KQED: Spark Art Video Podcast: Recent Episodes
KQED Spark
Spark is about San Francisco Bay Area artists and arts organizations -- it is a weekly television show on KQED 9, an educational outreach program and a Web site at www.kqed.org/spark. The Spark Podcast includes segments from the show and is released weekly.
Learn more about the Occupy Bay Area art exhibition at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Produced by Spark for This Week in Northern California. Original air date: July 2012.
Spark shares how Eleanor Coppola's work helps grieving parents to remember their children. Original air date: July 2004.
Spark discovers the exquisitely carved sculptures by Chinese American artist Lu Huan. Original air date: June 2005.
Spark finds the song inside pine cones, with composer/performer Cheryl E. Leonard. Original air date: May 2005.
Spark checks out the rocking, rolling, reeling sculptures of sound artist Matt Heckert. Original air date: March 2005.
Spark visits the recording studio of bouzouki player George Mylordos and his band Kymata. Original air date: June 2004.
Spark talks to John O'Keefe, a San Francisco playwright who's been on the scene for decades. Original air date: June 2004.
Spark meets the Gospel Travelers, an unlikely assortment of blues and gospel performers. Original air date: May 2004.
Spark hits the San Francisco club scene at one of Porchlight's monthly storytelling revues. Original air date: April 2004.
Spark joins La Familia Peña-Govea to see how this family bands together. Original air date: April 2007.
Spark catches up with globe-trotting choreographer Flemming Flindt at Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley. Original air date: March 2004.
Spark takes a walk on the wild side with photographer Olivier Laude, as he stages his outrageous portraits. Original air date: February 2004.
Spark makes acquaintance with Pauline Oliveros, the internationally renowned pioneer in electronic and improvisational music. Original air date: February 2004.
Spark meets the artists known as castaneda/reiman, who live, work, and make art together. Original air date: July 2003.
Spark explores ultimate power dressing with Andrea Higgins's series of works based on the wardrobe of American First Ladies. Original air date: June 2003.
Spark listens to vocalist Amy X Neuburg and her Cello Chixtet interpreting the secret language of subways. Original air date: March 2007.
Spark visits with Vietnamese born Thai Bui as he creates works that reflect the pressures of working as an artist in a foreign culture. Original air date: June 2005.
Spark explores the method and meaning behind Anna Von Mertens's quilts that are covered with as many as 100,000 handsewn stitches. Original air date: May 2004.
Spark meets Ken Goldberg who conducts whimsical experiments in human behavior to explore the artistic possibilities of the Web. Original air date: March 2004.
Spark checks out the growing phenomenon of Muslim spoken word and hip hop with Calligraphy of Thought. Original air date: February 2004.
Spark talks to Brenda Way, who in the three decades since she founded ODC has directed her dancers and staff to accomplish more than they ever dreamed possible. Original air date: September 2003.
Spark goes inside the studio with Victor Cartagena, who draws on memories of the Salvadoran Civil War to create a haunting body of work. Original air date: July 2008.
Spark discovers The Ark, a project where musicians from around the world take six days in the basement of a divinity school to compose a new piece of Jewish music. Original air date: June 2008.
Spark takes to the streets of San Jose to check out Phantom Galleries, part of a nationwide trend to counter the effects of urban blight by filling vacant storefronts with the work of local artists. Original air date: April 2004.
Spark heads to Chile to see how Pablo Neruda influenced the work of playwright Carlos Baron. Original air date: May 2007.
Spark finds out how ponies and parties play an important part in the weavings by Adela Akers. Original air date: May 2007.
Spark learns more about Laura Splan's fascination with biological sciences and has informed her artwork. Original air date: March 2005.
Spark remembers Nathan Oliveira and his lifelong fascination with the painted surface. Original air date: February 2005.
Spark visits the Asian Art Museum for their opening gala in 2003. Original air date: March 2003.
Spark spends time with Taraneh Hemami as she helps to preserve the memories of Iranian-Americans. Original air date: July 2006.
Spark follows the development of Jim Campbell's series of works, which focuses on people with physical disabilities. Original air date: May 2003.
Spark gets an inside look at the private collection of film- and video-based art in the home of the Kramlichs. Original air date: April 2003.
Spark visits San Jose's gallery, Kaleid, and learns about the art scene there. Original air date: June 2007.
Spark gets an an insider's perspective on the art business with artist Charles Linder, who formerly owned Lincart gallery. Original air date: September 2003.
Spark experiences the dance traditions of Central Asia come alive when Ballet Afsaneh takes the stage. Original air date: July 2007.
Visit Kenyan-born Indian American Shailja Patel as she works on her one-woman show, "Migritude." Original air date: March 2007.
Find out how sound duo Matmos create their unique sound environments -- you may be surprised. Original air date: May 2006.
See how natural found objects are juxtaposed with pieces of technology in Joe Mangrum's design sculptures. Original air date: July 2006.
