The Art Box

This episode started over six months ago while your hosts were volunteering at the ⁠Love Family⁠ Prom and Linda watched Billy the King perform an amazingly athletic pole routine. Linda's jaw dropped and she could be heard all evening, "I wanna do that". Well do that she did, as Nicky Wangsgard (a.k.a. Billy the King) arranged for pole dancing lessons for Linda and afterwards we adjourned to Nicky's house for an incredible podcast interview. We love a quote from our interview: "That's what we want to do as artists', give somebody hope." ⁠Billy's Face Book Page⁠

Linda and Steve were super excited to sit down the most amazing couple, Charlotte and David Sirignni owners of Juniper Outpost in the Mesquite Plaza. (312 W Mesquite Blvd #114, Mesquite, NV 89027) They strive along with their unique vendors to "Make the World a Better Place" with the most incredible array of beautiful art, many of which support those of lesser means through giving organizations. We believe Charlottes statement "Not an Amazon experience" says it all, you must visit to understand. Sit back and enjoy the next 45 minutes, then hop in the car and visit the Juniper Outpost. Thank you to our voice of the Art Box Pericles Rellas and our music provided by Kit Pristine.

We were so happy to sit down with February 2024 Artist of the Month Randy Bauman for a ten minute quick episode, thirty minutes later we finished but could have talked for another hour. Randy is an amazing photographer and we were able to dig in on reasons why we love photography. Come visit Randy's exhibit at the Mesquite FIne Arts Center, January 29 until February 23.

This is STEAM Chat episode 005, but we thought we would release it as an Art Box episode in parrallel because space travel and science is Art. Enjoy. Mesquite Works STEAM Chat was honored to host Shannon McConnell for a stimulating conversation about her career journey at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab that cemented her love for STEM education which then culminated in her appointment as the Education and Public Engagement Lead for NASA’s Deep Space Network. We talk about the many projects she was part of: Magellan, Space Shuttle, Cassini and TOPEX/Poseidon, also artificial intelligence, her lead role in NASA collaboration with K-12 education and why there could be no STEA without Mathematics. Learn more about Shannon: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/we-are-nasa-shannon-mcconnell-education-public-engagement-lead-nasas-deep-space-network-dsn/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-mcconnell-96a8a530/ https://onegiantleapfoundation.com.au/team-archive/shannon-mcconnell/

Linda and Steve we so super excited to visit with Nancy Good at her Las Vegas studio/gallery 'Core Contemporary'. What an amazing chat about creativity, STEAM, Nancy's many mediums and oh so much more. This is a must listen as is a visit to 'Core Contemporary' 900 Liberace Ave Suite B111, Las Vegas, NV 89109, your eyes and heart will thank you. Learn more about Nancy at: https://www.corecontemporary.com/about.html

The Art Box was invited to travel back in time to Lizard, Nevada 1942. This time there was no train but Steve was blown back via a haboob. I had the pleasure of chatting at the Virgin Valley Theatre with the cast (in character) on the stage. As always this group of neighbors, friends and performing artists were funny, talented and at times serious as we chatted about their new melodrama A Haboob in the Hoodoos. You can find out more and purchase tickets at: https://www.vvtgnv.com/buy-tickets See you at the show!

A life and death struggle occurs daily just south of the cute little artist community of Ajo, Arizona. A small non-profit works to save lives in the Sonoran Desert by strategically placing and maintaining water catchments for those in need. Linda and Steve had the honor of interviewing one of the heroes of Humane Borders, Laurie Cantillo.

Your hosts Linda and Steve are delighted to release our very first 'STEAM Chat' podcast in parrallel on the Art Box. Since 2016 our loving neighbors Ann and Burton Weast have used their energy and skills to help our community find jobs with Mesquite Works. Now Partnering with George Gault they are placing Mesquite on the educational map with their creation "The Mesquite Works STEAM Center" a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Center that also includes key elements of Art and Agriculture. The mission of the STEAM Center is: Our mission as the Mesquite STEAM Center is to engage students with hands-on learning within the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Students will have the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to find success within their future professions and academic pursuits. Our STEAM Center students will be hosting STEAM themed podcasts to bring science, technology, engineering, agriculture, art and math subjects to our listeners. Stay tuned as STEAM Community Radio is also in the works. Settle back and listen to two Mesquite wonders Ann and Burton.

