| Date |
Title |
Producer |
| 1/15/99 |
Flint's
We The People |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Flint's Cultural Center was created with money from General Motors
back in the '50s when Flint was pretty much a company town. But when
GM basically left Flint, the demographics of Flint started changing.
The cultural center was left as a white elitist organization in a
low-income city that is over 50 percent African American. The Cultural
Center has been working to reinvent itself as a place for everyone,
African Americans included. They've just launched a four-month-long
program called "We The People: An Exploration or Race and Racism
in Our Society." Each of the nine cultural center institutions
is mounting events and exhibits fitting in with this theme. The goal:
to improve race relations and to get the community to give the Flint
Cultural Center a second look. Interviews
Larry Thompson - director Flint Cultural Center
Sue Wood - Producing Director, Flint Youth Theater
Mike Gardner - Director, Longway Planetarium
John Henry - Director, Flint Institute of Arts |
| 1/21/99 |
Out
of the Tower |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The popular image of a University Professor is the tweedy person lecturing
in front of a room of slouching students. But at a few schools that
image is changing. David Scobey is a historian at the University of
Michigan and the founder of what the University calls its Arts of
Citizenship program. The program is designed to get the Arts and Humanities
out of the classroom and into the community. Scobey finds becoming
a so called public scholar involves something different from what
he was trained to do. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney produced this
essay by David Scobey about a typical day in his life as an academic
reaching out to community. Interviews
David Scobey - Professor of History, University of Michigan
|
| 1/25/99 |
Is
It Art? |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The complaints about contemporary art are familiar: "my kid could
do that"..."is this really art"..."I don't get
it." Because this kind of work is rarely shown in places like
Michigan, people just don't know what to make of it when it does come
to town. But this month the University of Michigan School of Art and
Design has brought in an exhibit from California that features work
from 7 big names in the international contemporary art scene. Michigan
Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at the exhibition "Play Mode"
and some recommendations on how to better appreciate post modern art.
Interviews
Joseph Grigely - artist and University of Michigan Professor of
Art
Dan Cameron - Senior Curator, New Museum of Contemporary Art in
New York
Anne Walsh - Play Mode Curator and Professor of Art University of
Southern California, Irving |
| 2/3/99 |
Public
Art Forum |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Many communities throughout Michigan are creating public art projects
including Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan sponsored
a forum about public art. Art in the Public Sphere: New Projects New
Publics explored one of the emerging types of public art - temporary
public installations. Interviews
Shimon Attie - artist and creator of Writings on the Wall, and other
installations seen in Berlin, New York, and Denmark
Jill Medvedow - Director Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston
and founder of Vita Brevis a contemporary art organization specializing
in temporary installation art
David Scobey - University of Michigan Historian and forum organizer
|
| 2/5/99 |
Performance
Art |
Wendy
Nelson |
| |
Description
In Grand Rapids, performance art is making strange bedfellows. The
conservative community hardly seems like it could be home to such
an edgy art form. Yet there's now a small group of people -- from
very different backgrounds -- working to introduce performance art
to the area. As you would expect, the Grand Rapids Urban Institute
for Contemporary Art has been holding performance art classes. What
you wouldn't expect is that Calvin College has also been teaching
its students performance art. Interviews
Greg Bliss - Urban Institute for Contemporary Art
Robert Hubbard - Performance Art Professor, Calvin College
|
| 2/12/99 |
Weird Science |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Many artists use science in their work -- creating sculpture, photographs,
and paintings -- where the subject matter is science. But in an exhibit
at the Cranbrook Art Museum, the artists are truly using science --
they are engaged in experiments, observe and breed animals, or employ
physics to create their artwork. Tamar Charney has a look at the Weird
Science exhibit where artists are building satellites and exhibiting
pickled frogs. Interviews
Irene Hofmann - curator, Cranbrook Art Museum
Mark Uhen - paleontologist, Cranbrook Institute of Science
