The Art Box

The Art Box - Episode 80 - Oil, Plein Air, Hallmark Cards and the KC Chiefs - Meet Greg Summers

Gregory Summers ASI / OPS
“We go outdoors to enjoy the land or stay inside to avoid it. It is the outdoor artist that brings the outside in.”
Born in the Flint Hills, Gregory Summers began his professional career at Hallmark Cards Inc in 1979. A Master Engraver, he now paints primarily “En Plein Air” across the globe with a limited pallet of only 4 colors. Former Vice President of the Greater Kansas City Artists Association, co-founder of the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society, and Brush Creek Plein Air: painting competition in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I am inspired by creation and driven by the experience”
Chosen in 2017 by the top 5 American art publications for the “Artists of the New Century” exhibit at the Bennington Art Gallery, Summers has embraced the world of landscape painting, winning top awards from coast to coast alongside some of the nation’s best plein air and studio artists.
Summers is an elected member of the Salmagundi Art Club, Signature member of the American Impressionists Society, and the Outdoor Painter Society, along with active membership in the Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Plein Air Painters Colorado.
R Gregory Summers. Amazing work. Love his biography… We the people like to hear the intimate parts of an artist’s life (not to be too nosey) as well as info about your art, who your mentors are, who your fellow painters are… and Summers shares with us his personal story as well as the story about his art career. So interesting.
“In Ailies’s Glade” won 2nd place (oils) in the 2013 STEM Plein Air competition and it will soon be on its way to Charleston, SC – and will be included in the American Impressionist’s Show this year which will be at M Gallery of Fine Art in Charleston, SC. The show runs September 28 – October 30, 2013 with the opening reception on October 4th in conjunction with the French Quarter Art Walk!
 

The Art Box - Episode 79 - Coozies, Doodles, Poker, Glass and Tammy - Meet Amy Wells

Amy Wells bio is coming soon.

The Art Box - Episode 78 - Hospice, Huge Hearts and Some Music - Meet Lisa and Eric Wordal

Linda and Steve had the pleasure of hosting an amazing couple, who give back with their amazing talents to their adopted town of Mesquite.
 
Eric is a member of the Virgin Valley Art Association and of the Virgin Valley Photographic Society. Eric has a pre professional degree in pharmacy from Green River Community College, A Certificate of Highest Honors from the Glen Fishback School of Photography. He is also a Licensed Massage Therapist in both Montana and Nevada. He was on the board of the Montana Professional Photographer’s Association and rated in the Top 10. He has won numerous awards for his artwork and been working in the industry for over 45 years…..
 
Lisa and Eric have two sons. Dan is a dentist and new bar owner in Butte, Montana. Nate is a C130 pilot in the Air Force. He is a Hurricane Hunter stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi. He is a film maker. Lisa became a dental hygienist in 1993 and has been blessed throughout her career. In 2017-2019 she attended Bible college and also finished her education as a associate board certified chaplain. She and Eric are now employed by Mesa View Hospice in Mesquite respectively as a chaplain and massage therapist. She works as a temporary hygienist during the summers in Montana. She travels with Eric performing old gospel music. 

The Art Box - Episode 77 - Butler Silo’s, Hootenannies, Cowboy Poetry and Not Afraid to Cry - Meet Harlo Birkholz

It was our pleasure to interview one of our founding members Harlo Birkholz recently. Instead of typing Harlo’s story here, we will let you just listen. Below are a few of his poems for you to enjoy.
Who's in the Mirror
I stumbled and it wasn't my toe
That got me in trouble.
I tried to blame the rock, the berm, the world,
Until I saw me, in a mirror of my mind.
 
Shocked, I said, “THIS has to end”  but
I had no definition for the elusive “This”.
I stared at the wall, hummed “Ummm” and
Contemplated my navel but came up empty.
 
Someone suggested, “Find the cross” when
I couldn't find my butt with both hands.
Doing a desert walk-a-bout I talked to
Mahatma, Buddha  and Elvis. No help there.
 
It didn't click until I passed a for-real mirror
And saw myself, my real self, no illusions.
“Myself” wasn't ugly, just unfamiliar. Getting to know
The me of “me” brought myself back in perspective.
 
I'm comfortable in my own skin now. It fits.
My mind is settled. not exploding out. Even if
My thoughts are expansive, they're calm.
Thank you, whoever, for the me I've found.
 
Harlo Birkholz
 
A Cowboy Haiku
 
The old cowboy knew,
His days left were few.
His horses sensed the good-byes
When the ranch went, with wet eyes.
 
