The Art Box

The Art Box - Episode 438 - The Sharp End Of Life - A Conversation with Dierdre Wolownick

Episode 438 steps into the sharp edges of perseverance, trust, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of possibility. In this conversation, Steve sits down with author, climber, speaker, teacher, and lifelong seeker Dierdre to discuss her new book, Success in 7 Steps, and the lived experiences that shaped it.
From rock climbing partnerships where lives quite literally hang in the balance, to navigating difficult personal chapters with grit and tenacity, Dierdre reflects on the lessons that taught her how dreams are not simply wished into existence — they are climbed toward, one deliberate hold at a time. Along the way, she shares thoughts on curiosity, teaching, persistence, modern life’s overwhelming pace, and why she believes anyone can achieve their dream if they have the right roadmap.
This is a conversation about endurance, about learning from both good examples and bad ones, and about standing at what Dierdre calls “the sharp end of life” — those moments where challenge, risk, and transformation all meet.
And somewhere between the cliffs, classrooms, hardships, and victories… lies a reminder that it is never too late to begin the climb.
Dierdre's books can be found on Amazon: 
Her upcoming movie trailer here: Climbing Into Life: The Dierdre Wolownick Story
 
 

The Art Box - Episode 437 – Women in Focus – A Photography Roundtable Across the West

What happens when four talented photographers who first met through creative wanderings across the American West finally sit down together for a roundtable conversation?
A whole lot of laughter, insight, storytelling… and a deep appreciation for the art of noticing.
In this special The Art Box Podcast roundtable episode, Steve welcomes returning guests Tiffany Weems, Sue Beauchamp, Teresa Wasiak, and Marla Aufmuth for an engaging conversation about photography, creativity, travel, human connection, and the stories waiting quietly behind the lens.
Steve first met Tiffany, Sue, and Teresa through Travel Nevada FOCUS photography conferences, while Marla and Steve crossed paths during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. Over time, all four became individual guests on The Art Box—and eventually the idea emerged: why not bring everyone together?
The result is a warm, funny, and thoughtful discussion exploring:
what first drew them to photography
the emotional side of capturing images
travel and creative curiosity
finding beauty in overlooked places
women supporting women in the arts
and how photography teaches us to slow down and truly see the world around us
From desert light to cowboy gatherings, quiet moments to unexpected friendships, this episode celebrates not just photography—but the community and conversations that grow around it.
Sometimes the best images begin simply by paying attention.
 

The Art Box - Episode 436 - Happily Facilitating Ah-ha Moments at the STEAM Center - Meet Kristi Tausinga

In this heartfelt and wide-ranging episode of The Art Box, Steve sits down with Kristi Tausinga, manager of the Mesquite Works STEAM Center, to explore creativity, mentorship, healing, and the joy of helping young minds discover those unforgettable “aha” moments.
A retired police officer turned educational leader, Kristi brings a deeply human perspective to her work with students. Known for thinking outside the box, she helps create unique hands-on learning experiences that encourage curiosity, confidence, and imagination. And if you ask the students, they’ll tell you the same thing—Kristi genuinely cares, and it shows.
Steve and Kristi talk about the evolving mission of the STEAM Center, the importance of creating safe and inspiring spaces for youth, and how creativity and learning often grow strongest when students are encouraged to explore freely. The conversation also touches on mental health, first responders, intuition, and the value of meaningful human connection.
Kristi’s husband Felipe, leads the center’s chess club and helps young players discover strategy, patience, and confidence one move at a time.
Beyond education, Kristi shares her passion for writing and poetry, often crafting deeply reflective pieces filled with emotion, resilience, and insight.
Warm, thoughtful, and filled with heart, this episode is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the most important thing a mentor can do is simply help someone believe they are capable of discovering something new within themselves.

The Art Box - Episode 435 – Journeys, Characters, and the Roads Between – with Stephen Murray

From England to Southern Africa to the Nevada desert, Stephen Murray has lived a life shaped by travel, reinvention, observation, and story. In this thoughtful episode of The Art Box, Steve sits down with the author, retired software entrepreneur, and host of Gift of Giving on WWDBTV in Las Vegas to explore how a lifetime of experiences eventually found their way into fiction.
Stephen shares reflections on writing six novels across multiple genres, the importance of strong character development, and why he believes dialogue should reveal who a character is without always needing to say their name. The conversation moves through world travel, critique groups, imagination, creativity, and the challenge of staying true to yourself while life continuously throws unexpected curves.
Along the way, Stephen discusses the balance between analytical thinking and storytelling, his skepticism of modern technology and AI, and the simple but powerful hope that readers might find connection, escapism, and shared humanity within the pages of his books.
The episode also explores Stephen’s work as host of Gift of Giving on WWDBTV, a program dedicated to shining a light on smaller nonprofit organizations and the people quietly working to make a difference in their communities. It’s a passion project rooted in compassion, generosity, and the belief that even small acts of giving can create lasting ripples.
Warm, reflective, and quietly insightful, this episode is a reminder that every life journey leaves fingerprints on the stories we choose to tell.
Learn more about Stephen: https://authorstephenmurray.com/about/
View Gift of Giving: https://wwdbtv.com/shows/the-gift-of-giving/
 

