Creative Cafe

This week, Kristen Chesak welcomes acclaimed Kalamazoo photographer Fran Dwight and Arts Council Programs Director Kim Shaw for a preview of July Art Hop. Hear Fran share stories from her decades behind the camera, learn about her upcoming exhibition in the Westin Gallery, and get the inside scoop on what to expect during Art Hop's Continuum-themed celebration of creativity. Originally aired...

Join Arts Council Programs Director Kim Shaw and new Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Amy Williams as they discuss this year's celebration in Bronson Park, featuring a two hour concert by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, family activities, food and beverages, and a spectacular drone show more than a year in the making. Don't miss this conversation about music, community,...

Listen to Brad Jensen, Sandra Shaw, and Danny Lopez as they share the story behind one of Southwest Michigan's favorite jazz ensembles, talk about the enduring appeal of big band music, and give us a preview of their upcoming Concerts in the Park performance. Originally aired on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in  Kalamazoo, MI.  Creative Cafe is a program of the...

Today on Creative Café, we welcome Maya James, artist, author, and founder of A Black Artist’s Path , a creative development ecosystem supporting Black artists in building sustainable and liberated careers. We talk about the vision behind the program, an upcoming Mackinac Island residency, and The BAP Collection , a powerful traveling exhibition bringing this work to life through art, film, and co...

Kristen Chesak and Kim Shaw of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo talked with Val Birch, Carolyn Fink, and Kaitlin Gotcher - artists involved in this year's Art on the Mall Festival.  We discussed the uniqueness of presenting artwork outside, the challenges of weather, and the sense of community created by participating in an open-air festival.  Originally aired on Saturday, June 6 at 8 am...

This week on Creative Café, we preview Art on the Mall as it celebrates its 40th anniversary in downtown Kalamazoo. Hear from Kim Shaw of the Arts Council and Jennifer Prenkert Hudson of Sounds of the Zoo as they share what to expect from this vibrant, artist-filled weekend. From a diverse lineup of regional artists to live music throughout the day, discover why this free community event continues...

On this episode, Kristen Chesak sits down with Reverend Millard Southern III—pastor of historic Allen Chapel AME Church, accomplished trumpeter, scholar, and community leader. Together they discuss the powerful connection between music, faith, democracy, and community, including Rev. Southern’s work bringing world class cultural experiences to Kalamazoo such as a recent appearance by jazz legend W...

This week on Creative Café on WKZO, Kristen Chesak welcomes back purpose driven hip hop artist Slym Beno along with Kalamazoo DJ, host, and entertainment entrepreneur DJ Certified. Together, they discuss the power of creativity to inspire change through two exciting initiatives: Bars for a Cause: A Mic for Meals Initiative at Glow Hall, a benefit concert supporting local meal programs and raising...

On this episode we welcome Garrett Jones, the new Executive Director of the Stulberg International String Competition. A seasoned arts leader and accomplished musician, Garrett shares his journey to Kalamazoo, what excites him about leading one of the world’s premier string competitions, and how this year’s event is shaping up. We will also take you inside the competition itself, including what au...

This week on Creative Café, we’re joined by Christopher Keener, owner of Glow Hall in downtown Kalamazoo, a new all-ages space for music, art, and creative community. From group singing to live shows and youth programs, discover how Glow Hall is bringing people together through creativity. Originally aired on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creati...

This week on Creative Café, we sit down with Kalamazoo-based artist, architect, and salon owner Drue McPherson. We explore his thesis work, House, Human, Home , and the powerful ideas behind his Pinkwashing project, examining how identity, storytelling, and design shape the spaces we live in. Originally aired on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe is a progr...

This week on Creative Café, we continue our conversation with Drue McPherson and are joined by Kim Shaw from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Learn more about the Lavender Home Project and get a preview of Drue’s upcoming exhibition in the Westin Gallery during the May Art Hop, themed PLAY. Originally aired on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM Creative Cafe is a pr...

