The Art Box

The Art Box - Episode 256 "Reimagining the World Through Art" Meet Lauren O'Connell

Steve capped off his trip to Scottsdale with an enlightening visit with Lauren O'Connell, curator of contemporary art at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) in Arizona. The inspiring and thought-provoking conversation left him smiling all the way home on the drive back to Mesquite. 
Lauren is a curator, writer, and educator focusing on contemporary art. Lauren previously held positions at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in the Architecture and Design Department and UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive where she organized Architecture of Life (2016) with former director Lawrence Rinder and worked on numerous MATRIX projects and collection shows.​Her curatorial practice is rooted in artist-centric projects that expand and challenge artistic medium, critical dialogue, relational experiences, and art historical cannons. She has worked on special projects with artists including Tarek Atoui, Kristin Bauer, Diedrick Brackens, York Chang, Mimi O Chun, Martin Soto Climent, Otobong Nkanga, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Jean Shin, Anna Tsouhlarakis, and Qiu Zhijie. O'Connell's research positions contemporary art as an avenue to examine social reality through epistemological examination, speculative and historical (re)formations, mythology, and constructed environments. Her research process involves exhibition-making, artist engagement, and community-building.O'Connell is the author of Language in Times of Miscommunication: Art Critical of Social Reality (SMoCA, 2023) and co-author of Dorothy Fratt: Works (Radius Books, 2023). Her writing can be found in publications including New Time: Art & Feminism in the 21st Century (UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2021) and Harvey Quaytman: Against the Static (University of California Press, 2018).
Click here to learn more about Lauren: https://www.loconnell.com/about.html

The Art Box - Episode 255 - "Artful Minds: The Neuroscience of Creativity and Beauty" Meet Laura Hales

Steve had the distinct pleasure of visiting Scottsdale, AZ, to engage in an inspiring conversation with Laura Hales, curator for the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Center Gallery. With Linda traveling, our good friend and frequent guest Jen Urso stepped in as co-host. Don’t miss this captivating discussion. Enjoy!
Laura Hales curates Center Space, a community-based art gallery inside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Her goal is to create thought-provoking and educational exhibitions, collaborating with field experts and Arizona-based artists. Recent exhibitions include: Unintended Consequences (2023), a group show about the human destruction of the desert, featuring artists Monica Aissa Martinez, Carolyn Lavender, and Mary Shindell; and Coming to Terms, (2023-24) a group show in collaboration with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. She is working on an upcoming exhibition for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, also with Chatterjee and relating to neuroaesthetics, called Brains and Beauty: At the Intersection of Art and Neuroscience (opening August 2024). Hales has published research articles in Studies in Art Education, a national research journal. She leads arts and wellness programming initiatives at Scottsdale Arts.
Click here to find out more about  “ArtRx: The Mind-Body Connection” and Laura Hales 

The Art Box - Episode 254 - "Wander Woman" Meet Nancy Alain

In this episode of The Art Box, we have the privilege of speaking with Nancy Alain, a Las Vegas-based artist whose powerful work is deeply informed by her 20-year career in the foreign service. Having served in some of the world's most conflict-ridden and impoverished regions, Nancy shares extraordinary stories of how creativity can flourish even amidst war, scarcity, and adversity. Discover how her experiences shaped her artistic vision, the compelling narratives behind her pieces, and how she continues to draw inspiration from the vibrant Las Vegas community. This episode is a testament to resilience, artistry, and the transformative power of imagination—perfect for creators and art lovers alike.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasvegasarttourism/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063560317733
Nancy's web site: https://nancy-alain.weebly.com/
 
 
 

The Art Box - Episode 252 - Seed in a Grape? - Meet Tony Chavez

Linda and Steve had the absolute pleasure of a wide ranging conversation with Tony Chavez. Tony's interests are varied and inspiring, we chatted about algae based carbon capture, love of our environment, art of manifesting ideas to reality, recycling and he sent us both down a rabbit hole researching Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Tony is an ultra interesting guest and you will enjoy this discussion, we sure did.
Tony mentioned Recycled Propaganda and you can learn about them at this link:  https://recycledpropaganda.com/
Tony was introduced to us via his girlfriend Lydia Wolfe who also happens to be our episode 175 - "Treat Life Like Art" guest. 