Linda and Steve were treated recently with a delightful interview with our friend, award-winning author and essayist Kase Johnstun. Our chat ranged from Craniosynostosis, how he researched and wrote Let the Wild Grasses Grow, dreaming, writing discipline, artificial inreligence, his grand parents, mom and passion for creativity and writing. More about Kase. KASE JOHNSTUN lives and writes in Ogden, Utah. Author of Let the Wild Grasses Grow, Beyond the Grip of Craniosynostosis and coeditor of Utah Reflections: Stories from the Wasatch Front, he teaches at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation, the Graduate School in Creative Writing for Southern New Hampshire University, Barton Community College, and Weber State University. His essay collection Tortillas for Honkies was a finalist for the Autumn House Press Nonfiction Award, and his work has been published in Label Me Latino/a, Creative Nonfiction, The Watershed Review, and elsewhere. He holds an MA in Creative Writing and Literature from Kansas State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific University. You can find him running on the trails of the Rocky Mountains along the face of the Wasatch Front. You can find Kase's work at: http://kasejohnstun.com/

Linda had to track down her friend Lynn Maguire on Rust Island, MA, 2,666 miles away for this episode. Lynn has embarked on creating an art community that is afforable, allows for unbridle creativity, healthy habits, and fosters great friendships. Grab a good wine, open Spotify on your smart phone and settle in for a fun chat about art. Find Lynn and her Snug Harbor Studio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snug_harbor_studio/ You can email Lynn at: [email protected] Snug Harbor Studio opening announcement: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyt5cz1RPYR/

You are going to love this episode. Linda and Steve were so privileged to welcome Mesquites preeminent Master of Ceremonies Pericles Rellas to our studio to talk; theatre, arts, building cathedrals, loving life and just to have fun. We talked about Pericles profession as a mind-set coach, you can find out more about this on his web site: https://www.periclesrellas.com/ As we head into 2024 we have a new lead-in and closing voice for our podcasts, that would be non-other than Pericles. We also changed our music selection using Kit Pristine’s – Effortlessly Beautiful and Witness of Infinity. You can find Kit’s music on his web site: https://kitpristine.com/

A quick review on our 2023 Podcasts for The Art Box and Clouds in the Sand.

Hosts Linda Harris and Jean Watkins sat down with the Mesquite Hertitage Museum Coordinator Elspeth Kuta to discuss the early history of Bunkerville and Mesquite. Enjoy this heartfelt episode and learn about our founding familes. It should be noted Elspeth will be retiring this month, if you can drop by the museum before December 21, stop in to say hi to one of our Mesquite Heroes. Learn more about the Virgin Valley Heritage Museum by clicking here.

Tyler popped into our STEAM Center studio on Thanksgiving eve with his sons to record a quick episode about the genisis of his unique "Imagine That" exhibition entry that garnered a first place in the photography category. The October exhibition was sposored by Sherry Gosdis. Enjoy.

There are a few places in the world where Steve is complete awe, one of them is the Pando tree in Fishlake National Forest, Utah. I have visted, I have camped and each time I am content to sit and listen to the Aspen leaves in the wind, they are soothing to my soul, laying in my sleeping bag memsurized at night as the Milky Way makes its way across the sky, stars apprearing and dispearing amongst the tiny fragile leaves. Your Art Box hosts have been working for the last year to grab amazing photographer, conservationist, thinker, and creative genius Lance Oditt as our guest. Either we were going one way or Lance the other, our schdeules finally connected and Linda and I were able to welcome Lance via phone as our guest. Lance is the Executive Director of Friends of Pando and owner of Studio 47.60° North. We urge you after listening to this episode to visit Friends of Pando web site and look in on the ground breaking work Lance is doing at Studio 47.60° North. Then you just have to visit Fishlake National Forest and Pando. Pull out your camp chair and spend a few hours listening to the worlds largest organisn charm you with it's sounds, throw out the cot and sleeping bag, spend a summer night in the Pando looking up at as the Milky Way pokes and prods its way through the tree. Pure delight! Lance thank you for inspiring us to love the tree.

Several years ago, in a galaxy far, far away Steve on his way to a State Historic Preservation Office meeting happened upon Don painting an incredible cat on a traffic control box at the corner of Decatur and Vegas Avenues. It has taken me this long to finally drag the recording equipment to Don’s studio at the Domsky Glass Gallery in downtown Las Vegas. We could have talked for hours. In this unique interview Don painted with music playing in the background right in his gallery studio. Talk about fun! You can find out more about Don from his website: https://www.donmichaeljr.com/

It took a while to sync schedules but we finally were able to connect with Los Angeles based artist Marisa Futernick. Last in our series of Majorie Barrick - Modern Desert Markings exhibition artists, Linda and I totally enjoyed our chat with Marisa. It is full of discussions on conceptual art, creativity, her wide range of art, London flats, what is Americaness, and Frozen Enchiladas...... and oh yeah, we also touched on eating Taco Bowls in Trump Tower. Click here for Marisa's Modern Desert Markings piece. Her book: "13 Presidents" can be purchased using this link.

