Latest / Pop of Culture / S03 E08 - We Have "Balls Balls Balls"

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S03 E08 - We Have "Balls Balls Balls" · Pop of Culture

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  from any other named entity.
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  (upbeat music)
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  - This week on "Pop of Culture,"
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  creating art in the age of the internet.
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  We'll speak to playwright Alice Tuan
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  about writing in the age of constant feedback,
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  and why it's important to sit in discomfort.
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  - That's exactly what the stuff of art
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  is made out of.
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  I mean, the difficult things.
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  How do you sit through difficult things
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  or even how do you present it
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  so that folks won't run away from it?
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  - And it's the last installment of our paint month.
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  - All that is coming up.
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  - Support for "Pop of Culture"
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  comes from Stallings Wealth Management,
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  The Innovation Connector,
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  at indianapublicradio.org.
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  - From IPR, this is Pop of Culture.
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  I'm Maya Doss.
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  - And I'm Jen Blackmer.
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  Maya, great to have you in studio today.
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  - Thank you, Jen.
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  I'm happy to be here.
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  And as you know,
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  we've been doing a theme for this month,
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  which I will reveal
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  its "Painters at Ball State."
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  - Yay!
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  - Because as many of us know,
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  Bob Ross also painted at Ball State,
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  but we have one more painter to feature.
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  But before that...
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  - I am thrilled today,
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  to be in studio
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  with a very special guest,
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  playwright, Alice Tuan has been on campus
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  for a while, I would say.
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  - End of January, yeah.
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  - End of January, yes.
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  Working with Ball State students
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  in the Department of Theater and Dance
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  to help create
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  a new piece of theater that just closed.
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  But we are so thrilled to talk to Alice
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  about your visit and the process.
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  Welcome, Alice.
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  - Thank you so much, Jen.
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  Wonderful to be here.
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  - So Alice, one of the,
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  I've been watching your career for a while,
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  and one of the things you said
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  during a class visit was
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  that you are an accidental playwright,
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  and I love that idea.
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  Can you explain that a little bit?
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  - Well, I always knew I wanted to write,
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  but I didn't know how or what.
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  And so just very simply,
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  I deduced,
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  well, I can't describe a room very well,
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  (Jen laughing) so I can't be a novelist,
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  but I can get people to talk to each other,
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  and so I should be a playwright.
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  - There you go. - I mean, it's...
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  And through the course of playwriting,
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  I realize it's not so much what people say to each other,
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  it's what they're not saying to each other
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  that is the most compelling.
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  - Oh, absolutely. Oh, yeah.
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  - Yes. So that's kind of the accident.
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  And I decided, "Oh, you know, I'm just gonna
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  save up enough money so I could write for six months
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  and just write a play." - Mm-hm.
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  - And so much of it is,
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  you know, I'm from a Chinese background
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  and grew up in the San Fernando Valley,
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  in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
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  And so at home,
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  it was lots of Chinese values
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  of family,
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  patience,
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  save,
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  long-suffering,
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  just all of the old world values.
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  But then I was schooled
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  in American thought,
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  me,
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  instant gratification,
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  consumption,
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  you know, all...
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  And so, it was very contradictory.
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  And so, I think that I chose,
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  I wanted to write to kind of sort that out,
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  the opposite value systems
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  that I was experiencing
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  caused a what I term, "Cultural schizophrenia."
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  - Absolutely, yeah. - Because they were so
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  opposite.
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  And so, I think that writing helped me sort it out.
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  My grandfather and grandmother came to live with us
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  when I was seven years old,
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  and they were just so Chinese, like,
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  (Jen laughing) you know,
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  they lived to be very, very old.
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  But my grandfather was a Lieutenant General
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  in Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Army,
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  fighting against Mao's Zedong,
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  so they all had to go to Taiwan.
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  And then, my grandmother
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  came from these generation that had bound feet.
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  - Oh, wow!
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  - So she was a young girl
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  when the 1911 revolution happened in China.
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  - Wow!
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  - So for a 7-year-old kid in Los Angeles
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  going, "Who are these people?"
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  It was just really,
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  it was kind of very bizarre,
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  but also so endearing
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  because they were just so non-American, you know?
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  - Right. Yeah.
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  - I fried on television as a child,
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  and then here were these
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  like just monuments of Chinese culture.
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  - Yeah. The notion of
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  cultural schizophrenia is so interesting.
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  And I often talk about art being made within
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  those contradictions, right?
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  That push and pull
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  and the struggle of two very different worldviews.
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  - That's right.
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  - Yeah. - That's right.
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  - And how does that inform your work as a writer?
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  - Well,
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  I think that it's about housing the contradictions
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  that make things interesting.
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  Although, it seems like these days
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  it's such a,
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  I mean, we're on such a binary, I mean,
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  I think that the difficulty of
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  housing a contradiction within your mind
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  is the reason we've become so binary.
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  - Right, yeah.
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  - And I'm feeling,
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  and especially,
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  coming to Ball State and writing this play for the students,
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  I found a great opportunity
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  to come to Indiana
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  and also start a conversation with the younger generation.
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  People don't like discomfort.
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  People sway away from it.
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  And it's exactly,
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  that's exactly what the stuff of art is made out of.
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  I mean, the difficult things,
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  how do you sit through difficult things
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  or even how do you present it
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  so that folks won't run away from it?
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  - Right, right.
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  And you mentioned coming here
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  and working with our students,
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  which has been the focus of your residency.
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  And I find with my students a lot that,
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  that this idea of sitting in discomfort
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  is difficult for them.
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  And I think they have been told by
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  media, popular culture, right,
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  that discomfort is to be alleviated
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  or shied away from, right?
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  And yet, you know, we're training artists
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  and trying to encourage them to sit in these hard spaces.
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  - Right.
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  And I think that it's,
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  it needs practice.
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  We have to practice doing it.
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  And I don't think that that's a chance now
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  because we have these devices
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  in the palms of our hands
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  that are obstructing our vision towards our lifelines.
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  You know, literally,
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  we have these pocket gods
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  and there's a great...
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  I think it was E.B White who said,
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  you know, "We're primitive emotions
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  in medieval institutions
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  with God-like technology."
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  - Wow! Yeah. (laughs)
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  - And that's kind of like
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  the knot of an intersection.
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  - Yeah.
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  - And the not, K-N-O-T,
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  that I think that we're all
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  really trying to figure out and untangle
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  and unlock from.
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  - Sure. Sure.
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  - And so, I mean,
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  it's just been fascinating to be here.
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  I mean, it's fascinating to be in the theater now.
