Podcasts about national parks arts foundation

Artist Lakin Epaloose joins Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday” Toast to The Arts & Parks” Podcast to talk about his paintings, photography, fashion design, and being the latest National Parks Arts Foundation artist-in-residence for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.   Lakin Epaloose, a painter and cultural bearer of the Zuni Tribe, works at Grand Canyon National Park in the cultural demonstration program. From 9:30am-1:30pm, on April 19, 2025, Lakin will offer a hands-on painting demonstration that follow his presentation at Kahuku Visitor Contact Station in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Watercolor supplies will be provided. The park's Artist in Residence program is sponsored by the National Parks Arts Foundation and Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Reservations required, 20-person limit. Details and reservations: https://home.nps.gov/havo/learn/news/03212025-nr-april-updates.htm Learn more and view Lakin's art: https://www.lakinepalooseart.com/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

In this week's podcast we thought we'd take a break from the unsettling news happening in and around our national parks and federal lands regarding park staff reductions and threats of reducing park boundaries to make way for mining.   Instead, the Traveler's Lynn Riddick catches up with a former scientist who's now a comedian to hear about his experiences during his artist-in-residency program at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Selected for the residency by the National Parks Arts Foundation, Ben Miller spent a month with park staff and scientists to absorb as much as possible about Hawaiian culture, landscapes and history. The end result was a comedy routine designed specifically for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation features acclaimed illustrator Andrés Vera Martínez whose artistic focus is on illustrating and writing graphic novels for middle school and young adult readers.  Andrés is best known for his work on his wife's graphic memoir, "LIttle White Duck: A Childhood in China," and Neal Shusterman's YA graphic novel, "Courage to Dream: Tales of in the Holocaust." Watch for his middle grade graphic novel series with Jorge Aguirre, "Monster Locker" and the adaptation of "Esperanza Rising", plus, his illustrations in Marie Alohalani Brown's "Hawaiian Myths, Gods, and Heroes." More at: https://www.andresvera.com/  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday "Toast to The Parks & Arts" Show features Tanya Ortega, photographer and founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF). Hear about the organization's unique month-long artist residencies in locations like Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida, and Hawai'i Volcano National Park. Plus, this year's opportunities for park destinations and artists of all genres to be part of their programming.  NPAF is a non-profit offering unique Artist-in-Residence Programs, Museum In-Loan Programs, and Workshops inspired by our National Parks, National Monuments, and World Heritage Sites. NPAF has supported over 300 programs, over 120 artists, and been the conduit for over a million dollars in artwork donations.   Watch for Big Blend Radio's NPAF Retrospective, a digital publication featuring 8 years of podcast interviews with artists and park representatives! Keep up with us by getting our newsletter at https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/join-our-newsletter/  Learn more: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the author of Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites (Mouthfeel Press) and Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge (Sundress Publications). A former Steinbeck Fellow and Poets & Writers California Writers Exchange winner, she's received residencies from Hedgebrook, Ragdale, Yefe Nof, Jentel, and National Parks Arts Foundation in partnership with Gettysburg National Military Park and Poetry Foundation. Her poem “Battlegrounds” was featured at Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day, On Being's Poetry Unbound, and the anthology, Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World (W.W. Norton). Her poetry and essays can be found at Acentos Review, Huizache, LA Review of Books, The Offing, [Pank], Santa Fe Writers Project, and other journals. She is the director of Women Who Submit. Inspired by her Chicana identity, she works to cultivate love and comfort in chaotic times. At the heart of Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites (Mouthfeel Press 2023) lies an exploration of love in its many forms. Bermejo crafts poems that celebrate the enduring bonds of family, the unwavering strength of compassion, and the necessity for defiance. "Bermejo's Incantation do more than conjure hope for a vague future; they demand accountability and enact the healing we need now," writes award-winning author Carribean Fragoza. These poems dance like flames in rituals of resistance and resilience, casting light on paths that lead to a future unburdened by the chains of misogyny, white supremacy, and state-sanction violence.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features acclaimed trumpeter Delbert Anderson, the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF) artist-in-residence in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. A Diné jazz trumpet artist, composer, and educator, Delbert stands at the forefront of a vibrant Native American jazz scene. His work, deeply rooted in his Diné heritage, seamlessly integrates Navajo "spinning songs" of love, healing, and courtship with jazz and funk, thus marking him as a community-minded Indigenous individualist. Through his Delbert Anderson Quartet, Anderson revives the improvised sounds of the Diné circle, blending them with jazz, funk, and hip-hop. His compositions are inspired by Navajo Nation landscapes, historical events, and the desire to preserve and educate about Diné history. More: https://delbertanderson.com/  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features acclaimed astrophotographer and photojournalist Stan Honda, the National Parks Arts Foundation's Fall 2024 artist-in-residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Stan Honda is an experienced photojournalist who now works with natural landscapes — usually night-time panoramas — that fuse sky and earth. Based in New York-based, he worked as a photojournalist for 34 years including Agence France-Presse (AFP) (the French news agency) where he photographed news and sports in New York City and around the U.S., including the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the aftermath; post-war Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Stan was also the National Parks Arts Foundation artist resident at Haleakala National Park and Fort Union National Monument. More at https://stanhonda.com/  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

