Art Beat

What does it mean to live driftless? How does the geography of an area shape a sense of place? Today on Art Beat we talk with filmmaker and Winona State University alumni Caleb Hammel. In his film, The Living Driftless Caleb explores the people and outdoor recreation that make the driftless region unique. Stick around as KQAL’s Matt Drewry discusses The Living Driftless with filmmaker Caleb Hammel...

On this episode of Art Beat, we hear from filmmaker Mary Farrell on her new documentary, Raising Hell. Raising Hell profiles the restoration of the Winona Masonic Temple's iconic theatrical backdrops. The century old paintings, which were once used in masonic rituals, are now featured in community events hosted at the temple's theatre. We talk with Mary about the history of the backdrops and the c...

Today on Art Beat, we speak to filmmaker Brenda Piekarski about her new adevnture documentary, Ode to Minnesota. Ode to Minnesota follows the experience of two outdoor enthusiasts as they embark on a 1,300 mile journey around northern Minnesota. The participants made the two month long trip on bike, paddle and foot. We'll also speak to Steve Schreader, one of the film's subjects, about the challen...

On this episode of Art Beat, we hear from filmmaker Matthew Bluhm on his new documentary, Mystery in the Wetlands. The film traces efforts to combat an increased rate of frog deformities that occured in the mid-1990s, and may still be going on today. That's this Tuesday on Art Beat, right here on 89.5 KQAL, online at KQAL.org or streaming live on the KQAL app. Art Beat is made possible by a grant...

Motherhood is a tough topic for young people, how does and eighth grader handle it?  Today on the Art Beat we interview WSU film student Brynn Artley on her film, Maternity for a Weekend.  The film explores Artley’s sister’s experience with an infant simulator for her home ec class. , Brynn joins KQAL’s MCMD us to discuss her artistic process and Frozen River Film Fest. I’m Matthew Drewry with Bry...

When you break a leg, you go to the doctor and they put a cast on it. Everyone can see that you have a cast on and they know that you have a broken leg. It is obvious that you have been hurt and are now healing. Sometimes people can have mental or emotional injuries or issues that they are dealing with as well but that isn’t so obvious. In addition, there can often be a negative stigma surrounding...

This week on Art Beat, we hear from Lois Peterson on her new exhibit, Listening for Evidence. Listening for Evidence explores Lois' fascination with spacious, quiet scenes and their artistic qualities. I'm Willard Huyck, and this is Art Beat. here on 89.5 KQAL. Original Air Date: 01/28/20. Art Beat is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Rochester has a crow problem. And a new documentary film titled The Crows by Tyler Aug highlights the issue with humor mixed in with facts about crows to ask a serious question, how can Rochester live together with the crows? The film The Crows will be shown at the Gray Duck Theater and Coffeehouse in Rochester this Thursday, Dec 5th 2019. The film takes a humorous look at the crow situation, exam...

Do you like to write? Do you have an interest in weird things? How about getting paid? That’s good right? Today on Art Beat Minnesota author Frank Bures discusses How to Write About Weird Stuff and Make a Living At It. Frank recently held a writers workshop at the Winona Public Library. I sat down with Frank to discuss his writing career and how he got into writing about weird things. Frank also t...

Today on Art Beat we talk to Winona based artist Jamie Harper who also goes by the name Salvaged Medium. Jamie not only uses reclaimed materials to paint on, but he also uses salvaged paint. His work often incorporates the wildlife and the landscape of the Mississippi river valley combined with splashes of color that gives his work an unmistakable look. I sat down with Jamie at Ed’s No Name Bar wh...

Art can be very powerful. It can transmit emotions or ideas… It can be cathartic for the artist to create and can also help the person experiencing the art work through things they are dealing with in their own life. Much like feeling better after listening to a sad song, art can help you to realize that you are not alone and that others before you have dealt with the same pain and made it through...

What does “home” mean to you? Does the word home conjure up a certain place or time or feeling? Today on Art Beat we talk to Cecillia Cornejo, artist in residence at Lanesboro Arts in Lanesboro, MN. Cecillia is a Chilean-born documentary filmmaker, artist and teacher who lives in Northfield, MN. Her new project that she has brought to Lanesboro is called the Wandering House. The Wandering House is...

