WORK IN PROGRESS: Conversations with Creators

In this special episode of Work in Progress: Conversations with Creators, host Logan sits down with Grammy Award-winning artist Macy Gray as she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut album On How Life Is. Macy shares the stories behind her early songwriting days, her creative evolution, and the powerful impact of music across genres. From working with legends like Stevie Wond...

Sabine Campana is a contemporary artist known for her abstract painted relief sculptures that evoke a strong sense of place. In today’s episode she talks about growing up in East Berlin in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, and how her limited access to art supplies in those early years gave her a lifelong appreciation for the beauty of found materials. Recent works by Sabine Campana are on view at Th...

Keith Jardine spent over a decade as a professional MMA fighter before transitioning into acting, then directing. He has played memorable characters in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" and Vincent D'Onofrio's "The Kid," among other films. In this week's episode, Keith talks to Logan about directing his first full-length feature, "Kill Me Again." He also opens up about his struggles with impo...

Two-time Grammy-nominee Eliza Gilkyson released her first album in 1969, and her insightful, often poignant folk songs have influenced generations of musicians. On this week's episode, she talks to Logan about "Dark Ages," her most political album in years. She also discusses her songwriting process and life in New Mexico. Gilkyson will perform at the She Rises Music Festival in Taos on July 19.If...

Texas country sensation Bri Bagwell was born in Las Cruces, NM, and her latest single, "Border Girl," draws on her experiences growing up on the Mexico/New Mexico border. In this lively conversation, she talks to Logan about those experiences, as well as her songwriting process, from her new home studio right next to a rumbling freight train. Bri Bagwell will be performing at Bishop'...

For this very special Fourth of July edition of Work in Progress, Logan talks to a “founding father” of America (the band), Dewey Bunnell. Formed in London in 1970 by three sons of US Air Force personnel, America achieved early transatlantic hits with such now-classic songs as “A Horse with No Name,” “I Need You,” and “Ventura Highway.” Bunnell talks about his songwriting process, his friendship w...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Photographer LYNN STERN. For nearly 50 years, NYC-based photographer Lynn Stern has been chasing light, using translucent fabric to capture the subtle effects of sunlight and shadow. In today’s episode, she talks with Logan about her uniquely painterly approach to photography and the emotional and sp...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Artist NADYA TOLOKONNIKOVA (PUSSY RIOT). Nadya Tolokonnikova is the creator of the Russian feminist protest art collective Pussy Riot. In 2012, she was arrested for her anti-Putin performance "Punk Prayer" and sentenced to a two-year prison term. On June 5, 2025, Tolokonnikova began a durat...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Actress SOPHIE JANE FRICK Born in Albuquerque, Sophie Jane Frick is a rising film and TV star who has appeared on AMC’s hit series “Dark Winds” and Showtime’s miniseries “Waco: The Aftermath.” The 13-year-old actress will soon be seen opposite Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey in the film “The Lost Bu...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Musician AVA MAYBEE. Following the recent release of her debut EP, “Orange Drive,” and a sold-out performance at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, rising pop-rock phenomenon Ava Maybee has embarked on her first tour as a headliner. In this week's episode, she talks to Logan about how she became a...

Rock band Prism B!tch invites Logan into their home studio, where they demonstrate their collaborative process by creating new music on the fly! Watching the camaraderie among band members Lauren Poole (bass, vocals), Lilah Rose (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Walsh (guitar) and Teresa Cruces (drums, vocals), you’ll understand how they got reputation as an “aggressively friendly” band. Note: th...

Sylvia Johnson is an award-winning filmmaker and impact strategist. She teaches filmmaking at the University of New Mexico and runs a small production company dedicated to visual storytelling to inspire action. In this week’s episode, she talks to Logan about her first-ever immersive video installation and what it’s been like to tell a story in three dimensions. She also discusses the Trump admini...

Jesse Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblo) is a multidisciplinary artist and curator. In March, he opened Kukani, a community-focused art gallery in Downtown Albuquerque. In this week's episode, he speaks with Logan about his current projects and what it was like growing up with parents who were also in the arts. If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital...

Viet Thanh Nguyen is one of the world’s most celebrated writers. He won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for his debut novel, “The Sympathizer,” a satirical, metafictional espionage thriller set in the final days of the Vietnam War. He has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur “Genius Grant,” among many other accolades. On this week’s episode, he talks to Logan about the Vietnam War, contem...

Dr. Julia Smith talks to Logan about a new documentary she’s working on, “Birth of the Acid Western,” about a pioneering New Mexican filmmaker, Orville Wanzer. Smith uncovered a forgotten archive of Wanzer’s films while teaching film studies courses at New Mexico State University, and she believes his 1965 film “The Devil’s Mistress” was not only the first indie film shot in New Mexico, but the fi...

Marie Alarcón is a video artist and filmmaker who teaches film and digital arts at the University of New Mexico. In this episode, she discusses her first attempt at making a scripted narrative film -- a work in progress, titled "Escape from Flat Earth" -- and how it differs from her more experimental work. She shares clips from the unfinished project and opens up about the autobiographical element...

Charles Ross uses sunlight, starlight and thermal energy to make visual and experiential art. In this episode, he talks with Logan about "Star Axis," a naked-eye astral observatory he's been building in the New Mexico desert for over 50 years, which remains a work in progress. Ross also talks about his current show at the Harwood Museum and what it's like using dynamite to make p...

Iconic photographer Christopher Makos talks to Logan about traveling with Andy Warhol in the 1970s and 80s and photographing celebrities for Interview Magazine. He reveals his most difficult portrait subjects and talks about the importance of remaining open-minded in art and in life. His exhibition 'Party' opens at Daniel Cooney Fine Art in Santa Fe on Saturday, April 5, and if you attend,...

Poet Zachary Kluckman invites Logan into his home studio to share his creative process, recounting his journey from being an introverted student to performing slam poetry in front of big crowds. Zachary Kluckman is also the founder of Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival, whose second annual event begins March 19, 2025. For a full schedule, visit cicadapoetryslamfestival.com/schedule , check out Logan's...

Award-winning Albuquerque architect Mark Rea Baker talks to Logan about his plans to convert a historic 1950s Cadillac dealership into UNM's new Route 66 National Research Center. They also discuss the architectural significance of Route 66 and how Mark got into architecture, among other topics. For more information about the Route 66 National Research Center, check out Logan's recent busi...

🎙️ Introducing WORK IN PROGRESS: Conversations with Creators – a new monthly arts podcast hosted by Logan Beitmen , arts journalist at the Albuquerque Journal . In each episode, I chat with visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, and creatives about their projects, journeys, and creative processes. 🎧 Episode 1 drops Sunday, Feb 23 at 8 AM , featuring award-winning Albuquerque architect Mark Rae Ba...