The Art Of The Matter

The second production of Spotlight Players' new season at the Theatre at the Fort, as in at Fort Harrison, highlights an all-black cast to celebrate Black History Month. Travis DiNicola spoke with Judy Byron from Partnerships for Lawrence. Recently retired as President and CEO of Conner Prairie, Ellen Rosenthal made time to come in to tell Sharon what she learned as President and CEO. Ellen also wrote the text for a new book about Conner Prairie that features photos by Thomas Mueller. The Indiana Art Fair at the Indiana State Museum takes place this weekend. Travis DiNicola spoke with the museum's Manager of Public Programs, Carrie Miller, and one of the featured artists, Amy Carroll, about the Fair.

After more than a decade in the making, the Indiana Historical Society Press has released the book, Mapping Indiana: Five Centuries of Treasures from the Indiana Historical Society. Travis DiNicola spoke with Amy Vedra, Director of Reference Services, and Eric Mundell Director of Collections Management, about the book. Sharon Gamble invited Noblesville author Kurt Meyer to tell us about the inspiration for this new book, and Kurt began with a reading from The Salvage Man.

The Young Collectors Show features work at Gallery 924 that is curated for kids! Travis DiNicola spoke with The Arts Council of Indianapolis' Vice President, Shannon Linker. Butler University's Clowes Memorial Hall is welcoming dancers, singers, jazz cats and more through the second half of their season, as Sharon Gamble recently learned from Clowes Hall's James Cramer. Marian University Theatre is presenting "Twelve Angry Jurors" this February. Travis DiNicola spoke with Ben Tebbe, the Director of the theatre program.

Sharon Gamble invited Indy Folks Series impresarios Dan Henkel and Phil Slates to our studios to talk about the second half of their 15th season. Travis DiNicola spoke with western and mystery author Larry D. Sweazy about his latest novel, "A Thousand Falling Crows". Sharon Gamble invited writer Abe Aamidor in to see where he got his inspiration for a new novel titled, "Monastery of Writers".

It is that magical time of year again - yep, late January and the Annual IndyFringe Winter Magic Fest is back. Travis DiNicola spoke by phone with one of featured magicians, Suzanne. The Phoenix Theatre's Producing Director Bryan Fonseca and playwright in residence Tom Horan popped in to our studios to give us a sneak peek at the second half of their season. Landmark Columbus is a new new organization dedicated to caring for and celebrating the world-renown design heritage in Columbus, Indiana. Travis DiNicola spoke with Director Richard McCoy.

Writer-storytellers Philip Gulley and Scott Russell Sanders joined singer-songwriters Tim Grimm and Krista Detour in a performance that weaves together stories and music in a Bicentennial celebration of all things Hoosier. We revisit a 2015 interview Travis DiNicola did with ISO Maestro Krzysztof Urbanski to learn about the upcoming Out of this World: Cosmos Music Festival. Sharon Gamble invited actor Bill Simmons to talk about his role and the creative process. Bill will be seen in an upcoming performance of David Hare's relationship comedy/drama Skylight at Theatre on the Square.

A special end of year literary edition of the Art of the Matter featuring recent interviews with three local authors. Includes Dan Wakefield, Dan Carpenter, and James Alexander Thom.

Sharon Gamble invited Art With a Heart's Executive Director Andrew Lee and intern Bridget Woodson to tell us about Art With a Heart and the program's upcoming expansion. Travis DiNicola spoke with Henry Leck, the current artistic director of the Indianapolis Children's Choir, and with Josh Pedde, his successor come April. Curt Churchman, owner Fine Estate Art & Rugs, came to our studios to tell Sharon Gamble about the new location and "Home for the Holidays", the newest exhibition.

Travis DiNicola sat down with David McDaniel, project manager for the The Indiana State Museum's Celebration Crossing, to hear how there is something for everyone including: tea and trains, woolly mammoths and a vintage arcade, Star Wars and skateboards, and, of course, Santa. Sharon Gamble invited Eiteljorg Museum curator Jennifer Complo-McNutt to tell us about the ninth Contemporary Art Fellowship Exhibition, "Conversations", and the artist Fellows. Travis DiNicola sat down with the Indianapolis School of Ballet's Victoria Lyras to find out what makes the school's Nutcracker different.

Travis DiNicola caught up with Big Car's Director Jim Walker to find out about where Big Car has been, and where it is going. Sharon Gamble invited Phillips Music Guild organizer Lee Jones to tell us more about this organization and its many outreach and mentoring programs. Travis DiNicola spoke with Beef & Boards Eddie Curry to find out more about a annual tradition, A Beef & Boards Christmas.

Sharon Gamble talked with Glory-June and Eric about Sally Rand's fan dance, the titillating Streets of Paris exhibit, and some less-naughty aspects of the World's Fair. Their joint presentation about the Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair will be at the Garfield Park Arts Center. Historical fiction author James Alexander Thom's new novel, Fire in the Water. Sharon Gamble got Events Specialist Stacy Clark to elaborate. Learn more about the "Twas the Night Before Christmas," "Live Family Christmas," and "A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street" at the President Benjamin Harrison Home.

