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Art Works Podcast

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts podcast that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation’s great artists to explore how art works.

Public Domain

The National Endowment for the Arts podcast that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation’s great artists to explore how art works.

Public Domain
337hr 39min
Thumbnail for "Staging Stories: Psalmayene 24 on Directing Across Time ".
Staging Stories: Psalmayene 24 on Directing Across Time
Thumbnail for "June 11, 2024".
Curator Tyler Blackwell Discusses the Innovative Initiatives that Make the Speed a Community Hub
Thumbnail for "June 4, 2024".
Remembering the late blues musician Phil Wiggins
Thumbnail for "May 28, 2024".
Join us on Art Works as Shanna Lin discusses the transformative power of the Paterson Music Project. Discover how music education is changing lives!
Thumbnail for "Lillian Faderman: The Emotional Truth of "My Mother's Wars"".
LGBT and Ethnic Scholar and Author Lillian Faderman discusses her book My Mother’s Wars a reconstructed memoir of her mother’s life as an Jewish immigrant in the United States
Thumbnail for "Theater Unmasked: Challenges and Possibilities".
A discussion between the NEA and Actors' Equity about the challenges and opportunities facing theater.
Thumbnail for "Bridging Cultures: A Conversation with Diana Abu-Jaber".
Author Diana Abu-Jaber has thoughts about cultural complexity, memoirs, and fiction
Thumbnail for " Leslie Sainz: A New Voice in Contemporary Poetry".
Leslie Sainz: A New Voice in Contemporary Poetry
Thumbnail for "Suzan-Lori Parks Shows Up!".
Suzan-Lori Parks shows up in everything she does!
Thumbnail for "Bassist and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland talks about his life in jazz".
Bassist and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland talks about his life in jazz
Thumbnail for "Harmonies of Heritage: The Willard Jenkins Odyssey in Jazz Advocacy".
Dive into 'Harmonies of Heritage' with Willard Jenkins, a jazz master shaping the genre's future through advocacy and passion.
Thumbnail for "A Special Edition of Art Works: Talking across disciplines with the Chair of the NEA and the Director of the Census Bureau".
A Special Edition of Art Works: Talking across disciplines with the Chair of the NEA and the Director of the Census Bureau
Thumbnail for "The Harmonic Convergence of Amina Claudine Myers".
Amina Claudine Myers: From gospel to jazz
Thumbnail for "Building Bridges Through Children's Literature".
Kirsten Cappy co-founder of I'm Your Neighbor Books builds bridges through children's literature
Thumbnail for "It's complicated: a conversation with author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Danielle Evans".
A conversation with author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Danielle Evans
Thumbnail for "Meet Tap Dancer and National Heritage Fellow Reginald "Reggio the Hoofer" McLaughlin".
Get into the soul of tap dancing with Reggio the Hoofer!
Thumbnail for "Meet Saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz".
"Listening is more important than playing": so says saxophonist Gary BartzIn this tuneful podcast, 2024 NEA Jazz Master Saxophonist Gary Bartz talks about his life and career, touching on his roots, influences, collaborations, and the philosophical underpinnings that have guided his artistic journey. Born in Baltimore in 1940, Gary's musical journey began in a segregated America, where he found music to be a universal language that could transcend societal barriers. He discusses his early encounters with music which were deeply influenced by his family's musical gatherings and his exposure to the records of Charlie Parker, which ignited his passion for the saxophone at the age of six. He talks about moving to New York City in 1958, immersing himself in the city's vibrant jazz scene, his time at Juilliard and the thrill of playing alongside legends like Max Roach (NEA Jazz Master, 1984), Charles Mingus, Art Blakey (NEA Jazz Master, 1988), Miles Davis (NEA Jazz Master, 1984) and McCoy Tyner (NEA Jazz Master, 2002), highlighting the impact of these experiences on his musical direction. He details his approach to music, emphasizing the importance of listening and creativity and expressing his disdain for the term "jazz," preferring to see music as a boundless form of expression. Gary also discusses his work with younger musicians and bands like his collaborations with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge for their Jazz Is Dead label and the spiritual jazz band Maisha, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational dialogue in music. With over two decades of teaching at Oberlin, Gary talks about his approach to education which focuses first on the importance of listening—a skill he deems crucial for any musician. He shares his feelings on being named an NEA Jazz Master, acknowledging it as a significant honor that places him among the heroes who shaped his musical path. Note: On Saturday, April 13, 2024, the National Endowment for the Arts, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will celebrate the 2024 honorees with a tribute concert. Keep checking arts.gov for details.
Thumbnail for "Celebrate Black History Month: Isabel Wilkerson discusses the Great Migration and American Culure".
Celebrate Black History Month: Isabel Wilkerson discusses the Great Migration and American Culure
Thumbnail for "Director/writer Cord Jefferson talks about "American Fiction"".
"American Fiction" might be director Cord Jefferson's first film--but it's nominated for five Academy Awards.
Thumbnail for " “From Heritage to Health:” Bringing the diverse cultures of everyday life to medical care.".
Art Might be the Prescription! “From Heritage to Health” brings the diverse cultures of everyday life to medical care.
Thumbnail for "Meet American Routes creator and host Nick Spitzer".
Meet American Routes creator and host Nick Spitzer
Thumbnail for "Celebrating 1984 NEA Jazz Master Max Roach’s Centenary".
Celebrating 1984 NEA Jazz Master Max Roach’s centenary with a conversation about the documentary “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes” with co-directors Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro.
Thumbnail for "Paula Abreu discusses her comprehensive approach to cultural curation at the McCarter Theatre Center".
A conversation with Director of Presented Programming at the McCarter Theatre Center Paula Abreu halfway through her first season on the job!
Thumbnail for "Exploring the New Horizons of the Folger Shakespeare Theatre with Karen Ann Daniels".
Artistic Director of the Folger Karen Ann Daniels says theater starts in the neighborhood
Thumbnail for "Brandon Victor Dixon--talks about performing in  Alicia Keys's "Hells Kitchen"".
Brandon Victor Dixon--talks about Alicia Keys and "Hells Kitchen"--and "Hamilton" too!
Thumbnail for " Filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky--Deafness in Three Movements".
Filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky discusses her own family’s journey through deafness and music.
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Director and Playwright Randy Reinholz(Choctaw)--".
We’re marking the Indigenous Peoples Month by Revisiting Director and Playwright Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)--
Thumbnail for "“Where there’s flavor, there’s history:”  A Look at New Orleans food Culture with Zella Palmer".
“Where there’s flavor, there’s history:” A Look at New Orleans Food Culture with Zella Palmer
Thumbnail for "Author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) champions Native Voices".
Author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) makes it real for young readers.
Thumbnail for "Marking Veterans Day: Revisiting  Sebastian Junger".
Sebastian Junger wonders if a fragmented society doesn't contribute to PTSD in Veterans.
Thumbnail for "Novelist Isabel Cañas delivers gothic horror with a twist".
Novelist Isabel Cañas merges gothic terror with actual history
Thumbnail for "James LeBrecht and Day Al-Mohamed work to create a space in media for stories by, for and about people with disabilities.".
We’re marking National Disability Employment Awareness Month with a conversation with filmmakers and disability rights advocates James LeBrecht and Day Al-Mohamed
Thumbnail for "Behind the Scenes with Actors Sylvia Kwan and Jacob Yeh".
When the Stage Becomes a Hall of Mirrors
Thumbnail for "Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Luthier Manuel Delgado".
Manuel Delgado continues his family’s tradition of hand-building stringed instruments and adds a healthy dose of arts advocacy
Thumbnail for "Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Flamenco Artist and Teacher Eva Enciñias".
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Flamenco Artist and Teacher Eva Enciñias
Thumbnail for "Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Tejano Musician "Little Joe" Hernandez and La Familia ".
Meet "Little Joe" Hernandez one of the most prominent musicians in Tejano
Thumbnail for " Conversations with Wood: The Art of Luis Tapia".
Luis Tapia carves his own artistic path
Thumbnail for "Meet Two People Who Make Performing Art Happen".
What Inspires a philanthropist and an arts presenter?
Thumbnail for "Is Storytelling a key to better public Health?".
Dr. David Fakunle creates better public health one story at a time
Thumbnail for "The Kinetic Sculpture Race: Art in Motion".
Rutabaga Queen and Ace Pilot Kati Texas takes us behind the scenes of the Kinetic Sculpture Race, Grand Championship, where art and science go to play.
Thumbnail for "In the Beginning: the Late Stan Lee Gave Us the Marvel Superheroes ".
Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange: the late Stan Lee was there at the creation.
Thumbnail for "Back to School: Teaching artist Emmett Phillips creates dynamic arts education programming through hip-hop.".
Back to School: Teaching artist Emmett Phillips creates dynamic arts education programming through hip-hop.
Thumbnail for "It's Back to School--Let's talk about Arts Education".
Here's what one rural county is doing to provide equitable arts education for all its districts
Thumbnail for " Meet Artist Elizabeth James-Perry (Wampanoag, Aquinnah) ".
Elizabeth James-Perry (Wampanoag, Aquinnah) combines tribal knowledge, science, and history to make dazzling art
Thumbnail for "Phil Wiggins--a Life Playing the Blues".
Harmonica player Phil Wiggins talks and demonstrates playing the blues
Thumbnail for "Author and Disability Advocate Rebekah Taussig Discusses Her Memoir "Sitting Pretty."".
Author and Disability Advocate Rebekah Taussig's Memoir "Sitting Pretty" is like talking to a very smart and very funny friend.
Thumbnail for "Meet a force in Contemporary Music: Gil Rose".
Gil Rose--a force in contemporary music
Thumbnail for "A Conversation about the Singing Sergeants".
Ann Meier Baker went to boot camp so she could sing professionally!
Thumbnail for "A Conversation with 2023 NEA Jazz Master Saxophonist Kenny Garrett".
Celebrate Black Music Month! It 'sa conversation with 2023 NEA Jazz Master Saxophonist Kenny Garrett
Thumbnail for "Historian and National Book Award-winner Tiya Miles Meets the Moment".
Historian and National Book Award-winner Tiya Miles talks about the challenges of writing fiction
Thumbnail for "Poet Jericho Brown Discusses his 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winner "The Tradition"".
In "The Tradition" Pulitzer Prize winning poet Jericho Brown explores the Black queer body at risk and resilent
Thumbnail for "Nicole Chung writes of family and loss with a focus on broader societal failures.".
Memoirist Nicole Chung explores family and loss with a focus on broader societal failures.
Thumbnail for "Meet Asian American Choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess".
We're closing our celebration of AAPI Month with the great choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess
Thumbnail for "Veterans and the Arts".