Check out the Contemporary Jewish Museum and their invitational exhibition showcasing artists' interpretations of the seder plate. Original air date: April 2009.
Meet artists in the Djerassi Resident Artists Program who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Original air date: March 2006.
This Web extra discusses how the art is arranged at the de Young Museum. Original release: March 2006.
Spark visits the de Young Museum when it re-opened its doors in 2005. And we meet artist Sharon Virtue. Original air date: March 2006.
View Catherine Wagner's stark, pristine images presenting new perspectives on science, nature and material culture. Original air date: January 2005.
Go on a photo shoot with video artist Ben Wood to retrieve a centuries-old mural in the Mission Dolores. Original air date: January 2005.
Enter the world of electronic sculpture artist Andrew Kleindolph who constructs machines that defy logic or function. Original air date: April 2006.
Get a front row seat at Yoshi's Jazz House to see jazz bassist Walter Savage. Original air date: August 2006.
See how sculptor Mitra Fabian explores the abnormal using mundane materials. Original air date: July 2007.
Catch master shadow puppeteer Larry Reed behind-the-scenes of a traditional Balinese tale in which he plays 40 different characters. Original air date: January 2004.
Head to the beach with Caleb Duarte as he gathers materials for a solo show in San Francisco's Jack Fischer Gallery. Original air date: April 2007.
Explore language through technology with conceptual video artist Jesus Aguilar. Original air date: May 2007.
See how visual artist Kathy Aoki uses teddy bears and lip gloss in her feminist works. Original air date: May 2007.
Learn the art of layering with Adam5100, who has become a leading stencil artist. Original air date: April 2007.
Get fierce with sculptor David Hevel and his outrageous animal creations inspired by pop icons. Original air date: April 2007.
Find out where Todd Hido is lurking to capture his eerie twilight photographs of quiet neighborhoods. Original air date: April 2006.
See how the Del Sol String Quartet collaborates with contemporary chamber composers. Original air date: April 2007.
Get on the bus with Kate Pocrass for her "Mundane Journeys" in which unique observations of the city are realized. Original air date: April 2006.
Be mesmerized by Scott Snibbe's wall-sized electronic installations that come alive from touch, breath and motion. Original air date: April 2005.
Learn to sing the blues with seniors in Elderhostel's Tiburon American Music Program. Original air date: April 2005.
See the world through fresh eyes with conceptual artist Jonathon Keats as he attempts to look for God in a Petrie dish. Original air date: March 2005.
Sculptor Richard Deutsch creates monumental works built to outlast us all. Original air date: July 2003.
Weaver Consuelo Jimenez Underwood constructs histories of indigenous and non-indigenous conflict through her work. Original air date: June 2003.
Go to the brink of sheer panic with Kal Spelletich's fire-breathing works of post-industrial folk art. Original air date: January 2005.
Visit a master class with renowned flamenco artist Rosa Montoya. Original air date: February 2005.
Get a rare glimpse of artist Andy Goldsworthy at work installing a piece at the de Young Museum. Original air date: June 2005.
Stop by KlezCalifornia to find out how klezmer music is relevant to new generations. Original air date: August 2007.
Catch up with Sanjay Patel, who has worked as an animator on such Pixar films as The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Toy Story 3. Original air date: July 2010.
Get a sneak peek at the masterworks in the exhibition From Calder to Warhol: Introducing the Fisher Collection at SFMOMA. Original air date: June 2010.
See how Henry Wessel's work has become an important part of photographic history. Original air date: July 2007.
See how Canadian sculptor Patrick Amiot has changed the town of Sebastopol, California, with his junk sculptures. Original air date: July 2007.
Remembering Ann Chamberlain, who mined personal and community history to create moving and evocative public art projects. Original air date: September 2003.
Learn how June Schwartz has used subtlety to become a legend in enamel art. Original air date: July 2007.
Discover the extraordinary forms hidden in centuries-old redwood trees with wood artist Gary Stevens. Original air date: July 2004.
Feel the heat with glass artist Pamina Traylor as she turns molten glass into works of lyrical beauty. Original air date: July 2004.
Follow along as young competitors in the 2003 Klein International String Competition vie for a $10,000 top prize. Original air date: September 2003.
Meet Mark Fiore, who won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning, the first time an online cartoonist has captured the award. A co-production of Spark and PBS NewsHour for This Week in Northern California. Original air date: May 2010.
Visit with Danny Kalanduyan and his Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble as they prepare for a world tour. Original air date: February 2005.
See how Flo Oy Wong finds the inspiration to become an artist in the history of Asian Americans. Original air date: September 2003.
Meet Shri Krupa Dance Foundation's Vishal Ramani who has been passing along the finer points of classical Indian dance. Original air date: May 2004.
