ELECTRIFYING ZYDECO MUSICIANS PUTS ON A SHOW.

MOST BOTH OF MY GRANDFATHERS WERE CREOLE MUSICIANS.

EVERY TIME WE HAVE A GET-TOGETHER I'M RIGHT THERE WITH THEM, WATCHING THEM.

A.

A FIBER ARTIST WHOSE PHOTO QUILTS BOTH CAPTIVATE AND INSULATE.

THIS IS MY GRANDMA'S APRON.

THIS IS MY AUNT'S DRESS THAT SHE WORE TO SUNDAY SCHOOL.

FOR ME, I JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER WITH PHOTOGRAPHS.

A DETROIT CREATOR WHOSE WORK UNITES MULTIPLE MEDIUMS.

I PRETTY MUCH VISUALIZE IT AND MEDITATE ON IT AND IT ALL COMES TOGETHER.

AND A COLLABORATION CREATING COMMUNITY.

THE IDEA IS TO GET PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS TO WORK WITH ARTISTS AND COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER.

THESE STORIES ALL AHEAD ON "ART ROCKS."

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

HELLO.

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF "ART ROCKS" WITH ME, JAMES FOX-SMITH, PUBLISHER OF COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE.

LOUISIANA HAS A WORLDWIDE REPUTATION FOR PRODUCING GREAT MUSICIANS AND GIVING BIRTH TO NEW MUSICAL GENRES TOO.

ZYDECO IS ONE SUCH GENRE SPRUNG UP OUT OF THE COLLISION BETWEEN CAJUN AND R&B IN THE RURAL SOUTHWESTERN AREAS EVER THE STATE.

RUSTY METOYER'S GRAND PARENTS WERE PRESENT AT THE CREATION, LITERALLY AMONGST THE MU SIXES WHO HELPED DEFINE AND REFINE THIS DISTINCTIVE MUSICAL TILE.

NOW THE YOUNG LAKE CHARMS NATIVE IS CARRYING ON THE FAMILY TRADITION AND TAKING IT FARTHER THAN HIS ANCESTORS EVER DREAMED OF GOING IN THE PROCESS.

RUSTY METOYER AND THE ZYDECO CRUSH.

OUR FIRST ALBUM WAS TAKE MY HAND.

WE RELEASED THAT IN 2013.

MY SECOND ALBUM WAS IN DUE TIME, I RELEASED THAT IN 2016.

I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY THIRD ALBUM.

I'M A BAND LEADER, I PLAY THE ACCORDION, I SING THE SONGS, I WRITE THE SONGS, I DRIVE THE VAN, I DO THE SOUND.

YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH BEING A BAND LEADER I'LL TAKE ON ALL THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.

BOTH OF MY 2K3WR57BD FATHERS WERE CREOLE MUSICIANS.

LOUIS METOYER AND CORNELIUS PAPPILON.

THEY BOTH PLAYED.

I HAVE VARIOUS UNCLES AND COUSINS THAT PLAY MUSIC WHETHER IT BE BASS, DRUMS OR GUITAR, ACCORDION AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO EVERY TIME WE HAVE A GET TOGETHER THEY WOULD PULL OUT THE INSTRUMENTS AND I WAS JUST KIND OF RIGHT THERE WITH THEM, JUST WATCHING THEM.

THERE'S PICTURES OF ME LIKE FOR HOLIDAYS WHEN MY COUSINS OUTSIDE PLAYING AND I'M SITTING THERE IN THE MIDDLE ALL THE OLDER PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY JUST WATCHING THEM PLAY MUSIC.

I'LL BE THE ONLY KID IN A PICTURE JUST WATCHES THEM JUST SOAKING IT IN.

AS FAR AS PLAYING THE ACCORDION I HAD ONE THAT MY UNCLE DEMPSEY HAD SENT ME WHEN I WAS 10.

I KIND OF LEARNED A LITTLE SONG ON IT, PUT IT DOWN AND NEVER TOUCHED IT AGAIN FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.

AFTER MY GRANDFATHER PASSED AWAY I PICKED IT UP TO KIND OF JUST KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY SO I STARTED PLAYING A LITTLE BIT AND STARTED TRYING TO TEACH MYSELF LISTENING TO OLD CASSETTES AND C.D.S AN THEN I STARTED KIND OF MAKING GOOD NOISE ON IT.

IT STARTED JUST 12340EB8ING FROM THERE.

