The Creative Way

( Ashland Independent Film Festival)

The Ashland Independent Film Festival returns next week, marking its 25th anniversary of bringing independent cinema to the Rogue Valley.

The festival runs April 23-26 and features more than 40 programs across four venues, including narrative and documentary films.

Programming director Aura Johnson said films are grouped into tracks such as environmentalism, activism and portrait documentaries, though many resist easy categorization.

She said recurring themes often emerge across selections.

“Sometimes themes do sort of arise, and it almost feels like a collective unconscious coming to the surface,” Johnson said.

This year’s lineup includes local films “Trash Baby” and “A Simple Machine,” as well as the festival's Rogue Award presentation to interactive filmmaker Sam Green.

One of the festival’s featured films is “Dead Souls,” directed by Alex Cox. The film adapts the 19th-century novel by Nikolai Gogol, reimagining it as a Western set in 1890.

Cox, known for films such as “Repo Man,” used crowdfunding to finance the project and maintain creative control.

“I’m always looking to find an excuse to make a cowboy film,” Cox said.

He described the Western’s appeal as rooted in its “transgressive nature,” noting the genre’s revival in the 1960s as a more cynical portrayal of the American West.

The festival opens with “The Big Cheese,” a documentary centered on cheesemonger Sam Rollins.

Organizers say the film reflects the festival’s connection to the local community. Events throughout the weekend include filmmaker discussions and interactive experiences, such as cheese tastings.

For more information on venues, times and tickets, visit the festival website at ashlandfilm.org.

Guests

• Alex Cox, filmmaker
• Aura Johnson, director of programming, Ashland Independent Film Festival
  

Playwright Lorraine Hansberry, the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway, is being honored in Ashland with a revival of "A Raisin in the Sun" and a new commemorative plaque.(By Jacket design not credited - Scan via Penguin Random House / Wikimedia)

Playwright Lorraine Hansberry is having a moment in the Rogue Valley, with a revival of "A Raisin in the Sun" at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a new permanent plaque on Ashland’s Playwrights Walk.

Hansberry was the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway.

Joi Gresham, director of the Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust, said Hansberry’s work reflects her roles as an artist, activist and public intellectual.

Gresham said Hansberry’s writing was shaped by her early career in journalism and grounded in what she described as a “passionate humanist” worldview.

When "A Raisin in the Sun" debuted, it challenged stereotypes and minstrelsy common in American theater at the time.

Gresham said Hansberry wanted the play to “tell the truth about our lives” and reflect the dignity and complexity of Black Americans.

In Ashland, that legacy now has a physical presence with a commemorative plaque in Railroad Park.

Gina DuQuenne said the plaque reflects a community effort and replaces a site that had previously been vandalized.

“This plaque will be in the ground long after I’m gone,” DuQuenne said.

The production, which runs through July 19, is bringing Hansberry’s work to new audiences.

“I know Lorraine is smiling down on us and she’s proud of what we’re doing,” DuQuenne said.

Guest

• Gina DuQuenne, Ashland City Counselor
• Joi Gresham, Director, Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust

Grammy-winning vocalist Cecilia Duarte performs during a JPR Live Session ahead of her Ashland concert.(Natalie Golay / JPR)

Grammy-winning vocalist Cecilia Duarte will bring a global repertoire to Ashland in a program centered on nature and cultural expression.

The performance, titled “For Love of Nature,” will be presented Sunday, March 22, at the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall. Produced by Anima Mundi Productions as part of its “Heart of Humanity” series, the concert features Duarte alongside percussionist Jesus Pacheco and pianist Ana Maria Otamendi.

The program brings together works by composers including Ottorino Respighi, Alberto Ginastera and Claude Debussy, exploring how different cultures and eras interpret the natural world.

"The theme that unites all of these songs is nature," Duarte said. "It’s actually coming from different countries of the world... they still have a very different flavor not only in the language, but in the way nature is portrayed."

Duarte, who was born in Mexico and is now based in Houston, is known for performing across genres, from Renaissance music to Latin American jazz standards. She said that versatility requires deep cultural immersion.

"We always work very hard on the diction, pronouncing the language properly, to be able to sound as close to a native speaker," Duarte said, adding that performers must understand the meaning behind the words as well as their pronunciation.

Duarte described the process as ongoing.

“It’s work that never stops,” she said.

The performance also marks a return to Ashland. Duarte last visited in 2021, when pandemic restrictions and regional wildfires limited in-person events. This time, she said, she is looking forward to performing live and engaging with the audience.

“We make it interactive. We talk to people," she said. "We are very much looking forward to singing live."