What does one do between podcasts guests? Linda and I just started recording and talking about her and Ron's uninvited house guest. Silly yes, but we can say we recorded an episode less than 10 minutes. If you have a name for their guest please feel free to send it to us at: [email protected]

Listen in as Linda and Steve dropped by much beloved and award winning artist Floyd Johnson's studio to chat about creating his latest "Best in Show" art piece "Billy the Kid" for the November-December 2023 "Lucky 13" exhibition. Yes, there is a good story! We love you Floyd.

We think one can define Denis Feehan as an unbound bundle of literary and musical energy. This is an episode that no one will want to end, Denis a Mesquite based author, actor, director, professor, poet and musician graces us with his infectious attitute talking about his art and of course his upcoming holiday special "Rocking and Singing Christmas" on December 2 at the Mesquite Theatre (150 North Yucca Street) with performamces at 3 and 7 pm. You can purchase tickets by clicking here. Denis also invited others to join the writers group "Write on St. George" and you can click here to lean more. We also discussed a poem by Joyce Kilmer and we thought it fitting to include below. Trees BY JOYCE KILMER I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.

Paul Atkinson is a self-taught American artist working in the photographic medium. His work celebrates not only the natural landscape, but also explores the human landscape from a detached examination of what is left behind. He employs the assumed truthfulness of the camera to present a reality that frequently transcends the limits of human visual perception, through both night photography and by including light from the near-infrared spectrum. While he pursued a “safe” career in engineering, he never forgot his passion for art; and with his retirement, he plans to work full-time indulging that passion. Through his art, and this residency, he hopes to share with others the beauty and wonder of the night sky, while promoting awareness of the growing threat of light pollution. Atkinson’s work has been exhibited nationally in numerous juried shows, and resides in private and institutional collections. He is an advocate for dark night skies with the International Dark-Sky Association. He resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. His work may be seen at www.patkinsonphoto.com.

Meet our friend Jesus Baeza Jr, creator of business, smoothies and heart.

Linda and I happily release our friend Diana Lee Rose first episode of her Opportunivore podcast. Diana's first guest is Victoria Hafen an inspirational nutrition and weight loss coach for the Mesquite Recreation Center. Besides eating and exercise, Victoria touches on sleeping and social media habits as they pertain to healthy living. Diana and Victoria hit the ball out of the park on this first podcast.

Linda and Steve were honored to host Las Vegas artist and College of Southern Nevada art professor Mark Brandvik at our Mesquite Works STEAM Center studio. Mark graduated from UNLV with a BFA in 1996, then from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a MFA in 1998. In his artist statement he writes: “The figure/ground and palette of most the architectural landscape works reflect my take on the elusiveness and temporality of the dreamlike cityscape of Las Vegas and the Western landscape.“ Place, he says, is an important component of his practice. Born and raised in Las Vegas, he often includes identifiable elements of the city in his work. The building in Morocco II is the El Morocco, a motel and café that once occupied a spot between the Peppermill Restaurant and La Concha on the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by the architect Paul Revere Williams, it opened in 1964 and was demolished in 2008. A new art installation created for the grounds of the Overton Community Center is largely complete. Las Vegas artist Mark Brandvik has spent the last couple of weeks on site completing the final assembly of the sculpture. Called “Earth Rise,” the sculpture portrays a “dynamite blast” of rock which also doubles as a dynamic rocket exhaust plume. At the top of the 17-foot-tall sculpture appears a representation of a Saturn 5 rocket blasting off. Brandvik’s work was the finalist selected for the space in a project called “Gateway to Double Negative.” It is the result of $231,000 in public funding that was set aside by the Clark County Commissioners in 2016 for a public artwork at the location. The project called for artists to create an piece that would interpret and point toward the famous “Double Negative” earth artwork completed in 1969 by Michael Heizer. Heizer’s work is located in a remote spot on the east edge of the Mormon Mesa and is accessed by passing through the Moapa Valley.

Jane Tolar creates baskets inspired by Gullah sweetgrass and Native American pine needle baskets, both ancient traditions of coiled and stitched natural materials. Jane uses pine needles and grasses, the coils bound with thread or cord. Jane urges you to touch her art, saying “I would like everyone to pick up a basket, then feel its textures and inhale its scent. I want people to look at my work and see thread and straw brought together by my love of the materials and my excitement to create something beautiful and useful. Every piece is a lesson in something to me: shape and color to start, to pattern and texture, then the bringing of it all together into a finished piece.” Steve met Jane in the mid-80's playing adult ice hockey in Easton, Maryland. It is through Face Book we rekindled a friendship with Steve's wife Gwen falling in love with Jane's beautiful baskets.

