a critique is "a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory."
On this very special episode of Art on the Air, we gathered together several of the artists featured in "Tape Paper Scissors Print" at Location Gallery to talk about the importance of critiques, and to delve deep into the works that they are exhibiting in the show.
Includes guest artists Axelle Kieffer, Jordan Mooney, Laurie Darby, Ahmad Jackson, and Peter Erwin Roberts.
Tune in!
We were excited this week to welcome Kelly Boehmer into the studio, along with special guest co-host Becca Cook!
Boehmer's work was on display at the 2019 PULSE Art Fair during Art Basel in conjunction with Treat Gallery, and she has an exhibition coming up in February 2020 at Cedar House Gallery in Savannah, GA.
PLUS we aired two Field Notes: We spoke with Marisa Lilje about her On::View Residency project at Sulfur Studios; and we got all of the details on Whale Week from Tara Garrigan and others!
BIG episode this week folks, with two extended Field Notes!
First, we broadcast our long sit down with SCAD alum Stephanie Howard, where we delved deep into her artistic roots, as well as her excellent exhibition "Southern Arcana," currently on-view at Laney Contemporary!
Then, we shared our chat with one of Savannah's premiere curators Rachel Reese, who is moving on from the Telfair Museums Jepson Center for The Arts to take over the Cress Gallery of Art in Chattanooga. The Savannah arts community will miss her deeply, and I know that you'll enjoy hearing from her on Art on the Air one last time before she begins this exciting new chapter in her life.
Tune in!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we were joined in-studio by Matt Toole, who exhibition of sculptures is currently on view at Gallery F.A.R. (Fine Art of Recycling) at Chatham County’s Resource Conservation Education Center!
Plus we broadcast our Field Note with Gonzalo Hernandez about his solo exhibition at the Hen House “FAA Corp" AKA "The Failure Fiber Artist Corporation.”
We've got a special episode this week, with a focus on DIY art spaces!
We we joined in-studio with Fiber Artist/Photographer Brittany Reidy of the new exhibition space The 2201, as well as special guest co-host Kevin Clancy of The Hen House! We talked all about Reidy's intriguing personal work, as well as what she's been doing with The 2201. From there we delved into a broader discussion with both Brittany and Kevin about the challenges of putting together a DIY art space!
PLUS, we broadcast our on-location Field Note on the Starland Mural Project, including interviews with Xavier Hutchins, José Ray, Kevin Bongang, and Tyriq Maxwell!
This week's broadcast of Art on the Air features the multitalented Peter Erwin Roberts!
Roberts' discusses his solo exhibition "If Only." Here's the show blurb:
"17 new works explore randomly connected thoughts that become fanciful environments. Based on real life experiences, arbitrary gossip and true encounters, each 12" x 12" has a pop art approach embellished by cut paper."
We can't wait to have Peter in studio to take a deep dive into not only this show, but his artistic practice and philosophy, as well as his take on the Savannah art community as a whole.
Also a Field Note with emerging artist Peggy Jo Aughtry and her inspiring story of how a very recent and unprecedented interest and practice in creating art saved her life.
Well worth a listen.
On this week's broadcast of Art on the Air, we ventured into the field for FOUR on-location interviews!
We got Karina Rosenstein talking all about "I Bleed All the Time and I'm Fine" at Sulfur Studios as part of their On::View Residency program.
We spoke with Kench Lott Weathers about his Art on the Porch Opening!
We chatted with Honor Hall about Dusk til Dawn!
AND we met up with Academy Award-winning video artist Frank Unger to discuss his work for the Earth Rise event!
With special in-studio guest host Kiri Williamson!
big show Big Show BIG SHOW!!!
On this episode of Art on the Air, Rob Hessler and David Laughlin brought a little bit of spooky into the studio! How spooky? Tune in to find out!
Plus, Rob grabbed a Field Note with Curator Humberto Moro at the Savannah College of Art and Design's Museum of Art!
A classic!
We're excited to invite Angela Burson into the studio for this week's episode of Art on the Air!
We spoke about her upcoming exhibition Peep Show, "a solo show displaying the artists’ fondness for anachronistic images of fashion and objects. Her interest in the surreal connection between realistic subject matter and flat repetitive pattern brings a personal environment that makes mid-century modern simultaneously charming and a little bit naughty." (from Location Gallery)
PLUS, we broadcast our Field Note with José Ray all about his exhibition Flora: a collection of large scale mixed media works by José Ray!
