Creative Cafe

Kristen finishes her conversation with Shonda Buchanan about her career, and most recent publications. Originally aired on July 19, 2025 at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen and Kim Shaw sit down with Amy O'Donnell-Lueth and Maya James, two of the seven artists slated to complete murals for the inaugural mural festival in Kalamazoo, called Brush the Block. The festival will take place from September 2-7, 2025.  Originally aired on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 8 AM on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Co...

Kristen sits down with Kim Shaw to detail the artists and activities that will comprise the July Art Hop, as well as a sneak peek at the artist reveal set to take place during the Bronson Hop as part of Art Hop! Visit KalamazooArtHop.org to see all the stops planned for Friday.  Originally aired on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creative Cafe is...

Kristen sits down with Eltine DeYoung, executive director of Vicksburg Arts to talk about her new appointment and the current programs of the organization. Originally aired on Saturday, June 28, 2025 on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, MI. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen interviews local artist and educator, Shonda Buchanan, about her newest book release, a book of poetry entitled The Lost Songs of Nina Simone . Originally aired on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, MI. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen interviews Museum Program Coordinator Stephanie Willoughby and KVCC Instructor and local artist Aubrey Rodgers about the new interactive Wallace and Grommit, and Shaun the Sheep exhibit called Sheer Genius! Originally aired on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 8 AM on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - Kal...

Kristen enjoys a plein air interview with Art on the Mall artists Jasper Hursley and Kenyatta Ray, Programs Director Kim Shaw, and Kalamazoo Concert Band Board Member Susan Carter, discussing all the fun planned for the second day of Art on the Mall and Sunday's Concert in the Park in Bronson Park.  Originally aired on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO AM 590 and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe...

Kristen sits down with Christopher Terkos, Executive Director of Outfront; Nancy Waldoch, the Advancement Liaison for the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; and Kim Shaw, the Arts Council’s Program Director top discuss the JumpstArt weekend, June 6-8 in which our community will be able to enjoy, Kalamazoo Pride, KIA Art Fair in Bronson Park, the Art on the Mall Festival, the Doo Dah Parade, and the firs...

Kristen sits down with Keith Kirchoff, the President of SPLICE. This is a national organization with ties to Kalamazoo through Western Michigan University, exploring the intricate world of meshing electronic and acoustic music. Originally aired on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts....

Kristen interviews Kim Shaw, Programs director; Ed Genesis, artist and producer; and Barbie Dunn, recreation programs/events manager for the City of Portage, about their roles in putting together the different music series that make up part of the 13-venue, 125-performance schedule from May through September 2025. Originally aired on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM. Cre...

Kristen interviews Laura Weiler, independent artist and illustrator, Eric Schmidt, web designer and developer, and Eric Oliphant, membership and operation director at the Arts Council about the upcoming Artist Happy Hour, set to take place on Wednesday, May 21st at 5:30 pm at the Kalamazoo Promise. We spend a little time talking about the importance of an online presence for artists, what that loo...

Kristen interviews Negar Afazel about her journey to the US and her latest project, the Kalamazoo Violin Choir. Originally aired on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen talks with Kim Shaw, programs director, and Brendan Barnes, local artist, about the May Art Hop - Brendan's work, including his new book of poetry, as well as the record-setting participation set for this month's hop. Originally aired on Saturday, April 26, 2025at 8 am on WKZO590 AM and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - Kalamaz...

We sit down with Rebekah Kik, Deputy City Manager for Kalamazoo, and Kim Shaw, Mural Festival Director, to discuss the inaugural mural festival for Kalamazoo, coming in September 2025. Originally aired on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen interviews Val Birch and Erica Bradshaw about the Starlite Collective, which was formed in 2021 and has now grown to 160 members.  We discuss the space at Park Trades Center and the upcoming programming for the creatives in the collective. Originally aired on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council...

In part 3 of the series exploring grants - Kristen interviews Jacob Olbrot the Director of the Suzuki Academy about their working the community and their experience in the granting process. Originally aired on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.5 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

In the second part of this series on grants, Kristen sits down with Henry Parwoth, "Headband Henny," to discuss how the grants from the Arts Council have altered the trajectory of his work as an artist in Kalamazoo. Originally aired on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts....

Kristen shares news about the 2025 Grant Programs and interviews recent grant recipient Laura Citino about her work as a writer, the book she is working on, and how a KADI grant helped to secure a residency to complete the next chapter. This is part 1 of a three-part series. Originally aired on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Cou...

Kristen interviews Leslie Donaldson, the director of the Kirk Newman Art School  at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, about the amazing number of offerings for community members of all ages, including some classes and workshop offerings you may not realize are available through the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Originally aired on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.9 FM. Creati...

Kristen interviews Teri Noaeill from What A Do Theatre and Brad Poer from Kellogg Community College Theatre about their collaboration and the theatre opportunities in Battle Creek, MI. Originally aired on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 Am and 106.5 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen interviews Rehema Barber, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, about her background, the exhibitions she has curated, and the most recent to open, Sourced From the Zoo, a crowd-sourced exhibition taking place at multiple locations and opening Art Hop night - March 6, 2025.  Originally aired on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM Creati...

We interview Kate Yancho, executive director of Wellspring/Cori Terry and Dancers, and Jennifer Glaws, RADFest curator, about the 16th annual Regional Alternative Dance Festival set to take place February 27 - March 2.  Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

Kristen interviews Raquel Hellenga and C Heaps about the journey of Queer Theatre and what is in store for this season. Originally aired on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, MIchigan. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org

We sit down with Eric Oliphant, membership director of the Arts Council; Kevin Dodd, the Aesthetic Education Program Coordinator for Kalamazoo RESA's Education for the Arts program; and Klay Woodworth, the Director of Broadcasting for Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp about the Creative Expo planned for Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 2 pm.  Arts organizations will connect with artists looking for emplo...

We interview Vanassa Darden, Judy Jones, and Kim Shaw about the Murphy Darden exhibit which is one of several recent celebrations of the work and life of the late Murphy Darden, Sr. Originally aired on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 8 am on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM. Creative Cafe is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  Home - KalamazooArts.org