Southcoast Artists Index

Welcome to the very first episode of The Vault Sessions, a new live music series from the Southcoast Artists Index, recorded at The Vault Center for the Performing Arts during Open Mic Night in downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Each episode features an intimate conversation with a local musician, exploring their creative journey, musical influences, songwriting process, and connection to the South Coast's vibrant arts community. Following the interview, you'll experience live performances of original music recorded in the unique atmosphere of The Vault.

Our inaugural guest is Steve Goodman, a talented local singer-songwriter whose heartfelt songwriting and engaging performances have made him a familiar face throughout the region's music scene. Steve shares the stories behind his music, his artistic inspiration, and what it means to be part of the South Coast's thriving creative community before performing several of his original songs live.

Whether you're discovering a new favorite artist or celebrating the incredible musical talent found right here in our own backyard, The Vault Sessions offers a front-row seat to the voices shaping the South Coast's creative landscape.

The Vault Sessions is available in both video and audio formats. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to the Southcoast Artists Index for more conversations, performances, and stories celebrating the artists who make our region such an extraordinary place to create.

Learn more at https://theartistsindex.com/

Welcome, Max Wickemeyer, our volunteer Development Director and now an official podcast host for Southcoast Artists Index. Max was our guest on Podcast Episode 205. Music is his creative force. He plays six- and four-string instruments.

Max has been playing in a hobby rock group for 15 years and performing solo gigs at open-mic venues, including The Vault Performing Arts Center & Pub, where he has also been documenting performances and performers for The Artists Index as our man-in-the-field.

Max is a Staff Ranger at the Assawompsett Pond Complex. His hobbies include yoga, forest walks, biking, and roaming the South Coast. He was also a volunteer land steward for the Nature Conservancy.

The Artists Index co-founder, Ron Fortier, and Max Wickemeyer spoke a while back about him joining our podcast host lineup at The Artists Index. This episode was recorded at the Spectrum Marketing Group studio at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Max Wickemeyer

Contact him at [email protected] to discuss being his next podcast guest. At this writing, he's already had several conversations with members of the South Coast creative community.

We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy.

Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, Trina Bigham, a published author and an aspiring artist. She is a Northeastern University graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering. According to Trina, she has "spent her life following the quiet tug of purpose wherever it led her.

Trina Bigham was born in Westwood, New Jersey. She moved to the South Coast of Massachusetts before she was a year old. She's lived in Wareham, Mattapoisett, and Marion before settling in Fairhaven, where she has lived for the past 30 years.

Her childhood was chaotic, but she found peace and grounding in nature—a refuge that would later shape her advocacy, creativity, and writing. Her book, Better Than Ordinary: Breaking Barriers on a Journey of Resistance and Hope, is the inspiring true story of a mother navigating love, loss, and resilience, and raising a child with disabilities.

Her journey as mother and author evolved alongside her son Brennan's. It trans­formed her emotionally and spiritually into a champion for his potential. Better Than Ordinary offers hope, insight, and inspiration to anyone facing life's challenges.

Trina recently spoke with The Artists Index's podcast host, Max Wickemeyer, about her life and journey. This episode was recorded at the Spectrum Marketing Group studio at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Trina Bigham

1 B Green Street Fairhaven, Massachusetts 02719

(774) 400-8361

Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other

We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy.

Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, David Poyant, an embroidery artist who came to this work later in life, after decades spent as a cobbler and craftsman. Without formal training, Poyant developed his own approach—or, what he refers to as thread painting—using a needle and fine strands of thread to build images one stitch at a time.

His process begins with AI-generated compositions that he refines and prints onto canvas, but the true work happens slowly by hand, where time, patience, and touch shape the final piece.

David Poyant's work explores nature, memory, and the human experience, often focusing on quiet, reflective moments—a boy in a tree, a fisherman at rest, light moving across water. Each piece is entirely hand-stitched and can take dozens of hours to complete, emphasizing the value of time and lived experience in a fast-moving digital world.

Through his art, Poyant aims to bridge tradition and innovation, showing that even in an age of technology, the human hand remains essential.