Indianapolis writers Bob Harbin and Claire Wilcher are taking their turn telling Babes in Toyland, and you can see the results at Footlite Musicals. Sharon Gamble invited Claire and Bob to tell us about their creative process. To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary jazz arranger Billy Strayhorn, top music students at the University of Indianapolis will join forces with faculty and local professionals to present the celebrated Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker in its entirety this holiday season. Sharon invited photographer Anne Emison Wishard and sculptor Myra Perrin to tell us about how they've worked together as co-chairs of the Stutz Holiday Open House.

The Indianapolis Women's Chorus has its fall concert coming up on November 21st and 22nd. It's called With One Voice, and Sharon Gamble invited the Chorus' new Artistic Director Meagan Johnson and board member/singer Marty Miles to our studio to learn about it. Travis DiNicola spoke with Leah Nahmias, Director of Programs and Community Engagement for Indiana Humanities, about NEXT INDIANA BOOKSHELF, which is not exactly a shelf. Sharon Gamble invited poet Dan Carpenter to talk about how he discovered he was a writer, how poetry differs from prose, and how poems come to him.

Indiana Wineries: The Ultimate Guide to Wine in Indiana was recently published by Blue River Press. Travis DiNicola spoke with author Todd Outcalt about the book. The Internet Cat Video Festival is coming to the Indianapolis Museum of Art later this month, and Sharon Gamble invited its inventor Scott Stulen in fur the details. The daVinici Pursuit is an organization that makes connections with science and art with unique projects throughout Indianapolis.To learn more, Travis DiNicola spoke with Mark Kesling, Founder & CEO of the daVinci Pursuit.

Sharon Gamble invited artists Leigh Dunnington Jones and Sherry McConnell to join her in the studio to talk about a Spirit and Place event they helped organize called The Inspiring art of Quilting: Piecing Past and Present. Travis DiNicola spoke with actor Nick Abeel about the show which he is bringing to the IndyFringe. His show "Hold On To Your Butts ..." will be at the Indy Fringe from November 4th through the 8th for a limited run. Sharon Gamble invited The Children's Museum's Director of Collections, Chris Carron, and Public Relations Manager Leslie Olsen to tell us about the National Geographic Sacred Journeys exhibit.

Preservationist, architectural historian, and consultant Dr. Jim Glass will give an illustrated lecture called "Roman and Renaissance Architecture" early next month, and Sharon Gamble wondered how these two regions and styles might relate to one another. Travis DiNicola spoke with author Dan Wakefield about the recent re-release of his book UNDER THE APPLE TREE. Sharon Gamble spoke with Indianapolis Museum of Art Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs Martin Krause about the new IMA exhibit, "Gustave Baumann: German Craftsman, American Artist".

Sharon Gamble invited JCC Senior Vice President of Advancement and Communications Martha Karatz to tell us all about the Ann Katz Festival. The Ann Katz Festival of Books and Arts runs October 28th through November 16th. Actor and musician Brent Marty is returning to Theatre on the Square with MISS GULCH RETURNS, the one-person musical comedy about Almira Gulch from the Wizard of Oz. Travis DiNicola spoke with Marty about the show. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra recently appointed Vince Lee as its new Associate Conductor. Sharon Gamble welcome Maetsro Lee to our city and our studios recently.

Encore Vocal Arts is celebrating its 44th season with a new artistic director. Sharon Gamble invite Encore's Artistic Director John Perkins and Executive Director Tom McTamney to chat. Dance Kaleidoscope is opening their new season with the premier of REMEMBRANCES, a ballet about the Holocaust. Travis DiNicola spoke with Remembrances' choreographer, and former DK dancer, Brian Honigbaum about this challenging work. This Saturday, Storytelling Arts of Indiana celebrates its annual Ghost Stories at Crown Hill Cemetery with food trucks and scary stories. But as much as Sharon Gamble likes ghost stories, she was equally intrigued when Storytelling Arts accounced that its newest recipient of the Frank & Katrina Basile Emerging Stories Fellowship is 88 years old!

Joining Travis DiNicola in the studio are Christian Theological Seminary Bookstore manager Nick Buck and CTS librarian Anthony Elia who have both recently read and reviewed Harper Lee's book, Go Set a Watchman. Sharon Gamble invited Ball State University Distinguished Professor of Piano, Bob Palmer, and Assistant to the Director of the School of Music at Ball State, Rebecca Braun, to tell us how the Hastings International Piano Competition preliminary auditions will be held here in Indiana. Travis DiNicola spoke with the Athenaeum's President Cassie Stockamp to find out more of the 7th Annual Original and Fabulous GermanFest.

Indy Folk Series' Dan Henkel and Joanne Smiddie-Brush popped by to give us this sneak peek of their new season. The Shining Light Film Festival is a project of the group called Awareness of Mental Health Through the Performing Arts. Travis DiNicola spoke with Jackie Pitman and Rose Kleiman from the Festival to find out more. For 22 years, the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival has taken over Bloomington with a tsunami of world music, dance, visual art, and much more. Sharon Gamble caught Lotus Festival Executive Director Dr. Sunni Fass to get some insights into the festival.