A look at new art programs for veterans and service members
Thumbnail for "Filmmaker Jason Rhee creates a documentary about EJ Lee "the Korean Magic Johnson of NCAA women's basketball."".
Filmmaker Jason Rhee creates a documentary about EJ Lee "the Korean Magic Johnson of NCAA women's basketball."
Thumbnail for "A Conversation with Amy Tan".
Just in time for Mother's Day, Amy Tan Discusses the Joy Luck Club
Thumbnail for "Meg Medina is the first Latina to serve as  the Library of Congress’s National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature".
Author Meg Medina wants young readers to see themselves and others in books
Thumbnail for "Remembering Jazz Great Ahmad Jamal".
A celebration of the music of the late Ahmad Jamal
Thumbnail for "Behind the Scenes at Washington DC's Arena Stage".
Dramaturg and literary manager Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zöe and casting director Joseph Pinzon takes us behind the scenes at Washington DC’s Arena Stage for the revival of “Angels in America.”
Thumbnail for "Jazz Violinist's Regina Carter's Musical Journey".
It's a musical journey as violinist Regina Carter recalls her spectacular career in jazz.
Thumbnail for "Regina Carter: Portrait of the Jazz Artist as a Young Woman".
How violinist Regina Carter moved from classical music to jazz
Thumbnail for "Meet the New Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)".
Let's meet Tsione Wolde-Michael, the execuitve director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)
Thumbnail for "Bushra Rehman's novel celebrates the Pakistani American community in 1980s Corona, Queens".
Bsura Rehman's novel gives us a portrait of the artist as a young, queer, Pakistani American growing up in Queens
Thumbnail for "Presenting Art for the City of Pittsburgh ".
Janis Burley Wilson Has been bringing the arts to Pittsburgh for over two decades!
Thumbnail for "Meet 2023 NEA Jazz Master--Drummer Louis Hayes!".
Drummer Louis Hayes talks about his lifetime in music
Thumbnail for " Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson reflects on her first year as Chair of National Endowment for the Arts".
Chair Maria Rosario Jackson looks back at her first year leading the Arts Endowment and shares her ideas, plans, and initiatives for the year ahead.
Thumbnail for "Choreographer Kyle Abraham Creates Dance for the 21st Century".
Kyle Abraham creates dance with purpose and artistry
Thumbnail for "Science and Art: Dr. Alan Lightman has thoughts!".
MIT physicist and novelist Alan Lightman looks for meaning in the age of science
Thumbnail for "Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi talks about the beauty and power of African American quilts".
Quilter and curator Carolyn Mazloomi tells stories through quilts
Thumbnail for "Novelist Kevin Wilson Gives a Voice to the Weird".
Novelist Kevin Wilson discusses the serious issues at the heart of his outrageous (and outrageously funny) novel "Nothing To See Here."
Thumbnail for "BobFulcher: Connecting Traditional Culture and the Natural Environment".
Folklorist and Park Ranger Bobby Fulcher connects traditional culture and the natural environment
Thumbnail for "Cedric Burnside's Hill Country Blues Sings Out 2022".
Hill Country Blues Musician, Songwriter and 2021 National Heritage Fellow Cedric Burnside talks about bringing his musical roots to the 21st century.
Thumbnail for " Leonard Bernstein on Broadway!".
Composer, conductor, and commentator Rob Kapilow takes us on a musical journey through Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway career.
Thumbnail for "Signature Theatre's Matthew Gardiner: Making Musical Theatre Magic in Northern Virginia".
Signature Theatre: Making Musical Theatre Magic in Northern Virginia
Thumbnail for "What Goes Into Writing for Young Adults? Ask Renée Watson".
Award-Winning Children's and YA Author Renée Watson Talks About Writing for Young People
Thumbnail for "Navajo/Diné Weaving: Art That's a Way of Life".
Navajo/Diné Textile Artist and Weaver and 2022 National Heritage Fellow TahNibaa Naataanii talks about the practice of Navajo/Diné weaving--an art that is a way of life.
Thumbnail for " The Ties That Bind: A Conversation with Author Kelli Jo Ford (Cherokee)".
: In her novel Crooked Hallelujah, Kelli Jo Ford (Cherokee) gives us the stories of four generations of Cherokee women and the love, support, and conflict they share as they navigate their lives in and out of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Thumbnail for "Celebrating Native American Heritage Month by Revisiting Award-Winning Penobscot Basketmaker Theresa Secord".
We are celebrating Native American Heritage Month and National Heritage Award by revisiting Penobscot Nation Ash/Sweetgrass Basketmaker and 2016 National Heritage Fellow Theresa Secord who discusses bringing an ancient art into the 21st century.
Thumbnail for "The founder of Step Afrika! C. Brian Williams explains the art of stepping.".
Learn about the dynamic art of stepping--from the founder of Step Afrika! C. Brian Williams!
Thumbnail for "Remembering Lakota Culture-Bearer Kevin Locke".
The late Kevin Locke talks about learning, performing, and teaching Lakota culture and traditions.
Thumbnail for "Art at the Intersection: A Community Claims Its Legacy".
Director of Communications for the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society in Athens Ohio Dr. Tee Ford-Ahmed talks about repurposing a vacant but historically-significant Black church into a cultural center—with an assist from the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design.
Thumbnail for "Meeting Bluegrass Fiddle Virtuoso Michael Cleveland".
Bluegrass Fiddler and 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellow Michael Cleveland talks about his life immersed in music
Thumbnail for " Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: A Conversation with Novelist Marisel Vera".
Marisel Vera talks about unpacking the history of late 19th century Puerto Rico for her novel “The Taste of Sugar.”
Thumbnail for "Amalia Ortiz: Making and Teaching Art in San Antonio".
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage with Artist and Teacher Amalia Ortiz
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Afro-Dominican Filmmaker Loira Limbal".
Filmmaker Loira Limbal talks about her 2020 documentary Through the Night which examines a home-based 24-hour day-care center
Thumbnail for "Eva Enciñias: Flamenco as Life".
Flamenco Artist and 2022 National Heritage Fellow Eva Enciñias talks about her life's work in flamenco.
Thumbnail for "David Serkin Ludwig: Expanding the Language of Music".
Composer and educator David Serkin Ludwig talks about his life in music both as a composer and as an educator dedicated to new music and expanding the music community
Thumbnail for " Sipp Culture: Combining Story and Food Sustainability".
Carlton Turner talks about the work of Sipp Culture which uses story to uncover and support cultural and economic development in Utica, Mississippi.
Thumbnail for "Revisiting: Novelist Vanessa Hua--Shining a Light on Chinese-American Voices".
Revisiting: Novelist Vanessa Hua--Shining a Light on the Many Chinese-American Voices
Thumbnail for "Revisiting: Filmmaker CJ Hunt discusses his Emmy-nominated film The Neutral Ground".
Filmmaker CJ Hunt discusses his Emmy Award nominated documentary The Neutral Ground which explores the struggle to remove four Confederate monuments in New Orleans
Thumbnail for "Jenny Mendez talks about a holistic approach to arts programming".
Jenny Mendez talks about a holistic approach to arts programming
Thumbnail for "The Legendary Ingramettes--Six Decades of Women-Led Gospel".
Almeta Ingram-Miller shares the journey of The Legendary Ingramettes and six decades of women-led gospel
Thumbnail for "Actor Jacob Ming-Trent talks about making a place for himself on the stage".
Actor Jacob Ming-Trent making a place for himself on the stage, why he left it, and why he returned.
Thumbnail for "One Look at Class in Rural America".
Sarah Smarsh discusses her book "Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth" which is 2022-2023 NEA Big Read title.
Thumbnail for "NEA Jazz Master Henry Threadgill--a master of improvised music".
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill continues creating on music's edge
Thumbnail for "Artful Lives: Louie Pérez and Los Lobos telling the stories of East LA ".
Songwriter and instrumentalist Louie Pérez takes us through the 50 year journey of the legendary band Los Lobos
Thumbnail for "Lincoln Center's Shanta Thake: Bringing the Arts to NYC Streets".
Shanta Thake is expanding Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' programming and audience
Thumbnail for "How to Increase Access to Arts Education in Rural Areas".
Dr. Lisa Donovan discusses successful ways to Increase access to arts education in rural areas
Thumbnail for "Director Saheem Ali centers communities of color in his productions of Shakespeare".
Theater director Saheem Ali talks about directing Shakespeare that centers on communities of color.
Thumbnail for "Celebrate Black Music Appreciation Month with singer, composer, and artistic director of Silkroad Rhiannon Giddens ".
In this 2021 interview, singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and artistic director of Silkroad Rhiannon Giddens talks about the Black roots of American music,
Thumbnail for " Leading an arts center into the future".
Sonja Kostich and Stella Abrera both Asian- Americans, former dancers, and co-leaders of Kaatsbaan Cultural Park talk about the organization's role as both artistic incubator and arts presenter, and their commitment to diversity in programming, performers, staff, and audience.
Thumbnail for "Just in time for the Tony Awards, Playwright Michael R. Jackson's "Strange Loop"".
Composer, lyricist, and playwright Michael R. Jackson talks about creating his Pultizer-Prize winning musical "A Strange Loop."
Thumbnail for "US Army Veteran Jaymes Poling and Jazz Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci".
US Army Veteran Jaymes Poling and Jazz Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci
Thumbnail for "Daniel K. Isaac".
Daniel K. Isaac
Thumbnail for "Peng Shepherd".
Peng Shepherd
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Taiko Leaders PJ and Roy Hirabayashi and Slack Key Guitarist Ledward Kaapana".
Revisiting Taiko Leaders PJ and Roy Hirabayashi and Slack Key Guitarist Ledward Kaapana
Thumbnail for "Huascar Medina".
Huascar Medina
Thumbnail for "Stanley Clarke".
Stanley Clarke
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Tracy K. Smith and Melissa Range".
Revisiting Tracy K. Smith and Melissa Range
Thumbnail for "Terence Blanchard".
Terence Blanchard
Thumbnail for "Cassandra Wilson".
Cassandra Wilson
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Lynsey Addario".
Revisiting Lynsey Addario
Thumbnail for "Marjan Kamali".
Marjan Kamali
Thumbnail for "Valerie Boyd on Zora Neale Hurston".
Valerie Boyd on Zora Neale Hurston
Thumbnail for "Ashleigh Gordon".
Ashleigh Gordon
Thumbnail for "Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson".
Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson
Thumbnail for "Celebrating the late Hank Jones".
Celebrating the late Hank Jones
Thumbnail for "Donald Harrison, Jr.".
Donald Harrison, Jr.
Thumbnail for "Sade Lythcott".
Sade Lythcott
Thumbnail for "Dr. Joel Snyder".
Dr. Joel Snyder
Thumbnail for "Dr. Nicole Fleetwood".
Dr. Nicole Fleetwood
Thumbnail for "Joy Jones".
