10/14/02
Degas at the DIA
Tamar Charney

On October 20th, the curtain goes up on what is likely to be Michigan's latest blockbuster art exhibition. "Degas and the Dance" opens at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The exhibition was put together by the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the American Federation of Arts. It showcases more than 100 paintings, sculptures, and drawings by Edgar Degas. Every single piece on exhibition has as its subject the dancers, performances, and the backstage world of the Paris Opera Ballet. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

10/7/02
1 BOOK Featurette
Tamar Charney

Like a lot of college towns, East Lansing struggles with conflicts between students and townies. Student riots, noisy parties, and dilapidated student rental properties anger local residents. However, a new initiative is hoping to put the town and the gown on the same page for 6 weeks. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports starting Monday people in East Lansing are being asked to read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

10/7/02
You Get There By Practice Marion Felder
Nora Flaherty

This fall, lots of young adults are adjusting to their first semester in college. But for one Detroit teenager, the first semester isn't exactly a grind: Marion Felder is in New York, studying drums at the Julliard school on a full scholarship that he's the first undergraduate to ever receive. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty tells his story.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

10/4/02
Hiking with Llamas
Tamar Charney

For over 4000 years llamas have been used to carry loads through rough mountain terrain. Out West it's not uncommon to see llamas carrying tents, sleeping bags, and food for hikers. Here in Michigan llamas are still an unusual sight on the trail, but an increasing number of people are starting to go trekking with them. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

10/4/02
The Tulipanos Festival's Films
Nora Flaherty

Holland Michigan has a rapidly growing Latino community. This year Holland's second annual Tulipanos Latino Art and Film Festival will present some classic films that American audiences haven't been able to see in a theatre for decades. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

9/27/02
Clowning Around
Tamar Charney & Nora Flaherty

The art of clowning has existed for thousands of years. Throughout history most cultures have had clowns. And clowns appear in all sorts of roles beyond just making us laugh. There is a "Jest for Jesus" clown ministry and there are clowns that offer therapy to hospitalized kids. We have two reports now about clowns from two different places where clowns are a big deal. First Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty reports from Mexico's national clown convention. In Mexico, clowns are so popular that one even hosts a popular network morning talk show.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

In the second report Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has a look at Michigan's Scottville Clown Band.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

9/23/02
Lake Huron Expedition
Tamar Charney

Underwater explorer Dr. Bob Ballard became a celebrity for finding the Titanic in mid 1980's. But that ship is just one of his many underwater discoveries. He and his team of researchers travel from one far flung location to another, exploring and searching for lost shipwrecks, ancient coastlines, and unknown deep sea trenches. However, recently his team was at work here in the Great Lakes. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

9/20/02
The Nun's Ads
Wendy Nelson

A typical American is exposed to hundreds of advertising messages a day according to one estimate. Amidst the barrage, it can be hard for advertisers to make their ads stand out. But one advertising campaign in Southeast Michigan is generating a lot of buzz ... not so much because of the ads themselves, but because of the nuns who are behind them. Wendy Nelson explains.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

9/18/02
Painting the Keweenaw
Tamar Charney

The great lakes are a big presence in the work of many artists who live in the UP. But the lakes aren't the only thing that gives art from the UP a regional flair. At any given time in the Keweenaw Pennisula you can find a store or gallery showing Janet Manniko's art. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports her work captures the look and rhythms of life in the west part of the UP.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

9/18/02
Lake Superior Theater
Frida Waara

One of teaching's greatest challenges is making age old subjects seem new. A professor at Northern Michigan University has found a way to interest students of all ages in history using a stage, spotlights and a 100 year old boathouse. Frida Waara reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

8/30/02
Crop Circles?
Tamar Charney

If you drive by the field at I-94 and 26 mile road near Albion, you may see something unusual. Tractors driving in circles, men with satellite recievers on their backs, and designs created from corn, soy, and rye plants. No, they are not filming the sequel to the movie "Signs." As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports they're carrying out an artist's vision. For more information on the Starr Earthwork, contact Starr Commonwealth at www.starr.org.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

8/16/02
Tours for Tourists
Tamar Charney

The state of Michigan has long been promoted as a place for tourists to come for the great outdoors. The state's golf courses, ski resorts, and of course, the lakes are what grace the state's tourist brochures. But there's an effort being made to promote the state's arts, historical, and cultural offerings as well. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

