Creative Guts

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake, Becky Barsi, and Joe Acone sit down for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode. You asked and we shared! We touch on everything from our stances on AI, to our favorite anime, and even the order in which we put on our socks and shoes. So much to learn about who WE are as artists/creatives/podcast hosts.  Listen to this episode wherever you lis...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Joe Acone sit down with Drew West, Ryleigh Schwab, and Griff Comtois, the three founders of the annual Wildflower Festival, which is happening this year on August 22nd in Keyes Memorial Field, Milford, NH. This team is building stronger communities and enhancing green spaces through art, education, and action. Our delightful conversa...

In this episode of Creative Guts, Becky Barsi and Joe Acone talk with Terry Neill and Jill Teeters of Northern Voices A Cappella, a Manchester-based chorus celebrating its 50th anniversary.  This conversation covers how the chorus makes music, prepares for performances, and competes as part of SingUnited International (formerly known as Sweet Adelines International). Most recently, Northern Voices...

In this special live episode of Creative Guts, recorded in partnership with the New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA), we gather a panel of extraordinary women artists to talk about making meaningful work and navigating the realities of being women in the arts.  Joining the discussion are Cat Graffam, a painter, game developer, and content creator whose work bridges traditional and digital worlds;...

In this very quick bonus episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Joe Acone chat about NH Gives 2026 and why you should invest in Creative Guts during this special fundraiser! Creative Guts needs your support to awaken creativity, community, collaboration, and opportunities for gutsy creatives of all ages. Our podcast, programs, and zines stuff can’t happen without the support from...

In this episode of Creative Guts , co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with Lee & Dr. G, a New Hampshire-based blues/jam band known for their improvisational performances, deep musical chemistry, and roots in blues, rock, and funk traditions. Lee & Dr. G have built a following through energetic live shows that balance tight musicianship with spontaneity, creating performances that feel dif...

In this episode of Creative Guts, host Laura Harper Lake chats with creatives at the Luna Moth Zine Fest on April 18, 2026, in Manchester, NH.  Get ready for wonderful conversations with the event’s organizer, amazing vendors, and even a Creative Guts volunteer. We chat all about their art and why zines and creativity matters.  Luna Moth Zine Fest www.lunamothzinefest.com April Landry www.landryse...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with Dave Hady, a New Hampshire-based painter, designer, and director whose work spans murals, public art, and an evolving studio practice. Dave has built a career creating bold, highly visible work for brands and public spaces, but his recent shift into painting marks a more personal turn. In this episode, we talk about...

Creative Guts is pleased to share this episode of Off the Wall with Matt and Amy from the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, New Hampshire. Off The Wall is a semi-regular series where Matt and Amy chat with a wide variety of visual artists, digging into the nuts and bolts of their creative process to reveal more about the layers of meaning, emotion, and intent behind their work. In this e...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with Ashley Normal, a New England-based artist, educator, and community builder whose work explores the strange, fragile, and absurd edges of everyday life. Through drawing, painting, mixed media, and altered materials, she examines themes like mental health, womanhood, gender, memory, and social taboos. To learn more ab...

The Creative Guts team is back with a new GUEST TAKEOVER of Creative Catalogues! In these bonus mini-episodes, a guest host will share a glimpse at their creative consumptions or something big happening in the creative community. This week’s episode is brought to you by Kathleen McDermott and Brendan McCormick of B McCormick Art, who report on the new NH Alt Market, happening May 23, 2026 from 11...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Joe Acone sit down with Dr. Loretta Brady, professor at Saint Anselm College and founder of the Community Resilience and Social Equity Lab. Loretta’s work sits at the intersection of research, community engagement, and game design, using interactive, research-backed projects to explore how communities respond to challenge and inequit...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Joe Acone sit down with Ned Roche, ceramicist and owner of Chases Garage.  As an old friend of Joe and newer friend of Laura, Ned brings creative thinking and humor to our delightful conversation. Ned shares about Chases Garage, an auto-shop turned artist community in York, Maine, that offers classes, workshops, and studio space. We...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Becky Barsi sit down with Stacey Durand, a painter and gallery manager at the Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter Academy, whose creative life blends artmaking, education, and community connection. Stacey’s artwork captures the quiet charm of New England neighborhoods through slightly abstracted, recomposed scenes inspired by real home...

Creative Guts’ Have A Little Guts Tiny Art Exchange is back! For the sixth year, we invite creatives around the world to participate in an international art exchange. Participants will create an original piece of tiny art, in any medium, to send to another participant somewhere in the world. Everyone who participates will send and receive a piece of tiny art. This is a fun way to connect with one...

In this special live episode of Creative Guts, recorded in partnership with Mosaic Art Collective, we gather a panel of artists, organizers, and advocates to talk about something that feels especially urgent right now: the role of the arts in shaping our communities here in New Hampshire. Joining the discussion are Portsmouth artist Richard Haynes, Jr., activist mixed-media artist Brenda Noiseux,...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Laura Harper Lake  sit down with Erin Sweeney, an artist, educator, and founder of BrickHouse Arts.  Erin’s practice bridges book arts, printmaking, fiber arts, and installation, with work rooted in storytelling and a deep appreciation for craftsmanship. In this episode we learn about Erin’s journey as a creative, and how teaching at Plymo...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Becky Barsi chat with Jihye Han, a South Korean ceramic artist and educator, as well as the recipient of the 2025 Piscataqua Region Artist Advancement Grant by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.  Jihye’s work centers on cultural memory, identity, and human connection. Our conversation includes the inspiration behind her current...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with award-winning graphic novelist, educator, and former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Luen Yan. Gene is best known for groundbreaking works like American Born Chinese, Boxers & Saints, and Dragon Hoops, which have helped redefine what comics and graphic novels can do in classrooms. His stories...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Becky Barsi chat with April Landry, a comic artist, writer, and the organizer of the Luna Moth Zine Festival. April uses digital and traditional art to help explain and deal with the world around her. In our conversation, we discuss using art to process emotions, zine making, the story behind the name of the Luna Moth Zine Festival,...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake, Becky Barsi, and Joe Acone get cozy for a robust Hosts Chat. The three touch base on their own creative practices and goals, hot topics in the art world, and changes for the podcast.  They also share a fond-farewell to founding co-host of the podcast, Sarah Wrightsman. Please join us in thanking her for her many years of dedication, lea...

In this episode, Creative Guts hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone are joined by Kyle Wood, the inventive art educator and creator behind the Who ARTed and Fun Facts Daily podcasts.  Throughout our interview, Kyle shares his passion for demystifying art history, engaging students with creative media, and making art accessible and fun for all ages. The conversation spans his journey into podcasting as...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with Theo Martey, Ghanaian-born artist and founder of the Akwaaba Ensemble .  From vibrant performances and hands-on workshops to his role as New Hampshire Artist Laureate, Theo shares how West African rhythms, storytelling, and the spirit of welcome have guided his artistic journey. The conversation explores Theo’s work...

This bonus episode is all about gratitude! Host Becky Barsi talks about the third annual Art ‘Round the Room, and the generous sponsors who helped make this event possible. Listen in to learn how you can help make a difference and celebrate creative exploration and expression! Big THANK YOU to our Art ‘Round the Room Sponsors:  Blick Art Materials Attorney S. William Dahar II Manchester Distillery...

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Sarah Wrightsman sit down with Jordana Pomeroy, the director and CEO of the Currier Museum of Art. An art historian, author, and curator, Jordana started at the Currier in September 2024. In this episode, we’ll chat about Jordana’s career at the Museum of Modern Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, and more. Jordana shares what...