Joy Jones
Thumbnail for "Andrew Krivak".
Andrew Krivak
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Maria Schneider".
Revisiting Maria Schneider
Thumbnail for "David Rodriguez".
David Rodriguez
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Kelly Church (Ottawa/ Pottawatomi)".
Revisiting Kelly Church (Ottawa/ Pottawatomi)
Thumbnail for "Arlo Iron Cloud (Oglala-Sioux)".
Arlo Iron Cloud (Oglala-Sioux)
Thumbnail for "Cedric Burnside".
Cedric Burnside
Thumbnail for "Dr. Niyati Dhokai".
Dr. Niyati Dhokai
Thumbnail for "Louie Pérez".
Louie Pérez
Thumbnail for "Snehal Desai".
Snehal Desai
Thumbnail for "Marisel Vera".
Marisel Vera
Thumbnail for "Kate DiCamillo".
Kate DiCamillo
Thumbnail for "Elena Martínez".
Elena Martínez
Thumbnail for "Angel Blue".
Angel Blue
Thumbnail for "Reginald “Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin".
Reginald “Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin
Thumbnail for "Come From Away".
Come From Away
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)".
Revisiting Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Thumbnail for "Revisiting Terri Lyne Carrington".
Revisiting Terri Lyne Carrington
Thumbnail for "Arts Education: Helping Students Move Forward".
Arts Education: Helping Students Move Forward
Thumbnail for "Creativity, Culture & Capital".
Creativity, Culture & Capital
Thumbnail for "David Henry Gerson".
David Henry Gerson
Thumbnail for "Anita Fields (Osage/Muscogee)".
Anita Fields (Osage/Muscogee)
Thumbnail for "CJ Hunt".
CJ Hunt
Thumbnail for "Katie Bowler Young".
Katie Bowler Young
Thumbnail for "Madeline Sayet".
Madeline Sayet
Thumbnail for "Maestro William Henry Curry".
Maestro William Henry Curry
Thumbnail for "Kaitlyn Greenidge".
Kaitlyn Greenidge
Thumbnail for "Jericho Brown".
Jericho Brown
Thumbnail for "Michael R. Jackson".
Michael R. Jackson
Thumbnail for "Jenny Koons".
Jenny Koons
Thumbnail for "Ethan Heard".
Ethan Heard
Thumbnail for "Charles Yu".
Charles Yu
Thumbnail for "Mequitta Ahuja".
Mequitta Ahuja
Thumbnail for "Darrel Alejandro Holnes".
Darrel Alejandro Holnes
Thumbnail for "Terri Lyne Carrington".
Terri Lyne Carrington
Thumbnail for "Camille T. Dungy".
Camille T. Dungy
Thumbnail for "Albert “Tootie” Heath".
Albert “Tootie” Heath
Thumbnail for "Phil Schaap".
Phil Schaap
Thumbnail for "Sally Wen Mao".
Sally Wen Mao
Thumbnail for "Tana French".
Tana French
Thumbnail for "Nataki Garrett".
Nataki Garrett
Thumbnail for "Rhiannon Giddens".
Rhiannon Giddens
Thumbnail for "Henry Threadgill".
Henry Threadgill
Thumbnail for "Danielle Evans".
Danielle Evans
Thumbnail for "Tracy K. Smith".
Tracy K. Smith
Thumbnail for "Amanda Morgan".
Amanda Morgan
Thumbnail for "Duke Dang, GM of Works & Process at the Guggenheim".
Duke Dang, GM of Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Thumbnail for "Violinist and Social Entrepreneur Aaron Dworkin".
Violinist and Social Entrepreneur Aaron Dworkin
Thumbnail for "Suni Paz".
Suni Paz
Thumbnail for "Joy Harjo (Muscogee/Creek)".
Joy Harjo (Muscogee/Creek)
Thumbnail for "Lora Bottinelli".
Lora Bottinelli
Thumbnail for "Rick Dildine".
Rick Dildine
Thumbnail for "Rebekah Taussig".
Rebekah Taussig
Thumbnail for "Meet 2020 National Heritage Fellow Wayne Valliere (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe)".
Meet 2020 National Heritage Fellow Wayne Valliere (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe)
Thumbnail for "Scott Yoo".
Scott Yoo
Thumbnail for "Halloween 2020".
Halloween 2020
Thumbnail for "Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle".
Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle
Thumbnail for "Erika L. Sánchez".
Erika L. Sánchez
Thumbnail for "Maria Manuela Goyanes".
Maria Manuela Goyanes
Thumbnail for "Loira Limbal".
Loira Limbal
Thumbnail for "Hugo Morales".
Hugo Morales
Thumbnail for "Sonny Rollins".
Sonny Rollins
Thumbnail for "Amanda C. Burdan".
Amanda C. Burdan
Thumbnail for "Dorthaan Kirk".
Dorthaan Kirk
Thumbnail for "William Bell".
William Bell
Thumbnail for "Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)".
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Thumbnail for "Gordon Sasaki".
Gordon Sasaki
Thumbnail for "Director Jenna Worsham and Playwright Catya McMullen".
Director Jenna Worsham and Playwright Catya McMullen
Thumbnail for "Randall Kline".
Randall Kline
Thumbnail for "Clifford Murphy".
Clifford Murphy
Thumbnail for "Adrian Matejka".
Adrian Matejka
Thumbnail for "Michael R Jackson".
Michael R Jackson
Thumbnail for "Jesmyn Ward".
Jesmyn Ward
Thumbnail for "Brent Benjamin".
Brent Benjamin
Thumbnail for "Vanessa Hua".
Vanessa Hua
Thumbnail for "Pt 1 Brandon Gryde Director of Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works -- Pt 2 Peter Szep Founding director of New York Opera Fest and co-founder of New York Opera Alliance".
Pt 1 Brandon Gryde Director of Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works -- Pt 2 Peter Szep Founding director of New York Opera Fest and co-founder of New York Opera Alliance
Thumbnail for "Elizabeth Acevedo".
Elizabeth Acevedo
Thumbnail for "Chick Corea".
Chick Corea
Thumbnail for "Joy Harjo".
Joy Harjo
Thumbnail for "Roscoe Mitchell".
Roscoe Mitchell
Thumbnail for "Amy Stolls".
Amy Stolls
Thumbnail for "Charlotte Mangin".
Charlotte Mangin
Thumbnail for "Anna Needham (Red Lake Anishinaabe)".
Anna Needham (Red Lake Anishinaabe)
Thumbnail for "Lauren Gunderson".
Lauren Gunderson
Thumbnail for "Cord Jefferson".
Cord Jefferson
Thumbnail for "Trey Ellis".
Trey Ellis
Thumbnail for "Nate Powell".
Nate Powell
Thumbnail for "Reggie Workman".
Reggie Workman
Thumbnail for "James F. Jackson".
James F. Jackson
Thumbnail for "Colonel Don Schofield, U.S. Air Force".
Colonel Don Schofield, U.S. Air Force
Thumbnail for "Ken Ludwig".
Ken Ludwig
Thumbnail for "Bob Fulcher".
Bob Fulcher
Thumbnail for "Kevin Gover".
Kevin Gover
Thumbnail for "Jenifer McShane".
Jenifer McShane
Thumbnail for "Ayana Workman".
Ayana Workman
Thumbnail for "Jeffrey Palmer".
Jeffrey Palmer
Thumbnail for "Sam Pressler and Brian Jenkins".
Sam Pressler and Brian Jenkins
Thumbnail for "Daniel Mason".
Daniel Mason
Thumbnail for "John Kevin Jones".
John Kevin Jones
Thumbnail for "Crys Matthews".
Crys Matthews
Thumbnail for "Madeline Miller".
Madeline Miller
Thumbnail for "Pam Muñoz Ryan".
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Thumbnail for "Irene Taylor Brodsky".
Irene Taylor Brodsky
Thumbnail for "R.O. Kwon".
R.O. Kwon
Thumbnail for "Dan Ansotegui".
Dan Ansotegui
Thumbnail for "Rosa Joshi".
Rosa Joshi
Thumbnail for "Rich Smoker".
Rich Smoker
Thumbnail for "Julia Alvarez".
Julia Alvarez
Thumbnail for "J. Dash".
J. Dash
Thumbnail for "Matthew Nicola".
Matthew Nicola
Thumbnail for "Junious Brickhouse".
Junious Brickhouse
Thumbnail for "Stephanie Kline".
Stephanie Kline
Thumbnail for "Dr. Nina Kraus".
Dr. Nina Kraus
Thumbnail for "Ursula von Rydingsvard".
Ursula von Rydingsvard
Thumbnail for "Phil and Lauren Grucci".
Phil and Lauren Grucci
Thumbnail for "Victor Lodato".
Victor Lodato
Thumbnail for "Linda Goss".
Linda Goss
Thumbnail for "Jeff VanderMeer".
Jeff VanderMeer
Thumbnail for "Stephan Wolfert".
Stephan Wolfert
Thumbnail for "Jennifer Croft".
Jennifer Croft
Thumbnail for "Edward Gero".
Edward Gero
Thumbnail for "Mary Rand Hess".
Mary Rand Hess
Thumbnail for "David Horn".
David Horn
Thumbnail for "Abdullah Ibrahim".
Abdullah Ibrahim
Thumbnail for "Christian McBride".
Christian McBride
Thumbnail for "Maria Schneider".
Maria Schneider
Thumbnail for "Grace Cavalieri".
Grace Cavalieri
Thumbnail for "Julia Wolfe".
Julia Wolfe
Thumbnail for "Aislinn Clarke".
Aislinn Clarke
Thumbnail for "Renée Watson".
Renée Watson
Thumbnail for "Gordon Quinn and Tracye A. Matthews".
Gordon Quinn and Tracye A. Matthews
Thumbnail for "Rachel L. Swarns and Darcy Eveleigh".
Rachel L. Swarns and Darcy Eveleigh
Thumbnail for "Raymond O. Caldwell".
Raymond O. Caldwell
Thumbnail for "Wil Haygood".
Wil Haygood
Thumbnail for "Eddie Bond (Part 2)".
Eddie Bond (Part 2)
Thumbnail for "Eddie Bond (Part 1)".
Eddie Bond (Part 1)
Thumbnail for "Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)".
Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)
Thumbnail for "Jeffrey Wright".
Jeffrey Wright
Thumbnail for "Kiersten White".
Kiersten White
Thumbnail for "David Tomas Martinez".
David Tomas Martinez
Thumbnail for "Marion Coleman".
Marion Coleman
Thumbnail for "Kelly Church".
Kelly Church
Thumbnail for "Herman Cornejo".
Herman Cornejo
Thumbnail for "Ofelia Esparza".
Ofelia Esparza
Thumbnail for "Don and Cindy Roy".
Don and Cindy Roy
Thumbnail for "Juliane Dressner, Karoline Jimenez, Christine Rodriguez, and Enoch Jemmott".
