WKAR has a new initiative to amplify the arts in mid-Michigan.
It’s a weekly segment called Inside the Arts and highlights performers, artists, authors and those making an impact on our community through creativity.
WKAR's Scott Pohl first came up with the idea for the series and has been producing regular arts stories since last fall. He spoke with All Things Considered host Sophia Saliby about the segment.
Interview Highlights
On the creation of Inside the Arts
It's a concept I've been playing with in my head for a long time that someday I would like my retirement years to kind of boil down to just covering the arts and maybe a weekly story about the arts. And so, I approached management at the station last fall with this idea of producing something about the local arts community that would run on Thursdays and also go on our website. And so, we've been doing these stories pretty much every week since October of last year.Scott Pohl
On some of Scott's most recent arts stories
A few of the other things that we've done recently have included conversations with Lansing's new poet laureate Ruelaine Stokes. Our own Al Martin, I think a lot of people didn't know also does some film acting, and I got to talk with him about his acting career. And when I can get a celebrity once in a while, like I talked with Jay Leno recently. He was about to perform at a casino in Battle Creek. So, when we can get a big name star, we're going to do that too.Scott Pohl
On Sophia's ArtPath Profiles series being aired as part of Inside the Arts
I'm really excited to have my ArtPath Profiles series be part of this new Inside the Arts segment. For those who don't know, ArtPath is this annual public art exhibition by the Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center that takes place along the Lansing River Trail. The program is in its seventh year. And since 2021, so four years ago, I've been profiling some of the artists featured so you may have heard the stories in the past. But this year, I'm doing profiles of eight artists for Inside the Arts. They are sculptors, fiber artists, metal workers, muralists. It's a really diverse bunch this year. So, I'm excited for our listeners to get the stories behind the pieces they've created.Sophia Saliby
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: WKAR has a new initiative to amplify the arts in mid-Michigan. It’s a weekly segment highlighting performers, artists, authors and those making an impact on our community through creativity. We’re calling the segment Inside the Arts.
Our own Scott Pohl first came up with the idea for the series and has produced some great arts stories in recent months, and he’s here with me now. Thank you for joining me.
Pohl: Hi, Sophia.
Saliby: How would you describe Inside the Arts as a concept?
It's a concept I've been playing with in my head for a long time that someday I would like my retirement years to kind of boil down to just covering the arts.Scott Pohl
Pohl: Well, it's a concept I've been playing with in my head for a long time that someday I would like my retirement years to kind of boil down to just covering the arts and maybe a weekly story about the arts. And so, I approached management at the station last fall with this idea of producing something about the local arts community that would run on Thursdays and also go on our website. And so, we've been doing these stories pretty much every week since October of last year. And I'm finding it to really be rewarding. I hope our listeners do too.
Saliby: And I think one important thing you pointed out is that you wanted the stories to feel actionable, like the listener could take part after hearing the conversation, right?
Pohl: That's right. People could go to the concert. They could attend the play. They could borrow the book from the library, something that ultimately adds to their enjoyment of life, yes.
Saliby: I also want to highlight some of these pieces you've produced. There was one I remember from just a few months ago about this documentary called Camp RicStar.
This camp was born of devastating loss. And that isn't just our family, it's a number of you who have also had tremendous challenges that have brought you to this place of parenting a child with a disability.Judy Winter, speaking in the documentary Camp RicStar
Pohl: Judy Winter and her husband are the prime leaders of Camp RicStar. It's a camp that's every summer at the MSU Community Music School, and the focus is on people who have disabilities or other challenges that make playing music or attending other camps difficult. So, it's really important to these young people and adults. It's a deeply moving film.
A few of the other things that we've done recently have included conversations with Lansing's new poet laureate Ruelaine Stokes. Our own Al Martin, I think a lot of people didn't know also does some film acting, and I got to talk with him about his acting career. And when I can get a celebrity once in a while, like I talked with Jay Leno recently. He was about to perform at a casino in Battle Creek. So, when we can get a big name star, we're going to do that too.
Saliby: I was a little skeptical, I have to say, when you said you wanted to book Jay Leno. I was like, 'He's not going to do an interview with WKAR.' But he did. He talked with you, and it was a really great conversation.
I wanted to also ask where you got your story ideas because it's a diverse bunch of what you're covering.
Pohl: Well, here are just a few of them. I'm in touch all the time with the good people at the Wharton Center. The Lansing Symphony Orchestra are good to work with, the MSU College of Music for the same reason. They're excited to get the word out about their programming. The people at the Broad Art Museum, and maybe especially the Arts Council of Greater Lansing is helping me stay in touch with other artists that I otherwise might not know about.
And this time of year when the ArtPath project is back in Lansing, I know it's been an area of interest for you in recent years, and it's great to be able to have our listeners learn about what's going on there this year.
Saliby: Yeah, I'm really excited to have my ArtPath Profiles series be part of this new Inside the Arts segment. For those who don't know, ArtPath is this annual public art exhibition by the Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center that takes place along the Lansing River Trail. The program is in its seventh year.
And since 2021, so four years ago, I've been profiling some of the artists featured so you may have heard the stories in the past. But this year, I'm doing profiles of eight artists for Inside the Arts. They are sculptors, fiber artists, metal workers, muralists. It's a really diverse bunch this year. So, I'm excited for our listeners to get the stories behind the pieces they've created. So, you'll be hearing those profiles this summer as part of Inside the Arts as I mentioned, but I wanted to ask for you Scott, what stories are you working on right now?
Pohl: Well, here are a couple you'll hear in coming weeks. I'm going to be talking with artist Mila Lynn about an art exhibition she's doing at the REACH Studio Art Center in Lansing and a recent conversation with Lansing based photographer Jena Hovey. And of course, if the Wharton Center can get me some of their celebrities that come into town, I'm going to do that too.
If ever you miss one of our stories for this new segment, you can visit our homepage at wkar.org. Find our Arts and Culture tab by hovering over the WKAR News that you'll find at the top.
Saliby: Scott Pohl is WKAR’s Arts reporter. Thank you for joining me.
Pohl: My pleasure, thanks.
Saliby: You can listen to Inside the Arts every Thursday during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. You can also share ideas for the segment by sending them into our email news@wkar.org.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
