Stained Glass Census: Hallowed Art

Description
For the last decade volunteers from all walks of life have been helping the Michigan State University Museum create a record of all the stained glass windows in the state. The Michigan Stained Glass Census is still a work in progress, but as Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports, the hope is more people will take a second look at the stained glass windows across the state.

Interviews
Betty MacDowell - Founder, Stained Glass Census, MSU Museum
Keith Radak - Historian, First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor

Blowing Color & Light: Glass Blowing

Description
A new exhibit of glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly opened in January at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Chihuly was one of a handful of artists who breathed new life into glass during the late 1950's and 1960's. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports this helped spawn a new generation of glass admirers and glass artists. In this report we visit a glass blowing studio to learn about the allure of the medium.

Interviews
Joseph Becherer - Director of Sculpture, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Jerry Catania - Glass Blower, Fiasco Glass & Founder, Hinckley Glass Blowing School
Kathy Catania - Glass Blower & Curator, Vesuvius Gallery Founder, Hickley Glass Blowing School
Tori Leslie - 6 year old visitor at Frederik Meijer Gardens
Janine Leslie - Tori's Mom

The Conductor's Job: And the Orchestra's Face

Description
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra's longtime music director Neeme Jarvi is retiring in 2004. It means the DSO is one of a handful of major orchestra's currently looking for a new music director. Anyone who's ever attended a classical concert knows the music director's job involves standing on the podium conducting the orchestra. But few people outside
the orchestra see what the rest of the job is all about. Recently Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney spent a day with the Grand Rapids Symphony's music director, David Lockington, to find out what a conductor does behind the scenes.

Interviews
David Lockington - Music Director, Grand Rapids Symphony

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit

Description
Exactly a week after the space shuttle accident, an exhibit opens in Detroit the tells the story of another vessel that met a tragic fate. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at the Titanic Artifact Exhibit at the New Detroit Science Center.

Interviews
Lowell Lytle - Actor & Diver
Matt Lach - Exhibits Designer, Clear Channel Exhibitions
Shawn Kahle - CEO, New Detroit Science Center
Judy Geller- Author, "Titanic: Women & Children First"

Dragontree, Waterfall, Tea: Dancing in the Consevatory

Description
The arts have long been used to draw people's attention to things ... a woman's mysterious smile, social injustice, or details in the world around us. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports one choreographer is using dance to encourage people to become more aware of nature. A group of dancers perform a work about nature and plants in the trees, paths, and waterfalls of a tropical conservatory.

Interviews
Shirley Axon - Dancer, Dragontree Waterfall Tea
Jessica Fogel - Choreographer & Professor of Dance, University of Michigan
Anna Beard - Dancer, Dragontree Waterfall Tea
Raphael Griffin - Dancer, Dragontree Waterfall Tea

Techno Exhibit: The Business Side

Description
For the last several years, Techno Music from Detroit has made an impression all over the world. But it's not as well known here in Michigan as it is in Europe and Asia. Now one museum is trying to bring techno back home. As Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty reports the Detroit Historical Museum's exhibit about techno teacher people about more than just the music.

Interviews
Sulaiman Mausi - Detroit Historical Museum
Katherine Klingman - Curator, Detroit Historical Museum

Mariachi Band: It's the 1st

Description
Most high schoolers who play musical instruments are in either band or orchestra. They usually play concert marches or classical overtures. But a group of students at Everett High School in Lansing is travelling all over the city performing concerts of a different kind. They're playing music
you probably wouldn't expect to hear out of a high school ensemble -- especially one in the Midwest. Michigan Public Radio's Erin Toner has about Michigan's first high school Mariachi Band.

Interviews
Alfonso Salias - Spanish Teacher, Everett High School
Julio Montemayor - Student, Everett High School
Shakuma Martin - Student, Everett High School
Nicole Langford - Orchestra Director, Everett High School

Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biblical Exhibit

Description
One of the major museum exhibits to appear in Michigan this year is in Grand Rapids. The Dead Sea Scrolls were originally supposed to be exhibited in several cities, but after the September 11th attacks, Grand Rapids became the only city that would still be hosting them. Michigan
Radio's Tamar Charney has more about the exhibit and the history of the scrolls.