Juliane Dressner, Karoline Jimenez, Christine Rodriguez, and Enoch Jemmott
Thumbnail for "Dana Nachman and Don Hardy".
Dana Nachman and Don Hardy
Thumbnail for "Rob Kapilow".
Rob Kapilow
Thumbnail for "Douglas Hegley, Samantha Porter and Colin McFadden".
Douglas Hegley, Samantha Porter and Colin McFadden
Thumbnail for "Sunni Fass and LuAnne Holladay".
Sunni Fass and LuAnne Holladay
Thumbnail for "Malcolm J. Merriweather".
Malcolm J. Merriweather
Thumbnail for "Todd Barkan".
Todd Barkan
Thumbnail for "Sergeant 1st Class Juan Munoz".
Sergeant 1st Class Juan Munoz
Thumbnail for "Artemio Posadas".
Artemio Posadas
Thumbnail for "Ilya Tovbis".
Ilya Tovbis
Thumbnail for "Kiran Singh Sirah".
Kiran Singh Sirah
Thumbnail for "Dria Brown".
Dria Brown
Thumbnail for "Creative Forces and Finding A Tribe".
Creative Forces and Finding A Tribe
Thumbnail for "Nora Atkinson".
Nora Atkinson
Thumbnail for "Liz Reed".
Liz Reed
Thumbnail for "Michael Fields".
Michael Fields
Thumbnail for "Jennifer Haigh".
Jennifer Haigh
Thumbnail for "Seema Reza".
Seema Reza
Thumbnail for "Pat Metheny".
Pat Metheny
Thumbnail for "Melissa Range".
Her poetry collection Scriptorium illuminate her Appalachian Roots.
Thumbnail for "JoAnne Brackeen".
Uncovering new dimensions of music.
Thumbnail for "Robert Wood And Susan Derry".
Contemporary opera for contemporary audiences.
Thumbnail for "Emily St. John Mandel".
A novel about what endures when civilization ends.
Thumbnail for "Dianne Reeves".
Making music without boundaries.
Thumbnail for "Dessa".
Finding the intersection of science and love.
Thumbnail for "Dion Graham".
An aural shape-shifter.
Thumbnail for "Mat Johnson".
His novels take a satirical look at race and identity.
Thumbnail for "Meta Golding".
Taking on the role of a lifetime: Rosa Parks in Behind the Movement  
Thumbnail for "Rob Meyer".
The making of the independent film Little Boxes. Please note: This interview took place before the unexpected death of Nelsan Ellis who stars in the film Little Boxes.
Thumbnail for "Kyle Donnelly".
Interpreting history with All the Way and The Great Society.
Thumbnail for "Seth Gadsden".
More than a film festival.
Thumbnail for "Shelley Ritter".
Keeping the blues alive and honoring its history
Thumbnail for "Matthew Willey".
The Good of the Hive is more than an art project.
Thumbnail for "Walter Ware III".
Casting Director Walter Ware III brings the right people together. Read all about the behind-the-scenes crew in NEA Arts. 
Thumbnail for "Guy Mendilow".
Embracing and reinterpreting Ladino music. Watch the video Una Noche Al Borde De La Mar.  
Thumbnail for "Jake Gyllenhaal".
An iconic role in the iconic play Sunday in the Park with George.
Thumbnail for "Roz Chast".
Roz Chast
Thumbnail for "Bryan Akipa".
Reinvigorating a traditional First Nation art.
Thumbnail for "Sebastian Junger".
His book Tribe rethinks PTSD.
Thumbnail for "Steve Ellis and David Gallaher".
They combined gun slingers with werewolves and created a classic, High Moon.
Thumbnail for "Kimberly Brooks".
Creating  language with paint.
Thumbnail for "Pam Muñoz-Ryan".
Opens up worlds of complications and riches.
Thumbnail for "Muriel Miguel".
Forty years on, the first Native-American women’s theater is still going strong.
Thumbnail for "Junot Diaz".
The National Book Award winner talks about Julia Alvarez, Oscar Wao, and the wonder of reading.
Thumbnail for "Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen".
Their film Spettacolo  looks at a small Tuscan village where each year life is translated into art.
Thumbnail for "Jennifer Cole".
Creating places for the arts and for artists.
Thumbnail for "Thomas Maupin".
Making music with his feet.
Thumbnail for "Sonny Rollins".
The great tenor saxophonist reflects on his life in music.
Thumbnail for "Stephanie Monseu".
Circus arts by way of the East Village performance scene.
Thumbnail for "Director Amanda Lipitz and Coach Gari McIntyre".
Behind the scenes of the award-winning documentary STEP.
Thumbnail for "Ron Simons".
Shining a light on untold stories.
Thumbnail for "Paul Binder".
Finding artistry in intimacy
Thumbnail for "Julianne Brienza".
Making theater happen in DC
Thumbnail for "Rae Eighmey".
Marries food with history to create culinary biographies.
Thumbnail for "T. Geronimo Johnson".
Welcome to Braggsville: A madcap and tragic satire that unpacks attitudes about race.
Thumbnail for "Bryan “Flash” Turner".
Living the dream.
Thumbnail for "Phil Wiggins".
Bringing It All Home.
Thumbnail for "Ira Gitler".
Celebrated by his son Fitz Gitler.
Thumbnail for "Renée Fleming".
The power of music to make us whole.
Thumbnail for "Susan Edwards".
Art is alive at the Frist Center!  
Thumbnail for "Aaron Bryant".
Photographs that illuminate history, community and culture.
Thumbnail for "Dana Tai Soon Burgess".
Creating a cultural mosaic of dance.
Thumbnail for "Lucy Gray".
Her book Balancing Acts takes us backstage with dancers who are mothers.  
Thumbnail for "Cory Doctorow".
The prolific award-winning novelist talks about sci-fi and technology.
Thumbnail for "Kim Roberts".
Kim Roberts brings a poet’s eye to The Scientific Method
Thumbnail for "Thomas Dooley".
His collection Trespass shines a light in dark places
Thumbnail for "Dick Hyman".
A musical shape-shifter.
Thumbnail for "Dave Holland".
Jazz as a way of life
Thumbnail for "Dee Dee Bridgewater".
Going her own way.
Thumbnail for "Liz Carroll, Seamus Connolly, Kevin Doyle and Billy McComiskey".
Celebrate Traditional Irish Music.
Thumbnail for "Jacqueline Lawton".
Her play Intelligence is a political drama that centers on accountability.
Thumbnail for "Jacqueline Woodson".
With Another Brooklyn, acclaimed children’s author Jacqueline Woodson creates an adult novel that reads like poetry.
Thumbnail for "John Dickerson".
Author and moderator of Face the Nation, Dickerson’s book Whistlestop is a witty, rollicking tour of presidential campaign history.
Thumbnail for "Dr. Lonnie Smith".
One of the best jazz organists, ever…and one of the most sampled jazz musicians,
Thumbnail for "Rachel Howzell Hall".
With her character Lou Norton, Hall creates one of the few African American female detectives.
Thumbnail for "Bob Mondello".
Bringing a love of art to the craft of criticism.
Thumbnail for "Marsha Mason".
Living a full life on and off the stage.
Thumbnail for "Bowman Wright".
Wright on the transformative power of theater and his two portrayals of MLK.
Thumbnail for "Kimmie Dobbs Chan".
Creating a new language of dance.
Thumbnail for "Lynsey Addario".
With her memoir, It’s What I Do, Lynsey Addario explains how and why she covers war.
Thumbnail for "Rohan Spong".
Winter at Westbeth shines a light on artists and aging.
Thumbnail for "Nicholas Rodriguez".
Bringing a modern sensibility to classic characters.
Thumbnail for "Vaddey Ratner".
Surviving the Khmer Rouge and honoring those who didn’t.
Thumbnail for "Voices from the Art League’s IMPArt Program".
Creating art; changing lives.
Thumbnail for "Ted Nash".
With Presidential Suite, Ted Nash transforms iconic political speeches into an inventive jazz composition.
Thumbnail for "Kelly Link".
Pretty Monsters combines the ordinary and the magical—with flair.
Thumbnail for "Marcus Samuelsson".
Creating new flavors with traditional food.
Thumbnail for "Alex Lacamoire".
Alex Lacamoire on bringing Hamilton and In the Heights to life on the stage.
Thumbnail for "Adriana Sananes".
Moving between Spanish and English on stage and on the page.
Thumbnail for "Theresa Secord".
Bringing an ancient art form into the 21st century.
Thumbnail for "Ron Rash".
No one tells stories embedded in Southern Appalachia with more grit or more beauty.
Thumbnail for "Mike Vlahovich".
Restoring wooden boats and keeping alive the culture of the working waterfront.
Thumbnail for "Earl Mosley".
The Earl Mosley Institute of the Arts uses dance to create a community of young men.
Thumbnail for "Michael Berry".
Michael Berry reflects on the art of translating Yu Hua’s influential novel and new Big Read title To Live into English.
Thumbnail for "Joe Standart".
Using empty storefront windows as his gallery, Standart exhibits “WE ARE- A Nation of Immigrants” in the heart of New London, CT.
Thumbnail for "Mickela Mallozzi".
As host of the Emmy Award-winning series, Mickela Mallozzi travels the world learning the traditional dances and music of each place she visits.
Thumbnail for "Shannon O'Neill and Brandon Scott Jones".
Pushing the boundaries of improvisation.
Thumbnail for "Amy Saidman".
Everyone has a story; Story District helps tell it.
Thumbnail for "Frances McElroy".
Black Ballerina looks at different generations of dancers, but is it the same story?
Thumbnail for "Justin Cronin".
Justin Cronin brings his post-apocalyptic Passage trilogy to a close with The City of Mirrors.
Thumbnail for "Billy McComiskey".
Building a community for traditional Irish music.
Thumbnail for "Kao Kalia Yang".
A personal story that speaks to the moment.  
Thumbnail for "Lin-Manuel Miranda".
His life in the theater didn’t begin with Hamilton.
Thumbnail for "Amy Jordan".
Founding her company after a near-fatal accident, Amy’s work is an exuberant affirmation.
Thumbnail for "Rachel Moore".
In her new book, Rachel Moore gives practical advice and strategic insight for creating a career in the performing arts.
Thumbnail for "Brian McDonald".
 Creating opportunities for veterans who are artists.
Thumbnail for "Kassie Hilgert".
Reclaiming the abandoned Bethlehem Steel Plant for the arts gives a region new life.
Thumbnail for "James McBride".
McBride’s latest book looks to understand what shaped James Brown-- one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Thumbnail for "Lin-Manuel Miranda".
Making history on Broadway.
Thumbnail for "Michael Witmore".
Shakespeare’s World and Ours.