The Art Box - Episode 253 - "Invisible Space Among All Things" - Meet Pablo

Meet Pablo Gonzales Flores, an extraordinary artist introduced to us by Nancy Good at Core Contemporary. Pablo's work transcends boundaries, drawing inspiration from the vibrant palettes used by American Indigenous creators. His visions are deeply rooted in ancestral traditions, beliefs, Zoomorpism, and knowledge, offering a profound connection to history through his art. Sit back and immerse yourself in this engaging artist talk as Pablo shares his creative passions and unique methods.
Contact Pablo at: https://pablogf.com/
and on Instagram at: @pablo.gonzalezflores

The Art Box - Episode 250 - "Broken Silence" - Meet Clark County Poet Laureate Ms. AyeVee

Mesquite had the honor of hosting Clark County, Nevada Poet Laureate Ms. AyeVee (Ashley Vargas) last Tuesday. She captivated the audience as the November guest for the Brown Bag Cultural Series at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center, followed by a special visit to the Mesquite Works STEAM Center to record the milestone 250th episode of The Art Box podcast.
Steve first connected with Ashley during the creation of the Modern Desert Markings project, an exhibition at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art sponsored by Nevadans for Cultural Preservation through grants from the Nevada Arts Council and Nevada Humanities. Her evocative work, Poem for the Ages, was prominently featured in the exhibit and revisited in The Art Box Episode 91.
Ashley "Ms.AyeVee" Vargas is an award-winning Afro-Latina Literary Artist from Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a woman of many hats with a passion for Poetry. Her work has been featured by The legendary All Def Poetry, Write About Now & Button Poetry. She has also been recognized by the Las Vegas Book Festival, Nevada Public Radio, & The US Congress for advancing the cause of literacy & extraordinary literary achievement. In 2022, Ms. AyeVee was selected as an official TEDx speaker for Las Vegas. She also runs a Las Vegas-based poetry organization, Beyond the Neon (@btnpoetry), focusing on poetry-exclusive events and community outreach.
You can follow Ms. AyeVee at: https://linktr.ee/Msayevee 

The Art Box - Episode 251 - From Tin Cans, to A4's to Balloons to Brown, Meet Dean Nakayama

Join us for a special 2024 Veterans Day episode featuring Dean Nakayama as he shares stories from his life before, during, and after his career as a Naval Aviator. Linda spotted Dean on the dance floor at Casa and invited him to join us, and what a fascinating conversation it turned out to be! From his service on the USS Midway and his time with the Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility to piloting balloons and becoming a snowbird in Mesquite, Dean’s journey is filled with incredible experiences, humor, and heart. We’re grateful for this beautiful conversation with an inspiring individual, and we know you’ll enjoy it too. Thank you, Dean, for your service and for sharing your story with us.

The Art Box - Episode 249 - Ambitions, Meet the "Off The Rails" Band

Vintage Guys, Vintage Rock.
The guys from Chicago will be back on stage at the Mesquite Community Theatre on Saturday, November 16 at 7 PM in concert benefitting the Virgin Valley Community Food Bank. Suzie recently gathered them in our Mesquite Works STEAM Center recording studio to chat about their upcoming show, nuns with rulers, growing up in Chicago and how they determine their play list. Drop in for a fun discussion and then buy your tickets on-line at the link below. 
Purchase Tickets Here.

The Art Box - Episode 248 - Art Therapy by Authentic Her - Meet Champagne Roca

Wow, what an inspiring conversation we had with therapeutic art practitioner Champagne Roca! We explored carving out personal space, the layered nature of therapy, capturing visual snapshots, the powerful influence of her grandmother, the value of peer collaboration, and her creative passions. So, grab your headphones, settle in with your latest art project, and enjoy this chat with a true Las Vegas gem!
Instagram
Contact.

The Art Box - Episode 245 - October Best of Show Award - Not Invisible Anymore - Linda Harris

Join host Floyd Johnson as he sits down with Linda Harris to delve into the story behind her award-winning watercolor piece, Homeless, But Not Invisible Now, which earned "Best of Show" in the Beneath the Surface exhibition at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center. Every work of art has a journey, and Linda’s creation reaches back to when we first started broadcasting from the Mesquite Library Learning Center. With deep compassion and heartfelt expression, Linda sheds light on the often-overlooked stories of our homeless community. Tune in to this brief yet powerful episode filled with love and understanding, and discover why, through her art, Linda reminds us that no one is truly invisible.