The Art Box

The Art Box - Episode 64 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Larry, Verbal Nods, FM Radio and the Gathering Wrap Up

This is it folks, our final episode from the gathering. 
First a huge thanks to the Buchanan Family Band from Yerrington, NV. Besides a great show on our opening night, a super family interview they allowed us to use their rendition of "Little Brown Jug"  as our opening and in episode interludes. What a nice family and so very talented.
The volunteers worked so very hard, our press liaison Karyn was incredible getting us the inside tracks on Waddie and Yvonne interviews.  
Then we perused the various talented vendors. Kathleen Brannon with her beautiful bead work, we talked to for probably thirty minutes and who can forget her quote: "For everything that's good in life, there is a compromise" You can find her amazing art at:
https://www.desertsagebeadart.com/
Our course we would not be complete without mentioning our now friend Larry. The Press room was not very busy, normally it was only the Art Box and KVMR radio Larry Hillberg. Larry gave us some great stories, deep to the heart.  His great quote: "Story is very powerful on radio"
Find out more about Larry and catch his show on-line at:
https://www.kvmr.org/users/larry-hillberg/
We finish up this episode thanking our sponsors Nevada Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities, trying our hand at Cowboy Poetry and finally sharing a song that meant so much to Larry in his story about his parents.
We hope all of our loyal listeners enjoy our many podcasts from Elko.
As you now know we recorded many hours and thought long and hard on how we would publish, an episode per day? One long episode or break it up in easy bite sized episodes. We chose the ladder and hope that works for you.
Our best - Linda Harris and Steve Dudrow

The Art Box - Episode 63 - Arts-based Research and Hollyland - Meet Patricia Leavy

Linda and Steve have been anxious to have Patricia as our guest, what an interesting, heartfelt chat opening our eyes to the life of a successful author and such a fine human. Thank you Patricia.
 
Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a sociologist and bestselling author. She has published over 40 books, earning commercial and critical success in both nonfiction and fiction, and her work has been translated into many languages. Her works have garnered a slew of book awards including USA Best Book Awards, Independent Press Awards, International Impact Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, Firebird Book Awards, International Book Awards, New York City Big Book Awards, and American Fiction Awards. She has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.”
 
Favorite Quote from Hollyland
“Perhaps the yellow brick road was really just a trail of gold dust connecting one dream to another.”—Hollyland
Preorder Hollyland:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hollyland-Novel-Patricia-Leavy/dp/1647422965/ref=sr_1_1?crid=166NRPCS6JL94&keywords=hollyland+leavy&qid=1673291857&s=books&sprefix=hollyland+leavy%2Cstripbooks%2C107&sr=1-1

The Art Box - Episode 62 - Rocking the Blues in Mesquite - Meet the Mesquite Cafe’ Blues Band

Linda and Paul Villanueva visited with the Art Box at the Mesquite Library Learning Center and if one can judge by the voracity of laughter it was a smashing success. How lucky is our little town to have talents like Linda and Paul performing for us. 
You can find their music and schedule at: http://mesquitecafebluesband.com and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mesquitecafebluesband
Thanks to hosts Linda Harris and Rachel Washington for such an amazing interview. 
Now get out and experience the Blues with Linda and Paul. 

The Art Box - Episode 61 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Trick Riding, Yodeling in the Barn, American Idol and Wooing the Crowds in Italy - Meet Kristyn Harris

WOW what a voice!!!! We just loved Kristyn's performance and happily hosted her and her grand mom on our little podcast. Check out her website: https://kristynharris.com/
Kristyn Harris is a multi-award-winning singer, songwriter, and entertainer known for her western swing spin on original and classic songs of the western and rural lifestyle. She is recognized for her powerful voice, swing rhythm guitar chops, songwriting, yodeling, and energetic stage presence, as well as the passion and authenticity that she puts into each performance. Kristyn tours across the United States and internationally, both as a solo artist and with various band configurations. Outside of music, her time is spent with her herd of Black Angus cattle, working her newest colt, or trick riding. Her most recent album, A Place to Land, was awarded Outstanding Western Album for 2020 by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

The Art Box - Episode 60 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Roundup - Rancher, Border Collie Wrangler, and The Art Box Favorite Cowboy Poet - Meet Annie Mackenzie

Were we ever lucky to grab Headliner Poet Annie and her sister Megan for an Art Box guest appearance. Annie help tech us that no matter how big the star they have time to be ultra nice to everyone. 
While known as the family rambler, Annie Mackenzie has her roots planted firmly at the fourth-generation family ranch in southeast Oregon, 30 miles north of the small town of Jordan Valley. She spends her days assisting her two brothers and father in tending cattle, starting horses, and managing the unruly pack of border collies that inhabit the place. She has taught agriculture, served as the local high school FFA advisor, and worked with Sun J Livestock, contractors who gather wild horses across the western states. Though Annie competed in college rodeo, she found herself continually returning home to help out. She is now back where she feels she belongs–on the range with her brothers–writing poems and songs in her beloved High Desert. Annie is the recipient of this year’s Della Johns scholarship. 
Thank you Annie!
 
Thank you to Nevada Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities for sponsoring the Art Box visit to Elko, Nevada.
Thank you to the Buchanan family for their intro music.