Thumbnail for "Mickey Rowe".
A young professional autistic actor makes his difference work on the stage.  
Thumbnail for "Jan Beatty".
The poetry of the working class.
Thumbnail for "Gary Burton".
One of the great jazz virtuosos take us through his musical journey.
Thumbnail for "Wendy Oxenhorn".
Keeping the music alive and the musicians playing.
Thumbnail for "Dr. Johnnetta Cole".
Dr. Cole’s mission is to inspire a love of art especially in girls from under-represented communities.
Thumbnail for "Belinda McKeon".
In her novels, Solace and Tender, she paints an unsentimental picture of Ireland.
Thumbnail for "Akua Kouyate-Tate".
Wolf Trap is integrating art with fundamental science and math learning for young children and the data show significant results.
Thumbnail for "Kirsten Greenidge".
In her new work Baltimore, playwright Kirsten Greenidge grapples with the issue of race on college campuses.
Thumbnail for "Archie Shepp".
Archie Shepp shares his musical biography—and his thoughts about the legacy of African-American music.
Thumbnail for "Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills".
Poets and social workers, the twins’ primary audience have been Wilmington’s underserved children.
Thumbnail for "Rashod Ollison".
In his memoir Soul Serenade, Ollison describes how music was a lifeline during a difficult upbringing.
Thumbnail for "Lynn Nottage".
Giving voice to the human cost of workers without work.
Thumbnail for "Harrell Fletcher".
Harrell Fletcher shares his passion for social practice—creative projects in communities that are by, for, and of the residents.
Thumbnail for "John Adams".
Creating American music that’s intense, sensual, and meaningful.
Thumbnail for "Kasandra Ver Brugghen".
 Teaching the next generation of digital artists.
Thumbnail for "Julianna Baggott".
Harriet Wolf’s Seventh Book of Wonders took Julianna Baggott 18 years to write… Julianna discusses how writing 14 other novels in a variety of genres, three collections of poetry, and a children’s series helped her finish Harriet Wolf.
Thumbnail for "The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians".
A half-century of musical innovation and self-determination, told by AACM co-founder (currently AACM-New York president) and 2010 NEA Jazz Master Muhal Richard Abrams, current AACM-Chicago chairman Ernest Dawkins, and AACM member and 2014 NEA Jazz Master Anthony Braxton.
Thumbnail for "Dave Porter".
Dave Porter’s iconic music is an essential part of the story: Think Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul.
Thumbnail for "Wayne T. Carr".
From Pericles to Tupac Shakur, Wayne Carr embodies fully-realized characters on the stage.
Thumbnail for "Tazewell Thompson".
Tazewell Thompson may be wowing critics and audiences with his direction of the opera Appomattox, but he’s an equally brilliant theater director and playwright.
Thumbnail for "Joseph P. Riley".
After 40 years, Joseph Riley steps down from being mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, leaving a legacy that demands art and beauty in the everyday.
Thumbnail for "Jane Alexander".
Jane Alexander reflects on her time at the NEA, her life-long love affair with theater, and the centrality of art to the human experience.
Thumbnail for "Mike Mignola".
Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy, still loves drawing monsters.
Thumbnail for "Richard Hunt".
Richard Hunt talks about creating large pieces of abstract art for public spaces and reflects on his time on the National Council of the Arts.
Thumbnail for "Karen Zacarias".
Karen Zacarias is the most produced Latina playwright in the nation. Now, she brings the telenovela to the stage with Destiny of Desire.
Thumbnail for "Kevin Locke".
By performing and teaching Lakota flute and dance, Kevin Locke brings the past and the future together.
Thumbnail for "Dolly Jacobs".
Most kids run away from home to join the circus. For Dolly Jacobs, it was a family affair.
Thumbnail for "Kevin McKenzie".
They got the first grant from the NEA back in 1965 and are celebrating their own long history.
Thumbnail for "Juan Felipe Herrera".
The new poet laureate of the United States and two-time NEA fellow calls for everyone's heart to speak out.
Thumbnail for "Dan Sheehy".
A life in the folk and traditional arts.
Thumbnail for "Sara Colangelo".
Her debut feature film Little Accidents takes us into the heart of a coal-mining town.
Thumbnail for "Vicente Gutierrez".
How a writer created the music magazine he wanted to read.
Thumbnail for "Howard Herring".
Reimagining the presentation of classical music.
Thumbnail for "Squonk Opera Revealed".
Find out about the artistic exuberance that is Squonk Opera.
Thumbnail for "Simi Linton".
Equality, justice, and a place on the dance floor.
Thumbnail for "Rebecca Makkai".
From beautifully crafted short fiction to page-turning gothic novels, Rebecca Makkai puts art at the heart of her work.
Thumbnail for "Wayne Henderson".
Wayne Henderson on his distinctive guitars and his distinctive sound.
Thumbnail for "Ann Meier Baker".
Meet a woman who crawled under barbed wire to get on a professional stage.
Thumbnail for "Donald Sanders".
Ensemble for the Romantic Century blends chamber music with fully staged dramas and changes both theater and concerts in the process.
Thumbnail for "Jilann Spitzmiller".
Still Dreaming documents octogenarian actors taking on Shakespeare at the Lillian Booth Actors' Home.
Thumbnail for "Rahim AlHaj".
Speaking the universal language of music.
Thumbnail for "Edwidge Danticat".
We explore the writing of her powerful memoir, Brother, I’m Dying.
Thumbnail for "Joe Wilson".
2001 NEA National Heritage Fellow Joe Wilson weaves his storytelling spell into the history of Blue Ridge Mountain culture.
Thumbnail for "Graham Beal".
Graham Beal takes us behind the scenes of the new exhibit Frida Kalho and Diego Rivera in Detroit and shares his support for the Blue Star Museum Program.
Thumbnail for "Ric Burns".
Ric Burns' documentary American Ballet Theatre: A History celebrates dance and ABT’s 75th Anniversary.
Thumbnail for "Vera Nakonechny".
Ukrainian embroiderer, weaver and bead worker Vera Nakonechny keeps a traditional culture alive.
Thumbnail for "Dan Vera".
Speaking Wiri Wiri and translating the immigrant experience.
Thumbnail for "Brando Skyhorse".
He had a childhood no one could make up—with his memoir, he creates order from the chaos.
Thumbnail for "Carla Bley".
Writing for big bands, choirs, and small ensembles, Carla Bley remains a graceful and innovative voice for progressive jazz.
Thumbnail for "Taylor Mali".
Four-time National Poetry Slam champion Taylor Mali connects stage and page.
Thumbnail for "Charles Lloyd".
The saxophonist/flutist/composer talks about expanding the tradition and language of jazz.
Thumbnail for "Sam White".
Sam White loves Shakespeare and loves her hometown Detroit. So she emptied her bank account and started a site-specific professional theater company, Shakespeare in Detroit. It’s amazing.
Thumbnail for "Tonya Beckman".
Actor Tonya Beckman: a core member of the Taffety Punk Theater Company and a Riot Grrrl in good standing. Classical theater with a difference.
Thumbnail for "Deborah Bond".
Dual Lives: Deborah Bond sings like a dream, has three cds and tours internationally. But she still needs a day job to pay the bills.
Thumbnail for "Tayari Jones".
Tayari Jones: an author who loves the process of writing.
Thumbnail for "Raymond Arsenault".
Raymond Arsenault's book The Sound of Freedom examines the 30-minute concert by Marian Anderson that helped move a nation forward.
Thumbnail for "Sam Pollard".
Filmmaker Sam Pollard talks about his new documentary August Wilson: The Ground on which I Stand.
Thumbnail for "Thomas W. Jones II".
Makes sense of the world through theater.
Thumbnail for "Carolyn Mazloomi".
Carolyn Mazloomi shines a powerful light on the African-American community through narrative quilts.
Thumbnail for "Harold Kyle".
Auto Mechanic Harold Kyle plays with movement, balance, and shadows in his sculpture.
Thumbnail for "Maria Rosario Jackson".
Maria Rosario Jackson talks about urban planning with art at its heart.
Thumbnail for "The Philadelphia Museum of Art celebrates 200 years of African American Art!".
Organizing curator John Vick and consulting curator/editor Dr. Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw tell us about its rich history.
Thumbnail for "Dinaw Mengestu".
In All Our Names, Dinaw Mengestu explores unlikely love in the midst of conflict.
Thumbnail for "Barry Bergey".
Barry Bergey shares some memories about a lifetime immersed in folk and traditional arts.
Thumbnail for "Ping Chong".
Ping Chong, a visionary citizen-artist and six-time NEA grantee, connects racial history to our current unrest in his recent play, Collidescope: Adventures in Pre- and Post-Racial America.
Thumbnail for "A Lesson from ELI (Education Leadership Institute): work together to bring the arts to all students".
Diana Green and Cathy Gassenheimer have a mission: Arts Education for Every Alabama pre-k thru 12 Student!
Thumbnail for "Nathaniel Philbrick".
In a slim, lucid and compulsively readable book, Nathaniel Philbrick makes an enthusiastic case for taking a look at Melville’s classic Moby-Dick.
Thumbnail for "Cleveland: At the intersection of the arts and healing".
Find out from Maria Jukic, executive director of Cleveland’s Clinic’s Arts and Medicine Institute and Tom Schorgl, director of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.
Thumbnail for "Fred Foote".
The neurologist/holistic practioneer knows first-hand the healing power of the arts for veterans.
Thumbnail for "Max Brooks".
Max Brooks, author of World War Z, really isn’t kidding when it comes to zombies.
Thumbnail for "Jesmyn Ward".
In her memoir Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward attempts to understand the links in the untimely deaths of her brother and four friends.
Thumbnail for "Nicole Gomez Fisher".
Nicole Gomez Fisher brings it all back home in her film, Sleeping with the Fishes. And goes on to win the award for Best New Director at the Brooklyn Film Festival.
Thumbnail for "Yvonne Walker Keshick".
Quill worker and 2014 National Heritage Fellow brings a Native-American tradition into the 21st century.
Thumbnail for "Ramón “Chunky” Sánchez".
For 40 years, Chunky Sanchez has playing and singing the stories of the Chicano people.
Thumbnail for "Carla Perlo".
How Dance Place’s open door policy helped transform an underserved neighborhood into a vital arts district.
Thumbnail for "The Singing and Praying Bands of Maryland and Delaware".
Rev. Jerry Colbert shares one of the oldest African-American music traditions.
Thumbnail for "Kevin Doyle".
Kevin Doyle talks about his life-long passion for dance.
Thumbnail for "Curator Leslie Umberger on artist Ralph Fasanella".
Blue-collar worker and union organizer Ralph Fasanella would have been 100 this week.  His paintings of urban working class people struggling and thriving continue to live on.
Thumbnail for "Jonathan Tucker".