Conservation photographer Ian Wilson-Navarro was born in Miami but has lived his entire life in Key Largo. He got his first camera as a teenager, and first visited the Dry Tortugas around that same time camping and fishing with his father. In 2021, he and a friend were chosen for a National Parks Arts Foundation artist residency in the Dry Tortugas on Loggerhead Key. His proposal for the residency pitched the idea of capturing images to create a book, and that book is now out. "Dry Tortugas: Stronghold of Nature" was published last month by University Press of Florida. It features about 200 of his photographs along with essays by people with intimate knowledge of the park who explore its history, culture, and environment.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features musician and composer Rachel Mari Kimber, the National Parks Arts Foundation's Fall 2024 artist-in-residence at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. This is part two of our conversation as a follow up of her residency. Check out Part One here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/musician-rachel-mari-kimber-in-saguaro-national-park  Rachel Mari Kimber is a musically creative artist from Wales, UK. She composes, sings, plays guitar and cello, orchestrates, harmonises, teaches, and produces, all from the heart. She also plays cello and sings for the band Black Forest Society, and also for Happy Joy Harmony. More: https://freeyourspiritheal.wixsite.com/love   MORE LINKS FROM THE PODCAST regarding plants and music and NPAF artists in residence: - Writer Zoë Schlanger in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park:  https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/writer-zoe-schlanger-in-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park/  - Writer Zoë Schlanger in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/musician-sam-nester-in-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park/  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features musician and composer Rachel Mari Kimber, the National Parks Arts Foundation's Fall 2024 artist-in-residence at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. Rachel Mari Kimber is a musically creative artist from Wales, UK. She composes, sings, plays guitar and cello, orchestrates, harmonises, teaches, and produces, all from the heart. She also plays cello and sings for the band Black Forest Society, and also for Happy Joy Harmony. More: https://freeyourspiritheal.wixsite.com/love   Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

In celebration of American Adventures Month and the anniversary of the National Park Service (August 25, 1916), this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel" Show focuses on three NPS park units in New Mexico.  FEATURED GUESTS: - TANYA ORTEGA, a photographer and the founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation, covers Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Learn more: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/  - VICTORIA CHICK, a contemporary figurative artist based in Silver City NM covers the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Learn more: https://victoriachick.com/  - DEBBIE STONE, a world traveler and travel writer based in Santa Fe NM talks about Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Learn more: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/debbie-stone-travel-writer/  PARK ARTICLES & RESOURCES: - CHACO CULTURE NHP:  https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/chaco-culture-national-historical-park/  - GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS NM: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/gila-cliff-dwellings-national-monument/  - CARLSBAD CAVERNS NP: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/explore-carlsbad-caverns-national-park/ 

