Healing Arts from the Borderland
by Borderland Rainbow Center
Our podcasts are for those in recovery, survivors, and the everyday people who wish to be inspired by local/traditional artists who reveal their art, how they came to be, challenges (including those of intersectionality), and their current community outreach.Twitter @BRainbowCenterThis work is funded by TAASA on behalf of the Department of Justice.
Episodes
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The Art of Gay Tennis: Tony Hagen
In this Season 6 Finale Episode, Gay Tennis Podcaster Tony Hagen joins Aaron hot off his latest Wimbledon press junket. In between talking Extreme Western Forehand Grips and Tony threatening to hang up after Aaron mentioned the “p” word (pickleball), Tony explains gay tennis is and why hitting...
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The Art of the Violin: Jake Reynolds
Artists come in all walks of life. For instance, this week listen to lawyer Jake Reynolds talk about his love for land conservation, a little about Eagle Scouting and his love for music via the violin. Echoing previous conversations about combatting vicarious trauma, Jake’s approach to using the...
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The Art of Hats: Cynthia Gutierrez-Krapp
Self described as “well rounded in her trauma”, Cynthia Gutierrez-Krapp practices arts that bring her healing energy. Her work with bespoke hats provides those who buy them a level of cool and comfort and style unobtainable anywhere in the Borderland. Aaron knows because he bought one. Her large...
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The Arts of Writing & Film Appreciation: Luke Bugbee
Join us for this special Re-release Series commemorating the Plaza Classic Film Festival going on right now at the Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso! Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle, members of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Board both love movies and have used then to heal themselves...
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The Art of Film Appreciation: Lisa Elliot
Join us for this special Re-release Series commemorating the Plaza Classic Film Festival going on right now at the Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso! Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle, members of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Board both love movies and have used then to heal themselves...
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The Arts of Podcasting & Storytelling: Stephanie Valle
Join us for this special Re-release Series commemorating the Plaza Classic Film Festival going on right now at the Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso! Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle, members of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Board both love movies and have used then to heal themselves...
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The Art of Singing: Jamielynn Amato
The Songbird of El Paso joins us this week to talk about her unique brand of music. Eclectic, confident, uniquely from the Borderland, Jamielynn and her music have grown from trauma. And she brings her own experiences to help mentor and guide young people in middle school. And turns out that both...
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The Arts of Acting and Podcasting: Andrea Edgerson
Straight from NYC, actress and podcaster Andrea Edgerson joins this week to talk through Getting Older, heart opening ceremonies, taking big leaps, Darrel (if you know you know), and, get this, her acting in a scene with Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order SVU Season 23, Episode 18 - 18 Wheels a...
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The Arts of Acting and Writing: Monica Mojica
Ever want to lead a “see also” kind of life? You know – like if there was an encyclopedia article about you that cross-references all the other areas that pertain to you, you’d have a long list of “see also’s” at the end of your article. Join Aaron in hearing from Monica Mojica, mom, actor…
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The Arts of Yoga and Advocating: Daniela Chisolm
Yep, you got it – we’re re-releasing and showcasing all of our LGBTQIA+ related episodes in honor of Pride. This week, it’s The Arts of Yoga and Advocating: Daniela Chisolm. And I have a hot update. After the episode, Daniela moved to Austin to advocate for those with mental health challenges.…
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The Art of Flowers: Dove Kupfer
In this re-release episode, I get to showcase a real icon of queer life in El Paso. In The Art of Flowers: Dove Kupfer, Dov talked about flower design, his mom, and photography all of which helped make Dov, Dov. Quick plug: want to see all the latest Pride photos and more? Head to his Facebook...
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The Art of Writing: Luis Jaramillo
Here’s one more of our Pride Re-releases! This time it’s The Art of Writing: Luis Jaramillo. Luis lovingly told the cross-generational and time travelling stories of some impressive El Paso women using a mix of fantasy and realism which included race, gender, class struggle and lady bugs. If…
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The Art of Drag: DeDe Camacho
Guess what – this is another Pride Re-release. This time it’s The Art of Drag: DeDe Camacho. Our favorite drag star gives us all we needed to hear about her life in and out of stilettos. And quick update: check out an article on DeDe’s story NextGenRadio called “A Drag Queen’s Unlikely Journey to...