The DC Youth Slam Team is an award-winning internationally acclaimed poetry group. Listen to their poems and find out how it all comes together.
Thumbnail for "Elizabeth McCracken".
Elizabeth McCracken gives us her take on the differences in writing novels, short stories, and tweets.
Thumbnail for "Dorothy Lawson and Ralph Farris, of the new music quartet ETHEL".
Believing that music is a unifying force, ETHEL has joined forces with musicians across genres and regions and built a family of artists along the way.
Thumbnail for "Francisco Nunez".
2011 MacArthur Fellow Francisco Nunez brings together New York youth of all backgrounds and together they create beautiful music and an inclusive community.
Thumbnail for "Ellsworth Kelly".
Ellsworth Kelly: the gloriousness of color and form.
Thumbnail for "Bora Yoon".
Bora Yoon talks about building the sonic design of her album Sunken Cathedral.
Thumbnail for "Julie Otsuka".
Julie Otsuka’s first novel When the Emperor Was Divine explores her family’s history in the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II.
Thumbnail for "Roy Haynes and Gerald Wilson".
Two legends look at their careers in jazz.
Thumbnail for "Séamus Connolly".
It's a tuneful podcast as we go to the heart of Irish music with Seamus Connolly.
Thumbnail for "Janet Kagan".
Art-Force: Artists revitalizing rural manufacturing.
Thumbnail for "Jennifer Pickering".
For Jennifer Pickering, all art is both local and global and LEAF is that philosophy in action.
Thumbnail for "Dinaw Mengestu".
The author discusses the NEA Big Read selection, The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, his novel about an Ethiopian exile in a gentrifying Washington, DC neighborhood.
Thumbnail for "Remembering War through Art".
This Memorial Day Weekend, conversations about Blue Star Museums and the healing power of art, Jacob Lawrences's War Series, and a poem by veteran Lynn Hill.
Thumbnail for "Adam Sherlock".
Behind the scenes of “Sending Messages,” the award-winning monthly podcast produced by incarcerated youth.
Thumbnail for "Sheila Black".
Disability through the lens of poetry. 
Thumbnail for "David Mura".
David Mura uses his considerable talents as a poet, novelist, memoirist and performer to explore what it means to be Japanese-American.
Thumbnail for "Shailja Patel".
With a trunk full of her mother’s saris, Kenyan author and performer Shaija Patel reclaims a lost history. 
Thumbnail for "Sherrie Maricle".
Sherrie Maricle has played with jazz legends, leads an all-woman big band, and forges new roads for women in jazz.
Thumbnail for "Verónica Castillo".
In Translation: Verónica Castillo expands a traditional Mexican art form, the Tree of Life, to express the need for social justice in the 21st century.
Thumbnail for "Carol Fran".
Louisiana Swamp blues singer, composer and pianist Carol Fran looks back at her 60-year career.
Thumbnail for "Morgan Neville".
Meet some of the greatest back-up singers! It may be only Twenty Feet from Stardom but director Morgan Neville shows us just how long that walk can be.
Thumbnail for "Brian Kisida".
"Art Makes You Smart" and Brian Kisida co-published a study that proves it! [27:05]
Thumbnail for "Allen Toussaint".
It's a music-filled podcast with New Orleans composer, producer, and pianist Allen Toussaint who combines elegance with funk. [29:29]
Thumbnail for "Pratibha Parmar".
Pratibha Parmar discusses making the recent documentary about an iconic American writer, Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth, which can be seen on the American Masters’ website.
Thumbnail for "Daniel Beaty".
Daniel Beaty's play and bravura performance in The Tallest Tree in the Forest shines a light on the artistry and activism of Paul Robeson.
Thumbnail for "Tope Folarin".
Tope Folarin becomes the first writer born outside of Africa to win the Caine Prize with his short story set in Texas in an evangelical Nigerian church. 
Thumbnail for "Jen Masengarb".
Jen Masengarb explains Chicago's rich architectural legacy and CAF’s role in bringing it public awareness. 
Thumbnail for "Jeff Orlowski".
Jeff Orlowski goes to the Arctic to film James Balog’s documentation of the rapidly disappearing glaciers. We hear all about it. 
Thumbnail for "Kathy Connell".
Here’s a peak at the Screen Actors’ Guild or SAG Award--the show where actors honor actors. 
Thumbnail for "Keith Jarrett".
Pianist Keith Jarrett - letting the music happen. [34:27]
Thumbnail for "Anthony Braxton".
Anthony Braxton may be considered avant garde but he embraces all musical traditions.
Thumbnail for "Richard Davis, Part 2".
Bassist Richard Davis talks about his musical life outside of jazz -- working with folks like Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky. 
Thumbnail for "Richard Davis, Part 1".
One of the great bassists Richard Davis remembers a few of jazz musicians he's played with -- like Sun Ra, Ahmad Jamal, Sarah Vaughan, Elvin Jones, and Eric Dolphy.
Thumbnail for "Jamey Aebersold".
Musician and teacher Jamey Aebersold believes that anyone can improvise and he's developed the tools to show them how. [27:11]
Thumbnail for "Kati Texas".
Kati Texas takes us behind the scenes of the Kinetic Sculpture Race, Grand Championship, where art and science go to play. [28:10]
Thumbnail for "Tarell McCraney".
McCraney shares his exuberant passion for live performance and his determination to bring theater to underserved kids in Miami.
Thumbnail for "Matt Kaplan".
Matt Kaplan takes a scientific look at the monsters that scare us…and why we love it. 
Thumbnail for "David Ivey".
Sacred Harp singer David Ivey both preserves the tradition and widens the circle.
Thumbnail for "Nicholson Baker".
Nicholson Baker may have written three exuberant sex novels, but he turns to his other passion in his latest book, Traveling Sprinkler: the extraordinary details of the ordinary.
Thumbnail for "Sheila Kay Adams".
In the second part of a two-part interview, we hear Sheila as storyteller and learn about some of the folks who lived in Sodom, North Carolina.
Thumbnail for "Sheila Kay Adams".
Singer, musician and storyteller Sheila Kay Adams talks about (and sings) songs brought over from England, Scotland, and Ireland in the mid-17th century and kept alive by the people in the mountains of North Carolina. 
Thumbnail for "Benjamin Percy".
In his current novel, Red Moon, Ben Percy serves up a hybrid of horror and literature to tell a story about our lives today. [35:10]
Thumbnail for "Old Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, VA".
The 78th Old Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, Virginia. Where music happens on and off the stage. [32:13]
Thumbnail for "Tony Kushner".
In the second of our two-part interview, talk about his latest play and his screenplay for the movie, Lincoln. 
Thumbnail for "Tony Kushner".
In part 1 of a two-part interview, Tony Kushner talks about his early attraction to theater and writing Angels in America. [28:50]
Thumbnail for "Laurie Olin".
Laurie Olin on the work of landscape architecture—balancing nature and cultivation. [32:45]
Thumbnail for "Nancy Buirski".
Nancy Buirski discusses her prize-winning documentary, The Loving Story, a look at a couple’s decision to remain a family and challenge Virginia’s miscegenation laws. 
Thumbnail for "Joan Myers Brown".
Founder of Philadanco!, Joan Myers Brown reflects on what goes into building a leading African-American dance company and school. [27:29]
Thumbnail for "Daisy Castro".
16 year-old Daisy Castro gets to the heart of gypsy jazz. 
Thumbnail for "Heather Wood".
Heather Wood talks about the joys and challenges of performing Shakespeare. 
Thumbnail for "Andre Dubus III".
Andre Dubus III's memoir Townie isn’t a literary coming of age story. It’s an exploration of violence and absence. 
Thumbnail for "Manil Suri".
The City of Devi, an apocalyptic sex comedy and love story, is the third book in Manil Suri’s trilogy centered on Mumbai. [26:08]
Thumbnail for "Marna Stalcup".
Teaching Portland's children core curriculum through the arts. [30:06]
Thumbnail for "Stephan Jost".
Stephan Jost discusses how the Honolulu Museum of Art works to serve its military community. 
Thumbnail for "Robert Ward".
Toward the end of his life, Robert Ward discussed his remarkable career in music. 
Thumbnail for "Terry Tempest Williams".
In her latest book, When Women Were Birds, Terry Tempest Williams explores the legacy of her mother’s journals. [28:11]
Thumbnail for "Elda Rotor and John Morgan".
The team behind the new app Poems by Heart discuss how they combine great gaming with classic poetry.
Thumbnail for "Adam Johnson".
2010 NEA Literature Fellow Adam Johnson talks the challenges of setting a novel in North Korea.
Thumbnail for "Antonio Sanchez".
Antonio Sanchez talks about the melody of jazz drumming and his new CD, New Life.
Thumbnail for "Lynn Hill".
Lynn Hill discusses her participation in "Holding It Down" -- Vijay Iyer's and Mike Ladd's performance piece based on the dreams of veterans of color. [26:44]
Thumbnail for "George Wein".
A conversation with George Wein, the man who launched the first outdoor jazz festival in the US--the legendary Newport Jazz Festival.
Thumbnail for "Lillian Faderman".
Lillian Faderman's writes a "reconstructed memoir" about her mother's life as an immigrant factory worker and single mother during the Great Depression.
Thumbnail for "Rachael Holmes".
At the intersection of theater and social activism: Citizen Artist Rachael Holmes.
Thumbnail for "M. Evelina Galang".
M. Evelina Galang's work spans generations with her writing of young Filipina-Americans and the surviving World War II "comfort women." 
Thumbnail for "Mary Zimmerman".
Mary Zimmerman discusses her approach to creating a play. 
Thumbnail for "Jennie C. Jones".
The winner of the 2012 Joyce Wein Artist Prize discusses the relationship in her work between visual art and sonic art. 
Thumbnail for "Frank Price, part 2".
In the 2nd part of our interview, Frank Price talks about the business of film making as well as some of the iconic films he’s made, including Tootsie, Gandhi, and Boyz in the Hood. 
Thumbnail for "Frank Price, part 1".
In the first of a two-part interview, Frank Price talks about his early days as a television writer and producer of shows like The Virginian and Columbo. 
Thumbnail for "Nick Cave".
Nick Cave, chosen to participate in the U.S. State Department's Arts-in-Embassies program, talks about his Sound Suits, a unique blend of sculpture, fashion, and dance.
Thumbnail for "Michael Tilson Thomas".
Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas discusses his dual career as conductor and educator. [30:49]
Thumbnail for "Caron Atlas".
Bread and Roses in a Brooklyn shelter: Caron Atlas demonstrates how the arts can be a critical component of disaster relief.
Thumbnail for "Taylor Branch".
Taylor Branch discusses his trilogy of the Civil Rights Movement America in the King Years. 
Thumbnail for "Eddie Palmieri".