AS FAR AS SINGING I WASN'T A NATURAL AT THAT EITHER BUT DOAI HAVE UNCLES, MY PARRAIN, GREGORY PAPPILON, HE'S AN INCREDIBLE SINGER.

HE KIND OF JUST TALKED TO ME ONE DAY AND JUST KIND OF EXPLAINED THE DYNAMICS OF SINGING.

AS FAR AS YOU DON'T JUST SING FROM HERE YOU GOT TO BRING IT FROM HERE.

AND THEN I THINK THAT NIGHT I WAS JUST SINGING IN MY ROOM AND IT JUST MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

[SINGING] I THINK I'M JUST BEST AT OVERALL PERFORMING, JUST GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED.

I THINK I'M A GOOD ACCORDION PLAYER, I THINK I'M A PRETTY GOOD SINGER, SONGWRITER, BUT I THINK WHAT I DO BEST IS RELATED TO PEOPLE THAT I'M PLAYING IN FRONT OF AND KIND OF MAKE THEM MOVE, MAKE THEM DANCE OR GET THEM INVOLVED SOMEHOW TO SORT OF MAKE THEM LAUGH, TAP A TOE OR SOMETHING.

YOU DIDN'T JUST COME TO SIT DOWN, YOU CAME TO MOVE.

SO IF I'M MAKING YOU MOVE I'M DOING MY JOB.

I'M DEFINITELY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNTIL TO TRAVEL THE COUNTRY, TRAVEL THE WORLD MANY TIMES, AND I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT TRIP.

NATIONALLY I HAVE BEEN EAST COAST, WEST COAST, NUMEROUS TIMES.

SINCE I WAS ABOUT 20, YOU KNOW, GOING ALL ALONG THE EAST COAST, ALONG THE WEST COAST.

I HAVE PLAYED IN FRANCE IN 2012, PLAYING GUITAR FOR A DIFFERENT BAND.

I PLAYED IN THE NETHERLANDS IN 2015 WITH MY BAND.

I PLAYED IN FRANCE IN 2016 WITH MY 3W57BD.

I HAVE DONE A ZYDECO CRUISE.

I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO TRAVELING.

ALL OF MY BIG TRIPS THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME.

THEY HAVE 45ERD ME AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER WHETHER THEY HAVE TRAVELED TO LOUISIANA AND HEARD ME PLAY AT A LOCAL PLACE OR THEY TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE, WHO IN LOUISIANA IS UP AND COMING?

HOW THEY FIND OUT ABOUT ME I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK THE PEOPLE IN FRANCE APPRECIATE IT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE WE'RE A FRENCH CULTURE.

I FEEL LIKE THEY KIND OF LOOK AT LOUISIANA AS THEIR LITTLE SIBLING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I'M PROUD OF THAT.

WE'RE KEEPING THE FRENCH GOING.

ZYDECO DANCE IS NOT A CONCERT.

YOU'RE NOT JUST SITTING DOWN AND WATCHING THE BAND.

YOU'RE UP DANCING AND WHEN WE SEE YOU DANCE I CALL A BOY AND I SEE YOU OVER THERE, JUST TALKING TO HIM AND THEY MIGHT BE WITH THEIR DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLUBS, YOU CALL THEM OWED AND IF YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE FROM LIKE WE'RE PLAYING IN HOUSTON AND YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE FROM OPELOUSAS, YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY ARE PART OF THE SHOW.

JUST BE INTERACTIVE.

FIVE, TEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD FOR MY MUSIC I SEE US PLAYING BIG ARENAS, BEING IN A TOUR BUS AND STILL PLAYING LOCAL STUFF BECAUSE OUR LOCAL PEOPLE, OUR CULTURES, THAT'S WHO MADE IT.

I DON'T WANT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE I'M TOO BIG TO PLAY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORTED US FROM THE BEGINNING.

AFTER HURRICANE LAURA WE WERE DISPLACED TO HOUSTON.

BACK AND FORTH TO LAKE CHARGES ASSESSING THE DAMAGE, CLEANING UP.

I FOUND MY FIRST ACOURTION THAT MY UNCLE SENT ME.

IT WAS A LOT TO TAKE IN AND DEAL WITH.

I FOUND MY ACCORDION.

[SINGING] I DO WANT TO BE A PART OF ELEVATING OUR KU8 TOUR TO THE NEXT LEVEL, REACHING PEOPLE THAT ZYDECO MIGHT NOT HAVE REACHED 10, 15 YEARS AGO OR 30 YEARS AGO.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.

