Michelle Lema, the creator of @ArtWorldNYC brings her enchanting artistry to State of Arts. While she was attending college in 2018, she discovered the therapeutic joy of going to art galleries. In the cozy ambiance of coffee shops, she would edit pictures she took, research artists and make posts on Instagram. These captivating posts attracted many curious followers. Traction began to build. With over 16,000 followers currently, Michelle Lema is now promoting local art, embracing the role of a local attractions guide, hosting giveaways, collaborating, blogging and vlogging full-time. Showing herself fearless and strong, she left the corporate world to pursue her passion, she has also been skydiving and she used the popularity of her platforms to spread the word on important issues. During the height of the pandemic, she was able to use her established platforms to share information about COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. @ArtWorldNYC continues to grow today. Michelle Lema is an inspiring artist and businesswoman who truly understands the beauty, strength, wonder and excitement the New York City area has to offer the world. The first picture I saw of her was on Google. I immediately became a huge fan of hers. In a fun pose, she highlighted the playfulness of Sweet Cats Café in Queens, New York. This is a café I have been curious about and meaning to go to. With a keen eye for photography and aesthetics, she has an awe-inspiring way of putting a spotlight on the magnificence of any artistic location. With co-host Derek Upright, I welcome this tremendously talented, bright, stylish, lovely, enthusiastic and wonderful guest to our podcast!

Michelle Lema, the creator of @ArtWorldNYC brings her enchanting artistry to State of Arts. While she was attending college in 2018, she discovered the therapeutic joy of going to art galleries. In the cozy ambiance of coffee shops, she would edit pictures she took, research artists and make posts on Instagram. These captivating posts attracted many curious followers. Traction began to build. With over 16,000 followers currently, Michelle Lema is now promoting local art, embracing the role of a local attractions guide, hosting giveaways, collaborating, blogging and vlogging full-time. Showing herself fearless and strong, she left the corporate world to pursue her passion, she has also been skydiving and she used the popularity of her platforms to spread the word on important issues. During the height of the pandemic, she was able to use her established platforms to share information about COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. @ArtWorldNYC continues to grow today. Michelle Lema is an inspiring artist and businesswoman who truly understands the beauty, strength, wonder and excitement the New York City area has to offer the world. The first picture I saw of her was on Google. I immediately became a huge fan of hers. In a fun pose, she highlighted the playfulness of Sweet Cats Café in Queens, New York. This is a café I have been curious about and meaning to go to. With a keen eye for photography and aesthetics, she has an awe-inspiring way of putting a spotlight on the magnificence of any artistic location. With co-host Derek Upright, I welcome this tremendously talented, bright, stylish, lovely, enthusiastic and wonderful guest to our podcast!                              

Pak Sau Lam my grandmother is my guest this week. She is 100 years old. Because of some health issues she cannot be interviewed. So my Mom is standing in her stead. My grandmother was a selfless elementary school teacher, a war hero, a wife, mom, grandma, an advocate for human rights, a gifted knitter, a fashion design hobbyist and a descendent of the royal imperial family of the Qing dynasty. Tune in to this riveting episode to find out more about my remarkable grandmother.         

My co-host Derek Upright, who is an expert on Hollywood titan James Cagney, joins me this week in a tribute to this American symbol of entertainment. Born in 1899 in New York, James Cagney embarked on a career in movies, the stage, directing, productions and workers' rights activism. He won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, including an Oscar for his depiction of music composing royalty George M. Cohan in "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Hailing from a talented family, he has many relatives who are in the industry including a brother who was his agent, a sister who was a starlet and a great-granddaughter who is currently an indie actress. He married a dancer named Frances Willard Vernon in 1922. In a record-breaking union, they stayed married until his death in 1986. Starting as a child tap dancer on the humble streets of Manhattan, he eventually became an extraordinary jazz, society tempo and soft shoe dancer. On this special day for dancers all over, we give a warm salute to the legend who is James Cagney.              

Brothers Jon and Al Kaplan who are the parody creators, composers, lyricists and writers who graced State of the Arts with their presence on this monuments episode. The Kaplan brothers studied concert composition and film music at USC after moving to Los Angeles in 1996. They are the accomplished creators of Silence! The Musical which is an internationally-known off Broadway stage production of Silence of the Lambs. Their many creations include Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice & Fire, Conan the Barbarian the musical, The Drone and Zombeavers. NBC also commissioned this creative brother duo to compose the music for the reality show Starting Over. Also under their belt is the music for the John Ford silent film Just Pals and a series of Walt Disney web advertisements. The Hills Have Thighs was a controversial film they scored that was aired on HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and TMC. Legolambs is the name of their playfully captivating YouTube channel which boasts over fifty-six thousand subscribers. Many of their clever parodies can be found on this popular channel. My trusted acting host Derek Upright welcomes these larger-than-life guests to State of the Arts on this thrilling new episode!      

