Hammond Regional Arts Center Podcast

Artist and Air Force veteran Kevin Brown joins host Melissa Griffin to talk about his efforts to uplift a community in McComb, Mississippi through art and advocacy. His work not only aims to bring light to positive action and experiences, but is also responsible for making a positive impact on this community in unique ways.

Listen in as host Melissa Griffin talks with author Seth Pevey about his fascinating journey in writing mystery novels based in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana. Find out more about how he works to develop settings, plots and characters. "All the people I know and all the people I interact with are in [my writing] ...on some subconscious level," says Pevey. During their chat, Pevey shares about his writing process and what inspires him most. 

Find out more about the author and his work at www.sethpevey.com. His books are available for purchase on Amazon. 

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot.

Artist Ryan Gianelloni joins host Melissa Griffin to discuss his sculpture work and his journey to becoming a professional artist who won't limit himself to one medium or one subject matter. As he discusses his sculptures, paintings, photography and even culinary art, hear him talk about his effort to create balance with seemingly unbalanced artwork. Gianelloni also discusses his use of metal leaf and the unique element it brings to his pieces. 

Find out more about Ryan Gianelloni at www.ryangianelloni.com or @ryangianelloni 

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot.

Artist Cindy Blair of Alexandria, LA joins our host Melissa Griffin for a fun discussion about her work combining light and sculpture to create unique pieces inspired by organic forms and movement. Blair shares a story of her own dealings with impostor syndrome as the two discuss a shared desire to demystify the artistic process and make the arts more accessible to everyone through exposure to the arts and arts education. 

Find out more about Cindy Blair's work at www.cindyblairlightart.com or @cindyblairlightart on Instagram.

Host Melissa Griffin sits down to chat with photographer/videographer Dusty Cooper. The discussion spans his work in the arts as a photographer, a writer and a dancer. The two take a deep dive into Cooper's current, multi-image photography work and the meticulous process it takes to creates those large-scale images.

Dusty Cooper's multi-image photography exhibition "Copiosity" is on display in the Hammond Regional Arts Center's Mezzanine Gallery January 21 - February 17, 2022. For details visit www.hammondarts.org. 

For more details on Dusty Cooper visit www.dustycooper.com.

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot

Host Melissa Griffin sits down to chat with the co-owner of Stinky Mud Photography Riyen Helg about his unusual journey from working in an oil refinery--which often felt like a "prison sentence" to him--to his career in photography.  Helg shares intimate details about his life and the struggles that ultimately lead him to starting a photography business alongside his wife Tiffani.  Taking that leap was not an easy one, but as Helg explains, there's no regrets.

Find Stinky Mud Photography at www.stinkymudphotography.com. 

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot

Singer songwriter J. Rees joins host Melissa Griffin on the podcast to talk about the songwriting process.  A storyteller at heart, Rees' music connections people through shared experiences.  On the podcast, Rees tells stories about how music comes to life--Rees' life experiences taking shape as art through lyrics and melodies. Rees plays some tunes as well. 

More about J. Rees on www.jreescreative.wixsite.com/whatsgood or @j.rees_

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot

Sometimes the hard truth can change your world. Host Melissa Griffin talks with Jonathan Wong--husband, father, restauranteur and Southeastern Louisiana University's 2020 Young Alumnus of the Year--about how he went from "dad bod" to a FitFam organizer after hearing the hard truth about his health.  Today, Jonathan spends time encouraging and motivating others to live a healthier lifestyle.  In this podcast Melissa and Jonathan discuss the challenges of juggling personal and professional life, and Jonathan shares insight on how to get the most quality out of your time and gives practical tactics you can implement immediately.  

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot

In today's Podcast, Hammond Regional Arts Center (HRAC) Director Melissa Griffin speaks with long-time HRAC Board Member and art educator Denise Tullier-Holly about nurturing creativity within people of all ages.  The talk is an informative source for parents, teachers and others interested in the arts.

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot

Host Melissa Griffin talks with Marc Settembrino, a sociology professor and certified yoga instructor, about the impacts of stress in a post-COVID world and ways to combat it using yoga (even for people who don't practice yoga), art, and personal interactions.

Produced by Jeffrey Talbot