Getting our musical art on last week, we invited Skip Anderson (Batman) and Julie (a.k.a. Robin) into our STEAM Center studio for an ultra fun chat about all things growing up music. Skip is the lead guitarist for the Terry Wayne Project, quite often playing at the Casablanca. We laughed and learned alot about the ins and outs of this amazing lifelong musician. Click here to visit Skip on his Instagram page. Click here for the Terry Wayne Project.

Linda and Steve were over the moon recently when Cory Clemetson dropped by the studio for an interview. Cory and his brother Chad are owners of one of the top golf courses in the world, Wolf Creek in Mesquite, Nevada. Besides golf Cory is the newly named head basketball coach at Wardlaw+Hartridge School located in Edison, New Jersey, Cory and Chad founded Kids For Sports, a 501C3 organization that provides financial assistance to families in need who want their kids to participate in youth sports. Our organization is located in Mesquite Nevada. Since the creation of our Foundation in The Kids For Sports Foundation has raised approximately $300,000 dollars and has given over 700 grants to kids that have enabled them to participate in various sports such as youth soccer, basketball, baseball, football, wrestling, swimming and golf. Those interested in supporting Kids for Sports can attend a 1920's fundraiser on September 22. Click here for info: https://www.kidsforsportsfoundation.org/post/10th-annual-winefest-fundraiser-2023

Enjoy a recent sit-down Linda and Steve had with Mesquite, Nevada mayor Allan Litman. We talk Lahaina, local disaster preparedness, housing, loving your job and of course Trader Joe's. The emergency alert app the mayor discussed. NIXLE https://www.nixle.com/

Steve's new favorite podcast "Night Sky Tourist" host Vickey Derksen graciously was our guest for a super-duper interview chatting about dark skies, home schooling, US Rt. 89, light polution and of course podcasting. Vicky Derksen Night Sky Tourist Bio Vicky Derksen fell in love with the night sky while teaching naked-eye astronomy to local students in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Her passion for stargazing and cultural astronomy brought her face-to-face with light pollution, leading her to become a dark sky advocate. She’s the President of the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association, helping her community gain certification as an International Dark Sky Community in 2018 and hosting an annual Dark Sky Festival. She serves on the board for the International Dark Sky Discovery Center, a 23,000-square-foot facility in Fountain Hills that is in its final stretch of fundraising before construction begins. She’s also an Advocate with the International Dark Sky Association. In 2019, Vicky launched Night Sky Tourist, where she blogs, hosts a podcast, leads stargazing events, and is writing a book about night sky experiences on Highway 89 from Mexico to Canada. She focuses on outstanding night sky destinations, stargazing experiences, cultural astronomy, and dark sky preservation. You can find her at NightSkyTourist.com.

It was Linda and Steve's extreme pleasure to interview nic recently to chat about their art career, passions and work included in the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Modern Desert Markings exhibition sponsored by Nevadans for Cultural Preservation. nicholas b jacobsen is a seventh-generation Utah-Mormon, trans-nonbinary settler raised in Nuwu homelands. As a creative historian, culture critic, & visual artist, their work addresses their personal and ancestral connections to the U.S. & Mormon settler-colonial-imperialist project. Through this, they work to disassimilate from the myths of white-supremacy and settler-innocence central to Mormon & U.S. cultures. jacobsen completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art & Ecology at the University of New Mexico & a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from Southern Utah University. They’ve have won many awards & have been published, podcasted, exhibited, and collected throughout the U.S. This art was mentioned by nic and we thought a link to it would be interesting for our listeners. https://www.uwo.ca/visarts/research/2009-10/bat_2010/mt.html You can see more of nic's work at: http://nicholasbjacobsen.com http://unsettlingmormonism.com @Unsettling_Mormonism on Instagram

Bethany Overland-Green our Art Box episode 50 guest brings two of her daughters in to talk all things creativity and just in case you cannot tell, we had fun. Also, you will meet the VVAA's newest member Sasha Green. Sasha has an exhibition in the Mesa gallery during August 2023. Make sure you get by the Mesquite Fine Arts Campus at 15 W. Mesquite Blvd and see it.

There is not enough room to say how much we love Lizz Larson. She put the STEAM in the STEAM Center, she made it possible for our little podcast to have a professional studio, allowed us to host a Podcasting 101 class, is our cheerleader, makes things happen and like I said there is not enough room. Linda and Steve had the pleasure of interviewing Lizz and could have talked for hours. Lizz ozzes heart, intelect and caring. Please enjoy this episode. For more on the Mesquite Works STEAM Center click here. The STEAM Center in the News Visit Lizz on Facebook.

