brave space: a gathering of makers

Sarah Braverman
  • 5.0 (2)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
brave space: a gathering of makers

Welcome to brave space, an interview-style podcast where I, Sarah Braverman, chat with artists, makers, and creatives about their work, perceptions of their craft, what inspires them, and wherever else our conversations take us. 

  1. 05/13/2019

    episode twenty one: al florez

    On this episode of brave space, I chat with Al Florez, a woodworker based in Lyons, CO. We met in summer 2018 at the Boulder County Farmers Market's artisan show where Al had a booth with his then new business, Leaf Woodworking. You can learn more about Al Florez and Leaf Woodworking on Leaf's website, Instagram, or in person at the two artisan markets listed below. Thanks again to Al for coming on the pod and for being a dedicated listener! Our theme music is by Noon. To find out more about this episode and this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com (https://www.blubrry.com/brave_space/42491899/episode-nineteen-heather-kegel/bravespacepod.com). Like what you hear? Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bravespacepod)!

    45 min

  2. 03/26/2019

    episode twenty: corey garretson

    In this episode of brave space, I chat and share a meal with Corey Garretson, Denver-based comedian, musician, and poet who describes himself as a “person who loves the stage.” I first met Corey through a mutual friend - I've since seen him perform music and improv comedy, but have never talked to him about his crafts. We start off with a lesson in Thwazz, or as Corey describes the language he created, “an endless mine of linguistic fun.” Corey says good clean fun is something he tries to embody in all of his art. He also says that danger is the heart and soul of improv because of the possibility that it could fail at any moment; this is what makes it fun. He also talks about the beauty in failing live and the sublime feeling of being successful. Corey shares how his experience living in Chicago compared to that of living in his native Colorado and how that experience made him think about not valuing fame, but rather valuing his relationship with art. Corey also shares the story of how Samba became part of his life, which is connected to him learning and becoming fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Today he’s part of the Samba community in Boulder, CO, and he shares how united the community is in their love and honoring of Brazilian culture. Corey cooked us dinner for our podcast recording session, so I ask him what it is about cooking that he enjoys. He says that cooking is soulful and what makes us human; he says that his kitchen has the best energy in his home. I ask Corey about promoting himself and his shows and he shares his strong dislike of it and of fishing for compliments, and we talk about the paradox of not wanting to over-share our creative projects but wanting an audience to experience them. Thanks again to Corey for cooking us enchiladas! To learn more about Corey, check out his Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thwazzcaptain/). If you're in the greater Denver area, you can see him perform with Glue N Stuff for No DQ at the Grafenberg Theater every Friday at 10pm,  Makeshift Shakespeare at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse, and Grupo Chegando Lá every 4th Thursday of the month at The Laughing Goat. Our theme music is by Noon. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com (bravespacepod.com). Like what you hear? Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bravespacepod)!

    1h 16m

  3. 03/12/2019

    episode nineteen: heather kegel

    Welcome to the first episode of brave space in 2019! Meet Heather Kegel - an artist, potter, and the woman behind Heather Kegel Studios. I first met Heather on a group hike with Boulder Hiker Chicks. We quite literally climbed a mountain together before learning about our mutual love for handmade goods! Since then, we've continued hiking and "talking shop," and I'm so happy to bring you Heather's journey of finding her voice as a potter. We talk Instagram and how Heather balances sharing her business life and her personal life. Branding is huge for Heather, and she tells me about how she curates her social media. Heather went to art school and has studied a variety of different artistic mediums, so I ask her about when pottery came into her life. Heather shares a story of how learning to center on the wheel changed her life in ceramics, and breaks down what centering is and how challenging of a skill it is to learn. Heather defiantly labels herself as an artist, and she shares the story behind why. She tells me how nature found its way into her work in recent years as she found her way back to nature. You can learn more about Heather Kegel Studios by visiting Heather's website (http://heatherkegelstudios.com/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/h.k.studios/), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Heather-Kegel-Studios-358000234668759/) pages. Our theme music is by Noon. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com (bravespacepod.com). Like what you hear? Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bravespacepod)!

