Riverside Chats

Riverside Chats
  • 4.5 (22)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Riverside Chats is a series of conversations exploring culture of all kinds, from politics to art and everything in between. Hosts include Michael Griffin, Maria Corpuz, and Chris Bowling. A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Created by Tom Knoblauch.

  1. 21H AGO

    260. Leo Adam Biga on Journalism, Film, and the Power of Sharing Diverse Stories

    Biga grew up in Omaha and received his bachelor's in journalism from the university of Nebraska Omaha. He is a freelance cultural journalist and non-fiction author, and his work has been recognized by the Omaha Press Club, the Nebraska Press Association and the American Jewish Press Association. He is the author of the books "Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film" and "Crossing Bridges: A Priest's Uplifting Life Among the Downtrodden

    52 min

  2. MAR 2

    259. Singer Songwriter RIKÉ on the Connections Between Artistry and Advocacy

    My guest today is RIKÉ, a singer songwriter based out of Omaha. His music is influenced by R & B, Rap, and Pop. He also works in public health and is passionate about community advocacy. His artistry and advocacy culminated in 2022 when he created Tilt, an annual arts showcase aimed at providing an inclusive platform for artists in Omaha.

    52 min

  3. MAR 2

    258. Dr. Athena Ramos on Figure Skating and Community-Centered Approaches to Research

    Ramos grew up in Bellevue and is the associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion of the UNMC College of Public Health and is also involved in the School of Public Health's Center for Reducing Health Disparities. Her research interests have an emphasis on Intercultural communication, cultural competency, and coalition-building, and she was given UNMC’s distinguished scientist award in 2025.

    52 min

  4. FEB 16

    257. Jess Benjamin on Water Systems, Imagination, and Monumental Ceramics

    Benjamin grew up on the irrigation ditches on the 100th meridian. She received her Bachelors in Arts from Hastings College in 2001 and worked as a studio assistant for Jun Kaneko until 2006. In 2008, I received my M.F.A from Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Benjamin fuses water drought data with monumental, scaled ceramics, and her work has been featured  at the Joslyn Art Museum, Museum of Nebraska Art, the Great Plains Art Museum, and private galleries in the Midwest. In 2013, the Nebraska Arts Council awarded me an Individual Artist Fellowship Grant. My artwork has been published in Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, NY Arts Magazine, Lark Crafts: The Best of 500 Ceramics, 500 Ceramic Sculptures, and in Sculpture Magazine.

    52 min

  5. FEB 16

    256. Khenda Mustafa's Approach to Community-Centered Advocacy

    My guest today is Khenda Mustafa.  Mustafa was born in Iraq and grew up in Texas. She attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln, where she studied global studies. She is the director of community engagement at CIRA, the center for immigrant & refugee advance in Omaha.  CIRA (Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement) in Omaha is a nonprofit organization formed in 2022 by the merger of Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center. It provides comprehensive legal representation, resettlement, and social work services to immigrants and refugees in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. CIRA focuses on family/humanitarian immigration and supports, including services for unaccompanied children.

    52 min

  6. JAN 31

    255. Bekah Jerde on The Radio Talking Book Services' Mission

    Jerde was born and raised on the high plains of northwestern South Dakota. She is the director of the Radio Talking Book Service, a nonprofit serving Nebraska and southwest Iowa with a mission to connect individuals who are blind, low vision, or print impaired to news, information, arts, and culture through the human voice and technology.   Additionally, Jerde is a photographer whose work has been featured at the Des Moines Art Center and was named the “Outstanding Emerging Visual Artist” at the 2022 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards.

    52 min

  7. JAN 26

    254. Pablo Arza on Balancing Jazz Guitar and DJ'ing

    My guest today is Pablo Arza, aka DJ Arza.  Arza graduated from Ralston High School and received training in jazz at the Berklee College of Music and Tribeca Jazz Institute. In Omaha, you can catch him performing at The Red Lion Lounge, The North Omaha Music and Arts (NOMA Omaha) and other venues around Omaha.

    52 min

  8. JAN 18

    253. Natalia Alamadari on the Importance of Independent Journalism

    Alamdari grew up in Texas before attending the University of Missouri-Columbia and receiving her bachelors and master's in journalism.  Currently, she is the senior reporter and Secreast Greater Nebraska reporting at the Flatwater Free Press, Nebraska’s first independent nonprofit newsroom. Her reporting on Nebraska prisons won a 2023 Great Plains Journalism Award.  We’re discussing the power of the story, navigating the saturated social media landscape, journalism’s role in functioning democracy.

    52 min
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4.5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Riverside Chats is a series of conversations exploring culture of all kinds, from politics to art and everything in between. Hosts include Michael Griffin, Maria Corpuz, and Chris Bowling. A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Created by Tom Knoblauch.

Information

  • Creator
    Riverside Chats
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    256
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Riverside Chats
  • Show Website
    Riverside Chats