Theme : Art

Rebecca Neigher is a full time studio artist who focuses primarily on jewelry arts. As she says, The majority of my adult life has been spent in two cities Manhattan and Los Angeles. These cities are a visual smorgasbord and often ones energy is directed outward, not wanting to miss anything. In 1996 I moved to North Carolina. I live and work in the woods overlooking forest and meadow. Now my energy is directed inward first and flows through me into the physical, mental, and spiritual acts of making. Rebecca, who was previously an actress, is part of the Orange County Artists Guild.  Camera & Interview by Ian Kibbe Editing by Ian Kibbe & Matt Lauterbach Produced by Ian Kibbe

Baritone saxophonist Marvin “Doc” Holladay has been creating music for over half a century. His approach to jazz has been called “at once natural and spiritual” his music described as “sophisticated, uncluttered, unencumbered music that is truly created, not forcibly produced.” In 2005, Marvin and his wife, Diane, moved to Quito, Ecuador, finding it to be an ideal location to “retire. His work, nonetheless, has not stopped. He is not only giving jazz lessons to young and adult musicians, he is actively performing with his quartet and seeking to share the music he loves and thereby to leave as a legacy, the true expression of the genre. His current goal is to create an organization in Ecuador where jazz is taught and treasured in its purest of forms, as a music meant to elevate the spirit. Interview by Jennifer Brandel Camera by Shane Lamberth Editing by Craig Rothman Produced by Jennifer Brandel 

Todd Bauer, who holds an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Northwestern University, is a playwright and theater director and also an accountant. Todd is an eightyear member of Victory Gardens’ Access Project Artist Development Workshop and the Professor of Dramatic Literature at the Newberry Library in Chicago. He is also a freelance writer for Beat magazine. Currently Todd is a visiting artist with Visible Theatre in New York, for which an NEA Challenge America Grant was awarded. (Chicago, Illinois) Camera & Interview by Erin Williams Edited by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Erin Williams

Wendy  Takeguchi was born and raised in Aiea, Hawaii and has been dancing hula for over 25 years. In 2009, she relocated to the Chicago area and started the Hana Hou Hula Productions in Naperville, Illinois, which is a company dedicated to sharing authentic Hawaiian culture, education, and the Aloha spirit through classes and performances.  Wendys young hula career includes winning Keiki Hula Competitions, entertaining for hotels and cruise ships in Waikiki, performing for the United Nations and President George Bush, being highlighted as the ProBowl Half Time Show, and traveling around the world to dance the hula and share the Hawaiian culture. (Naperville, Illinois) Interview by Jessica Tevaga Camera by Ian Kibbe Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Jessica Tevaga

2011 marked Jan Tiuras 35th year working aboard tugboats. Born in Berkeley and raised on the San Mateo County coast, she was always fascinated by water. Sailing a small sailboat to the Galapagos Island in 1972 ruined her for conventional life ashore. But until joining the Inland Boatmens Union, she was unable to find work on any boats. Instead, Tiura freelanced as a photographer and mountaineer. When she finally broke into the allmale ranks of tugboat crew, Tiura started out as a deckhand, and then quickly rose through the hierarchy to become the first woman tugboat captain on San Francisco Bay. Although Tiura made and sold photographs throughout her maritime career, it was the advent of small, highquality digital cameras that enabled her to capture the work on the bay while doing it. (San Francisco, California) Interview & Camera by Gail Evenari Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Gail Evenari

Gordon Quinn is the Artistic Director & founding member of Kartemquin Films. For the past four decades, Gordon has been making cinéma vérité films, documenting the lives of real people. Roger Ebert called Home for Life (1966), Gordons first film, an extraordinarily moving documentary. Kartemquin’s best known film, Hoop Dreams (1994), Executive Produced by Gordon, was released theatrically to unprecedented critical acclaim. Gordon hold many additional film credits, including: Stevie and The New Americans.  Gordon recently completed Prisoner of Her Past, about a Holocaust survivor suffering from lateonset PTSD, and hes currently working on A Good Man, about Bill T. Jones. At Kartemquin, Gordon  creates a home for young filmmakers who want to make socialissue documentaries. A key leader in creating the Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use, Gordon encourages filmmakers to educate themselves on the tenets of the fair use doctrine, frequently giving public talks about this fundamental right. (Chicago, Illinois) Interview and Camera by Rachel Pikelny Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Rachel Pikelny Additional footage thanks to Kartemquin Films

