Speaking of the Arts

The past year has exacted a huge amount of resilience, determination, patience and forebearance from our arts leaders all the while expecting them to stay optimistic and creative for the rest of us. And that is what each of Diana Moxon's guests this week have managed to do as their 2020 plans were dashed and they had to reinvent their productions for 2021. Diana chats to Andrew Jorgensen, the Director General of Opera Theatre of St Louis about their outdoor summer festival season; University of Missouri theatre director, Xiomara Cornejo talks about her production of the José Rivera play 'Marisol'; and the Missouri Symphony Orchestra's Executive Director, Trent Rash, reveals a little about a new documentary about the orchestra called 'Another World'.

As the arts world starts to peek over the parapet, this week show host Diana Moxon goes behind the curtain to chat with arts consultant, Sara Leonard to hear what she's talking to arts organizations about; Columbia's Office of Cultural Affairs Manager, Sarah Dresser to find out how local arts organizations are navigating funding plans for the next 12-18 months; and Quin Gresham, the Producing Artistic Director for the Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock for an update on their 2021 season plans. Opening and closing music courtesy of guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

Repeat show: This week Speaking of the Arts host, Diana Moxon, revisits the Missourian newspaper's Progress in the Arts award and chats with the 2020 winner, Brandon Hall of the Columbia Jazz Orchestra, along with three of the nominees: musician Violet Vonder Haar; vocal coach and Columbia College Assistant Professor Nollie Moore; and Ragtag Film Society Operations Director, Carly Love. This show first aired on November 27, 2020. Opening and closing musical with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

As Spring arrives so too do the arts events multiply and this week host Diana Moxon visits with five local people and places to chat about upcoming events: Director Chris Bowling discusses Columbia Entertainment Company's Carol Burnett Show: A Collection of Sketches; Orr Street Studio's Director, Mallory Donohue, chats about reopening the studios for First Friday; The Unbound Book Festival's Executive Director, Alex George, reviews some of the festival's upcoming events; Dr. Joy Powell lifts the lid on the University of Missouri's Chancellor's Arts Showcase; and Columbia Art League Executive Director, Kelsey Hammond, explains why their 'Tiny Things' exhibit makes you go 'awww!' Opening and closing music thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

We are finally coming full circle on this new world order year, and on this week's show host Diana Moxon checks in with two events, which were some of the last IRL events of 2020: the True False Film Fest and the University of Missouri's annual Undergraduate Visual Arts and Design Showcase. Ragtag Programmer, Ted Rogers, talks through True/False's mini at-home fest, Hindsight - 8 films from the True False archives spread out over 8 weeks; University of Missouri Assistant Professor of Theatre Costume Design, Marc Vital chats about the Showcase along with two of its exhibitors, photographer Kylee Isom, and videographer, Maddy Gomez; and Greenhouse Theatre Project's Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri spills a bean or two about their mysterious GreenLight Special variety night. Opening and closing music thanks to Yasmin Williams www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com.

Each month the Missouri Arts Council features four artists on its website from a variety of arts genres, and on this week's show Diana Moxon checks in with the March four: writer, storyteller and Classical Indian Dancer, Nartana Premachandra from St Louis; stainless steel sculptor Doug Cox from Republic (Springfield); realist with a hint of the surreal painter Natalie Wiseman from Joplin; and abstract geometric painter and ceramicist Kevin Umaña in Kansas City. You can read more about the artists at https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/featured-artists/ as well as on their own websites: https://www.nartanapremachandra.com/; https://jdcoxrocksmetalart.com/; https://www.nataliewisemanartist.com/; https://kevin-umana.com/. Thanks, as always, to guitarist Yasmin Williams (http://www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com/) for the show's opening and closing music, 'Restless Heart'.

Last July, Diana Moxon chatted with conductor Marlon Daniel about his introduction to music, his career, the difficulties facing black musicians and conductors in the classical music world, and the music of Joseph Boulogne Chevalier de St Georges. As Black History Month draws to a close, Diana revisits her chat with Maestro Marlon Daniel.

Miss Opal Lee of Fort Worth Texas has been promoting June 19th as a day of unity and freedom for over 40 years and last year delivered a petition of 1.5 million signatures to congress to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. On this week's show Miss Opal shares with Diana Moxon her history with the Juneteenth celebration and her lifelong commitment to education. In Act II of the show her grandson, Columbia-based actor and musician Richard Harris, talks about playing Louis Armstrong, his manager Joe Glaser and Miles Davis in the one-man play 'Satchmo at the Waldorf' about the life of Louis Armstrong, opening to limited audiences next weekend at Columbia Entertainment Company. To sign Miss Opal's petition to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday go to www.therealopallee.com before the end of February. Opening and closing musical credits with thanks to Yasmin Williams www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com

Each month (since December 2020) the Missouri Arts Council features four artists on its website from a variety of arts genres and on this week's show Diana Moxon checks in with the February four: visual artist Lindsey Dunnegan; author/poet FC Schultz; glass artist Wanda Tyner; and soul musician/vocalist Brian Owens. You can read more about the artists at https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/featured-artists/.

Thanks as always to guitarist Yasmin Williams (http://www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com/) for the show's opening and closing music, 'Restless Heart'.

Theatre, cabaret, cinema, art exhibits - they are all going on whether we are there in person or watching from afar. On this week's show host Diana Moxon chats Academy Awards and the world of Ragtag Cinema with its Co-Executive Director, Barbie Banks; explores local artists' interpretation of Dante's Divine Comedy with the Columbia Art League's Kelsey Hammond; and goes behind the scenes with Audra Sergel, Rochara Knight and Enola White to find out more about this weekend's Cabaret for a Cause: Lovers, Losers and Loners.