Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast

This week, we talk with abstract artist, Abraham Darlington!

Abraham Darlington is originally from Philadelphia, PA. He has always had an interest in art, especially tattoo art; but, was not until he developed a shoulder injury that he began to pursue his artistic interests. Abraham has no formal art training, except for taking a small number of courses at The Baum School of Art at a young age. Everything he creates has been through hard work, experimentation, imagination, and the sounds of rock music.
Abraham's work does not follow a specific style or school of thought when he creates art. He enjoys all styles and mediums, but has a proclivity for street, graffiti, abstract, minimalist, and cubist art. His paintings are typically created spontaneously and quickly being completed within a sitting or two. He uses all types of tools including brushes, palette knives, spatulas, combs, sponges, spray paints, stencils, even his own hands.
Follow Abraham on Instagram @art_enthusiast1986 or visit his website www.punkmetalabstract.com.

Our opportunity for the week is for the newest gallery show at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios. Digital Frontier: An NFT Exhibition opens on Wednesday, January 12th and features the work of Tyrone Webb, Michael Lebson, and the "Aww, Rats!" team. The opening reception is on January 12th from 6:30-8pm. The show will run from January 12th - February 25th.

This week, Elisabeth is joined by guest-host and former season one podcast guest Ikechukwu Okorji! At the beginning of this episode, we cover what Ikechukwu has been up to since he was last on and talk about musical inspirations!

This week's special guest is singer/songwriter Stefanie Johnson!

Singing and writing songs since a young girl, Stefanie hails from the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, once home to some of the country’s largest steel manufacturing. Her professional musical experience is varied and significant: performing at Bethlehem’s popular Musikfest, one of the nation’s largest music festivals, and beyond. Stefanie has appeared on local television stations such as WLVT's Steel Sessions, WFMZ’s Music Monday, and Service Electric’s Holiday Concert Series as well as The Mike Zambelli Show. In addition to the local scene, Stefanie has performed at Nashville's legendary Bluebird Cafe and 12th & Porter, and then on to perform at the Rock and Roll of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

In 2015, Stefanie began recording her album with co-writer/producer Brian J. Anthony who immediately embraced her vision. Brian helped create a sonic landscape by mixing bits of rock, pop and country while not losing the intensity of her voice or deep personal reflection in her lyrics. The result of these tracks gained the attention of some of the area's best-known musicians who all jumped at the opportunity to be part of this project. She released her self-titled debut album, Stefanie, through England's Escape Music label in February of 2017.

To describe her voice, Stefanie has a bold melodic presence, both strong and smooth. Her style ranges from a soaring pop artist to rock singer with a slight country timbre as well. Similarly, her music and songwriting style traverse those same motifs. Stefanie is currently working on a new album with co-writer and producer Brian Anthony. This album will be slightly more blues and country driven with a roots rock feel.

Stefanie has also made her mark in the music licensing business. Her song “In my Shoes” has been featured in the 2018 film Affairs of State. In addition, her song “One Life” will be featured in the upcoming film Red Rocket to be released December 2021. Most recently, her song “Everything You Need” will be featured in Daniel Roebuck’s Hail Mary which is currently in postproduction.

For more information about Stefanie and to see her upcoming shows, check her out on Instagram at @stefanie.johnson (https://www.instagram.com/stefanie.johnson/) or go to her reverbnation page (https://www.reverbnation.com/stefaniejohnson)!

Stick around until the end of the episode for a short and funny musical suprise!

This week, we recorded live at Godfrey Daniels with the Managing Director, Ramona Labarre. 

Ramona is a Texas native who came to Bethlehem in 1985. Looking for music on the left end of the dial, she found Hep Cat’s Holiday - hosted by Dave Fry - on WMUH radio, where she heard that Nanci Griffith would be performing at a place called Godfrey Daniels. She remembers finding and walking into the club one evening to buy tickets. Nanci Griffith at Godfrey’s: an intimate concert with only about 30 in attendance. Needless to say, she caught the magic that night. She answered the call to start volunteering. It didn’t take long to figure out that she could be part of a group of like-minded folks who helped bring live music to the masses.

She was soon enlisted to help behind the scenes. By 1990, she was invited to join the board. In the late 1990s, she joined the conference staff for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and International Folk Alliance for 10 years, an important nexus for folk artists, venues, radio, festivals, press and record companies, and others. In 2010, she was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission, due no doubt to her volunteer time with Godfrey’s, and her years (2003-2009) with the Celtic Cultural Alliance (Celtic Classic festival). At CCA, she was public relations; bookkeeper; volunteer coordinator; festival finance director. The Lehigh Valley music scene is truly a large, generous and open hearted community - very much like a family. The people who I count as my best friends today, she met at Godfrey’s or thru herwork at Godfrey’s.

Godfrey’s partners with several area arts organizations: WDIY; Touchstone Theatre; Celtic Classic; ArtsQuest/MusikFest. The LV Charter High School for the Performing Arts. Godfrey Daniels has been recognized by the LV Music Awards. Godfrey’s is supported financially by a strong membership program; and local foundations such as Martin Guitar Foundation; also the PCA.