David recently spoke with The Artists Index's podcast host, Max Wickemeyer, about his passion and journey. This episode was recorded at the Spectrum Marketing Group studio at Howland Place in New Bedford.

David Poyant

72 Park Drive Acushnet, Massachusetts 02743

(508) 985-3033

Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other

We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy.

Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, author and painter, Tom Lopatosky. Not only is Tom the author of two books: The Care And Maintenance Of A New England Home and The Care And Maintenance Of A Block Island Home, but he also hosts PROTALK Home Improvement Radio (630AM/99.7FM WPRO) Saturdays at 2 pm and writes monthly home improvement articles.

Tom Lopatosky is the founder and owner of LOPCO Contracting, a painting & repair company in East Providence, Rhode Island, since 1995. He also owns Cheer UP Athletics, an all-star cheer gym he started in 2016. Tom has two daughters, Tamara and Ivelisse.

He is a New York Yankees and Providence College Basketball fan. Tom also enjoys traveling—his favorite cities are New Orleans, San Antonio, and Las Vegas. A parishioner of St. Adalbert's Church in Providence, Rhode Island, he helps in the community whenever possible.

Tom Lopatosky graduated from Classical High School, earned both a Marketing and Finance degree with a Computer Information Systems minor from Bryant University, and is actively pursuing his MBA at the University of South Carolina.

Tom spoke with The Artists Index's cofounder, documentarian, and now occasional podcast host, Ron Fortier, recently about his passion, his life, career, and his journey as an author, among his many other pursuits and interests. This episode was recorded at the Spectrum Marketing Group studio at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Thomas Lopatosky

Lopco Contracting

310 Bourne Avenue Box 32 East Providence, RI 02916 United States

Email | Website | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other

We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy.

Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, Cedric Earle Douglas, also known as Vise1 - again! Our first conversation on Podcast Episode 230 was so good, we decided to make it a two-parter. Cedric, in case you didn't know, is a street artist among his many other credentials. Cedric was born in Boston. He received his BFA in Graphic Design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Mass Art.

Cedric's first experience with public art was writing his name creatively on abandoned spaces. Cedric is also the founder and Creative Director of The Up Truck, a creative art lab that is designed to engage underserved Boston communities.

Cedric Douglas is widely recognized for his large-scale murals and portraits and is highly regarded by a broad range of audiences. His public art project, Street Memorials, takes a hard look at racial injustice and its deadly impact on the black community. The People's Memorial project requires viewers to "rethink the future of memorials and monuments."

Cedric Douglas continued his conversation with The Artists Index's cofounder, documentarian, and now occasional podcast host, Ron Fortier, recently, about his passion, his practice, and his journey as an artist. This episode was recorded at our recording studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Cedric Douglas

New Bedford, Massachusetts 02780

Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other

We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy.

Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, artist, gallerist, and educator, Judith Klein. This is her second podcast with us. Judith was our guest on Podcast Episode: 22. Judith attended an art high school in Tel Aviv and later attended the Art Teachers College. Upon graduation, she attended the advanced program at the Avni Institute of Fine Arts in Tel Aviv.

In the years following, she taught Fine Art in the Israeli Public School system and began exhibiting her artwork at a leading Tel Aviv art gallery. Judith later moved to Milan, Italy, where she continued her art education and career at the Brera Academy (Academia Brera de Belle Arte).

She emigrated to the United States with her husband, Andrei. For the last 17 years, she owned and operated The Judith Klein Art Gallery in several locations throughout New Bedford, Massachusetts. Throughout those years, she embraced the opportunity to curate dozens of themed art exhibits, which supported local and regional artists.

Her prints and paintings have been widely exhibited throughout Southeastern New England and abroad. Judith continues to offer art instruction and accept commissions.

Judith spoke with The Artists Index's cofounder, documentarian, and now occasional podcast host, Ron Fortier, recently about his passion, his practice, and his journey as an artist. This episode was recorded at our recording studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Judith Klein

Judith Klein Art Gallery & Studio

10 Merrymount Drive North Dartmouth, MA 02747

Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other

We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy.

Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, educator and artist, Lynn Bailey Witty. She has worked as a preschool teacher in private schools, teaching older students in art, specifically, as well as storytelling and scriptwriting. A New Bedford resident, she has worked as a professional actor in television commercials and jingles for years.

Lynn is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). She was also a professional worship leader for multiple churches for twenty-seven years. Lynn Bailey Witty is a singer-songwriter and a member of BMI. She has published three of her own albums and has sung on other artists' albums. Lynn has performed on national television and radio and has been interviewed on radio stations.

She put together her own performance venues and gatherings for art and music. Lynn Bailey Witty has also enjoyed performing in coffee houses, pubs, and intimate venues. She was a special guest artist at both Carnegie Hall and Symphony Hall - Boston. Lynn is also a painter. Her work has been sold in art shows and featured in small galleries as well.

Lynn Bailey Witty spoke with The Artists Index's Development Director and newest podcast host, Max Wickemeyer, recently about her beginnings, passion, artistic practices, and her journey as an artist. This episode was recorded at our recording studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Lynn Bailey Witty

New Bedford, Massachusetts 02744

Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Other

Please consider donating whatever you can to help support our mission to continue documenting the legacies of South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

In Episode Nine, Jazz Podcast Host Dave Reis speaks with Carol Louro, daughter of the legendary clarinetist/saxophonist Lionel Soares, about her father's talent, passion, and dedication. Lionel performed professionally for six decades and was also the proprietor of Dartmouth Music. He studied at The New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Southeastern Massachusetts University. He studied clarinet with Victor Polachek and Attilio Poto, both members of the Boston Symphony. He studied Theory with Jose DaCosta and studied composition with Hugo Norden and Ron Nelson. As a saxophonist/clarinetist, he worked with the bands of Tommy Reynolds, Al Donahue, Jack Nye, Florian ZaBach, and Mickey Sullivan, among others. Lionel also performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The Artist Index's jazz documentarian and Jazz Podcast Series host, Dave Reis, spent nearly 26 years as a Jazz radio show host, among his many other accomplishments. He was one of the original longtime DJs who worked at the former WUSM and its second life, radio station WUMD, 89.3 FM, on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus.

Dave Reis, AKA David Domingo Reis, began as our guest on In-Focus Podcast 154 and In-Focus Podcast 181. He returns once again as the host of our first-ever ten-part jazz podcast series underwritten by the Fiber Optic Center.

There is no better host for this series than Dave Reis, a walking, talking jazz encyclopedia and local legend himself. Dave grew up surrounded by and hanging with many of the jazz greats. He will be presenting his ten-part Jazz Podcast Series, underwritten by the Fiber Optic Center.

Please consider donating whatever you can to help and support our mission to continue documenting the legacies of South Coast Artists.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

Welcome, Autumn Liv Cyr, the new podcast host of The Lost Artists of Fairhaven. She is undertaking a new direction in our podcast programming. Autumn will be primarily focused on inviting our listeners to contribute any information they may have about any of the artists on her long, constantly growing list of Visual, Performing, and literary artists who were born, lived, or worked in the historical seacoast town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

Autumn is a Fine Artist, Graphic Designer, Writer, and Musician, born and raised in the South Coast – Fairhaven specifically. She is also a multidisciplinary visual artist, writer, and musician now living in New Bedford, MA, with over 10 years of professional experience. Autumn enjoys using various media.

Her ten-episode series will create a platform for listeners to submit anecdotes, information, and images to help her document the lives and legacies of Fairhaven-connected artists in particular, who have been overlooked, uncelebrated, or forgotten, to ensure they will be known to the next generations.

Autumn spoke with The Artists Index co-founder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier. They discussed how important it is to preserve the history of Fairhaven artists for future generations. This episode was recorded at our studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.

Autumn Liv Cyr

New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740

Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud |

PODCASTS ALSO AVAILABLE ON: YouTube

READ AUTUMN'S DANDELION MAGAZINE ARTICLE!

AND WHILE YOU'RE HERE: Please consider donating whatever you can to ensure that our mission continues as we document the legacies of South Coast Artists.

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If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!