Adriana Chavez (they/them/she/her) - Performance and Visual Artist Linda and Steve on a field trip to an opening in Las Vegas happened upon the Lulu Gallery, we ran into Adriana Chavez and our lives might never be the same. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G human and we could have talked to her for days. Let Adriana explain: Adriana is a Queer, Latinx clown with Spanish, Portuguese, and Indigenous Mexican roots. They were born and raised in California and are based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They perform a character named Juan Chico, inspired by their family's tender and messy men: the drinkers, the dreamers, the cheaters, and mustached karaoke singers. Through Juan Chico they find their culture and connect to family. Through Juan Chico, their identity forms, and while using the lens of play, they find belonging. Nostalgia, myth, metaphor, magical realism, the ridiculous, the sacred, and the profane inspire them. Most of all, they make performances and digital media that encourage empathy, compassion, imagination, and connection. Adriana has performed and exhibited in multiple spaces locally, nationally and internationally. They have been an artist in residence at the Barrick Museum of Art in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Mystery Ranch in Searchlight, Nevada, the Lookout Arts Quarry in Bellingham, Washington, and Z-Forge in Hudson, New York. Adriana has worked as a Teaching Artist for the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, as well as the Sprat Program in partnership with Core Academy. Adriana holds a Master of Fine Arts from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. Find out more at: http://www.adrianachavezphotography.com/ We hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did recording it.

Linda and Steve had a marvelous interview with Vernon Robison, owner, editor and everything of our local paper The Progress newspaper. https://mvprogress.com/

Linda sits down with Steve to chat about his upcoming stint as the Mesquite Fine Arts Center Artist of the Month for August 2023.

The Art Box in collaboration with Nevadans for Cultural Preservation and Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art @ UNLV present a conversation with Bryant Robison the contractor for Michael Heizer's art piece "Double Negative" completed in 1969 on the Mormon Mesa near Overton, Nevada. Listen in as Katie Hoffman and Rayette Martin sit down with Bryant and his nephew Vernon Robison at the Lost City Museum. Please note the conference room we used at the museum was a touch noisy, forgive us for the background noise.

Linda and her granddaughter Natalie scored big by landing quite an entertainer Terry Wayne of the Terry Wayne Project who frequently play at Mesquites Casablanca Resort. You are going to love this interview as Terry will wow you with his live story, his goodness and his incredible talent. Natalie in her debut as a podcast host will make you smile and think what a wonderful life is ahead for this talented musician. Of course Linda is her smooth self, with timely questions and a unique ability to keep a podcast smooth. More about the Terry Wayne Project. The Terry Wayne Project is one of Vegas' top Variety Bands, TWP sings hits from Pink, Maron 5, Journey, Bruno Mars, Folsom Blues Boogie to Enrique Iglesias - R&B, funk, Dance, oldies, and Classic rock! https://terrywayneproject.com/home Terry Wayne Project Facebook Page

Paul's most recent article in the NY Times. Where Are All the Wild Things, Daddy? A father worries that his favorite children’s books promise his daughter a vibrant natural world that will no longer exist. ABOUT PAUL Paul Bogard is author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, published in North America by Little, Brown, and in the UK and around the world by 4th Estate/Harper Collins. Shortlisted for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, The End of Night has been translated into German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, and is available in hardcover, e-book, paperback, and audiobook. He is also author of The Ground Beneath Us: From the Oldest Cities to the Last Wilderness, What Dirt Tells Us About Who We Are, published by Little, Brown. Paul is the editor of Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World, author of the children’s picture book What If Night?, and author of the coffee-table book To Know a Starry Night. He is the editor of the anthology Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark. His articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, Salon, Los Angeles Times, Outside, Audubon, Conservation, Reader's Digest, National Geographic, Creative Nonfiction, and elsewhere. A native Minnesotan, Paul grew up exploring the forest and watching the stars near a lake in the northern part of the state. He has lived and taught in New Mexico, Nevada, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Virginia, and is now associate professor of English and Environmental Studies at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Steve has been following the Monica & Felina story now for two years on Facebook as Monica's husband Robert has chronicled via video's the wonderful progress. Enjoy this episode about determination, creativity, overcoming fear and yes love. Read below for info on Monica. Monica Tarr I am not a creator of things from scratch. My talents lie in perfecting, changing, tweaking and bringing out the best in things that already exist. The things I am most adept at changing for the better are unlikely art pieces: teams, business outcomes, customer service, collaboration, hidden talents, personal transformations (like helping someone improve their brain health), food and recipes, and now, building a relationship of trust with a 1,200 pound animal that was ignored on a good day and abused on the bad days. Also, I love beautiful things and beings. Natural places, paintings, sculpture, photography, dance, biology, stars and beautiful souls. Monica's other labor of love is her drive for prevention of the causes of Alzheimer's disease. The Healthy Brain Habits group is a place to find information & support during your journey to prevent the causes of Alzheimer's disease and reverse early cognitive decline symptoms.You'll see posts, videos and guest speakers talking about brain health science, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, detox, mindset, and habit change. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthybrainhabits/ Thank you for sharing your story Monica and we thank our loyal listeners for tuning in. Linda Harris - Steve Dudrow co-hosts