Interviews
Ellen Middlebrook Herron - Guest Curator, Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit.
Pnina Shor - Director, Conservation and Preservation, Israeli Antiquities Authority
Tim Chester - Director Public Museum of Grand Rapids

Shakespeare in Michigan, Part 1: Coriolanus & Democracy

Description
In the late 1990's England's Royal Shakespeare Company decided it needed a higher profile in the United States. That's when the University Musical Society, the University of Michigan, and the RSC hatched an idea for 5 year partnership. In March of 2001 the RSC came to Ann Arbor to perform some of Shakespeare's history plays, hold workshops, and talk to community members and students about classical theater. Now the Royal Shakespeare Company is back with new productions and new educational activities. The RSC will perform Shakespeare's Coriolanus and The Merry Wives of Windsor, as well as, the US premiere of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. In the first of a three part series of reports about the RSC's residency in Southeast Michigan, Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney looks at how the RSC is using Coriolanus to ask questions about democracy.

Interviews
Linda Gregerson - Professor of English, Univeristy of Michigan
David Farr - Director, Coriolanus, Royal Shakespeare Company
Clare Venebles - Director, Education, Royal Shakespeare Company

Shakespeare in Michigan, Part 2: Richard Cordery

Description
Over the next 3 weeks the Royal Shakespeare Company will be performing in Ann Arbor. This is the second time Britain's leading theater company has been in the state for a residency at the University of Michigan. During the performances of Shakespeare's Coriolanus and The Merry Wives of Windsor there will be a face onstage that's familiar to anyone who saw the RSC last time the company was here. The actor who played the Duke of Gloucester is back. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney introduces us to Richard Cordery. He's performing 2 very different parts during this year's residency.

Interviews
Richard Cordery - Actor, Falstaff & Menenius, Royal Shakespeare Company
David Farr - Director, Royal Shakespeare Company

Shakespeare in Michigan, Part 3: Midnight's Children

Description
The Royal Shakespeare Company is in Ann Arbor until mid March for a residency at the University of Michigan. Actors, directors, and technicians will participate in lectures and lead workshops around Southeast Michigan. And of course the RSC will perform. But in addition to performing 2 plays by Shakespeare, the company will present the US premier of Salman Rushdie's Midnights Children. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at how Rushdie's massive novel ended up on the stage and the part 2 American Universities are playing.

Interviews
Zubin Varla - Actor playing Saleem Sinai, Royal Shakespeare Company
Tim Supple - Director, Midnight's Children, Royal Shakespeare Company
Salman Rushdie - Author, Midnight's Children
Simon Reade - Former Dramaturg Royal Shakespeare Company, Artistic
Director, Bristol Vic, Co-Adaptor, Midnight's Children
Kenneth Fischer - Executive Director, University Musical Society

Armory Arts Project: Artist's Renaissance Zone

Description
Like many manufacturing towns whose heyday has passed, Jackson, Michigan has been trying to figure out how to revitalize its downtown. Parts of the city have been declared 'Tax Free Renaissance Zones' to help spur development and investment in the community. Currently, city planners are hoping a planned development for artists will create new life in the city. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Kay Howard - Potter
Phil Chiban - Tile maker
Neeta Delaney - Project Director, Armory Arts Project
Steve Czarnecki - President & CEO, Enterprise Group of Jackson
Chris Velasco - Director, Artspace Projects Inc

Raven Hill: History, Art & Science

Description
Most hands-on museums focus on science. Children of all ages can touch, play, and experiment with scientific concepts and technology. But one hands-on museum in Northern Michigan teaches art, history, and science..all at once. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Cheri Leach - Founder, Raven Hill Discovery Center
Jim Garrison - Stone Sculptor, Kalamazoo
Kate Kloss - Math Teacher, Boyne Falls Middle School

Pewabic 100: Historic Tiles

Description
Throughout Michigan and the northeastern quadrant of the United States there are hundreds of homes, schools, and public buildings dotted and decorated with handmade Pewabic tiles. Many people in the Detroit area have gone to schools with Pewabic drinking fountains or Pewabic tiled swimming pools. 100 years after it was started, Pewabic Pottery continues the work of its founding artist. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Jennifer Fosbender - Tile Presser, Pewabic Pottery
Teresa Ireland - Executive Director, Pewabic Pottery
Ben Chamberlin - Kiln Room Worker, Pewabic Pottery

Reading to the Young

Description
For a long time, some affluent and well-educated parents have gone to extraordinary lengths to stimulate the intellect of their very young children. A few have even read books to their babies while they are still in the womb. Those parents are acting on research that shows that reading to children before they enter kindergarten can have a profound effect on how well they succeed in school. But not every child gets this early exposure to reading. Now, the state of Michigan is trying to figure out how to increase learning for all children from the time they are born until they get to school. We have report from Gretchen Millich.