Gregory Green - artist and creator of Gregnik, a satellite he's
planning on launching |
| 2/15/99 |
Alberta
Adams |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
At age 70-something, Detroit's Queen of the Blues Alberta Adams has
put out her first album. Over the course of her long career as a blues
singer, Adams has toured with Louis Jorden, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson
and Duke Ellington, and she crossed paths with Billie Holiday. Michigan
Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at blues singer Alberta Adams and
her new CD, "Born with the Blues." Interviews
Alberta Adams - blues musician |
| 2/16/99 |
Gordon
Parks: Half Past Autumn |
Nkenge
Zola |
| |
Description
A major retrospective of the work of Gordon Parks opened this week
at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Parks developed his skills in the
arts as a result of the federal arts programs that developed during
the Great Depression. The DIA show presents Gordon Parks' films, books
he's written, musical compositions and, of course, the photography
he's famous for. Nkenge Zola reports. Interviews
Gordon Parks - artist
Larry Bramski - curator, Detroit Institute of Arts |
| 2/19/99 |
Reality Under Siege: Skoglund |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Artist Sandy Skoglund is famous for her image of radioactive-green-colored
cats in gray apartments. But that wasn't the work that was getting
the attention at a recent exhibit of her work. Michigan Radio's Tamar
Charney visits "Reality Under Siege: A Retrospective of Sandy
Skoglund" with the artist. Interviews Sandy Skoglund
- Photographer and sculptor Various museum visitors |
| 2/19/99 |
U.P.
Life: U.P. 200 |
Frida
Waara |
| |
Description
Marquette's biggest winter celebration is the running of the U.P.
200 Sled Dog Championship. This is the tenth year of the 240-mile
race. On the eve of the start of the race, U.P. correspondent Frida
Waara has a look at the history of sled dogs and why mushing is a
way of life for some Yoopers. Interviews
Mark and Jill Churchill - mushers
Lloyd Gilbertson - musher |
| 2/25/99 |
Sphinx & Looking for Minority Musicians (2 reports) |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The Sphinx is an enduring icon of mystery and power that evokes a
connection to the African continent. For the second year now, young
African-American and Latino musicians from around the country will
be bringing their violins, violas, and cellos to Ann Arbor to compete
in the Sphinx String Competition. We have two reports about minorities
and classical music. First, Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look
at the Sphinx competition. Interviews
Aaron Dworkin - 28-year-old founder of Sphinx Competition
Christina Castelli - winner of 1998 Sphinx
Daisy Newman - director of education, Detroit Symphony Orchestra,
and director of the DSO Minority Mentorship Program |
| 3/16/99 |
A
Taste for Splendor |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The late Marjorie Merriweather Post grew up in Battle Creek as the
heir to the Post cereal empire. But the cereal heiress developed a
taste, not for Grape Nuts, but for splendor. "A Taste for Splendor:
Russian Imperial and European Treasures" is an touring exhibit
currently on view at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. This is the
largest collection of Russian art outside of Russia and it was assembled
by Ms. Post. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at "A
Taste for Splendor: The Marjorie Merriweather Post Collection."
|
| 3/16/99 |
Remembering the Gulag |
Tamar
Charney & Joan Siefert Rose |
| |
Description
In the immediate years after World War II, Soviet artist Nikoli Getman
was falsely accused of drawing an "anti-Soviet" cartoon.
He was sent to the Siberian labor camps - known as the gulag. While
millions of prisoners died in the Gulag, Getman's artistic talents
saved him. Gulag authorities had him painting prison propaganda. After
his release, he continued painting government-approved scenes of happy
workers by day, but by night Getman was painting scenes of Gulag horror.
Those paintings are on view at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids.
|
| 3/30/99 |
Butterflies are Blooming |
Wendy
Nelson |
| |
Description
Each spring, thousands of tropical butterflies make their way to the
Great Lakes region. But they don't migrate here naturally -- they're
imported as part of the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibit
in the country. Wendy Nelson takes a look at the relationship that
develops between these winged beauties and the people who come seeking
an encounter with them. |
| 4/9/99 |
Borders: a TV Game Show? |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The Flint Youth Theater opens its final play in a trilogy about race
and racism. But the format of this production is a bit unconventional
for a play about race issues. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.
