The Art Box

The Art Box - Episode 415 - Magic Happens When You Are Creating - Patricia Leavy

If you listen to just one podcast this year, make it this one.
Award-winning author Patricia Leavy joins us for a fascinating conversation that takes listeners behind the scenes of her beloved works of fiction and the characters who continue to live on in her imagination long after the final page is written. Patricia shares how storytelling first took root in her life through the influence of her grandmother, who instilled in her a deep love for stories and the magic they can hold.
We explore Patricia’s creative process, the way her characters seem to develop lives of their own, and how fiction can capture the emotional truths of our lives in powerful ways.
We also discuss her newest non-fiction book, The Artist Academic, a thoughtful and inspiring guide for creative thinkers everywhere.  The book offers valuable insights for artists working in any medium, writers, painters, photographers, musicians, and storytellers of every kind.
This episode is a reminder that when we allow ourselves to create, something remarkable can happen: stories emerge, ideas take shape, and magic finds its way onto the page.
Learn more about Patricia at: https://patricialeavy.com/
 

The Art Box - Episode 414 – Celebrating Community

In this episode of The Art Box, we sit down with Marie Alvery, the reigning 2025 Ms. Senior Mesquite, along with Becky Boyd, the longtime leader and administrator of the Ms. Senior Mesquite Pageant in Mesquite.
Marie shares her personal experience as this year’s titleholder and how participating in the pageant has opened doors to new friendships, community service, and personal growth. Becky offers insight into the heart behind the program and how it celebrates the wisdom, talents, and life stories of senior women in our community. Together they discuss the many benefits the pageant brings, not only to the contestants, but to the entire Mesquite community.
We begin the episode with a short public service announcement featuring Sara Ruiz, who joins us to talk about the upcoming Annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by Canyonlands Healthcare and the City of Mesquite, taking place on March 28.
It’s a conversation about community spirit, celebrating life’s journeys, and the power of staying active, creative, and engaged at every stage of life.
The 2026 Ms. Senior Pageant takes place May 2 at the Mesquite Community Theatre 150 N. Yucca Street.

The Art Box - Episode 413 - East Fremont Street Fair

Once again it was a beautiful day at the East Fremont Street Art Fair, hosted by The Art Box by Liezl in the East Fremont Street Arts District. The day was filled with music, creativity, friends, and art everywhere you turned.
For me, it was especially fun to host a small gathering of poets at the open mic, sharing words and stories right in the middle of the hustle, bustle, and joyful noise that only a street fair can bring.
Friends DeAnna Beachley and Larry Coffee happened by and treated us to some wonderful prose, and at one point even a painting stepped up to the mic to share a poem of their own.
It was one of those days where creativity just seemed to flow naturally from everyone around us. A truly fun afternoon, and we hope you enjoy this short episode capturing a bit of that energy.
You can find our host at The Art Box by Liezl Siojo, located in Container Park at 707 East Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101.

The Art Box - Episode 408 - Oral Story Telling is Art - Meet Brad McMullen

At the 41st Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, we sit down with Brad McMullen, the Nevada Arts Council’s Folklife Specialist and Nevada State Folklorist, to explore a simple but powerful idea: oral storytelling is art.
From cowboy poetry stages to kitchen tables, Brad reminds us that stories passed from voice to voice carry history, identity, humor, and hard-earned wisdom. We talk about what makes a story “folk,” why tradition isn’t static, and how communities preserve themselves through narrative. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about memory, culture, and the living art of telling a good story.

The Art Box - Episode 407 - Art Is an Emotional Connection: A Fun Chat with Gus Brackett

We slipped out of our remote recording perch in the Cedar Media Room and wandered over to the Conference Center to spend some time with our friend Gus Brackett.
Gus wears a lot of hats — rancher, husband, dad, columnist, young adult author — and I’m proud to add friend to that list.
The plan? A quick five-minute update.
The reality? An hour-long conversation that I didn’t want to end.
Since I’d left the “official” recording gear back at the remote studio, we captured this one on my cell phone. So you’ll hear the hum of the gathering — folks chatting, boots shuffling, laughter rolling through the background. It’s real, it’s unpolished, and it fits Gus perfectly.
Our conversation wandered the wide range of topics you’d expect from a modern-day rancher-thinker:
Gus’ belief that “Art is an emotional connection between two people.”
The mythology of outlaws.
His young adult writing journey.
Artificial Intelligence (the digital kind — as opposed to the ranch version, Artificial Insemination).
And the daily adventure of keeping up with his kids.
You can find Gus’s books — including his award-winning Badger Thurston series — on Amazon. If you enjoy thoughtful Western storytelling grounded in lived experience, you’ll want to saddle up with his work.
Sometimes the best conversations aren’t planned. They just happen when you walk across the parking lot and decide to stay awhile.