Interviews
Melissa Kelly - Teacher, Capitol Area Head Start
Lucy McClintic - Associate Director, Capitol Area Head Start
Mike Flanagan - Governor Granholm's Education Adviser
Craig Ramey - Researcher, Georgetown University

Wire Recording: Voices From The Past

Description
The way we record and preserve people's voices has evolved quickly over the past century. Before recordable compact discs and MP-3 players, there was the audio cassette, reel-to-reel machine, and so on. One recording medium that didn't gain a whole lot of footing was the wire recording. Wire recorders were sold through the mid-50s. And while there are still plenty of old wire recordings out there, wire players are not so easy to find. That's why one Lansing man has made opening these doors to the past his business. Michigan Public Radio's Erin Toner has more.

Interviews
Steve Gwost - Wire Recording Transferer

The Trouble With Sketching: Fear & Suspicion

Description
The war in Iraq, orange alerts, and even diseases like SARS have put many people on edge. Some things that never got a second look in the past are now being viewed with suspicion by people who are suddenly wary of anything or anyone out of the ordinary. This heightened state of alert can cause trouble for people like Kalamazoo based artist Ladislav Hanka whose livelihood depends on unusual, but benign activity. Here's his story.

Interviews
Ladislav Hanka - Artist, Kalamazoo

Arts & Education: Academics Through Art

Description
Michigan's budget crisis has the arts community worried about the future of arts education. So the timing was good for a conference in Traverse City this week that's showing educators ways to use the arts to teach academic subjects. The presenters are from some of the nation's most established arts and cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, Carnegie Hall and the Library of Congress. The weeklong National Overture of Education and the Arts was organized by the Institute for Education and the Arts in Washington D.C. Interlochen Public Radio's Peter Payette attended one of the workshops and filed this report.

Interviews
Jennifer Reklis - National Gallery of Art
Katie Benson - English Teacher, Suttons Bay High School
Paige Simpson - National Gallery of Art
Ken Eshete - Head, Department of Piano Maintenance, Northwestern University

North Country Opera Continued: A Musical About Sprawl

Description
In Michigan, most of the population lives in the southern part of the state around Detroit, Grand Rapids, and the other big cities. The northern part of the state is where people from the southern part of the state go to get away -- to vacation, fish, and relax. But for a variety of reasons Michigan's North Woods are being developed and settled. In the process the wild, the quiet, and the slow pace of life that attracts people there in the first place is disappearing. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney tells us about a playwright who is trying to get people thinking about the changes development brings.

Interviews
Jay Steilstra - Playwright, North Country Opera Continued
Tracy Leigh Komarmy - Actor, North Country Opera Continued

Ladislav's Fish: The Meaning of Fish

Description
The fish that swim in our lakes, rivers, and streams are food for all kinds of creatures including people. And for the many recreational fisherman they're sport. But, the life fish lead is also inspiration for artists. In cooperation with Studio 360, Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney paid a visit to artist Ladislav Hanka. His etchings explore cycles of life, death, and regeneration in nature and more often than not depict fish.

Interviews
Ladislav Hanka - Artist, Kalamazoo

Maritime Heritage Destination

Description
The state of Michigan is probably best known for cars or Motown music. But state tourism officials want more people to think about the Great Lakes and maritime history when they think about state. At the 50th anniversary celebration for the Lake Michigan Car ferry, state officials unveiled a new maritime tourism initiative. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports from Ludington.