Interviews
Susan Wood - Executive Director, Flint Youth Theater William Ward
- Artistic Director and playwright, Flint Youth Theater Jeffery
Moore - resident artist, Flint Youth Theater |
| 4/9/99 |
Tony
Amore |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
A new play by composer and performer Andy Kirshner is a look at aging
in front of the camera's eye. When the lights go down at the Michigan
Theater, there's a timpani role, and out comes the legendary and now
barely living fictional singer, Tony Amore. Michigan Radio's Tamar
Charney reports. Interviews
Andy Kirshner - Compose, librettist and performer |
| 4/17/99 |
Flying
Thing |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History unveiled
a new pterodactyl or - to be more scientifically correct - pterosaur
exhibit. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney talked with the exhibit preparer
about what pterosaurs are and how the life-size reproduction was sculpted.
Interviews
John Klausmeyer - Exhibit Preparer - University of Michigan Exhibit
Museum of Natural History |
| 4/20/99 |
Art
City Kalamazoo |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
In the mid '80s, the strip malls and megamalls opened up in America's
suburbs. Then shop by shop, downtowns starts closing. Since that time
many cities have been trying to inject life back into downtown. Six
months ago, Kalamazoo opened up its signature downtown pedestrian
mall to cars. Reopening the mall was one step in a long road toward
bringing Kalamazoo's downtown back to life. One avenue the city is
currently exploring involves using the arts as a tool for downtown
revitalization. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at how the
former "mall city" may become "art city."
Interviews
Judy Jollife - Executive Director, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo
Kimberly Williamson - Executive Director, Downtown Kalamazoo Inc
Frederick Freud - President, Gilmore Foundation David Magidson -
Director, Center for Arts and Public Policy, Wayne State University
|
| 4/30/99 |
Babies in Tune |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
One of the biggest challenges facing symphonies all across the nation
is ensuring that there will be an audience for classical music in
the coming decades. The Jackson Symphony Orchestra like many symphonies
puts a lot of effort into developing a new generation of symphony
goers. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports, the Jackson Symphony
is giving a classical music CD to all parents leaving the hospital
with a newborn. Interviews
Marcy Campell - user of "Babies in Tune"
Bradley Campell - 5-week-old baby
Stephen Osmond - Music Director, Jackson Symphony Orchestra
Mary Spring - Producer, "Babies in Tune," Jackson Symphony
Orchestra
Russell LaBeau - Vice President Medical Affairs, Foote Hospital
|
| 5/21/99 |
Festival of New Works |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
A five-week-long theater festival has debuted in Ann Arbor. The Festival
of New Works showcases new dramatic works and serves as a writers
workshop for developing dramatic writing. Pieces in the festival come
from writers in Michigan, New York and elsewhere. But, as Michigan
Radio's Tamar Charney reports, the festival will give theatergoers
a somewhat unusual theater experience. In addition to staging plays,
The Festival of New Works is staging a screenplay. Interviews
Beth Winsten - screenwriter of "Rock Garden"
Daniel Green - director
Frank Gagliano - artistic director, Festival of New Works
|
| 5/26/99 |
Auto
Design |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
You may think an art degree is a ticket to flipping burgers. But a
bachelor's degree in a certain artistic field will get you a starting
salary that averages $40,000 and even $60,000 is fairly common. The
degree is in transportation design. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney
has a look at the artists behind your car. Interviews
Rebecca Holmes - high school student
Robert MacMahon - Design Diamler Chrysler and instructor, Birmingham/Bloomfield
Art Center
Carl Olsen - director of transportation design, Center for Creative
Studies |
| 5/28/99 |
Faure's Requiem |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
On Sunday, May 30, in at least five different North American cities,
choirs will be singing a Requiem by Gabriel Faure. As Michigan Radio's
Tamar Charney reports, the singing of the Requiem isn't a performance
-- it's a way of responding to recent news headlines. The singing
was the musical brainchild of one Michigan man. Interviews
Jerry Custer - music director and conductor, Arbor Consort
Bill Perrot - choir director, Kings Choir, Burwick, Nova Scotia
|
| 6/3/99 |
Sugar
Art |
Wendy
Nelson |
| |
Description
An artist's work is sometimes as much about the choice of medium as
the actual content of the piece. Michigan Radio's Wendy Nelson met
one artist who is using sugar to conjure up some not-so-sweet associations.