Brad Roberts is the lead singer and guitarist for the Canadian folkrock band Crash Test Dummies. In this Whats Your Calling? interview, Brad talks about the luck of being in a band at the height of the music industry, the hard work necessary to endure in music in the age of filesharing, and being in love with what he does. Interview & Camera by Thomas Peyton Editing by Neco Turkienicz Produced by Erin Williams & Rachel Pikelny

Ruth Forman is the author of three awardwinning poetry books: We Are the Young Magicians , Renaissance , and children’s book, Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon . She is the recipient of the Barnard New Women Poets Prize, The Pen Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award, The Durfee Artist Fellowship, and the National Council of Teachers of English Notable Book Award, and  she has been recognized by The American Library Association. A graduate of UC Berkeley and USC film school, Ruth works to inspire others with the power and magic of language, frequently collaborating on music and film projects, and providing readings and workshops to a wide variety of audiences. Ruth has presented in forums such as the United Nations, the PBS series The United States of Poetry and NPR. Ruth is a former teacher of creative writing with USC and June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley. Shes also a nineyear faculty member with the VONAVoices writing program. Her latest book of poetry is Prayers Like Shoes . Camera, interview & editing by Jack Gordon

Bill Bentley is a music industry executive. In his interview, Bill talks about helping artists present their work, giving recognition to music that may otherwise be lost, and the importance of hope. Early in his career, Bill developed typesetting skills and used them to enter a position in 1974 as the music editor at the Austin Sun he later became the music editor at the L.A. Weekly. In the record industry, he has worked with Slash Records and Warner Bros. Records and musicians such as Green Day, Lou Reed, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., The Barenaked Ladies and Wilco, among others. Bill is notable for using his skills to assist artists whose careers have been impeded or who are otherwise in distress. Bill is the CEO of Sonic Boomers Inc. and the personal public relations representative of Neil Young. He remains a longtime contributor of music reviews and article to the Austin Chronicle. (Los Angeles, California) Interview by Danny Alpert Camera by Jordan Dawes Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Amy Cargill

Mark Farr on seeing something huge in something small, the importance of looking up, and finding a conception of god. Mark is the Senior Director of Faith Engagement at Points of Light Institute in Washington, DC. Mark is an Episcopal Priest. Before coming to the US in 1995, Mark was Senior Minister at St. Marks Episcopal Church, Wimbledon. Mark is a painter and was Chairman of the Board of the Wimbledon Arts Festival. He is also a qualified psychotherapist. Camera & Interview by Erin Williams Editing by Matt Lauterbach & Nick Nummerdor Produced by Erin Williams

Danny Alpert, Series Director and Executive Producer of The Calling , sat down in his Chicago office with the rest of the Whats Your Calling? staff to answer questions about the Israeli army, pursuing questions, the difference between how youre perceived and what you do, and the blessing of following ones calling.  Interview by Whats Your Calling? staff Camera by Ian Kibbe Editing by Rebecca Parish

An honest conversation with writer James Kaelan about the role of ego in art. Can ego and the creation of art be separated? Who do we really create for? Would you write even if you were the last person on earth?  James entered the UC Davis English program at the age of 17. Two years later, he entered Boston Universitys Fiction MFA program. There he began writing the title novella of his first book, Were Getting On , under the tutelage of National Book Awardwinner Ha Jin. After graduating, James and Elijah Jenkins turned Flatmancrooked from a literary ezine into a fullscale publishing house. In 2009, Esquire named the site one of the top 5 online literary magazines in the country. Last fall, in order to focus on writing and take a teaching position at Pepperdine University, James stepped down as Managing Editor of Flatmancrooked, but the company requested the opportunity to publish Were Getting On, and so, working closely with the team, James helped develop the Zero Emission Book Project, volunteering to ride his bike 1,900 from Los Angeles to Vancouver in order to promote his book. Interview & Camera by Danny Alpert Editing by Rebecca Parish Produced by Erin Williams Additional footage courtesy of James Kaelan