The Art Box - Episode 406 - Parking Lot Serendipity: Nevada Travel Meets The Art Box in Elko

Sometimes the best conversations aren’t scheduled — they just happen.
At the 41st Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, we rolled into the parking lot and, as luck would have it, arrived at the exact same time as our friends from Travel Nevada, Megg Mueller, Ali Anderson, and Alexandria Olivares-Wenzel. What started as a quick hello turned into an impromptu Art Box episode celebrating storytelling, sense of place, and the magic of Nevada’s wide-open spaces.
We talk about why events like the Cowboy Poetry Gathering matter, how travel connects culture and community, and what makes Nevada such a compelling place to explore, from its rural traditions to its creative heartbeat. There’s laughter, a little bit of behind-the-scenes tourism insight, and that unmistakable Elko energy that brings people together year after year.
Proof that sometimes the most authentic Nevada stories begin right there in the parking lot.
Find out more about the great things Travel Nevada does in our state: https://travelnevada.biz/
 

The Art Box - Episode 405 - Kinda Cowgirl Poetry - Meet Leigh Ratterman

We were delighted to discover Leigh Ratterman during a Poetry Open Mic session. Her prose lives playfully on the “I’m just learning to be a cowboy” side of the ledger—light, airy, self-aware, and full of charm. There’s an authenticity to her voice that draws you in right away.
Leigh has a wonderful story to tell and is so easy to visit with that we’re already hoping she’ll return for a full-length episode. We have a feeling our listeners are going to love her as much as we did.
You can follow Leigh on Instagram at @leigh_ratterman and @kinda_cowgirl_poetry.

The Art Box - Episode 404 - Unrequited Friendship - Larry Hillberg

We first met Larry four years ago at the Gathering, sharing the media room in the Elko Convention Hall. From that very first conversation, it was clear, Larry always has a story ready to tell. This year, I was lucky enough to capture three of them on the recorder. Don’t get too excited just yet, we’re releasing one for now, and saving the other two for our Harvest of Thought 2026 special coming this October.
Larry Hillberg has been broadcasting since 2001, starting with years of early morning radio before stepping into his current role as part of the long-running, extraordinary Saturday roots music mix at KVMR. He treasures every minute he spends behind the mic. What he values most is KVMR’s identity as the “Voice of the Community,” amplifying the work of hundreds of nonprofit organizations and individuals across its listening area.
Imagine a radio station powered by a small paid staff, sustained entirely through its own fundraising, memberships, and underwriters—supported in every conceivable way by hundreds of volunteers—where all on-air broadcasting is done by unpaid community members. It sounds impossible. And yet, for more than three decades, KVMR has been doing exactly that.
Find out more about Larry here: https://www.kvmr.org/users/larry-hillberg/
 

The Art Box - Episode 417 - Almost Heaven, Three Friends and a Mic

In our little hometown of Mesquite, creativity is always brewing around Mesquite Plaza, especially in the space between Juniper Outpost and the STEAM Center. This is the story of how three friends came together to craft a song that captures the spirit of our town, fueled by laughter, wordplay, and the magic that happens when you bring a talented singer into the mix.
Yes, we know Episode 417 is a bit out of order. Between wrapping up our Cowboy Poetry series and keeping our regular schedule rolling, things got a little… discombobulated. But hey — it’s our podcast, and we reserve the right to shuffle the deck now and then.
So sit back and enjoy Dave Siriani, DJ Van Dyke, and Steve as we chuckle our way through the origins of this little ditty. Stick around until the end to hear our musical masterpiece come to life.
We are really, really. really going to miss Dave and Charlotte and their Juniper Outpost.
 

The Art Box - Episode 403 — Cowboy Meditations with Gary Milliken

Recorded live at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, this episode of The Art Box features a thoughtful conversation with filmmaker Gary Milliken and his wife Gail about Gary’s evocative film Cowboy Meditations. The film centers on cowboy and poet Dick Gibford, capturing his words, spirit, and reflections on life, the land, and the enduring traditions of the West. Blending poetry, imagery, and the quiet rhythm of cowboy philosophy, the project offers a contemplative bridge between modern audiences and the timeless wisdom of western heritage. Gary shares the inspiration behind the film, the creative journey of bringing Dick’s story to the screen, and why voices like his continue to resonate so deeply today.
Find out more at: https://cowboymeditations.com/