Susan Graham's sugar art that explores insomnia is featured in an
exhibit at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids.
Now she's teaching the technique to other artists. Interviews
Susan Graham - sculptor
Cedar Nordbye - sculptor |
| 6/9/99 |
Macart |
Tracy
Samilton |
| |
Description
Southeast Michigan has a diverse array of arts and cultural institutions,
from the Detroit Institute of Arts to the Henry Ford Museum. These
are modern institutions - but they face the age-old problem of finding
patrons and the money to stay open. Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton
reports. Interviews
Richard Mannogian - CEO of Masco and DIA Board Member
Steve Hamp - Executive Director, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield
Village
Barbara Kratchman - Director, ArtServe |
| 6/9/99 |
Stories
of Future |
Tamar
Charney & Sian Chivers and Shoshana Mallof |
| |
Description
When you envision the media of the future, you might think of something
like a computer-generated world you can plug your brain into. But
one computer researcher has a different vision. Michigan Radio's Tamar
Charney explains. Interviews
Andrew Glassman - Graphics Researcher, Microsoft Corporation
|
| 6/11/99 |
Great Lakes Chamber |
Gretchen
Millich |
| |
Description
The Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival opens this weekend and runs
for two weeks. For the past five years, the festival has been wildly
successful in the Detroit area. But now, as the event expands to include
other Michigan cities, ticket sales are lagging. We have a report
from WKAR's Gretchen Millich. Interviews
Bill Wright - Director, Wharton Center - East Lansing
Maury Okun - Executive Director, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival
|
| 6/11/99 |
Waterfront Film Festival |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Saugatuck is part of what's considered Michigan's "Art Coast."
It's a town known for galleries, music festivals and working artists.
As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports, there is a brand new event
on Sagatuck's arts calendar. It's a film festival that's drawing Hollywood
actors and moguls to this small lakeshore community. Interviews
Tod Hopwood Depree - Actor, Filmmaker and Founder of Waterfront
Film Festival
Patrick S. Duncan - Screenwriter, "Mr. Holland's Opus"
Christine Elise - Actor "ER," "90210" and "The
Last Big Attraction," a film shot in Holland
Bill Galligan - Saugutuck-Douglas Area Business Association
|
| 6/17/99 |
Nature
Writer's Hike |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The written word is how many of us form opinions about the natural
world. But many readers and writers alike tend to think nature writing
is about grand descriptions of the world's majestic mountains, waterfalls
and redwoods. Recently, nature writers from around the world gathered
at an unlikely spot to learn how to experience and write about nature
of a different sort. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has the story.
Interviews
Thomas Bailey - Professor, Western Michigan University
Terry Gifford - Writer and Professor, Breton Hall College
Ann Fisherworth - Writer
Michael McDowell - Writer |
| 6/24/99 |
U.P.
Life: Metal |
Frida
Waara |
| |
Description
Some of the continent's richest deposits of iron ore are buried in
the Marquette Range of the central Upper Peninsula. The iron means
jobs for thousands of people in the area. The steel made from this
iron becomes machines, construction materials and even refrigerators.