Interviews
William Anderson - Director, Department of History Arts and Libraries
Bob Manglitz - CEO, Lake Michigan Carferry Service

The Funding Picture: An Economic Downturn

Description
In the coming weeks the Michigan house will have its say about state arts funding. The Governor has recommended cutting arts grants in half and the senate passed a budget bill giving the arts only a bit more. Regardless of what the legislature decides, it's become clear to arts groups all across the state that it's time to find new ways to pay next year's bills. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Tim Jacobs - Actor, Meadowbrook Theater
Morrie Warshawski - Arts Consultant & Author, "Shaking the Money Tree"
Carol Snapp - Executive Director, Wellspring Cori Terry & Dancers"
Judy Joliffe - Executive Director, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo

Lighthouse Reflections: What They Mean To Us

Description
Lighthouses used to guide ships to safe waters, but these days they mainly beckon to tourists. Michigan is a popular destination for lighthouse buffs because it has more lighthouses than any other state in the country. All summer long at Ludington State Park, there's steady stream of visitors who walk 2 miles from their cars and campers to see Big Sable Point Lighthouse. When they get there, the tourists are greeted by 6 volunteer lighthouse keepers. The keepers have been through a lengthy application process for the privilege of living and working at the lighthouse for 2 weeks. Nancy Gertz is the executive director of Big Sable Point. She says the lighthouse has relied on volunteer lightkeepers since 1995. Over the years the program has grown to include people from around the country. She says "this year there were almost 200 applicants and we used 120, so we had to turn down a lot of people and several had been coming for 5 or 6 years. We had to say we can't use you, but re-apply next year." But this isn't a free vacation, the volunteer's work hard during their stint. They clean the port-a-potty, sweep the sand off the lighthouse stairs, run the gift shop, and show visitors around. But each volunteer lightkeeper is also getting a chance to figure out for themselves why lighthouses are such an attraction. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney produced this audio postcard from Big Sable Point.

Interviews
Shirley Mitchell - Volunteer, Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers
Association
Julie Koviak - Volunteer, Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers
Association
Phyllis Triezenberg - Volunteer, Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association
Harold Triezenberg - Volunteer, Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association

Greenfield Village Re-opens: Rennovated and Restored

Description
The Henry Ford is one of, if not the biggest tourist attraction in the state. However for the last 9 months the Greenfield Village section of the Henry Ford has been closed for a 60 million dollar renovation project. As Michigan Radios Tamar Charney reports this outdoor museum has been re-done from top to bottom.

Interviews
Christain Overland - Director, Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford
David Littman - Chief Economist, Comerica Bank

Parkwyn Village: Frank Lloyd Wright's Neighborhood

Description
Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most famous names in architecture. In addition to designing buildings Wright had plans for communities as well. He even went so far as to design an entire city. And while the city was never built, he did oversee the construction of several neighborhoods. As Rob South from WMUK reports, two Wright-designed neighborhoods are only
miles apart in Kalamazoo County

Interviews
Helen McCartney - Homeowner, Parkwyn Village
Mel Skvarla - Architect, Western Michigan University

Flint Mural: Hubert Massey

Description
A new six story mural is taking shape in Flint. It isn't finished yet. But, already it changes the look of the city's main downtown street. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Hubert Massey - Mural and Fresco Artist

Voelker 100: Anatomy of a Favorite Author

Description
Marquette Michigan is celebrating the 100th anniversary of one of its favorite sons, John Voelker. Voelker was a Michigan state supreme court justice, a fly fisherman, a cribbage enthusiast, and, most famously, an author. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty has the story.

Interviews
Pam Christiansen - Director, Peter White Public Library
Kathy Weber - Director, John Voelker Centenary Celebration.

Fundraising Art: Sculpture and Money

Description
As cultural organizations see their funding shrink, many are looking for creative ways of raising cash. For the last decade a Michigan artist has been experimenting with art that works for money. His sculptures raise money for the Detroit Zoo and other organizations, but they also speak to the relationship between money and art, and the deep human need to give and receive. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Andy Snyder - Curator of Reptiles, Detroit Zoo
Ian King - 13 year old at Detroit Zoo
Jim Pallas - Artist

Taggin' Detroit: Graffiti in the City

Description
Detroit like many big cities has a lot of graffiti. Recent incidents in the city have people revisiting the decades old question about whether graffiti is art or vandalism. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Mary Harrison - Director, C-POP Gallery

Michigan's Troubadour: Neil Woodward

Description
Michigan has a state flower, a state song, and even a state fossil. In June the legislature passed a resolution creating a state troubadour. Neil Woodward brought some of his instruments up to the Michigan Radio studio's to play and talk about what it means to be the troubadour of Michigan.