In celebration of American Artists Appreciation Month and the upcoming National Park Service anniversary (Aug. 25, 1860), this episode of Big Blend Radio's WORLD OF ART Podcast with artist Victoria Chick features photographer Tanya Ortega. Hear their discussion covering the Then & Now of Art and Artists in Parks and Public Lands.  Talking about the history of art and artists in parks, VICTORIA CHICK is a contemporary figurative artist and early 19th/20th century print collector based in Silver City, New Mexico. Victoria spearheaded the Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center  . * Read her articles about artists in parks:  https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/art-history-in-national-parks-and-public-lands  * Visit Victoria's website:  https://victoriachick.com/  * Learn more about the Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center: https://www.southwest-art-museum.org/  Talking about "the now" of art and artists in parks, TANYA ORTEGA is a photographer and the founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation. NPAF is the only nationwide non-profit providing Artist-in-Residence Programs (AiR), Workshops, Exhibits and Museum Loans uniquely in cooperation with National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks, World Heritage Sites and other park locations.  * Learn more about NPAF: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/  * Check out Big Blend Radio's Interviews with NPAF artists-in-residence: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/national-park-arts-foundation/   WATCH FOR BIG BLEND'S special digital retrospective publication featuring Victoria's articles and NPAF's artist interviews. It releases on Aug. 25, 2024 in honor of the National Park Service anniversary (Aug. 25, 1860). Subscribe to our Big Blend e-Newsletter to get your copy: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/join-our-newsletter/  Big Blend Radio's "World of Art" Show with Victoria Chick airs every 3rd Saturday. Follow the podcast:  https://worldofart-victoriachick.podbean.com/  Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks Show with NPAF airs every 1st Friday. Follow the podcast: https://arts-parks.podbean.com/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "A Toast to The Arts & Parks" Podcast features National Parks Arts Foundation artists-in-residence Carissa "Lucky" Garcia and Chelsea Bighorn. Carissa “Lucky” Garcia is an Indigenous/Chicana writer, poet, performing artist, community organizer, anti-oppression educator and Indigenous Justice advocate. Her NPAF residency was in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in Northern New Mexico. Hear her initial interview about her writing and poetry, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/poet-carrisa-garcia-goes-to-chaco/ A mixed media artist, Chelsea Bighorn's work is the result of her combining traditional Native American design with elements from her Irish American heritage. Her NPAF residency was in Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. Hear her initial interview about her art, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/artist-chelsea-bighorn-in-saguaro-national-park/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features Arizona writer Leah Newsom, the National Parks Arts Foundation's summer 2024 artist-in-residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Leah Newsom was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and holds an MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University, where she now teaches creative writing. Her work has previously appeared/is forthcoming in "Conjunctions," "Ninth Letter," "Juked," "Passages North," and more. Her work has been supported by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and the National Parks Arts Foundation. More at: http://www.leahnewsom.com/  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features mixed medoa artist Chelsea Bighorn, the National Parks Arts Foundation's June 2024 artist-in-residence at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. Chelsea Bighorn was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. Her tribal affiliations are the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes from Montana and the Shoshone-Paiute from Northern Nevada. Bighorn's work is the result of her combining traditional Native American design with elements from her Irish American heritage. Using this process, she tells her personal history through her art. Bighorn has shown her work at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, SITE Santa Fe, The Balzar Gallery and her work is currently on display at The Center for Native Futures in Chicago, IL. She graduated with honors from The Institute of American Indian Arts in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts.  More: http://www.chelseabighorn.com/  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features Rick Makanaaloha Kia'imeaokekanaka San Nicolas (Kanaka Maoli) who returned for the fifth time as the National Parks Arts Foundation artist-in-residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.  Recognized as Ke Kumu Hulu Nui, meaning "Master of Hawaiian Featherwork of Old Hawai‘i," San Nicolas is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating this art form. Through his expertise and passion, he ensures that the traditions of feather lei making continue for generations to come. San Nicolas draws inspiration directly from the landscape of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, feeling a deep connection to the environment and its historical significance. He finds inspiration in the ancient Hawaiian featherwork tradition, particularly in the regalia worn by Hawaiian Royalty and warriors. This year Rick travels to Washington D.C. to present his featherwork for inclusion in the collection of the Museum of the Department of Interior as well as having it on display in the office of Secretary Deborah Haaland (Laguna Pueblo). He is also a consulting advisor in historical featherwork on the upcoming TV Series "Chief of War," starring Jason Momoa. More at: https://www.hawaiianfeathers.com/   Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation features Carissa "Lucky" Garcia, the Spring 2024 NPAF artist-in-residence in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Carissa “Lucky” Garcia is an Indigenous/Chicana writer, performing artist, community organizer, anti-oppression educator and Indigenous Justice advocate. She is a founding member of the La Resistencia publishing press and poetry collective amplifying LGBTQ+ voices of color. Carissa's storytelling communicates ideas that focus on her experience as an Iraq War veteran, Native American culture, love, politics, and her appreciation for comic books and science fiction. Her work has been featured at the University of Missouri Latinx Graduate Program, Rhode Island School of Design, UMKC Women of Color Leadership Conference, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Flatland KC, Prescott College, Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Dairy Arts Center, Denver Art Museum, and on the streets all across America. Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ Learn more about Chaco Culture National Historical Park at https://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation features Carissa "Lucky" Garcia, the Spring 2024 NPAF artist-in-residence in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Carissa “Lucky” Garcia is an Indigenous/Chicana writer, performing artist, community organizer, anti-oppression educator and Indigenous Justice advocate. She is a founding member of the La Resistencia publishing press and poetry collective amplifying LGBTQ+ voices of color. Carissa's storytelling communicates ideas that focus on her experience as an Iraq War veteran, Native American culture, love, politics, and her appreciation for comic books and science fiction. Her work has been featured at the University of Missouri Latinx Graduate Program, Rhode Island School of Design, UMKC Women of Color Leadership Conference, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Flatland KC, Prescott College, Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Dairy Arts Center, Denver Art Museum, and on the streets all across America. Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ Learn more about Chaco Culture National Historical Park at https://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation features Carissa "Lucky" Garcia, the Spring 2024 NPAF artist-in-residence in Chaco Culture National Historical Park.  Carissa “Lucky” Garcia is an Indigenous/Chicana writer, performing artist, community organizer, anti-oppression educator and Indigenous Justice advocate. She is a founding member of the La Resistencia publishing press and poetry collective amplifying LGBTQ+ voices of color. Carissa's storytelling communicates ideas that focus on her experience as an Iraq War veteran, Native American culture, love, politics, and her appreciation for comic books and science fiction. Her work has been featured at the University of Missouri Latinx Graduate Program, Rhode Island School of Design, UMKC Women of Color Leadership Conference, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Flatland KC, Prescott College, Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Dairy Arts Center, Denver Art Museum, and on the streets all across America.  Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/  Learn more about Chaco Culture National Historical Park at https://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm 

