Category: Arts

Audio features and interviews on the arts, centered around Charlottesville, Virginia.

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Home Grown: All Right: Wes Swing, Bolanle Adeboye, and Dena Jennings

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie find themselves with two more great guests. First, cellist Wes Swing visits the show for the first time. Coming from a classical background, Swing has also put time into developing his improvisational skills. Today, Wes takes all of that into playing with live looping. In fact, Wes will be teaching a Live Looping Workshop at the Front Porch Roots Music School this coming week. We talk to him about looping, what it’s like to work with it and how it shapes his music. Next, our look at the Black History Month exhibits at McGuffey Art Center continues with two of their featured artists. Dena Jennings is a doctor and lover of science who makes and plays gourd based banjos. Dr. Jennings talks about the various ways she connects to her works — aestheticly, intellectually, and culturally, to name a few. Bolanle Adeboye is an artist whose current installation of found fabric at McGuffey marks a move for her from the representative to the abstract. Warm up that coffee and kick up your feet. The art is on deck at Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Black Cloud:The Crying Tree and Black History Month at McGuffey

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie welcome two pairs of artists who are furthering the conversation about, the consideration of, and the representation by African Americans in Charlottesville. First, playwright Peter Gunter and actor Jim Winton visit the show to talk about Peter’s play The Crying Tree. For 12 years, Peter’s been crafting this work about the unholy rat king that is racial explotation and American politics, until — after having it just not come together — he finally put it away. He talks about what moved him to take it “off the shelf” and get it to where it is now — going up at the Charlottesville Playwrights Collective in its first full production. Next, McGuffey Art Center artist Bob Anderson returns to the show but not for his own work. As with many artists, the Unite the Right Invasion motivated him to do something to counter the tide of hate that washed up on our shores like a medical waste wave onto a New Jersey beach. He started then working on a McGuffey celebration of Black History Month that showcased local African American artists, and after a year and half, we’re here. Bob talks about this month’s artists and events and is joined by one of the artists, Darrell Rose. Let the Right unite, we always bet on Black (and Brown and Tan and Red and Yellow and Pink Triangled and Opressed White and anyone else feeling the boot of the metaphorical family in the Big House who’re getting fat on other people’s labor and suffering on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Elephants and Quilts:Jane Fellows and Priyanka Shetty

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie welcome two guests to the show for the first time. First we’re pleased to talk to Jane Fellows from the Fiber and Stitch Art Collective — an organization of Central Virginia artists who support and discuss the developement of quilting as an art form. Jane talks about how making quilts to be art differs from artfully making quilts to be on your bed. She also talks about the collective’s upcoming show, Metamophosis and Transformation at New Dominion Bookshop. Next UVA Drama grad student Priyanka Shetty sits behind the mic to talk about her one-person show, The Elephant in the Room, about her transition from living in India to living in America. Find something new in the familar and something familiar in the new on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Night Dogs and Bright Lights: JMRL-Live Arts and Angel Metro

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, we’re back after the snow turned one week off into two! That’s okay. David and Leslie are primed and ready to welcome two new guests to the show. First we have a whole crew to talk about Live Arts Theatre’s upcoming production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Director Bryan Close and actor Mendy St. Ours join Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Adult Services Librarian Evan Stankovics to talk about this unique British book that people said could never be successfully adapted. We ask Close and St. Ours about the challenge of performing an unorthadox script based on an unorthadox novel. Next, it’s Angel Metro in the studio! She’s just released her new album DARK DAYS BRIGHT LIGHTS. We talk to Angel about the transition from playing in the Goth Rock band Gild the Mourn to doing this solo eletronic music project. We also talk to members of her live band Tom Lynch and Chad VanPelt about what it took to bring Angel’s sonic vision to life. And somewhere in the midst of all this, David adopts a new crimefighting personna! It’s a new year, and there’s new art to bring to you on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Year of Woman/Age of Fire: Wendy Repass and Greg Brown

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, Leslie talks to two musicians who are showing different musical sides of themselves. First, singer-songwriter Wendy Repass sets down her guitar and sets up her turntables as she prepares to DJ Women’s Dance Cville at the Ix Art Park. Wendy talks about the idea behind a Women’s Dance, what led to it, and the challeges of being a DJ. Next, guitar man Greg Brown returns to the show. Recently Greg has dusted off his Metal persona, Age of Fire, and has released a CD, Obisian Dreams. Leslie talks to Greg about the switch from Classical to Metal as we listen to a couple of tracks. We’re here to rattle the caffeine in your veins on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Amalgamation: Davina Jackson and Equally Opposite

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, a look at two different musicians who have shows coming up at the Ix Art Park. First, vocalist Davina Jackson comes on the show. After having been behind several benefit performances, she now finds herself the subject of one in the Funky Jackson Family Fundraiser. David talks to Davina about her recent housing disaster and about her new band Wild Common and its “New Appalachian” sound. Then, ZacMac and Gordo Kai, Hip-hop duo Equally Opposite are in the studio to have David talk to them about how they started and where they’re at. Where they will be is at the Hip-hop Showcase at the Ix Art Park. It’s two genre bending artists on today’s Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: NaNoWriMo: Diana Kim and M.K. England

