Arts Fell on Alabama

Ashley Jeffcoat is the owner and fiber artist behind Paper Crane Yarns, a hand-dyed yarn studio based in Calera, Alabama. Working from her self-described “secret lab of wonderment,” she creates small-batch colorways inspired by a wide range of influences including literature, film, video games, and natural landscapes. Her distinctive yarn collections serve as a foundation for connection and creative exchange, and Ashley’s homey cottagecore shop fosters a sense of community among local and visiting makers alike. See her creations and more at papercraneyarns.com.  Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.    Eight-bit sound effect by freesound_community from Pixabay.  Music by Dvir Silverstone from Pixabay. 

Gary Waldrep is best known for his skill as a banjo player, performing and preserving the traditions of bluegrass and old-time music. He has also worked as a teaching artist for several decades and has received multiple grants through the Alabama State Council on the Arts’ Folk Arts Apprenticeship program.   Special thanks to Anne Kimzey, folklorist and literary arts program manager at the Alabama State Council on the Arts, who interviewed Mr. Waldrep for this episode. Music provided courtesy of Gary Waldrep.  Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.  

Eric Essix is a guitarist and recording artist who lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama. He has released 29 albums to date maintaining a steady flow of new music that continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. He has toured extensively with his own band, the Eric Essix Group, and with dozens of A-list artists as a sideman. In 1991, he was the youngest musician to be inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Building on a foundation of faith and heritage, Essix continues to produce new music and participate in educating and mentoring the next generation of Alabama’s jazz musicians.   People Get Ready was used with permission from Eric Essix.  Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.   

Gary Chapman is professor emeritus of painting and drawing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As an artist, he’s had an extensive career marked by solo and group exhibitions at national and international venues, as well as numerous grants and artist fellowship awards. He is a recipient of the 2026 Arts Impact Award from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Learn more at garychapmanart.com.  Special thanks to Dr. Laura King for conducting the interview.  Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

Debbie Bond is an internationally performing blues musician who splits her time between England, France, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Along with Michael McCracken, she co-founded the award-winning Alabama Blues Project, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and preserving the state’s blues heritage. The organization’s blues education initiatives have included in-school and after-school programs, exhibitions, workshops, and live Alabama blues showcases, impacting tens of thousands of people of all ages.  Special thanks to Laura King, who conducted the interview. “Enjoy the Ride” used courtesy of Debbie Bond.  Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

High on the bluff in Old Town Daphne, an old community hall is stepping back into the spotlight. Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre founder and executive director Erin Langley is leading the renovation of the Nicholson Center, transforming it into a vibrant hub that will empower local performers, give access for all audiences, and elevate the cultural life of Alabama's Eastern Shore.  Her vision: a theater legacy that will serve generations to come. Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

Mobile, Alabama’s Ben Kaiser (@ben.kaiser_art) is the owner and CEO of Mirth Artists, a Mardi Gras float production company. He and his team work year-round to design and build traditional papier-mâché floats for several of Mobile's most historic krewes including the Knights of Revelry, Crewe of Columbus, and Infant Mystics. Every year, Kaiser consults with each group's parade committee to develop relevant themes and new, jaw-dropping designs. Then, together with his team of 15 artisans, they bring them to life as large-scale rolling tableaus. His mission, he says, is to preserve and showcase Mobile’s 300-year-old Mardi Gras float-building tradition. Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.  Sound Credits:  Car Arriving, Idling, and Pulling Away by leonelmail -- https://freesound.org/s/429405/ -- License: Creative Commons 0  MardiGras-Rex_2011_parade-amb.wav by soundesigner --https://freesound.org/s/116398/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

In a quiet room at the Homewood Public Library, young adult author Randi Pink is chasing her dream one sentence at a time. Here why Randi is working to put her name -- and Black stories -- literally on the map. Learn more about Randi at RandiPink.com. Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

A church organist reflects on a “two‑week” fill‑in job that became a 50‑year calling and shares how sacred music, sacrifice, and joy shape her life at the keyboard. Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

C.H. Wilson is a Navy veteran living in Birmingham who finds healing and community while participating in InToto Creative Arts programs at his local VA.   Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

Bethany Moody weaves history and sustainable practices into her fiber art, proving that even things that have been discarded can become useful once again.  Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.  Music: Victor Military Band, Emil Waldteufel, and Walter B Rogers. Dreams of Childhood. 1913. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-133896/

Meet Timothy Huffman III: Birmingham drummer, keyboardist, and founder of Exposure Community Development Corporation. Free music lessons changed the course of Tim’s life. Now, he’s helping the next generation of Birmingham kids find their groove through his nonprofit.   Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

Montgomery-based writer Bob McGough shares how a lifetime of playing Dungeons and Dragons prepared him for writing novels and short stories -- and vice versa!

Treat yourself to some of 2024's best deleted scenes from your weekly dose of Southern creativity. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year from the Arts Fell on Alabama team!

Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Greta Lambert reflects on the joys and challenges of adapting Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a one-woman show during the coronavirus pandemic. In conversation with Annemarie Anderson. 

Peace Smith and Travis Hicks of Huntsville, AL, explain how they fell in love with stained glass through a workshop at Burritt on the Mountain, and have gone on to teach the craft themselves.

Visual artist and retired Auburn art professor Zdenko Krtić explains why 45 minutes of daily creativity are an essential part of his morning routine.

800 years ago, the Mississippian cultural center now known as the Moundville site was the largest city in America north of Mexico. Discover how art and creativity contribute to our ability to understand the past and imagine the future.

Music soothes the seasick (and homesick) soul, live from Korea circa 1952. Special thanks to Burgin Matthews and the Southern Music Research Center for their collaboration on this episode.

