Artist Interviews

This week on Everything Under The Sun, Sopris Sun Editor Raleigh Burleigh introduces Ellie Barber's new song, Walking on Fire. Then, Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Andrea Stewart gives us a preview of this year's Business Confluence.

This week on Everything Under The Sun, renowned guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto stops by to perform a few songs ahead of a show at the Third Street Center.

Ellie Barber AKA Ollella, who some of you may remember from local band Pearl & Wood came to visit KDNK and talk about her latest EP 'Reins'.

Hotchkiss-based artist/musician John Hickam (aka Willis Pickem) shares his recent album, 'Pickin' and Grinnin' with Willis Pickem'. He also talks about another group he formed called the Grizzly Pears and building homemade synthesizers!

Darrell Scott has released two albums during this pandemic year: Darrell Scott Sings the Blues of Hank Williams, and Jaroso. There are several interesting back stories to both projects, and KDNK's Luke Nestler called Darrell to hear them.

Carbondale musician Hugh Phillips has released his debut CD, called It's Been a Long Time. After retiring from a stressful business, Hugh rediscovered his longtime dream of recording a country music album. KDNK's Luke Nestler spoke with Hugh earlier this week about how that came together for him.

Local artist Chris Hassigs fictional city Ralesis, capital of Saiopor, might be considered indulgent or eccentric, but the latest version of it on exhibit at the R2 Gallery is dense in its detail and compelling in its execution. KDNK's Luke Nestler spoke with Chris about his city, his show, and his art.

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Kristin and Jeff describe their characters Emma and Ulysses in the new production of Annapurna at Thunder River Theatre. It's a tangled web they weave, and a lot of it is 20 years old. The piece begins livestreaming tonight.

Corey Simpson directs the new production of Annapurna at Thunder River Theatre. Here he describes the play and what he's looking for during the pandemic when he chooses what to produce at TRTC. The show begins livestreaming tonight and runs five more times after that, this weekend and next. Tickets and information at thunderrivertheatre.com

COVID is sticking its bony ugly thumb in everybody's pie, including Bonedale Ballet & Coredination Studio. Here, Alexandra and Anthony Jerkunica describe their efforts to keep their mojo working.

The Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program is nationally renowned for its youth radio programs. Here, Annmarie Zanca and current director Beth Wysong talk about this beloved institution that's going strong after 20 years. Click the headline for more on Andy.

Symphony in the Valley provides a community orchestra experience in the Roaring Fork and Grand Valleys, and has for nearly 20 years. SITV offers 2 performances next week in New Castle to celebrate Beethoven's 250th birthday. KDNK's Luke Nestler speaks with Kelly Thompson, the conductor of the concerts, Mandy Gessler, piano soloist at those shows, and Amanda Watkins, the symphony's manager.

The third Roaring Stories event takes a bow next Wednesday at Rock Bottom Ranch. Because of COVID restrictions, the event is already sold out. But do not despair. The event will be livestreamed and also broadcast on KDNK. Here, Alya Howe of Writ Large, and Mac Scott of CORE fill us in.

It took a few decades for Andrew Roberts-Gray to find his goove with his art. Then he discovered plexiglass. Since then his art career has taken off, with gallery representation, exhibitions and steady sales that enable him to devote all his time to his art practice. He is part of the current show at the Launchpad with Wewer Keohane and Brian Colley.

Like many deeply committed artists, Wewer Keohane has pondered and polished her creative process for decades. Also like many artists, she is very articulate about it, and how it affects her personal life. Several years ago, Wewer experienced an awesome dream that gave birth to numerous pieces of art and an exhibition at the Launchpad that opens today. It also gave form to a year-long fellowship at the Aspen Art Museum which contributed to a new understanding of her practice of art, and of her life.

Let Them Roar's Olivia Pevec and guest musician Alex Blocker talk about their song honoring and memorializing Elijah McClain.

Philip Tarlow's artistic process results not in a final product, judged and justified, and maybe even purchased, but in a continually dawning realization that, for him, less really is more. Philip's show of multi-media works at the Launchpad has one more week to run. And if smoke conditions allow, he will give an artist talk there next Friday, August 28.

