WBOI Artcentric

CreativeMornings is a national breakfast lecture series with local chapters that host free, monthly meetups with revolving themes, speakers and venues. And thanks to resident Olivia Lehman, Fort Wayne became an official part of the network this past January. The concept is deceptively simple. One Friday a month, attendees are invited to gather to enjoy fresh coffee, friendly people, and an international array of breakfast foods, while learning about a new and thought provoking topic. Always ready to find out what the local creatives are up to, WBOI's Julia Meek sat down with Lehman to discuss this concept's scope and popularity, as well as her personal motivation for sharing it with the community. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

As fans around the world get set to enjoy the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, David Humphrey, a native Hoosier, has just published a book that chronicles Indiana's passion for oval track racing in all forms. Though many racetracks remain in operation throughout the state, Indiana's Lost Speedways and Legendary Drivers showcases a large assortment of photographs of those that have fallen by the wayside over the last century. Favorite tracks that are showcased include Armscamp Speedway, Richmond Midget Stadium, Sun Valley Speedway and Jungle Park. A look at some of the state's beloved "homegrown" drivers who thrilled fans at those now defunct tracks completes David's look at the glory days of the sport. WBOI's Julia Meek caught up with Humphrey by Zoom in the fourth turn to discuss the sport's appeal and the rich history he has uncovered. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

Fort Wayne resident Kevan Chandler and his friends have literally been blazing trails, despite Chandler's lifelong battle with spinal muscular atrophy, since they decided to trade his wheelchair for a backpack a few years ago. Once they devised the necessary gear, and formulated travel plans, nothing has stopped them from seeing the world, one exciting trek at a time, and now, the remarkable story has been chronicled in Chandler's latest book, We Carry Kevan. For an update on the adventurers, and their mission to redefine accessibility as a cooperative effort, WBOI's Julia Meek sat down with Kevan earlier this week to talk about what the team is learning, as well as sharing, as they move forward on this journey. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

Local bicycling enthusiasts Kathi Weiss, age 73 and Cathie Rowand, 64, hit the trail full speed on May 14th for a 16-day ride to Washington DC. Their 30 plus years of biking together includes velo-tours through much of the Midwest and on both coasts, but this is their longest trip, racking up 753 miles. And they’re raising funds for the Fort Wayne Trail system as they go with a Facebook event called “Kathies’ Big Adventure”. For a first-hand report on how things are going, WBOI’s Julia Meek caught up with the duo by Zoom in Steubenville, Ohio, their half-way point, to discuss the experience as well as the passion that fuels it. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

The Parkview Community Greenhouse and Learning Kitchen, a hub for accessing healthy food and resources, is humming with activity and will open its doors this coming week. The facility, located at 1716 Beacon Street, near Parkview Behavioral Health, was specifically established there because 46805 is one of five Fort Wayne zip codes considered to be a food desert. For a look at the project's goals, WBOI's Julia Meek invited greenhouse farmer Camille Schuelke and community outreach dietitian Kathy Wehrle into the studio to talk about the problems being addressed with this program and the impact it will have on the overall health of the community. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

Fort Wayne native Albert Brownlee is partnering with the Embassy Theatre to honor the one year anniversary of the death of George Floyd with a regional premiere of Christopher Demos-Brown's award winning Broadway play, American Son. The show, which opens this Friday, will run on Saturday evening and again, on Tuesday, May 25th to memorialize the tragic event. A special musical performance by Mikki White, Fatima Washinton , Melanin Soulest and pianist Tommy Saul will accompany the performances. Post-show discussions with city officials, members of law enforcement and community organizers will be conducted nightly. For a behind the scenes look at the fine points of the production, WBOI's Julia Meek spoke with Brownlee about its message, the collaboration and the community impact he hopes it will make. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

Young's Greenhouse and Flower Shop is a family owned and operated, full service florist, greenhouse and garden business that opened its doors here in Fort Wayne back in 1873. To learn the secret of the operation's staying power, WBOI's Julia Meek coaxed Sandy Young and her son Blake away from the shop and into our studio to talk about the passion they've cultivated through their craft, and how "saying it with flowers" speaks to them. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

When local ceramicist Michael Minick died of cancer in 2018 he left behind more than one hundred unfinished pieces of major proportions. Thanks to his wife Janie and area creative Steve Smith, the "best of the best" of the work, now finished, will be on display at the Castle Gallery. To gain a perspective on the legendary artist and his legacy WBOI's Julia Meek sat down with Minick and Smith to discuss the impact and scope of this project. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

Local authors Laura Weston and Keith Elchert share an interest in regional history and good food that has resulted in their third collaboration, a brand new book called Classic Restaurants of Fort Wayne. Both were born in Ohio, and their first book, Tiffin, is a history of Keith's home town. They credit their second title, Honest Eats: Celebrating the Rich Food History of Indiana's Historic Lincoln Highway, for whetting their appetites to embark on this latest project. WBOI's Julia Meek sat down with Weston and Elchert to learn what drives their passion for both topics, and what our local eateries can tell us about our city, as well as ourselves. WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Alex Castonzo, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

When the 98th annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards winners were announced this spring, Carroll High School senior Alyvia Luong was one of sixteen students in the nation to receive this year's top honor. The award goes to eight writers and eight artists. Luong's nationally recognized photography portfolio, The Sin(ner) I Cannot Forgive is a series of self portraits that chronologically depicts the moments that make up a life-changing event for the artist and her journey towards healing. For a behind the scenes look at the young creative and her journey WBOI's Julia Meek invited Alyvia into the studio to discuss this portfolio and its message as well as her other award winning collection and what she hopes her future holds in store. Please note that this interview does include discussion about sexual assault that may be upsetting to some listeners.WBOI Artcentric is brought to you by WBOI’s own Julia Meek and Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is “Me voy pal campo'' by KelsiCote. Our administrative assistants are Olivia Fletter and Keegan Lee. Our production assistants are Monica Blankenship, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.