Welcome to the very first episode of Big Blend Radio's NEW "Women Making History" podcast featuring a Big Blend Radio "From the Vault" podcast of our "Parks & The Arts" show featuring Tanya Ortega, an accomplished photographer and founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF). Hear about the new podcast, Tanya's photography career and NPAF's unique artist-in-residence programs in national park units across the country.Check out Tanya's editorial Q&A about her photography: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/photography-art-insider-tanya-ortega/Listen to the Big Blend Radio Podcast Playlist of NPAF's Women Artists-in-Residence: https://soundcloud.com/bigblendradio/sets/npaf-women-artists Women's History within the National Parks Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/womenshistory/index.htm Follow this new Big Blend Radio "Women Making History" podcast: https://shows.acast.com/women-making-history Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the very first episode of Big Blend Radio's NEW "Women Making History" podcast featuring a Big Blend Radio "From the Vault" podcast of our "Parks & The Arts" show featuring Tanya Ortega, an accomplished photographer and founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF). Hear about the new podcast, Tanya's photography career and NPAF's unique artist-in-residence programs in national park units across the country.Check out Tanya's editorial Q&A about her photography: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/photography-art-insider-tanya-ortega/Listen to the Big Blend Radio Podcast Playlist of NPAF's Women Artists-in-Residence: https://soundcloud.com/bigblendradio/sets/npaf-women-artists Women's History within the National Parks Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/womenshistory/index.htm Follow this new Big Blend Radio "Women Making History" podcast: https://shows.acast.com/women-making-history Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the very first episode of Big Blend Radio's NEW "Women Making History" podcast featuring a Big Blend Radio "From the Vault" podcast of our "Parks & The Arts" show featuring Tanya Ortega, an accomplished photographer and founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF). Hear about the new podcast, Tanya's photography career and NPAF's unique artist-in-residence programs in national park units across the country. Check out Tanya's editorial Q&A about her photography: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/photography-art-insider-tanya-ortega  Listen to the Big Blend Radio Podcast Playlist of NPAF's Women Artists-in-Residence: https://soundcloud.com/bigblendradio/sets/npaf-women-artists   Women's History within the National Parks Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/womenshistory/index.htm   Follow this new Big Blend Radio "Women Making History" podcast: https://shows.acast.com/women-making-history 

Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo was born and raised in San Gabriel to Mexican immigrant parents. She is author of Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge (Sundress Publications 2016) and Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites (Mouthfeel Press 2023). She considers herself an experiential, witness poet and place, including the SGV, is a regular theme in her work. A former Steinbeck Fellow and Poets & Writers California Writers Exchange winner, she's received residencies from Hedgebrook, Ragdale, National Parks Arts Foundation in partnership with Gettysburg National Military Park and Poetry Foundation. Her poem “Battlegrounds” was featured at Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day, On Being's Poetry Unbound, and the anthology, Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World (W.W. Norton). She is the director of Women Who Submit and teaches poetry and creative writing with Antioch University, MFA and UCLA Extension. Inspired by her Chicana identity, she works to cultivate love and comfort in chaotic times.Social Media: @xochitljulisa___________________Music CreditsIntroLike it Loud, Dyalla, YouTube Audio LibraryStingerScarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio LibraryOutroIndecision, Dyalla, YouTube Audio Library__________________My SGV Podcast:www.mysgv.netinfo@sgvmasterkey.com

This month, host Clara Sherley-Appel talks to poet and educator Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo. A former Steinbeck Fellow and Poets & Writers California Writers Exchange winner, Xochitl's writing has been featured in the Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day, On Being's Poetry Unbound, and Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World. She has received residencies from Hedgebrook, Ragdale, Yefe Nof, and the National Parks Arts Foundation in partnership with the Getty National Military Park and Poetry Foundation. In 2011, she co-founded Women Who Submit (https://womenwhosubmitlit.org/), a literary organization that uses social media and community events to empower women and non-binary authors to submit work for publication, with Ashaki Jackson and Alyss Dixon, and she currently serves as the organization's director. Xochitl wrote her debut collection, Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge (https://bookshop.org/p/books/posada-offerings-of-witness-and-refuge-xochitl-julisa-bermejo/10553534), while living in a house in the shadows of Dodger Stadium in historic Solano Canyon. Today we are discussing her second collection, Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites (https://www.mouthfeelbooks.com/product/Incantation-love-poems-for-battle-sites/57), which explores US monuments, memorializes Black and brown bodies murdered by state-sanctioned violence, and shares love poems to family, friends, and dalliances in rituals of resistance and resilience.

Airing live from Peachtree City, Georgia with mother-daughter hosts Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith, this special Big Blend Radio “NPAF Artists Reunion Show” celebrates over 7 years of hosting the 1st Friday “Toast to The Arts & Parks” Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF).  Featured NPAF Park Artists-in-Residence: - Painter Alice Leese – Fort Union National Monument, Dry Tortugas National Park, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Composer and musician Glenn McClure – Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Composer and musician Andy Jarema – Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Environmental artist Patricia Cummins – Fort Union National Monument - Fiber Artist Nancy Hershberger – Fort Union National Monument  From Hawaii's volcanoes and the ancient Puebloan city complexes of Chaco Canyon to remote Loggerhead Key in Dry Tortugas National Park and the southwest crossroads of historic Fort Union, the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF) partners with a wide range of parks and monuments to offer residency programs in places that are known for their unique qualities that inspire out-of-the-ordinary thinking and creativity in artists. Artists selected for NPAF programs range from nationally renowned artists at the height of their careers to those just starting or at the midpoint and looking for an experience to take them to the next step.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday "Toast to The Parks & Arts" Show features Tanya Ortega, photographer and founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF), who talks about the organization's unique month-long artist residencies in locations like Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, and Dry Tortugas and Hawai'i Volcano National Parks. NPAF is a non-profit offering unique Artist-in-Residence Programs, Museum In-Loan Programs, and Workshops inspired by our National Parks, National Monuments, and World Heritage Sites. NPAF has supported over 300 programs, over 120 artists, and been the conduit for over a million dollars in artwork donations. Learn more: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio features longtime friends and collaborators NO Mansfield and David “Dekay” Kendrick, founders of the California experimental art/psych rock group REVOLUSHN who have just released their third full length album, 3.  They recorded dozens of songs together for other artists as part of a studio group in Los Angeles, and in 2016 began writing and recording their own material for what would become REVOLUSHN. They enlisted the talents of multiple friends for their debut release The Freshman (2016) and their follow-up Further!! (2018) and have now solidified their lineup around NO (guitar/vocals), Dekay (drums, percussion), Olga Schubert (keys), and Neil Nyberg (bass guitar/vocals) for their new album 3, that's out now. REVOLUSHN is extraordinarily versatile and showcase an assortment of styles, leaning into experimental art rock along with their love for dance rock and loud guitars and drums. More: http://www.revolushn.com/ Songs featured on this episode are from the album 3 - "Electric" and "Spiral Galaxies."  Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation features Aaron Rothko, a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Hear about his music, his move from New York City to New Orleans, and his newly released album of introspective songs titled “Joymaker." "Joymaker" is Rothko's second full-length album, his first being ‘Man In The Tall Grass' (2021), as well as a six song EP titled ‘Except/I Love You' (2020). Songs featured on the show include the title track "Joymaker" and "I Miss New York in the Fall." More: https://aaronrothko.bandcamp.com/ More about the National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/  

