WORK IN PROGRESS: Conversations with Creators

Sylvia Johnson is an award-winning filmmaker and impact strategist. She teaches filmmaking at the University of New Mexico and runs a small production company dedicated to visual storytelling to inspire action. In this week’s episode, she talks to Logan about her first-ever immersive video installation and what it’s been like to tell a story in three dimensions. She also discusses the Trump admini...

Jesse Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblo) is a multidisciplinary artist and curator. In March, he opened Kukani, a community-focused art gallery in Downtown Albuquerque. In this week's episode, he speaks with Logan about his current projects and what it was like growing up with parents who were also in the arts. If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital...

Viet Thanh Nguyen is one of the world’s most celebrated writers. He won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for his debut novel, “The Sympathizer,” a satirical, metafictional espionage thriller set in the final days of the Vietnam War. He has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur “Genius Grant,” among many other accolades. On this week’s episode, he talks to Logan about the Vietnam War, contem...

Dr. Julia Smith talks to Logan about a new documentary she’s working on, “Birth of the Acid Western,” about a pioneering New Mexican filmmaker, Orville Wanzer. Smith uncovered a forgotten archive of Wanzer’s films while teaching film studies courses at New Mexico State University, and she believes his 1965 film “The Devil’s Mistress” was not only the first indie film shot in New Mexico, but the fi...

Marie Alarcón is a video artist and filmmaker who teaches film and digital arts at the University of New Mexico. In this episode, she discusses her first attempt at making a scripted narrative film -- a work in progress, titled "Escape from Flat Earth" -- and how it differs from her more experimental work. She shares clips from the unfinished project and opens up about the autobiographical element...

Charles Ross uses sunlight, starlight and thermal energy to make visual and experiential art. In this episode, he talks with Logan about "Star Axis," a naked-eye astral observatory he's been building in the New Mexico desert for over 50 years, which remains a work in progress. Ross also talks about his current show at the Harwood Museum and what it's like using dynamite to make p...

Iconic photographer Christopher Makos talks to Logan about traveling with Andy Warhol in the 1970s and 80s and photographing celebrities for Interview Magazine. He reveals his most difficult portrait subjects and talks about the importance of remaining open-minded in art and in life. His exhibition 'Party' opens at Daniel Cooney Fine Art in Santa Fe on Saturday, April 5, and if you attend,...

Poet Zachary Kluckman invites Logan into his home studio to share his creative process, recounting his journey from being an introverted student to performing slam poetry in front of big crowds. Zachary Kluckman is also the founder of Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival, whose second annual event begins March 19, 2025. For a full schedule, visit cicadapoetryslamfestival.com/schedule , check out Logan's...

Award-winning Albuquerque architect Mark Rea Baker talks to Logan about his plans to convert a historic 1950s Cadillac dealership into UNM's new Route 66 National Research Center. They also discuss the architectural significance of Route 66 and how Mark got into architecture, among other topics. For more information about the Route 66 National Research Center, check out Logan's recent busi...

🎙️ Introducing WORK IN PROGRESS: Conversations with Creators – a new monthly arts podcast hosted by Logan Beitmen , arts journalist at the Albuquerque Journal . In each episode, I chat with visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, and creatives about their projects, journeys, and creative processes. 🎧 Episode 1 drops Sunday, Feb 23 at 8 AM , featuring award-winning Albuquerque architect Mark Rae Ba...