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  I feel like I've taken,
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  I've renewed my theater vow
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  in that it used to be
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  I came to theater because I wanted to write people talking
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  and trying to figure out my cultural schizophrenia.
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  But now, it's like,
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  oh, it's actually a space for humans.
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  - Yes.
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  - To watch humans be human,
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  sitting next to humans.
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  I mean, that is the renewal
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  because, you know, at some point it was just like,
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  do we really need another piece of theater?
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  You know, we have so much entertainment.
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  - Right, right.
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  - We have so much entertainment.
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  And now, I'm feeling like we have too much entertainment,
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  we're just kind of addled by like constant entertainment
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  to the point where I feel like we need "exit-ainment."
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  - Oh, I love that term!
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  That's great.
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  And you said, you know, with humans,
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  for humans, next to humans,
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  I mean, and that is,
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  I think the draw
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  of this art form now,
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  is everything comes to us,
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  but it's also very isolated, right?
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  That you're looking at this thing
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  and it's just you looking at a thing
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  and that, you know, the promise of all of
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  the technology when it was coming out is that
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  it's gonna connect us
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  and it's gonna connect us in ways that
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  we hadn't been connected before,
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  which I think is true across distance,
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  but in doing that,
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  we've lost what it feels like
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  being in space with another person.
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  - That's right.
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  I think it's because we all have different algorithms.
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  I mean, I feel like
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  two things are the bane of our existence now,
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  algorithms and zoning. - Yeah. (laughs)
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  - So maybe theater is not only
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  just stepping out of the house,
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  stepping away from your screen for 90 minutes,
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  but it is actually to go into a place
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  where you can actually be human again
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  and to breathe the same air.
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  And I mean, theater,
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  you know, you could see it on Zoom and stuff,
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  but it's just not the same.
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  Anything kind of filmed.
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  It's just not the same
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  because there's not molecules
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  being exchanged with each other.
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  It's not, you know,
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  I feel like that's the thing about theater,
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  every night is different
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  depending on the makeup of the audience,
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  the, you know, what the actors ate for lunch,
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  you know, just like all the...
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  There's just so many subjective factors
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  that make it special.
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  - What has it been like
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  working with younger artists then?
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  I mean, over the last month or so,
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  you have been working with an ensemble,
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  a large ensemble,
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  I'll say there's 16 roles in this play,
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  which is just unheard of
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  outside of a college environment, right?
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  - Absolutely. Absolutely.
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  - How's your experience been with this younger group?
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  - Oh, it's been tremendous.
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  It's a gift, really.
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  I mean, because like in the business of theater,
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  it's so expensive to make.
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  So basically, can you write, you know,
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  two characters, a table, and maybe a chair?
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  - Right, yeah. (laughs)
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  - But to have 16 characters is unbelievable.
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  And also, to just get the feedback from them,
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  you know, in the play,
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  "Balls Balls Balls".
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  That started out as the Ball States,
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  because I'm here at Ball State
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  and I chose three states of ball,
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  which is sports, sex, and fancy dress dancing.
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  - Okay.
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  - And so just kind of started there.
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  And then, I really wanted to explore
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  what non-binary means. - Mm-hm.
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  - I mean, I just, you know,
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  it's like I have these young folks that I can...
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  And so, I actually visited Diana Grisanti's,
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  "Advanced Playwriting" class.
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  Diana Grisanti being one of the theater faculty.
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  - Right. Yes. - And she is
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  running the theater creation
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  portion of the theater school.
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  And so she commissioned this play
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  because usually large class plays are historical
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  or non-contemporary.
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  And she really wanted to try this undergraduate,
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  you know, large cast play.
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  And also to put everyone through a new play process.
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  So we come from a new play culture,
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  and it seems like,
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  I mean, I'm from Los Angeles,
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  Hollywood has collapsed because it's gone to the tech bros.
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  There's just the notion of development,
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  and I feel like so much has gone towards gaming
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  and just all these other kinds of performances
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  in the screen, in the internet.
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  And so to be able to bring a new play process to
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  young folks, young theater folks,
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  I mean, it's been quite the challenge.
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  - We talk to our students all the time
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  about taking risks
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  and the fact that being an artist involves risk-taking
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  because you're putting something out there
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  for people to understand.
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  But in this world, right,
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  where the comment section exists,
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  and you can get that anonymous
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  sort of knee-jerk reaction to your risk,
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  it becomes a part of the calculation.
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  - Right.
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  And I feel like just even reminding
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  or introducing what process is
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  that when you're reading the play,
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  because this is the fourth draft now
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  that the students are working with,
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  and it's not baked, it's half-baked.
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  - Right.
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  - And it's still growing and it's still evolving.
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  And so, how do you sit with either discomfort
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  or this is not quite anything yet,
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  so how do you refrain from judgment?
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  Like, would you judge a rose from its bud form?
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  - Right.
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  - And so, that is something that takes practice.
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  - Mm-hm.
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  - It takes practice to be able to just
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  kind of let things go,
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  just let things be as they are,
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  or to even look like if it,
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  if you don't agree with it,
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  to allow it to coexist with your own ideas.
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  There was a mini-revolt about the ending of the play.
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  - Oh, wow! (laughs)
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  - I mean, because in the play,
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  besides, you know,
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  I wanted to show cis-het values versus non-binary values.
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  So the cis-het world is represented by
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  football players and cheerleaders.
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  And the non-binary are more of the creatives,
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  those people who wanna start a club for world repair,
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  they just don't,
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  they're not quite happy with the way things are.
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  And so in the play,
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  there's Davey Fatbeard
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  who was inspired by David Letterman
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  because he has a fat beard. (Jen laughing)
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  - He really does, doesn't he?
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  - (laughs) It's so healthy.
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  And so, he's a billionaire,
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  and then he has an AI companion,
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  named Nubu.
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  And Davey is unhappy with this world
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  that can't even share space.
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  Davey is an old school billionaire.
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  He still wants good in the world.
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  He's like, what good are my billions
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  if nobody is aware of each other and everyone's suffering?
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  He always wants everyone to look up,
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  look up from their screens,
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  look up, you know?
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  And you know, that's also about an optimism too.
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  Like, he's still old school about the future.
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  He wants one.
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  And so he sees that, you know,
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  nobody can share space anymore.
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  Everybody's kind of terrorizing each other,
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  or at least the football players won't share the field.
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  You know?
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  And I mean, we just saw Bad Bunny share the field
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  like with his joy ball.
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  - (laughs) Yes! - With his joy ball.
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  You know?
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  It was unbelievable. - Amazing.
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  It was wonderful.
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  - So Davey takes off in the rocket ship
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  because that's where billionaires go these days.
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  And then Nubu,
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  his artificial intelligence companion
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  or some form of it,
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  that's still in process.
