EXTRA: CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS

*HERO, a magnificent mural on Auburn Avenue to honor Civil Rights icon, U.S. Congressman John Lewis and his contributions toward freedom.

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“Freedom is not free.” – Congressman John Lewis on Sidewalk Radio.

We are honored that Congressman Lewis, a Civil Rights icon and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, could join Gene for the “Freedom: Civil War to Civil Rights” episode.  To celebrate his participation on the show, we are making the entire, unedited interview available.  Enjoy this wonderful conversation about what it takes to be a voice for freedom, and the cost to be free.

Find out more about the contributions and accomplishments of U.S. Congressman John Lewis.

Interested in Civil Rights? Listen to our “Freedom” episode.

Interested in Auburn Avenue? Listen to our “Sweet Auburn” episode.

ART STROLL: Living Walls, The City Speaks.

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The 2012 Living Walls, The City Speaks Conference kicks off on Wednesday, August 15th. This year’s conference is the first of its kind by featuring 26 all-female street artists. Living Walls Founder and Executive Director, Monica Campana, joins Gene in the studio on Sidewalk Radio’s event and culture segment, ART STROLL, to talk about this year’s focus on female artists and give insight plus information on the purpose of the annual conference.

Though the conference officially starts on Wednesday, street artists have already begun to transform the urban landscape of Atlanta.

Living Walls is an annual conference focusing on urbanism and street art. Started in Atlanta in August 2010, the conference showcases street artists who interact with the city to create conversation and uncover culture.

The five-day conference is filled with block parties, bike tours, film screenings and lectures. Come hear Sidewalk Radio’s host, Gene Kansas, participate in a panel discussion on Saturday the 18th at the Plaza Theatre at 3:00…see event flyer below for more info about all participants…it’s going to be a great conversation.  All events, which can be found here, are free and open to the public.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18TH
2nd half of Lectures
The Plaza Theatre
12:00pm-4:00pm
2nd half of Lectures with panels discussing urbanism and public art in Atlanta.

Oh, and they’re not only on walls…they’re also on Facebook.

Show #21: The Art of Education

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This month Sidewalk Radio presents both a radio show and an art show that journey along the path to discovery in Atlanta’s arts and culture realm.  The radio show delves into the world of education as told through an arts critic, an arts collector, and an architect who specializes in design for student life.  The art show, by way of The Sidewalk Art Project, is the end product of a creative partnership between Sidewalk Radio and SCAD Atlanta that exhibits student work about our history and culture.  What we learn through our exploration is that education is both in itself an art form and a producer of art, how it is constructed many times parallels the path of the student.

Thornton Dial (b. 1928). In the Roosevelt Time: Penned In. 2003. Pencil, acrylic, and watercolor on paper. 44 X 30 in. Photo credit: Tinwood Media.

Art collector and explorer, Bill Arnett, is Founder and Chief Curator at Tinwood Media.  While extremely accomplished, being perhaps the foremost collector and educator about the art of the southern black slave tradition, Arnett is himself “self-taught”.  Joining Gene in the studio this month to talk about his journey toward knowledge and the unorthodox route he took, Bill enlightens and educates about discovery in the arts and within the individual.  AM 1690 has extensive coverage about Arnett’s work, and can be further enjoyed by listening to an interview done by “The Voice of the Arts” own David Lewis in his interview.

Colorado State University Student Center. Rendering by Perkins+Will.

Jeff Stebar is an architect and student life expert with Perkins+Will.  Jeff joins Gene to talk about the future of education from both the built environment and from life outside the classroom.  Since the students for whom Stebar is now designing are only in the 6th and 7th grade presently, predicting how they will learn and where they will learn when they get to college makes the work he and his team embark upon interesting and a challenge.  What our discussion uncovers is that buildings are being designed not to predict the future, but to adapt to it.  The interests of the students and the advancements in technology are highly considered as is the new reality of having to recruit in higher education.

Guests of The Sidewalk Art Project Gallery Show enjoy art and The Atlanta Preservation Center’s charming appeal.

Cathy Fox is a long-writing Atlanta arts critic and founder of ArtsAtl.  While Cathy does not have a focus on arts education per se, she is certainly one of Atlanta’s top voices when it comes to covering the arts.  Her interview is in part to educate upcoming artists such as those who participated in The Sidewalk Art Project about how to and where to learn, and in another way meant to take a critical eye on education within the arts.

“Miss Winter (Juniper)” by Elizabeth Castaldo. 32 x 25 inches. Silkscreen.

“Knights Armor, Palisade, Lucky Penny” by Nate Kamp. 18 x 17 inches. Photogravure.

And, speaking of arts critique, we must take a moment to recognize our Juror Panel who helped select “Best In Show” for the art show portion of this month’s exploration.  Special thanks to Spalding Nix, Ronnie Land, Bruce McEvoy, and Stuart Horodner.  Each of these individuals are big in Atlanta arts, and dedicated their time and expertise not only to help the SCAD students learn more in the way of exposure to success in the arts, but also to learn themselves about the students and their work.

Congratulations to the two students selected “Best In Show”, Elizabeth Castaldo for “Miss Winter (Juniper)” and to Nate Kamp for “Kights Armor, Palisade, Lucky Penny”.  To see their work and read the artist’s statement visit us on Sidewalk Radio’s Facebook Page.

