Ep. 182 Abigail Kreuser – Photographer, Curator, & Co-Owner of Auric Gallery
Abby discusses how she and her partner Gundega came up with the name for their new gallery, being a serial entrepreneur, her journey as a photographer, getting her B.F.A. at the Rochester Institute of Technology, moving back to the Springs after college, her beginnings in curation, her first gallery space, her upcoming solo exhibition, her documentary project “Lucere”, the Colorado Springs art community and its small business community, Curate Your Space and the services they offer, the decision and catalyst to join forces with Gundega Stevens to form Auric, the balance of their partnership, their exhibition calendar, advice for people thinking about starting a gallery, exhibitions that she’s proud of presenting, and current and upcoming shows…
Ep. 181 Kristen Egan – Mixed Media, Sculpture & Masks
This week, Wes and Todd talk with Kristen Egan. Kristen discusses sourcing gourds, carving masks, New Contemporary Folk Art, the area where she lives in Pennsylvania, sense of place, other materials she incorporates into her masks and sculptures, totems, the catalyst to carve gourds, air drying paper clay, repetition & referencing past work, birds, research, process, art show titles, Alfred University, being open to new experiences, foundation, Goggleworks, Arch Enemy Arts, Instagram, the compulsion to create selling art, commissions, production, pricing, perfectionism, evolution & experimentation, work/life balance, bagpipes, weird bagpipe experiences, procrastination, being a life long learner, and collectors previews.…
Ep. 180 A.L. Lummus – Painter, Sculptor, Advocate Artist
This week, Wes and Todd talk with A.L. Lummus, a.k.a. Amy Lummus. Lummus discusses the pandemic & how it affected her and her work, timing, Barbara Kruger, Mettle Martyr I & II, being an Advocate Artist, lessons learned in doing the work, “dog with a bone” syndrome, work/life balance, the thread that runs through the work, stories/narrative, art & carpentry, the genesis for Mettle Martyr, telling the story that’s hers to tell, asking the question “is it breathing?,” research & statistics, process, the Ft. Collins Mural Project, working big, kinetic sculptures, Firehouse Art Center, her show “Spit and Splinters,” her residency, and her motto…
Ep. 166 Josh Davy – Sculptor
This week Wes and Todd sit down with Josh Davy. Josh discusses Next Gallery, oil painting, getting back to making things for fun, pushing himself, glass blowing, symbolism, bridges, cathedrals, connection, Christianity & religion, empathy & grace, being human, robots, process, photography, artist talks, his exhibition “Lost Along the Way, faith, prayer, prison, failure, technology & artificial intelligence, pricing, and services he offers Artists.
Ep. 159 Mick Burson – Multidisciplinary
Mick discusses bath houses, living on the road, murals, graffiti, exhibitions, growing up knowing he was going to become an Artist, mentors, painting trains, painting for people in the backseat, his parents, Waco, and how it plays into his work, pursuing degrees in Art, sketchy painting scenarios, being arrested, what compels him to create, painting walls, horses, the Richard Levy Gallery, being a conduit for creation, impulse, acquiring materials through connection, sculpture, orphaned work, matches, journeys, selling art, business, pricing, retirement, and sobriety.
Ep. 157 True North Art Gallery – Skylar Call, Melissa Porter, Marisa S. White
Skylar, Melissa, and Marisa discuss their art background, their love of Colorado Springs and its art community, how they all met and became friends, the seeds of the True North Art Gallery, the structure of the co-op, membership, their focus as a gallery and how they’re trying to stand out in the Colorado Springs art scene, membership dues and responsibilities, commission, what they’ve learned since opening, reception by the art community, committees, artists involved in the gallery, social media and marketing, exhibitions, and curation, short and long term goals, and what gives each of them hope.
Ep. 156 Melody Epperson – Artist, Curator – Tree Tales
In this episode, Wes and Todd catch up with Artist and Curator, Melody Epperson. Melody discusses her recent solo show “Lifetime of Snapshots," Women’s Caucus for Art, receiving a PS You Are Here grant from Denver Arts & Venues, her public art installation “Tree Tales," engaging youth and community, challenges of facilitating the “Tree Tales” project, the various skill sets gained by the youth that participated, the future of the project, and advice to those interested in taking on a similar project.
