Carolyn Martin
Host, Talking ArtCarolyn Martin joined WVIK as a host of Talking Art in 2017. A long-time fan of NPR programming with a love of storytelling and all art forms, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with creative people who beautify our community and make the Quad Cities region an even better place to live.
After retiring from her career as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist in Davenport, she was looking for a meaningful way to navigate retirement. In addition to her volunteer work with WVIK, Carolyn is on the Board of Quad City Arts, the Figge Art Museum, and Vera French Community Mental Health Center. Her favorite aspect of retirement might be getting 8 hours of sleep each night without those middle of the night calls!
She lives in Bettendorf, Iowa with her husband, Joseph.
Carolyn would like to recognize the late Bruce Carter, whose years of interviewing artists for WVIK on his program Art Talks inspired her to continue in his legacy.
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CommunityListen to the conversation here with artist Cory Christiansen and with Muscatine Art Center Director Melanie Alexander, about the legacy that Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti left behind, the deep personal friendships that developed between the local artists, and the transformative effect a creative mentor can have. -
CommunityListen to the conversation here with Quad City native Steve Banks about how humor can be used to effectively deliver a message about culture and identity; the creation of multi-panel pieces for this exhibition which he likens to a symphonic suite with different movements; and the studio space and artistic community that he has developed in Davenport, IA.
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Listen to the conversation here with Brian Baxter, Executive Director of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, about the tremendous versatility of the QCSO’s musicians, the important ways in which the orchestra is diversifying their community outreach and programming, and why the Riverfront Pops is widely considered to be the Quad Cities’ “party of the summer.”
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CommunityListen to the conversation here with Executive Director Kevin Maynard about how Quad City Arts has intentionally been building their role as an arts advocate, connector, and resource hub; about their commitment to creative placemaking; and how they beautify our community in ways less commonly known to the public, such as through their public sculpture program.
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CommunityListen to the conversation here with Brian Nikulski and Pat Beréskin about the thematic approach they used to create this collection, the importance of businesses investing in local artists, and the sense of well-being that beautiful art creates.
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CommunityOwner and Director Andrzej Kozlowski is an accomplished Juilliard-trained classical pianist. Listen to the conversation here about his reverence for the Polish pianists and composers Fryderyk Chopin and Ignacy Paderewski, his passion for historic renovation and restoration, and his belief in providing financially feasible musical training.
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Listen to the conversation here with Jaren Michelle (Callie) and McKenna Coskie (Sara) about how they have come to understand and connect with their individual characters, the joy of acting in a debut stage work production in the Quad Cities, and the essential role that community theatre plays within a vibrant society.
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Listen to the conversation here with composer, arranger, producer, Yamaha artist, and piano virtuoso Laurence Hobgood about his initial emergence onto the jazz scene in Chicago years ago, the inspiration behind his album Honor Thy Fathers, and about his current work teaching at the New School in NYC.
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Martha Redbone, a Native & African American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator, will be performing in numerous venues from May 8-13, 2023, as a Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist.Combining elements of folk, soul, Appalachian, and Native tradition, her music is uniquely Influenced by her upbringing in both urban Brooklyn, NY as well as rural Harlan County, KY in a “brilliant collision of cultures” (The New Yorker).Listen to the conversation here with musician Martha Redbone about the importance of narration and storytelling in her work; the role that arts education can play in our lives; and about the inspiration she has discovered in the poetry of the 18th century writer and illustrator William Blake, in an ongoing bridge between past and present.
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Listen to the conversation here with composer William Campbell about the catalyst behind this concept album of contemporary classical music, the art of composition, and his future plans as he transitions away from his long-time position as Professor of Music at St. Ambrose University to concentrate on composing film scores and concert music.