Brothers Jon and Al Kaplan are the parody creators, composers, lyricists and writers who graced State of the Arts with their presence on this momentous episode. The Kaplan brothers studied concert composition and film music at USC after moving to Los Angeles in 1996. They are the accomplished creators of Silence! The Musical which is an internationally-known Off Broadway stage production of Silence of the Lambs. Their many creations include Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice & Fire, Conan the Barbarian the musical, The Drone and Zombeavers. NBC also commissioned this creative brother duo to compose the music for the reality show Starting Over. Also under their belt is the music for the John Ford silent film Just Pals and a series of Walt Disney web advertisements. The Hills Have Thighs was a controversial film they scored that was aired on HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and TMC. Legolambs is the name of their playfully captivating YouTube channel which boasts over fifty-six thousand subscribers. Many of their clever parodies can be found on this popular channel. My trusted acting host Derek Upright welcomes these larger-than-life guests to State of the Arts on this thrilling new episode!       

This week my co-host Derek Upright and I welcome a music legend to State of the Arts. James Lee Stanley, who is a long-time friend of Derek and his family. This extraordinary talent has a successful career that spans for decades. From countless awards to playing alongside good friend Peter Tork to playing space aliens on Star Trek, James Lee Stanley has shown himself to be a Renaissance man. This vocalist, guitarist, singer and songwriter has thirty four album releases. In March of 1999, FI Magazine listed his Freelance Human Being as one of the best recordings of 1998 and one of the Top 200 Recordings of all time. In the Village Voice it was written of him, "It is simple really. With James Lee Stanley you get great songs, great guitar playing, great voice and a gifted comedian as well. You are in for a very entertaining evening." He has performed with many diverse acts including Bonnie Raitt, Robin Williams, and Nicolette Larson. For three years in a row, Steven Wright selected him to be his opening act. A well-rounded artist in every sense, he also has a keen talent for sketching. Not to mention his appearance on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where he played a singing Klingon, a tall Bejoran and other extraterrestrials. His blog has also drawn over 1,100,000 hits since its genesis back in July 2008. With a huge thank you to my co-host Derek Upright, I want to express my gratitude for having this legendary, clever, gifted and accomplished icon on my podcast.                         

State of the Arts Episode 71 just published! One Martine Gallery is a contemporary and pop art gallery that recently sprung up in the rapidly developing city of White Plains, New York. This week's guest is none other than the curator of One Martine Gallery, Walker Manzke. For over a decade, White Plains has been growing into a bustling metropolis. An elegant office building stood vacant at the end of Martine Avenue for a while. A building that Walker Manzke's business partner, real estate developer Martin Ginsburg, eventually converted into luxury apartments. In the lobby of this building is One Martine Gallery which is not only for residents to enjoy but for anyone who would like to explore this not-so-hidden gem. This charming gallery features original works, limited editions, emerging art, sculptures and decorated objects. The intimate, enchanting space can be rented out for special events as well. The gallery is both tastefully whimsical and captivating at the same time. Walker Manzke favors local artists and also reviews work for consignment. In fact, every piece on display is up for sale. Work from his roster of artists is exhibited on a rotational basis. Seeing the bigger picture in the future, he has a goal of bringing more artwork to White Plains and breathing new life into the small visual arts scene in our growing city. More public art displays, a surrounding cultural scene and a world of opportunities for rising new artists are all goals he along with other dedicated collaborators are working towards. When One Martine Gallery hosted its opening day, both the Mayor of White Plains and the Governor of New York were in attendance. I am so very pleased to have interviewed this ambitious, cultured, friendly and intelligent art director on this fascinating episode of State of the Arts.    

In honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, I welcome singer and community activist Regina Elizabeth King to my show. Originally from Guyana, this courageous transgender woman was subjected to discrimination from family, in school and in her community. Finding comfort in the art of singing, she discovered her talent at a young age. Her skill was developed in a church where she sang gospel songs. Keeping singing as a hobby, she ultimately became a master chef and secured a prestigious position in the luxury hospitality industry. Diplomats and government officials were the patrons at the fine dining establishment where she practiced the culinary arts. In 2014 she immigrated to the United States under asylum. As a resident of New York, she made her mark in the performing arts community, singing at popular venues including The Stonewall Inn and the LGBTQ Community Center of Manhattan. On this episode, Regina sings two beautiful surprise songs acapella. With a deep admiration for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, this graceful pioneer chose to legally change her name to "Regina Elizabeth King." "Regina" is the Latin word for "Queen." Not only a fabulous diva, but also a highly educated intellect, she studied economics at the Carnegie School of Economics, business at the Long Island Business Institute, and is currently earning an advanced degree in early childhood education. She is also an extremely sought-after child care specialist. I am filled with gratitude to have this heroic, multi-faceted, articulate and lovely guest on my podcast this week!