Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, John O'Neal

Alabama State Arts Council Director Al Head interviews John O'Neal, actor, playwright, founder and now retired artistic director of Junebug Productions based in New Orleans. As a civil rights activist beginning in the early 1960s he co-founded the Free Southern Theater.  He is probably best know for his widely toured character Junebug Jabbo Jones, a mythic figure who symbolizes the wisdom of common people.  O’Neal has written eighteen plays, a musical comedy,  poetry and several essays.  He is a winner of a Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World award (2005), the Award of Merit from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (2010) and the United States Artists Award. He was in Alabama demonstrating elements of the Story Circle Project to Arts leaders here.  The Story Circle concept allows individuals to share intimate stories about themselves to help bridge understanding between races. (more)

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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Outdoor Sculpture Project at Auburn University Montgomery

Georgine Clarke discusses the Outdoor Sculpture Project at Auburn University Montgomery with project director Sue Jensen and participating artist Jamey Grimes. Jensen explains how the three artists were selected and describes their various approaches to sculpture. Grimes talks about the nature of his work,  especially as it relates to his study of the environment. He also talks about teaching in the Prison Arts in Education program operated from Auburn University. (more)

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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Dr Robert Halli

This program is a 2004 rebroadcast of Joey Brackner interviewing University of Alabama professor Robert Halli about his book, An Alabama Songbook: Ballads, Folksongs, and Spirituals.  The book is based upon the research of Byron Arnold who collected folk songs throughout Alabama during the late 1940s.  Actual field recordings made by Byron Arnold are featured during the program.

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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Kim Mitchell

In this program Georgine Clarke interviews Kim Mitchell, Interim Director of the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur, Alabama. The discussion includes the exhibition schedule and description of classes for children. The Center has sponsored public art icons painted by artists and located throughout the community for the past three years. The images have included butterflies and dragon flies as well as roosters. Kim explains the popularity of this program and also discusses how the roosters have been done in conjunction with the Moulton Chicken and Egg Festival.

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