Latest / Pop of Culture / S03 E20 - We're in Cowboy Couture

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S03 E20 - We're in Cowboy Couture · Pop of Culture

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[Michelle Kinsey] This week on Pop of Culture,
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we go country, stylishly.
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[Jerry Lee Atwood] These are functional pieces of clothing besides
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being a canvas for embroidery and rhinestones.
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[Kara DuQuette] A new exhibition shows off
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the cowboy couture of
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Hoosier fashion designer, Jerry Lee Atwood.
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[Michelle] We'll also learn about new public art in downtown Muncie.
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[Kara] And we say goodbye to one of
0:40
our Pop team members. Stay with us.
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1:14
[Michelle] From Indiana Public Radio,
1:17
this is Pop of Culture.
1:18
I'm Michelle Kinsey.
1:20
[Kara] And I'm Cara DuQuette.
1:21
Coming up, we'll head to Downtown Muncie for
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a singing competition and to
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talk about new public art on display.
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But before that, Michelle,
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have you noticed a cowboy current running
1:32
through the culture in the last few years?
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[Michelle] You know what? I have.
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There have been a lot of
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TV shows like "Yellowstone," right?
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And movies. What was
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that movie?
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[Kara] Have you seen "The Madison?"
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[Michelle] No.
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[Kara] That's also got that vibe.
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[Michelle] Yeah, "Killers of the Flower Moon."
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[Kara] Yep.
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[Michelle] What else? Oh, music?
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Yeah, a lot of crossover stuff, Cowboy Carter.
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[Kara] Sabrina Carpenter.
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[Michelle] Yes, a lot.
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Yeah, it seems, yeah. Everybody's got their boots on.
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[Kara] They do, indeed.
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[LAUGHTER] And Union Western.
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This is a brand co founded by
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fashion designer Jerry Lee Atwood.
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And if you don't know either of those names,
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you have seen his work on the red carpet.
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And now you can see it at
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the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.
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Jerry joins us from Indy.
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Thanks for talking with us today.
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[Jerry] Absolutely.
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[Kara] Jerry, I'm interested to know what
2:26
led you to be a fashion designer.
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[Jerry] Well, you know, it was not something I
2:31
expected to ever end up doing.
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[Kara] Ah.
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[Jerry] I had worked in I was an art school dropout,
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and I was working in a coffee shop or,
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you know, specifically a coffee shop
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here in Indianapolis.
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And, you know, the joke I always make is that I
2:48
could work in a coffee shop without the art degree.
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And, you know, everyone I knew that worked in
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a coffee shop or everyone I knew that had an art degree,
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worked in a coffee shop or had some job that
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wasn't really related to art.
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And so I just
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decided to go out on my own and find my own path.
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And, you know, I was
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always into drawing and painting and printmaking.
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And then I kind of
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stumbled into the art of hand embroidery.
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[Kara] Ah.
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[Jerry] And I just always liked,
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you know, textiles and
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always enjoyed seeing embroidery and thought,
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you know, I should try it sometime.
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[Kara] Now, did you initially embroider on clothes or.
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[Jerry] No,
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no, I was just, you know,
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I had an embroidery hoop and would buy fabric and
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just embroidery floss and
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just do these little hand embroideries,
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just turning drawings that I had done into embroidery.
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And, you know, I
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would have all these little pieces of embroidery,
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and I didn't really know what to do with them.
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But I had a customer come in one day who
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had bought a book at
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Half Price Books about the history of Western wear.
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[Kara] Mm.
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[Jerry] And he said, You know,
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"I think you'd really love
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seeing," you know, "the embroidery."
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And so, you know,
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flipping through this book
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brought back a lot of nostalgia
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of going to Nashville
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with my parents when I was a kid and,
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you know, always watched "Hee Haw" at
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my grandma's house on the weekends on Sunday.
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And my parents were square dancers for a while.
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So it kind of brought back a lot of nostalgia.
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It was never something I particularly
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enjoyed seeing, to be honest.
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But, you know, when I was like I said,
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when I was looking through this book,
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it did bring back the nostalgia of that time in
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my life and seeing
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Western wear and seeing this type of clothing.
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And I just thought it would be fun
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you know, quote unquote fun to try to make my own fancy Western shirt.
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And that just kind of took me
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down the rabbit hole of
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learning about sewing and learning about
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fashion. And, you know,
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I started out fairly simple,
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learning how to make, you know,
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a shirt with piping.
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And then, you know,
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when I felt like I was pretty good at that,
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it became trying to figure out how to make
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pants and then figuring out how to make a suit jacket.
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[Kara] Mm hm.
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[Jerry] And I just always loved that process of discovery.
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And being out of my comfort zone and
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trying to learn something
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new and trying to master something new.
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[Kara] Yeah, like a challenge.
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[Jerry] Mm hmm.
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Absolutely, yeah.
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[Kara] I can totally relate to that.
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I wanted to know what are some of the things that inspire
5:50
you in the cultural realm that we were talking about.
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We know it's not square dancing,
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what's some of the imagery?
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Can you walk us through some of the things you'd like
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to create with your cowboy couture?
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[Jerry] Well, you know, since I'm
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always working with different customers,
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you know, most of them want something that's a little bit
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more relevant to their own life.
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And a lot of times, you know,
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Western suits that have a lot of
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embroidery that are pictorial are kind
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of referred to as story suits because they're
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telling the story of the person wearing them.
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So as far as motifs that I gravitate towards,
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you know, there's a lot of things that I've
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discovered on this journey, I guess.
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You know, I've had customers who are really into space.
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You know, one of my favorite suits was
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a suit that I made for a customer named Robert Ellis.
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You know, he loves, you know,
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the culture of NASA and space in Houston.
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So, you know, and I've done a couple suits
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since then that have been
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space themed, whether it's.
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[Kara] Nice.
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[Jerry] Aliens, you know, quote unquote, abducting
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guitars. So, you know,
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I would say there's not, like,
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one particular theme that I always gravitate towards,
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but,.