Guest

• Cecilia Duarte, Grammy-winning singer

Event

• Cecilia Duarte will perform Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. at the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall, joined by percussionist Jesus Pacheco and pianist Ana Maria Otamendi.
  Pianist Ana Maria Otamendi and percussionist Jesus Pacheco perform during a Jefferson Public Radio live session alongside vocalist Cecilia Duarte.(Natalie Golay / JPR)

(Sundial Film Festival )

Redding, California, is preparing for a cinematic showcase as the 18th annual Sundial Film Festival returns to the historic Cascade Theater on March 21. The event features 25 independent films, selected from a record number of submissions.

"We actually received 150 films this year, which was our record number," festival director Tyler Faires said.

The one-day festival features three distinct screening blocks designed for different ages, ranging from G-rated morning programs to PG-13 evening sessions.

Beyond the screenings, the event serves as a hub for industry professionals, with scheduled appearances by actors such as Kate Cobb and Kevin Bigley.

One highlight of the festival is a block of local films, including "Herencia," a documentary short by Autie Carlisle. The film explores a children's dance group in the rural community of Tulelake, California, and explores how young performers build confidence and community despite limited resources.

"I think it has reflected back their beauty to them," Carlisle said. "They kind of look around and they stand a little taller maybe, and they're excited to share that with each other."

Festival organizers say the event is part of a broader mission to sustain a professional filmmaking industry in Northern California. Through the Redding Film Fund and the Shasta Media Coalition, organizers provide technical training and share equipment to help local filmmakers.

"We saw an opportunity within our area to not only develop and strengthen our film festival," Faires said,
but also support the filmmakers in our region to produce more films."

Organizers say those efforts help amplify local voices and expand opportunities for filmmakers across Northern California.

Guests

• Tyler Faires, Sundial Film festival director
• Autie Carlisle, film director

Event

• The Sundial Film Festival takes place Saturday, March 21, at the Cascade Theatre in Redding. Screenings are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are available for individual screening blocks or an all-access pass covering all screenings.
  

A sign in Gander, Newfoundland, highlights the story behind the musical “Come From Away.” After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, 38 planes carrying about 7,000 passengers were diverted to the town, where residents housed and fed stranded travelers.
(EWY Media - stock.adobe.com)

At its core, the Tony Award-winning musical “Come From Away” is a story about how communities respond to crisis with generosity and compassion.

The production, opening March 14 at the Angus Bowmer Theatre in Ashland, tells the true story of 7,000 airline passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, when 38 planes were diverted there after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. In the days that followed, residents of the small Canadian town housed and fed travelers from around the world.

Despite widespread fear and uncertainty in the days after the attacks, Gander residents welcomed people who spoke different languages and came from different backgrounds.

“One of the lines that I think is super powerful in the play is that the reason this area was chosen was that the casualty count would be low in comparison to landing in other places,” director Laurie Woolery said.

Even with that grim reality, she said, the community chose to welcome the stranded passengers.

“It becomes an incredibly moving story about being a good neighbor,” Woolery said.

Tribute to Ashland’s resilience

Woolery said the story resonates with the Ashland community, pointing to moments when residents have rallied to support one another, including after the 2020 Almeda fire, when the Oregon Shakespeare Festival campus served as a distribution site for relief supplies.

“I really wanted this play to be a love letter and a thank-you letter to this community and the people who have supported this festival over the decades,” she said.

Woolery said the production centers on a simple idea: recognizing shared humanity and choosing compassion over fear.

Influenced by the musical’s Celtic-inspired score, the choreography emphasizes communal movement while reflecting the physical strain of the experience, including scenes depicting passengers sitting on grounded planes for hours.

Cast of Come From Away, playing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, March 14 - Oct 26, 2026. (OSF )

The production features many longtime Oregon Shakespeare Festival performers. Ten of the 12 cast members are returning company actors.

Among them is David Kelly, whom Woolery described as the “artistic mayor of Ashland.” Woolery said the familiarity of the cast reinforces the musical’s focus on community.

The production required actors to portray multiple role with minimal staging.

Choreographer Min-Sook Hitt said the goal was to develop a movement style that felt natural as actors shifted between characters within seconds.

The staging uses simple elements, including chairs rearranged to represent locations such as buses, planes and restaurants.

Event

• “Come From Away” runs March 14 through Oct. 24, 2026, at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Angus Bowmer Theatre in Ashland.

Guests

• Laurie Woolery, director
• Sunny Min-Sook Hitt, choreographer

'Come From Away' director Laurie Woolery (left) and choreographer Sunny Min-Sook Hitt (right) join JPR Arts reporter Vanessa Finney, host of The Creative Way podcast, in the JPR studio on March 6, 2026. (JPR Senior Producer Natalie Golay)

Southern Oregon Repertory Singers (Prateek Sharma

Teek Sharma Photo)

The Southern Oregon Repertory Singers will present "Grace Before Sleep" this March, a concert centered on music’s ability to inspire gratitude in difficult times.