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, it’s an entire show dedicated to National Novel Writing Month with two guest authors. First, David welcomes teen author and two year veteran of NaNoWriMo Diana Kim. He talks to Diana about how she became involved with NaNoWriMo, what it was like to do it, how writing doesn’t have to be a solo pursuit, and how difficult it is to beat the Writing Goblin! Next, we talk to M.K. England. The book that she started during the 2014 NaNoWriMo is about to be published by HarperCollins. It’s a Young Adult Science Fiction Space Opera called The Disasters. M.K. also talks about her NaNoWriMo experience and then goes on to talk about what it was like to work on her book after NaNoWriMo was over. We’ve been lucky enough to have a bunch of writers on the show recently, yet this Sunday it’s a novel experience on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Art and Culture: Uzo Njoku and Helen Chandler

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie get into it with two artists newly into their artistic careers, who’ve come to our lovely, nazi-convicting town from other countries. First, we welcome Uzo Njoku. She is a visual artist working in paint and a fourth year student at UVA, originally from Nigeria. We talk about her technique and subject matter (black women) at her current show, Uzo Njoku: Out of the Shadows which has just opened at New City Arts. We also talk about Uzo’s emerging artistic philospophy. Next, we head over to the world of writing with Helen Chandler. She’s originally from Ireland and lives and writes here now. She’s recently taken a turn towards non-fiction essays, and we talk about what’s behind that move. We also talk about her current project — a book about her aunts. You can hear some of that work when she shares the bill with Sam Bush at the Charlottesville Reading Series at New Dominion Bookshop. It’s two artists outside of their home cultures talking about how they’re working thoughts about those cultures into their work. So never say you don’t get some culture on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Seeing the Light: Let There Be Light and L.E. Zarling

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie field two call-in guests. First, it’s time again for Let There Be Light at Piedmont Virginia Community College. We talk to local artist and curator James Yates as well as Beryl Solla Chair of Visual and Performing Arts at PVCC. James and Beryl have been doing Let There Be Light for twelve years, and we talk about the show’s inception and what it has grown into. We also talk about the artists involved and what it’s like to make a piece for Let There Be Light. Then, we talk to improv performer L.E. Zarling. She’s leading a Trans and Non-Binary Improv Workshop and then following it with her one-person show, Wisconsin Laugh Tripast the Ix Art Park. We have a great talk with L.E. that starts with Wisconsin Laugh Trip and continues into a discussion about how improv helped her find herself as trans and then how she finds being out as trans and doing improv for other people. We swear we didn’t plan it, but it’s another show about art bringing people together on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Art Support: Femme Funk and Sketchbook Dares

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie throw down with two more great guests. First, musician Alice Clair visits the show for the first time. She is organizing the second annual Femme Funk: A Female Musician Showcase at The Ix Art Park benefitting Planned Parenthood. Alice talks about what led her to start the showcase, what it’s been like to organize it, and its genre-hopping line up. Then graphic novel artist Laura Lee Gulledge returns to the show. She’s taken her artistitc inspiration book, Sketchbook Dares: 24 Ways to Draw Out Your Inner Artist and has turned it into a Sketchbook Dares Workshop at New Dominion Bookshop. Laura Lee talks about what a sketchbook is, about promoting creativity, and about shutting away that inner critic. It’s all about getting the art out there here on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Community Love: Ty Cooper’s Mingle and PVCC’s As You Like It

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David and Leslie welcome back two artists to the show — one familiar face and one of our earliest guests. First, Ty Cooper returns. His first fiction film Mingle just showed last Saturday at The Paramount Theater, and he brings with him his assistant director Lk Schwendig from Boston and his actor and assistant director Precious Coleman from New York City. Lk and Precious talk about how Mingle started, what it was like working on the film, and what a good collaborative process looks like. Next, it’s local actor/director/singer Shelly Cole. She’s currently the music director for Piedmont Virginia Community College’s upcoming production of a 2017 musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Shelly talks about how this show is a combination of old (Shakespeare) and new (modern music). She also talks about how director Brad Stoller is bringing in different groups in the community. (Shelly also sees how many times she can say, “Hootenanny” on the show.) It’s a big old artistic hootenanny here on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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Home Grown: Saving Us: Emily Julia Kresky and Adam Nemett

Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art

Today on Home Grown, David talks art with two more great guests. First, Emily Julia Kresky visits the show for the first time. She’s the organizer of and a featured artist in Women on the Mic: A Benefit for Fight Like a Grrrl at the Front Porch Roots Music School. Emily talks about how she got into songwriting and about what her process is. Next, Adam Nemett comes back on the show. This time he’s wearing his novelist hat to talk about his first fiction novel We Can Save Us All. Adam talks about his 12 year journey writing this novel and gives us a little taste. One way or another art tries to save us, and we’re here to talk about it (and, seemingly, to mispronounce guests’ names) on Home Grown: Your Show about Local Art.

Home Grown is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.