    1h 1m

  4. 12/10/2018

    episode eighteen: ellen moershel & mick tresemer

    In this episode, I met up with Ellen Moershel and Mick Tresemer, two visual artists based in Colorado. I first encountered them this summer while they were live painting at a concert in Boulder, and we caught up in October. The two of them have been friends since attending art school in Oklahoma, and they originally started collaborating on artwork by sending drawings and paintings to each other through the mail. Ellen & Mick both say since collaborating, their painting styles have shifted. I ask them to describe their individual styles, and we quickly dive down a rabbit hole talking about organic versus geometric painting. Both of them brought sketchbooks to our coffee meeting, and we talk about creating work in the moment versus revisiting past ideas. Ellen says they’re both improvisational and reactionary painters, which in addition to their friendship, makes their collaboration work. They share a secret with me… oops paint! Both say that with visual art, it’s impossible to run out of ideas, as the possibilities for different mediums are endless. For Mick, he says he's just scratching the surface of what he can do with climbing rope as a medium. They talk about being inspired by abstract shapes and color in nature. When I ask about the community of people they surround themselves with, they both note that they don’t interact with a lot of visual artists, but rather have friends who work in the sciences, conservation, and music. The conversations they have with folks outside of visual art influence their work. They both think that travel and exposure fuels their art, and that it’s important to gain different perspectives, either from peers or experiences. They’ve both been full time artists, and talk about juggling their art making with other jobs and responsibilities. We chat about the cost of a work of art and how people often assume it should be lower than its worth. We also talk about one of my favorite conundrums – how much an art institution is or isn’t willing to compromise on the presentation of the work in order to be accessible to a variety of audiences. Thanks to Ellen & Mick for chatting with me for this episode! To learn more about Ellen, visit http://ellenmoershel.com and her Instagram page @abstractually. To learn more about Mick, visit https://www.micktresart.com/ and his Instagram @trickymesmer. Our theme music is by Noon. You can find and support his music on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Spotify. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com.

    58 min

  5. 11/19/2018

    episode seventeen: kaitlyn tucek

    For this episode of brave space, I met with multidisciplinary artist Kaitlyn Tucek in her home studio in Denver. Kaitlyn and I met this summer at a beer festival, but this was the first time we really dove into a conversation. We chat about her personal history as an artist, her work for various museums, and her experience as a transplant from New York City. We chat about her family life, her children’s involvement in art and creative projects, and Kaitlyn's upbringing. Later, we ask the question, "How do you allow someone to have their own experience walking through a gallery, but also as an artist be allowed to tell your own story?" We talk about how this relates to accessibility of art. Kaitlyn says that ultimately, her goal is for each and every person to feel like they belong in the art world, and the only way to do this is to give people the tools they need to feel that way. Kaitlyn was an elementary school art teacher, so we also talk a bit about our teachers growing up and how much they inspired us. Lastly, we talk about Kaitlyn's current inspirations, which include looking at sunsets from the vantage point of her home, thinking about underpaintings, and how food and company go together. She has a show at Alto Gallery in Denver that we discuss in this episode; it opens on December 7th, 2018, and if you're in the Denver area you should definitely check it out! Thanks again to Kaitlyn Tucek for talking with me for this episode and welcoming me into her home. For more information on Kaitlyn and her work, visit www.kaitlyntucek.com or Instagram @ktucek. Our theme music is by Noon. You can find and support his music on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Spotify. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com.