Interviews
Neil Woodward - Musician, Songwriter, & State Troubadour

Artchitects and Sprawl

Description
As people move to homes and businesses in the suburbs they often abandon beautiful buildings. Some inner cities are now filled with boarded up store fronts and dilapidated high-rises. A group of architects hopes that people will be less likely to do this if they valued good architecture and design. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney tells us about the Flint Guide to Architecture

Interviews
Albert Ashley - Security Contractor, Mott Building
Ron Campbell - Architect, THA & Author, Flint Guide to Architecture
Celeste Novak - President, AIA Michigan

Magic in Colon: Abbott & Blackstone

Description
In the fictional world, Harry Potter heads off to Hogwarts to learn magic and spells. But many real life magicians rely on a Michigan institution for their tricks and illusions. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Greg Bordner - President Abbott's Magic Company
John Archer - Magician, London England
BJ Mallon - Magician, Colon Michigan
David Farrell - Community Historical Society of Colon

Future of the Folk Festival: Funding Woes

Description
For the fifth summer in a row, the sounds of folk music will be heard in downtown East Lansing. The Great Lakes Folk Festival features three days of concerts, dance parties, food, crafts and demonstrations. But this could be the last year for this event. Organizers say budget cuts to arts organizations and universities are threatening the future of the festival. We have a report from Gretchen Millich.

Interviews
Bob Blackman - Co-Founder, Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse
Kurt Dewhurst - Director, Michigan State University Museum
Mark Meadows - Mayor, East Lansing

Historic Sports: Playing the Heritage Game

Description
This summer seven of Michigan's largest historical museums have taken a look at the cultural phenomenon of sports. Interest in the history of sports and vintage equipment is growing. And more people are playing sports the way they were played a hundred years ago -- particularly golf and baseball. From Interlochen Public Radio Peter Payette reports.

Interviews
Fred Muller - Winner, Hickory Tournament & Club Pro, Crystal
John Crow-Miller - Hickory Golf Player
Gordon Olson - Retired Grand Rapids City historian
Karla Wolters - Instructor, History of Sports, Hope College
Ralph Livingston - Hickory Golf Player

Boomtown: Reviving Calumet

Description
Calumet was one of the Keweenaw Peninsula's copper boom towns. At the turn of the century it was a modern culturally rich city with 33 thousand people .. more than either Lansing or Kalamazoo. It had a trolley system, an opera house, and streets lined with mansions. But from the 1920's on, its was all downhill, the population dropped to around 5-thousand, and the town
all but shut down. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports a new festival in Calumet is the latest effort to help make the community a boomtown once again.

Interviews
Jeanie Gratoff - Chair, Boomtown Revival Festival, Calumet

Idlewild: The Black Eden of Michigan

Description
In 1912 a group of white entrepreneurs bought 2700 acres of land in Northwest Michigan. They realized there was a need for a resort community for Blacks. Lots were sold to African Americans and the thriving resort community of Idlewild was born. But Idlewild has seen rough times in recent years. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports some in the community hope Idlewild's past can be the key to its future.

Interviews
Mable Williams - President Emeritus, Merrymakers Association
Mary Trucks - Executive Director, Five Cap Incorporated
Marsha MacDowell - Curator of Folk Arts, MSU Museum

Rock Camp: Teaching Girls Music Skills

Description
Over the summer many girls attended music camps. Most of those programs are geared to orchestral instruments. But a week long sleepaway camp in Michigan aims to teach girls how to rock. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty reports.