Linda met Floyd at his home studio to get a sneak peek at his work for the July exhibition.

Linda and Floyd recorded a few short episodes at Floyd's house/studio. This quickie is them discussing light and shadow.

We were honored to meet Jen Urso during the research phase of "Modern Desert Markings" exhibition sponsored by Nevadans for Cultural Preservation and the Marjorie Barrick Museum on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Linda and Steve so enjoyed our time with Jen, we learned, we laughed, we cried, we understood, and we left as better people. Many hugs to Jen for gracing us with her time and story. Artist statement In my work, I am often making something visible that is invisible—talking or thinking about it in a way that can bring greater appreciation to moments we often ignore. This has included unearthing deep feelings of grief, delineating the boundaries of our public movement and magnifying the microscopic in the most mundane locations. I utilize public interventions, performance, drawing, mapping and technology to honor a sensitive approach to our environment and community that respects the unseen and unspoken. My practice revolves around subtleties of environments and behavior as well as attempting to undo the constructs expected to be necessary to take part in an artwork. I like looking at the details. I like the idea that there is always something more complex if we just take the time and attention to notice it. This process of awareness and investigation steers us away from the allure of a spectacle to discover something possibly more intimate and vulnerable. In a public setting where we’re drawn to be distracted, I create stumbled-on moments of focus with ephemeral materials or performance. In a gallery setting that already encourages hyper-awareness, I create an up-closeness or near invisibility so the work can be ignored or experienced intimately. I want to show that there is always more beneath the surface. Bio Jen Urso is a multidisciplinary artist creating works that utilize public interventions, performance, drawing, mapping and technology to honor a sensitive approach to our environment and community that respects the unseen and unspoken. Her work often takes place in the public via occupation, immersion and discovery. Jen has exhibited and performed across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, receiving numerous grants and awards. In addition to creating work, Jen has curated exhibits, published writing and creates custom hand-drawn maps. Jen is a passionate runner, gardener, seed-saver, environmental advocate, thinker and mother. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art from Carnegie Mellon University. She lives and works in Phoenix, AZ.

Welcome to the 100th episode and 1st year anniversary of the Art Box Podcast. ​ It was last April when Rachelle Knight and Steve Dudrow dreamed up a podcast for the VVAA and in May the BoD approved us to move forward. We would like to thank the 2022 BoD for giving us the green light to start on our journey. ​ In early June Tyler Roylance was our first guest and we were off and running, we crept along learning and trying to get better episode by episode. Rachelle came up with the idea of mixing in some short 10-minute episodes and Floyd Johnson was our star in these, we recorded some at his home and he was always available to consort with us on this short episode idea. Tyler jumped into these short episodes as well, even including some of his students for creative specials. ​ Rachelle moved to SLC in the fall and Linda Harris answered Steve’s frantic calls for help and help she did. Linda is a master at recruiting great guests, asking the most interesting questions, and getting grants for us to go on the road. Our other occasional co-hosts include Rachel Washington, who is also our happy starting and ending voice, Rayette Martin specializing in public lands’/archeology episodes and more recent Diane Alexanian, our Hollywood recruiter and co-host. Yes, The Art Box has gone Hollywood. ​ Upon our year mark we have passed 10,000 downloads along with our 100 episodes, we have traveled to Elko, Nevada for the 38th Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art in Las Vegas, the Mystery Ranch in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, we have recorded one episode outdoors in Gold Butte National Monument, we have listeners in 23 countries and 48 states. ​ We started recording in the Women’s History and Culture Center thanks to Jean and Carol, we recorded quite a few episodes at the Mesquite library learning center, thanks to our hosts Judi and Vanessa. In early 2023 Mesquite Works with grants from the City of Mesquite, Do it Best Hardware and help from C&J Blinds, built a recording studio for our use at the Mesquite STEAM Center. To show our appreciation Linda and Steve will be teaching a podcast course this summer there as the Art Box is committed to building partnerships with local organizations. ​ Thanks to everyone who has seen us through this amazing year, our sponsors, our guests, and our loyal listeners. To celebrate our milestone, please enjoy this roundtable of former guests, all amazing artists, to talk about creativity in the Virgin Valley and beyond. Enjoy.