Acclaimed painter and rancher Alice Leese is back on Big Blend Radio's "Toast To The Arts & Parks" Show to discuss her recent and second National Parks Arts Foundation artist residency in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Alice has also been a NPAF artist-in-residence in Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida, and at Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico. More about Alice Leese: https://www.aliceleese.com/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Music Monday" show features Charles Xavier, aka “The Xman,” a visionary producer, composer, electronic musician, and percussionist. Hear about his extensive music career, along with his new ambient/melodic/neo-jazz album "Pandemic Piano," and exciting "Ella Across America" tour. More: https://happynoterecords.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org 

Multi-Media Visual and Performing Artist Mary Babcock is the featured guest on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast To The Arts & Parks" Show. Hear about her art, meditative art walks in nature, and current experience of being the Late Summer 2022 National Parks Arts Foundation artist-in-residence in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Keep up with Mary and view her work at https://www.marybabcock.com/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ Music featured on this episode is "Forest Walk" from the album "A Hawai'i Interlude" by Makana. More: https://www.makanamusic.com/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Music Monday" Show features guitarist Jeff Cotton who discusses his music career, and new album "The Fantasy of Reality," that releases on Aug 12, 2022 through Madfish. After playing guitar, lap steel and vocals with the legendary Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, appearing on the ground breaking album “Trout Mask Replica” (under the pseudonym Antennae Jimmy Semens), as well as playing on “Strictly Personal” & “Mirror Man,” Cotton withdrew from the commercial music business for nearly 50 years. Using the island state of Hawaii as a home base, he emerges from his seclusion in 2022 with his first ever solo album; “The Fantasy of Reality.” Whimsical, playful and tongue-in-cheek – Cotton delivers a psychedelic journey that will delight Beefheart devotees while bringing plenty of new ideas to the table across the sprawling 22 track, 66-minute runtime. More: https://jeffcottonmusic.us/home and https://www.madfishmusic.com/artists/jeff-cotton/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

