FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nicolette Tallmadge
Phone: 888-455-2258 ext. 3
Email: press@craftingvoices.org
Web: www.craftingvoices.org

NEW ONLINE SHOW FOCUSES ON THE STORIES OF THE ARTISTS BEHIND THE ART
Crafting Voices uses the new medium of podcasting to tell the stories of American artists

Chesapeake, Virginia - June 5, 2007 - “People see beautiful artwork, and most appreciate the effort and talent behind it, but I want people to appreciate the ‘person’ behind it. I find that the story of the artist behind that piece is usually more interesting than the work itself. It’s that side of the story I want to capture.” That’s how jeweler Nicolette Tallmadge explains the purpose behind Crafting Voices, her new weekly online radio show, also known as a podcast.

On April 17 2007, she launched the first show in a season series of 11 all new episodes. The first show, entitled The Transformation of Trash, was released in honor of Earth Day and featured interviews with three artists who create art out of discarded materials. Guests included award-winning mixed media sculptor Boris Bally who makes art out of discarded traffic signs, environment artist Bryant Holsenbeck, who makes public installations out of bottle caps, discarded shoes, and other materials, and assemblage artist and author of the upcoming book, Secrets of Rusty Things, Michael de Meng who makes personal shrines out of junk.

In a format inspired by the hit National Public Radio program, This American Life, each show is loosely organized around a specific theme. Season 1 show themes includes Women’s Work; stories of how artists use the traditional women’s skills of quilting, knitting, and crochet to create compelling art, Two Heads Are Better Than One; stories of artists to partner up to create art, and It’s Made of What?; stories of artists who use unlikely materials in their art. Artists slated to appear in upcoming shows include Patrick Dougherty, Jan Carson, Liz Mamorsky, Luann Udell, Martha Fieber, Emily Dvorin, Linda Gass, and Jan Hopkins.

Season 1 will run from April 17 through July 17, 2007. Art lovers interested in listening to the show, can download individual shows to their computers or MP3 players or listen directly from the web site at www.craftingvoices.org. Listeners can also find the Crafting Voices show on Apple’s iTunes in the Podcast section.

Nicolette had previously launched two pilot episodes of Crafting Voices in the summer of 2006. The first show entitled, Open Studio, spotlighted the Norfolk, Virginia community arts destination the d’Art Center. The d’Art Center artists Lisa Melita, Elizabeth Sawyer, Cathy-Jo Ramsey, and the executive director of d’Art Center Susan Bernard, were featured guests.

The second show entitled, So You Want to Own a Gallery?, focused on what it’s like to own and run a gallery on a daily basis. Guests included Barbara Hester, co-owner of Vincent Hester Gallery, Angelia Armstrong, owner of The Red Thread Studio, Wendy Rosen, president of The Rosen Group, ceramic artist Randy O’Brien, and JoAnne Hildt, co-owner of the award winning Pinnacle Gallery.

Tallmadge is already producing episodes for Season 2 of Crafting Voices, which is due to be launched on September 24, 2007.

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For more information about Crafting Voices, visit the web site at www.craftingvoices.org or contact Nicolette Tallmadge by email at press@craftingvoices.org or by phone at 888-455-2258 ext. 3.