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  We're not sure how that character's working,
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  lives to continue Davey's presence.
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  And they're like, "No, we can't have AI live.
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  We cannot have AI live da...
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  Like, how come you're idealizing AI like it's a good thing."
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  - What's so interesting about that too
• 14:32
  is there's this assumption, right,
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  especially on college campuses,
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  that because AI's readily available to the students,
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  they all use it and they all love it.
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  And that is not true
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  for as many students who embrace the technology and use it,
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  there are as many others
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  who understand the environmental impact,
• 14:52
  understand, you know, the fact that this is,
• 14:55
  you know, scraping other people's work.
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  So it's a really interesting dynamic
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  when you look at this younger generation.
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  - I learned about that.
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  - Yeah. - I learned,
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  and I was very, very,
• 15:04
  I'm very happy with it
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  because I'm just wondering
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  why are the humans giving away their agency
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  to AI, to an unknown quantity.
• 15:12
  - Right.
• 15:13
  - That seems to be able to act like a human,
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  but is not human.
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  It's an inorganic communicating machine.
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  - Sure.
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  - And so that is worrying,
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  but I was very, very heartened that they revolted.
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  And so Nubu gets deactivated at the end.
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  - There we go. (laughs)
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  - So thank God.
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  And then, the humans,
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  you know, are spinning with their palms
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  released from their devices
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  with their palms in the air,
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  and they're just spinning unencumbered and free again.
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  - So the play has now closed.
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  I mean, what's interesting about
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  this process from our perspective
• 15:45
  is that it changed every night, right?
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  So you would see a show,
• 15:49
  see a performance, have an audience there,
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  and then actually continue to do changes
• 15:53
  even after the play "opened", right?
• 15:57
  - That's right. - Yeah.
• 15:58
  - That's right. It's about the storytelling.
• 15:59
  And it goes back to also,
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  you know, the actors,
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  new play actors are a very, very special kind of actor
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  because the words are not gelled.
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  And so they need to go on their instinct,
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  but they also have to report what is on the page.
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  If the actor is kind of performing it and making it work,
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  that does not help the new play
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  because it's like, "Oh, that's fine."
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  When in fact the writing does need to be attended to.
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  - Exactly.
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  - Yeah. You know, that, Jen.
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  It's impossible to go into a world
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  that has so many ideas swirling around
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  and Veronica Santoyo, the director,
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  has been incredible in just trying to embody all the ideas
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  and to find the form in which we can tell the story.
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  And so much of the audience feedback has been fascinating
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  because, you know, it's,
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  you know, yesterday I was asked,
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  you know, did you mean for this character
• 16:48
  to be anti-Christian?
• 16:49
  I'm like, "Oh, I didn't think of it that way
• 16:51
  because I felt like there was another character
• 16:53
  that was actually showing Christian values,
• 16:55
  even though they did not declare that they were Christian."
• 16:58
  - Right.
• 16:59
  - This is the Breadmaker.
• 17:00
  - Yeah. Yeah.
• 17:00
  - Who bakes bread and is offering it to the public.
• 17:02
  And everybody is just wary of him
• 17:04
  and suspicious like, what are you, are you lonely?
• 17:06
  Why are you...
• 17:07
  Do you have a permit?
• 17:08
  - Yeah.
• 17:09
  - All the bureaucracies
• 17:10
  for anything to even happen these days.
• 17:13
  - Right.
• 17:14
  - So it's been really interesting to just...
• 17:16
  Is it possible to, like,
• 17:18
  if you don't understand it right away,
• 17:20
  to not run from it,
• 17:21
  to actually just stay with it.
• 17:23
  And that's just, again,
• 17:25
  sitting through a discomfort.
• 17:27
  If you don't know this moment,
• 17:28
  maybe you'll know the next moment.
• 17:30
  But it's so helpful when the audience tells me,
• 17:32
  "Oh, I didn't get this,
• 17:33
  or this wasn't complete,
• 17:38
  or I have questions about it."
• 17:39
  That is signaling to me that something is necessary.
• 17:42
  - Sure. - But, you know,
• 17:44
  it's like, I think that I also learned that
• 17:46
  sometimes you get stuck on a point
• 17:49
  and then you miss the bigger message.
• 17:51
  So the one person who is not happy with this point,
• 17:54
  it's kind of sticking with them
• 17:55
  while the play is happening and happening.
• 17:57
  At the end of the day,
• 17:58
  the message is "Share space, make room for others."
• 18:02
  It's sandbox skills
• 18:04
  that we have lost.
• 18:06
  You know?
• 18:07
  It's like instead of sharing your shovel and your pale
• 18:11
  folks are throwing sand in each other's eyes, you know?
• 18:14
  So it's like, it's literally back to the sandbox politics.
• 18:16
  - Right.
• 18:17
  - And so, at the end of the day,
• 18:19
  share and you know, in our play it's a Mudita Ball,
• 18:24
  Mudita being sympathetic, sympathetic joy,
• 18:27
  that you are happy for someone else's joy.
• 18:30
  - Oh, nice.
• 18:31
  - And all these little messages, you know,
• 18:32
  and so when I got the anti-Christian message,
• 18:35
  I was like,
• 18:36
  "Well, it's not that I'm anti-Christian,
• 18:38
  it's like I'm presenting Christianity from the outside
• 18:41
  as I see it,
• 18:42
  but also trying to present Buddhist concepts too.
• 18:44
  Like can we coexist all these different kind of religions?"
• 18:49
  And to me religion is anything
• 18:50
  that gets you through the night is a kind of religion.
• 18:53
  - Right. Absolutely.
• 18:54
  Well, you had this experience here on Campus with us
• 18:58
  and working with a cast of 16 in this play
• 19:01
  that was developed really with this place,
• 19:05
  this time and place in mind,
• 19:06
  do you anticipate anything happening with this play
• 19:09
  after you're done here?
• 19:11
  - I don't know.
• 19:12
  I haven't thought that far.
• 19:14
  And just for technicality sake,
• 19:16
  there are 16 characters,
• 19:17
  but there are also five chorus members.
• 19:19
  But I don't know, I don't know anyone who
• 19:21
  is willing to purchase a 16 character play. (laughs)
• 19:24
  But I have to say,
• 19:26
  that it has been a phenomenal
• 19:30
  gift to be able to respond to our moment, right now.
• 19:34
  Our just very complicated
• 19:38
  and you know,
• 19:39
  just exhausting and overwhelming moment.
• 19:43
  I've been able to play at Ball State University
• 19:46
  with these very talented actors,
• 19:48
  with Diana being the dramaturg,
• 19:49
  with Veronica directing,
• 19:51
  and just like so much, you know, support,
• 19:53
  that it made room,
• 19:56
  Ball State made room for this process to happen.