Then old, too feeble to tend,
Even his four legged friend
Was gone. No more a wet nose saying
Howdy to a pals hand... not playing.
 
He wrote, the last to do.
 
The stars in the sky
My friends...are dimmer and cold.
The earth beckons me.
 
Harlo Birkholz

The Art Box - Episode 76 - Deep Space, Volunteering and Nature Journaling - Meet Teresa Skye and Dave Ward

Last September we recorded our first outdoor episode with two of Steve’s favorite friends and humans Teresa Skye and Dave Ward. We met while volunteering for the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. We have been holding this episode to coincide with Teresa’s Brown Bag presentation and workshop on Nature Journaling on April 4. You can sign up here: https://www.mesquitefineartscenter.com/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=590375&item_id=1883932&event_date_id=255
and here: https://www.mesquitefineartscenter.com/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=590375&item_id=1925184&event_date_id=255
Dave Ward
Born and raised in the East, David Ward has always considered the West his home. He has been a river rafting guide, a hiking guide, and a guide to the night sky, living his passion of sharing his love of the outdoors. Always searching for a dark sky, he spends his time between the deep canyons of Death Valley and the snow-clad peaks of the Pacific Northwest.
Teresa Skye
Teresa Skye has been a hiking guide and has put together outdoor programs for Death Valley Natural History Association since 2015. She is a former teacher, backpacking guide, and avid hiker. This includes hiking much of the Pacific Crest Trail, Yellowstone NP, and Death Valley NP. She currently volunteers for the Nevada Site Steward program as well as in Canyonlands NP and Ash Meadows NWR. Teresa has been nature journaling for several years, taking classes online as well as in-person workshops. She feels the joy of being a close observer of nature and capturing it in art and writing is something you can practice for life, no matter what your age or abilities.

The Art Box - Episode 75 - Dastardly Desert Desperados - Meet Screen Writers Sue and Nancy

The Art Box had an amazing fun interview with screen-writers Sue and Nancy last week. Our sides hurt from laughing and we can hardly wait for their newest Melodrama to open on March 17. You can get tickets at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center Monday-Saturday 10am to 4pm or on-line at: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/vvtgnv/6616
Let's learn more about these two dynamos.
Nancy Arnold has appeared in community theater productions in Colorado and Alaska including The Corn is Green, Jack and the Beanstalk, A Member of the Wedding, Rumors, and The Importance of Being Earnest, to name just a few.  Since the 1980’s, she has written and directed - as well as acted in - dozens of melodramas for Anchorage, Alaska’s mid-winter celebration known as Fur Rendezvous. Nancy has worked with young people throughout her life, conducting theater workshops for elementary-aged students and judging Alaska statewide talent competitions.  She has also staged, choreographed, and directed several state and local scholarship pageants in Alaska. Her involvement with local pageants has given her the chance to meet some incredible young people, and she hopes she has encouraged them to follow their passion.
A native of New Castle, Colorado, Nancy was a Theater Arts major at the University of Colorado.  She has been married to husband Don for 53 years, has two sons, one daughter-in-law, and one incredible grandson who loves learning new accents. Nancy, who is retired from the Anchorage School District, moved with Don to Mesquite in February, 2018 after 38 years in Alaska. 
Nancy has been involved in the theater community since she arrived in Mesquite.  She directed Arsenic and Old Lace, and appeared in An Evening of Culture and Hallelujah Girls. Along with Susan Kjellsen, she has written four melodramas for the Virgin Valley Theatre Group (VVTG) and directed each of them.  These popular productions have garnered a wide and enthusiastic following.  Nancy is also a member of the VVTG Board of Trustees, serving as its Vice President.
Susan Kjellsen was born and raised in Kansas City and attended the University of Kansas, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Education with an English concentration.  She has lived in Alaska, North Carolina, and now makes her home in Mesquite, Nevada.  She has three grown daughters, four grandchildren, two cats, and a dog.
Susan has been writing for the past 40 years.  Her early work was as a novelist with Harlequin/Silhouette Books.  For several years, she was the head writer for the Anchorage, Alaska School District’s television station, writing all of their public relations videos.  She also held the position of head proposal writer for K2 Solutions, Inc., a government contracting company in Southern Pines, North Carolina.  Her freelance work includes articles published in Guideposts, Just Labs, and Retriever News magazines.
Susan and her writing partner, Nancy Arnold, have written close to a dozen old fashioned melodramas first for Anchorage Alaska’s mid-winter carnival, Fur Rendezvous, and now for the Virgin Valley Theater Group in Mesquite.  Susan does a little acting and singing in each play, “just because it’s so much fun.” She is also a member of the VVTG Board of Trustees.
Susan is an avid photographer and spends as much time as she can exploring the backroads with her camera in hand searching for that next great shot. She got her first camera when I she was ten and has loved photography ever since.