Ben Cosgrove is a traveling essayist, composer-performer whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment. He has performed in almost every U.S. state and collaborated with artists ranging from rock bands to string ensembles. Ben joins us on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast To The Arts & Parks" Show to talk about his music and writing, and to share his experience of being the Summer 2022 National Parks Arts Foundation artist-in-residence in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Music featured on this episode is from his fourth studio album, "The Trouble With Wilderness." Keep up with Ben Cosgrove: https://www.bencosgrove.com/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio features RZN8R, who discusses his debut album "Closing The Golden Gate." RZN8R (pronounced “resonator”) is the moniker of Oakland-raised, Brooklyn-based producer and singer Derek Buckwalter. RZN8R draws from a wide array of influences, fusing his passions for singing, beats, and new thought spirituality to craft lush, deep, and hypnotic grooves. "Closing the Golden Gate" is a collection of future soul tracks with influences of Motown, boom bap hip hop, dance pop, and jazz. A heartfelt and personal piece of work, the album is about RZN8R's departure from the San Francisco Bay Area after 27 years to move to Brooklyn. More: https://www.rzn8r.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Music Monday" show features prolific songwriter Brian Woodbury who talks about his music and latest release "Rhapsody & Filigree" the fourth and final volume of his "Anthems & Antithets" series. Brian Woodbury is a songwriter who straddles the avant/pop/theater/comedy divide. His eclecticism ranges from writing Disney cartoon themes and children's TV songs, to experimental jazz big band, to arranging 1960s Bollywood covers, to a country anthem about marriage equality and Tom Lehrer-esque comedy songs. He has released eleven albums, including the current 4-volume "Anthems & Antithets." More: https://brianwoodbury.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - more: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Movie Monday" Show features filmmaker, director, and writer Chris Canfield who discusses his new western film BLACKWOOD. The film will be released in theaters July 22 and on digital and demand July 26 via Saban Films BLACKWOOD is an intense journey into the darkness of the American Old West, starring Glenn Morshower (Transformers: The Last Knight, “The Resident”) and Tanajsia Slaughter (The Last Son). A gang of violent out-laws forces a Native American woman to lead them through a treacherous forest towards a fortune in gold. More: https://theblackwoodmovie.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Music Monday" Show, Steve Horowitz discusses his two new albums “Old Monster Trio” and “Mr. E.” The Grammy, Webby and Kid Screen award-winning composer, producer, prolific bassist and musician, and artist behind 29 albums of mind bending original music, Horowitz is also known for his original score to the Academy Award Nominated film “Super Size Me.” More: https://www.stevehorowitzmusic.com/ Special Thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's “Toast to Music” Show airs live from Silver Spring, Maryland, with mother-daughter hosts Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith who publish Big Blend Magazines, and travel full-time on the Love Your Parks Tour. Featured Guests - Mary Fahl– In her new solo album “Can't Get it Out of My head,” award-winning singer/songwriter Mary Fahl interprets Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Moody Blues, ELO, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, and more. - Linda Gail Lewis– In her new album “Early Sides 1963-1973,” female rockabilly legend Linda Gail Lewis, sister of rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis, shares a new new collection of early recordings from the ‘60s & ‘70s. Special Thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Friday "Toast to The Parks & Arts" Show features Tanya Ortega, photographer and founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF), a non-profit offering Artist-in-Residence Programs, Museum In-Loan Programs, and Workshops inspired by our National Parks, National Monuments, and World Heritage Sites. NPAF has supported over 300 programs, over 120 artists, and been the conduit for over a million dollars in artwork donations. Learn more: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio features award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson, who discusses his debut feature documentary film, "The Story Won't Die." The film gives an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world's largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. The film is produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny). More: http://www.davidhenrygerson.com Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation. https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's 2nd Friday "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features acclaimed painter Alice Leese. Hear about her artistic process, life on her family's ranch in west Texas, and upcoming 1-month National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF) residency off-grid on Loggerhead Key in Dry Tortugas National Park. Alice was also an NPAF artist-in-residence at Fort Union National Monument and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. See Alice's art at https://www.aliceleese.com/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation and their unique artist residencies in parks across the country: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Music Monday" Show features the Red Hot Shame band who talk about their music and latest album "My Satellite." Red Hot Shame is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Xeff Scolari and his fluctuating lineup of Northern California based musical partners in crime. For this new album "My Satellite," Xeff Scolari recorded with frequent collaborators: Steven Pitsenbarger (vocals, percussion), Ryan Wilson (guitar), Spencer Kennedy (bass), Rick Fugate (drums), James Terris (keys),  Mark Bennet (harmonica). "My Satellite" was recorded, mixed, and mastered collaboratively by the whole group at Xeff Scolari's own Shameful Studio in late 2021. The band is full of talented multi-instrumentalists who added layers of sonic textures including horns, vintage mellotron, and even accordion. The album's songs range thematically from birth, death, and rebirth, to love and loss, and to everything in between. More at https://www.redhotshame.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's Champagne Sundays “Toast to Music” Show airs live from Lynnwood, Washington, with mother-daughter hosts Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith who publish Big Blend Magazines, and travel full-time on the Love Your Parks Tour. Featured Guests - Ed Roman - Award-winning singer/songwriter, performer, and multi-instrumentalist from Shelburne, Ontario, Canada Hear about his latest singles “Stronger,” “Happiness,” and “Tomorrow is Today.” - Justin Kniest aka JUST - Dutch-born singer-songwriter who creates a mixture of Avant-Pop, Synthwave and Post Rock. His debut album Deep Cycles is melancholic with stories of sorrow, loss, and hope. Special Thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Music Monday" Show features world-renowned bassist Chuck Wright who discusses his new solo project "Chuck Wright's Sheltering Sky." Out now through Cleopatra records, the full album features over 30 guest performers including members of Mr. Big, Skid Row, Tesla, Dream Theater, Janes Addition, Asia, Jefferson Starship, acclaimed solo artists Allen Hinds, Toshi Yanagi, and many others. It covers a wide range of genres, from Jazz Fusion, Prog, Funk to in-your-face Hard Rock. Chuck Wright has worked alongside everyone from Alice Cooper and Slash to Gregg Allman and Carmine Appice, and has toured the globe as a long-time member of metal giants Quiet Riot. He's involved in seven film scores, and appeared on over 100 worldwide record releases, playing bass and producing albums of various styles, including ambient trance, reggae, rap, country, and rock. Wright is the creator of Ultimate Jam Night, a long-running weekly live music show at the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood. More: https://www.chuckwright.com/ Special thank you to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

From Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to Fort Union National Monument, this episode of Big Blend Radio's First Friday "Toast to The Arts" Show features a reunion conversation with composer Andy Jarema and photographer Stan Honda, both National Parks Arts Foundation artists-in-residence. Andy Jarema is a music educator, composer, recording artist, and trumpet player. More: https://www.andyjarema.com/ Astrophotographer Stan Honda is an experienced photojournalist who now works with natural landscapes — usually night-time panoramas — that fuse sky and earth. More: https://www.stanhonda.com/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's month-long artist residences here https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

From Death Valley to Gettysburg, this episode of Big Blend Radio's First Friday "Toast to The Arts" Show features a reunion conversation with photographers Cody Brothers and Jim Schlett, both National Parks Arts Foundation artists-in-residence. Check out our initial Big Blend Radio interviews with Jim and Cody: - CODY BROTHERS: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/photographer-cody-brothers-in-death-valley/ - JIM SCHLETT: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/photographer-jim-schlett-national-parks-artist-in-residence-success-insider/ Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's month-long artist residences here https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/  

This episode of Big Blend Radio features acclaimed author and historian Dr. Megan Kate Nelson, who discusses her latest book, "SAVING YELLOWSTONE: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America." Each year, nearly four million people visit Yellowstone National Park—one of the most popular of all national parks—but few know the fascinating and complex historical context in which it was established. SAVING YELLOWSTONE shines a light on the creation of our first national park and the tensions of the era that lead to a weaken of the Native population. More: http://www.megankatenelson.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, guitarist/composer Alex Anthony Faide has a decades-long international reputation for being the secret weapon in rock recordings, arrangements, and stage productions in Europe and Latin America. On this episode of Big Blend Radio, he discusses his music and long-awaited solo record – “Particles of the Infinite” – a display of guitar pyrotechnics in nine parts, that releases on March 18, 2022, on Trey Gunn's label 7d Media. Inspired by and developed from concepts found in songs such as King Crimson's “Fracture” and “Lark's Tongues in Aspic,” Faide takes the work beyond the stratosphere into the mirror dimension to find something completely his own. In the words of his mentor Robert Fripp, “AAF plays my guitar parts better than I do.” More at: https://alexanthonyfaide.bandcamp.com/album/particles-of-the-infinite Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation - https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio features D. A. Galloway, historical fiction author of the award-winning novel "Burning Ground," an immersive tale of the Yellowstone Expedition that shares the story behind the founding of the world's first National Park. More: https://dagalloway.com/ Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

Get on the Big Blend Radio Party Bus for another Big Blend Radio Anniversary Party airing live from Anacortes, Washington with mother-daughter hosts Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith. This show is part of a special live broadcast series celebrating the 25-year anniversary of Big Blend Magazines, plus, 15 years of Big Blend Radio, 10 years of Nancy & Lisa's Love Your Parks Tour, and over 6 years of hosting the 1st Friday “Toast to The Arts & Parks” Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF).    This episode features a reunion conversation with NPAF Park Artists-in-Residence: - Landscape oil painter Dawn Waters - Environmental artist Patricia Cummins.