Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast

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.

This week, we thank everyone who came out the the opening of the Gallery at Steel Pixel, featuring the works of Michael Freeman, and talk with visual/collage artist Kailey Atkinson about the art of collage!

Kailey Atkinson is an artist and creative professional from Easton, PA. Her primary mediums are mixed media collage with 2D and 3D elements, illustration, and paper craft. She collects imagery from sources dating back to the late 1800’s, but most often from the early to mid 1900s. Through found imagery and the experimentation of a range of materials, Atkinson creates new narratives that explore topics like body image, memory, mental illness, identity, feminism, gender roles, politics, and personality, because she feels it is necessary to expose what is below the surface in her art. She also makes work that could be viewed as nonsensical, humorous, or a celebration of not taking life too seriously. Her work may seem simply playful at first, drawing viewers in with glitter, vibrant colors, mysterious textures, sassy sayings, and unexpected juxtapositions of imagery. Upon closer looking, she hopes viewers find connections to their own experiences and recognize the deeper meaning within her work.

To view her work, you can follow her on Instagram at @kaileycatkinson, go to LEARKE found at 65 N. 4th St. Easton, PA 18042, or check her out at the Indiemade Craft Market on 12/24/21 at the Starlite Ballroom in the Fearless Fire Company found at 1221 S. Front St. Allentown.

The Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast is a Steel Pixel Studios original series. To find out more about @steelpixelstudios, check out their Instagram or go to www.steelpixelstudios.com.

This week, we have theater director and arts administrator Randall Forte. Randall's most recent play, Room for Rent, played at this year's Festival Unbound. 

This week, we talk with multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and songwriter Matt Molchany. Matt owns Shards Recording studio, which is a brick-and-mortar creative space in Bethlehem Pennsylvania's Southside Arts District. To find out more information about Matt Molchany or Shards Recording Studio, visit their website or check them out on Instagram @shards_recording_studio.

This week, Ben talks with Brad Kramer and Dylan Flaherty of Reservoir Hill!

Reservoir Hill is an original Americana rock band co-founded by friends Dylan Flaherty and Brad Kramer in Allentown, PA. The band currently comprises Brad Kramer (Lead vocals), Tommy Pogash (Bass), Dylan Flaherty (Lead Guitar) and Charles Kicska (Drums).

Formed in the Winter of 2018 the band draws on their many influences to bring forth a diverse sounding collection of songs that show many sides to their personality. Influenced by bands like; Zac Brown Band, Chris Stapleton, U2, The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, The Black Keys, and more. They aim to produce lyrically driven, diverse and catchy originals with a wide variety of covers performed in their unique style.

After partnering with Lehigh Valley producer Brian J. Anthony, the band released their self-titled debut EP "Reservoir Hill" in March of 2019. Their single "Boneyard" was later nominated for "Best Single" for the Lehigh Valley Music Awards. They have played all over the Lehigh Valley adding new originals and drawing large crowds at venues like "ArtsQuest". In August of 2021 the band released their first full album “Desperate Times” on all streaming platforms. Now the band looks to grow their audience online and in the North East.

To see them live, check out their concert on October 22nd at Seven Sirens Brewing! You can find more information about the band on https://www.reservoirhill.band/bio! In addition, you can find them on Instagram at @reservoir_hill!

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast! In this episode, we talk with visual artist, Anthony Smith! Anthony is an extremely talented multimedia artist and an experienced teaching artist. He is currently a Resident Artist at the Banana Factory Arts Center and a drawing instructor at Northampton Community College. 

To learn more about Anthony and his work, follow along on Instagram @asmithjrnyc. You can also see his work in person in shows around the Lehigh Valley at the Payne Gallery, Banana Factory Art Center- Crayola Gallery, and Lehigh University Art Galleries.  His website is http://www.anthonysmithjr.com/.

Our opportunity of the week is Michael Lebson's upcoming solo show at ARTHAUS opening on November 3rd with a reception on November 18th. For additional information, including the address of the show and start time of the reception, go to https://figbethlehem.com/2021/09/michael-lebson-similar-but-different/. You can find Michael on Instagram at @michaellebson. 

The Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast is a Steel Pixel Studios original series. To find out more about @steelpixelstudios, check out their Instagram or go to www.steelpixelstudios.com.