This week on Creative Café, we’re talking about creativity in action in Kalamazoo’s Edison Neighborhood. I’m joined by Emma Master to share how an Arts Fund grant is supporting a public art residency that brings artists and community together. Tune in to hear how local artists are transforming everyday space into something powerful. Originally aired on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 8 am on WKZO 590...

On Creative Café, we sit down with Jennifer Cooley and Miriam Thomas to talk about bringing legendary Nike designer Wilson W. Smith III to Kalamazoo for a special Artful Evening. Hear how this event connects to the Future Now exhibition and why you won’t want to miss it on April 16 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Originally aired on Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM....

Violinist Negar Dena Afazel joins Creative Café to discuss her new performance “A Conversation Through Us,” a powerful collaboration with vocalist Tricia Tetzlaff that blends violin, voice, and storytelling to explore the shared experiences of women across time and culture. We’ll also talk about the creative vision behind the piece and how the current war in Iran is shaping its outcome. Originally...

We round out our 3-part series on the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency with Akiko Yamamoto, a Japanese-born, Brooklyn-based artist whose work explores migration, identity, and cultural translation through intricate layers of paper, texture, and process. Her work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum and featured in The New York Times, and now she is bringing her practice to Southwest Michigan th...

 Connar Klock joins us to talk about the current projects and shows being undertaken by Queer Theatre Kalamazoo. We chat about shows, playwright projects, and upcoming auditions, and construction projects.  Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

We were live from Epic Center, talking with artists from RADFest 17, the region's best Alternative Dance Festival. We spoke with Wellspring Artistic Director Marissa Bianan, RADFest curator Jennifer Glaws, and Claire Porter, who has made the journey to share their talents with their peers and our community. Originally aired on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM. Crea...

 The March 2026 Art Hop is right around the corner, and we sit down with Adam McFarlin of the Kalamazoo Candle Company, one of the event’s longtime mainstays. Now in a new home on the Kalamazoo Mall, Adam shares how the business continues to evolve, along with exciting new initiatives designed to bring our community even closer to the world of makers. Originally aired on Saturday, February 28, 202...

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre is presenting Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches . Director D. Terry Williams and Director of Volunteers Mike Artis sit down to discuss this epic and deeply moving production, the powerful messages it carries, and why it remains profoundly relevant today. They also share how the community can engage more deeply with the experience through additional prog...

Creative Café continues its three-part series featuring the artists selected for the 2026 Spring Residency at Prairie Ronde in Vicksburg. In Part 2, host Kristen speaks with Bogotá-born, Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist Mariana Noreña . Mariana’s work explores relationships to place through ecology, history, and material memory, often using natural and locally sourced materials to reflect on...

In Part 1 of this 3-part series, Kristen learns more about the artists that will make up the 2026 Spring Residency at Prairie Ronde in Vicksburg, beginning with Artist Xingyu Huang, someone who currently splits their time between Chicago and LA. We will learn what this urban artist is looking to get out of this rural experience. Originally aired on Saturday, February 10, 2026 at 8 am on WKZO 590 A...

It is the 10th anniversary of the Eclectic Glass Guild here in Kalamazoo. We celebrate this milestone with Judy Konesni and Jeanne Zumburs to chat about glass, community and what it takes to build something that lasts. Originally aired on Saturday, Janaury 31, 2026 on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, MI. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooAr...

Today on Creative Cafe, we are joined by Slym Beno, a purpose-driven hip hop artist whose work blends motivational lyricism, faith-influenced storytelling, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. Originally from Cleveland and now rooted in Michigan, Slym Beno represents P One Entertainment, a platform built around purpose, opportunity, and community impact. His latest project, The Big P EP,...

On this episode, we explore how museums are not only places where we revisit the past, but spaces that help us imagine the future, and why a bold new exhibition opening this February invites Kalamazoo audiences to think differently about design, innovation, and creativity in everyday life. Originally aired on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 8 am in Kalamazoo, MI. Creativ...