Check out the art in Balmy and Clarion Alleys with artists Susan Greene and John Jota Leanos -- and talk to Annice Jacoby about her book, Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo. Original air date: April 2010.
Remembering sculptor Viola Frey and her dedication in creating monumental ceramic figures. Original air date: February 2004.
Join us at Montalvo Arts Center where landscape artist Herb Parker creates a nature-based sculpture. Original air date: January 2004.
See how aerial dancer Jo Kreiter weaves the history of San Francisco into "How to Be a Citizen." Original air date: January 2004.
Make a print with Marin artist William T. Wiley at Crown Point Press. Original air date: April 2007.
Head to San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum, where Julie Seltzer, a female scribe known as a soferet, is breaking ground by writing out an entire Torah. Original air date: March 2010.
Meet ceramic artist Richard Shaw who is known for pioneering technical virtuosity and witty investigation of everyday objects. Original air date: February 2005.
Super-size it with photographer John Chiara, whose camera is so large that he has to tow it on a flatbed trailer. Original air date: May 2006.
See why Stephanie Syjuco is recruiting crafters from around the globe to create knock-off designer goods. Original air date: May 2008.
Meet conceptual artist Paul Kos, who is the playful revolutionary of the visual art world. Original air date: July 2003.
Join choreographer Jacinta Vlach and saxophonist Howard Wiley, as they start work on a new dance theater production about San Francisco's Fillmore District. Original air date: February 2010.
Visit the Asian Art Museum for their unprecedented Shanghai exhibit in 2010. Original air date: February 2010.
Visit with Chicago-based artist Kerry James Marshall as he works with San Francisco's Precita Eyes in creating murals for SFMOMA. Original air date: April 2009.
Take a tour with Steven Oliver, a successful contractor who puts his passion for contemporary art to work at his Sonoma Valley Ranch. Original air date: January 2004.
Take a walk to the post office with John Held Jr. as he picks up his latest delivery, adding to his collection of more than 30,000 pieces of mail art. Original air date: January 2004.
Follow photographer Katherine Westerhout inside a forgotten West Oakland landmark: the 16th Street Station. Original air date: April 2009.
Take a look at the world through W. Kamau Bell's eyes with skits, conversations about race, and clips from his sold out show. Original air date: April 2009.
Visit the studio of the incomparable Sha Sha Higby, as she creates mesmerizing sculptural costumes. Original air date: February 2004.
Meet Dan Hoyle, son of famed Bay Area performer Geoff Hoyle, as he works on a new one-man show based on his travels across small-town and rural America, and the people he met along the way. Original air date: April 2009.
Witness how Oakland Ballet's artistic director Ronn Guidi comes out of retirement to save the dance company he loves. Original air date: March 2007.
Meet the Lawrence Ferlinghetti you didn't know -- you might already know him as a poet, but did you also know that he's a painter, too? Original air date: March 2007.
See how Li Huayi blends western influences with the ancient Chinese art form of landscape painting. Original air date: July 2003.
Explore complicated questions with conceptual artist Seyed Alavi and his public art projects. Original air date: June 2007.
Travel to Santa Cruz to the studio of landscape painter Richard Mayhew to discuss his life and work. Original air date: December 2009.
Visit with woodworker Garry Knox Bennett as he crafts outlandish and often humorous furniture designs. Original air date: February 2005.
Follow environmental artist Daniel McCormick as he creates temporary sculptures in the creek beds of West Marin. Original air date: May 2009.
Visit with Victoria May in Santa Cruz as she makes sculpture from thread, needle and cloth. Original air date: May 2009.
Preserve and celebrate the rich vocal traditions of Eastern Europe with the women of Kitka. Original air date: May 2009.
This Web extra features Peter Coyote, actor and a major player in the counterculture of the 1960s, talking about his experiences as a member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, the power of comedy, and the legacy of the 1960s. Original release: November 2009.
Explore the mesmerizing art of butoh with the members of Salt Farm under the direction of Ledoh. Original air date: February 2004.
See how Amalia Mesa-Bains's students compile a collective altar, following the traditions an ancient Aztec holiday, by gracing it with flowers, candles, and other offerings. Original air date: October 2009.
Meet international artists developing new work during the residency program at the Headlands Center for the Arts. Original air date: July 2003.
This Web extra features Ken Light, the director of UCB's Center for Photography, talking in detail about three of Sebastiao Salgados photographs from the "Then and Now" exhibition at the David Brower Center, which runs May 14, 2009 through January 31, 2010. Original release: October 2009.
Visit the new David Brower Center in Berkeley to see the work of photographer Sebastiao Salgado. Original air date: October 2009.
Visit with the multi-talented Ron Nagle, first in his ceramic studio and then in a recording session. Original air date: March 2009.
Witness how Mary Sano carries on the spirit and legacy of modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan. Original air date: March 2009.