    53 min

  6. 11/05/2018

    episode sixteen: lindsay schmittle

    For this episode, I spoke with Lindsay Schmittle, the Owner & Chief Maker of Gingerly Press, a letterpress design studio where she works with handset type. Lindsay is formally trained in graphic design, and she studied visual communication in college before working as a printer. After that experience, she began acquiring her own printing equipment, and then made the leap to start her own business. Gingerly Press started in her parents’ garage outside of Philadelphia, and is on its way to Pittsburgh in the spring. She describes herself as an entrepreneur, and says all of her business skills are self-taught. Her dream is to have a studio space that will also accommodate workshops. Lindsay feels strongly about marketing the process of letterpress printing, and she notes that her letterpress is an antique from 1915. After she moves to Pittsburgh, she envisions staying in her new city for at least 10 years since the tools of her trade are very heavy and can be fragile – she calls it her “heavy metal baggage.” When thinking about her big move, Lindsay says she wants to cultivate a creative community, wherever she ends up. Lindsay shares the origin stories of her decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and the art she’s creating from that experience. In 2015, in preparation for her Appalachian Trail hike, she hiked Vermont’s Long Trail with her brother. Then, in the fall of 2016, she launched her Kickstarter project, The Printed Walk: Georgia to Maine, which funded her trip and kept her outdoor adventures tied to her budding business. She talks about fighting fear, in terms of fear of her ability to complete the hike, fund the Kickstarter, and creating work that she’s proud of afterward. Many thanks to Lindsay for chatting with me, and to Rhiannon Hare, a previous podcast guest, for connecting us! To find out more about Gingerly Press, visit www.gingerlypress.com or Instagram @gingerlypress. Our theme music is by Noon. You can find and support his music on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Spotify. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com.

    50 min

  7. 10/23/2018

    episode fifteen: becky bailey

    In this episode, I chat with Becky Bailey, a self-described textile and print designer by day and visual artist by night. She's based in Morristown, NJ and works with mixed media collage paintings which are shaped and have sculptural elements as framing devices. We spoke in October of 2018, right after she returned from a four week residency at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. Having unrestricted time dedicated to making art is important to Becky. Her cohort at the residency was very productive, and she says she's motivated by those around her. The group also arranged informal critique and feedback sessions which Becky said was not just motivating but validating because she hadn't had them in a while. We talk about the benefits and challenges of living in different cities such as New York, Denver, and Philadelphia. I ask Becky about how she defines contemporary art, and she says that she thinks the individual making work decides if they're creating "art" or not. I press her on what she meant when she said doing residencies makes her feel like a "real artist." She talks about realizing she's doing what she's supposed to be doing artistically and how good that feels. We also talk about seeking validation with our creative work. Becky's mother is a master crafter, so I ask her what it was like growing up with the influence and presence of making. Big thanks to Becky for chatting with me for this episode! To find out more about Becky Bailey, visit beckybaileystudio.com (beckybaileystudio.com) or Instagram @beckybailey__ Our theme music is by Noon. You can find and support his music on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Spotify. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com.

    53 min

  8. 10/08/2018

    episode fourteen: rhiannon hare

    On this episode of brave space, I caught up with Rhiannon Hare, a self described graphic designer, artist, illustrator, quilter, and doer or all the things. We met about four years ago when we were both in school in Delaware. Since then, Rhiannon's lived in Portland, OR; Washington, DC; and now Providence, RI. Rhiannon started quilting around age eight, and she grew up going to quilt guild meetings with her mom. She considers herself to be a beginner quilter, even though she's been quilting for so long, because she's constantly learning new skills and variations. She shares a funny story about what it was like "growing up with quilts." We talk about our mutual desires to make and give heirloom gifts and the challenges with them. Rhiannon shares how she avoids burnout with her design work since her day job and side projects are different. We talk about how both of our art/marking practices have shifted depending on our environments, and we share similar feelings of guilt when we're not productive and it seems we're not using our time wisely. We pine away for more for more hours in the day to create things, but celebrate the wonder of exploring new places and being a jack of all trades, even if masters of none. Big thanks to Rhiannon for chatting with me for this episode! Visit her http://www.rhiannonhare.com/ and Instagram @rhihare to learn more about Rhiannon and her work. Our theme music is by Noon. You can find and support his music on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Spotify. To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com.

    52 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to brave space, an interview-style podcast where I, Sarah Braverman, chat with artists, makers, and creatives about their work, perceptions of their craft, what inspires them, and wherever else our conversations take us. 

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Braverman
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2019
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 brave space: a gathering of makers
  • Show Website
    brave space: a gathering of makers

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