7/1/02
Bones and Spoons: Johnny Perona
Tamar Charney

Each year the Michigan State University Museum honors people who work to keep traditional art forms alive. This year's winners of the Michigan Heritage Awards have just been announced. The awards will be given to 2 people who do Finish Rag Rug weaving, a fiddle player, a quilter, and a bones and spoon player from the U.P. named Johnny Perona. Earlier this year Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney had an opportunity to visit Johnny Perona at his home in Calumet.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/27/02
Culture Tour Feature
Tamar Charney

People who track where we go on vacations, predict a lot of us will be staying close to home this summer. It's partially because of the economy and partially because of fears of terrorism. This means more people are expected to visit parks in the state. And people who visit a park in the northern part of the state this summer, might stumble upon some free entertainment about the state's history and natural beauty. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/27/02
Seniors on the Internet
James Macsay

Senior citizens are the fastest growing age group in the US according to the US Census Bureau. They are also one the fastest growing groups on the Internet. One Detroit area organization is trying to give seniors a way to use the internet to talk about things important to them. James Macsay has more.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/17/02
Ramptown Feature
Tamar Charney

From about the 1830's to the 1870's there was a settlement in southwest Michigan called Ramptown. It's residents were people who escaped from slavery. They built cabins, cleared land, and farmed. Then Ramptown disappeared. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/10/02
Catalog Art
Tamar Charney

Your mailbox is probably stuffed with them ...catalogs from Pottery Barn, LL Bean, or Harry and David. But somewhere in that stack, there might just be one catalogue that isn't what it seems to be. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/06/02
Go To Art Class By Bus
Tamar Charney

For years art, dance, and music programs have been among the first to go when school districts trimmed budgets. But there are signs that's changing. President Bush's newly enacted education plan encourages the integration of the arts into the school curriculum. And many schools have come up with creative ways to offer opportunities to students with an aptitude for art. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney looks at what one Michigan county has done.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/24/02
Boys 2 Men
Tamar Charney

An exhibit called "Boys Will Be Men" opened this week at the Flint Institute of Arts. It features photographs of students at Central High School in Flint that explore what it means to become a man in American society. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/24/02
Hear Here Soundpiece
Tamar Charney

If you wander into an alley in downtown Ann Arbor this month, you may encounter an art show. A group called Art ProTem stages contemporary art shows in public places. It's a way to get art out of galleries and museums and into the real world. This time it's an exhibit of audio art. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney has the story...

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/17/02
Sculpture Park
Tamar Charney

A new sculpture park opened yesterday in Grand Rapids at the Frederick Meijer Gardens. This new outdoor art museum exhibits 24 pieces by acclaimed modern sculptors. And its just the beginning. Eventually 80 pieces will be on view. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/16/02
Michigan Central Soundpiece
Tamar Charney

When we think about the effect of time on buildings, we often conjure images of ancient buildings like the Parthenon, but there are also modern ruins. From miles around one of these modern day ruins is visible in Detroit. It's an 18 story train station designed in the nineteen teens by the architect who did New York's Grand Central Station. Unlike New York's station, the cavernous lobby of the Michigan Central isn't full of people anymoreits full of puddles. The lobby chandeliers have been stolen and every window on the buildings 18 floors is broken and pigeons and crows flutter in and out of them. However, it's a building people are passionate about .... some desperately want the once beautiful building saved. Others wish the eyesore would just go away. New York based photographer Robert Polidori and Detroit poet and urban planner Kristin Palm recently visited the building to take a look.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/15/02
Thunder Bay's Underwater Treasures
Tamar Charney

The Great Lakes have long been important for trade. As the United States expanded westward goods and people often got there by water. Thunder Bay in Lake Huron was a place where ships found shelter from the lake's legendary storms. But the bay's filled with rocky shoals that caused more than 100 ships to crash. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports these shipwrecks are the foundation of a recently created National Marine Sanctuary.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/08/02
Youth Owned Radio
Nora Flaherty

Lots of teenagers play in bands, but usually no one outside of their parent's garage ever hears them. Now a record company in Ann Arbor is changing that: it's youth owned, youth run, and records music by teenagers. Michigan Radio's Nora Flaherty reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/2/02
The Tent Office of the Future
Tamar Charney