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[Kara] Mm hmm.
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[Jerry] You know,
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that's one in particular that I've enjoyed doing.
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[Kara] Well, I appreciate you sharing that,
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and you've made quite a case for working on your art in
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public when you were in your coffee shop.
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[Jerry] Oh, yeah.
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[Kara] 'Cause it led you here in a lot of ways.
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So, did you ever imagine you would have
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a solo show at a museum,
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like the Eiteljorg?
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[Jerry] No, you know, since I gained a little bit of notoriety,
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I imagined that at some point,
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I would have a show, but, you know,
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when I started doing this,
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almost 20 years ago,
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or I guess, more than 20 years ago,
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at this point, you know, no,
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I never I just imagined I would be working, um
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coffee shop jobs or working,
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you know, probably not a job,
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not having a career in the arts.
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I didn't really think that would be
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something I would end up doing.
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[Kara] Well, do you view your clothing as art?
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Because I was thinking maybe you'd think,
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Oh, I'm working in the clothing industry,
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but then to take it to another level of
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museum display is just really interesting, I find.
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[Jerry] Yeah, you know, that's
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something a lot of people ask me about,
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you know, how where does where does clothing?
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Where does fashion fit into art?
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And I think in the past couple decades,
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we've seen a lot of a lot of
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fashion designers cross that bridge or,
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you know, cross that divide, I guess.
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You know, Alexander McQueen is probably the um,
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one that comes to mind.
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Like, you can't look at
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Alexander McQueen's work as anything other than art.
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[Kara] I feel that way about Schiaparelli as well.
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[Jerry] Oh, absolutely. Yeah, yeah.
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And I've always been kind of
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proud of living in both worlds, I guess.
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[Kara] Oh, yeah, that's the best.
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How did you pick how did you pick items for your show?
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[Jerry] Well, you know, that was, um,
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a long a long time in the making,
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we had started talking I started talking to
9:31
the Eiteljorg almost five years ago.
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[Kara] Wow.
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[Jerry] So there were a lot of moving parts,
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you know, a lot of it that I
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wasn't necessarily involved in.
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[Kara] Oh, sure.
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[Jerry] But from my end,
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it was reaching out to my old customers and, uh,
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getting them to agree to let their,
9:52
you know, precious suits go.
9:54
A lot of them had them, you know,
9:56
either on display somewhere in
9:58
their homes or still wear them, so.
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[Kara] Does it feel odd to you to have
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the suits on display rather than seeing them worn?
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[Jerry] No, you know, obviously,
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it's always great to see photos
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that my customers send me of them in their suits and
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you know, and I've had an opportunity to see
10:19
a few musicians that I've made
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stuff for actually wear them in person,
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which is always really cool.
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But no, you know, it's really
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cool to be able to see to be able to walk
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into the Eiteljorg exhibit and see
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these pieces on mannequins and see them displayed as,
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you know, as art pieces,
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you know, and obviously, they're meant to be worn.
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[Kara] Mm hmm.
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[Jerry] And the way that they've presented the suits,
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you know, they were really
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conscientious about the lighting.
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So when you walk around, you know,
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these are all pieces that are covered in rhinestone.
10:55
So when you walk around,
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you see the movement,
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you see the sparkling of the rhinestones.
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And so I think you still get
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the experience of envisioning them on a person,
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but being able to take
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the time to kind of look all around them and
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see all the detail and all the work and
11:16
not just the embroidery and
11:18
the hindstones but also the tailoring.
11:21
You know, these are functional pieces of clothing
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besides being a canvas for embroidery and rhinestones.
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[Kara] Now, can we expect to
11:32
see the suit that you made for "Old Town Road?"
11:37
[Jerry} Well, no, you know,
11:38
that one is that one is on
11:41
display currently at
11:43
the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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[Kara] Oh, okay.
11:46
[Jerry] And it's they've said that it's
11:49
a pretty popular attraction at the Hall of Fame.
11:52
So that was one that they were not able to get.
11:56
And a lot of the high profile stuff,
11:59
you know, there's a lot of artist management
12:03
and all that that.
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[Kara] Sure.
12:06
[Jerry] There's a couple pieces.
12:08
Like, there's a suit that was made for Beth Ditto,
12:11
who is the singer of a band called The Gossip.
12:15
And she was in a show on Fox called, "Monarch,"
12:20
and I made a suit for her.
12:22
And so that's on display.
12:24
And then there's a voice actress named Grey DeLisle,
12:31
who has voiced characters from
12:34
"The Simpsons," "King of the Hill,"
12:37
she's been the voice of
12:40
Daphne from "Scooby Doo" for the last 20 years.
12:44
And I made a couple pieces for her,
12:46
including what I call the prairie dog dress.
12:50
So that's on display.
12:52
And then there's an outfit that I
12:56
made for a singer named Sierra Ferrell,
13:00
and, of course, Sierra Ferrell
13:02
will be known to Americana fans.
13:06
She's a rising star in the,
13:10
you know, Country-Americana scene.
13:13
But there are, you know,
13:16
there are original sketches in
13:18
the show for the "Old Town Road" suit.
13:20
[Kara].Mmm.
13:20
[Jerry] A couple of original sketches
13:22
for pieces I've made for Post Malone.
13:25
So there are things to see that,
13:30
you know, that are in that celebrity sphere.
13:34
[Kara] Now that you have this solo exhibition of I don't know,
13:38
your life's work, what's next for you?
13:41
[Jerry] What's next? Oh, my gosh.
13:43
Uh, that's a tough question,
13:45
you know?
13:45
[Kara] You don't have to know.
13:48
[Jerry] I mean, there's a couple of things that I've
13:51
made that I can't really talk about, that.
13:53
[Kara] Oh.
13:54
[Jerry] Will potentially be seen within the next,
13:57
or within this year for,
14:01
you know, pretty pretty well known celebrities. Um,
14:05
you know, I'm always kind of, like, living in the moment.