Visit with Wayne Thiebaud in his studio as he prepares for a traveling retrospective of his work from the past 50 years. Original air date: March 2009.
Watch Julie Chen stretch the definition of bookmaking with her awe-inspiring paper sculptures. Original air date: March 2004.
See how painter Jose Ortiz's afterschool program is getting Salinas youth hooked on art. Original air date: May 2008.
Go inside the studio of Mel Ramos as he puts the finishing touches on his new series of portraits. Original air date: March 2008.
Visit the de Saisset Museum in Santa Clara with sculptor Fletcher Benton. Original air date: March 2008.
See the process behind Hung Liu's series of figurative works that uses images from vintage photographs. Original air date: February 2005.
See how renowned sculptor Ruth Asawa has passed along her love of art to her family. Original air date: May 2005.
Meet the professional conservators at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco who are entrusted to uncover and restore masterpieces. Original air date: June 2003.
Learn about the ancient art of belly dance from teacher and performer Suhaila Salimpour and one of her star pupils, comedienne Margaret Cho. Original air date: May 2008.
Go gallery hopping with Rene di Rosa to find new works for the di Rosa Preserve. Original air date: April 2003.
Put names to the faces of veteran Union Square street performers who've become landmarks -- including classically trained opera singers Robert Close and Litz Plummer, as well as the Bay City Luv gospel choir. Original air date: April 2005.
Be a voyeur in sculptor and photographer Tracey Snelling's small-scale world. Original air date: April 2006.
Watch as woodcarver John Abduljaami creates a figure from start to finish at his West Oakland lot. Original air date: July 2006.
Rediscover photography with Bill Owens, who stopped photographing for almost 2 decades but has started shooting again. Original air date: March 2006.
Learn how blues man and painter Mike Henderson integrates his love for music into his canvases. Original air date: July 2007.
See how Sean Dorsey carves out new space for transgender and queer artists in modern dance. Original air date: June 2008.
Enter the playful world constructed by performance artists Jon Brumit and Marc Horowitz, also known as Sliv and Dulet. Original air date: October 2003.
Visit the studio of ceramicist and ikebana artist Shuji Ikeda to see his craftsmanship and innovative methods. Original air date: March 2007.
Visit the studio of satirist and master printmaker Enrique Chagoya, as he takes on a new subject. Original air date: March 2004.
Discover how Binh Danh invented his own photographic development process which he's coined "chlorophyll prints." Original air date: May 2006.
Find out why Christopher Brown seemingly never wants to finish his paintings. Original air date: May 2006.
Listen to Meredith Monk performing at the unveiling of Ann Hamilton's "The Tower" at Steve Oliver's ranch. Original air date: July 2007.
Get down with BUMP, where high school students are learning about music production from hip-hop professionals. Original air date: July 2006.
Watch as Chris Natrop transforms paper into something beautifully unique. Original air date: July 2004.
Turn up the heat with Jaime Guerrero at the Bay Area Glass Institute as he and his team create a feathered serpent -- out of glass. Original air date: July 2006.
Get words of wisdom from modern dancer Anna Halprin, who is in her eighties and still working. Original air date: March 2006.
Go down the river with photographer Roman Loranc who has spent years documenting the Central Valley landscape. Original air date: May 2006.
Visit with choreographer Benjamin Levy as he prepares his young dance company for a premiere. Original air date: July 2007.
Meet The Crooked Jades, who are part of a new generation of old time music. Original air date: August 2006.
Jam with Wil Blades, the hippest organ player in the Bay Area. Original air date: May 2006.
See why Sandow Birk believes that San Francisco is the perfect setting for a journey through heaven and hell. Original air date: June 2006.
Visit with choreographer Janice Garrett as she hands down her wealth of dance knowledge. Original air date: May 2007.
Get personal with Lunatique Fantastique's Liebe Wetzel as she stages "Beauty and the Breast" using found object puppets. Original air date: June 2006.
Meet the South Bay graffiti artist David Choe searching for a new direction and using art to find his way. Original air date: July 2004.
Celebrate a lifetime lived on the cutting edge of conceptual art with David Ireland. Original air date: February 2004.
Climb a tree with Chris Drury whose installations at the Montalvo Arts Center mimic the underlying patterns of the natural world. Original air date: May 2005.
See the unseen in the desert with photographer Trevor Paglen. Original air date: April 2006.
See how artist and rapper Keith Knight draws on his own life for his comic strip, the K Chronicles. Original air date: August 2003.
Free fall with the improv group 3 For All with no script, no format, no preconceptions and no safety net. Original air date: June 2003.
Catch up with pianist and bandleader Rebeca Mauleon, a leading lady of Latin jazz. Original air date: June 2008.
Tag along on a photo shoot with Anna Maltz and her works of hand-knit whimsy. Original air date: May 2004.
Take a listening lesson from sound artist Loren Chasse, as he mines the aural riches that surround us. Original air date: October 2003.
