PODCAST · arts
The Art Box
by vvarts
Join our co-hosts as they interview local, regional and national guests on all things creativity and beyond.
Episodes
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The Art Box - Episode 496 — Kimberly Nixon: The Stories Our Families Leave Behind
What happens when a family legend turns out to be true? Author Kimberly Nixon grew up hearing that her grandmother had “robbed a train.” Years later, she discovered her grandmother’s 1925 felony conviction papers, stayed up all night reading them, and immediately began writing the novel Rock...
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The Art Box - Episode 495 — From Shy Student to Center Stage: Wende Killinger
What happens when one teacher sees something in a shy young student that she hasn't yet discovered in herself? Our guest is Wende Killinger, drama teacher at Virgin Valley High School and one of the founders of Cactus Youth Theatre. Wende takes us back to junior high, where she was painfully shy...
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The Art Box - Episode 494 - 2026 Harvest of Thought
Welcome friends, to The Art Box Podcast and our Harvest of Thought 2026. Last year, our Harvest of Thought grew into something much bigger than we ever imagined. We gathered so many wonderful voices, poems, stories, and reflections that it took five full episodes to share them all. Well, this…
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The Art Box - Episode 493 - Christine DeJuliis: The Art of Possibility
Artist, writer, and expressive arts facilitator Christine “Sunshine” DeJuliis joins Steve for a thoughtful conversation about creativity as a pathway to healing, presence, connection, and possibility. Through brilliant color, intuitive abstraction, symbols, mandalas, and the simple act of…
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The Art Box - Episode 492 — Kate McElderry: Stories, Brains & the Beautiful Ways We Learn
Writer and educator Kate McElderry joins us for a wonderfully wide-ranging conversation about creativity, learning, and the many different ways our minds work. Kate shares how childhood days spent exploring outdoors, sketching, journaling, and growing up around her mother’s art studio eventually...
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The Art Box - Episode 491 - Own the Character - A chat with Christopher Aguilar
Christopher Aguilar has been finding his way onto stages since childhood—although one of his earliest may have been the fireplace at his grandmother’s house. In Episode 491, Steve sits down with actor, playwright, teacher, and creative force Christopher Aguilar for a conversation about a life…
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The Art Box - Episode 490 — When Time Splinters: Kindall Fredricks and the Shape of a Story
Writer, poet, nurse and mother Kindall Fredricks RN, ADN joins us for a fascinating conversation about what happens when a story refuses to travel in a straight line. Kindall uses unconventional spacing, formatting and punctuation as part of the storytelling itself, allowing the page to fracture…
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The Art Box - Episode 488 - The World Through Marie’s Lens: Finding the Nevada Others Might Miss
On Episode 488, photographer and artist Marie Nygren joins Steve and Addie for a journey across Nevada, one photograph at a time. Marie’s love of photography began when her grandmother gave her a Kodak Brownie as a child. Decades later, a photography class reignited that spark, and a first-place...
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The Art Box - Episode 489 - The Next Generation - Saving Lives and Art
For Episode 489 of The Art Box, Mesquite Fire Rescue Chief Jayson Andrus and Maryann Mainero join Steve in the Mesquite Works STEAM Center studio for a conversation about service, community, public art, and the future of Mesquite. At the center of our conversation is the new Fire Station #2 and…
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The Art Box - Episode 487 - DanSing Through Life: Daniel Brady on Poetry, Music & Inspiration
For Daniel Brady, creativity has never belonged to just one art form. In Episode 487 of The Art Box, Steve sits down with poet, writer, musician, teacher, and performer Daniel Brady for a conversation about a creative journey that began in elementary school and took shape during the cultural...
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The Art Box - Episode 486 — Jen Guyton - Rewilding the Creative Life
What happens when you finally achieve the dream you’ve spent your whole life chasing and discover that reaching the summit isn’t what you thought it would be? In Episode 486 of The Art Box, Steve sits down with Jen Guyton, National Geographic Explorer, wildlife photojournalist, ecologist, and...
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The Art Box - Episode 485 - Where Travelers Become Friends: A Visit with Liz Woolsey.
Steve makes his annual sojourn to Baker, Nevada, gateway to Great Basin National Park, for another visit with his friends Liz Woolsey and her husband, James, and the remarkable little oasis they have created in one of Nevada’s most remote communities. This time, Steve also arrives carrying copies...
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The ARt Box - Episode 484 - Finding Light in the Sound: Matt Hancock and DECO-LUXE
In Episode 484, Steve sits down with Matt Hancock, the creative force behind DECO-LUXE, for a conversation about electronic music, creativity, recovery, and the unexpected places where sound can take us. Matt shares how music became part of rebuilding his life and how his earlier, darker work...