14:09
I'm kind of just making what's,
14:11
you know, what I have orders for,
14:13
and, you know, I feel very
14:15
fortunate to have had the opportunities that I've had.
14:19
And, you know, I'm always living in the present, I guess.
14:26
[Kara] Yeah, with an eye to the future, right?
14:28
That's that's.
14:28
[Jerry] Oh, sure, absolutely.
14:30
[Kara] Well, thank you so much for sharing with us,
14:33
Jerry, and being in this moment with us.
14:35
I appreciate it.
14:36
[Jerry] Yeah, absolutely.
14:37
Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
14:41
[Kara] Jerry Lee Atwood is a fashion designer in Indianapolis,
14:45
and he has a new exhibition at the Eiteljorg in Indy.
14:48
It's called "Cowboy Couture:
14:50
The Fashion of Jerry Atwood."
14:52
It's on display through August 2.
15:01
You're listening to Pop of Culture.
15:04
I'm Cara Duquette.
15:05
[Michelle] And I'm Michelle Kinsey.
15:07
Back in the Pop of Culture studios is India Potter.
15:11
You may remember her as
15:14
the DWNTWN Idol competition winner in 2025.
15:18
India, welcome back.
15:19
[India] Hi, thanks for having me back.
15:21
[Michelle] She's back this time to encourage others to get
15:25
involved in the 2026 competition, right?
15:29
[India] Mm hmm. Yep. I'm here to talk about how to audition and submit
15:33
your audition and how to participate.
15:36
[Michelle] I love that.
15:37
So first, let's go back in time a little bit.
15:41
Tell us about your audition.
15:43
What did you do to audition?
15:45
What was the process like?
15:46
'Cause I'm assuming it's very similar to this year's.
15:49
[India] Last year,
15:50
they wanted you to go to certain places and,
15:52
like, record a live performance in front of people.
15:55
And so I did that at the Heorot their Open Mic Night.
15:58
And I just did the song "Creep" because it's classic.
16:02
And I just submitted that video.
16:05
My friend Kaitlin helped me record it.
16:07
And I got in the first round,
16:10
which then got rained out.
16:12
So it was supposed to be at Canan Commons,
16:14
but then we had a Cornerstone,
16:15
which was great because they have
16:16
a wonderful stage there.
16:18
And it was very fun.
16:20
And then I had to wait till the final round.
16:24
After that, I got through the final
16:26
they have a second round each year,
16:29
and that's at Fire Up DWNTWN.
16:30
That's another audition day.
16:32
[Michelle] Yeah. Yeah. So kind of similar this year.
16:35
So people are encouraged to submit auditions right now,
16:40
but they don't have to do it in front of a live audience.
16:43
[India] No.
16:43
[Michelle] They could just submit it in their home they want.
16:46
[India] Sing in your car.
16:48
[Michelle] Sing in your car!
16:50
[India] Anywhere that's good for you.
16:51
[Michelle] And then those finalists,
16:55
the first in-person kind of competition,
16:58
right, is during Brink of Summer?
17:00
[India] Yeah, Brink of Summer ArtsWalk,
17:02
June 4 is the first round of auditions.
17:05
And even if you don't make
17:07
it in that round to the finals,
17:08
you can submit again for the second round.
17:11
[Michelle] Oh.
17:11
[India] To audition again.
17:13
[Michelle] And then the second round, is it at Fire Up?
17:15
[India] Yeah, Fire Up DWNTWN the most fun festival Muncie
17:18
has I think of the year.
17:20
[Michelle] It is very fun. And then the finals
17:23
will be during the fall ArtsWalk?
17:26
[India] Yes.
17:26
[Michelle] The October
17:27
[India] Yeah. The October 1 ArtsWalk.
17:30
at Canan Commons, depending on weather.
17:34
Last year, the finale, we were
17:35
able to have it there, and it was very fun.
17:37
The lineup was full.
17:38
[Michelle] Perfect night, a perfect night.
17:40
[India] Bring out your lawn chairs and just have a karaoke party.
17:43
Cheer people on.
17:44
[Michelle] Other than bragging rights,
17:46
the winner of DWNTWN Idol does
17:48
walk away with some pretty cool stuff, right?
17:51
[India] Yeah. So there is a cash prize.
17:54
And then I got a really cool trophy, which afterwards,
17:57
I walked around downtown with and showed off.
18:00
[Michelle] Yes, you did. Yes, you did.
18:01
You had your photo taken in various locations.
18:04
Yes.
18:04
[India] And you'll get to perform on
18:07
the next year's DWNTWN Idol performances
18:10
and audition days.
18:12
And then you'll get a photo shoot from Kishel Photography.
18:15
She's an amazing photographer,
18:17
and you get a makeover with Kara Leigh Robinson.
18:20
And then you'll also get an overnight stay at
18:23
the Courtyard by Marriott in Downtown Muncie.
18:27
[Michelle] Nice. And you've been able I mean,
18:30
it comes with bragging rights.
18:32
So I mean, a lot of times when India is
18:35
introduced at various performances
18:38
around town, It is mentioned.
18:41
2025 DWNTWN Idol winner, right?
18:44
[India] I have three bands that I play with,
18:46
and they joke about it a lot.
18:48
And then I also host Open Mic nights now,
18:52
so that helped me get that opportunity to host.
18:55
[Michelle] So what tips would you give
18:58
someone who is sitting there right now thinking:
19:01
"You know what? You know, I'm interested in this.
19:03
I think I could do this."
19:05
What tips would you give them as far as song choice and,
19:09
you know, recording of
19:11
their submission?
19:12
[India] Mm hmm.
19:13
[Michelle] Things like that.
19:14
[India] I would make it
19:16
very clear it needs to be family friendly.
19:18
[Michelle] Mm hm.
19:19
[India] And if there's a version that is clean,
19:23
you know, ask for that version
19:24
specifically if you get chosen to audition.