And when old rusted steel finds it's way back to junkyards in Marquette
County, it may end up recycled into a work of art. Reporter Frida
Waara explains. Interviews
Yvonne LeMire - sculptor
Alan Heikkenen - A & L Iron and Metal Scrapyard, Ishpeming
|
| 6/24/99 |
Mosaic |
Jerome
Vaughn |
| |
Description
Most people think of high school plays when they think of teenagers
performing drama. But one group of metro Detroiters is changing that
perception by performing around the world. WDET's Jerome Vaughn reports
on the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit. Interviews
Rick Sperling - Director, Mosaic Youth Theatre
Sloan Spencer - 16-year-old stage manager
Edmund Jones - Mosaic Youth Theater cast member |
| 7/15/99 |
Haggis Hurl |
Christina
Shockley/Tamar Charney |
| |
Description
Most cultures have a food that's made from scrap meat such as sausage
or spam. Haggis is the Scottish version. The Saline Celtic Festival
hosted an event called the Haggis Hurl. We sent intern Christina Shockley
to the festival to find what the Haggis Hurl is. She sent back this
audio postcard about the event and the history of throwing Haggis.
|
| 7/27/99 |
Isle
Royale, Part 1: Getting There |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The summer travel season is getting into full gear, and we're hitting
the road -- Destination: Isle Royale National Park. Michigan Radio's
Tamar Charney has the first of a three-part look at a special location
way off the beaten track. Interviews
Doug Barnard - superintendent, Isle Royale National Park
Dan Kilpela - captain, Isle Royale Queen |
| 7/28/99 |
Isle
Royale, Part 2: Visiting Artist |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
This week, Michigan Radio is touring Isle Royale National Park. It's
an island park in the middle of Lake Superior -- about 50 miles from
the tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. More people visit Yellowstone
National Park in a week than visit Isle Royale in a year. But it is
a park that captures the hearts of many of its visitors, particularly
artists. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at the artist-in-residence
program in the second part of our series. Interviews
Gary Kolb - photographer, University of Southern Illinois
Greg Blust - Houghton District interpreter, Isle Royale National
Park |
| 7/29/99 |
Isle
Royale, Part 3: Future |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
This week, we've been taking you far away from roads, cars and cell
phones. We've been paying a visit to Isle Royale National Park, an
island that's about half the size of the state of Delaware. And it's
in the middle of Lake Superior. Ninety-nine percent of the island
is wilderness. In the final part of our series, Michigan Radio's Tamar
Charney has a look at the future of Isle Royale National Park.
Interviews
Doug Barnard - superintendent, Isle Royale National Park
Fred Bieti - spokesperson, Isle Royale Boaters Association
George Cameron Coggins - professor, University of Kansas Law School
|
| 7/23/99 |
Shakespeare |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
The third weekend in July is packed with arts events all across Michigan.
And the Michigan Shakespeare Festival is one of many festivals that
kicks off this weekend. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has that story.
Interviews
John Neville Andrews - artistic director, Michigan Shakespeare Festival,
and drama professor, University of Michigan |
| 8/12/99 |
Bill
Kirchen and National Folk Festival |
Gretchen Millich |
| |
Description
The National Folk Festival is in East Lansing this year. The festival
features folk artists from all over the country, including blues guitarists,
Cajun bands, Celtic and polka groups, gospel singers and jazz musicians.
The opening act is Bill Kirchen, a performer who started his musical
career in Michigan. Gretchen Millich has a look at Kirchen and the
National Folk Festival.
Interviews
Bill Kirchen - guitarist
Cub Koda - music critic and musician
Julia Olin - National Council for Traditional Arts |
|
8/20/99 |
Bess Bonnier |
Todd Mundt/Tamar Charney |
| |
Description
Recently, William Shakespeare has become a hot box office property.
But it isn't just filmmakers who are looking to the bard for inspiration.
As Michigan Radio's Todd Mundt reports, there's a new CD out featuring
music inspired by Shakespeare.
Interviews
Bess Bonnier - musician, educator and composer of Suite William
|
|
8/24/99 |
Glass |
John Walters/Tamar Charney |
| |
Description
Being a full-time artist involves many challenges and sacrifices.
When your chosen medium is glass, you face an additional challenge
in the summertime. Recently, Michigan Radio's John Walters found that
out first-hand. He filed this report.
Interviews
John Fitzpatrick - glass artisan and owner, "A Touch of Light"
|
| 9/15/99 |
Art
Therapy |
Tamar Charney |
| |
Description
The Adrian Training School is the last chance for teenagers in trouble
with the law. If they weren't at the training school, they'd be in
jail. Teenagers are sent through a regimen of classes, therapy sessions
and adventure training programs in a attempt to turn their lives around.