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The Art Box - Episode 483 - Coming Out of Retirement for a Good Story: Linda Harris Interviews Steve Dudrow
Sometimes a story is good enough to bring an old friend out of retirement. After reading Steve’s The Art of Noticing and Sandcastle Windows, former Art Box host Linda Harris reached out with a request: she wanted to return to the studio and interview Steve about his writing. And Steve couldn’t…
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The Art Box - Episode 482 — Finding Freedom on the Canvas: Chris Picior
More than 475 episodes after her first visit to The Art Box, magnificent Mesquite artist Chris Picior returns—and she is still discovering new ways to create. Chris was our guest way back on Episode 6, when we talked about her lifelong journey through art. This time, we catch up on where that...
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The Art Box - Episode 481 — The Art of Building Community: Larry LeMieux
For nearly three decades, Larry LeMieux has been one of those people who sees something a community could use and then helps make it happen. On Episode 481 of The Art Box, Steve sits down with Larry for a conversation that becomes something of an oral history of Mesquite. We travel from his early...
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The Art Box - Episode 480 — A Little Happiness in Every Bite: Beep Stanton
Sometimes the sweetest chapters of our lives have been quietly taking shape for decades. On Episode 480 of The Art Box, Steve visits with Thalia “Beep” Stanton, creator of Grama Beep’s Sweets. Beep’s love of candy making began as a teenager in a friend’s kitchen and became a Christmas tradition...
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The Art Box - Episode 479 - Finding Our Inner Compass: A Conversation with Shauna Walch
What happens when a moment in nature changes the direction of your life? On this episode of The Art Box, Steve talks with Las Vegas native Shauna Walch, whose lifelong connection to the desert and a powerful moment in the McCullough Mountains inspired Compass, a growing vision for nature-based,...
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The Art Box - Episode 478 - Making Memories Stories with Paul Benedict
Making Memories Stories with Paul Benedict Our Episode 478 guest is our good friend Paul Benedict, one of Mesquite’s most outstanding citizens and a man who describes what he does with three wonderfully simple words: “I tell stories.” And Paul has plenty of them to tell. An Air Force veteran,...
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The Art Box - Episode 477 - Tapping Into Imagination - A Chat with Miles Woods
Our Episode 477 guest, Miles Woods, grew up right here in Mesquite as part of a close-knit local family filled with some truly wonderful people. Miles has left his creative mark on his hometown by painting three community murals, and he stays involved with local theater, building sets alongside…
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The Art Box - Episode 476 - Building Community One Book at a Time — Josh of Mad Red Books
*** I LOVE this bookstore *** For Episode 476, Steve sits down with Josh, owner of Mad Red Books in Las Vegas, for a conversation about books, curiosity, entrepreneurship, and the importance of keeping people reading. Growing up in a family of avid readers, Josh turned a lifelong love of books…
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The Art Box - Episode 475 — Edie & Eden Imagine a Creative Hub Without Borders
What if an empty building could become a doorway to the world? In Episode 475, Edie and Eden join Steve to explore an ambitious vision for a multicultural creativity hub in Southern Nevada where art, technology, education, and human connection come together. Edie shares her plans to repurpose an...
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The Art Box - Episode 474 - Listening to the Landscape: Dr. Chris Merritt on Art, Archaeology & Community
In Episode 474, Dr. Chris Merritt, Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, joins Steve for a conversation about archaeology, preservation, art, and the stories hidden in the landscapes around us. Steve and Chris have worked together on several archaeological projects exploring the lives of...
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The Art Box - Episode 473 - Every Great Photograph Begins with a Story a Conversation with Randy Bauman
Randy Bauman, Chair of the Mesquite Fine Arts Photographic Society, returns to The Art Box four years after joining us way back on Episode 7. We pick up where we left off, exploring just how much photographic technology has changed since 2022. But our conversation quickly moves beyond cameras and...
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The Art Box - Episode 472 - From Lost Wax to Intelligent Mirrors: The Art of Bradley Marston
In Episode 472 of The Art Box, we sit down with photographer and artist Bradley Marston to explore a creative journey that began in a small Utah town and continues today through his innovative Intelligent Mirror process. Bradley shares memories of growing up near an artist who created statues of...
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The Art Box - Episode 471 - Fostering A Writing Community - A Chat with Kathryn Hunt
Poet, filmmaker, memoirist, and teacher Kathryn Hunt joins us for a conversation about a creative life built around curiosity and discovery. From studying with legendary artist Jacob Lawrence to premiering her first film at the Venice Film Festival, Kathryn’s path has moved through many forms of...
