This week State of the Arts honors a Hollywood legend who passed away last year on New Year's Eve, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Betty White's career spanned seven decades and she was the first female producer/director of a television show. With humble beginnings, Betty Marion White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, served as a volunteer during World War II and struggled to find work on radio shows before getting her big break. in 1949 she began co-hosting with Al Jarvis on his live daily TV show "Hollywood on Television." She made her mark in Hollywood as she navigated through a colorful career filled with sitcoms, game shows and variety shows. On The Betty White Show, which was one of the variety shows she produced and hosted, she featured an African-American performer despite the racist backlash she received. When Southern stations threatened to boycott her show, she courageously told them, "Live with it." She was an Emmy-award winner, an animal rights activist, a close friend to Lucille Ball and was bestowed the title of "Honorary Mayor of Hollywood." Eventually she became Hollywood's sitcom queen as she played major roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, Ma Ma's Family and Hot in Cleveland. With a few supporting roles in movies, guest appearances on popular TV installments and even a few minor serious roles, she found herself dabbling in just about every area of acting in Tinsel Town. This week my co-host Derek Upright and I honor the legacy of "The First Lady of Television."     

This week I release a sweetly successful podcast episode with master baker, pastry chef and cake designer Oscar Martinez Juarez as my extraordinarily creative guest. He is the head baker at the Iron Tomato, which is a gourmet Italian bakery and market in White Plains, New York. Oscar and his team provided the elegant cakes for my long-awaited wedding reception/first anniversary party in 2021. For years he has creating cakes for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, retirement celebrations and other important events. This confectionary extraordinaire was once commissioned to create a guitar-shaped cake for local music and Yankee baseball legend Bernie Williams. The creative designs of his many masterpieces include a witch-themed Halloween cake, a gangster movie birthday cake, a crying emoji going-away cake and a graduation cake that literally looks like a book with a pencil His Instagram posts consist of one breath-taking creation after another. The other desserts he creates are equally as magnificent looking and tasting as his cakes. From Sesame Street character cookies to a giant pastry-filled cannoli shell to extravagant cupcakes, his tempting creations are irresistibly delicious. In fact, just this week, my husband Joe and I enjoyed Oscar's St. Patrick's Day and St. Joseph Day desserts. What a satisfying treat it was to have this dessert expert sprinkle my podcast episode with his enthusiasm, dedication, humility, kindness and creativity!                     

Esther Kong Lo is an award-winning sculptor, illustrator, ballroom dance competitor/performer and my brilliantly creative podcast guest this week. An honors graduate of the Pratt Institute and a former student of the National Academy and Arts Students League, she has taken on the visual arts universe by storm. This acclaimed artist is the winner of many awards including the Harriet Frishmuth Memorial Award and the 2016 ArtsWestchester Arts Alive Individual Artist Grant. Many of her works are a celebration of femininity itself. For Women’s History Month in 2019, she was the curator and exhibiting artist in “SheVoices - Expressions of Femininity” at the Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery. She was one of twenty-five artists chosen from around the world to be featured in “Arts That Lifts The Spirits” presented by Manhattan Arts International as well. All her works have very important social, political or personal messages including her “Faces and Identities” exhibit which promotes intercultural understanding. This vibrant wife, mom and grandmother is also a competitive international-style ballroom dancer. She has performed and competed with many professional partners. But her best partner is her talented husband Chi Mon. On her free time she enjoys world travel, gardening, photography and spending time with her wonderful family. I am truly blessed to have this cultured, intelligent, innovative and graceful guest on this special podcast episode!

I welcome to my show a world traveling photographer who worked as an attorney for forty years and invested in advanced photography equipment upon his retirement. Joel Bernstein has always had a fascination for photography and eventually accomplished travel to all seven continents. This cheery globe trotter photographs breathtaking images of wild life, landscapes, icebergs and even domestic photographs of New York City where he lives with his equally adventurous wife. Despite the pandemic, he was still able to find many opportunities to capture images of the beauty that the city that never sleeps has to offer. Along with his son-in-law Derek Upright and daughter Sheri Uptight, I embark on an exiting interview with this gleeful international explorer. Tune in for a thrilling episode about turbulent ship voyages, mountain ascension, the magnificence of animals and the charm of the Big Apple. With great enthusiasm I interviewed this daring, kind-hearted and marvelously talented guest on my podcast this week!

R & B music began in the late 1940s and is one of the most integral parts of African American music history. This week I welcome young, gifted, up and coming R & B singer/rapper Mali who has recently released his first music video on YouTube. His single "Every Move" can be found on his channel which is called Mali Mgmt. He has various other singles that can be found on multiple platforms. An artist not only in music, but also in the crafts of painting and illustration, Mali was a Pratt Institute Scholarship recipient. Breaking the record for best attendance, he made his mark at the prestigious visual arts school. His fun piece of work, cleverly called "Sneaker World," was selected to be displayed in The Morristown Museum. He hails from an artistic background as his mother is former State of the Arts guest Lonai Mosley who built an artistic empire, his grandfather was in a do wop group and many of his other family members are involved in the arts. To commemorate this important month, I am happy to have this ambitious rising new talent on my podcast!                                    