EXTRA: THE TODD MURPHY INTERVIEW

Todd Murphy’s work is featured in museums, high-end galleries, buildings, and private collections.

Renowned Atlanta artist Todd Murphy joins Gene in the studio (via Brooklyn) for this Sidewalk Radio Special to talk art, life, adventure and the future of the gallery.  It’s a fascinating interview with one of the country’s most prolific creative talents.  Enjoy.

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ART STROLL: ORLY COMMUNITY DAY

“From the devastation at Orly came a social consciousness intent on creating community. Roy Lichtenstein’s “House III”, a sculpture of optical illusion at the High Museum, must be enjoyed from multiple angles, much like the creation of the Woodruff Arts Center.” – Gene Kansas, Host of Sidewalk Radio & Art Stroll.

50 years ago on June 3, 1962, the single greatest disaster in Atlanta’s art world took place when 122 art patrons lost their lives in a crash at Orly Field in France.  The terrible moment created grief, heartache and sadness.  The silver lining was a catalyzing movement in Atlanta’s arts and business communities to create a memorial.  That memorial is The Woodruff Arts Center.

Pearl Cleage will be reading her poem “Wish You Were Here” at the Woodruff Arts Center’s Orly Community Day on June 3rd. Photo credit: Access Atlanta.

This June 3rd, we remember those who lost their lives and celebrate what they stood for at the Woodruff Arts Center’s Orly Community Day.  There are plenty of fun – and free – activities planned. The Alliance Theatre, High Museum of Art, Young Audiences, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (all part of Woodruff’s offerings) will play a part, but sure to be among the most touching of those activities will be a reading by author, poet, and playwright Pearl Cleage of her poem “Wish You Were Here” written in commemoration of those who perished.

Pearl was kind enough to visit us in the studio to read a segment of her poem and talk to us about what a memorial means to her.

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Show #18: Art Collection

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Often when we talk about an “art collection”  it comes from the context and perspective of the collector; however typical to Sidewalk Radio, we like to look at things a bit differently.  In this month’s episode we explore the art of collecting by assembling a collection of our own: the appraiser, the artist, the cultural curator, and the puppet master (well, of sorts).  What we find is that the art of collecting is a varied, and many times individual, process of understanding.

Spalding Nix and Gene Kansas in the Sidewalk Radio studio.

Joining Gene in the studio to discuss the value of art is gallery owner, creator of the respected “Culture Club”, and certified art appraiser Spalding Nix of Spalding Nix Fine Art.  Spalding helps paint the picture of value from sentimental artifacts (like his treasured Rolling Stones t-shirts) to stratospheric trophy collecting like Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”, predicted to sell this summer at auction in the neighborhood of $100,000,000; smart money is on the Russians to snap this up.

Todd Murphy. Narrow Road to the Far South #24, 2011.

We’re very happy to talk with celebrated artist Todd Murphy, who’s passion and profession drove him to sail to Antarctica.  Todd’s recent collection Narrow Road to the Far South was born from his journey aboard an ice-cutter plowing the frigid waters, and is now showcased at locally famed Jackson Fine Art.  On a recent visit “home” Todd hopped on over to our Midtown studios (by way of Brooklyn) to discuss his voyage, what he likes to collect, how his art is collected, and the use of collected elements used to create art.

An empty shell of a building is turned into a colorful artistic statement…check out the video and work by Jeff Demetriou Fake Love at Flux 2011.

Leading the charge of rallying new patrons to the arts, and doing a fine job himself at supporting art across Atlanta, is Louis Corrigan, creator of Flux Projects.  But, Louis is more than just a guy who likes and supports art.  Corrigan is a collector of artists, helping to coordinate their creativity in a way that curates the city.  Flux’s temporary public art (not to mention the extreme creativity and interaction supplied by the artists),  brought 10,000 people out on a single night to see art last October in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood.  Corrigan wants to get that number to 1,000,000 city-wide and we believe he can make that happen.  Louis joins Gene to talk about the importance of collecting from a cultural perspective.

A true work of art, Big Bird is a puppet with staying power.  This larger than life Jim Henson creation is on display at Center for Puppetry Arts.

Then there is Daniel Summers, Jr., Marketing Director at the Center for Puppetry Arts.  Daniel is no puppet on a string, but rather his own master creation of theatrics, knowledge, entertainment and expertise.  Daniel talks about the collection at the Center for Puppetry Arts (they have over 2000 puppets in their collection), the history of puppetry, and how puppets are working works of art.

All in all, we are very happy with our “collection” and hope you will be too.

ART STROLL: JACKSON FINE ART

ART STROLL is a new, monthly excursion from Sidewalk Radio featuring the very best in Atlanta’s creativity. ART STROLL, hosted by Gene Kansas, covers arts & culture events and the people making them happen.

Narrow Road to the Far South #14, 2011. Todd Murphy.

For our maiden voyage, we take a snapshot into the high-end art world with Anna Walker Skillman, owner of famed Jackson Fine Art, a premiere gallery showcasing world-class photography right here in Atlanta.

Anna joins Gene in the studio to talk about three incredible shows on exhibit through April 7th. Todd Murphy, Chip Simone & Vivian Maier. Tune in, take a listen, then go take a look.

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