AND we check in with our good friend David Laughlin down at City Market!
Art for your ears!
On this week's episode of Art on the Air we welcomed photographer and Cedar House Gallery Director Sam Williams into the studio!
Plus, we aired our Field Note with Shaye Garrigan, the current Artist in Residence at the aforementioned Cedar House Gallery. Her project involves drag queens and creating digital skins for three-dimensional objects. It's fascinating stuff, and I know that you're going to enjoy learning more about her and her work!
AND, we spoke with Kristopher Monroe about the upcoming lecture series at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center, the first of which is this Thursday's Intro to Public Art Lecture!
FINALLY, we got all of the details on the exciting Hello Neighbor: Community Pride Parade from organizer Lisa Fletcher Rundstrom.
We bring the art!
Art on the Air
First, Rob & David play their Field Note interview with Clay Hodges and his co-collaborators talking about their Mary’s Lamb project.
Then they welcome multidisciplinary artist Becca Cook into the studio to discuss her powerful and important work, including her ongoing “Unwelcome Hands” series.
Plus a guest appearance by Louis Clausi of That Old Savannah Magic!
Enjoy!
Links:
Becca Cook Website
Becca Cook Instagram
Facebook - Art on the Air
Instagram - Art on the Air
Art on the Air
An honor and a treat to talk live in the studio this week with Katherine Sandoz, about her latest exhibition at the Laney Contemporary Gallery, “Vernonburg”, her many other works, collaborations and insights, and why, after all this time, she still works out of a barn. Also a Field Note with Anya Mitchell giving us all the details on her deep fabric exhibition “Lineage,” currently on view at Starland Cafe and Catering! Enjoy listening to these two wonderful guests. We did!
Links:
Katherine Sandoz Website
Katherine Sandoz Instagram
Facebook - Art on the Air
Instagram - Art on the Air
Art on the Air
This week on Art on the Air on WRUU – 107.5 FM Savannah we were joined in studio by Axelle Kieffer and Jordan Mooney! They gave us all of the details on their exhibition at Sulfur Studios, “Danse Macabre.”
From the press release:
“The danse macabre, a theme born out of the religious and political forces of Late Middle Ages, echoes across the centuries into our modern era. Death comes for All, with no consideration for station or status.
“We were what you are, and you will be what we are.”
“Today the figure of death as a corpse or skeleton is no longer solely associated with religious works, but its use maintains an extended dialogue with the images that have come before. Each century creates its own danse macabre to exorcise its own fears. This imagery filters through the works of Axelle Kieffer and Jordan Fitch Mooney; using these sources to examine our time, speaking to the artistic dialogue while also grappling with their personal experiences.”
PLUS, we broadcast our Field Notes with Leslie Lovell over at Roots Up Gallery talking all about their New Works Art Show AND our chat with Lizzy Taber, the current On::View Artist in Residence!
Listen Up!
Links:
Axelle Kieffer Instagram
Jordan Fitch Mooney Instagram
Facebook - Art on the Air
Instagram - Art on the Air
Art on the Air
“Art exists as a causeway between the objective and the subjective; a provocative link between our factual understanding and our fanciful interpretations; a spiritual bridge between life’s day-to-day demands and the sustaining power of ritual and myth. Art transports us from the comparatively limited domain of our mundane obligations into a never-expanding realm of engaging possibilities – informing, inspiring andelevating us all.” -Jerome Meadows
Links:
Jerome Meadows
Facebook - Art on the Air
Instagram - Art on the Air
Art on the Air We journey into the field this week, with three on-site interviews!
We head down to the Jepson Center to have a nice, long discussion with Curator Rachel Reese and Artist Suzanne Jackson all about Suzanne’s “Five Decades” career survey exhibition, opening June 28th!
We pop on over to a local coffee shop to sit down with illustrator Kristen Haffke to get all of the details on the book project she’s just completed work for, a lovely children’s story called “Willow & Oliver in The Case of the Missing Sock,” produced in collaboration with NYT best-selling author of ‘Pete the Cat’ Kim Dean!
And we catch up with Kevin Clancy at their new project space “The Hen House!”
Links:
Suzanne Jackson Five Decades
Facebook - Art on the Air
Instagram - Art on the Air