May 8, 2020 - The Arts in the Time of Sequestration

This week host, Diana Moxon, takes a look back at two conversations she had with Columbia-based poets Lynne Jensen Lampe and Barbara Harris Leonhard in October and November last year. Both Barbara and Lynne had recently released collections of poems, both of which explored their relationships with their mothers and the complications that post partum depression and alzheimers had on their time together. Their collections of poems are eloquent, moving, sad and funny, and both Lynne and Barbara shared the background to their collections with Diana. Opening and closing musical credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

Once again this week show host, Diana Moxon, is taking a look back at some her favorite chats from the past year. Back in July Diana chatted with two composers who were visiting Columbia as part of the Mizzou International Composers Festival: guest composer Angélica Negrón and resident composer Cassie Wieland. In August the vocalist, spoken word poet, writer, arts educator and community organizer, Josh Runnels aka J. Artiz, was on Speaking of the Arts talking about his passion and purpose, the break up of the band he was a vocalist for - Loose Loose, and future soul. Opening and closing musical credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliams.com)

This week Diana Moxon revisits chats with three singer songwriters who were on the show last year. From August, St Louis' Paige Alyssa (https://www.paigealyssamusic.com/) chats about their blend of jazz-new jack swing-R&B and the influence of Sonic the Hedgehog on their music; from September, social justice singer songwriter Crys Matthews (https://www.crysmatthews.com/) talks about the importance of empathy and compassion when inviting listeners into a story; and from October "not your typical singer songwriter" guitarist Miss Molly Simms (http://missmollysimms.com/) who made her singing debut on an airplane at age 6. Opening and closing music with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

Each month the Missouri Arts Council features four artists on its website from a variety of arts genres, and on this week's show Diana Moxon checks in (belatedly) with the December artists: St Louis-based Elinor Harrison, a dancer with a national touring resume who is doing pioneering research into how singing can improve the gait of people with Parkinson's Disease; Christine Riutzel from Hollister, a muralist and fine artists whose art is therapy that helps her unpack past traumas, doubts and insecurities caused by an extreme religious upbringing; and a nature/wildlife photographer from Joplin who turned his hobby into a full time job. You can see/hear/learn about the works of this week's guests on their websites: https://www.elinorharrison.com/; https://www.beautyfromlight.com/; https://www.greenheronphoto.com/. Thanks, as always, to guitarist Yasmin Williams (http://www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com/) for the show's opening and closing music entitled, 'Restless Heart'. (Pictured artwork by Christine Riutzel)

For the first show of 2023 Diana Moxon chats with two people who the audience never gets to see on the stage or screen, but whose work has a huge influence on both actors and audiences. Paula Vanlandingham (https://www.accentpaula.com/) is an accent and dialect coach to actors all over the world from her home in Columbia Missouri. She speaks 6 languages plus English and coaches in over 50 global accents including coaching an American actor who doesn't speak any Spanish to speak 19th century Mexican Spanish with an Irish accent. Ryan Zirngibl (http://www.ryanjzirngibl.com/) is the resident scenic designer at the Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock and has created hundreds of complex stage sets for theatres across the state and in New York City, including one with 9 rooms and 2 secret passageways, one with moving train cars, and one for a play that had so much fake blood that the set had to have a moppable floor. Opening and closing music credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

As we close in on the end of 2022, Diana Moxon invites three arts pals to the Speaking of the Arts studio to look back on their favorite moments of the year. Columbia Daily Tribune arts writer Aarik Danielsen remembers some of the music, poetry and sentences that moved him this year. From Ragtag Film Society, Stacie Pottinger, drops in to talk about the year's movie highlights and how meeting a film-maker can really change her opinion about a film. And the woman who sees more theatre productions than anyone else in mid Missouri, Monica Palmer, ponders which of the many plays she saw this year she would love to see again and what plays she would have loved to be in. Opening and closing music credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

With end of year giving season firmly upon us, on this week's show Diana Moxon chats with 10 arts leaders from 9 local arts agencies to find out about some of the magic and meaningful moments their organizations have inspired, and what they would do with a $100,000 donation.

'Tis the season when stages are awash in figurative tinsel and this week Diana Moxon visits three of them. At the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, their new Music Director Designate, Wilbur Lin, makes his first public performance at this weekend's Symphony of Toys concert and chats about his vision for the orchestra and how he came to found his own orchestra at 18. In Act II, Broadway actor and now Stephens College Conservatory for the Performing Arts associate professor, Lisa Brescia, and associate professor of voice, Nollie Moore, talk about the college's production of White Christmas and what it takes to make it in the performing arts. And in Act III, Diana explores the world of barbershop harmonies with the Heart of Missouri chorus' director Twilla Duvall and bass singer, Heather Vuckovic. Opening and closing music credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

This week's show is a theatre-fine art-theatre sandwich with host, Diana Moxon, talking to Talking Horse Production theatre directors, DeeDee Farris and Mark Baumgartner about their production of the Larissa Fasthorse comedy satire, 'The Thanksgiving Play' in which the history of Thanksgiving, woke culture, and privilege checking all collide. In Act II of the show, Diana explores Sager Reeves Gallery's 2022 Masters' Exhibit and its theme of love, human connection, courtship and sex, with the show's curator and art historian, Hannah Reeves. And in Act III, it's back to the stage with actors Monica Palmer and Ginger Cawley introducing their M'Lynn Eatenton and Truvy Jones from the upcoming Columbia Entertainment Company production of 'Steel Magnolias'. Opening and closing music with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com) [pictured: Leonor Fini 'Masked Figure' from The Masters' Exhibit]