The Art Box

In Episode 359 of The Art Box, MJ and Steve welcome Kirsten Pope to the STEAM Center recording studio for a lively conversation about IKA Greens , the innovative business she runs with her husband, Alex. We dig into what “IKA” really stands for, how their operation is changing the way our community thinks about fresh, locally grown produce, and why sustainable food systems matter now more than eve...

In this calming, reflective and short episode of The Art Box, Steve invites listeners to slow down and discover the practice of forest bathing, the Japanese art of shinrin-yoku, or “bathing” in the forest atmosphere. Steve explores what forest bathing is, the science behind its benefits, from lowered stress and blood pressure to boosted immunity, and why it has become such a powerful wellness move...

In this inspiring episode of The Art Box, MJ sits down with her friend Oregon golfer Chris Oviatt, the 2024 NAGA Women’s Overall National Champion and Western Region representative for the 2025 USGA Adaptive Open Championship. Chris shares her 32-year journey as a competitive golfer, living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and how braces, a cane, and a positive outlook help her keep playing the s...

In this inspiring episode of The Art Box, we sit down with Mesquite actor Bill Wright Jr. to explore how a soldier became a storyteller. Bill shares how his time in the U.S. Army taught him to speak confidently in front of crowds and cameras, and how reciting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech became a defining moment in his life. That experience opened the door to his first perf...

The Art Box – Episode 355: Echoes of Belonging In this deeply personal conversation, three friends, Mary Jane Stiles, Eydie Ann Lieberman, and William R. Marye, open up about lives shaped by an absence: the missing threads of an unknown or absent parent. Together, they reflect on the emotional weight of not knowing where you come from, how long-kept secrets shaped their sense of self, and what it...

In this special follow-up episode, MJ sits down once again with Linda Villanueva of the Mesquite Cafe Blues Band to catch up on her ever-expanding creative journey. While the band proudly calls Mesquite home, their music now reaches even farther with performances in Las Vegas and Laughlin, sharing their soulful blend of blues and rock with new audiences. Beyond the stage, Linda is a familiar face...

In this episode of The Art Box, we sat down at Mystery Ranch, with Kym Martin, Outreach Coordinator for Desert Love Native Plants , a nonprofit nursery rooted at Cactus Joe’s near the Red Rock Canyon foothills. Desert Love is more than a nursery, it’s a movement to make native plants accessible while inspiring communities to reimagine their landscapes and become stewards of the desert. Kym shares...

In a very special episode of The Art Box, we hand the microphone to an unlikely guest , Josie the Joshua Tree, a wise and witty desert elder rooted at Mystery Ranch in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. With humor and heart, Josie reflects on centuries of desert life: from her partnership with yucca moths to raising quail families in her shade, from Kim Garrison Means’ childhood at the ranch to witnes...

This episode was deeply personal for me. I had the privilege of sitting down with Alan O’Neill, a man whose life’s work has been devoted to protecting America’s public lands and keeping them open for all of us to experience. Our conversation took place at Mystery Ranch during my art/science residency, with the vast Mojave Desert stretching out below us, a view that matched the depth and meaning of...

MJ welcomes back Paul and Linda of the Mesquite Café Blues Band for a fresh conversation about their musical journey. Since their last appearance on The Art Box in early 2023 (with hosts Linda Harris and Rachel Washington), the band has been on the rise, splitting their performances between Mesquite, Las Vegas, and Laughlin. Known for blending soulful blues with driving rock, their sound now reach...

In this episode of The Art Box, we welcome Dulce Sol, an emerging Las Vegas poet whose words are steeped in dreams, travel, and self-discovery. Since beginning her poetic journey at just 17, Dulce has evolved into a voice that blends the surreal with the lived, weaving imagination and memory into verses that resonate with honesty and wonder. We explore how her dreams often spark poetic imagery, ho...

Hard to believe it’s been a year since we first sat down with Junior Baeza back in Episode 220 to talk about a dream of bringing a unique artisan bakery to Mesquite. That vision, shared with his wife Sabra, has now blossomed into Fat Dough, a beloved cornerstone of our community. On this special one-year anniversary episode, Junior dropped by The Mesquite Works STEAM Center Art Box studio on a Fri...

