ART TAP

On tap this week is Jeff Smith, TV anchor at WLFI TV 18. Aside from his duties at the anchor desk, Jeff is also a Renaissance Man farmer and painter. Jeff talks about finding a path to his own artistic enlightenment, through trial and error, looking and reading, and private stress management. He currently has an exhibit at Artists' Own gallery in downtown Lafayette, called "Landscapes of Our Times: Modern Paintings by Jeff Smith."

On tap this week is Angela Taylor, artist and owner at Lala Gallery and Studio. Angela talks about the adventurous creation of a gallery/studio space for herself and providing active programming and a clubhouse atmosphere for the arts in Lafayette for the past ten years. On Friday, May 18th she presents a retrospective exhibit of her work at Lala Gallery in the Bindery Artist Studios gallery. #lalasdecade

On tap this week is Amy Davis Navardauskas, Marketing Director at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, Indiana. She talks about her love for and the frustrations of life as a working artist. And she shares her experience of growing into a position with the Lubeznik Center, as well as the opportunities available there. And she shares some neat Look Ups with James Turrell and things organized neatly.

On tap this week is some advocacy and some thinking about "What Your Business Is." (Have you seen or read "The Cider House Rules"? You should.) And go find an opportunity for a young person in your life to see art or theatre, hear music, etc.

On tap this week is an interview with Julie Baumann, Director of Education and Outreach at Civic Theatre of Lafayette. Julie talks about her start in theatre, the love thereof inspired by her grandmother. (This is a common ART TAP thread.) And she details her education and outreach interests, as well as working with young people in theatre endeavors and the future of Civic Theatre.

On tap this week is Bess Witcosky, Director of the City of West Lafayette's Morton Community Center. She talks about her start in local dance and Purdue's repertory dance troupe, outreach programs in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, Dancing Classrooms Philly, and her eventual return to Indiana to head Morton Community Center.

On tap this week is Rachel Lopez, new Managing Director of Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette. She talks about her start in musical theatre, progressing to classical theatre, and then to improv work at Second City in Chicago. She also talks about writing her own play and taking the reins at Civic Theatre with high aspirations.

On tap this week are insights and questions posed by listeners. Most of it has to do with the nature of the arts and artists in the Lafayette-West Lafayette area, namely what's unique to this area and what's holding it back.

On tap this week is an interview with Rick Mummey, a long time radio personality, musician, and arts aficionado, and now a podcaster as well, on The Mumcast. Check him out at http://rickmum.com. We talk about his upbringing on a diet of modern jazz, working in radio, and the new world of podcasting.

On tap this week is an interview with Scott Haan, who is a local playwright and my guest in episode 014 of ART TAP, and Brian K. Morris, who is a freelance writer and publisher and who was my guest on episode 004. This pairing of writers and comics aficionados was a welcome sudden opportunity and a great way to spend a Saturday morning. We touched on lots of geeky topics as well as the sources of inspiration.