The Art Box - Episode 74 - The Art Box - Ten-Minutes with Johnny Trujillo

Meet Johnny Trujillo. junior at Virgin Valley High School, Mesquite, Nevada. Recent recipient of an Emerging Artists award from the Virgin Valley Artists' Association, Johnny carries a 4.0 GPA, is an amazing artist and soccer player. The Art Box is looking forward to chatting with Johnny through the coming years. Thank you Eric Wordal for hosting this episode. 

The Art Box - Episode 73 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - The Breakfast Club

Join Linda and Steve as we interview some amazing artists at breakfast over the course of the week. 

The Art Box - Episode 72 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Calves in Bathtubs, Angry Roosters and Mortuaries - Open Mic with Glenn and Eddy

On Day two we attended an open mic session and enjoy an amazing array of Cowboy Poets. 
If you have a heart you are going to love this episode.
We nabbed Glen Bair, from Ephrata, Washington for an interview along with his wife and one of his favorite daughters. Glen brought the audience to tears with his rendition of the "Calf in the Bathtub". Read more about Glen at: https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2018/sep/06/ephrata-cowboy-poet-set-to-perform-at-quincy-2/
Next up was Eddy Christensen from Riverton, Utah and he enthralled us with a couple of his poems and left us with bad dreams about roosters and deep consideration before you rent a room in a mortuary. Thank you for your poetry book Eddy!

The Art Box - Episode 71 - 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Legends of Poetry - Meet Waddie Mitchell

An honest-to-goodness cowboy who became one of the leading lights of the cowboy poetry movement, Waddie Mitchell knew of what he spoke long before be became a recording artist. Waddie was born Bruce Douglas Mitchell in 1950, and he grew up on a ranch near the Ruby Mountains south of Elko, Nevada. Living in an area not wired for electricity and where TV and radio reception was poor at best, Mitchell's father and the cowboys he worked with entertained themselves with stories and songs influenced by Western lore that had been passed along for generations. Young Mitchell absorbed their tales and became a full-time working cowboy at the age of 16. In his late teens, Mitchell joined the Army, and he was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, where he put his skills to work breaking and training horses for the U.S. Cavalry. During his hitch in the Army, Mitchell picked up the nickname "Waddie," from an old slang word for a cowboy.
After returning to civilian life, Mitchell moved back to Nevada, where he got married and raised five children while working on ranches, dreaming of someday owning a spread of his own. Mitchell developed a local reputation for his poems about the life of cowboys and their slowly disappearing lifestyle in the American West. Discovering he was one of many writers keeping the cowboy's oral tradition alive, in 1985 Mitchell helped organize and appeared at the first Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The event was a success, attracting over 2,000 people, and it became an annual event. It also sparked Mitchell's interest in performing, and soon he was doing readings throughout the Southwest, which proved to be more profitable than ranch work. Mitchell's big break came when he was invited to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson; he initially turned down the appearance, having never seen the show and having no idea who Carson was, but he was persuaded to do the show and went over well enough that he came back for three more appearances.
In 1992, Mitchell was signed to Warner Western, the Western music branch of Warner Bros. Records, and released his debut album, Lone Driftin' Rider. A mix of classic cowboy tales and original poems from Mitchell set to musical accompaniment, Lone Driftin' Rider was a critical success, and Mitchell would release two more albums through Warner Western, 1993's Buckaroo Poet and 1994's The Bard & the Balladeer: Live from Cowtown. Warner Bros. folded Warner Western in 1997, and in 1998 Mitchell re-emerged on the independent Shanachie Records label with the album Live. Shanachie released A Prairie Portrait in 2000 and That No Quit Attitude in 2002; the title track on the latter album was written for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad and inspired by the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah that year.
By this time, Mitchell was an award-winning poet and published author who balanced his successful literary career with his work as a cowboy. (His writing had also allowed him to buy the ranch near the Ruby Mountains he'd long dreamed of.) In 2005, Mitchell struck up a new recording relationship with the Western Jubilee Recording Company, an outfit that specialized in Western music and poetry. Western Jubilee reissued the 1998 album Live in 2005, and Sweat Equity followed in 2014. In 2017, Mitchell released Cohorts & Collaborators: Songs Written with Waddie, a collection of tunes Mitchell had written in tandem with Western musicians, including Sons and Brothers, Jon Chandler, Pipp Gillette, Brenn Hill, and others.