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to welcome OBIE Award-winning actress and co-founder/Artistic Director of The Theatre for the New City Crystal Field onto my podcast. With this learned Julliard graduate, who has multiple degrees and extensive acting experience (once turning down a role on Broadway) as its leader, Theatre for the New City has produced over eight hundred productions, boasting a Pulitzer Prize along with forty-three OBIE awards in every area of the theatrical arts. Tim Robbins, Vin Diesel and Adrien Brody are only some of the well-know talents who had their start at The Theatre for the New City. This unique theatre is responsible for many major New York City artistic events including the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts and the Annual Native American Pow-Wow. It also has a multi-disciplinary format of an Arts Education Program created by its fearless leader. The theatre's  award-winning  5-Borough Annual Free Summer Street Theatre Program, which tours through under-served neighborhoods, is directed, choreographed and authored by Crystal Field. Countless awards have been bestowed upon this artistic pioneer from the Acker Lifetime Achievement Award to the Tabula Rase Progressive Award. What an experience of a lifetime it was to have this heroine for the theatrical arts on my show.      

Episode 63: The Valentine's Day Special Just released! Romantic love has always been the most favored theme in plays, songs, statues, movies, paintings, dances, poetry, photography and all other art forms imaginable in every single culture. This week my wonderful husband Joe and I embark on a historical exploration of romantic love depicted in the arts. We touch upon a wide array of topics; from the romantic period of music to the role partner dancing has played in courtships through the centuries. Together we also watch and comment on the first movie ever created, which was a less-than-a-minute-long, romantic silent film called "The Kiss." At the end of this enchanting episode is a spoiler alert for a secret project with a romantic theme that we are working on together. This project will most likely be revealed before the end of 2022. Join us on this podcast episode which is more of an adventure through the intriguing world of romantic art.

Episode 64: The Valentine's Day Special Just released! Romantic love has always been the most favored theme in plays, songs, statues, movies, paintings, dances, poetry, photography and all other art forms imaginable in every single culture. This week my wonderful husband Joe and I embark on a historical exploration of romantic love depicted in the arts. We touch upon a wide array of topics; from the romantic period of music to the role partner dancing has played in courtships through the centuries. Together we also watch and comment on the first movie ever created, which was a less-than-a-minute-long, romantic silent film called "The Kiss." At the end of this enchanting episode is a spoiler alert for a secret project with a romantic theme that we are working on together. This project will most likely be revealed before the end of 2022. Join us on this podcast episode which is more of an adventure through the intriguing world of romantic art.                     

State of the Arts Episode 62 just published! I’m joined this week by a hip hop dancer, former model and fitness trainer who built an empire. Sebastian Kruse is the founder of Be Fit and Sensual, which is a physical and mental training organization for dancers from all around the world. After graduating from the Norwegian School of Sports Science, he established a successful career in fitness,  dance and modeling. Eventually he realized all dancers at one point or another have physical, financial and mental needs that are not being addressed. Along with a group of talented fellow dancers whom he befriended, he formed this successful enterprise that helps dancers meet those needs by achieving all their goals. Although he and some of his team members are based out of Cape Verde, West Africa, they have thousands of virtual students on six continents. They are also in the process of starting a charity that works with children. The countless success stories of professional dancers, hobbyists and dance entrepreneurs continue to pour in as this upbeat, cutting-edge business grows. I draw much inspiration from my savvy, uplifting and motivational guest whom I had the privilege of welcoming onto my podcast this week!

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be joined this week by Brenda Neville who is an accomplished performer, instructor, choreographer and entrepreneur in the dance industry. This cum laude Butler University graduate has choreographed and danced in multiple prestigious ballet companies including Covenant Ballet. An all-around talented artist, this studied acting and singing at the Lee Strasberg Actor’s studio. Flamenco, ballroom, world dances and the Argentine Tango are other dance styles she has trained in. Not only has this ABT certified teacher performed all over with renowned dancers, many of her students have been accepted into reputable dance programs, colleges and companies. She also became a leading pointe shoe fitter in the entire industry and was featured in Ron Howard’s documentary, “On Pointe.” Brenda Neville is the founder of Neville Dance Theatre and was at one time my Argentine Tango instructor. Her inspiring method of instruction, positive attitude and the fine example she set helped me become the ballroom dance instructor I am today. With great joy and appreciation I welcome this New York City dance icon to my podcast!