See how glass artist Nikolas Weinstein stretches the aesthetic possibilities of glass in his San Francisco studio. Original air date: April 2003.
Tag along with artist Ann Weber as she dumpster dives for cardboard and transforms it into monumental sculptures. Original air date: April 2003.
Watch as Jim Denevan tranforms the beaches of Northern California into an expansive but ephemeral works of land art. Original air date: May 2005.
See how Natalie Jeremijenko is using genetically identical trees to reveal the patterns of culture and climate. Original air date: April 2003.
Find out how sculptor Ned Kahn reveals the complex beauty of wind and water in motion. Original air date: April 2003.
Join one of the world's best-known tattoo artists Don Ed Hardy as he reflects on his journey from art studio to tattoo parlor and back again. Original air date: May 2004.
Exchange puns with Filipino American artist Michael Arcega as he comments wryly on history. Original air date: April 2006.
Experiment with filmmaker Kerry Laitala as she creates works of handmade cinematic art, one frame at a time. Original air date: January 2005.
Travel with choreographer Margaret Jenkins from the streets of San Francisco to the dance studios of China. Original air date: February 2005.
Catch the aloha spirit as it spreads across the mainland through the work of groups like Halau 'o Keikiali'i. Original air date: May 2003.
Learn how five generations of the Healy family have taught thousands of people at the Healy Irish Dance Studio. Original air date: May 2003.
Travel to Yosemite with Julia Parker who is helping revive the art form of Native American basket weaving. Original air date: May 2004.
Learn why more than 10,000 students have beaten a path to the classroom of North Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan. Original air date: April 2003.
Experiment with Walter Kitundu, who was named a 2008 MacArthur Fellow, as he creates innovative musical instruments that are based on the turntable. Original air date: July 2006.
This Web extra from Spark is an excerpt from choreographer and performer Anna Halprin's dance piece "Intensive Care." Original release: March 2006.
Spark visits San Rafael to listen to 'Til Dawn, a co-ed teen a cappella signing group. Original air date: June 2004.
Spark visits BrasArte and gets ready for Carnaval with Brazilian dancer/choreographer Conceição Damasceno. Original air date: May 2004.
Spark visits the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts to talk with the center's artistic director, Jordan Simmons about their role in the community. Original air date: April 2004.
Spark tours the "Bang the Machine" exhibit at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts from January 17 through April 4, 2004. Original air date: March 2004.
The Ames Gallery, primarily exhibits pieces by self-taught or outsider artists, as well as folk art and Americana. Bonnie Grossman gives Spark a tour of her space highlighting some of her favorite pieces. Original air date: January 2004.
Virginia Harrison began creating what she calls "memory markers" after the death of her young son. Spark visits with Harrison at her foundry. Original air date: September 2003.
Spark visits with political cartoonist Mark Fiore as he creates a cartoon riffing on Hillary Clinton's emotional moment before the 2008 New Hampshire primary. Original air date: February 2008.
Spark meets up wth surf legend Herbie Fletcher to check out the "Surf Style" exhibit at 111 Minna Gallery. Original air date: August 2003.
Spark visits graduate students at the Center for Contemporary Music as they explore the relationship between audience and performer. Original air date: July 2003.
Spark tags along as David Best and his team transform a 1973 Cadillac into a 40-foot rocket car, their mode of transportation at the 2003 Burning Man Festival. Original air date: August 2003.
Spark meets up with Project Bandaloop as they introduce a vertical, trampoline-like surface into their routine to explore both vertical and horizontal movement. Original air date: July 2003.
Spark checks in with Artship, an innovative and offbeat organization, as they navigate the Bay Area searching for a new home. Original air date: July 2003.
LEGACY Oral History Project merges with San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum. Spark sees how they take on the challenges of documenting the work of the Bay Area's great choreographers. Original air date: June 2003.
Animator artist James Buckhouse parlays digital technologies over to traditional art forms, in which users can train an animated character on handheld PDAs to tap dance. Spark visits Buckhouse in his studio. Original air date: May 2003.
Spark goes backstage with comedian Donald E. Lacy Jr. at the AfroSolo Arts Festival: An Explosion of Comedy. Original air date: May 2003.
Spark goes behind the scenes of Best of Broadway's production of "Hairspray" to meet meet Joy Marcelle, the wigmaster. Original air date: June 2004.
Pamela Z is a composer, performer, sound artist and vocalist who creates works primarily with and about the voice, using her voice, sampling technology and electronic processing to produce performance events and recordings of layered aural compositions. Spark caught up with Pamela Z creating and performing a layered, multi-media performance called "Voci" ("Voices"). Original air date: May 2003.
Mohawks and pink hair are not the usual hair-dos for classical musicians, but the Punk Rock Orchestra breaks many stereotypes. Spark caught up with them at one of their rare performances. Original air date: February 2004.