19:27
Um, just try to pick a place that sounds good,
19:30
a song that makes you feel confident and try
19:34
to show off and practice your stage presence.
19:38
So that's a really big part of it.
19:40
You want it to be a song that's going to get the crowd
19:42
excited and having fun
19:44
and try to hype them up a little bit with you.
19:47
That is a good way to win the audience over.
19:51
[Michelle] Yeah. And I know in particular "Creep" when you did "Creep,"
19:55
I mean, it really shows off your range.
19:58
That is one of those songs
19:59
that has a lot of dramatic moments.
20:01
It shows, you know,
20:03
a huge range, if you want it to.
20:06
Was that were you very
20:08
conscious of that when you were choosing the song,
20:10
or did you just really like to perform?
20:12
[India] Um, yeah, I sing that song a lot if I'm,
20:16
you know, out and about and
20:18
people are like, Oh, sing a song for us.
20:19
I'm like, I'll just do that because
20:21
I know it very well and I'm
20:24
comfortable and the way
20:26
that I sing it really does show off my,
20:28
like, my belting side and my falsetto side.
20:33
Yeah, it does show off a range.
20:35
[Michelle] And I think you just hit on
20:37
the key point for anybody listening that
20:40
wants to audition is be comfortable with your choice.
20:45
Don't do something, you know,
20:47
you're just now learning. You've only done.
20:49
You know, do something that, like you said,
20:51
[India] Practice in front of your friends.
20:53
[Michelle] Yes. That's a good point.
20:55
You could even film
20:56
your submission in front of your friends.
20:58
You could have a little built-in audience.
21:00
That's right. That's right. So where
21:02
should people go for more information,
21:04
India, on DWNTWN Idol?
21:05
[India] They can go to downtownmuncie.org/DWNTWN-Idol.
21:13
And on there, you'll find all of the dates,
21:15
answers to frequently asked questions,
21:19
everything you can win,
21:21
some pictures from last year's,
21:23
and where to submit your audition form.
21:26
[Michelle] Perfect. And we should point
21:29
out that the deadline for this kind of
21:31
round of submissions and
21:33
then for the opportunity to audition is the end of May.
21:37
So, work on those songs.
21:39
India, thank you so much for coming in and
21:42
telling us all about this year's DWNTWN Idol.
21:45
Looking forward to hearing you
21:47
sing at the Brink of Summer ArtsWalk.
21:49
[India] Yeah.
21:49
[Michelle] Anything else that we forgot or
21:51
we should mention about this opportunity?
21:55
[India] Please be brave.
21:56
[Michelle] Mm.
21:57
[India] Audition. We want to hear your voice,
22:00
and we're excited for all these submissions.
22:03
[Michelle] Perfect. Thanks.
22:36
[Kara] Most of us
22:38
have been to a convention center
22:39
for one reason or another,
22:40
a wedding, a trade show, or conference.
22:43
And as you walked around the cavernous spaces,
22:45
you may have seen empty walls and floor space.
22:48
Or maybe you saw
22:49
some generic art images that could be anywhere,
22:53
but really put you in the mind of nowhere in particular.
22:56
Well, we are here with two people who are working to make
22:59
the Horizon Convention Center in
23:01
Downtown Muncie a place that leaves a lasting impression.
23:05
So we are here with LaShanta Vaughn
23:09
and LaShanta is the President and
23:11
CEO of the Horizon Convention Center.
23:14
Also joining us is Carl Schafer,
23:17
and he's the co-owner of
23:19
Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company,
23:21
also in Downtown Muncy.
23:23
Carl is also the founding president of
23:26
Muncy Arts and Culture Council and is
23:28
currently serving on the board as their treasurer.
23:30
Thank you both for being here.
23:32
[Carl] Thanks for asking us.
23:33
[LaShanta] Yeah, thank you.
23:34
[Kara] Well, I think we're curious to learn about
23:36
this art project going on
23:38
currently in the Horizon Convention Center.
23:40
So who would like to start?
23:42
[LaShanta] Well, I'll start. Again, thank you
23:45
so much for having me and Carl here.
23:47
And what a beautiful,
23:49
beautiful way to tell part
23:51
of the Horizon Convention Center story.
23:53
I love it. I may have to steal that.
23:55
And, you know, I think that,
23:58
you know, I've been in
24:00
my position for a little over a year now,
24:02
and I knew that there were many things
24:05
that needed to be done, upgraded, you know,
24:07
made more modern in the building,
24:10
and the lower level was,
24:12
you know, very outdated.
24:14
It needed a lot of love and work.
24:17
But I really knew that, you know,
24:19
the art really brings
24:21
everything to life and really tells the story.
24:23
And my Executive Director of Administration,
24:26
Theresa Coy, she told me. She said, "Well, you know what?
24:30
I had always wanted to hang
24:32
art from local artists here in, you know, the city.
24:35
And I think that that would be a great idea."
24:37
And I thought the same. But I
24:40
knew that I needed, you know,
24:42
someone that really knew what they were doing
24:44
to bring that project to life. And so,
24:47
that's how Carl and Barbara came into
24:50
play because they were not only referred,
24:53
but I knew them as well,
24:55
and I know that their work is exceptional.
24:57
And I needed someone to, you know,
24:59
make sure that this was done and done
25:01
well because we wanted to tell our story.
25:04
A lot of our attendees in the building,
25:06
they come for conventions.
25:07
They don't always get to go
25:09
out and experience our assets.
25:11
So why not bring the community inside the building?
25:13
And that's exactly what Carl has done.
25:16
[Kara] Excellent. So could you talk a little bit more about
25:19
the vision that you are trying to
25:21
create with the local artists?
25:24
[LaShanta] I think Carl can talk a little
25:26
bit more about that in more detail.
25:28
But again, my vision and my goal was to make
25:32
sure: 1). That the community
25:35
understands that this is their convention center.
25:37
I mean, we operate off
25:39
of 1% food and beverage tax dollars.