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The Art of Dance: Joshua Peugh
As we re-release some of our favorite episodes to showcase LGTBQIA+ stories, this week it’s The Art of Dance: Joshua Peugh. And this just in about Josh – he has been working during the last couple of months on a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Newport Contemporary Ballet.
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The Arts of Yoga & Advocating
Yep, you got it – we’re re-releasing and showcasing all of our LGBTQIA+ related episodes in honor of Pride. This week, it’s The Arts of Yoga and Advocating: Daniela Chisolm. And I have a hot update. After the episode, Daniela moved to Austin to advocate for those with mental health challenges.…
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The Arts of Movie Making & Acting: Ryan Rox
This episode specifically is The Arts of Movie Making and Acting: Ryan Rox. Quick update – since this episode, Ryan has starred in and directed a new film making the Indie circuit – it’s called Not Exactly Strangers. Follow Ryan on Insta by searching for “@imryanrox” and learn all about her…
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The Art of Arting: Ben Fyffe
This episode is The Art of Arting: Ben Fyffe. Here’s my quick update about Ben: he continues to shape the city’s investment into public art having shepherded over a million dollars to artists in 2025 and supported the $3.5 million infrastructure upgrade to the El Paso Museum of Art.
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The Arts of Writing and Film Appreciation: Luke Bugbee
Ever meet a young person you know must have lived a loooooong previous life and came back with so much of that accumulated knowledge and presence. When it comes to film analysis and appreciation, Luke Bugbee is that gut. Silent movies? Check. TV noir from the 90s? Check. The latest movies like…
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The Arts of the Documentary and Advocacy: Hanna Senko
Talk about refusing to be ignored: Hanna Senko joined with other survivors of sexual assault to sue prosecutors and police in Austin to demand a better system. And they won. In a previous episode, we talked with the producer of An Army of Women, the documentary that tells these women’s stories…
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The Arts of the Band and Food: Jim Ward
Fresh off performing at El Paso’s Sol Summit and releasing Sparta’s new album (Cut a Silhouette)(TODAY!), Jim Ward takes a moment to talk and reflect. As with his music, Jim’s introspective and nuanced approach to thinking about and working through trauma belies an experience of intense highs and...
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The Art of Video Bombing: VJay Bombs
In some ways a podcast is the best way to showcase the people behind the scenes of an anonymous art collective like Vjay Bombs – no need for identifying photos. Banksie-esque and rebellious Vjay Bombs practices the art of video bombing to speak to truth to power across the Los Angeles cityscape…
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The Art of Kids’ Art: Laura Gates Ingle
As we enter into May, Mental Health Awareness Month, co-founder of Creative Kids, Andrea Gates-Ingle, lovingly expresses her life’s work in providing healing art possibilities to at-risk kids and their families. She lovingly sketches stories about her brother, kids who have blossomed from art…
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Mother’s Day Edition Re-Release of the Art of Singing and Advocacy: Courtney Santana
Yup it’s a Mother’s Day Edition Re-release of The Arts of Singing and Advocacy: Courtney Santana. A survivor, an advocate, a singer, an amazing woman, Courtney recounts how losing her mom in the same year Courtney became a grandma forced her to reckon with the resulting highs and lows. And...
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The Arts of Food and Hospitality: Marina Ardovino
The Ardovino family represents all that El Paso can be: warmth, charm, amazing food and hospitality. Marina Ardovino joins us this week to talk about what it means to be Italian, El Pasoan, a mom, daughter, sister, wife and purveyor of beautiful hospitality. Marina also lovingly recalls her mom:...
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The Art of Flowers: Dov Kupfer
In many ways, Dov Kupfer personifies the LGTQIA+ experience in the Borderland. A decade’s long mainstay in our community, this conversation recounts how he has negotiated his place in the Jewish faith while living authentically and taking a million photos and changing lives by arranging flowers....