This week, we kick off the episode by thanking everyone for coming out to Nina Boodhansingh's artist reception at the Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios. After that, Ben and Elisabeth talk with Marie Jeanna Haba about her artwork. 

Marie Jeanne is an independent artist working and living in Hellertown, Pennsylvania. Her interest in art and stained glass began in 2010 when she first arrived to the U.S. from Guinea Conakry in West Africa. While attending Germantown High School, she distinguished herself by crafting paper birds with intricate feathers and stained glass. One of her feather birds won first place in the Philadelphia School District art competition, kicking off her career as a visual artist.

Upon graduating, she attended Community College of Philadelphia where she continued studying English as a second language. Jeanne then transferred to Shippensburg University where she majored in French language and culture while engaging with many art courses, including art history, 3-dimensional art, and ceramics.

After graduating from Shippensburg University, Jeanne felt torn between pursuing a career as a translator and exploring her passion for stained glass and painting. She made a studio in her basement, a sanctuary where she was able express her creativity, and dedicated herself to making art from an international perspective.

Jeanne’s artworks are inspired by her early experiences in Guinea Conakry, as well as by the West African perspective on life. She draws from the region’s spirituality and the concept of sacred femininity. “Heaven is under the feet of women,” according to Islamic belief—a popular saying across West Africa. With this in mind, Jeanne’s art depicts the female figure. Her work explores the mythology, spirituality, and representation of women in her culture. With her fine art, Jeanne manages to combine her experiences as a young adult in Pennsylvania with her early influences in Guinea Conakry. Although women are considered sacred in West Africa, there is still a taboo around open conversation about a woman’s body.

Therefore, Jeanne’s dream is to introduce a frank dialogue about all aspects of femininity—including the bodily form.

You can view her work at her website, https://www.marie-belle-art.com/, on Instagram at @belleeeart, or by visiting her on an upcoming First Friday at the Banana Factory.

Our opportunity for the week is the "Art (and) History From a Queer Perspective" at the Bradbury Sullivan Center. The next class will focus on Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack) and her era, with a special presentation by “Lister Sister” Michelle Mecham, on decoding Anne’s fascinating diaries.

While it’s sometimes hard to provide solid evidence that a person in the 1800s was actually gay, that is not the case with this fascinating woman. Diarist Anne Lister has been called the “First Lesbian”, because her (literally) 5 million words of eye opening journal entries (circa 1835) describe not only her well-adjusted understanding of her lesbian identity, but graphic descriptions written in code of making love to many women, including Ann Walker, whom she wooed and “wedded." Lister’s and Walker’s in-church commitment has been recognized as the first same-sex marriage in Britain, and Anne Lister’s life is the subject of the show “Gentleman Jack," a BBC TV series. 

In this class, instructor Liz Bradbury, MFA will talk about Anne Lister’s life and a bit about other queer figures in history that were part of her era. Included in this class will be a presentation by Michelle Mecham, a “Lister Sister” who is part of the decoding project of Anne’s Diaries, organized by the Shibden Hall Anne Lister Museum. 

The series is free and open to the public. Registration not required. For more information about the series, contact instructor Liz Bradbury at 610-432-5449 or [email protected]. 

This week, Elise and Ben interview featured artist, Marlow Rodale (@wolram)!

Marlow Rodale paints imaginary landscapes, rich in color and texture, to capture the ephemeral world of dreams.  The surreal color combined with the skewing of perspective and geometric form is an attempt to capture the otherworldly feeling of being in a dream; a world familiar but not confined to logical conventions of our waking reality. The tantalizing surface texture, perspective and color all work together to draw the viewer into the scene and evoke a visceral reaction, while an absence of recognizable objects allows the viewer to create a narrative from their own experience

You can find more about Marlow by following them on Instagram at @wolram or by checking out their website at https://www.marlowrodale.com/.

Our opportunity of the week is for the Opening Reception: "Riot of Life" Works by Terry Stout and Tom Maxfield, a new show by two local artists who interpret flora, fauna, small and large, parts of interwoven, integrated systems that make the wild web of life in two very different ways.

The reception will be at the Nurture Nature Center, located at 518 Northampton St, Easton, PA 18042. It will be held from 6-9pm on Friday, December 3rd 2021.

This week, Elise interviews featured artist, Rei Ukon (@reiukon)!

Rei Ukon is a queer and trans Japanese collage artist with a fascination for the hidden, spiritual world. Their art reflects a journey of understanding the relationships that make up our lives and towards inner peace. Specifically, collage has been a healing medium. The act of taking an existing material to create from imagination mirrors the experience of holding their queerness together in forging identity. Each tear in a piece of paper represents a process of letting go and embracing imperfections while awaiting the unique surprises each tear can offer. Through workshops and classes, they aim to cultivate safe spaces for creation. Currently, they are a Teaching Artist at the Banana Factory, Lehigh University Art Galleries, and The Art Establishment. 