Interviews
Grover - Musician, Poet, and Camp Counsellor, Rebel Girls Music Project
Antonia Alvarez - Music Director, Neutral Zone Youth Center
Amelia Granger - 17 year old bass player
Audra Marx - Bass Instructor, Rebel Girls Music Project

Celebrating St. Petersburg: The City's Culture - Part 1

Description
Saint Petersburg Russia is going to be the talk of Southeast Michigan. Ann Arbor's mayor has declared October Saint Petersburg month. And for the rest of this fall, the University of Michigan is hosting a festival of cultural events celebrating the city's 300th anniversary. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Anatol Senkovitch - Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan
James Craecraft - Professor of Russian History, University of Illinois, Chicago
Sara Billman - Director of Marketing, University Musical Society

Celebrating St. Petersburg: the Romanov's Collect - Part 2

Description
This weekend an exhibition of Western European Art from Russia's State Hermitage Museum opens in Ann Arbor. It features almost 140 pieces of art. Most have never been seen in the United States. This exhibit is the centerpiece of a festival the University of Michigan is sponsoring called
"Celebrating St Petersburg 300 years of Culture Brilliance." Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Tatianna Lekovich - Curator of Western European Textiles, State Hermitage Museum
James Stewart - Director, University of Michigan Museum of Art
Lidia Leahkovitch - Curator of Porcelain, State Hermitage Museum

Arab American Museum: A New Museum

Description
Dozens of business and political leaders from the United States and Arab countries are in downtown Detroit for the first-ever U-S - Arab Economic Forum. It's aimed at strengthening economic ties between the US and the Arab world. In Dearborn, ground's
being broken for the country's first Arab-American History Museum. The facility will celebrate the struggles and contributions of the country's Arab community. Michigan Radio's Michael Leland has more.

Interviews
Anan Ameri - Director, Cultural Programs, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)
James Zogby - Director, Arab-American Institute
Steve Heath - Events Coordinator, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)

Immigrant Cookbook: Stories & Recipes

Description
A lot of the food Americans eat has roots in some other place. Immigrants to America have brought with them tacos, stir-frys, falafel, and ravioli. A new cookbook by a trio of friends in Lansing highlights some of the latest additions to the American menu, and the people that brought them here. It's called "A Taste of Freedom: A Culinary Journey with America's Refugees." Matt Ferguson of station W-K-A-R has more.

Interviews
Clara Jaramillo - Refugee from Columbia
Vince Delgado - Author, A Taste of Freedom
Jeremy Herliczek - Photographer, A Taste of Freedom
Becky Shink - Photographer, A Taste of Freedom

10/6/03

The Max: The DSO Revitalizes Detroit

Description
For decades Orchestra Hall has sat alone at one end of a block in a dilapidated area of Detroit. But over the past few years the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has undertaken a major development and construction project in the area around Orchestra Hall. Later this week the DSO unveils its new performing arts complex called the Max M Fisher Music Center. "The Max" includes the newly renovated Orchestra Hall, an education center, and a new performance space. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Randy Hawes - Trombonist, Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Emile Kang - President & CEO, Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Charles Burke - Education Director, Detroit Symphony ORchestra

Animating Democracy: Through Art

Description
Artists and arts leaders from around the country are in Flint this weekend to talk about how art can play a role in civic dialogue. The conference is the final part of a 4 year project called the Animating Democracy Initiative. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Marty Pottenger - New York based theater artist
Barbara Shaffer Bacon - Co-director, Animating Democracy Initiative
Pam Korza - Co-director, Animating Democracy Initiative

Balanchine & American Dance

Description
Later this week, one of St. Petersburg, Russia's, most famous natives, George Balanchine, will be the subject of a University of Michigan symposium. It's part of the University of Michigan's festival "Celebrating St. Petersburg: 300 years of cultural brilliance." St. Petersburg has long been the home of Russia's state ballet, and some of the century's most famous dancers were trained at the State ballet school. But the city's effects on dance go beyond Russian borders, to America. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty has this report

Interviews
Carol Radovic - CAS Ballet Studio
Beth Genne - Professor of Dance History, University of Michigan
Edward Villella - Former Principal Dancer, Balanchine's New York City
Ballet & current Artistic Director, Miami City Ballet

Arts Funding: An Update

Description
Members of the US House-Senate conference committee agreed to increase the budget for National Endowment for the Arts by nearly seven million dollars. While federal support for the arts may be about to increase, arts organizations in Michigan are bracing for further cuts in arts funding from the state. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Pam Gallina - President, Cherry County Playhouse
Barbara Kratchman - Director, ArtServe Michigan.
Lynn Loftis - President, Ella Sharp Museum

Democracy Part 1: Small Stuff

Description
You don't have to be a politician to have experience with democracy. In fact you don't even have to go to the polls. Many American's spend their entire lives swimming in democratic concepts day in and day out. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports, our sense of democracy is so ingrained in our culture that we look to voting and majority rule in our
everyday lives.