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The Art Box - Episode 470 - Grand Lodge Writers Retreat with Minadora and Tammy - A Fabulous Chat
What happens when two creatives, brought together by friendship and a shared belief in the transformative power of writing, decide to create a place where creativity can breathe? In this episode of The Art Box, Steve welcomes Tammy Bendetti and Minadora Macheret, founders of the Grand Lodge...
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The Art Box - Episode 469 - Donna Kerr: Finding the Courage to Write the Story That Matters Most
Award-winning journalist, author, and communications strategist Donna M. Kerr has spent more than four decades helping others tell their stories. In this deeply moving episode of The Art Box, Donna shares the journey toward writing the most important story of her life, her own. Growing up in the...
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The Art Box - Episode 468 - Alena Patton: Building Stronger Communities Through Art and Service
In this episode of The Art Box, Steve welcomes his friend Alena Patton, Management Analyst with the Nevada Arts Council, for a thoughtful conversation about curiosity, leadership, and the power of creativity to strengthen communities. While helping expand access to arts funding across Nevada…
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The Art Box - Episode 411 - Addie Reads Sandcastle Windows
Our research assistant Addie took some time to read the Forward and Chapter One from Steve's new novella Sandcastle Windows. You can purchase on Amazon. Addie's Review of Sandcastle Windows When Steve first handed me Sandcastle Windows, I expected a story about art. What I didn't expect was a…
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The Art Box - Episode 467 - One Day You Will Understand - Conversation with Brian Gibson
Artist, musician, mentor, and educator Brian Gibson joins The Art Box for a thoughtful conversation about creativity, compassion, and the power of making art without fear. From painting and experimental music to mentoring young people through creative exploration, Brian shares why curiosity…
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The Art Box - Episode 466 – Leading a Meaningful Life a Conversation with Kim Johnson
What does it mean to live a meaningful life? For Las Vegas artist Kim Johnson, the answer is found somewhere between the tangible and the mysterious, the "liminal" space where body and spirit, creativity and purpose, intersect. In this thoughtful conversation, Kim shares her journey from a…
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The Art Box - Episode 465 - The Cello, the Canvas, and the Creative Life - A Conversation with Mark Dudrow
Cellist, visual artist, and lifelong creative Mark Dudrow joins The Art Box for a thoughtful conversation about choosing a life devoted to art, beauty, and human connection. Inspired by supportive parents, an exceptional art teacher, and a life-changing realization at age twenty, Mark shares how...
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The Art Box - Episode 464 - Haunted Landscapes: Betsy Gaines Quammen on Ghost Stories, History, and the American West
What if our ghost stories aren't really about the dead, but about the parts of history we've never fully faced? In Episode 464 of The Art Box, Steve welcomes acclaimed author, historian, and researcher Betsy Gaines Quammen for a captivating conversation about curiosity, storytelling, and the...
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The Art Box - Episode 463 – Reading the Ancient Landscape: Archaeologist Elizabeth Hora
Archaeology is about far more than digging in the dirt. In Episode 463 of The Art Box, Steve welcomes archaeologist and friend Elizabeth Hora, Executive Director of High Desert Heritage and Research, for a fascinating conversation about how ancient landscapes, rock imagery, and cultural artifacts...
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The Art Box - Episode 462 - Wait for the Hero - A Chat With Beth Enos
I was introduced to Beth Enos and her husband, Will, by our mutual superstar friend, Candace Garlock, during the opening reception of an exhibition at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City. The three of us hit it off immediately, as if we'd been friends for years. We were fortunate to welcome…
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The Art Box – Episode 461 Rebuilding a Life, One Page at a Time: The Story of Craig Petersen
One of the greatest joys of hosting The Art Box is the opportunity to meet remarkable people whose stories inspire long after the microphones are turned off. It has been a genuine pleasure getting to know Craig Petersen, and I am honored to welcome him as a guest to share his extraordinary…
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The Art Box - Episode 460 - America’s 250th Birthday Celebration
Welcome to a very special edition of The Art Box Podcast, recorded from the Mesquite Works STEAM Center in the Mojave Desert. Two hundred and fifty years ago, an idea was set into motion, imperfect, evolving, debated, celebrated… and endlessly interpreted through the voices of generations that...