The Art Box - Episode 434 - Ho'oponopono - Lead with the Heart - Kaye Ashbridge

In this heartfelt and deeply reflective episode of The Art Box, Steve sits down with one of his best friends in Mesquite, Kaye Ashbridge, for a conversation centered around intuition, healing, self-reflection, and leading with the heart.
Kaye shares thoughts from her intuitive practice and her work with tarot cards—not as tools to predict a fixed future, but as gentle doorways into deeper thought, self-awareness, and personal growth. Together, Steve and Kaye explore the Hawaiian practice of Ho'oponopono, the importance of listening inwardly, and the idea that sometimes the answers we seek are already quietly waiting inside us.
As always with Kaye, the conversation becomes more than an interview. It turns into something restorative… a reminder to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with the light we each carry within ourselves.
This episode closes with what Kaye calls an “active prayer,” an unscripted shared moment of reflection focused on insight, higher selves, and innate Divinity, with Kristi joining Steve and Kaye in the experience.
Whether you’re deeply spiritual, creatively curious, or simply searching for a little peace in a noisy world, this episode invites you to pause for a while… and lead with the heart.
You can learn more about Kaye at: https://expandinghearttarot.com/
Instagram: @kayeashbridge

The Art Box - Episode 433 - "Zero Barrier to Entry" a Chat with Tom Snarsky

In Episode 433 of The Art Box, Steve welcomes Virginia poet Tom Snarsky for a thoughtful and wonderfully wandering conversation about poetry, mathematics, the internet, rejection, collaboration, and the strange beauty of language in modern life.
Tom is the author of several poetry collections including Light-Up Swan, Reclaimed Water, and his newest release A Letter From The Mountain & Other Poems. Living in the mountains of northwestern Virginia, Tom writes poems that are at once deeply conversational, intellectually curious, and quietly human.
Together, Steve and Tom explore how poems begin with fragments, titles, sounds, and passing observations before slowly gathering momentum into something tangible. The conversation drifts through Robert Frost, David Lynch, online poetry communities, social media as both blessing and distraction, and the ways modern life changes how we experience love, death, and connection.
It’s an episode about attention, conversation, and the invisible harmonics that hold art together — even in a world that keeps asking us to scroll past it.
Follow Tom on Instagram @tomsnarsky @night_light_poems_
LinkTree
His new book of poetry MOUNTEBANK can be found here: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/tom-snarsky-mountebank

The Art Box - Episode 432 - The Magic Box: Michael Napper and the Healing Power of Music

In June of 2023, we sat down with Michael Napper for one of our most poignant episodes—Episode 10 of Clouds in the Sand—where he shared his powerful journey as a healthcare worker navigating the challenges of COVID, offering care, compassion, and presence during one of the most difficult times in recent history.
Now, Michael returns.
This time, we step into a different side of his story—one that has been with him just as long.
With over 40 years as an LPN and decades of musical exploration, Michael shares how music—first discovered as a young boy at a hidden piano—became something essential to who he is. From classical piano lessons to rediscovering that spark later in life through the accordion, his journey is one of returning to something deeply personal and profoundly human.
We talk about the accordion as a “magic box”—an instrument that must be embraced, breathed into, and felt. We explore the vulnerability of performing, the discipline of practice, and the connection between musician and audience. For Michael, music isn’t just sound—it’s a universal language, a way to evoke emotion, to connect, and to help people feel.
From the intensity of hospice care to the joy (and occasional chaos) of live performance, this episode is a reminder that even in the most serious lives, there is space for creativity, expression, and a little bit of magic.

The Art Box - Episode 431 - Spring 2026 East Fremont Festival of Arts - Poetry Slam

Spring 2026 East Fremont Festival of Arts | Downtown Container Park, Las Vegas
Sometimes the best episodes aren’t planned—they’re discovered.
In this special on-location episode of The Art Box, Steve heads to the vibrant Spring East Fremont Festival of Arts, hosted by our friend Liezl Siojo of ART BOX, at the ever-energetic Downtown Container Park.
Under a sky full of color, music, and creativity, we set up and invited something simple… and powerful:
Share a poem.
What followed was a beautiful, spontaneous collection of voices—artists, vendors, and visitors alike—each stepping up to the mic to offer a piece of themselves. Some heartfelt, some playful, all real.
Along the way, you’ll hear the hum of the festival—laughter between booths, the camaraderie of creators, music drifting through the air, and the kind of moments that can only happen when people gather to celebrate art.
This episode is a reminder that poetry isn’t confined to books or stages—it lives in conversations, in shared spaces, and in the courage to speak.
So step in, take a listen, and spend a little time with us at one of Las Vegas’ most creative corners.

Episode 430 – The Art of Negotiating: The Journey of Joe Dwyer

In this episode of The Art Box, host MJ sits down with Joe Dwyer, whose life’s work spans from representing workers as a Teamster in Billings, Montana to serving on state boards for three governors as Chairman of the Montana State Fund. Born in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, Joe reflects on a lifetime of service, leadership, and advocacy—before ultimately finding his way to Mesquite, Nevada with his wife of 52 years Kathy. It’s a conversation about purpose, perseverance, and what it means to serve others throughout a lifetime.

The Art Box - Episode 429 - I Saw A Bobcat!!! - or Exploring History with Professor Mills Kelly

In this episode of The Art Box, Steve sits down with Mills Kelly, a retired history professor whose work bridges the worlds of storytelling, education, and public engagement. From decades in academia to creating a podcast on the history of the Appalachian Trail, Mills shares how curiosity, patience, and archival discovery shape his process.
Together, they explore the idea that history, much like a long trail, is something we move through, question, and rediscover along the way. It’s a thoughtful conversation about learning, humanity, and the quiet ways we can all contribute to making the world a little better, one step at a time.
Learn more about Professor Kelly at: https://millskelly.net/