Music director Paul French highlights Benjamin Britten, a composer he considers the most influential of the 20th century. He notes that Britten’s "Hymn to St. Cecilia" anchors the program, invoking the patron saint of music to “appear and inspire” musicians and ignite creativity.

Rock star return
The performance marks the group’s 40th anniversary and the return of guest actor Geoffrey Riley, who portrays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He describes this role as an "emcee with an Austrian accent."

While Riley jokes that the period wig is "a little itchy," French said the theatrical element reflects Mozart’s lasting influence. French added that Mozart’s work feels “touched by the divine,” making it a fitting tribute for the milestone season.

Beyond the classics, the concert features modern prodigy Jacob Collier, whom French compared to Mozart for his ability to bridge traditional choral and modern pop music.

Event

• The Southern Oregon Repetory Singers perform their concert "Grace Before Sleep" on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2 p.m. in Southern Oregon University’s Music Recital Hall.

Guests

• Paul French, music director, Southern Oregon Repertory Singers
• Geoffrey Riley, former host of the Jefferson Exchange

Screenshot from the Art Authority Museum website.(Art Authority Museum )

A new online platform aims to make fine art more accessible by turning museum visits into immersive digital experiences.

The Art Authority Museum is a virtual institution founded by Ashland resident Alan Oppenheimer, a former Apple engineer. The project is built around a simple goal, Oppenheimer said: to “bring all the world’s art to all the world” using the immersive capabilities of Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

Alan Oppenheimer wearing Apple Vision Pro, which gives wearers an immersive art experience(Alan Oppenheimer )

The platform allows visitors to explore exhibitions 24/7 from anywhere, without a physical museum space. While Art Authority Museum can be accessed on iPhones and Macs, Oppenheimer said the Vision Pro offers a more “transcendent” experience, using AI-driven spatial design to let users step inside iconic works such as Leonardo DaVinci's "The Last Supper."

Members can curate personalized virtual lounges and instantly generate rooms filled with artworks similar to their favorite pieces. The platform’s flexibility also allows exhibitions to launch in days rather than the years often required by traditional museums.

Despite its focus on virtual reality, Oppenheimer said the technology is designed to support — not replace — physical museums, comparing it to the role museum websites now play.

Art Authority Museum operates on a hybrid model, offering a free lobby experience alongside paid memberships for full access. The platform also sells high-quality art prints, providing additional support for artists and museums.

Alan Oppenheimer, founder of the Art Authority Museum, joins Vanessa Finney, host of The Creative Way, in the JPR studio on Jan 23, 2026. (JPR Senior Producer Natalie Golay)Guest

• Alan Oppenheimer

Vance Beach is Executive Director of the Black Alliance & Social Empowerment (B.A.S.E.) of Southern Oregon.( Vance Beach)

On The Creative Way, host Vanessa Finney talks with Vance Beach, executive director of Black Alliance & Social Empowerment (BASE), and artist Crystal Profitt about a new project centered on Black history, identity, and creative expression in southern Oregon.

BASE, a Medford-based nonprofit, works to build connection, collaboration, and opportunity for Black communities across the region. With support from a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, the organization is launching Black Cultural Legacy, a new series that highlights Black stories through art and cultural programming.

One of the first initiatives is "Don’t Touch My Hair," an art exhibition conceived by Profitt. Beach also discusses his role curating upcoming exhibitions at Rogue Gallery and other venues, and how BASE is using art as a tool for visibility and cultural preservation.

Guests

• Vance Beach, executive director of Black Alliance & Social Empowerment
• Crystal Profitt, artist

Event

• "Don't Touch My Hair: An Interactive Crowned Experience" runs through January 24 at the Langford Art Gallery, 4850 S Pacific Hwy, Phoenix, Oregon 97535.

Norman Huynh was named the new music director of the Britt Festival Orchestra.( Britt Festival)

Norman Huynh, the new Music Director at the Britt Festival, talks with Vanessa Finney, host of The Creative Way, about transitioning into his new role, his program for the 2026 season, and his long-term artistic vision for the orchestra.

Dover Quartet (l-r): Joel Link (violin), Brian Lee (violin), Julianne Lee (viola), and Camden Shaw (cello). The group will perform in the Music Recital Hall at Southern Oregon University on Oct. 12.(Roy Cox)

The Creative Way host, Vanessa Finney, talks with cellist Camden Shaw. Shaw is an Ashland native and one-fourth of the famed Dover Quartet, which has a scheduled concert on October 12 at SOU.