You can find more about Rei by following them on Instagram at @reiukon or by checking out their website at https://reiukon.wixsite.com/myart.

Our opportunity of the week is for Exposé, an exhibition which features art which relates to exposure, confessions, secrets, coming out, unmasking, opening. This exhibition is an online and digital show that will be online and projected on the walls of Hemlock Art Space & Gallery in Easton, PA. Pieces will be linked to the artist for sales and Hemlock will not collect commission.

The online show will run November 13, 2021 - January 3, 2022 and the projected images will be on view Fridays during the same time period.

This week, Elise is joined by guest host Nina Boodhansingh to interview this week's featured artist, Andi Grunberg.

Starting off the show, Elise and Nina talk about what Nina has been up to. Later on, they talk (and often times laugh) with Andi about her studio, process, and so much more!

Andi Grunberg is a sculptor and mixed media artist living and working in the Lehigh Valley. She was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Art has been a large part of her life since childhood; learning about and creating art has always been integral to her daily life. Andi holds a Master's degree in Psychology, as well as two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Psychology and one in Art with a focus on metalsmithing. At the intersection of Art and Psychology is the Self, art creates the path towards deep introspection of our lives, the world, and the spirituality and power of women. In celebration of this, her work focuses on the expression of the Divine Feminine. Using a variety of mediums, Andi is committed to unearthing and expressing the Goddess within, through the language of art. Her art studio, Expressions Studio, is located in the heart of Center City Allentown.

You can find more about Andi by following her on Instagram at @andigrunberg or by checking out her website at https://andigrunberg.com/.

This week's opportunity of the week is for the second exhibition at the Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios featuring Nina Boodhansingh!

Stop by the studio on Wednesday, November 17th from 6:30-8pm for a reception celebrating Nina's work! Masks are highly recommended.

Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 North New Street in Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. See you there!

This episode was recorded LIVE at Allentown Art Museum's Annual Cocktails and Collecting (2021). We interviewed a few of the artists, collectors, and patrons in attendance. Thanks to the Allentown Art Museum for inviting us to come and cover this event. This annual event is a great place to shop for new art pieces from incredibly talented local artists. 

This week, Ben is joined by guest host Keith Garubba to interview this week's featured artist, Domenick Naccarato.

Starting off the show, Ben and Keith talk about what Keith has been up to. Later on, they talk with Domenick about his process, inspiration, and much much more. 

Domenick Naccarato began his professional career in 1998 after receiving his BFA in Fine Art from The College of New Jersey. He has spent time wearing several different hats over the past two decades including that of a web designer, web developer, graphic designer, creative director, marketing manager, and product manager. The single role that has been the common thread behind all of this, is that of Artist. Naccarato moonlights out of his basement workshop and studio, producing art that has been exhibited in and around the Lehigh Valley for the past 9 years. His style has been described as contemporary industrial and he is regularly included in seasonal shows at Connexions Gallery in Easton, PA, has exhibited at Bethlehem House Gallery in Bethlehem, PA and has also been included in a number of solo, curated, and juried shows throughout the Valley. He currently sits on the board of the Lehigh Art Alliance and is also a member of the Arts Community of Easton. Naccarato resides in Lower Macungie with his wife and two teenage daughters.

Naccarato’s contemporary, industrial style is achieved with compositions that are the result of his approach to combining paint, text, found objects, and a variety of other textures and non-traditional mediums. He uses a variety of techniques and processes to create the work and build up textures that include everything from sanding layers of joint compound to coating surfaces with roofing tar. His processes are purposeful, taking brand new hardware in some cases, and adding a patina of rust on the metal to make it appear as if it had aged over years. Not one to be content with just painting, he’ll often add graphic elements of fragmented words and numerical references, or other assemblage and collage elements to his pieces. These items can take the form of reclaimed pallet wood, wire mesh, or perhaps brown packing tape. And his love of hardware is evident too. With the addition of large bolts, rusty nails, or brackets, his pieces quickly become three-dimensional in nature.

For more information about Naccarato, or to see his work,  check him out on instagram, @domenicknaccarato, or check out his linktree at https://linktr.ee/domenicknaccarato.

This week's opportunity of the week is for Allentown Art Museum's Cocktails and Collecting, which will be held on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 6-9pm.

This stylish evening in the galleries offers access to an extraordinary array of more than twenty emerging and established artists, from painters and print makers to fashion designers and jewelry makers.

The artists will be on hand to explain their creative process and answer your questions about their art—an enjoyable way to start or grow your collection. Along with original art you’ll experience the culinary creations of Sumac Catering, a specialty cocktail by Black River Farms, Lehigh Valley Style’s Style Wall, and live-spun music by DJ Brad Scott.

Or stop by Sunday, November 7th, from 11 till 4 to meet the artists, listen to the sounds of DJ Brad Scott, browse original works of art, and wander the galleries, all free. For more details, go to AllentownArtMuseum.org.