• 19:58
  And hopefully, you know, just the new play process is,
• 20:02
  it's not just about making theater,
• 20:04
  it's about when things are confusing and difficult
• 20:07
  and you know, not-getable in life,
• 20:09
  that you just kind of sit through it
• 20:11
  and maybe you don't get it this moment,
• 20:13
  but you might get it in a future moment,
• 20:15
  and to not give up.
• 20:16
  And the big message I think is,
• 20:19
  try impossible things,
• 20:20
  but try, try it. We have to try.
• 20:23
  - Alice, that was lovely.
• 20:25
  - Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
• 20:27
  - Fantastic. Amazing. - Thank you.
• 20:28
  - Alice Tuan is a playwright based in Los Angeles.
• 20:32
  She was recently in Muncie,
• 20:33
  after being commissioned to write a play
• 20:35
  for and by Ball State's Department of Theater and Dance.
• 20:38
  (upbeat music)
• 20:55
  This is Pop of Culture.
• 20:57
  I'm Jen Blackmer.
• 20:58
  - And I'm Maya Doss.
• 20:59
  Here at the show, we're interested in all kinds of art
• 21:02
  and all kinds of artists.
• 21:04
  - We get to speak to professionals
• 21:05
  who've spent decades perfecting their craft.
• 21:08
  - And hobbyists who are filling their free time.
• 21:10
  Our next guest is somewhere in between.
• 21:13
  Our co-host, Kara DuQuette takes it from here.
• 21:16
  - We are talking with artist Melody A. Lynch.
• 21:20
  Melody is also the Chief Operating Officer
• 21:23
  at Whitewater Valley Rural Electric Membership Corporation,
• 21:27
  in Liberty, Indiana.
• 21:28
  Thank you for talking with us.
• 21:30
  - Thank you. Thank you for having me.
• 21:32
  - Of course!
• 21:33
  We are interested how you got started creating art
• 21:37
  and what you do.
• 21:38
  - Well I started...
• 21:42
  So a backstory first.
• 21:44
  My mom and dad,
• 21:45
  they raised us with a very strong work ethic.
• 21:48
  So I have always been busy all the time.
• 21:52
  If I have a minute to fill, I fill it.
• 21:54
  And during 2020, we all know what happened
• 21:58
  and I was stuck at home a lot.
• 22:01
  And so I told my husband,
• 22:03
  "I'm gonna order a painting kit
• 22:05
  and just give it a try."
• 22:06
  My grandmother was a fantastic artist
• 22:09
  and I thought, "Well, maybe I had got some
• 22:11
  of her genes somewhere."
• 22:13
  So I ordered a painting kit,
• 22:16
  started painting with acrylic paints,
• 22:19
  and then soon I moved to oil medium,
• 22:22
  and that's primarily what I paint in now.
• 22:25
  - Okay.
• 22:27
  So you would say it pretty much began with the pandemic.
• 22:32
  - Yes.
• 22:33
  - And your familial art ties.
• 22:36
  I was also wondering if
• 22:39
  the fact that you are the COO of
• 22:42
  White River Valley,
• 22:43
  and for those who don't know,
• 22:45
  it's kind of a cooperative,
• 22:48
  member-owned electrical service
• 22:51
  for that part of East Central Indiana.
• 22:53
  - Yes.
• 22:54
  - And I wondered if that sensibility
• 22:57
  plays out in your art at all?
• 22:59
  - It really does.
• 23:01
  At work, it's a very stressful environment,
• 23:05
  lots of moving parts all the time.
• 23:07
  I'm involved in a lot of different projects,
• 23:10
  so art has been a way that I can
• 23:13
  calm my mind.
• 23:15
  Everything just leaves my brain while I'm painting.
• 23:18
  And I think that is just so important
• 23:21
  for people to embrace those moments,
• 23:23
  to be able to have some calm
• 23:25
  during all the crazy in our world right now. (laughs)
• 23:29
  - Yeah, it gives you a chance
• 23:30
  to express yourself and- - Yes.
• 23:34
  - Disappear into the work.
• 23:36
  I don't know, is that how you feel about it?
• 23:38
  - I do, I do.
• 23:41
  I lost my father a few years ago
• 23:43
  and my sister had asked me to do a painting of him
• 23:47
  and as I'm painting,
• 23:49
  I could just see him come to life
• 23:51
  and just I sat there and had conversations with him.
• 23:55
  So that's kind of what art does for me,
• 23:58
  just brings some of those memories back.
• 24:01
  - That's wonderful.
• 24:02
  That leads me to ask you,
• 24:04
  what do you primarily paint?
• 24:07
  - Typically, my main focus is animals.
• 24:11
  I just love painting animals.
• 24:13
  I also like to do like landscapes,
• 24:18
  anything that kind of brings that calm,
• 24:21
  that sense of community.
• 24:23
  When I paint animals,
• 24:24
  I've done things from tigers
• 24:26
  all the way down to family pets
• 24:29
  and I put a lot of focus on painting
• 24:33
  the eyes and the nose.
• 24:35
  And I think that's what draws people in.
• 24:39
  If you can get those eyes to sparkle
• 24:42
  and the nose to look like a nose
• 24:45
  when you look like at a black dog,
• 24:48
  people see black.
• 24:50
  But when you're creating art,
• 24:51
  there's just so much more to it.
• 24:53
  There's flickers of blue in the fur,
• 24:56
  just the way the light is hitting the dog.
• 24:59
  - Oh, yes.
• 25:00
  I've seen some of your work
• 25:01
  and you are able to make
• 25:04
  the images come to life
• 25:06
  and that calm you were talking about,
• 25:09
  I feel like it comes through as well.
• 25:12
  Could you possibly kind of like,
• 25:14
  if you will,
• 25:15
  paint us a picture with words of one of your pieces?
• 25:19
  Kind of walk us through it.
• 25:21
  - Sure.
• 25:22
  One of my favorite ones that I've done
• 25:24
  is a lady sitting on stone steps,
• 25:28
  and flowers around her,
• 25:30
  the sky twinkling through.
• 25:33
  I you think about the sky,
• 25:35
  people see blue and white,
• 25:37
  but it's more than blue and white.
• 25:39
  And creating that sky,
• 25:42
  that's where I started.
• 25:43
  And then, put a fence in there to kind of create a barrier
• 25:47
  between the sky and the lady on the steps.
• 25:50
  The flowers just kind of set that tone
• 25:54
  and give you that little sparkle of life.