Golriz Lucina & Devon Gundry, two of the people behind the website SoulPancake and coauthors with Rainn Wilson and Shabnam Mogharabi of the New York Times bestselling book, SoulPancake, talk about their recent book launch party, what it means to connect deeply and to think differently about why were here and what were doing, and what our best friends think about what it means to be human. Golriz & Devon are newlyweds living in Los Angeles, where they host SoulPancake meetups. Golriz & Devon are also Bahai. Check out some of their music.  Camera & Interviews by Erin Williams Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Erin Williams

T.J. Anderson talks risks, doubt, and the choice between something youre good at and something you love.  T.J. is a composer, conductor, orchestrator, and educator. He is wellknown for his orchestration of the Scott Joplin opera, Treemonisha. T.J. has received awards from The Rockefeller Foundation and The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, among others. He has also been commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts, Yo Yo Ma, Bill T. JonesArnie Zane Dance Company, and Harvard University, among many others. As a lecturer, consultant, and visiting composer, he has appeared in institutions in the U.S., Brazil, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Interview & Camera by Ian Kibbe Editing by Rebecca Parrish Produced by Ian Kibbe

Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, talks about the Starbucks of the mind, finding patterns, and the relationship between music and information. DJ Spooky is a composer, multimedia artist, and writer. His Rebirth of a Nation was his first largescale multimedia performance piece and has been performed more than fifty times in venues around the world. Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica ,  a multimedia performance piece with video projections and a score composed by DJ Spooky and performed by a piano quartet, is a portrait of a rapidly transforming continent. DJ Spooky is also the founder of The Vanuatu Pacifica Project, a contemporary arts, green energy, and education program in Tafea, which provides an arts retreat to invited contemporary artists while serving the subsistence of three traditional villages on the island through clean energy, ecorestorative operations. (New York City) Interview & Camera by Thomas Peyton Editing by Neco Turkienicz Produced by Erin Williams & Rachel Pikelny

Author Allan Gurganus talks about what it takes to be an artist.  Allan is American novelist, short story writer, and essayist.  His works include  include White People, Plays Well With Others , and The Practical Heart . His debut novel,  Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All , was on the New York Times bestseller list for eight months. It has also been adapted for  Broadway and television, including a CBS adaptation of the work, starring Donald Sutherland and Diane Lane, that won four Emmy Awards. Allans short fiction work has been featured in The New Yorker, Harper Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Paris Review. Allan currently lives in North Carolina. Interview & Camera by Ian Kibbe Editing by Maren Wickwire Produced by Ian Kibbe

Wayne Kramer spent a long time angry about his stint in prison, especially since he didnt think the rehabilitation worked. Now, years after his release from Lexington Federal Prison, hes keeping one foot in the prison system to use music to change lives. Wayne Kramer is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter who came to prominence in the 19060s as the guitarist for the band MC5 (Motor City 5), a group known for their powerful live performances and radical leftwing political stance. Rolling Stone ranked him number ninetythree on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time. Wayne heads the American chapter of Jail Door Guitars, an independent initiative which aims to provide instruments to those who are using music as a means of achieving the rehabilitation of prison inmates. Interview by Danny Alpert Camera by Jordan Dawes Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Amy Cargill & Danny Alpert

Adam McKay, comedian, director and writer talks about tridents, allowing the universe to invent itself, and losing yourself to laughter.  Adam McKay was head writer at Saturday Night Live in the late 90s and is also the cofounder of the comedy website Funny or Die, which he launched with comedic actor Will Ferrell.  Working with Ferrell, Adam also directed the films Anchorman , Talladega Nights , and The Other Guys. (Los Angeles, California) Interview by Danny Alpert Camera by Jordan Dawes Editing by Rebecca Parish Produced by Amy Cargill & Danny Alpert

Lance Martin is a Lakota tattoo artist living in South Dakota.  In this interview, Lance talks about being different, finding his role, and using art to put food on the table.   Produced by Prairie Dust Films and Lakota Media Project, South Dakota Editing by Matt Lauterbach

Actress, teacher, University of North Carolina lecturer and documentary theater director,  Kathy Williams talks about the importance of human interaction.  Kathy is the performance director of Hidden Voices, a community organization that uses theater to tell the reallife stories  of others  in order to challenge, strengthen, and connect our diverse communities through the transformative power of the individual voice. (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) Interview & Camera by Ian Kibbe Editing by Matt Lauterbach Produced by Ian Kibbe