AZPM

Arizona Spotlight

Arts EN ↓ 137 episodes

Rich in the fundamental elements of creativity and freedom, Southern Arizona is home to an arts scene that defies expectation. Each week, Arizona Spotlight explores the local creative community, including interviews with visiting performers and people around the country who are making important connections through art. The goal is to seek out and celebrate our shared humanity. Produced and hosted by Emmy award-winner Mark McLemore.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: originals.azpm.org

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Episodes

"Si Pudiera Quedarme" (If I Can Stay) tells the story of two women seeking asylum from deportation 24.10.2025 32:23

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue" brings a new spin to beloved characters; understanding the needs of native plants during drought; and Diane Keaton remembered.

The Steinfeld Gallery and Studios presents "A Gorgeous Excitement" 16.10.2025 27:47

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Poet and author Tracy K. Smith to visit the Tucson Humanities Festival; Owl and Panther celebrates 30 years of hope; and one man's journey to becoming a full-time "worm wrangler".

The myths and monsters of Ray Harryhausen arrive in Tucson 09.10.2025 30:50

Visit a traveling exhibition at the Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures that celebrates the groundbreaking special effects created by a filmmaking legend, the late Ray Harryhausen. Mark talks with Harryhausen's daughter Vanessa, and the curator of this one-of-a-kind collection, Connor Heaney. Also on Arizona Spotlight: Composer Evan Walker discusses "Dead White Man Music"; and PCC's "Night of t...

Arizona Theatre Company's "Deceived" takes gaslighting to a whole new level 02.10.2025 35:17

Also on Arizona Spotlight: For 60 years, The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter has offered hope to felines and humans in need; and a gold medal Olympian Carrie Bates shares her story of addiction and recovery.

Hidden Voices 25.09.2025 27:37

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Building bridges through interfaith connections; the documentary "Stripped for Parts" looks at the current state of the news business; and iconic Tucson cafe "The Little One" serves its final dish.

How the trauma of living through the Holocaust is felt across generations. 18.09.2025 27:37

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Meet the host of a new podcast dedicated to building a stronger Arizona community; and the story of a beloved dog named Betty that takes a surprising turn.

Go below decks with "Ship" at Live Theater Workshop, a quirky new play about a young woman charting a course to adulthood. 22.08.2025 29:33

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "Weekend Edition Sunday" host Ayesha Rascoe on the current reality facing NPR; and storyteller Sharon Wysocki tells how her art project went viral way back in the '90s.

"Music is a healing force." Meet the host of Papa Ray's Vintage Vinyl Roadshow. 14.08.2025 32:43

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How "Say One Thing" is helping to heal the Tucson community; an essay by nature writer, Rebekah Doyle; and behind the scenes at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's Raptor Free Flight Program.

80 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, commemorating the victims and survivors. 07.08.2025 30:32

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Poet Joshua Lillie previews his new collection, "Small Talk Symphony".

Is television watching us? "TV's American Dream: U.S. Television after the Great Recession". 31.07.2025 29:54

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins to peer through space and time; and memories of growing up unsupervised in the 1950s.

"Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats"--Why Courtney Gustafson's book is resonating with more than just cat lovers. 24.07.2025 32:46

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Set sail for NPR's podcast, "Sea Camp"; and a new book makes native plant gardening in the Southwest accessible to all.

Exploring "Observational Ecology" with Alan Ruiz Berman 17.07.2025 31:24

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Local grassroots theater group debuts a new comedy/mystery; and how a local middle school teacher reclaimed her life after a tragic illness.

"Hidden Voices" reveals empathy and compassion on the streets of Tucson 10.07.2025 26:45

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Building bridges through interfaith connections; and the spiritual creations of artist, Quinton Antone.

The documentary "Final Vows" looks at a way of life that is disappearing 03.07.2025 25:17

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Retired Tucson architect Paula Holmes celebrates 100 years; and "Stories that Soar!" shares an amphibious love story.

The A.R.F.F. Program: How shelter dogs are helping people living with aphasia 26.06.2025 40:17

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Sharing memories of "The Twilight Zone" with Joseph Dougherty, author of "Rod Serling at 100".

The art of "Kindred Spirits: Honoring Animals in Death" 19.06.2025 29:00

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Katrina Kerstetter shares how she brought back things she learned in South Korea to help make Southern Arizona a better place.

"It's the New Zoo Revue, comin' right at you!": A conversation with the hosts of the beloved 1970s kids' show 12.06.2025 27:21

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Mike Stark shares the natural history "Starlings: The Curious Odyssey of a Most Hated Bird"; and "Stories that Soar!" asks that we look for beauty beyond the screen.

"Everything You've Got": Sometimes it takes seven billion years to find yourself 12.06.2025 29:33

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The connection between Alcatraz prison and the Hopi tribe of Arizona; The Tucson Pink Pistols make a comeback; and the former owner of Colette's remembers Tucson's queer nightlife in the '80s.

Ending the silence about mental health in Southern Arizona 29.05.2025 26:41

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Tucson youth explores emotion and expectations in his book "The Weight of Tomorrow"; and how Ability Dogs of Arizona pairs those in need with canine companions.

Meet Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson 22.05.2025 26:42

Get a behind the scenes view at what it is like to win on Jeopardy, and a new 10 minute drama that explores what stepping on a crack in the pavement can really do.

Stories of Hope and Renewal 15.05.2025 22:52

Poet and author Liza Porter, storyteller Carmelene Siani and artist Tim H. Murphy share how they're able to look to the future without despair.

How the The Master - Apprentice Program is helping preserve women in mariachi 08.05.2025 27:02

Explore how the Master-Apprentice program offered by the Southwest Folklife Alliance is preserving not just mariachi music, but the involvement of women in mariachi. Also: Sound Fiction returns with James Mustard's "Homestead on Bellatrix Prime"; celebrating the return of the Elegant Trogon to Madera Canyon; and "A Book I Love" from Cyclovia Tucson 2025.

Student filmmakers confess "I Dream in Widescreen" 01.05.2025 27:00

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Film essayist Chris Dashiell; remembering James Mercer, a Pima County Ranger killed in action in 1914; and "Stories That Soar!" celebrates the sun.

Journeys in space and mind 24.04.2025 26:52

On Arizona Spotlight: Join Pati Jinich as she explores "Panamericana"; and Tibetan Buddhist Lama Lodu Rinpoche visits Tucson to share ancient wisdom about our inner space.

Crystal Gayle sings songs of the heart 17.04.2025 27:30

Also on Arizona Spotlight: This month's storyteller shares about the one thing in life he cannot resist; and a new segment of "A Book I Love."