Thanks to Dilbert, office cubicles don't have a particularly good reputation these days. A design class at the University of Michigan has been trying to figure out a new office system that could replace the cubicle. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/30/02
Gilmore Artist Award Announced
Tamar Charney

The Irving S Gilmore International Keyboard Festival is underway in West Michigan. It celebrates keyboard music with concerts, master classes, films, and public education programs. The festival features more than 90 events in Kalamazoo, Saint Joseph, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and Lansing. The festival takes place every other year, but every 4 years the festival hands out a substantial prize. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney tells us about the Gilmore Artist Award and this year's winner.
photo: Piotr Anderszewski, winner 2002 Gilmore Artist Award

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/11/02
Flint Youth Theater Responds To Sept. 11
Tamar Charney

Youth theater companies mainly present fairy tales and classic stories. But the Flint Youth Theater has made a name for itself by creating theater to get people talking about social issues like racism, school shootings, and youth violence. This evening the curtain will rise on a work about September 11th. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/28/02
Passing On Bop: Mentoring Musicians
Tamar Charney

Over the years Detroit has been an important city for jazz music. Big names and stylistic innovations have been born here in Michigan. Today many Detroit high school students have the opportunity to learn jazz in the public schools system. But that wasn't always the case. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney, along with students from the University of Michigan, produced this look at how musicians in Detroit kept the music going strong.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

Our look at mentoring in Detroit was produced in co-operation with the University of Michigan's Arts of Citizenship Program. Interviewing and writing for the report was done by University of Michigan undergraduate studentsAlex Chadsey, Terry Foster, and Ingrid Racine with help from Michael Rahfaldt. Special thanks to David Scobey and Charlie Bright.

3/26/02
Ann Arbor Musician On A Roll
Tamar Charney

There's a new album out by an Ann Arbor musician that's making a national splash on the literary circuit. Some of the songs are written by authors. And the album is a co-production with Dave Eggers' literary journal called MacSweeney's. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney introduces us to the musician behind the CD.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/21/02
U.P. Arts Center Makes A Difference
Tamar Charney

Most organizations get their start because someone has a vision. They want to create a product or provide a service. But there's an arts organization in the U.P. that got its start by accident and is now making a big difference in the local community. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)









                                                     Carol Rose, the founder of Keweenaw Krayons

3/5/02
Meetings Held To Find Arts Vision
Tamar Charney

Maybe you've seen fliers or even placemats at your local diner inviting you to a meeting about the culture scene in your community. Over the next couple months the state's arts council is hosting meetings to learn more about what kind of arts activities people in the state value. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney sat in on the first of these meetings in Kalamazoo and filed this report.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/28/02
Book About Isle Royale Wins Award
Tamar Charney

Each year the National Park Service gives out awards to projects that help people understand the country's parks. One of this year's winners is a book about Isle Royale. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/15/02
Underground Railroad Has Michigan History
Tamar Charney

In the years before the civil war, people who were slaves in the south escaped north to freedom using a system of secret routes called the Underground Railroad. Many were traveling as far north as Canada. As Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports all throughout Michigan there's a network of cellars and secret back rooms that were part of the Underground Railroad.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/11/02
Women in Astronomy
Tamar Charney

Astronomy historically has been dominated by men, but women have left their mark over the years as well. A new planetarium show is trying to shine a little light on advances in astronomy that were made by women. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)


Matt Linke creator of "Women in Astronomy:A History."

The Women in Astronomy show is scheduled for public viewing at the UofM Exhibit Museum Planetarium until mid-March. It's available indefinitely for visiting school groups.

1/11/02
UMS Launches Literary Chamber Series
Tamar Charney

A new performance series is bringing literature to the concert hall. Ann Arbor's University Musical Society is launching a "literary chamber series." Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/8/02
UM Artists Experience Natural World
Tamar Charney

People who study the natural world often do field research. They go to learn about plants, animals, and the ecosystems we live in. But scientists aren't the only ones who can make use of time spent studying the outdoors. Michigan Radio's Tamar Charney reports.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)



Archives Sept-Dec 2001
Archives July 2001
Archives April 2001-June 2001
Archives March 2001

Arts and Humanities Radio Project