The Wet Stuff Podcast

Mary Heinen-McPherson is an integral member of the Prison Creative Arts Project team. A former inmate in Michigan state of more than 25 years, she advocated for herself and others to have access to the arts and education with life-altering results that continue to exponentiate through her ongoing work.

Madalena Salazar is an arts worker, the Executive Director of Working Classroom, and the entrepreneurial force behind Third Space Vision. She has worked as the Social Responsibility & Inclusion Programs Manager at Western States Arts Federation, the Former Latino Cultural Programs Coordinator at Denver Art Museum, the Former Adjunct Art History Instructor at Community College of Denver, and so much more.

Visual Artist, Reyes Padilla, is an accomplished professional in his field. He's from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and currently works in Albuquerque. Reyes Padilla has an unusual gift, "I paint music. Having synesthesia means that I experience sound visually. My work is created by actively painting what I see while listening to music. The decision to embrace what I am seeing and paint it in the moment seems like a natural dance between two worlds." In this interview, we're going to ask him about his story, what brought him to art, and how he's transformed his abilities into a thriving career.

Self-taught visual artist Sarah McCord talks with us about her life and work. She shares some traumatic stories and how she took those rough experiences and is using them to inspire beautiful artwork.

Visual artist Natalie Voelker explores the psychological complexity of the seemingly ordinary. She is an experienced professional creating murals, installations, paintings, and drawings. She is also a beloved instructor that launched her own online course on creativity during the pandemic. She's earned many accolades including inclusion in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, a residency grant from the Helen Wurlitzer Foundation, an invitation into the SOMOS ABQ Fellowship program, publication in the anthology BARED, and the French-English Magazine, VolUp. This widely commissioned artist is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico with a BFA from the University of Wisconsin. Join us for a conversation with this creative Entrepreneur!

Visual Artist David S. McKee asks, "Is there a natural order to seemingly random events in our lives?" McKee is a mixed media collage artist and fine art painter exploring how to imbue each piece with some aspect of life. His work is metaphysical in nature with a mixture of the representational and the abstract and leaves us wondering in his thoughts about order and chaos.

Ayanna Denise is a Master Skin Therapist and Educator committed to using plant-based, complexion-inclusive products and treatments. Her work helps her clients transform their skin, body, and health. Ayanna Denise is also a published writer and author of 'The (Good) Skin Bible: What the Beauty Industry Won't Tell You (Good Skin Volume 1)'. In this interview, we ask her about her journey, her book and writing, her work in the community, and her business, 'Ayanna Denise Skin'.

Abby Boling is the owner of Elements Studios, 'merging strategic planning with design'. She's worked as the executive director of the Corrales Arts Center and a photojournalist and community outreach activist that has worked with Wildlife conservation. Abby Boling wrote the women's march and pro-refugee march articles for Corrales Comment Newspaper. She's worked collaborating with different groups to accomplish complex goals including with APS doing a mobile mural on a bus, she's worked with people in shelters to tell their stories, and done art for the environment. This go-getter is about to share what makes her tick! Join us for an invigorating conversation with Abby Boling!

She's an independent visual artist and the owner, founder, and curator of Ghostwolf Gallery which is about to open at a new location in Albuquerque's Old Town Plaza. Not only has this gallery survived the pandemic, but they're making a move to increase traffic, exposure, and sales for their artists.

A conversation with hot air balloon pilot Doug Gantt. He is the owner of the world's largest flying pig balloon and its name is Ham-Let. He tells us what got him into flying balloons and how to become a hot air balloon pilot. We also talk, of course, about business and marketing.