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The Art of Acting: Niko Gonzalez
Niko used theatrical rage to heal from trauma. “I think we look at anger as this big, bad emotion. It’s not. And you can have good anger, you can have bad anger, you can have anger that hurts people, you can have anger that hurts yourself.” In a specific angry scene in a recent theater production...
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The Arts of Music and Film Appreciation: Felipa Solis
My friend, Stephanie Valle, says it best when it comes to this week’s guest, Felipa Solis: “Ever meet someone who exudes so much energy, you float off the ground a few inches? When Felipa says hello, she says it with her whole self. Her eyes light up, her smile is 1,000 watts…Passion for the arts...
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The Art of Figure Drawing: Craig Culley
Ready for a great conversation about how Craig Culley does not use art to heal himself? I tend to believe his ability to accurately and creatively craft figure drawings and help students pick up this craft must feed a sense of accomplishment and nurturing that he has in him. But listen to his…
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The Art of the Band: Ale Caro
Ale’s who are you question included playing electric guitar in her band, Jane Like Fire, running cross-country track and being a young person in a close-knit and supportive El Paso family. “I call myself a sponge to my friends…I feel think right now as a young person it’s my responsibility to…
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The Art of the Cello: Zuil Bailey
The vibrations in his cello have worked their way into Zuil’s core. “The day you can embrace the uniqueness of who you are is the day you no longer have competition. All of us are so different. How we view colors, how we hear sounds. How we register our past. Chemically, our presence. How we...
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The Arts of Theater & Politicking: Joe Moody
What does it mean to come from the Border? Joe Moody says,“This is an incredibly accepting culture. It’s bi-national, an intersection of so many different people. You have got, I don’t know, 50, 60, 70 thousand people in El Paso that go to work every day across the border. And vice versa. People...
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The Arts of Triking & Advocacy: Gloria Terry
The Borderland’s own Gloria Aguilera Terry leads the Texas Council on Family Violence, one of the most effective anti-violence agencies in the county. She splits her time between El Paso and Austin: “First and foremost El Paso will be home…I lived in El Paso my entire life to my mid-forties and...
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The Art of of Acting, Part 2: Adam Zarowski
“I fell in love with storytelling early in life.” The leader of Teatro Neplanta and the Borderland Players, Adam came back to El Paso to practice his art. In a world in which everything seems like it’s already been done, actor and theater trouper Adam Zarowski knows how to innovate.
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The Art of the Band: Desmond Galvan
What does it mean to be in a band? “I gravitate towards music. That’s my art expression. You can reach so many different people with the same instrument but playing it differently evokes different emotions in people…When the lights come on, the world changes for me.”
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The Art of Singing: Erica Rosales Nagaglioni
A singer, former newscaster, community activist and attorney, I called Erica a chameleon. “At my core, I am a story teller. If I just say, ‘Who am I?’, and I have to, you know, narrow it down, I really think its about story telling. Because even in the fighting, even in the advocacy work that I…
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The Arts of Therapy & Advocacy: Dr. Elizabeth Richeson
Dr. Richeson tells us, “I am a clinical psychologist and my heart and soul is that. I always wanted to help people…but that’s something you learn early on. How to let someone into your heart without damaging your heart.” Despite experiencing significant trauma in her life, she has come to...
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The Art of the Calavera Catrina: Zuleiva Maldonado
Zuleiva Maldonado readily smiles and laughs in this episode and in fact every day despite a lived experience ranking as one of the most difficult and challenging I have heard. A Mexican, an American, a mom, a daughter, an adovcate, Zuleiva channels compassion in her life and work. Listen in for...
