Nov 11 Watch 7:11 With emphasis on arts, rural communities challenge national narrative of decline By Jeffrey Brown Americans have been drawn to rural areas in recent years partly due to the appeal of a higher quality of life. These regions have not traditionally been known as art hubs, but some residents say that trend is changing. Jeffrey… Continue watching
Oct 18 Watch 6:31 A groundbreaking exhibition finally tells the stories of Native women artists By Jeffrey Brown, Kira Wakeam “Hearts of Our People” is the country’s first ever exhibition devoted solely to the works of Native American women. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts assembled the retrospective, which is currently at Nashville's Frist Art Museum and will visit Tulsa and… Continue watching
Oct 11 Watch 7:28 How Montana’s Tippet Rise showcases artistic achievement amid natural beauty By Jeffrey Brown The Tippet Rise Art Center in southern Montana is home to stunning sculptures, architecture and classical music. But instead of traditional museum or concert hall walls, its artworks are surrounded by natural wonders. And its organizers make a conscious effort… Continue watching
Aug 14 Watch 6:09 At Santa Fe’s International Folk Art Market, culture is the commodity By Kathleen McCleery Master artists from around the world gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico, each summer for the International Folk Art Market. The world's largest folk art market, it aims to preserve cultural traditions and foster economic opportunity. But it holds special… Continue watching
Jun 14 Watch 7:06 With the Juke Joint Festival, a Mississippi city aims to lose its economic blues By Jeffrey Brown, Frank Carlson In Mississippi’s Clarksdale, the heart of the rural Delta, a celebration of the blues has been drawing thousands of fans to the area for the past 16 years. The Juke Joint Festival, named for bars and informal music venues scattered… Continue watching
Dec 28 Art is a lifeline for this Appalachian community hit hard by opioids By Laura Santhanam This music workshop helps to keep two things alive -- the region’s arts and culture and residents' ability to recover from addiction. Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch 5:44 How these photographers used a camera to tell stories of rural America By Jeffrey Brown, Mike Fritz Photographers Fred Baldwin and Wendy Watriss traveled and worked abroad for years before meeting in the late 1960s. As a couple, they decided to shift their professional focus to the U.S., and specifically to the rural south. Their imagery documents… Continue watching
Dec 14 Watch 8:04 Glamour and gentrification go hand-in-hand in artsy ranch town Marfa By Jeffrey Brown, Jaywon Choe, Mike Fritz It's sometimes weird, often wonderful, definitely off the beaten path. Marfa, Texas, is a tiny rural town in the middle of dusty ranchlands, as well as an internationally renowned creative mecca. In the last few decades, as artists and nonprofits… Continue watching
Nov 02 Watch 7:12 This festival aims to bridge the urban-rural political divide ‘in a time of rot’ By Jeffrey Brown A food and arts festival in central Wisconsin has grand ambitions. “Fermentation Fest” celebrates art, farming and all things fermented. But in addition to serving up sauerkraut and kombucha, festival organizers from The Wormfarm Institute also hope it provides… Continue watching
Oct 16 Watch 5:57 For these Native American artists, business opportunities arrive by bus By Jeffrey Brown, Mike Fritz On South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, a substantial number of Native households earn income by creating and selling art. But many of these residents lack access to the transportation and financing that would enable them to market and grow their… Continue watching