Living Artists

Ian has been feted as the “coolest wedding photographer in the world”, even while he continues to protest that he's not a wedding photographer at all. His photographs are recognized by their candid, documentary style. He has shot more than 150 weddings in the UK and abroad. In 2019, Ian had a solo exhibition at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol, where his work is also now held in the permanent collection. This show was the first exhibition of wedding photography in a fine art gallery in the UK. It also coincided with the publication of his monograph entitled 'I Am Not A Wedding Photographer'. His photography has been featured in numerous publications and websites worldwide (BBC World News, CNN, The Guardian, The Observer, Creative Review, i-D etc...) and he is also author and host of the popular and influential Outerfocus Podcast which explores the work of other photographers across all different fields of the genre. His websites are ianweldon.com and outerfocuspodcast.com. Instagram accounts: ianjweldon and outerfocuspodcast.

Kirsten makes architectural map-drawings, combining plans, elevations and perspectives to illustrate dynamic spatial relationships and memories within historic places. These maps emerged as a quintessential expression of the character of a place. From the College of Architecture at Virginia Tech to Savannah, GA to the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia to historic Staunton, she has lived where she could draw - and traveled to interesting places to draw as well. Her Travel Sketches (sketches from trips to Europe over the past 20 years) launched in May 2020. This fall, she'll be sharing her Mountains series which explores the combination of line and brush in these beautiful landscapes. Kirsten creates maps on commission via her website. These can be original city blocks or topographical map-drawings. Her website is https://turnofthecenturies.squarespace.com/ Instagram: turnofthecenturies

Norma I. Quintana is an American photographer and educator working in the tradition of social documentary. Using a medium format camera, she photographs with film, primarily in black and white using available light. Quintana's documentary project, Circus: A Traveling Life was published as a monograph by Damiani Editore, Bologna, Italy, and distributed by D.A.P. Artbook Catalog in 2014. Her series Forage from Fire is currently being exhibited at the California Museum of Photography at the University of California Riverside. After surviving the devastating Atlas Peak wildfire in October 2017, she began the Forage from Fire series that was featured in a solo exhibition at SF Camerawork in October 2018. She is a founding member of the San Francisco Bay Area non-profit PhotoAlliance. Quintana is presently working on her portrait series, Forget Me Not / Recuerdos based on family photographs from Puerto Rico. She has lectured nationally at major universities, including art residencies at Penn State and American University in Washington D.C. Quintana lives in California with her family. She can be found on Instagram at @normaiquintana. Her website is http://www.normaiquintana.com.

Thad is an established award-winning sculptor who lives in Pittsburgh, PA. He’s 93 years old and still very active in his studio. He has had a wide range of solo and group shows. Thad currently has a show at Karma in New York City and the gallery has just published a monograph about him. In July 2020, the New York Times included Thad’s show at Karma as one of “3 Art Gallery Shows to Explore from Home” (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/arts/design/art-gallery-shows-to-explore-from-home.html). Thad’s first New York City exhibition was in 2004 at the CUE Art Foundation and curated by the poet Nathaniel Mackey. His work appears in numerous public collections including the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the Mattress Factory Museum in Pittsburgh and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, PA. Thad’s work appeared in the prestigious 57th Edition Carnegie International at the Carnegie Museum of Art in 2018. This fall, Thad’s sculptures will be on view at the Rockefeller Center as part of Frieze Projects, a special presentation of Frieze New York, curated by Brett Littman, Director of The Noguchi Museum. (To view Thad’s exhibition at Karma remotely, visit this link: https://karmakarma.org/exhibitions/thaddeus-mosley/virtual-tour/.)

Ellen Bass is an award-winning poet who has been published in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic and many other journals. Her newest book of poems, Indigo, was published in April 2020. Her other poetry books include Like a Beggar, The Human Line, and Mules of Love. Ellen was the Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate from 2014-2015. She’s also the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. She co-edited the first major anthology of women’s poetry, titled No More Masks!. Ellen founded poetry workshops at Salinas Valley State Prison and the Santa Cruz, California jails, and teaches in the MFA writing program at Pacific University. She’s also the Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. http://ellenbass.com

Lonnie Graham is a photographer, installation artist and cultural activist whose work attempts to redefine the role of the artist in society. He investigates methods by which the arts can be used to achieve tangible and dimensional meaning in people’s lives. He is currently Professor of Visual Art at Penn State University and executive director of the PhotoAlliance in San Francisco. He was formerly Director of Photography at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh, PA. He is the recipient of many awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts / Pew Charitable Trust travel grant for travel to Ghana. He was also awarded a Pew Fellowship, one of the largest grants for individual artists. Lonnie’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Follow Lonnie on Instagram: @mrlonniegraham

Lowell Boyers is an established painter living in New York City. His work has been shown in a wide range of solo and group shows across the country and internationally. Visit his website at lowellboyers.com.

Nancy Hilliard Joyce is a North Carolina-based painter. She spent several years living in Asheville (and had an art studio in the River Arts District) before moving to Concord where she now has a home studio. Nancy is dedicated to giving back to the environment, women, and children and uses her art as a platform to raise money for non-profit organizations. In 2018, she published “The Education of Little Me”, a short memoir of turning passion into purpose. http://nancyjoycegallery.com

Susan Browne is a prize winning poet who published her third book of poetry, Just Living, in the fall of 2019. In this episode, Susan shares her background, inspirations, and writing process along with her incredible sense of humor. http://susanbrownepoems.com

I introduce my thoughts behind the podcast and the format.