Drop in this June to view and purchase the amazing art created by the June Artist of the Month. Displaying the fill month of June in the Mesa Galley @ Mesquite Fine Art Center 15 W. Mesquite, Blvd.

Our friend Matt Harper provided Linda and Steve contact info for Alina Lindquist and wow are we ever glad he did, what a talent. Direct experience with the landscape is a cornerstone of my artistic practice. I primarily paint en plein air with oil to capture my initial experience on location. Sometimes I will use watercolor or gouache, depending on how much I want to carry that day. No matter what materials I use, the marks and colors captured outside inform my larger work back in the studio. There’s an ineffable quality of the desert, and painting is the only way to transcribe my experiences. My current work focuses on the Mojave Desert, more specifically, the Northwestern section. Observational study through painting, or sometimes just simply watching the environment around me, generates questions and a further desire to understand the environment I work in. The more time I spend outside, the more I research the landscape, the plants, and the area’s history. My studio work incorporates the essence of the location along with an additional layer of process informed through further readings about the desert. It’s an ongoing process of observing, learning, and painting. Ultimately, my work seeks to transmit my love and sense of wonder for the desert. Musings of the Mojave Exhibit Honors

Our friends Diane Alexanian and Jill Waters combined their super Hollywood powers to bring us acclaimed director and all around nice guy Shelley Jensen for a rousing hour interview. This is a great listen. Catch you in an hour when you can drop us a line at [email protected] to tell us how much you loved this episode. We loved his quote: "Life is a fun ride and it’s really up to the individual to enjoy it" A bit about Shelley. Shelley Jensen is an American television director and producer. He has directed episodes for a number of notable television series including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, Amen, What I Like About You, The Drew Carey Show, Webster, The Suite Life on Deck, Sonny with a Chance, I'm in the Band, Good Luck Charlie, Austin & Ally and other series. Jensen won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1996 for his directing work on Disney Channel's Adventures in Wonderland winning alongside David Grossman and Gary Halvorson. CREDITS Television Director Series; Multiple Episodes Brothers, Showtime, 1984-89 Amen, NBC, 1989-90 The Royal Family, CBS, 1991-92 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1992-96 First Time Out (also known as Jackie Guerra), The WB, beginning 1995 Too Something (also known as New York Daze), Fox, beginning1995 The Wayans Bros., The WB, beginning 1995 Suddenly Susan, NBC, 1996-99 The Jamie Foxx Show, The WB, 1996-2001 Friends, NBC, 1997-99 Veronica's Closet, NBC, 1998-2000 For Your Love, The WB, 1998-2002 Jesse, NBC, 1999-2000 The Norm Show (also known as Norm), ABC, 1999-2001 Nikki, The WB, 2000-2002 Off Centre, The WB, 2001-2002 The Drew Carey Show, ABC, 2001-2004 What I Like about You, The WB, 2002-2004 I'm with Her, ABC, 2003-2004 Specials Hamlet, 1964 Associate director, Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World, 1977 First assistant director, John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together, ABC, 1979 Also affiliated with broadcasts of The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, 1979 and 1980. Episodic "Captain Justice," Hard Knocks, 1987 "What Becomes a Legend Most," Hard Knocks, 1987 Marblehead Manor, NBC and syndicated, 1987 "Seoul Shake," Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, ABC, 1993 "Pros and Convicts," Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, ABC, 1994 "An Embarrassment of Teapots," Hope & Gloria, NBC, 1995 "Misery on 34th Street," Bless This House, CBS, 1995 "Poppa Was a Rolling Stone," The Parent 'Hood, The WB, 1995 "A Star Is Reborn," Hope & Gloria, NBC, 1995 "A Charming Tale," Party Girl, Fox, 1996 "Educating Nick," Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, The WB, 1996 "Me and Mrs. Hale," Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, The WB, 1996 "Natural Born Parents," Bless This House, CBS, 1996 "Sisters in Sex Triangle with Gazillionaire!," The Naked Truth (also known as Wilde Again), ABC, 1996 "We Don't Need Another Hero," The Parent 'Hood, The WB, 1996 "After Midnight," Men Behaving Badly (also known as It's a Man's World), NBC, 1997 "Caroline and the Bitter Beast," Caroline in the City (also knownas Caroline), NBC, 1997 "Dial M for Muffin," Life with Roger, The WB, 1997 "Gerald R. Fraud," Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, The WB, 1997 "Caroline and the Marriage Counselor: Parts 1 & 2," Caroline in the City (also known as Caroline), NBC, 1998 "Caroline and the Sandwich," Caroline in the City (also known as Caroline), NBC, 1998 "The Closure," The Closer, CBS, 1998 "The Hand That Rocks the Office," The Closer, CBS, 1998 "Caroline and the Firing Squad," Caroline in the City (also knownas Caroline), NBC, 1999 "After You've Gone," Ladies Man, CBS, 2000 "Decent Proposal," Ladies Man, CBS, 2000 "Discrimination," The Michael Richards Show, NBC, 2000 "The Return of Katherine Twigg," DAG, NBC, 2000 "Bo Diddley," According to Jim, ABC, 2003 "The Smell of Success," According to Jim, ABC, 2003 "Tom Makes a Friend," Married to the Kellys, ABC, 2003 "Bobby's Bully," Like Family, The WB, 2004 "Ladies' Night," Like Family, The WB, 2004 Also directed episodes of Built to Last, NBC; Three Sisters, NBC; and (as Shelley R. Jensen) Wanda at Large, Fox. Pilots The Royal Family, CBS, 1991 Home, Fox, 1996 Secret Service Guy, Fox, 1996 Flavor, The WB, 1998 Good as Gold, CBS, 2000 Men's Room, NBC, 2004 Television Producer Series Brothers, Showtime, 1984-89 Joanna, ABC, beginning 1985 Supervising producer, Amen, NBC, 1986-91 Line producer, The Royal Family, CBS, 1991-92 Pilots Slickers, NBC, 1987 Married to the Mob, CBS, 1989 Five Up, Two Down, CBS, 1991 Film Work Stage manager, The Sound of Murder, Warner Bros., 1982 Director, The Third Wish, Newmark/Echelon Entertainment Group, 2004 WRITINGS Teleplays Episodic "Norm vs. Dad," The Norm Show (also known as Norm), ABC, 2001