Jason Mecier's art is certainly one of a kind. It takes somebody with an unusual amount of imagination and humor, not to mention patience, to create a portrait of Martha Stewart entirely out of vegetables and Sigmund Freud from tablets and pills. Spark visits Mecier in the studio and takes a look at his quirky portraits. Original air date: February 2004.
Since 1970, countless generations of youngsters have donned tights and slippers for a weekly ballet class with San Francisco institution Miss Tilly. Spark visits this veteran teacher at her California Street studios, where she and her daughter Iliza Abbe offer a range of classes in dance, theater, hip-hop and yoga, for preschool-aged students. Original air date: May 2005.
Spark follows along with the Sixth Street Photography Workshop in San Francisco's Tenderloin District as they use art to express themselves. Original air date: July 2004.
Have you ever wondered how theater companies take an idea and make it into a performance? Spark visits the African-American Shakespeare Company as they update the classic story of "Beauty and the Beast" for a contemporary audience. Original air date: August 2003.
Living in an age of information overload, Scott Kildall sees a cultural shift moving towards a media information economy. Spark accompanies Kildall as he works on his ongoing video project called "Something to Remind Me." Original air date: July 2007.
Cultures collide in the work of Julio Cesar Morales, an artist offering hisinterpretation of a post-apocalyptic city based on his experiences growingup on the border of California and Mexico. Spark catches up with Morales to chat about his installation "There's Gonna Be Sorrow"" at Galeria de la Raza. Original air date: July 2007.
Although playwright Marcus Gardley lives in New York, he continues to work on projects about the Bay Area community. Spark catches up with him as he works on "Love Song for the Night in Gail." Original air date: July 2007.
After 25 years of running Berkeley Ballet Theater, there is no sign of Sally Streets slowing down. Spark catches up with Streets while she prepares the Berkeley Ballet Theater for their annual spring performance. Original air date: July 2007.
Tippy Canoe is the ukulele playing frontswoman for the Paddlemen. Spark catches one of their gigs at Alameda's Speisekammer. Original air date: June 2007.
Despite his sudden rise to international fame M dot Strange, advocates that life is simply better with ice cream. Spark visits the San Jose filmmaker and his cast of characters. Original air date: May 2007.
San Francisco artist Josephine Taylor makes large-scale drawings in pencil and ink. Her work is narrative and is related to being in the dream state and recalling childhood memories. Spark visits Taylor in her studio to see the process behind her imagery. Original air date: May 2007.
Spark visits with Jess Curtis/Gravity as they premiere a work called "Under the Radar" at San Francisco's counterPULSE. "Under the Radar" is a cabaret piece focusing on the issues of visibility, ability and disability and features an international cast of disabled and non-disabled performers. Original air date: May 2007.
British-born, San Francisco artist Susannah Bettag often adapts symbols from other cultures and time periods to create her own vernacular. Spark visits Bettag as she prepares for her debut solo show, "Vanitas Baby," at the Frey Norris Gallery. Original air date: April 2007.
Spark visits with dancer Manuelito Biag, who is the artistic director of SHIFT>>> Physical Theater, as they work on "The Shape of Poison," which was inspired by the Tibetan Buddhist teachings of Klesha, the emotional obstacles to enlightenment. Original air date: April 2007.
Event designer Stanlee Gatti is known to throw some of the biggest parties in San Francisco featuring some of his amazing floral arrangements. Spark visited with Gatti as he explained his intent behind "ONE: An Earth Installation at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco. Original air date: March 2007.
Rene Garcia Jr. has been re-imagining popular art in many different ways, but it's his large format sculptural glitter paintings that have gotten the most attention recently. Spark visits him in his dazzling studio that any grade school class would envy. Original air date: March 2007.
Ruth Zaporah's improvisational acting technique is known as "Action Theater," and it encourages freedom of movement, language and mind in improvisation. Spark drops in on one of her classes to see Zaporah and her students at work. Original air date: June 2003.
The Mexican Heritage Plaza's Mariachi Youth Program has been passing along mariachi music and rich history to South Bay students since 1992. Spark listens in on one of their classes. Original air date: May 2003.
In 2001 SFJAZZ started the Jazz in the Middle program, which brings music into the language arts classroom exposing students to the teachings of professional jazz artists and the San Francisco poet laureate. Spark goes into the classrooms to meet students participating in the program. Original air date: September 2003.
Master ceramicist David Kuraoka throws enormous pots weighing 100 pounds and more, a process that requires an extraordinary level of skill, patience and strength. Spark watches him at work in his studio at San Francisco State University, where he is a professor of art and head of the ceramics department. Original air date: April 2003.
Growing up in Monterey, the singer/songwriter/guitarist/poet Lauren Shera took an interest in poetry at a young age and soon began winning awards for her work. Spark catches up with this young prodigy as she records her first album at Rancho Armadillo studios in Santa Cruz. Original air date: June 2005.