Today on Art Beat we go to Public Launch in downtown Winona for the opening of a photo exhibit by local photographer Ed Hoffman. The exhibit, titled La Gomera: The Island Lost in Time is an attempt to tell the story of La Gomera which is an island in the Spanish Canary Islands. The island has faced the impact of mass emigration, modernization, fascism, and climate change all of which come through...

Today on Art Beat we talk to local historian and stereo photography buff, Bob Taunt. Bob recently gave a presentation about the history of stereo photography at the Winona County History Center. The presentation was a compliment to an exhibit titled Victorian Winona: Through the Lens of Charles Tenney. Charles Tenney was a photographer in the Winona area in the late 1800s and produced many stereo...

Today on Art Beat, we talk to local artist Lyon Smith about his latest work, Driftless Sanctuary. The piece has been on display at Public Launch in downtown Winona. We talk to Lyon about how beavers and the way they build were part of the inspiration for the piece. We also talk about where the piece might end up next. I’m Bill Stoneberg, with Lyon Smith, on Art Beat. Original Air Date: 09/03/19. A...

Today on Art Beat we explore an art exhibit called Winona: The Legend, The Women, The Place. The exhibit is at the Watkins Gallery on the Winona State University campus through September 12th. We spoke to one of the artists on hand, Winona Nelson as well as renowned environmentalist Winona LaDuke who was the curator of the exhibition. I’m Bill Stoneberg with artist Winona Nelson and environmentali...

Art, some would say it touches their soul. Some might say the same about nature. If you combine the two, you get something like Art ‘n Soul, which is the moniker local artist Cary Wyninger goes by. Whether it’s hiking through one of our local parks or trails or painting barefoot so that she can feel the earth beneath her feet, Cary has a love of combining nature and art. Her work often incorporate...

Today on Art Beat we enter a fantasy realm of magic, swords and dragons with Minnesota author James Petrillo. Petrillo’s most recent novel takes us to the world of Ashyer where a young prince named Frost battles dragons in order to free his world from their tyrannical reign. Frost is joined in his journey by a colorful cast of characters that any fantasy enthusiast is sure to fall in love with. Bu...

Great stage shows, interesting events that give you a look behind the scenes and educational opportunities for all ages are all part of the Great River Shakespeare Festival here in Winona. As the 2019 season comes to a close we wondered, “what do the actors and directors and all the people who make this great fest possible think about our fair city? Are they eager to get home? Will they miss the f...

Today on Art Beat we talk about youth education programs at the Great River Shakespeare Festival with Director of Education Jenn Oswald and Associate Artistic Director Tarah Flanegan. Jenn and Tarah explain how the youth education programs work, what kinds of experiences the students get through the programs and they even talk about the joy of working with these young creative minds. If you are in...

Today we continue our coverage of the 2019 Great River Shakespeare Festival with a special edition of Art Beat focused on kids. In particular, child actors working with the festival. These young actors give us a unique perspective on the festival. They talk about why they love acting, what’s scary about it or as we found out: what’s not scary about it, and why they have so much fun being part of t...

Summer in Winona is a great time for all kinds of events and festivals, and one of our favorites is the Great River Shakespeare Festival. Today on Art Beat we learn about sound tech with Scott O’Brien. Scott is the composer and sound designer for MacBeth and also the sound designer for No Child this year. Scott fills us in on what a sound designer does and what it takes to compose music for the st...

Visible/Invisible: Life with mental illness, that is the title of a new photography project by local Winona photographer Joy Davis Ripley. On todays Art Beat we talk to Joy about the project and her hopes to break down some stigmas in order to allow for a more open and honest conversation about mental illness. Joy is currently looking for people to participate in the project so if you or someone y...

Today on Art Beat we continue our conversation about Images of MWMF, a photo exhibit being shown at Ed’s No Name Bar through June 2nd. The exhibit features two local Winona photographers, Jon Swanson and Nathaniel Nelson. Last week we spoke with Jon and today we get to hear from Nathaniel. We talk about finding/creating your own style, the challenges of shooting a live band, and Nathaniel even giv...

Today on Art Beat, we’re going to talk about art that is centered on Mid West Music Fest, specifically a photography exhibit being shown at Ed’s No Name Bar. The exhibit features two local Winona photographers, Jon Swanson and Nathaniel Nelson. Today we talk to Jon but don’t worry, we’ll hear from Nathaniel next week. Jon talks about how the festival is a great way to combine his love for music an...