• 25:59
  When I was creating that painting,
• 26:01
  I also looked at different colors of flowers,
• 26:04
  different shapes
• 26:06
  and how the sunlight would be hitting those flowers.
• 26:10
  And then, I did the same with the lady.
• 26:13
  Just looked at how the sun would be reflecting on her face,
• 26:17
  how it would twinkle in her hair.
• 26:20
  And it was just a really neat painting to create.
• 26:24
  - So realism is your wheelhouse, I would say.
• 26:27
  - Yes.
• 26:28
  - You're really looking to make things look
• 26:30
  like you're seeing.
• 26:33
  What's your process for that?
• 26:34
  Do you look at photographs?
• 26:35
  Do you paint from real life?
• 26:38
  - I do look at photographs a lot.
• 26:39
  I follow some local photographers
• 26:42
  and then also some national photographers.
• 26:46
  And I have one lady that I follow,
• 26:49
  she goes on safaris
• 26:51
  and takes some of the most amazing photography
• 26:54
  of animals out in the wilderness.
• 26:58
  And I'm able to take those photographs
• 27:00
  and turn them into paintings and it's just,
• 27:02
  it's amazing.
• 27:04
  - Excellent. - Yeah.
• 27:05
  - So do you think about
• 27:07
  like when you're looking at these other photographs,
• 27:09
  do you kind of do a different size ratio?
• 27:13
  Do you change the imagery and color
• 27:16
  or how do you interpret them?
• 27:18
  - Yeah, so you know,
• 27:19
  you're looking at a small-scale photo
• 27:22
  so you have to then take that.
• 27:24
  My primary size of painting is either 12 by 16, 16 by 20.
• 27:30
  I've done some even bigger than that.
• 27:32
  But you know, you're taking this little photo
• 27:35
  and trying to expand it out,
• 27:37
  but keeping the image true to itself,
• 27:40
  which is difficult as well.
• 27:43
  But I just take dark paint on a paintbrush
• 27:46
  and just start brushing it out.
• 27:48
  - Okay, so you start with your darker colors.
• 27:51
  - Yes.
• 27:52
  - And build out from there?
• 27:53
  - Yeah. Yep.
• 27:55
  It creates all the shadows behind everything that you see
• 27:58
  and that's what creates the depth in the painting too.
• 28:03
  - Well, now you are a self-taught artist,
• 28:08
  but what... Do you mix your paints?
• 28:10
  Where do you source your oils?
• 28:14
  - I have purchased oil paintings
• 28:15
  from a lot of online vendors.
• 28:18
  And then, yes, I do mix my own colors
• 28:21
  because I think it does give it
• 28:23
  that little extra something
• 28:25
  instead of just using straight blue or straight white
• 28:30
  and just creating some depth in that paint color.
• 28:33
  - I completely agree with that.
• 28:35
  As you were talking about the sky
• 28:36
  and there being multiple colors,
• 28:38
  you find that in everything.
• 28:40
  - Yes. (laughs) - You know?
• 28:42
  Now, have you ever painted something for someone else
• 28:45
  that you hadn't decided to paint
• 28:48
  but they ask you for?
• 28:49
  - Yes. (laughs) - What was that?
• 28:51
  - So just recently, for a Christmas gift,
• 28:56
  my boss at work actually, our CEO,
• 28:58
  had asked me to create a dog painting,
• 29:02
  which was their family pet
• 29:03
  for his daughter as one of her main Christmas gifts.
• 29:07
  And it was just so fun to be able to create that
• 29:10
  and then to hear
• 29:13
  his take on how she received that art,
• 29:17
  I wish I could have been a fly on the wall
• 29:19
  and witnessed her seeing that painting for the first time.
• 29:23
  But I created that piece with the dog
• 29:26
  kind of snuggled in covers on the bed
• 29:28
  and it was just,
• 29:30
  it was amazing to create for him.
• 29:33
  - Awesome.
• 29:34
  Did you, okay, so you were talking about
• 29:36
  before painting your father
• 29:39
  and how you had this conversation with him
• 29:42
  during the painting,
• 29:43
  I don't know if you knew this dog
• 29:45
  or not that you painted for your coworker,
• 29:48
  but like it sounds like you were able to capture the spirit
• 29:52
  of this pet.
• 29:54
  How do you capture the brightness and vitality
• 29:58
  of your subjects?
• 30:00
  - Usually,
• 30:01
  like on that one,
• 30:02
  I just asked for some really good photographs of the pet.
• 30:06
  I had never met the pet,
• 30:08
  but I felt like once I got done with the painting,
• 30:12
  I knew the dog
• 30:14
  and I just wanted to reach out and pet him. (laughs)
• 30:17
  - So you prefer multiple images of something
• 30:21
  when you paint? - Yes. Yep.
• 30:23
  - Excellent.
• 30:24
  Well, is there something else you'd like to talk to us
• 30:26
  about your art?
• 30:28
  - I don't get a whole lot of time to paint,
• 30:31
  but when I do,
• 30:32
  I'm usually creating three or four pieces in one day,
• 30:37
  just making up for lost time.
• 30:39
  But hopefully, as I
• 30:41
  get towards retirement time,
• 30:43
  I can start creating more art.
• 30:45
  And my husband and I's plan
• 30:47
  is to go travel and do outside art fairs.
• 30:52
  - Oh. - Once we retire.
• 30:55
  - Well, I was gonna ask you,
• 30:57
  before we started talking,
• 30:58
  you said you have gained a day
• 31:01
  that you'll be able to paint in. (laughs)
• 31:03
  How do you usually make time for your art
• 31:06
  with your other full-time work?
• 31:09
  - Usually, I try and
• 31:12
  at least dedicate one day a month.
• 31:15
  If I can get more, fantastic. (laughs)
• 31:18
  If I can get more peace,
• 31:19
  that's even better.
• 31:21
  But at least one day a month.
• 31:24
  In the wintertime,
• 31:24
  I usually can get two to three days a month
• 31:27
  because there's not so much to do outside
• 31:29
  and take care of.
• 31:31
  But my husband is so supportive.
• 31:35
  He will even say, "We're not doing anything,
• 31:38
  you're gonna have an art day." (laughs)
• 31:40
  And I'm like, "Thank you."
• 31:43
  - Well, and you said you make several paintings in
• 31:45
  one day or one session of making art.
• 31:51
  I would like to know,
• 31:52
  do you work on them simultaneously or in succession?
• 31:58
  - I'll start one and try and finish it
• 32:00
  and then go on to the next.
• 32:02
  And then, in a week or two
• 32:04
  once that painting's dry,
• 32:05
  because with the oil paints
• 32:07
  they take forever to dry.
• 32:09
  I do use a medium that will help the drying time.