Native San Franciscan Tommy Guerrero is a legend in the skateboarding world. Though he still skates and designs skateboards, lately Guerrero has been following his musical passions. Spark checks in on one of San Francisco's most versatile performers. Original air date: July 2004.
Spark hits the streets with tag artist Crude, whose mark is recognizable as an African mask, which was influenced by his research into outsider art as well as American folk art. Original air date: July 2006.
Spark learns that being part of a handbell ensemble is more challenging and fun than anyone might expect when they drop in to see Sonos Handbell Ensemble in Walnut Creek. Original air date: May 2004.
On any given day and in all types of weather conditions, nature artist Bill Dan can be seen balancing rocks at Fisherman's Wharf, Crissy Field or on the waterfront of Sausalito. Spark catches up with Dan and witnesses that his work is both public and performance art. Original air date: April 2003.
Spark takes a sideline seat at the Southern Exposure Monster Drawing Rally in which more than a hundred artists take up pencils, pens and other unlikely drawing tools to create on-the-spot masterpieces. Original air date: March 2004.
Richard Serra is perhaps the most recognized site-specific artist in the world. Spark catches up with Serra as he installs an enormous public work for the University of California, San Francisco's new campus at Mission Bay. Original air date: June 2005.
Smart Mobs are sweeping the world -- is it a passing fad or a major technological trend? Judge for yourself when Spark catches up with them. Original air date: October 2003.
Spark meets Diane Mott, the curator of textiles at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, where she gives us a peek at their collection of Borneo textiles. These weavings produced by the Iban women, whose dyeing and weaving skills were the ultimate achievement, were the path to power in their tribes. Original air date: June 2003.
Paul Madonna's work captures the subtle and intricate tones, spaces and moods of San Francisco neighborhoods. Madonna draws "All Over Coffee," a lyrical and often enigmatic comic strip published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Spark catches up with the artist as he begins work on a Mission District scene for his strip. Original air date: April 2006.
Bella Feldman creates what she calls "anxious objects" -- ranging from large-scale, imposing pieces to smaller more intimate pieces. Spark visits with Feldman as she creates metal and blown-glass sculptures inspired by the Gulf War and the current conflicts in the Middle East. Original air date: February 2004.
Belva Stone teaches poi, the ancient Maori art of dancing with balls on ropes. However, she takes this performance art to the next level by adding fire to the mix and dancing while swinging flaming wicks around her body. Spark follows Stone's class from rehearsal to performance at The Crucible. Original air date: February 2004.
When noted photographer and sculptor Alice Wingwall began losing her sight, she became determined to continue making visual art. Now almost completely blind, Wingwall remains a vital visual artist. Spark checks in on Wingwall as she works on a new series of architectural photographs. Original air date: May 2005.
Spark drops in at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, a non-profit organization presenting live concerts of principally jazz, classical and world music. All performances are held at the Douglas Beach House on Miramar Beach, Half Moon Bay on Friday and Saturday nights in addition to Sunday afternoons. Original air date: August 2006.
Rebar members Matthew Passmore and John Bela wanted to preserve the cultural integrity of the 32-year-old Southern Exposure gallery; not through photographs or a painting, but by drilling out a chunk of the gallery's wall and canning it. Yes, canning it. Luckily, Spark made it just in time to visit the "encannery" process. Original air date: July 2006.
Spark talks with teens in programs at the Destiny Arts Center. The center, which offers a range of classes including martial arts, modern dance, theater and leadership training, has been building self-esteem and confidence in youth since 1988. Original air date: May 2003.
Spark goes behind the scenes at the company's production of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play, "Proof." Written by David Auburn, "Proof" opened the 2003-2004 TheatreWorks season and deals with the relationship between a mathematician and her mathematical genius of a father. Original air date: September 2003.
Nationally touring comedienne and actress Marga Gomez writes and performs solo shows based primarily on biographical material. Spark goes backstage with Gomez at The Marsh as she discusses her transitions between the worlds of stage comedy and Hollywood and workshops "Los Big Names," which is about her experience growing up in a show-business family. Original air date: April 2004.
Spark checked out "Listening Post" on view at the San Jose Museum of Art from June 3 through November 26, 2006. Created by media artist Ben Rubin along with statistician Mark Hansen, "Listening Post" takes chat and messages from bulletin boards -- thousands and thousands of messages in real time -- and displays them on a suspended arc of 231 small text screens. Original air date: July 2006.
Spark gets a tour of ODC's new building, which is full of classrooms and rehearsal space furthering this institution's commitment to fostering dance in the Bay Area. Original air date: June 2006.
Kathy Foley's scholarly pursuit of Southeast Asian puppetry has taken her through most of that region. She is currently writing a book on mask and puppet performance in Southeast Asia. Spark visits with Foley at the Asian Art Museum to get an expert look at their collection of Wayang Golek puppets from the Sundanese highlands. Original air date: June 2006.