The Art Box - Episode 59 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Roundup - Day One - Featuring The Buchanans

Reporting almost live from the 38th Annual Cowboy Poetry Roundup in Elko, Nevada. We are here by generous grants from Nevada Humanities, the National Endowment of Humanities and of course our own Virgin Valley Artists' Association. We are recording on the run, lots of background noise and we will do our best on the volumes. 
Today we were entertained by a young group of musicians of the Buchanan family from Yerington, NV.  They were so very gracious to interview with us before their performance and afterwards. Such a talented young family. After that we moved to the main Auditorium at the Elko Convention Center to be entertained by DW Groethe, Yvonne Hollenback, Sourdough Slim, Robert Armstrong and R.B. Smith. There was no recording allowed in the main auditorium. We will be back on Thursday for some more Western fun! 

The Art Box - Episode 58 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Russ Westwood

Thanks to a grant by the Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Art Box is going on a road-trip to The 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada February 1 - 4 2023.
We interviewed famous Mesquite Cowboy Poet, Russ Westwood prior to going just to get in the mood for some good western fun. 
Check back to your podcast app as we will be publishing episodes from the gathering as often as we can.
https://www.nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org/
 
 
 
 

The Art Box - Episode 57 - Art and Creativity from the Old House at Center and Main – Meet Don Gomes

Art and Creativity from the Old House at Center and Main – Meet Don Gomes
Steve received many joys during his stint as Artist in Residence at Capitol Reef National Park, certainly one of them was meeting and collaborating with the Entrada Institute Vice President Don Gomes. 
Don is a human of many talents, morning DJ, book shop owner, movie star, rock star and just an all-around great person.
Don’s career spans local government, the financial industry, the arts and nonprofit world. He has taught business, public, and nonprofit management at colleges and universities in five states. He served as Executive Director of the Utah Nonprofits Association from 2007 - 2009. Currently, Don is vice-president of the Entrada Institute in Torrey and is a board member of Utah Humanities.
In Anchorage, Don was appointed to the Mayor’s Arts Advisory Commission, served on the board of Anchorage Project Access (a healthcare safety net group), and was Executive Director of Anchorage Community Theatre. His latest adventure, along with wife Annie Holt, is The Old House at Center and Main, where more than 30 local hand crafters and authors display and sell their work.
Don heads up the Bicknell International Film Festival, an Entrada event, “Where good things happen to bad movies” and “Better living through bad cinema.” Don shares his musical talents with the “Bristlecones” along with Barry Scholl and Robert Marc.
Don was a 1999 recipient of the Utah Humanities Council Friend of Humanities Award for his work with KCPW Public Radio.
He was ring announcer for the World Wrestling Federation when touring through Utah in the early 80’s.
Even with threats of terrorism, a fickle economy, a raging pandemic, and growing incivility, he says, “You can’t scare me I work for a nonprofit.”

The Art Box - Episode 56 - Born an Artist - Meet Katie Hoffman

Meet one of my favorite humans, Katie Hoffman, besides admiring her creativity, and prowess as an archeologist, she been tasked to lead me on almost impossible hikes and every time has brought me back alive. I may have been battered and bruised, but I did come back alive.  Katie is the President of Nevadans for Cultural Preservation whom I have the pleasure of volunteering for.
Katie Hoffman was born in Paradise, California, before enlisting and traveling the world with the United States Air Force. Throughout her travels, the art and culture of host countries inspired her artworks, and set the stage for an academic pursuit of anthropology, archaeology, and art. Heavily influenced by parenthood and cultural studies, Katie spent years hocking art and handiwork in the European bazaar circuit focusing on wearables, art quilts, and soft sculpture. She then emigrated to Southern Nevada in 2009 and throughout her decade in the Las Vegas valley, Katie’s practice has grown to include mixed media sculpture, ceramics making, and photography - leading to her current focus in assemblage and installation work, which gives her the artistic freedom to explore multiple techniques and materials at once. Since 2020, Katie has been splitting her time between southern Nevada and northern California where she has established a studio in her hometown of Paradise.

The Art Box - Episode 55 - Landscapes, Acrylics, Birds, 50th State and Airstream Studio - Meet Alli Harvey

We heard Alli Harvey on a Friends of Nevada Wilderness Zoom presentation and said in unison, "we gotta get her on a podcast!" And we did, YAY!
Alli Harvey grew up on the East Coast but fell in love with Alaska at a young age when she first learned about the aurora borealis. Determined to visit, as a teenager she took proceeds from an unexpectedly successful art showing and bought a ticket north.
Alli ended up exploring more than just Alaska over the next 10+ years. She earned her degree in Urban Studies in NYC’s New School, and lived in Reno, NV working to protect wilderness. Eventually, back in Alaska, her career wound its way back to where she started: in 2018, Alli decided to double down on art.
Alli paints vivid, natural scenery often contrast with manmade features ranging from street lamps, busted cars, railroad ties, to power lines. Painting from her new mobile art studio and gallery, an Airstream trailer that allows her to visit places that inspire her, Alli is increasingly able to embrace geographic mobility. Home is with her friends, family, and in the Mobile Art Studio, but her favorite places on earth are Alaska and Nevada which are often the subjects of Alli’s paintings.
Of why she paints, Alli says, “It’s never been enough for me to enjoy something on my own. As soon as I find out something worth knowing or experiencing, I want to tell ten people about it. I feel that having a sense of connection with the world and each other makes our lives richer, and by extension, the world a better place.”
Alli is also a runner and hiker, pop culture enthusiast, cocktail inventor, avid Scrabble player, and an outdoor columnist for the Anchorage Daily News since 2013.