• 32:14
  - Yeah, like an accelerant.
• 32:15
  - Yeah. So then, I can go ahead
• 32:17
  and add another layer if I need to.
• 32:20
  But most paintings,
• 32:21
  once I start, I finish and I'm done. (laughs)
• 32:24
  - Oh, okay. - Yeah.
• 32:25
  - So you don't always revisit
• 32:28
  and create more layers,
• 32:29
  you kind of envision it?
• 32:30
  - Yes. - At the beginning.
• 32:32
  - Yep.
• 32:33
  - Excellent.
• 32:34
  - And I use the wet-on-wet method
• 32:36
  so you can,
• 32:38
  I start creating from the top down
• 32:41
  and that way I can finish the whole painting in one sitting.
• 32:45
  - So, for those of us who don't know,
• 32:47
  can you explain that a little more, the wet method?
• 32:50
  - Yes.
• 32:51
  I start with the base coat on the canvas
• 32:54
  and that is the mixture
• 32:55
  that will help the paint dry a little quicker.
• 32:58
  And it also helps the paint move across the canvas
• 33:01
  while I'm painting.
• 33:04
  And you create sections on the canvas
• 33:06
  and paint them one at a time
• 33:08
  so that you're building on your color
• 33:10
  and can mix them in as you go.
• 33:13
  And that way you can finish the whole painting
• 33:15
  in one sitting
• 33:16
  - And you start at the top
• 33:18
  so you're not dragging your hand through anything.
• 33:21
  - Yes, yes. (laughs) - As you go.
• 33:23
  - Yes.
• 33:24
  And I have a lazy arm so I have to use a mahl stick
• 33:27
  to help me steady my hand
• 33:29
  so that I don't get lazy and run it across my canvas.
• 33:31
  - Well, now can you tell us what that is as well?
• 33:34
  - Yeah, so a mahl stick,
• 33:36
  it attaches to your canvas
• 33:38
  and you can lay your arm across it as you paint
• 33:41
  so that you're not laying your hand on your wet canvas.
• 33:45
  - They're very handy. - Yes. (laughs)
• 33:48
  - Well, is there anywhere else we can
• 33:50
  see your artwork?
• 33:52
  - I do have a Facebook page
• 33:53
  that people could follow me for my art,
• 33:55
  it's Melody A. Lynch Studio
• 33:59
  and you can see some of my artwork there,
• 34:01
  and the first one that grabs it
• 34:03
  is the one that gets it.
• 34:05
  So I don't have any other upcoming shows.
• 34:12
  The coffee shop locally in Liberty
• 34:14
  has asked me to do an art wall at some point.
• 34:17
  So we need to still work that out.
• 34:20
  - Very nice.
• 34:21
  Well, very much enjoyed talking with you today Melanie.
• 34:26
  Ugh, I very much enjoyed talking with you today, Melody.
• 34:30
  - I enjoyed it as well.
• 34:31
  Thank you for having me. (upbeat music)
• 34:32
  - Of course.
• 34:34
  Melody A. Lynch is the Chief Operating Officer
• 34:38
  at Whitewater Valley Rural Electric Membership Corporation
• 34:41
  in Liberty, Indiana, and a painter.
• 34:44
  I'm Kara DuQuette.
• 34:46
  (upbeat music continues)
• 34:54
  - This week on "WAYWO",
• 34:55
  I am finishing off our painting theme with Anthony Reyes,
• 34:58
  who won best in painting
• 35:00
  at Ball State's 91st Annual juried Art show.
• 35:02
  - Yay!
• 35:03
  - I can't think of anyone better
• 35:04
  to close out this month's theme.
• 35:06
  I hope you love what you hear.
• 35:08
  - Anthony's a student at Ball State
• 35:10
  and we'd love to know what are you working on?
• 35:12
  - Well, hi!
• 35:13
  I'm very excited to be here.
• 35:14
  I'm very honored that, you know,
• 35:15
  you invited me to come on here
• 35:17
  and talk about my experience.
• 35:18
  - Of course, yeah.
• 35:20
  - So what I'm currently working on right now
• 35:22
  is, you know, as a student,
• 35:23
  I'm currently just working on bettering my craft
• 35:26
  and figuring out what it is
• 35:28
  that I like to make art about.
• 35:30
  And I'm just currently, taking painting classes
• 35:33
  and other studio courses, you know,
• 35:34
  to better supplement my what it is that I wanna do.
• 35:37
  Right now, I'm feeling a little burnout from painting
• 35:40
  so being able to have those other courses
• 35:43
  is definitely helpful
• 35:43
  to help feed into my creativity that isn't,
• 35:45
  you know, just one thing that's like...
• 35:47
  - The one medium?
• 35:48
  - Yeah, the one medium. So, yeah.
• 35:50
  - What other art classes are you taking?
• 35:52
  - So right now, I'm currently in a murals class.
• 35:54
  - Oh, nice!
• 35:55
  - Which I think is gonna be a lot of fun
• 35:56
  just because I feel like murals is a
• 35:59
  great way to get into the art world.
• 36:02
  There's a lot of things that you could do with that.
• 36:04
  So I'm very excited about that course.
• 36:07
  And then, I'm also taking experimental figure drawing,
• 36:10
  so I'm very excited about that.
• 36:11
  - Is that a class where you have a live person model?
• 36:14
  - Yes.
• 36:15
  - I see you use a lot of figure in your painting,
• 36:17
  so it's probably a good practice too.
• 36:19
  - Oh yeah, for sure.
• 36:20
  I think there's...
• 36:22
  I feel like drawing the figure is a lot helpful
• 36:25
  than it is when it comes to painting.
• 36:27
  Just because if you have a better understanding
• 36:29
  of like what the figure is
• 36:30
  and you're able to draw it out,
• 36:32
  then I feel like it's a lot easier to be able to paint it.
• 36:35
  At least for me,
• 36:36
  that's my process of,
• 36:38
  I guess working around the figure.
• 36:40
  - Mm-hm.
• 36:40
  What do you feel like being a painting major
• 36:42
  has taught you in your time?
• 36:44
  - I'd say the biggest thing is
• 36:46
  the importance of practice
• 36:49
  and making sure you actually are putting in the time,
• 36:52
  the studio time that you need for your art.
• 36:53
  - That's so real.
• 36:55
  - Just because if you don't put in the time,
• 36:57
  then you're never gonna be really, you know,
• 36:58
  proud or happy with the end product
• 37:01
  because you aren't putting in those hours
• 37:02
  that you really need to to really make sure
• 37:04
  that you're getting the results that you want.