Interviews
Tom Fricke - Director, University of Michigan Center for the Ethnography of Everyday Life
Alexandria Watson - 16 Year Old
Tereasa Kolesnik - Deli Worker.

11/4/03

Democracy Part 2: Student Activism

Description
When we think about college student activism, many of us think of the protests that shook college campuses during the Vietnam War. But experts say activism is alive and well in the year 2003. College students are more active than they have been in over ten years. Observers are watching closely, because these students could shape mainstream politics and culture decades after graduation. National conservative groups are pouring money and encouragement into right-wing student groups. Meanwhile, a number of causes are competing for the attention of liberal, progressive and leftist students. Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton visits the University of Michigan for a picture of student participation in democracy.

Democracy Part 3: In A New Land

Description
Michigan has one of the largest concentrations of Arab-Americans in the country. For many immigrants from Arab lands, democracy can be a challenging concept - just as it is for Iraqis. But it would be a mistake to assume that all Arab immigrants struggle to learn democratic principles. Michigan Radio's Michael Leland reports.

Interviews
Yasser Maisari - Resident, Dearborn
Ishmael Ahmed - Director, of ACCESS Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services
James Zogby - Director, Arab American Institute, Washington DC
Anan Ameri - Director, Cultural and Arts Programming, ACCESS.
Nazih Hassan - Directory, Muslim Community Association, Ann Arbor

Democracy Part 4: The Influence of Immigrants

Description
West Michigan's Hispanic population has tripled over the last ten years. Yet despite the growing numbers, community activists say area Hispanics are still far from realizing political power. They also say there are signs that change is coming. Michigan Radio's Kaomi Goetz reports.

Interviews
Lu Reyes - Co-founder, Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP)
Mercedes Toohey - Activist
Valde Garcia - State Senator
Emily Aleman - Executive Director, Hispanic Center of West Michigan.

Michigan Space Center: The Future

Description
On November 4th a number of Community Colleges across the state are asking voters to approve Millage Proposals. The proposals are a response to cuts in state funding, and in some cases, the fact that local support has remained static for decades. Jackson Community College is hoping that voters will approve a millage increase of 1.63, it would be the first increase since 1964. The school is depending on the millage to help them keep tuition in check and maintain and improve educational opportunities for their students. The stakes are even higher for the Michigan Space and Science Center, which is affiliated with the college. If the millage fails the Space and Science Center could cease to exist. Michigan Radio's Charity Nebbe recently took a tour and has this report.

Interviews
Tim Morris - Interim Director, Michigan Space and Science Center

Trails & Rails: Michigan Culture Goes Out West

Description
Amtrak passengers usually spend their time on board sleeping, staring out the window, or entertaining themselves with some sort of electronic device. But people zooming across the country in November on the Southwest Chief are going to get an unexpected chance to learn about Michigan and Great Lakes culture. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Michael Deren - Historical Interpreter
Jim Miculka - National Park Service Coordinator, "Rails and Rails" Amtrak NPS Partnership
Nancy Matthews - Director, Community Programs, Michigan Humanities Council

Egyptian Childhood: Artifacts of Kids

Description
One aspect of life that has been mostly ignored by archeologists is childhood. But a new exhibit in Ann Arbor takes a look at what life was like for children in ancient Egypt. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports

Interviews
Terry Wilfong - Curator of Graeco-Roman Egypt, UofM Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Forensic Art: Artists Solving Crimes

Description
Many people who take art classes are trying to learn how to express themselves or create something beautiful. But not all professional artists want to see their work hanging on a museum or gallery wall. A small group of artists want to see their work in a file labeled "case closed." Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney takes a look a what forensic artists do.

