We wrap up the year by sharing some of our favorite pop culture discoveries.

• Buffalo & Erie County Public Library: https://www.buffalolib.org/

Season two of The Enthusiasts Guild will begin in early 2022.

Claire Martin studied art history and conservation at the University of Delaware, apprenticed with Roycroft Renaissance Master Artisan Thomas Pafk, and furthered her education at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation in the U.K.

In this episode, Claire shares her love of furniture conservation and restoration.  

Claire also gives a shoutout to the podcast This Crafted World (https://thiscraftedworld.com/), made by two of her West Dean classmates, furniture maker Harry T. Morris and furniture conservator and Shane Orion Wiechnik.

The New Year is almost here! We asked listeners and past guests to tell us what they are enthusiastic about for 2021. We also share our own plans and hopes for the future. 

We decided to get into the holiday spirit by drafting movie and TV seasonal favorites. Guests Heather Scheer and Olivia Lawrence joined our hosts for three rounds, picking favorite specials and matching them with a snack or beverage.

 1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

 A tip of the hat to The Incomparable, a great podcast with many fun drafts.

 This episode also includes a PSA from ConnectLife. Blood donors are needed during the holidays! Western New York residents can make an appointment to give at https://www.connectlife.org/. 

 Our next episode is a New Year's special which will include messages from our listeners. Let us know what you are enthusiastic about for 2021! 

Nick Gunner had his first taste of rock climbing about six years ago and was immediately obsessed. He spoke to us about learning in Western New York and climbing in Colorado. Nick shared his thoughts on the attractions of rock climbing, the things climbing has in common with yoga, and tips for those interested in starting.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Turtle Power has changed Dan Tracz in many ways. He shared his appreciation for the first cartoon series with his dad in the late 1980s. Now, he and his daughter bond over the Turtles too. Dan spoke with us about TMNT toys, comics, favorite episodes and the opportunity he had to interview Ciro Nieli, producer of the 2012-2017 show.  

Libby Maeder loves to cook! She shares this love by preparing dishes for friends and family, as well as posting on her Facebook page "Libby Loves to Cook - The Sensibly Shod Commoner." 

Libby made each recipe in Ina Garten's "Cooking for Jeffrey," and is now creating the dishes in "Modern Comfort Food." 

She tells us about her inspirations and plans a future party menu with Fletcher and Adam. 

Your Brain on Hops cohosts Dan Kaufman and Alex Buckley join Fletcher C. Finch of The Enthusiasts Guild for a special crossover episode. Our topic is beer and camaraderie. We talk about becoming friends at Aurora Brew Works and discovering favorite styles through bottle share nights. We also sampled a few delicious beers while recording.

- Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang of Cooperstown, NY. A farmhouse saison ale with spices (Fletcher’s pick).

- Curieux from Allagash Brewing Company of Portland, ME. A Belgian-style golden ale aged in Bourbon barrels (Alex’s pick).

-  White Oak from The Bruery of Placentia, CA. A blend of wheatwine aged in Bourbon barrels and golden strong ale (Dan's pick). 

Dr. Louisa Smieska talks about using x-ray fluorescence to discover what was hiding beneath the surface of a 19th century painting. Exit from the Theater is in the collection of the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The painting has long been attributed to the French artist Honoré Daumier, but normal investigation techniques couldn’t penetrate its secrets. X-rays from the particle accelerator at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source revealed a painting hidden for 150 years.

Louisa and her colleagues published their findings, and an article abstract is available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026265X18313079

Additional information is online at: https://www.daumier.org/2019/09/08/technical-study-of-a-painting-attributed-to-honore-daumier/

Dr. Louisa Smieska is a scientist who uses x-rays from an underground particle accelerator to discover the secrets hidden within works of art. Louisa tells us about her work at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), joining her love of art with her passion for science, and her amazing post-doctoral fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

You can learn more about Louisa at https://www.chess.cornell.edu/about/staff-directory/louisa-smieska 

Some of her published research is available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Louisa_Smieska 

You can discover information about the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source at https://www.chess.cornell.edu/