Metalworker and jeweler Natasha Seedorf worships the tiny tender parts of this world. Her process results in sometimes surprising juxtapositions, contrasting textures and a delicate balance. Her show, Intimate Geographies, hangs at the Launchpad until August 28.

George Hendrix, photographer, has focused his camera at the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo for more than a decade, finding good photos in the arena and the grandstand both. He has a solo show at Carbondale Arts until the end of the month. KDNK's Luke Nestler spoke with George to find out about his photographic practice.

Local musician Ellen Stapenhorst has been entertaining audiences for decades. This year, she had the unique challenge of crafting a song encouraging folks to complete their census forms. Also joining Diane Johnson on this musical edition of Senior Matters, Rachel Brenneman with the Aspen to Parachute Complete Count Committee gives an update about this year's deadline. You can complete the census online or by calling 844-330-2020.

Skye Skinner, the new ED for the ArtBase in Basalt describes this ninth edition of the 10 x 10 Art Auction. More than 130 artists have donated art to the ArtBase and all of it inspires during trying times. All the art is viewable online and bidding happens there too. Find all the details at theartbase.org

Charles Morris feels a beckoning shift in our culture right now, and wants to seize the opportunity to change things for the better. He is the recipient of the Art Base Live scholarship, and he used that money to pay the licensing fees to show a documentary called The Mask You Live In at all of the Garfield County Libraries, a series of screenings which was interrupted by the quarantine. Charles began things by describing the flash card he received from Wewer.

Lara Whitley is a master scavenger of Aspen's mining-era dumps, finding bits of glass and trash that she incorporates intod sculptures, the most notable of which was an installation in an aspen grove called Ghost Cabin. She is also the Creative Strategy Director of the Community Office for Resource Efficience and the Artist-in-Residence at the Aspen Community School. And, she is the founder and curator of the Imagine: Climate intitative which debuted last year. Her piece in the Flash Card Project is a stylized toilet paper tree called Diminishing Supply.

Ingrid Magidson is a local artist with a studio on Missouri Heights and a global art career, including museum exhibitions. Her piece of the Flash Card Project is called Meditation/Transformation, and it's apparent from my chat with her that her life and her art both spring from an attitude of gratitude.

Artist Wewer Keohane conceives her art-making process as her individual and indisputable connection to the divine. That connection encompasses several decades of making art, publishing four books, obtaining two doctorates, establishing the Oneirica Art Ranch at her home in Cattle Creek, and serving as the curator of the newest exhibition at Carbondale Arts, the Flash Card Project. Here she talks about that show and how the pandemic has changed her life and her art-making.

For this week's Booked program, KDNK's Gavin Dahl caught up with local band Let Them Roar rehearsing in Sopris Park. They are inviting the community to roar too with free songwriting workshops on Thursday nights at 6, organized by Garfield County Libraries. Get more info here. 

Denver-based flamenco guitarist Javier Gutierrez, “El Javi,” was scheduled to perform a benefit concert at Thunder River Theatre Company for KDNK's birthday this weekend. He, like countless other musicians across the world, has been forced to adapt around the circumstances spurred by COVID-19. In additional to now sharing guitar playing tutorials on YouTube, Javier performs live on Facebook every Monday at 6pm. Click here to hear how Javier experienced the onset of closures and gig cancellations from a festival in Mexico.

Whippoorwill, a Fort Collins-based, alternative folk-rock trio were set to play in Carbondale last month at Steve's Guitars but the concert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group’s shows in April are also cancelled following Governor Jared Polis' statewide stay-at-home public health order. For KDNK, Laura Palmisano brings us an interview with Alysia Kraft of Whippoorwill.

Local musician Olivia Pevec is performing daily songs at noon to raise awareness for LET THEM ROAR's efforts to produce a new studio album. She joined Raleigh Burleigh on Express Yourself to talk about the project and her time in quarantine.

Luke Maxson, Alex Goldberg, and Ryan Bannigan form the Denver-based, jazz-trio Smirk. They stopped by KDNK prior to their 5pm performance at the Harvey Preston Gallery on March 7. KDNK will live broadcast that concert as part of 2020 membership drive outreach.