25:43
So when you and your family,
25:44
your friends go out to eat,
25:45
that 1% additional tax that you pay
25:49
it comes to us so that we can keep our building running.
25:53
And we want to make sure that we're
25:55
good stewards of that money that we get.
25:58
So why not? You know,
25:59
give back to the community and give
26:01
back to those artists, those local artists?
26:04
That's my part of it. And I know
26:05
Carl can talk a little bit more about how,
26:07
you know, his vision came to life.
26:10
[Carl] Well, thank you very much for that, LaShanta.
26:13
And I just want to
26:14
remember one thing that you pointed out
26:16
when you said Carl and Barbara Barbara is my wife,
26:20
Barbara Schafer, and we are co owners of
26:23
Gordy and we both have
26:24
an equal part in this project and the vision for it.
26:28
But we've been working for some time
26:30
now at Gordy in promoting
26:33
the idea of placing
26:35
works by local artists in public spaces.
26:39
What we did was we tried to select artists,
26:43
first of all, who are making their living as artists.
26:46
[Kara] Oh, wonderful.
26:48
[Carl] So these are professional artists,
26:50
and we wanted to do our best to support
26:53
them in their ability to be able to,
26:57
you know, survive in our city as businesspeople.
27:02
The philosophy, I guess,
27:04
that we start with when we're choosing works
27:07
of art or even promoting this idea to anybody,
27:11
is that the artwork that fills a designed space is not
27:18
I'll tell you what it's not first.
27:21
[Kara] Okay.
27:21
[Carl] It is not It's not
27:24
the thing that you just
27:25
tack on the wall as an afterthought.
27:28
It is the final layer
27:31
to any space that turns the space on.
27:34
And that's exactly what we were thinking
27:37
about when we chose these works of art.
27:40
And we tried to do things that were,
27:42
you know, appropriate to,
27:43
you know, the way
27:47
the Convention Center is thinking about itself.
27:50
There's a promotional campaign at the Convention Center,
27:54
which is, I believe,
27:55
LaShanta, if I'm not mistaken,
27:58
it's something like "We've Got Space."
27:59
[LaShanta] Absolutely.
28:00
[Carl] And so that's riffing off of the idea
28:02
that Muncie has a connection
28:05
to close encounters of the third kind.
28:08
So part of our thinking when we did that,
28:11
when we made the selections,
28:13
was to maybe make
28:16
images or select images that had to do with space.
28:20
So there is a photograph down
28:22
there of the eclipse for one.
28:25
There is a painting of a galaxy.
28:29
And next to the fireplace,
28:31
there's a painting of a campfire with moths coming to it.
28:38
And so it's very atmospheric.
28:40
And so, I mean,
28:42
we try to riff off of,
28:44
you know, what else is happening in the room.
28:46
[LaShanta] Did a great job.
28:47
[Kara] Well, that's wonderful.
28:48
And I feel like that goes beyond the movie tie into,
28:53
like, just people's love of the outdoors
28:56
and nature and, you know, moongazing.
28:59
Can you share with us how this is being
29:02
funded and how that
29:03
factors into your consideration?
29:05
[LaShanta] Well, aside, you know, from, you know,
29:08
the 1% food and beverage tax dollars that we receive.
29:11
We also self-generate revenue.
29:14
So, you know, with that,
29:16
you know, I was able to, you know,
29:18
take a portion of
29:20
the budget and take that and apply it to these projects.
29:25
And also with, you know,
29:27
Carl, and I'm sure the artists,
29:28
they allowed us to be able to put a portion of
29:33
the cost for phase two into the next fiscal budget.
29:37
So that was really helpful.
29:39
So I thank Carl for that.
29:41
[Carl] What I would like to say, I guess,
29:44
is that knowing when we approach the artists,
29:48
we describe the space and we
29:51
describe the people who use the space,
29:53
both locals and out of towners, lots of them.
29:58
This is a very high traffic area.
30:00
And that put the artists in mind of
30:04
I want to participate.
30:06
And so they were very
30:08
favorable with us about the prices of things.
30:12
I mean, we need to respect the artists
30:16
and the art that goes into making these things.
30:20
We want to make sure that they get
30:23
value for the value that they're bringing to the place.
30:28
And I feel like we wanted to guard that ourselves.
30:32
We wanted to make sure that the artists
30:34
got their value for what they were bringing.
30:38
[Kara] Well, can we expect to see any I mean,
30:41
this will be a spoiler, but
30:42
will there be any interactive art?
30:44
Will there be any sculptures
30:46
or is everything on the walls?
30:49
[Carl] All of the artwork is on the walls,
30:52
and the one I can't
30:55
resist talking about what we're thinking about as,
31:00
like, the signature work of art in this space.
31:03
[Kara] Good, dont' resist.
31:04
[Carl] Which is an artwork by local artist Kevin Campbell.
31:08
And he since the 90s,
31:11
has been making something
31:13
that he calls the puzzle project.
31:15
And so these are
31:17
literal puzzle pieces that he cuts out of plywood.
31:22
And then he creates groups of these puzzle pieces.
31:26
They could be six to eight pieces at a time,
31:29
all individually painted and put together.
31:33
But the puzzle project, you know,
31:38
in theory, could all be assembled.
31:41
Right now, if he put it all together,
31:43
it would be 50 feet by 50 feet.
31:46
It would be absolutely gigantic thing
31:50
and really quite impossible
31:52
to put all together at this point,
31:53
because it's everywhere, you know,
31:56
People own it everywhere.
31:58
And conceptually, it's really
32:00
interesting because when you own a piece of this,
32:03
when the Convention Center owns a group of these,
32:07
they're going to be part of something bigger than itself.
32:10
And that's the conceptual part of this work of art
32:13
is that you own
32:15
something and you're part
32:16
of something bigger than yourself.
32:18
[LaShanta] Well said. I love that.
32:19
[Kara] That's pretty impactful.
32:22
[LaShanta] Yeah.