Pianist, bandleader, composer and 2013 NEA Jazz Master talks about his innovative music blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz.
Thumbnail for "Lorraine Gordon".
The owner of the legendary club, The Village Vanguard, talks about her life in jazz. 
Thumbnail for "Lou Donaldson".
Sweet Poppa Lou talks about the musical roots of his swinging bop saxophone sound. [38:23]
Thumbnail for "Pete Seeger".
Pete Seeger returns to talk about his music and its roots. [31:50]
Thumbnail for "Pete Seeger".
Pete Seeger remembers his friend, Woody Guthrie. [21:13]
Thumbnail for "Mel Tillis".
Singer/songwriter Mel Tillis tells stories about his career and how performing helped him cope with his stutter. [29:43]
Thumbnail for "Dennis Yerry".
Dennis Yerry discusses his multi-faceted career as Native American composer, arranger and musician AND as a jazz pianist and cabaret performer. [29:27]
Thumbnail for "Bonnie Fogel".
The founder of a young people's theater organization discusses the critical need children have for theater and arts education. [29:40]
Thumbnail for "Josh McManus".
Josh McManus talks about the thousand little things that make up creative placemaking. [27:17]
Thumbnail for "Laura Lippman on Edgar Allan Poe".
Mystery Writer Laura Lippman talks about the terrifying brilliance of Edgar Allan Poe. [29:32]
Thumbnail for "Josh Ritter".
Indie singer Josh Ritter talks about writing, composing, and performing. [27:58]
Thumbnail for "Clive Gillinson".
Clive Gillinson on bringing Carnegie Hall to all New Yorkers. [34:36]
Thumbnail for "The Paschall Brothers".
Three generations of Paschalls have brought beautiful harmonies to their community. 
Thumbnail for "Harold Burnham".
Harold Burnham keeps the Essex shipbuilding tradition alive and vibrant.
Thumbnail for "Margot Livesey".
Author Margot Livesey discusses The Flight of Gemma Hardy -- her reimagining of Jane Eyre. [32:40]
Thumbnail for "Al Head".
Arts Advocate Al Head discusses the profound impact of traditional arts on communities. [28:50]
Thumbnail for "John Collins".
Backstage with the director of Gatz, a play that takes as its text F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic of and about the Jazz Age. 
Thumbnail for "Christopher Paul Curtis".
Christopher Paul Curtis
Thumbnail for "Bryan Doerries".
Bryan Doerries discusses how bringing Greek tragedies to service members opens up new conversations.
Thumbnail for "Richard Currey".
A writer and Vietnam Veteran discusses Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried.
Thumbnail for "Michele Lowe".
Michele Lowe discusses the process that moved her award-winning play Inana from page to stage. [32:07]
Thumbnail for "Ron Capps".
Ron Capps helps returning service members write their way home.
Thumbnail for "Luke Stewart and Gio Russonello".
Capital Bop expanding the DC’s jazz audience in unexpected places. [32:22]
Thumbnail for "Yeohlee Teng".
Yeohlee Teng talks about her design philosophy and her work with Making Midtown, an initiative to reinvigorate creative production in NYC’s garment district.
Thumbnail for "Sarah Cash".
Sarah Cash discusses the making of a great collection of American art.
Thumbnail for "Andy Statman".
In part 2 of our conversation with Andy Statman, we follow his musical path as he blends  klezmer, jazz, blues, and bluegrass into a distinctive musical voice. 
Thumbnail for "Andy Statman".
In the first of two-part interview, musical wonder Andy Statman talks about his early musical career, including the importance of bluegrass for a boy born in Brooklyn. [31:04]
Thumbnail for "Dean Bakopoulos".
Dean Bakopoulos discusses his first novel about fathers and sons in middle America's working class. 
Thumbnail for "William Wegman".
You may know him as the guy who takes surreal pictures of his Weimaraners; but that's just one strand of William Wegman's long and varied career. 
Thumbnail for "Na'alehu Anthony".
Na'alehu Anthony discusses his documentary about traditional Polynesian open sea canoeing and its significance to the revitalization of Hawaiian culture. [29:47]
Thumbnail for "Melissa Walker".
Melissa Walker discusses healing wounded service members through art at Walter Reed.
Thumbnail for "Natalie Merchant".
Natalie Merchant discusses her love of poetry.
Thumbnail for "Maxine Hong Kingston".
Maxine Hong Kingston discusses her path-breaking books. 
Thumbnail for "Jonah Lehrer".
Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works, discusses the new science of creativity.
Thumbnail for "Delfeayo Marsalis".
Delfeayo Marsalis: it's all in the family. [34:32]
Thumbnail for "Claudia Rankine".
Claudia Rankine discusses her play The Provenance of Beauty: A South Bronx Travelogue. 
Thumbnail for "Benny Golson".
Benny Golson ‘s life is a who's who in jazz! [40:38]
Thumbnail for "Ahmad Jamal".
Ahmad Jamal discusses his long and celebrated career.
Thumbnail for "Sheila Jordan".
Sheila Jordan talks about her life in jazz. 
Thumbnail for "Sarah Greenough".
The editor of My Faraway One: Selected Letters of Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, Vol 1 discusses the relationship of the two artists.
Thumbnail for "Liz Carroll".
Liz Carroll talks about and demonstrates the multiplicity of Irish music.
Thumbnail for "Laura Lippman".
Laura Lippman talks about crime fiction, journalism and the social novel. 
Thumbnail for "Aditi Brennan Kapil".
Aditi Brennan Kapil discusses the ways her mixed cultural background informed her play, Agnes Under the Big Top: A Tall Story. [29:32]
Thumbnail for "André Watts".
André Watts remembers the early years of his career.
Thumbnail for "Rita Dove".
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove talks about her writing with a focus on her most recent book of poems, Sonata Mullatica. 
Thumbnail for "Stanley Nelson".
Stanley Nelson discusses his award-winning documentary Freedom Riders. [29:39]
Thumbnail for "Robert Battle".
Robert Battle discusses his first season as artistic head of the Alvin Ailey company.
Thumbnail for "Meredith Monk".
Meredith Monk reflects on her 45-year career as a performance artist.
Thumbnail for "Meejin Yoon".
Meejin Yoon talks about creating work at the intersection of art, architecture, landscape, and technology.
Thumbnail for "Jack DeJohnette".
Part 2: The 2012 Jazz Master discusses his approach to music.
Thumbnail for "Jack DeJohnette".
Part 1: Legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette talks about his early career.
Thumbnail for "Aaron Diehl".
The gifted 26-year-old pianist talks about making a career in jazz. 
Thumbnail for "Stephen Manes".
Stephen Manes discusses his book Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear, his inside look at a full season of Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet. [24:58]
Thumbnail for "Jimmy Owens".
Trumpeter and flugelhorn player, composer, arranger, educator, and advocate Jimmy Owens talks about his life in jazz. 
Thumbnail for "Brenda Wineapple".
Literary biographer Brenda Wineapple discusses her book, White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. [28:47]
Thumbnail for "Keri Putnam".
Keri Putnam discusses Film Forward, an initiative of the Sundance Institute and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Now in its second year, the program aims to enhance cross-cultural understanding, collaboration and dialogue through film. [25:49]
Thumbnail for "Tim O'Brien".
Tim O'Brien, who served in Vietnam, talks about his novel (and Big Read selection) The Things They Carried  and how fiction can often tell a deeper truth about war.  [29:34]
Thumbnail for "Jimmy Heath".
Saxophonist, composer and arranger Jimmy Heath talks about his storied career and some of the jazz greats he’s played with.
Thumbnail for "Marc Scorca".
Marc Scorca celebrates opera in America and the 2011 NEA Opera Honorees. 
Thumbnail for "Kerry Henderson".
Kerry Henderson talks about co-creating a festival from scratch in a small mountain town with little money and a lot of help from friends and neighbors.
Thumbnail for "John Conklin".
Stage Designer John Conklin discusses opera as a collaborative event. 
Thumbnail for "Billy Luther".
Billy Luther explores different facets of his heritage in his documentaries. His latest looks at a little known celebration of the Laguna Pueblo, Grab Day. 
Thumbnail for "Morris Robinson".
Meet Morris Robinson, who was an All-American at The Citadel, started studying voice at the age of 30, and sings at the great opera houses throughout the country.
Thumbnail for "Simon Shaheen".
The 1994 NEA National Heritage Fellow, violinist, and oud player discusses his merging of Arab and western musical traditions. 
Thumbnail for "Led Kaapana".
Slack key guitar master Led Kaapana talks about making music the Hawaiian way. 
Thumbnail for "Wesley Stace (AKA John Wesley Harding)".
A conversation with songwriter/novelist Wesley Stace who performs under the stage name John Wesley Harding.
Thumbnail for "Sara Coffey".
Co-Founder of the Vermont Performance Lab, Sara Coffey talks about creating spaces and community support for contemporary dance in rural Vermont.  [26:06]
Thumbnail for "Roy and PJ Hirabayashi".
Co-founders of San Jose Taiko, Roy and PJ Hirabayashi talk about the importance of this traditional art in the Asian American community. [28:34]
Thumbnail for "Nic Muni".
Innovative director Nic Muni talks about the challenges and rewards of producing opera.
Thumbnail for "David Seidler".
David Seidler talks about his film, The King's Speech, and his own struggle with stuttering.
Thumbnail for "Gary Giddins".
Jazz writer Gary Giddins on the incomparable Louis Armstrong. 
Thumbnail for "Jay Salinas".
A look at Wormfarm where art, agriculture, community, and creativity blossom.
Thumbnail for "Creative Placemaking in Miami".
Three of Miami’s cultural organizers talk about the  power of art in building community. 
Thumbnail for "John Maeda".
John Maeda: designing at the intersection of art and technology.
Thumbnail for "Liz Lerman, Part 2".
In part 2 of our conversation with Choreographer Liz Lerman, we explore false dichotomies, including the one that opposes art to science. 
Thumbnail for "Liz Lerman, Part 1".
Liz Lerman: Conversing through dance. 
Thumbnail for "Jim 'Texas Shorty' Chancellor".
2010 National Heritage Fellow Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor talks about the great tradition of Texas fiddling. [25:43]
Thumbnail for "Debra Granik".
Director Debra Granik discusses her award-winning film, Winter's Bone. [24:16]
Thumbnail for "Youngblood".
Youngblood co-directors Graeme Gillis and R.J. Tolan talk about a unique organization for up-and-coming playwrights. [22:25]
Thumbnail for "Sean Wilentz".
Here's part 2 of our conversation with Sean Wilentz, author of Bob Dylan in America. [28:26]
Thumbnail for "Sean Wilentz".
Sean Wilentz discusses his biography of 2009 National Medal of Arts recipient Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan in America. 
Thumbnail for "Charles Randolph-Wright".