When most think of art, the first thing they think of is painting, drawing, ceramics, wood working, jewelry making or photography.     In the past few years, the imagination of the public has been captured by chefs or culinary artists, creating art with food design and presentation. It is through their creative process of imagining and blending art and science that chefs create art that is not onl...

In this episode of The Art Box, we sit down with Mickey Sprott, a powerhouse in Nevada’s arts landscape and the Program Administrator for Public Art at Clark County’s Department of Parks and Recreation . Mickey leads a vibrant and multifaceted public arts program that reaches both rural and urban communities, bringing large-scale public art installations to life, mentoring professional and emergin...

Welcome to The Art Box, where creativity meets community. In Episode 345, Everybody Has A Story To Tell, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Terri Fitzsimmons—a published author, longtime educator, and generous supporter of local non-profits. Terri brings a deep well of life experience and a passion for storytelling that resonates far beyond the page. Whether she’s mentoring young writers, organizi...

In this special Art Box public service episode, we shine a spotlight on a beloved community cornerstone: the Mesquite Senior Games . Founded 24 years ago to promote health and well-being through sports for seniors, the Games have grown from a local initiative into an internationally recognized event, drawing competitors from around the globe. Host Diana Lee Rose welcomes the dynamic Sandy Tudor, E...

Hosted by MJ Stiles | Recorded at the Mesquite Works STEAM Center In this soulful and moving episode of The Art Box, MJ Stiles sits down with acclaimed musician and storyteller John McAndrew , a man whose music has reached audiences around the world, featured in major films, national events, and Grammy-considered albums. With a voice as raw as it is inspiring, John shares his journey of redemption...

In this episode of The Art Box, Steve reconnects with muralist and musician Tanoo, a passionate artist whose mission is to bring public art and deeper meaning to overlooked spaces in downtown Las Vegas. After meeting Tanoo at the Fremont Street Spring Fair hosted by our friend Liezl, Steve knew this was a conversation worth having. What started as a simple idea for a podcast took a profound turn w...

In this special episode of The Art Box, host Steve sits down with Ian Wright and Lexie Little, leaders of the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program , to discuss a powerful intersection of history, preservation, and storytelling. Ian and Lexie share the journey behind their extensive research and collaboration to create the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Trail, a statewide interpretive project that shi...

Welcome to The Art Box! I’m your host, MJ Stiles, and today we’re recording from our Mesquite Works STEAM Center studio with someone who’s been lighting up the local art scene since his early teens. Liam Gutierrez has been a featured artist at Juniper Outpost Boutique in Mesquite, Nevada since he was just 14 years old. Beloved by customers and deeply appreciated by shop owners Charlotte and David,...

Welcome to The Art Box. If you're one of our many loyal listeners tuning in from across all 50 states and 59 countries, you know that while we often focus on the arts, we occasionally wander—intentionally—into other realms of creativity, heart, and human experience. After all, we believe that nearly everything in life holds an element of art. Today, we’re joined once again by our friend and freque...

In this vibrant episode of The Art Box, MJ sits down with her friend and fellow creative spirit, Melissa Osburg, for a wide-ranging and heartfelt conversation about art, healing, and finding joy through color. A self-taught abstract and mixed media artist originally from New Orleans and now based in Texas, Melissa shares how painting became a form of therapy during a challenging time in her life....

In this heartwarming episode, Steve had the pleasure of sitting down with his friends, and the dynamic brother-sister duo, Ara and Juan Fernanda, at the Mesquite Works STEAM Center studio. Together, they share the story behind Fat Dough Bakery , where baking is more than a craft, it’s a sensory experience and a service-driven passion. We journey back to their childhood memories of the aromas and f...

Steve was deeply honored to sit down with one of his art heroes, Reno-based artist and professor Candace Garlock, whose generous spirit and boundless creativity make her not only an extraordinary talent, but also one of the kindest souls in the art world. Candace’s richly layered printmaking and mixed media work delves into memory, identity, and the emotional threads that connect us all. In this c...

In this episode of The Art Box, we welcome back Utah author and longtime friend Kase Johnstun to talk about his powerful new book Cast Away. Co-hosted by published author and Art Box regular Sandi Randelle , the conversation dives deep into the heart of Kase’s storytelling—from the raw truths of Cast Away to the lyrical beauty of his earlier novel Let the Wild Grasses Grow (a personal favorite of...