32:22
[Kara] Well, can I ask you
32:23
this if you don't aren't going there for an event,
32:27
let's say, can you are you welcome
32:29
to just come into the building and have a look?
32:31
[LaShanta] Absolutely. I mean, Monday through Friday,
32:34
we're open 8:00 A.M. to 5:00
32:35
P.M. And that really just depends on events.
32:38
I mean, because sometimes we have
32:39
events and the doors are open,
32:41
you know, past 7:00 P.M. And yes, we want you to come in.
32:45
We want you to come and see what we're doing.
32:47
So please come.
32:48
[Kara] That's LaShanta Vaughn, President and
32:51
CEO of the Horizon Convention Center in Downtown Muncie.
32:55
We've also been speaking with Carl Schafer.
32:58
He's the co-owner of Gordy's Fine Art and Framing,
33:01
also in Downtown Muncie.
33:03
Thank you both. And it was great to talk to you.
33:06
[LaShanta] Thank you, likewise.
33:07
[Carl] Thank you so much for having us.
33:16
[Michelle] Today, uh, it's a little emotional.
33:21
We are saying farewell to a Pop of Culture team member.
33:27
Joining me across the table is the one the only.
33:32
It's Maya Doss, everybody.
33:34
[Maya Doss] Hello, I'm so happy to be back.
33:37
[Michelle] You're in a different chair.
33:38
I mean, for a while now,
33:40
you've been the one asking
33:41
the questions for, "What are You Working On?"
33:43
How does it feel to be the interviewee again?
33:47
[Maya] Full Circle. Especially having
33:49
you interview me, Michelle.
33:50
We're right back to Season 1 Episode 19.
33:53
But everything's changed.
33:54
[Michelle] Yeah, what do you remember about that day coming into
33:58
the studio and talking about
34:00
your art journey with
34:02
Pop of Culture listeners? What do you remember about that day?
34:04
[Maya] What I think about is what a
34:06
different place in life I was and
34:09
how nervous but excited I felt to be
34:12
seen by someone bigger than me and how I was like,
34:16
maybe I can do this whole art thing.
34:17
I'm like, getting a little emotional.
34:19
And then, today, I feel like I'm
34:21
so much more matured in myself and,
34:24
like, life and everything.
34:26
So that day, I just felt so excited and anxious.
34:30
And now I feel because I've
34:31
been where you are, too, I feel
34:34
calmer, you know?
34:35
[Michelle] Yeah. Yeah. I just
34:37
remember that from that interview,
34:40
it's not that I remember
34:41
specific things that we talked about, Maya,
34:44
but I remember distinctly your enthusiasm and
34:50
your excitement and the fact that you when
34:54
I looked across at you and as you were
34:56
talking about your art, you lit up.
34:58
And I think, obviously, you know,
35:01
people here at Indiana Public Radio
35:03
and listeners, they were just like, Oh,
35:05
something's happening here. What's going
35:07
on with this Maya Doss,
35:08
and immediately was like, we need to bring
35:10
her into the Pop of Culture fold.
35:12
So what was that like when you heard, "Hey, you know,
35:17
we would love to have you
35:19
be a part of the station in the show."
35:22
[Maya] I remember I told everyone that was, like,
35:24
really close to me in my life at that time, like,
35:26
"Oh, my gosh, they said they might want me on their show."
35:29
I was like, Are you kidding me?
35:32
It was so exciting and
35:34
so valid I keep saying the word validating.
35:37
But as an artist, especially right now,
35:38
I think sometimes we question ourselves,
35:40
like, can I call myself that?
35:42
Am I accomplished enough? Am I good enough?
35:44
And so, you know,
35:46
it's always amazing to be able to be seen as
35:49
an artist and even when you are just starting out.
35:52
And, you know, I got my degree now in painting.
35:54
So I get to say, no matter what, you know,
35:56
that I did that for myself.
35:58
[Michelle] Absolutely.
35:59
[Maya] That was before I had done that. So I
36:01
was in such a young, youthful.
36:03
I feel like I think of that stage
36:05
as like my little cocoon.
36:06
And you guys changed me forever
36:08
as I was becoming more me.
36:10
[Michelle] In good ways, I hope.
36:11
[Maya] Oh, the best
36:12
of ways. The best of ways.
36:15
And I felt like my weird little place
36:18
in our Muncie art culture
36:19
was exactly what you guys needed,
36:21
and you guys were exactly what I needed
36:23
to open myself back up after so many traumatic events.
36:26
Like, I truly felt like I needed to hide away,
36:29
and you guys were like, No, we need
36:31
you to be a voice for us with us.
36:33
And I love I really did.
36:35
Oh I miss it all the time.
36:36
[Michelle] Oh. That's wonderful.
36:38
to hear. Let's talk about some of your favorite moments.
36:43
You were able to interview
36:45
all sorts of artists.
36:47
[Maya] Oh, yeah.
36:48
[Michelle] What were some of your favorite moments, Maya?
36:50
[Maya] Hm. Let me be a little contemplative here.
36:53
I would say, when I first
36:56
cracked out and was doing interviews,
36:59
everyone kept saying how I made them feel comfortable,
37:02
and that really made me happy because I was like,
37:04
if I'm able to come in and help
37:06
with this platform for artists,
37:08
I think of especially when I was
37:10
doing interviews with people I didn't know as well,
37:12
we kind of cross paths and
37:13
intersected at this really random, beautiful moment.
37:16
And I think just getting to see
37:17
them and highlight them and talk with them,
37:19
each individual person was my favorite part.
37:22
There's not a specific
37:23
interview I loved more than others.
37:25
I loved being able to get out there and talk
37:26
with people about art in our community.
37:29
That just was such a privilege.
37:31
[Michelle] Yeah. And so I'm sure that
37:34
listeners want to know what you're doing now.
37:38
[Maya] Oh, yeah, guys, it's been such a huge change.
37:41
I live in Cincinnati now.
37:43
I work at a Dispensary,
37:45
and it's really awesome. I still make art.