Linda and Steve sit down with Mesquite Women's History and Culture Center founder Jean Watkins and General Manager Carol Saldivar for a heartwarming and enlightening interview. You will be inspired. "Bloom where you're planted" Learn more about these local heroes making impacts nationally. https://whccmesquitenv.org/

This was a Sunday recording episode to beat all, meet Alex Harper, Community and Education Chair for the Red Rock Audubon Society. Linda and Steve could have talked/learned from Alex for hours, but alas he needed to get home to Las Vegas. Avian field work brought Alex from South Florida to Las Vegas in 2015, and he has been finding rarities in the desert ever since. He first began guiding as a volunteer trip leader for the Audubon chapter in Miami as a teenager and took visiting birders around the city for specialties while in high school. His college education is in Environmental Science and he has done subsequent avian field work in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, California, the Florida Keys and Nevada. Alex is the flightiest of our team, as he heads up to Alaska every summer to guide, returning to Vegas for the fall, winter and spring. Alex is a registered Emergency Medical Technician and Wilderness First Responder. He began serving on the state records committee beginning in 2019. We loved these quotes. 'The scientific and analytical side help me make sense help me make sense of the world and the artist side helps me make sense of myself.' 'The desert just has a different way of operating.' You can watch Alex presenting at a TEDx seminar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVK9vt9QTGI The Silver State of Birding podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/silverstatebirding

Oh my goodness Linda and Steve got their luck on this week when we interviewed Oakland based artist Rachelle Reichart, this is an interview we did not want to end, but alas it was Friday and Rachelle needed to go help her daughter pick some Kale for dinner. Rachelle Reichert lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. She creates drawings, mixed media works, sculptures and art books to consider the materiality of landscape and its representation to explore landscapes permanently altered by climate change and industrialization. Select exhibitions include the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Center for Contemporary Art at Pacific Northwest College of Art, Anglim Gilbert Gallery, German Consulate in New York City, San Diego Art Institute, and Mills College Art Museum. Artwork and research is included in many public and private collections, including the Center for Art + Environment at the Nevada Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Archive, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Library, Meta Headquarters, and Adobe, Inc. Her artwork was presented at the California Climate Change Symposium, San Francisco State of the Estuary Conference, and the American Geophysical Union Meeting and published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Make: Magazine, California Home and Design, and New American Paintings. Rachelle Reichert Studio www.rachellereichert.com @rachelle_reichert Current: Modern Desert Markings: An Homage to Las Vegas Land Art Marjorie Barrick Museum, Las Vegas, NV Women of Northern California: Making Meaning for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, Davis, CA Upcoming: On Land Marin MOCA, Navato, CA The Space Program Artist Residency, Fall 2023 San Francisco, CA