Now, the training school has added another activity to the mix --
art therapy. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.
Interviews
Liz Goldstone Hartz - art therapist, Adrian Training School
Pi Beniot - chair, Department of Art, Adrian College
Helen Hendricks - head group leader, Adrian Training School
Dennes Swaigen - deputy director, Adrian Training School
Odessia, Tammy and Jennifer - Adrian Training School students |
|
9/15/99 |
Yupik Masks |
Tracy Samilton |
| |
Description
Modern technology can be a threat to ancient traditions, but a group
of Alaskan Indians are making use of a computer technology barely
10 years old to preserve some of their centuries-old culture. Michigan
Radio's Tracy Samilton has a look at how information specialists in
Michigan are helping preserve Yupik traditions.
Interviews
Chuna McIntyre - Central Yupik artist
Nicholas Charles Jr. - Central Yupik maskmaker
Kay Shubeck - district coodinator, Lower Cuskoquin School District,
Alaska |
| 9/22/99 |
Monument Mania |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
As the millennium comes to a close, many communities across Michigan
are taking a look at the legacy they are leaving for future generations.
And many communities are looking to leave their mark with public art.
Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at some public art projects
underway in Michigan, including Leonardo DaVinci's Horse, the Sojourner
Truth Monument and others.
Interviews
Michael Evans - director, Sojourner Truth Institute
Erika Doss - art historian, University of Colorado
Bob Elton - chairman, Ann Arbor Commission on Art in Public Places
Children at Frederick Meijer Gardens |
| 9/21/99 |
Lenawee's Monument |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
A lot of people are talking about doing about things for the Millennium
-- flying solo around the world, a cruise along the international
dateline, a trek across Tibet. But the people of Lenawee County have
decided to do something a bit more lasting. Michigan Radio's Tamar
Charney has a look at how farmers, doctors, factory workers and other
people from all over Lenawee County are learning to do bronze casting
so the community can build itself a bronze monument.
Interviews
Ken Thompson - sculptor
Tanya Bunshee - art teacher |
| 9/23/99 |
Animal Lovers |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Jesse Richards is one of those artists whose talents extends to all
the arts -- she's a singer, a composer, an actor, a dancer and even
a sculptor. Richards regularly stages original theater shows that
mix, song, dance and theatrical vignettes. One work looked at body
image, another one human nature. After the death of her beloved wolf
dog, Jesse Richards started creating the Animal Lovers' Project. It
explores the role animals play in our society. Michigan Radio's Tamar
Charney has a look at the Animal Lovers' Project.
Interviews
Jesse Richards - artist, dancer, composer |
| 11/10/99 |
Dennos Museum: Surprise! Art Education |
Gretchen
Millich |
| |
Description
The Dennos Art Museum in Traverse City has one of the largest collections
of Canadian Inuit art in the world. It features more than 500 sculptures
and prints by artists of the Canadian Arctic. Recently, the museum
started an innovative program with the Traverse City schools, using
the art collection to teach students about the Inuit culture of Canada.
Gretchen Millich reports.
Interviews
Mary Ann Rivers - education director, Dennos Museum
Kristen Sak - 6th grade teacher, Bertha Voss School
Gene Jenneman - director, Dennos Museum
Josh Melanger - 6th grader
Erin Abernathy - 6th grader |
| 11/11/99 |
Veterans: Remembering A Time |
Joan
Silvi |
| |
Description
Two Michigan veterans have been honored by the Ann Arbor Veterans
Administration's "Wall of Heroes." The wall is a display of photographs
of decorated veterans and descriptions of their deeds. It is located
at the Ann Arbor Veterans Hospital. Michigan Radio's Joan Silvi spoke
with the two veterans about their memories of living through a chapter
of history -- two personal remembrances of World War II.