Ep. 149 Edward Mapplethorpe – American Photographer/Artist
Photographer, Edward Mapplethorpe, discusses his early life growing up in Queens, his father introducing him to photography, his brother Robert and Patti Smith, his introduction to the darkroom and how it solidified his path in photography, his education at SUNY Stony Brook, going to work for his brother Robert, collaborating with Robert, Robert predicting Edward would be an Artist, Tom Baril, leaving Robert’s studio and moving to Los Angeles, assisting Playboy photographers, the catalyst for his series “Undercurrents”, finding his voice, the “Transmographs” series, process, ideas, Analog vs. Digital, his “One” series, commissioned portraits, polaroids and light meters, film stocks, his love of the darkroom, his abstract work, chemograms, “Timezones”, “The Cube”, Screw Magazine and silly putty, and his thoughts on his legacy as Photographer and Artist…
Ep. 142 Barbara Van Cleve – Photographer of the American West
Barbara Van Cleve discusses cowboy coffee, Montana and the Crazy Mountains, her family history, the Lazy K Bar Ranch, horses, her youth, her education, being a college professor, her beginnings in photography, Baja California, abstraction, Montana skies, spotting prints, equipment, photographing on horseback, Ranch Women, connecting to your subject, nude photography, zoom lenses, galleries, museum exhibitions, printing, shooting what moves you, her archives, workshops, the documentary “Barbara Van Cleve’s American West,” her books, ranching, work, and the solid virtues of honesty and integrity.
Ep. 141 Tricia Zimic – Sculptor, Porcelain – Painting & Etching
In this episode, Wes and Todd sit down with Sculptor, Tricia Zimic. Tricia discusses her first connection with Art, painting vs. sculpture, being a narrative Artist, etching, owls, painting, telling stories with animals, Meissen, Johann Joachim Kändler, Sins & Virtues, porcelain, process, Kintsugi, Chacma baboons, Albrechtsburg Castle, Hunterdon Art Museum, shipping porcelain, conservation, environmental art, hope, Wildflower Sculpture Park, legacy & time, making your art a priority, illustration, Troma movie posters, selling art, and handling rejection.
Ep. 140 Amy Laugesen – Sculptor, Ceramic and Mixed Media
In this episode, Wes and Todd sit down with Mixed Media Sculptor, Amy Laugesen. Amy talks about Crestone and the San Luis Valley, the horse as muse, her artistic journey, dyslexia, the support of her parents, working with children, passion, Bob Ragland, being a Mixed Media Sculptor, ceramics, her experience attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, clay, repurposing and incorporating found objects into her work, public art, cement fondue, sculpture conservation, collaboration, her great grandfather Bela Lyon Pratt, the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, collaboration, and being open to what unfolds in 2023.
Ep. 139 Maeve Eichelberger – Sculptor, Plexiglass Sculpture and Collage
In this episode, Wes and Todd sit down with Maeve Eichelberger. Maeve discusses the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, the catalyst to start working in plexiglass, her Master of Fine Arts, saddles, her compulsion to create, exploring and incorporating materials, being fearless, routine, etching, drawing, sourcing materials, process, photography, fluorescent plexiglass, art education, being an adjunct professor, constructivism, golden spiral, her greatest support, perseverance, being a full-time Artist, selling art, gallery representation, pricing, voice, and advice she would give her younger self.
Ep. 138 Jill Soukup – Painter, Contemporary Realism
Jill Soukup talks about her exposure to art in her youth, attending Colorado State University, her career as a Graphic Designer before becoming a full-time Artist, the crossover from graphic design to fine art, striking a balance between family and her art life, making money from her art in her teens, voice, foundation, being more free in her process, goal setting, revenue streams, mentors, collaboration, Ranchlands, bison, gallery representation, exploring mediums, teaching, workshops, horses, social media, routine, exercise and meditation, anxiety, the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, rejection, prints, and pricing.
