The Art Box

In this episode of The Art Box, we welcome Bridget Hayes, Digital Literacy Specialist with the Sonoma County Library. We first experienced Bridget during the second open mic session and were captivated by the depth and honesty in her poetry. As an educator passionate about the intersection of people and technology, Bridget shares why libraries are becoming essential spaces for digital awareness an...

In this episode of The Art Box, we sit down with a 5th-generation Utah rancher, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and cowboy poet. He writes the stories of those who came before him and the working ranch families of today, determined to keep their lives, struggles, humor, and grit alive through verse. Inspired in 1983 after hearing cowboy poet Scott McKendrick recite at his high school, he dis...

Our second episode from the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada features a conversation with Ben Parks of American Cowboy Radio — a familiar voice worldwide to many who follow Western culture, music, and storytelling. Broadcasting from the heart of the Gathering, we talk with Ben about the enduring importance of radio in preserving and promoting cowboy poetry, Western music, and...

Thanks to a generous grant by the Nevada Arts Council and support from The Western Folklife Center, we’re back in Elko, Nevada for the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, our fourth year attending this remarkable celebration of Western poetry, music, and storytelling. In this opening episode of our special Gathering series, we set the stage from the heart of downtown Elko, sharing reflections o...

In this episode of The Art Box, we sit down with Southern Utah fiber artist Paulette Schermerhorn, whose vibrant fabric collages stitch together travel, photography, and a lifetime of curiosity. After more than 30 years as a registered nurse, Paulette answered the quiet call of creativity and began exploring fabric as fine art. What started as traditional quilting evolved into richly layered texti...

In Episode 391 of The Art Box, Steve and co-host Terri Fitzsimmons sit down with Shannon Garza in the Mesquite Works STEAM Center recording studio for a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation about creativity, release, and the quiet rituals that shape who we become. Shannon’s life and work sit at the intersection of curiosity and expression. Drawn to imagination and problem-solving from an ea...

In this inspiring episode of The Art Box, MJ welcomes Emmy Award–winning Costume Designer, Stylist, Fine Artist, and Creative Visionary Monique Marie Long for a powerful conversation about creativity, transformation, and telling the truth through art. Monique’s extraordinary career spans fashion, film, television, and theme-park design, including work on iconic projects such as Casino, Golden Girl...

In Episode 389 of The Art Box, we welcome author Bob Ingram for a conversation that blends baseball, imagination, and a lifetime of lived experience. Bob shares how his journey through sports, business, and growing up in Berwyn, Maryland became the foundation for his fiction, where real friendships, adventures, and moments from his life are transformed into powerful stories. We explore his two nov...

In this deeply moving episode of The Art Box, Steve welcomes writer and visual artist Rebecca Eckland for a conversation that flows between memory, language, healing, and the enduring power of creative inheritance. Rebecca shares how her artistic life began with words, how her MFA helped her claim her voice, and how place, lived experience, and storytelling continue to shape everything she creates...

In this tender and inspiring episode of The Art Box, Steve sits down with Las Vegas photographer, wife, and mom Teresa Wasiak for a conversation that beautifully reframes what it means to be an artist. Teresa may jokingly call herself a “newbie,” but her journey tells a richer story—one of curiosity, courage, and lifelong becoming. From her early days of rock climbing in Joshua Tree, Idyllwild, an...

In this episode of The Art Box, we welcome Mesquite author Ann Steele, whose life story is as layered and inspiring as the novels she writes. From her early years in Springville, Utah, through nearly two decades with Utah Legal Services, to raising a family and later living abroad in Germany for sixteen years, Ann’s journey is rooted in dedication, curiosity, and quiet determination. Writing has b...

In this meaningful episode of The Art Box, we sit down with extraordinary photographer Sue Beauchamp , who, along with her husband Mark, made the journey from Las Vegas to Mesquite to share her creative story. Sue’s work is rooted in curiosity, patience, and a deep reverence for light, texture, and moment. Her photography reminds us that beauty isn’t always loud or dramatic; often it lives quietly...

In this episode of The Art Box, we’re joined by Michelle Patrick of the Nevada Arts Council for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about a life shaped by creativity. Michelle reflects on growing up with supportive parents who encouraged her artistic path, from listening to her father’s music in the car, to early dance studies and formative years at the famed LaGuardia High School, whe...