Charles Randolph-Wright talks about directing Lynn Nottage's play Ruined at Arena Stage.
Thumbnail for "Howard Shalwitz".
Howard Shalwitz talks about the theater company’s production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park. 
Thumbnail for "Gary Giddins".
The great jazz writer Gary Giddins talks about the great jazz legend Duke Ellington.
Thumbnail for "Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz".
Poet Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz talks about slam poetry and community.
Thumbnail for "Randy Weston".
Jazz Master Randy Weston talks about the music he loves.
Thumbnail for "Kevin Young".
Poet Kevin Young talks about his book, Ardency: A Chronicle of the Amistad Rebels. [23:45]
Thumbnail for "Christian McBride".
Bassist Christian McBride talks about jazz. 
Thumbnail for "Milton Glaser".
A talk about art and design with National Medal of Arts recipient, Milton Glaser. 
Thumbnail for "Jennifer Egan".
Novelist Jennifer Egan talks about her National Book Critics Circle Award-Winning book, A Visit from the Goon Squad. [29:24]
Thumbnail for "Linda Murray".
Linda Murray talks about her organization Solas Nua, the only organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to contemporary Irish arts. 
Thumbnail for "Valerie Boyd".
Biographer Valerie Boyd talks about the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston. 
Thumbnail for "John Williams".
2009 National Medal of Arts recipient, composer John Williams discusses the art of scoring films. 
Thumbnail for "Mary Jackson".
NEA National Heritage fellow Mary Jackson talks about the art and tradition of sweetgrass basketmaking.
Thumbnail for "Ron Carter".
NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter, bassist/cellist/educator extraordinaire, talks about his career playing jazz and classical music. 
Thumbnail for "Anna Deveare Smith".
Playwright, actor, and activist Anna Deveare Smith talks about her extraordinary career and her current one-woman show, Let Me Down Easy.
Thumbnail for "Isabel Wilkerson".
Isabel Wilkerson talks about her book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, focusing on the transfer of Southern culture to the North, creating a new, vibrant culture in the country.
Thumbnail for "Azar Nafisi".
Author of two memoirs about her life in Iran, Reading Lolita in Tehran and Things I've Been Silent About, Azar Nafisi talks about her books, her life in Iran, her parents, the Iranian Revolution, and, of course, the power of literature. 
Thumbnail for "Bert Crenca".
Bert Crenca talks about founding the community arts center AS220, its interaction with the city Providence, and its arts education offshoot AS220 Youth.
Thumbnail for "Luis Alberto Urrea".
Author Luis Alberto Urrea talks about the inspiration for and writing of his novel Into the Beautiful North, which takes place from Sinaloa, Mexico, all the way up north to Kankakee, Illinois. 
Thumbnail for "Dan Morgenstern".
Dan Morgenstern, recipient of the 2007 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy, discusses the 2011 class of NEA Jazz Masters. [27:27]
Thumbnail for "Molly Smith".
Molly Smith talks about American theater, including the often-overlooked musical, her commitment to new play development, and her vision for the newly-renovated Arena Stage at the Mead Center.
Thumbnail for "Shirley Sneve".
Shirley Sneve talks about the mission of the Native American Public Telecommunications organization, which shares stories of Native American people through the creation, promotion, and distribution of Native media on television and radio. 
Thumbnail for "Sebastian Ruth".
2010 MacArthur Fellow Sebastian Ruth talks about the community-based arts organization he founded, Community MusicWorks, which won a 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award for its teaching, mentoring, and performing activities with urban youth in Providence, Rhode Island. [27:11]
Thumbnail for "Parker Esse".
Choreographer Parker Esse talks about his experience creating new choreography for Arena Stage's revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical Oklahoma!.
Thumbnail for "Jeffrey Sweet".
Jeffrey Sweet talks about the revitalization of theater in Chicago through the Second City and other theater companies, as well as his own experience as a playwright and the art of theater and musical theater.  
Thumbnail for "Frank Stella".
One of the most well-regarded postwar American artists still working, Frank Stella discusses his five-decade career in the visual arts, from paintings to sculptures to murals to architecture. 
Thumbnail for "Chuck Brown".
Musician Chuck Brown talks about his career, from honing his chops in prison in Lorton, Virginia, to developing his own musical genre in DC: go-go music. 
Thumbnail for "David DiChiera".
The only general director to found and lead two opera companies (Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Pacific), David DiChiera talks about his career, bringing opera to Detroit audiences, and composing his first opera in his 60s. 
Thumbnail for "Martina Arroyo".
Legendary soprano Martina Arroyo talks about her career in opera, including working with such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti. 
Thumbnail for "Natasha Wimmer".
Natasha Wimmer was awarded an NEA Literature Fellowship in 2007 to translate Roberto Bolaño's epic novel 2666. In this interview, she discusses the complexities of translating Bolaño's work and other tribulations of working as a translator. [27:08]
Thumbnail for "Rudolfo Anaya".
Rudolfo Anaya talks about the writing of his acclaimed novel Bless Me, Ultima as well as in the influence of the oral tradition and folk tales on his writing and his life growing up in New Mexico. 
Thumbnail for "Judy McCulloh".
Awarded the 2010 Bess Lomax Hawes Award for the preservation of cultural heritage, Judith McCulloh talks about her extensive work as a folklorist and editor at the University of Illinois Press. 
Thumbnail for "Mike Rafferty".
Mike Rafferty talks about growing up in East Galway, Ireland, and learning flute playing from his father, as well as coming to America and eventually returning to Irish music in his 50s as both a performer and teacher.
Thumbnail for "Del McCoury".
Bluegrass legend Del McCoury discusses his 50-year career, from joining Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in the 1960s to multiple appearances at the Bonnaroo music and arts festival in the 2000s. 
Thumbnail for "Julia Alvarez".
Writer Julia Alvarez discusses how her life as a reader led to her life as a writer and the rich source material she finds in her family's immigrant experience.
Thumbnail for "Ed Herendeen".
Ed Herendeen talks about founding and sustaining a theater festival committed to supporting bold, daring new works for the stage. [18:27]
Thumbnail for "Unai Elorriaga".
Basque writer Unai Elorriaga and Amaia Gabantxo, translator of Elorriaga's novel Plants Don’t Drink Coffee, discuss the book as well as the art of translation and the Basque language. [25:50]
Thumbnail for "Joel Nelson".
Joel Nelson talks about how he grew to love poetry and how he writes and recites poetry, as well as growing up on a ranch and his love of horses, among other subjects. [27:00]
Thumbnail for "Ken Burns".
Ken Burns talks about his most recent documentary series on the National Park system, as well as his approach to filmmaking and his attraction to iconic American subjects. [22:24]
Thumbnail for "Everett McCorvey".
Operatic tenor Everett McCorvey talks about how he was drawn into the music, how he helped build the opera program at University of Kentucky, and the difference between spirituals and gospel, among other topics.  [26:17]
Thumbnail for "John Hickenlooper".
John Hickenlooper discusses his efforts to use the arts to revitalize Denver and promote economic development and increased livability. [23:37]
Thumbnail for "Duke Ellington".
A look at the Washington, DC roots of Duke Ellington and their impact on his development as a musician and composer.  [8:40]
Thumbnail for "U Street NW".
U Street NW
Thumbnail for "Amy Tan".
Amy Tan talks about her first novel, The Joy Luck Club, her relationship with her mother, and the art of writing. [27:49]
Thumbnail for "Carlisle Floyd".
Carlisle Floyd talks about his extensive career in opera, including writing some of his most famous pieces, Susannah, Of Mice and Men, Willie Stark, and Cold Sassy Tree. [29:55]
Thumbnail for "David Baker".
David Baker discusses his immersion into jazz, from playing to composing to teaching. [26:46]
Thumbnail for "The Birmingham Sunlights".
The Birmingham Sunlights discuss the creation of their group and their unique "Birmingham sound" [28:50]
Thumbnail for "Rajiv Joseph".
Rajiv Joseph talks about developing and writing his play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, a 2010 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Theater, and his burgeoning career as a playwright. [22:13]
Thumbnail for "Alan Gilbert".
Recipient of the 1997 NEA/Seaver Conductors Award, Alan Gilbert discusses his first year as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. [28:49]
Thumbnail for "Rita Moreno".
Star of stage and screen--and winner of just about every performance award--Rita Moreno talks about her life as a performing artist. [28:06]
Thumbnail for "Merce Cunningham".
An appreciation of the life and legacy of one of our greatest choreographers. [22:52]
Thumbnail for "Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center".
Hear about New York City's best kept secret, where nature and art provide a urban unique oasis. [12:42]
Thumbnail for "David Stull".
Dean Stull talks about the latest developments at one of the nation's outstanding music conservatories. [28:07]
Thumbnail for "Hank Jones".
Hank Jones talks about his long career in jazz, including playing with such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and fellow NEA Jazz Master Ella Fitzgerald. [24:52]
Thumbnail for "Kay Ryan".
U.S. Poet Laureate talks about her teaching career, her reaction to that initial phone call from the Library of Congress, and, of course, poetry. [21:52]
Thumbnail for "Richard Sherman".
A world without Mary Poppins? No way. The two-time Oscar winner lets us in on how great show tunes get written. [29:58]
Thumbnail for "Stan Lee".
Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange: Stan Lee was there at the creation. [29:56]
Thumbnail for "Olivia de Havilland".
One of America's most beloved stars spills some backstage secrets while discussing career highlights. [27:52]
Thumbnail for "Queen Ida Guillory".
Queen Ida Guillory discusses the Zydeco tradition and how she became a part of the band. [25:22]

Staging Stories: Psalmayene 24 on Directing Across Time

Thumbnail for "Staging Stories: Psalmayene 24 on Directing Across Time ".
May 7, 202432min 38sec

Playwright and director Psalmayene 24 discusses his career trajectory from his unique approach to theater, his recent direction of the world premiere of Tempestuous Rising at Arena Stage and his upcoming projects, including his current direction of Metamorphosis at the Folger Theatre. We talk about his journey from dance to theater, first as an actor and eventually to playwriting and directing in response to the lack of satisfying roles for young Black men. We discuss the collaborative nature of his directing style, involving actors and creative teams in the development of the production, ensuring that every aspect from costume design to choreography reflects the thematic richness of the play. Psalmayene 24 highlights the challenges and strategies of directing in different theater spaces, especially the round configuration of the Fichandler Stage at Arena Stage and the Elizabethan stage at the Folger Theatre. He also shares his vision for Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Metamorphosis focusing on an all-Black cast and the use of movement to convey the universality of human conditions through the lens of Blackness and Black culture and without the iconic pool used in previous productions. And Psalmayene 24 shares his excitement about upcoming projects, including a musical about John Lewis that he is writing. And as well as being smart and thoughtful, Psalmayene 24 has a truly terrific voice!