37:47
I'm running a postcard print club,
37:50
which was made possible by the help of
37:52
the Vore Arts Fund here
37:54
Yeah, in the area. They're awesome.
37:56
And I recently had I was featured by Muncie Arts,
38:00
and they had me over at Muncie Civic before I moved away,
38:03
and I sold a lot of my smaller pieces
38:05
and I got to say goodbyes. And now
38:08
living on my own in a one bedroom with my Chihuahua.
38:11
I'm working full time,
38:14
but I feel for the first time I have, like,
38:16
full financial and personal autonomy
38:18
to do with my day and my,
38:21
like, life as I please.
38:22
And that creates means a lot of
38:24
late-night cooking and painting
38:26
and just hanging out with my dog.
38:27
That means a lot of hikes.
38:28
That means meeting new people and
38:30
choosing to be vulnerable when it's a little scary.
38:33
You know, being a woman alone in a new city
38:35
can be really challenging,
38:38
but it's made me feel more like,
38:41
I can do this. I can be
38:44
alone in a new place.
38:46
That gives you a sense of
38:47
confidence I don't think I had before.
38:49
[Michelle] Yeah, how has that impacted your art?
38:52
How has this transition,
38:53
maybe from, you know,
38:55
the time and the experiences that you've had here and
38:57
now moving to Cincinnati
38:59
and doing something completely different.
39:01
How does that come through in your art?
39:03
How do you feel that has inspired you?
39:05
[Maya] Well, I've been an artist my whole life.
39:07
I feel like the challenge was me, like,
39:09
adjusting to school and having to do art the way
39:11
other people told me to to
39:12
get the grade I needed to get through.
39:14
And now it feels like I'm kind of it was
39:16
a lot this past month packing up everything.
39:18
I settled pretty heavily
39:20
in my studio apartment for two years,
39:22
so packing up, moving.
39:23
I haven't had a lot of time to make art,
39:26
adjusting to my new job. But I
39:28
taken my daily life as
39:30
an artistic creation of who I want to be
39:32
and letting myself play with
39:34
how things look in my living room as an art,
39:37
how I go to the grocery store,
39:39
and what I pick out has become an art.
39:41
But I also do paint, you know,
39:43
I'm working on art for my postcards,
39:44
and that's become kind of what keeps
39:46
me in check. Like, holds me accountable.
39:48
Are you still creating art?
39:49
Yes, cause I have people
39:51
subscribe to my monthly postcard club,
39:54
and they want to see me show up in their mailboxes.
39:57
[Michelle] Tell me more about the Postcard club. When did this start?
40:01
Talk a little bit about kind of
40:02
the grant from the Vore Arts Fund.
40:05
And what if people want
40:07
to get their hands on a postcard, as well?
40:09
[Maya] I would love to have as many members as possible.
40:11
I just started in January.
40:13
I have seven members now.
40:14
I'm so happy to have all of them.
40:16
But the idea is that you subscribe through my Patreon
40:19
and you pay for whatever tier you'd like. Um,
40:23
and then you get a postcard
40:25
of my original artwork that's inspired by the month,
40:28
and I write a little note just to be like, "Hey,
40:30
pen pal, this is what's going on in my life.
40:32
Thank you for supporting me as an artist.
40:34
This inspired this artwork."
40:35
And then I put it into a small
40:37
envelope-sized package so that, you know,
40:39
it's not as much pressure for my supporters to
40:42
invest hundreds or thousands
40:44
of dollars into an original painting.
40:45
They can just have a small little artwork surprise
40:49
in their mailbox every month,
40:51
and it also brings back the joy of getting
40:52
mail because I think that's lost in our digital world.
40:55
And I didn't want it to just get lost in someone's email.
40:57
You know, I wanted it to be
40:59
a tangible thing someone could collect that was kind of
41:02
specific to the Postcard club.
41:04
[Michelle] But I think even more than that, Maya,
41:06
is it it's a great reflection of who you are,
41:10
because I think personal connection is important to you.
41:14
And it sounds like, you know,
41:16
a postcard and writing a little note and having
41:20
this relationship with someone who
41:21
knows I'm sure they're scattered all over the place.
41:25
It sounds like connection is important.
41:27
It was important to you when you were
41:28
doing "What Are You Working On?"
41:30
And now the postcard.
41:32
What does that mean to you,
41:34
this connection as an artist with other people?
41:37
[Maya] First of all, I feel so seen right now.
41:40
Yes, connection is everything to me.
41:43
I would say I don't always look it on the outside,
41:47
but I'm a very sensitive person.
41:49
And I'm a romantic.
41:51
I'm a lover, but I'm also,
41:52
such a tender friend, family member.
41:55
To me, if we don't have each other, we have nothing.
41:57
You know, there's always I tend to
41:59
isolate and be in my studio being moody,
42:02
but I really would have nothing if I didn't have
42:04
people who loved me and that I
42:05
could love, you know? And so
42:07
in this world that feels so harsh,
42:10
that feels so difficult
42:11
sometimes that can feel isolating.
42:13
Sometimes, you know, what does make us happy
42:16
is the thing that's always made us
42:17
happy all the way back through time.
42:19
Sometimes it's just art in a little handwritten letter.
42:22
Just like, you know, there's a human out
42:24
there who has a pulse and is
42:25
feeling and wants to see that you're okay, too, I guess.
42:29
[Michelle] Yeah. Well, Maya, we absolutely
42:32
loved you and loved having
42:34
you on Pop of Culture.
42:36
[Maya] Oh, it's mutual.
42:37
[Michelle] I think the most important question now,
42:39
Maya is, are you still listening to Pop of Culture?
42:42
[Maya] Of course. Of course.
42:44
And I loved being a part of our hundredth episode.
42:46
That was.
42:47
[Michelle] Yes. Oh, my gosh.
42:47
[Maya] So much fun. So much fun.
42:49
And I felt so happy to just be there.
42:51
I remember Luke was like,
42:52
"Are you gonna be able to be there?'