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The Art Box - Episode 459 - Creating the Life You Were Meant to Live - Back with Monique
Episode 390 guest Monique Long returns to The Art Box for a deeply personal conversation about identity, creativity, and the remarkable power of believing in yourself. While our first conversation explored Monique's extraordinary journey through Hollywood as an Emmy Award-winning costume…
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The Art Box - Episode 458 - Cool Shit with Cool People: Laura Esbensen and the Art of Radical Generosity
What happens when you turn a 1960s vintage bus into an art gallery? You get Gallery RAG Las Vegas, the bold new artist-run exhibition space created by Las Vegas artist, curator, and community builder Laura Esbensen. In this energetic conversation, Steve sits down with Laura to explore her journey...
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The Art Box - Episode 457 - Sarah Kilgallon: Walking Toward Wonder
Artist, photographer, writer, and explorer Sarah Kilgallon joins The Art Box from her home in Portugal for a thoughtful conversation about curiosity, creativity, and the winding path that leads us toward a meaningful life. Originally from Boston, Sarah followed both her heart and her imagination…
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The Art Box - Episode 456 - Leaning In With Curiosity - A Conversation with Julie Notaro
Step inside the vibrant creative world of Julie Notaro, Las Vegas mixed-media artist and founder of fraiche arts, a working art studio and gallery located inside the iconic Arts Factory in the Las Vegas Arts District (18B). Here, Julie paints, teaches, exhibits her evolving collection of fine…
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The Art Box - Episode 455 - Lauren Camp – Turning Ordinary Words into Extraordinary Worlds
Poet, author, and former New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp joins The Art Box for a thoughtful conversation about curiosity, language, and the quiet power of paying attention. From her beginnings as a visual artist and jazz radio host to writing her acclaimed new collection Is Is Enough, Lauren...
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The Art Box - Episode 454 - Daring to Do Dementia Differently – Meet Dangle & Dot
In this inspiring and deeply human conversation, Steve Dudrow is joined by friend, intuitive, and past Art Box guest Kaye Ashbridge as co-host for a heartfelt discussion with Nancy Nelson ("Dangle") and her partner in advocacy Kat Hartley ("Dot"), the creative forces behind dangle & dot, a social...
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The Art Box - Episode 453 - The White Horse in the Frame – Photographer Will Enos
This was such a delightful conversation with photographer Will Enos, whom I met recently at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City. Will and his wife, Beth (also a fabulous photographer and a soon to be Art Box guest), were attending our mutual friend Candace Garlock's remarkable Road to Terminus...
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The Art Box - Episode 410 - A Ranch Musical - Meet Natalie Aramendia and Kristyn Harris
As part of our continuing coverage of the 41st Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, Steve Dudrow welcomes filmmaker Natalie Aramendia and singer, songwriter, and actress Kristyn Harris to discuss the creation of the award-winning film A Ranch Musical. Recorded during our...
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The Art Box - Episode 452 – Building Confidence One Swing at a Time: Laura Buxton and the Virgin Valley Junior Golf Association
MJ sits down with Laura Buxton, President of the Virgin Valley Junior Golf Association, to discuss how the organization is helping shape the next generation of golfers and community leaders. Laura shares the association's mission of creating a positive, inclusive, and growth-oriented environment...
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The Art Box Podcast – Episode 451 - From Fairways to Fine Art – Meet Kathy Cho
In this engaging episode of The Art Box, MJ Stiles sits down with Mesquite's own Kathy Cho, a woman whose creative talents seem to know no bounds. Kathy is a professional golfer, sought-after golf instructor, accomplished artist, internationally recognized clothing designer, and musician whose...
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The Art Box - Episode 449 - Flag Day 2026 Special - Old Glory
Every once in a while, The Art Box likes to pause from our usual conversations and celebrate the days that quietly stitch together the fabric of our shared lives. Holidays. Cultural moments. National remembrances. Days that ask us not simply to wave a flag or mark a calendar… but to reflect. One…
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The Art Box - Episode 448 - Reinventing Creativity – Meet Judi Moreo
From international stages to television studios, bestselling author, speaker, artist, and creativity advocate Judi Moreo has spent a lifetime helping others discover what they're truly capable of. In this inspiring conversation, Judi shares her journey of resilience, reinvention, and creative...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join our co-hosts as they interview local, regional and national guests on all things creativity and beyond.
HOSTED BY
vvarts
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Art Box have?
The Art Box currently has 400 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Art Box about?
Join our co-hosts as they interview local, regional and national guests on all things creativity and beyond.
How often does The Art Box release new episodes?
The Art Box publishes regularly with 400 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Art Box?
You can listen to The Art Box on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Art Box?
The Art Box is created and hosted by vvarts.
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