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The Art of Writing, Part 2: Luis Jaramillo
Fresh on the heels of Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, we hear from writer Luis Jaramillo who wrote “The Witches of El Paso.” Lovingly and creatively told, his book includes time travelling ladybugs, stories of El Paso past, present and glimpses into its future, examinations of workers rights…
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The Art of the Documentary: Julie Lunde Lillesaeter
Documentary filmmaker Julie Lunde Lillesaeter describes herself as someone who tells “stories that have some sort of meaningful impact”. When I asked her about trauma, she gave a nuanced, smart response. “After working on so many different projects, maybe in particular ‘An Army of Women’, where I...
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The Art of the Wrap Up: Avery and Aaron.
It’s a wrap for Season 3. After 27 episodes, Aaron checks in with Avery to see if he’s still into sharing his sage wisdom. And they touch on the great “Is sport an art” Debate, make funny faces and make a big decision about the future of the cast.
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The Art of Writing: Scott Carter
Scott Carter’s career spans 5 decades and includes acting, stand-up comedy, writing for top tier television productions, writing plays, performing Ted Talks, podcasting and as I highlighted to him, being a deep thinker. Frankly I can’t believe he agreed to do our little podcast. Consider Scott’s...
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The Arts of Directing & Therapy: Jason Wyatt
Here’s Jason’s explanation for why therapy is art: “I’m glad you talked about it as the art of therapy, bc I really think that’s an important piece. There’s an element of expertise – you have to have this knowledge in psychology but really I think what makes therapy work is the art of it. Like...
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The Art of Film Appreciation: Lisa Elliott
Lisa Elliott’s super power is helping you take take the power back from films you love, but that don’t love you back. “By teaching…the art of…appreciating film…people [learn] how film has shaped them and how culture has shaped them, and then that gives the power back to them. It helps them heal...
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The Art of Guiding: Mercedes Medici
Professional tour guide Mercedes Medici calls herself “a giver of words...I’m always impressed about the power or words – the tremendous, magical creative, healing power of words.” Sit back, picture the Coliseum in Rome in the distance, and listen to Mercedes Medici’s silky voice, beautiful…
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The Art of Acting: Teddy Sanchez
“First off…I am not comfortable at all being interviewed. Working in radio, I definitely feel more comfortable and confident as the interviewer than the interviewee. Revealing myself and putting myself out there in the world is very scary to me.” Kudos to Teddy for going “there” with me in…
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The Art of Bad A#@ Boot Making: Nevena Christi
Nevena Christi’s career path goes from from the Met Gala to Hollywood and beyond. But basically she’s “the same kid from when I was little. I just want to make stuff and draw and get messy and basically anything – furniture, art, boots, anything – that’s me...at home we restore vintage travel...
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The Arts of Theater and Teaching: Julie Wright
A lifelong actor and theater person, Julie Wright decided to become a teacher, a decision she thought was novel. Others saw this as an obvious progression for her. “When I mentioned it to other friends and family members, you know at the time, like ‘I think I’m going to be a teacher’, every…
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The Art of Exotic Retirement: Sherri Kendall
After a career of helping others, Sherri lives the dream retirement in Costa Rica. “I live on top of a mountain. I have a very chill lifestyle. I get up when I want to get up and I go to bed when I want to go to bed. No alarms, other than my dogs and monkeys when I’m in the jungle.” Listen in to...
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The Art of Dance & Politicking: Christina Sanchez
At different stages, Christina Sanchez has lived creative and professional lives. Hear how her experience with dance in many ways perfectly prepared her for public life. But replacing her love for dance with her current role as the El Paso County Attorney gives her pause: “I’ve been thinking a…
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The Art of Drag: DeDe Camacho
Living in Juarez by way of Chicago, DeDe entertains for a living at Drag Story Hour, at your next Joteria party or anywhere. “If I had to put it into a character that you might recognize, [it’s] kind of like ChiChi from Tu Wong Fu.” If you know you know. “Drag is powerful,…because it can take...
About this show
Our podcasts are for those in recovery, survivors, and the everyday people who wish to be inspired by local/traditional artists who reveal their art, how they came to be, challenges (including those of intersectionality), and their current community outreach.Twitter @BRainbowCenterThis work is funded by TAASA on behalf of the Department of Justice.
Hosted by
Borderland Rainbow Center
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