Interviews
Sarah Foster - Trooper, Michigan State Police & Artist, Forensic Artist Program
Mark Krebs - Detective Sergeant, Michigan State Police & Interim Coordinator, Forensic Artist Program

Michigan Relics: Digging Up Controversy

Description
To most people, "archaeology" means digging up tombs and treasure in far-off lands. What many don't know is that one of the biggest archaeological controversies in history started here in Michigan. Starting in 1890, a series of incredible artifacts were found buried in sixteen Michigan counties. They ranged from simple clay cups to slate tablets and copper tools, and were unlike anything previously found anywhere in the Americas. They're known as the Michigan Relics. Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton has more.

Interviews
Richard Stamps - Archaeologist, Oakland University
John Halsey - Archaeologist, State of Michigan
Lisa Young - Archaelologist, University of Michigan

Freight Train: Yoko Ono's Installation

Description
Yoko Ono was in Southeast Michigan to dedicate an art installation. Her piece called "Freight Train" is being exhibited on the lawn of the Detroit Institute of Arts. It is a 1930's German boxcar riddled with bullet holes and surrounded by a wash of music. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports the piece is a way of expressing atonement for human cruelty and
expressing hope for a better future.

Interviews
Yoko Ono, Artist
Jon Hendricks, Curator

Petroglyphs: Michigan's Own

Description
Reminders of the past aren't just found in museums. The State Historical Museum System operates sites where people can go to see historic forts, homes, and other places. But one of these sites recently closed because of the state's budget troubles. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Shannon Martin - Community Education Specialist, Zeebawing Cultural Society of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
George Lauinger - Unit Supervisor, Sleeper State Park & Sanillac Petroglyphs State Historic Site
Phil Kwitkowski - Director, Michigan Historical Museum System

12/5/03

Museum Collections

Description
Fossils, jewelry and the tools of work and war teach us about who we are and where we've come from. In Michigan, thousands of people have donated historical objects to the state museum. But only about 10 percent of those objects are actually on display. And much of the rest is stored in what museum officials have called "deplorable" conditions. Erin Toner reports.

Interviews
Sandra Clark - Director, Michigan Historical Center
Rose Victory - Curator of Collections, Michigan Historical Museum System

Mady: A Griot in Michigan

Description
In west Africa, Griot are an important part of people's lives: they act as genealogists, historians, political advisors, diplomats, and more, and they do it all through music. Now one Senegalese griot is bringing that tradition to southeast Michigan. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty has this report.

Interviews
Mady Kouyate - Senegalese Griot, Ypsilanti
Kelly Askew - Professor, Anthropology, University of Michigan

Cool Cities: Creating Mitten Envy

Description
Each year the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs holds a meeting to talk about cultural issues. This year MCACA teamed up with the Department of Labor and Economic Growth to talk about the governor's Cool Cities Initiative. A sold out crowd of 11-hundred people will get together to talk about how arts and culture can be creatively used to stimulate and
enhance economic development. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Interviews
Jennifer Albaum - Owner, Henreitta Farenheit
Jennifer Goulet - Director, Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority
David Hollister - Director, State Department of Labor and Economic Growth

Norton Mounds: Protecting Their Future

Description
A little-known National Historic Landmark in West Michigan may soon get a lot of attention - and visitors. The Norton Mounds Burial Site was created at least 2000 years ago by Native Americans. The land has been held in trust by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids since 1970. But a new county park being developed nearby has museum officials trying to figure out what the future of the Norton Mounds site will be. Michigan Radio's Kaomi Goetz has the story.

Interviews
John Halsey - State Archeologist
Alex Mirgowenski - Attendee, Norton Mounds Forum
Ernie Hoover - Attendee Norton Mounds Forum
Debra Muller - Norton Mounds Project Director, Public Museum of Grand Rapids

Arab American Christmas: Not All Arabs Are Muslim

Description
Many people throughout the world will begin their Christmas celebrations by attending church services. In the United States, Arab-Americans will be among those observing one of Christianity's holiest occasions. Many Americans might assume that Arabs in this country follow the Muslim faith. But Michigan Radio's Michael Leland reports, that's not always the case.

Interviews
Nancy Almasarweh - Congregation Member Arabic Alliance Church
Jacob Kakish - Pastor, Arabic Alliance Church
George Shalhoub - Priest St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church
Ron Stockton - Professor, Political Science, University of Michigan-Dearborn