We take a drive down county road 29 to Gees Bend, where handmade quilts on the clothesline flutter in the October breeze.

Sheila Smith, treasurer of the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy, reflects on a childhood growing up among quilts and quilters in Wilcox County, AL. This episode was first produced by Deb Boykin and intern Ren Carroll in 2023.

Mobile-based artist and writer Ardith Goodwin takes on us a fantastical journey to Mardi Bay and the City of Elibom, and explains how her decade-long painting project turned into a middle-grade fantasy series. 

Courtney Bennett, director of Main Street Montevallo, explains how the city uses art--and fire hydrants--to empower citizens to make a mark on their community.

Tyler Jones, director of the Birmingham-based narrative studio 1504, describes the creative process behind a new, collaborative installation of artist Joe Minter's work in Titusville.

Elvie Schooley, executive director of DRUM, The Program, shares how she teaches healthy communication and decision-making to kids and adults through West African cultural arts.

Dr. Charlotte Pence, the city of Mobile's inaugural poet laureate, shows us what is possible with a piece of paper, a pencil, and paying attention to what's happening in your own backyard.

The city of Birmingham's inaugural poet laureate, Salaam Green, recites her mayoral proclamation poem, "What Must We Do 'Birmingham'." 

The city of Birmingham's inaugural poet laureate, Salaam Green, reads an excerpt of her mayoral proclamation poem, "What Must We Do 'Birmingham'." 

Lifelong seamstress Diane Hall shares how the sewing skills she learned growing up formed the foundation for a fulfilling and creative career as a seamstress for the Florence, AL-based sustainable fashion brand, Alabama Chanin. Katie Kooper interviewed Diane in 2021 as part of Project Threadways' initiative to document the rich textile industry history of northwest Alabama.

Ikebana artist Miki Jinno explains the meditative art of traditional Japanese flower arranging and how getting to know Alabama's flowers helped her start to feel at home in a new place.

Dr. Zanice Bond, associate professor of English at Tuskegee University, describes how her family has made use of "memory quilts" to honor and remember loved ones who have died.

Taylor Cunningham, a music student at Birmingham's Firehouse Community Arts Center, shares how learning to rock out with new friends taught him how to play instruments and find his own voice.

You may not think of turmeric-spiced carrots when you think of Southern fare. But in Greensboro, Alabama, Chef Sarah Cole dishes up Egyptian food using locally sourced produce from the Black Belt.

Alabama-raised, New York-based photographer Chester Higgins bears witness to challenging history through the lens of his camera.

Food, shelter, and creative expression. Dani Parmar (Program Director) and Nate (artist) share how InToto Creative Arts provides opportunities for artistic expression, healing, and connection for people affected by social and economic hardships in Birmingham. 

Fairhope-based photographer Pinky MM Bass shares the joy of letting go of control and leaning into the possibility of the creative process. 

Charlie Mato-Toyela, a traditional Native American flute maker from Cottonwood, AL, shares how tradition and innovation play into his approach to making musical instruments.

Unpack civil rights experiences from Birmingham's Jewish community. Historian and co-curator Melissa Young describes the creativity and history behind the Beth-El Civil Rights Experience, an immersive exhibit and guided tour. 

You've heard about bringing balance to the Force. But what about to a local dance scene? 2024 Alabama Arts Impact Award recipient Monique Ryan discusses why she has devoted her career to bringing variety to Huntsville's dance landscape. 

What in the world is a bodhrán? Take a sonic trip to Huntsville, to visit percussionist and bodhrán expert Andy Kruspe. He teaches us about the Irish frame drum that’s a staple of traditional Celtic bands.  

Have you ever visited a Greek Orthodox church and wondered who painted the ceilings and walls? The answer could easily be Huntsville's own Elias Katsaros! The Byzantine-style iconographer shares how he paints "inside-out" and sheds light on the history and meaning behind this ancient and continuing liturgical art form.

Discover the inspiration behind Dothan's newest mural, now gracing the walls of the historic Dixie Depot area. Evangeline Reynolds-Gunn, executive director of the Tri-State Expo on Juneteenth Affairs, shares her Juneteenth story.

Musician Russell Gulley brims over with lyrical inspiration and finds his voice at last. 

Actor Greta Lambert knows a good performance can inspire great feeling in the audience. It might also lead to a conversation in the produce section of your local grocery store.

Piñatas are made to be broken. But in Athens, Alabama, artist Edy Aguilar is making sure her family's art of traditional piñata making stays intact.

As a child, artist Jenny Fine lived for the magical stories she, her cousins, and her grandma would make-believe during summers spent at the pool. Today, Jenny shares how she draws on these memories to create art that helps her navigate the grief of losing her grandmother and sister.

If it looks like a duck and floats like a duck...it might be a decoy! Traditional artist Jason Russell shares how carving duck decoys has deepened his connection to nature and his commitment to wildlife conservation. 

We're waxing poetic about one writer's place in Alabama's literary landscape. Jeanie Thompson is a poet and the founding director of the Alabama Writers Forum. Jeanie is the recipient of the 2024 Albert B. Head Legacy Award. 

Creativity is one of the great mysteries of human existence. Discover artist and Auburn University professor Lauren Woods's creative process and learn why it's important to spend time with your inspiration when it strikes. Lauren Woods is a 2024 recipient of the Alabama State Council on the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship.

Artist and cultural organizer Kevin King describes how he uses art to impact his Montgomery neighborhood, Washington Park. Kevin is the Executive Director of The Kings Canvas and a recipient of the 2024 Alabama Arts Impact Award.