42:53
I was like, "I hope so." I'm happy to just sit around.
42:56
So, yes, I miss you guys.
42:58
And this was such an amazing work environment
43:00
for me to have as,
43:02
like, that transition, you know,
43:03
from college to where
43:05
I'm at now in a new city in a new state,
43:07
'cause I had moved before, you know,
43:09
but it just had not been out of state,
43:10
completely different, you know?
43:12
[Michelle.] Yeah. And I'm sure we have lots of
43:15
other anniversaries, milestones to celebrate.
43:18
I'm looking at Luke right now like, Oh,
43:21
Maya will be coming back for the 200th.
43:24
Yes.
43:25
Luke is nodding yes. It's a done deal.
43:28
You heard that here first.
43:29
[Maya] Guys, if they forget,
43:31
hold them accountable with me. We rise.
43:34
[Michelle] Maya, thank you so much and
43:39
continued success to you in
43:41
Cincinnati and with your art and way beyond.
43:44
And please keep us posted
43:45
on all the great things you're doing.
43:47
[Maya] Muncie and IPR and
43:48
Ball State always have a place in my heart.
43:50
Thank you, guys. Appreciate you so much.
43:52
[Michelle] You can hear all of Maya's interviews for
43:55
Pop of Culture on the Pop podcast.
43:58
Find us on YouTube,
44:00
Apple Podcasts and indianapublicradio.org.
44:03
And you can still follow Maya
44:05
on Instagram @mayadossart.
44:09
[Kara] Hey, Michelle,
44:17
you ready to talk about what's going on?
44:18
[Michelle] Absolutely. Let's go.
44:20
[Kara] Alright. Kick it old school with
44:22
Tom Cherry's Old-Time Radio Show on Saturday May 23,
44:26
at the Farmland Community Center.
44:28
The fun begins at 3:00 P.M., with
44:30
the adventures of Philip Marlowe
44:31
and then a new episode of The Adventures of Giraffe Man.
44:35
An audience member will get a chance to play.
44:38
It pays to be ignorant,
44:40
and special guest Dan Wright will perform.
44:42
[Michelle] I mean, I'm very curious
44:44
about The Adventures of Giraffe Man.
44:46
I don't know about you, Kara, but that's intriguing.
44:49
The Central Indiana Flute Choir,
44:51
part of America's Hometown Band,
44:52
will perform Saturday, May 23,
44:55
at the Minnetrista Farmers Market.
44:57
This group performs once a month at
44:58
the market on the fourth Saturday.
45:01
[Kara] The summer concert series is
45:04
on at the Belgian Horse Winery in Middletown.
45:07
On Wednesday, May 27,
45:08
the Cory Hill Band will perform.
45:10
The music begins at 6:30 P.M.
45:13
This is the winery's 10th tenth anniversary concert series.
45:17
[Michelle] I cannot believe that's been going on for
45:19
ten years. That's awesome.
45:21
The Annual American Association
45:23
of University Women Muncie Branch,
45:26
Used Book sale begins Saturday,
45:28
May 23 at the Ball State Alumni Center.
45:31
The sale will run through Saturday, May 30.
45:34
It'll be closed, though, on Memorial Day.
45:37
[Kara] The Indy 500 Festival
45:39
continues this weekend in Indianapolis.
45:41
Events include a parade at noon on Saturday, May 23.
45:45
It's also Legends Day at the Track Saturday, where you can
45:49
meet drivers before the Big Race on Sunday at 12:45.
45:53
[Michelle] Yes. Vroom Vroom.
45:55
There are two shows at
45:57
Ball State University's Charles
45:58
W. Brown Planetarium this weekend.
46:00
"One World, One Sky:
46:02
Big Bird's Adventure" will be shown at 5:00 P.M. Friday,
46:05
May 22, and 3:30 P.M. Saturday, May 23.
46:09
Take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to
46:12
the Moon with Big Bird, Elmo, and their friends.
46:15
"Quasars and Black Holes" will
46:17
be featured at 6:30 P.M. Friday,
46:19
May 22, and 6:30 P.M. Saturday, May 23.
46:23
In this fast-paced program,
46:25
explore the most massive objects in the universe with
46:29
new planetarium shorts from Kurzgesagt: In a Nutshell,
46:33
the award-winning YouTube creators who
46:35
make complex science accessible.
46:38
[Kara] Send us your far-out events
46:41
indianapublicradio.org/contact.
46:44
Then click Pop of Culture.
46:58
[Luke] Support for
47:04
Pop of Culture comes from
47:06
Stallings Wealth Management and from you.
47:09
You may have heard about large gifts to NPR.
47:12
Those donations are important,
47:14
but they don't bring back the funding to IPR.
47:17
Your support pays for the programs you rely on,
47:20
especially local programs like this one,
47:23
and the people like me who create them.
47:26
Pop of Culture exists for you and because of you.
47:30
Give today at indianapublicadio.org.
47:34
[Kara] And that's our show.
47:35
Our art director is Tracie Louck.
47:37
[Michelle] This week was produced by Luke Jones,
47:40
who is now planning a Pop of
47:41
Culture road trip to Cincinnati.
47:44
[Kara] We had production assistance from
47:47
Andrew Montavon and Stephanie Wiechmann.
47:49
[Michelle] And for one last time,
47:51
our audio fellow is Maya Doss.
47:54
[Kara] And our show was hosted by me,
47:56
Kara DuQuette.
47:57
[Michelle] And me, Michelle Kinsey.
47:59
Pop of Culture is a production from
48:00
IPR on the campus of Ball State University.
48:06
[Maya] Thank you for having me.
48:08
[Michelle] I can't remember what I said next.
48:09
[Luke] I can't remember what you said either.
48:10
[Michelle] But it was good.
48:11
[Luke] Yeah, it was. I remember it being good.
48:13
[Maya] This is why we have to piece.
48:16
Piece and piece. Splice and drag.
48:19
[Michelle] What'd I say?