Nice Work

Indiana Public Media
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  • ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Nice Work is a weekly celebration of the arts, culture, and creativity of south central Indiana. From the creators of Earth Eats and Inner States, the show shares stories of artists, musicians, chefs, and dreamers who make our region shine.

  1. 17H AGO

    A feminist bookstore can change your life.

    When I invited Antonia Matthew for an interview on our show, she agreed but insisted that there were other local writers who were more deserving of the attention. Over the next couple of weeks, I received several messages from her with suggestions of writers we should interview. I was grateful and we’ll follow up on that, but I also think it says something about our guest today.  Tonia is originally from England, and she was a young child during World War II. She’s lived in Bloomington since 1968. She’s been involved in many artistic groups and organizations in Bloomington, including: Five Women Poets, Writers’ Guild at Bloomington, Aquarius Books for a Feminist Future, The Venue Fine Arts and Gifts Ekphrasis Readings, Women Writing for (a) Change and Puck Players Puppet Theatre. She wrote an audio play called Homefront, based on her experiences as a young child growing up in England during World War II, which Richard Fish helped to produce and distribute to WFHB and other stations, including stations in England, where it was produced with British actors.   Tonia talks with Kayte Young about her writing life and her role in Bloomington’s art scene.  Weird Academia Fans of the Weird Studies podcast co-hosted by IU professor Phil Ford rejoice! Phil and co-host J.F. Martel will descend on the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on January 29th, and they are bringing a host of intellectuals, creators, and thinkers along with them.  Weird Academia, started out as a night of conversation about the unexplained, the occult, and the mystic arts is now a festival of sorts. Alongside the evening of discussion about all things strange, there will be a screening of the colossally weird film Altered States, followed by a live recording of an episode of Weird Studies that will take place on January 28th at the IU Cinema. To kick it all off will be an exhibition of photographer   The People’s Yarn  Mary Ramsey didn’t know a thing about yarn or knitting when she moved to Bloomington, about 15 years ago. She also didn’t know very many people, so a coworker at her temp job invited her to a knit group, and she had a great time. She learned to knit, then she learned to dye yarn, and she started selling it online and at conventions. As much as she liked the yarn, the people have always been her favorite part. So when she opened Rebel Purl, a yarn shop on Bloomington’s west side, she made sure that community events were a central part of the business.

    51 min
  2. A Brand New Coat of Paint

    JAN 9

    A Brand New Coat of Paint

    The eye-catching red abstract sculpture by artists Alexander Calder on the IU campus gets a brand-new coat of paint. We head downtown to experience authentic movement and the ideas behind a public performance called Ordinary Pilgrimage. Poet Divya Victor spins poetry out of the “noise” of official documents, and some Rubik's cubes get solved.

    51 min
  3. Vintage Style and What Libraries Are For

    JAN 2

    Vintage Style and What Libraries Are For

    We hear from a style icon about vintage style vs vintage values. The director of our local library reflects on libraries as public trusts. And the head of curatorial services at IU’s special collections library describes the similarities between a library and a seance.

    51 min
  4. Guerrilla Art, Policing, and Power

    12/26/2025

    Guerrilla Art, Policing, and Power

    Scholar and curator Faye Gleisser’s book Risk Work: Making Art and Guerrilla Tactics in Punitive America, 1967-1987 won the 2025 Charles C. Eldredge Prize from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The award recognizes outstanding scholarship in the field of American art, and the 2025 committee called Gleisser’s work “gamechanging.” Risk Work is about artists in the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, who started using new tactics in response to changes in policing. Rather than creating art that would end up in museums, they showed up in public spaces. A group called Asco staged a photo of a gang war victim. Pope.L started crawling across and along city streets. Gleisser argues that these artists show us how policing and surveillance were intensifying through that period, and that art history and the history of policing and surveillance are not as distinct as we might think.   Alex Chambers talks with Gleisser about her book, and about how art has always been used to enforce power relations as much as to challenge them.  And we check in at the Buskirk Chumley Theatre and learn about local heavy metal band, Wind.

    51 min
  5. Nice Work Present: A Busman’s Holiday Special

    12/19/2025

    Nice Work Present: A Busman’s Holiday Special

    This week Nice Work teams up with Bloomington’s own Busman’s Holiday to create something special. A variety show type special, featuring interviews with local artists and writers, a bit of comedy and some top tips for festive snacks. All that and a lot of great music from Busman's Holiday.

    51 min
  6. Not Your Parents' Nutcracker

    12/12/2025

    Not Your Parents' Nutcracker

    The IU Nutcracker’s makeover, why art scenes need city government, God on stage, and what to do in Bloomington in these last two weeks of the year.

    51 min
  7. “Bloomington?? Oh, you mean The Gulch!”

    12/05/2025

    “Bloomington?? Oh, you mean The Gulch!”

    There’s a podcast produced in Bloomington called It’s a Beautiful Day in the Gulch. The song “Gulch Brigade” is by Bloomington band Full Stride. The Nice Work team sent producer Karl Templeton to figure out why people call Bloomington “The Gulch.” The term goes back farther than we thought.  We learn where to get local art supplies - both new and repurposed - and how an art shop can build community. Plus we hear about what to expect from this year’s Krampus Bizaar.

    51 min
  8. Nothing New Under a Low Winter Sun

    11/28/2025

    Nothing New Under a Low Winter Sun

    Alex Chambers visits the Terre Haute museum dedicated to labor leader Eugene Debs.   We head underground to a whole constellation of events at Orbit Room. And then it's a night at the movies with a one-of-a-kind screening at IU Cinema. Plus, Kayte and Tyler discuss their encounter with a pop-up local art show in an empty house.

    51 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Nice Work is a weekly celebration of the arts, culture, and creativity of south central Indiana. From the creators of Earth Eats and Inner States, the show shares stories of artists, musicians, chefs, and dreamers who make our region shine.

Information

  • Creator
    Indiana Public Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Trustees of Indiana University
  • Show Website
    Nice Work

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