In this episode of The Art Box, co-host MJ sits down with Justin Gable, founder of Lasermade, a creative studio where technology and craftsmanship come together in striking ways. Justin shares how he uses advanced laser technology to etch custom images, designs, and text onto metal—transforming everyday objects into deeply personal works of art. From concept to execution, the conversation explores...

In this heartfelt and vibrant episode, The Art Box welcomes Juan Muniz, a celebrated toy designer, muralist, and fine artist whose work blends pop art, pop surrealism, animation, and lowbrow into a style unmistakably his own. Born in Mexico and raised in Southern California, Juan has spent more than 15 years building an art career that has taken him from Las Vegas and Los Angeles to New York, San...

In this wide-ranging and inspiring conversation, engineer Aaron Weast joins The Art Box to share how true innovation happens when all parts of S T E A M—Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math—work together as one. With a pile of patents to his name, Aaron believes the lines between disciplines should blur, because every great idea needs a spark of art, a dash of curiosity, and the courage...

In this colorful Art Box episode, MJ sits down with Shawna and Burke Pinto, owners of Baha Imports in Mesquite, Nevada, a vibrant shop where imagination meets artistry and every corner tells a story. Stocked with creations by regional artists and hand-picked finds from across the world, Baha Imports reflects the Pintos’ shared passion for beauty, community, and heart-centered design. Their shop in...

For this episode, MJ traveled to Scenic, Arizona to visit Amber and Edj, co-founders of Donkey Dreams Sanctuary , a place where compassion, connection, and the quiet wisdom of donkeys come together. Donkey Dreams Sanctuary is the manifestation of Amber and Edj’s desire to create environments where donkeys can truly thrive while helping humans deepen their own well-being. After years of guiding peo...

In this reflective and delightfully candid conversation, poet Mike Cullinane joins The Art Box to talk about life after deadlines, the beauty of observation, and rediscovering creativity in the second act. A former journalist turned poet, Cullinane traces his journey from writing postcards and corporate presentations to authoring the poetry chapbook Rescue Dog Hejira and contributing to publicatio...

In this inspiring episode of The Art Box, we welcome Francisco Silva, whose passion for astronomy and education left a lasting impression on Steve and his son JT at a recent dark sky program at Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. Francisco serves as Vice President of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society’s Educational Outreach Program, where he helps connect people of all ages to the beauty and science of...

Sometimes the desert has its own plans. In this short but heartfelt episode, recorded live at the Stewards of the Earth Festival at Cactus Joe’s in Blue Diamond, the skies opened, and the Mojave offered its blessing in the form of steady, cleansing rain. Join us as we pause to honor that gift and reflect on the power of water in this dry land. With thanks to Kym and Carmen for organizing, Cactus J...

Join in my ultimately fun conversation with the endlessly creative Sandy Beeler, radio host, theatre producer, muralist, and passionate arts advocate whose energy fuels Northern Nevada’s cultural scene. By day, Sandy hosts four radio shows across Nevada and New Mexico. By night, she helps keep the arts alive as Vice President of Ghost Light Productions, Secretary of the Elko Art Foundation, and th...

In this episode of The Art Box, we sit down with Summer Wilson, Mesquite author, playwright, and founder of the Virgin Valley Writers Group, to explore the power of storytelling and the courage it takes to give voice to quiet truths. Summer shares her creative journey across Screen writing, poetry and short stories, and how her passion for community has shaped a welcoming home for local writers to...

Join us as The Art Box takes to East Fremont for a whirlwind of music, creativity, and community energy. In this lively episode, we catch the pulse of downtown as fiddles sing, artists share their spark, and passersby jump into the magic of spontaneous art-making. From toe-tapping tunes to heartfelt conversations, we celebrate the joy that happens when art spills into the streets, and everyone bec...

For this special Harvest of Thought installment, we invited writers from across the country to share original flash fiction, tiny worlds built with precision, emotion, and imagination. The challenge? Each story had to come in at 500 words or fewer. Flash fiction is a unique art form, a place where pacing tightens, language sharpens, and every sentence must carry its full weight. These stories don'...