Spark features Deborah Slater in her element working in collaboration with multi-disciplinary performing artists who are known for their dancing, singing, and trapeze work. "Hotel of Memory - More Furniture Dances," was inspired by Erik Satie's "furniture music," which was meant to be nothing more than ambient sound. Original air date: May 2006.
Composer and musician Stephen Kent has been playing the didgeridoo, a traditional aboriginal instrument, for more than 25 years. Spark takes a listen to his unique, contemporary style of execution influenced more by his travels than by a desire to continue within the Australian aboriginal musical tradition. Original air date: May 2006.
Gregory Gavin is a visual artist with a social cause. His site specific project called "Riveropolis," was born out of his interest in bringing inner-city people together in a man-made environment reminiscent of nature. Spark visits Gavin and "Riveropolis" while in progress at the de Young Museum. Original air date: May 2006.
Ala Ebtekar is a visual artist whose large-scale line drawings explore the contrasts and similarities between contemporary hip-hop culture and traditional Iranian culture. Spark caught up with Ebtekar as he created work for "Emergence" at the Richmond Art Center during the spring of 2006. Original air date: May 2006.
If Felipe Dulzaides has his way, his art will make people question their everyday environments. Spark talks to him about his public art piece, "Double Take: A Billboard Project," a collaboration with New Langton Arts consisting of eight billboards that were installed throughout San Francisco over the course of a year from December 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005. Original air date: April 2006.
If fond memories of your childhood include a brightly colored xylophone, plastic saxophone or Fraggle Rock drum kit, then you'd probably enjoy Toychestra. The group began as a one-off performance in 1996 for a women's music festival at Hotel Utah, when they decided to abandon their regular instruments and play only toys. Spark takes a listen. Original air date: April 2006.
The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is the newest addition to the collection of museums in the Yerba Buena arts district, surrounded by SFMOMA, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, and the future sites of the Jewish and Mexican museums. Spark checks out MoAD and talks to Lizzetta Lefalle-Collins. Original air date: April 2006.
Artists have long been concerned with capturing the spirit of the cities they live in. Liz Hickok is no exception. In her "San Francisco in Jell-O" sculpture series, she has crafted jiggling and jewel-colored landscapes out of one of America's favorite desserts. Spark caught up with her working on her creations. Original air date: April 2006.
As the host for the Dancer/Musician Improv Extravaganza at the Margaret Jenkins Dance Lab in San Francisco, Kara Davis creates an atmosphere where dancers and musicians can share their talents with each other and the audience. Spark visited Davis at the Dance Lab to see the outcome of her experiment. Original air date: March 2006.
In the career of a dancer, taking new steps as an artist can also mean changing your life. That's what Aesha Ash has done over and over, moving from the New York City Ballet to Switzerland's Béjart Ballet Lausanne and then to Alonzo King's LINES Ballet in 2005. Spark visited Ash during a rehearsal, where she discussed her adjustment to the third dance company change of her career. Original air date: March 2006.
Kid Beyond (aka Andrew Chaikin) is a one-person band -- using his mouth as his only musical instrument. He can produce the sounds of instruments, hip-hop loops, techno beats, turntable scratches, and synthesizers. Spark gets into the rhythm with him at The Vowel Movement: A Beatbox Showcase.
Persistence has finally paid off for the East Bay's Shotgun Players. After over a decade of being nomads, the theater ensemble finally has a more permanent home with a 35-year lease on their space on Berkeley's busy Ashby Avenue. Spark checks in on this grassroots troupe as they rehearse for a production of Albert Camus's 1949 play, "Les Justes."
For nearly 15 years, artist Laurel True has been making mosaics, a practice that has taken her around the world. But True's latest mural decorates a building much closer to home -- the rough industrial space that sits right across the street from her Oakland studio. Spark visits True on site while she creates public art.
Amy Franceschini is a pioneer in the burgeoning field of net art, an art form that is created, circulated and experienced through the internet. She is the founder of Futurefarmers, an art and design collaborative dedicated to expressing environmental and community interests through digital media. Spark checks out her "Fingerprint Maze" at Pond gallery.
For more than forty years Robert Bechtle has been widely recognized as one of the founders of American Photorealism, a style of painting that rivals the detail and objectivity of the photograph. Spark watches Bechtle at work rendering one of his favorite subjects -- his Potrero Hill neighborhood -- and talking about his motivations and images as he prepares for a retrospective exhibit of his work at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (February 12 through June 5, 2005).
Installation artist Chris Cobb's "There Is Nothing Wrong in This Whole Wide World" involved reclassifying the books at the Mission District's Adobe Books -- by color. The installation remained up from November 12, 2004 until January 20, 2005. Spark checked in on Cobb and his team as they transformed an everyday space into a stunning work of art.