Ep. 137 Rose Fredrick, Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale 2023 Curator
Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale Curator, Rose Fredrick talks about this year’s exhibition, what Artists are new to the show, some of the extraordinary work in the exhibit, the 30th anniversary, the Red-Carpet reception, receiving the Mary Belle Grant Award, how the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale helps support the National Western Scholarship Trust, and finding her voice as Curator of the Coors Western.
Ep. 131 Nicholas Kremske – Photographer/Mixed Media Artist
Nick Kremske talks about Norwegian round wood stacks, his move from Minnesota to Colorado and what it did for his art, comparing the Denver art scene to the Minneapolis/St. Paul scene, the evolution from Photographer to Mixed Media Artist, his process, the changing landscape of photography, figuring out his process to make the work intriguing, getting out of personal constructs, photographing roadkill, following your ideas and concepts, how to be an Artist, finding your voice, Baldessari, commissions, the idea behind his show “The Way Home,” making your art life go, social media, selling and pricing art, and incorporating video into his exhibitions.
Ep. 130 Topher Straus – American Impressionistic Landscape Artist – Annual Check-in
opher talks about what has changed in his world, new gallery representation, changes to his brand and business model, his routine, the new additions to his National Park series, advertising, his book “Aloha Love”, charities, press, snowscapes, the Topher Straus Art Walk and some of his new endeavors.
Ep. 129 Christy Lynne Seving – Mixed Media Artist
Mixed Media Artist, Christy Lynne Seving, talks about what it means to her to be a Mixed Media Artist, ADD, her work being biographical, exploration of processes and materials, encaustic, the thought behind her new show “A Matter of Perspective,” working intuitively, poetry, philosophy behind creating, anxiety, numbers, the catalyst to becoming a full-time Artist, drawing faces, how portraits informed her abstract work, her creative routine, selling art, pricing, Next Gallery, mentorship, and the benefits of making art and how it heals and grounds.
Ep. 128 Brett Andrus – Narrative Figurative Painter
Wes and Todd sit down with Painter Brett Andrus. Brett talks about his early exposure to art, his art education at the Savannah College of Art & Design, growing up in Colorado Springs, opening an art gallery, the Colorado Springs art community and scene, the visual artist mythos, Odd Nerdrum, the importance of mentors and mentorship, Lee Price, honoring the viewer, being a full-time Artist with a day job, curating your life, cityscapes, alleyways, models, Bosky Studio, business of art, pricing, art appropriation, narrative, painting with integrity and honesty, originality, Bosky backdrops, Virtu Collective, and being grateful.…
Ep. 127 Arlo White – Hypnotic Turtle, Raw & Real
Arlo White of Hypnotic Turtle Radio Circus talks about the history of Hypnotic Turtle, the thought behind the name, college radio, soundscapes, discipline, bands, opening for Enuff Z’Nuff, Poet Rock, Diablo Montalban, parking lot shows, new music, Wulfhound, his radio show, guests interviewed, John Sinclair, The MC5, Mark Mothersbaugh, variety shows, musical grenades, Larry Norman, riffing, flyers, collage, wrestling, the Hypnotic Turtle DreamBox, and all the things Hypnotic Turtle rock arts collective encompasses.
Ep. 126 Laurie Lipton – 21st Century’s Greatest Draftswoman, profound pencil and charcoal drawings.
Laurie Lipton talks about confidence, having supportive encouraging parents, being obsessed with drawing since the age of four, her mother teaching her to think outside the box, the thought behind the work, the hierarchy of art, seeing in images, drawing out feelings and emotions, Carnegie-Mellon, plotting her art life, developing her own way of drawing, Goya, living in Europe, the catalyst to move back to the United States, the pandemic, fear, process and technique, routine and discipline, legacy, transmogrification of the work, news and media, themes, pricing, Diane Arbus, galleries, commissions, social media, inspiration, and living in gratitude.