WBOI Artcentric

Since Huntington University's Jack Heller began the Shakespeare at Pendleton program in 2015, there's been, well, a lot of drama. As inmates come and go through the system, the group maintains a solid core of around twenty two members, and will be presenting its 4th show, a selection of Monologues and Scenes, at the end of this month. Each of the productions gets two performances, one for the Pendleton inmates and one for outside guests which the public is encouraged to attend. To learn how things are shaping up since she spoke with Heller just before "Coriolanus" debuted, WBOI's Julia Meek sat down with him to talk about the program's development, effectiveness and long term impact. 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.

As the world continues to absorb the impact of the Derrick Chauvin trial and verdict, initial reactions are being shared and dialogues gain momentum even as new questions about turning points, change making and next steps to be taken arise. For a local reflection on this landmark decision and thoughts on accountability of law enforcement, WBOI's Julia Meek contacted civil rights activist, educator and host of WBOI's Gospel Flight, Dee McKinley, by Zoom to discuss and measure the possibility of "justice for all." 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.

The festival season is upon us here in Fort Wayne. It's time to celebrate the city and its rich cultural diversity with a taste of Arab Fest. The organization's president, Rema Addrayie, is excited to welcome the community to this year's festival, and promises a full two days of family friendly activity in its Headwaters Park West location, including a return of the Dabkah dancing performances this year, and the ever-popular camel rides. WBOI's Julia Meek sat down with Addrayie, to learn how the event has grown since it got its start five years ago, and what else the festival goers can look forward to this year. 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.

After more than a year of Covid-related delays, postponements and reschedules Fort Wayne Youtheatre's production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is finally set to open on Saturday, May 1st, on the stage of the Embassy Theatre. Its director, Christopher Murphy, credits the success of the play to the dedication and commitment of the twenty-five young actors who have been tirelessly working on the program throughout the pandemic. Pictured below is one of the lead actors, Margaret Gaughan, getting into character as Tumnus, who she describes as "a funny little goat man who is nervous all the time." 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.

Fort Wayne creative, Adrian Curry, recipient of this year's Emerging Leader award from Arts United, embraces the artistic passions that drive his community involvement, and he's giving school kids a chance to develop their own skills through his Art Leadership Center on the city's south side. Centered around the arts and focused on establishing healthy habits and relationships, the ALC looks to develop leaders of character with a global conscience that serve underdeveloped and underrepresented communities locally, nationally and internationally. 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.

Thanks to Suzi Hanzel and Dorothy Kittaka, foodies everywhere will be able to enjoy a world of good recipes thanks to the brand new Taste of Sister Cities Cookbook. And although this year's annual Sister Cities Gala will be held virtually on Saturday, April 24th to comply with safety guidelines, precluding the opportunity to enjoy the event's popular buffet of foods from all of Fort Wayne's Sister Cities, participants will receive a copy of the book as part of the online package. For those unable to attend the virtual event, it will be available for purchase locally as well as online. Besides featuring more than 125 recipes, the cookbook also highlights pictures and stories about each of the cities, their recipes and the contributors themselves. For a sneak peek at what Hanzel and Kittaka have got cooking and why, WBOI's Julia Meek invited the committee co-chair team into the studio to share their story of how food and friendship go hand in hand. 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.

Boston-based saxophonist Willie Sordillo's music has taken him around the world, and it's bringing him to Fort Wayne to present his Ballad Project for the Big Apple Jazz Series at Wunderkammer Company. Sordillo's longtime friend and musical partner in the project, bassist Doug Rich, will be joining him for the show, along with another of their musician friends, vocalist Zoë Krohne. Local keyboard player, Jim Steele, and Fort Wayne Dance Collective's Liz Monnier have been invited to complete the artistic mix.

WBOI's Julia Meek talked with Sordillo by phone to learn how music has shaped his world, and what concert goers can expect. 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.

Junior Kennedy, a senior at Wayne High School, spent the first seven years of his life in a Thai refugee camp before settling with his family in Fort Wayne. Besides learning to embrace his own cultural heritage in those early years from his Burmese mother and Karen father, Kennedy also began to understand the importance of art as a tool in maintaining his culture and sharing his story. Once in high school, it was photography and videography that set him on a mission to embody the voices of the many refugee kids who have similar stories, but no opportunity to share it. To learn how this whole experience has shaped Junior's identity and forged that passion for film directing and videography into a powerful tool for the young creative, WBOI's Julia Meek invited him into the studio to talk about his 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 Monica Blankenship, Steve Mullaney, and Sydney Wagner.

Thanks to Fort Wayne's Art This Way program, there's a new mural on the downtown arts scene by Hamburg's internationally acclaimed muralist known as 1010. Known for his enigmatic, portal-like street art illusions, which he calls "holes on the walls," 1010's works can be found around the world in Berlin, Madrid, Paris, Warsaw, Varese, Panama City, Delhi, Miami, Detroit and more. His most recent work was installed over a three day period on the north wall of 918 South Calhoun Street, with the help of Josef Zimmerman, Adjunct Curator at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and is the 10th installation within the Downtown Improvement District's Alleyway Activation Project network. As the last coat of paint on 1010's mural was drying, WBOI's Julia meek ushered him, and program coordinator, Alex Hall, into the studio to talk about what the piece he's leaving with us means to our community and 1010's passion for his craft. 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.

The Mark Minnick family's group of local businesses, ranging from death-care supply to precast concrete manufacturing, was deemed essential by the CDC throughout the pandemic. In order to keep all operations safe for employees and smoothly doing business as usual, mother and daughter, Alice and Grace, increased their hours and workloads dramatically over a year ago and continue to run at that pace.For a look at what just what this entailed and how everyone has fared, WBOI's Julia Meek invited the pair into the studio to discuss the experience. 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.