• 37:06
  - Especially, in a time of AI,
• 37:07
  I think some people get this misconception that
• 37:10
  you're just immediately really good
• 37:11
  and you can immediately bring forward the visions
• 37:14
  you have in your mind physically,
• 37:15
  but it does take practice.
• 37:16
  - Yeah, yeah, for sure.
• 37:18
  - How would you describe your painting style
• 37:20
  that you've developed?
• 37:21
  - My painting style?
• 37:23
  Mm.
• 37:23
  I would say,
• 37:24
  well, because I would like to work with acrylics
• 37:26
  as my main medium,
• 37:28
  I would say it's very expressionate just
• 37:30
  because I like to work fast
• 37:31
  and because acrylic paint tends to dry fast,
• 37:35
  it kind of pushes me to work in that kind of way.
• 37:38
  So expressionate,
• 37:40
  but also, I'm very detailed-oriented
• 37:43
  when it comes to the figure,
• 37:44
  making sure I'm rendering things properly.
• 37:48
  So expressionate and detailed at the same time.
• 37:53
  - One of my favorite paintings of yours
• 37:54
  is the one you sent me called "Party of One".
• 37:57
  It's truly so beautiful and colorful.
• 38:00
  Will you talk to me about the artistic choices
• 38:02
  that you put into making that piece?
• 38:04
  - Yeah, so the painting itself
• 38:05
  is just about a...
• 38:08
  It's a painting about coming into yourself
• 38:10
  or you know, growing up and realizing how you've changed.
• 38:14
  And for me, it's mainly me expressing how I'm becoming
• 38:18
  less introverted and more so extroverted.
• 38:22
  So it's basically,
• 38:23
  depicting the scene of like me at a party
• 38:26
  as a wallflower
• 38:27
  and sort of like me throughout the years,
• 38:29
  inviting myself to join the party
• 38:31
  and be part of the fun
• 38:32
  and not to be afraid of being myself and to let loose.
• 38:36
  - That's so awesome.
• 38:37
  I feel like I loved it so much
• 38:39
  because I related to that feeling
• 38:40
  of being in this colorful, vibrant,
• 38:43
  energetic atmosphere,
• 38:44
  and feeling kind of like, "Hmm, can I join in?
• 38:47
  Is it safe?" (laughs)
• 38:48
  - Yeah.
• 38:49
  - So if you were to share with our listeners,
• 38:51
  because they can't see it themselves,
• 38:52
  how would you visually describe us
• 38:54
  and walk us through the piece?
• 38:55
  - Okay, so this piece is a diptych.
• 38:56
  So it's two different canvases making up one image.
• 39:01
  And so you have the central figure,
• 39:03
  which is me dancing my way,
• 39:05
  shimmying my way into the party scene, I guess.
• 39:08
  And I would say that's the fully evolved version of me
• 39:10
  where I don't necessarily need help from anybody else,
• 39:13
  it's my own decision of wanting to participate in the party.
• 39:17
  And then, on the left-hand side
• 39:18
  is sort of like a statuesque grisaille
• 39:22
  painting of me sitting in a chair,
• 39:23
  and that sort of represents,
• 39:26
  basically, my younger self
• 39:28
  when I would just stare
• 39:30
  and watch people have fun at parties.
• 39:32
  And so, that kind of like represents my shyness,
• 39:35
  my introvertedness,
• 39:37
  and like not wanting to participate.
• 39:38
  And then, on the right-hand side of the other canvas,
• 39:42
  we have
• 39:44
  myself basically, inviting my myself to dance
• 39:49
  and to participate in a party.
• 39:51
  So I guess that just shows me wanting to show growth,
• 39:55
  wanting to push myself to be out there
• 39:57
  and do the things that I want to do
• 39:58
  but wouldn't be able to do without that courage, I guess.
• 40:04
  - And aesthetically, the colors,
• 40:06
  it feels like when you imagine a party scene in a movie,
• 40:10
  what makes you decide what colors to include?
• 40:14
  - Color is a really big part
• 40:15
  of the way that I work.
• 40:16
  I'm very inspired by colors.
• 40:18
  I feel like colors convey so much emotion
• 40:21
  and symbolism within everything.
• 40:23
  And so,
• 40:25
  because it is a coming into self painting,
• 40:28
  I figured that the more vibrant
• 40:31
  and the most colors that I could use
• 40:33
  would be able to help create this sort of environment.
• 40:35
  But also, just like as a reference to queerness itself,
• 40:38
  I try to make sure I got like the,
• 40:39
  you know, whole spectrum of the rainbow in there
• 40:42
  to like really show like,
• 40:43
  "Hey, this is like a part of me also."
• 40:46
  - When you're including
• 40:48
  aspects of yourself in your work
• 40:50
  and you're exploring identity,
• 40:52
  what aspects of your identity inspire you
• 40:54
  to share with others?
• 40:56
  - So the main thing is obviously,
• 40:58
  my cultural identity,
• 41:00
  with me being Latino.
• 41:02
  Especially, within this day and age,
• 41:04
  I feel like it's very important that I use my voice
• 41:07
  as an artist to create space.
• 41:10
  - Absolutely.
• 41:11
  - As representation for my community.
• 41:14
  Even if it's not relatable to everybody,
• 41:16
  I still want to be able to be,
• 41:18
  you know, at least a person within the community
• 41:21
  to have a voice,
• 41:23
  to share my own experiences,
• 41:24
  but also the experiences of others.
• 41:26
  I think that's something that's very powerful
• 41:28
  and I want to uplift my community in that way.
• 41:32
  - That's awesome and very inspiring.
• 41:33
  I feel uplifted as a fellow Latina. (laughs)
• 41:36
  - Yes, yes. Miss Cuban Queen.
• 41:38
  (Kara laughing)
• 41:40
  - When you look into the future as an artist,
• 41:42
  what do you hope to achieve?
• 41:43
  - Oh, yeah.
• 41:44
  So I've thought about this for quite a while now.
• 41:47
  I would definitely say my long-term goal
• 41:49
  would definitely be teaching art at some point.
• 41:53
  I think that that's my main goal in life
• 41:56
  is just to be able to teach others
• 41:57
  what I've learned along the way.
• 41:59
  And in doing so, hopefully,
• 42:00
  I also learn something just by doing that.
• 42:03
  But other than that,
• 42:04
  it's just being able to put out my art anywhere that I can
• 42:06
  and have people see it
• 42:07
  and being able to, you know, appreciate it.
• 42:09
  - Absolutely.
• 42:10
  What level would you wanna teach at?
• 42:14
  - I definitely thought about
• 42:15
  going to grad school, for sure.