Interviews
Mildred MacGregor - World War II veteran and Wall of Heroes inductee
Richard Bertoni - World War II veteran and Wall of Heroes inductee
|
| 11/16/99 |
Stinky Flowers: Gardening for a Different Aesthetic |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
As you flip through garden catalogues this winter making decisions
about how you'll design your garden in spring, you are probably reading
page after page of descriptions like..."flashy mix of florescent colors,"
"definitely a show stopper" and "all your neighbors will say is wow."
But something is missing from the descriptions, your garden and even
many of the flowers themselves. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney
explains, in the past many gardens were designed for fragrance. Many
cultures going back to ancient times grew flowers for their aroma.
The reason we've forgotten this element of the aesthetics of gardening
has as much to do with the science of genetics as the art of garden
design.
Interviews
Kirk Jones - fragrance gardener and Project Grow board member
Eran Pichersky - University of Michigan professor of biology |
| 11/17/99 |
Seamus Heaney: A Visit |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Poet Seamus Heaney has won just about every poetry award there is
-- including the Nobel Prize. His work is highly acclaimed by critics,
English professors and even plain old general readers. He spent a
week in Michigan giving talks, readings and teaching classes. Michigan
Radio's Tamar Charney caught up with the bard to talk about his recent
poetry, his new translation of Beowulf and the art of writing poetry.
Interviews
Seamus Heaney - Poet |
| 12/9/99 |
Walk Through Opera: Mirror of Shattered Souls |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
Opera is a theatrical drama that uses singing instead of spoken dialogue.
We usually experience it by taking a seat in a concert hall and watching
the action and song unfold on the stage. But a group of artists, writers
and musicians are trying out a new way of presenting opera. Michigan
Radio's Tamar Charney stopped by to take a look as technicians were
putting the finishing touches on an opera experiment. Poet Anne Carson
has helped create an opera that is presented in a way that is more
like a carnival fun house than an opera combining art, poetry and
music.
Interviews
Anne Carson - poet and University of Michigan visiting professor
of classics
Candice Crawford - kinetic sculptor
Jason Kirk - composer |
| 12/15/99 |
Loud Class: Amplifying Schools |
Tamar
Charney |
| |
Description
In September, the Opera world reverberated with news that the New
York City Opera had gone electric -- the famed opera company had taken
a controversial step and started using amplification. But the concert
hall isn't the only place where microphones, wires and speakers are
making inroads. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports, classrooms
all across Michigan are being wired for sound to make sure the teacher
can always be heard. In the early 1990s, Berrien Springs was one of
the first school systems to put amplification equipment in every K-5
classroom.
Interviews
Jan Bermingham - director of hearing impaired services, Berrien
Springs Schools
Nickola Nelson - professor of audiology, Western Michigan University
Carol Flexer - professor of audiology, University of Akron
Marianne Lint - teacher, Berrien Springs Schools
Christine - student
Zack - student |
| 12/23/99 |
Math Art: Lessons in Sculpture |
Michelle
Corum |
| |
Description
The sculptures of Michigan artist David Barr are scattered throughout
the state. There's one outside the historical museum and library in
Lansing, one called "Soaring" at the Flint airport, and a piece called
"Sunset Cube" at Oakland University, to name just a few. Currently,
there's a 40-year retrospective of David Barr's work showing in Traverse
City. Michelle Corum of Interlochen Public Radio reports that it's
an exhibit teachers like because it holds math lessons.
Interviews
David Barr - sculptor
Lynn Webster - educator, Grand Traverse Math, Science & Technology
Center
Mary Clark - educator, Grand Traverse Math, Science & Technology
Center
Dan Lisuk - art teacher, Traverse City West High School |
| 12/22/99 |
U.P. Life: Sauna |
Frida
Waara |
| |
Description
Throughout the ages, northern cultures around the globe have taken
sweat baths. Native Americans have sweat lodges, Russians have banias
and Swedes have bastus. However, none are as popular as what's known
as the Finnish sauna. In the Lower Peninsula, saunas are common in
luxury hotels, gyms and spas, but in the Upper Peninsula the sauna
is a way of life for many people of Finnish descent. Reporter Frida
Waara explains.
Interviews
Fred Rydholm - Marquette resident
Marti Leppanen - sauna user |