• 42:17
  Just 'cause I want to continue to support my community
• 42:20
  in the sense that like,
• 42:21
  I want to be like in support the statistic
• 42:25
  of how many Latino Americans
• 42:27
  are going into higher education.
• 42:30
  I think that's a very important thing for me.
• 42:31
  Education has always been important,
• 42:33
  has been pushed by my parents.
• 42:35
  That's one of the main reasons why they immigrated here,
• 42:37
  so that we would have, you know,
• 42:39
  all these opportunities.
• 42:41
  So I feel like going to grad school
• 42:43
  is one way that I could honor them, in that sense.
• 42:46
  - You're making me emotional.
• 42:48
  - (laughs) Yeah,
• 42:50
  but also I wanna do it for myself
• 42:51
  just because I really enjoy the learning environment.
• 42:55
  It's hard to imagine myself
• 42:57
  outside of a learning environment,
• 42:59
  especially being in one for so long
• 43:01
  and not really knowing anything else.
• 43:03
  So that's another main reason.
• 43:05
  But also I feel like it's a
• 43:07
  step up, a way to level up my artistic practice as well.
• 43:11
  - Yes, and I could totally see you being a great
• 43:13
  person for that.
• 43:14
  - (laughs) Thank you.
• 43:15
  - Where can our listeners go
• 43:16
  to see your work for themselves?
• 43:18
  - For themselves?
• 43:19
  So I do have an art account on Instagram.
• 43:22
  It's "Antstract Art",
• 43:23
  like abstract art, but with my name Ant,
• 43:26
  and it's appeared between the abstract and art.
• 43:29
  - Awesome. Thank you so much
• 43:31
  for coming on the show today, Ant,
• 43:32
  it was a real treat.
• 43:33
  - Yes. Thank you so much for having me.
• 43:35
  I think this was a really fun opportunity.
• 43:37
  (upbeat music)
• 43:43
  - Hey, Maya.
• 43:45
  - Hey, Jen.
• 43:45
  - Get ready.
• 43:46
  It's time for the arts calendar for this week.
• 43:49
  This is the last weekend
• 43:51
  to see "Open Space: Art About the Land".
• 43:54
  Since 2001, this exhibition has encouraged artists
• 43:57
  from across Indiana
• 43:59
  to draw inspiration from the land that surrounds us.
• 44:02
  It is a diverse showcase of creative talent
• 44:04
  that celebrates the beauty achieved
• 44:06
  when nature inspires art.
• 44:09
  There are two galleries,
• 44:10
  one at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens,
• 44:13
  and one at Anderson Museum of Art.
• 44:16
  - If you go to Minnetrista,
• 44:17
  it's also the last weekend to see "Threads of Home".
• 44:20
  We spoke to artist, Jessica Calderwood,
• 44:22
  in our first episode of season three.
• 44:24
  Her handcrafted metal and glass pieces
• 44:27
  represent textile patterns that belong to members
• 44:30
  of the diverse communities across East central Indiana.
• 44:33
  There's also photographs of the community members
• 44:35
  with their textiles,
• 44:37
  along with stories and maps to put traditions in context.
• 44:40
  Minnetrista.net has all the last minute details.
• 44:44
  - And you can see another artist featured on the show,
• 44:47
  Saturday, February 28th,
• 44:49
  Katie Jo Robinson will strike up their one person band
• 44:53
  at RoHo's Martini bar in downtown Muncie,
• 44:56
  starting at 7:00 PM.
• 44:58
  KJ brings funky, fresh originals.
• 45:01
  I sound like Michelle Kinsey.
• 45:03
  KJ brings funky, fresh originals
• 45:05
  and a few popular covers and crafts
• 45:08
  a genre-bending,
• 45:09
  feel-good, live-listening experience.
• 45:12
  More details at RoHo's.
• 45:14
  That's R-O-H-O-S,
• 45:15
  Muncie.com.
• 45:18
  - It's not quite as explosive as dynamite,
• 45:21
  it's Dino-light. (Jen laughing)
• 45:24
  When a scientist with magic powers
• 45:26
  brings a friendly dinosaur to life,
• 45:28
  the Dino wanders away from home.
• 45:30
  He discovers a wonderful world of creatures
• 45:32
  that light up the dark.
• 45:34
  This glow in the dark adventure is a blend of puppetry,
• 45:37
  technology, and dance.
• 45:39
  The Dinosaur is Loose,
• 45:40
  at the Honeywell Center Ford Theater on Saturday,
• 45:43
  February 28th, at 7:30 PM.
• 45:45
  - Honeywellarts.org.
• 45:47
  - And at 3:00 PM Sunday, March 1st
• 45:49
  at the Paramount Theater in Anderson.
• 45:51
  - Andersonparamount.org.
• 45:53
  (Jen and Maya roaring)
• 45:54
  (Maya laughing)
• 45:56
  He'll be performing at Red Rock's Amphitheater in Denver,
• 45:58
  the London Palladium,
• 46:00
  and Wrigley Field.
• 46:02
  But before that,
• 46:03
  you can see standup comedy star, John Mulaney.
• 46:06
  - What!
• 46:07
  - At Emen's Auditorium this Sunday, March 1st.
• 46:09
  I know, right?
• 46:11
  Monty! Monty's on the map.
• 46:14
  If you're a fan, you don't need an introduction
• 46:16
  only to know that tickets are still available
• 46:18
  as of this taping.
• 46:19
  The website is bsu.edu/emens.
• 46:24
  If you have an event happening here,
• 46:27
  get it on here.
• 46:29
  Contact the show by going
• 46:31
  to Indianapublicradio.org/contact
• 46:34
  and click pop of culture.
• 46:36
  (upbeat music)
• 46:51
  - Support for "Pop of Culture"
• 46:52
  comes from Stallings Wealth Management,
• 46:56
  The Innovation Connector,
• 46:59
  and from you.
• 47:01
  With state and federal money eliminated,
• 47:04
  you are the difference
• 47:05
  in keeping local programming on the air at IPR.
• 47:10
  Become a member today at
• 47:11
  indianapublicradio.org.
• 47:14
  - And that's our show.
• 47:16
  Our director of audio operations is Sean Ashcraft.
• 47:18
  - This week was produced by Luke Jones
• 47:21
  and Andrew Montavon.
• 47:23
  Luke is so relieved to have Andrew on our team
• 47:25
  and Andrew is paid to tolerate Luke.
• 47:28
  - Our audio fellow is Maya Doss.
• 47:30
  Our show was hosted by me, Maya Doss.
• 47:34
  - And me, Jen Blackmer.
• 47:36
  Pop of Culture is a production from IPR
• 47:39
  on the campus of Ball State University.
• 47:42
  Ow!
• 47:44
  (Maya laughing)