ZYDECO IS SUCH A VERSATILE MUSIC THAT ANYONE CAN RELATE TO.

REGGAE STARTED JUST IN JAMAICA, IT WAS JUST A REGIONAL MUSIC IN JAMAICA BUT NOW IT'S WORLDWIDE.

I THINK ZYDECO CAN DO THE SAME THING.

WE REACH TO A WIDE AUDIENCE WHETHER IT'S YOUNG OR OLD, BLACK OR WHITE, WHOEVER.

ANYBODY CAN RELATE TO ZYDECO.

MY FAVORITE PART IS KIND OF ALL OF IT TOGETHER THE FACT THAT I'M KEEPING SOMETHING GOING THAT WAS INSTILLED IN ME AS A CHILD FROM MY FAMILY, AND YOU REPRESENTING MY CULTURE, I'M REPRESENTING MY CITY EVERYWHERE I GO.

ALSO THAT PEOPLE ENJOY WHAT I'M DOING.

PEOPLE ENJOY MY ART.

THEY WHEN THEY COME UP AND ASK ME FOR ME TO PLAY SOME OF MY ORIGINALS, AND WHEN I'M PLAYING THEY ARE SINGING MY SONGS THAT'S A GREAT FEELING.

[SINGING] OUR LIVES CAN BE ENORMOUSLY ENRICHED BY THE CREATIVE ENDEAVORS OF OTHERS.

THE TRICK IS KNOWING WHERE TO LOOK.

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR PICKS FOR NOTABLE EXHIBITS TAKING PLACE AT MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD.

FOR MORE ABOUT THESE AND LOADS MORE EVENTS IN THE CREATIVE SPACE VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS WHILE THERE YOU'LL FIND LINKS TO EVERY EPISODE OF THIS PROGRAM SO TO SEE OR SHARE ANY SEGMENT AGAIN VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS PLENTY OF US SLEEP BENEATH QUILTS ASSEMBLED FROM THE PIECES AND PARTS OF OUR GRAND MOTHER'S DAY' SUING ENDEAVORS BUT NOWADAYS SOME ARTISTS ARE INCORPORATING SPECTACULAR PHOTOGRAPHS INTO THEIR QUILTS TOO.

OHIO'S CHRIS MERCERHILL IS ONE OF THEM I'M ORIGINALLY FROM TORONTO, CANADA.

I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES TO GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.

I MET MY WIFE THERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

WE MOVED TO ILLINOIS AND THEN BACK TO OHIO BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TO HOME SO KIND OF A CLASSIC STORY REALLY.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN PATTERNS, SHAPES, SQUARES, TRIANGLES.

SO WHEN I SET OUT TO MAKE A PHOTO QUILT, A QUILT MADE OF PHOTOS SEW N TOGETHER, I START WITH AN IMAGE.

THIS IS AN IMAGE OF THE NORTH MARKET.

I'M GOING TO USE THIS PHOTO AND MAKE ITS MIRROR IMAGE.

FOR THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE QUILT I'LL CULL THESE TWO INCHES OFF THEN THE NEXT LAYER I'LL CUT ONE AND THREE-QUARTERS AND A LITTLE BIT OFF OF HERE THEN I MARCH IT DOWN BY THE INDEPENDENT, BY THE TOP ROW, THIS IS MY FOUR-INCH SQUARE.

SO THE EFFECT IS THIS CREATES FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM THE SOURCE IMAGE SHIFTS SLIGHTLY AND CHANGES AND THESE LINES WHICH ARE AT ODD ANGLES REALLY LEND DINE MITCHELL.

THEY INTERSECT IN REALLY INTERESTING WAYS THAT CREATE DIAMOND SHAPES AND POINTS AND SPIKES.

TRADITIONAL QUILTS OFTEN THE STORY IS THIS IS MY GRANDMA'S APRON, THIS IS MY AUNT'S DRESS THAT SHE WORE TO SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

FOR ME I CAN CAPTURE MEMORIES THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS.

I CAN IDENTIFY PATTERNS OR PLACES OR THINGS AND USE THEM IN MUCH THE SAME WAY MAKE A QUILT OUT OF THOSE INSTEAD OF OUT OF FABRIC.

AND SO IT'S ALL ABOUT EXPLORING THE CITY, FINDING INTERESTING VIEWPOINTS, FINDING THINGS THAT REACH OUT TO ME AS A DYNAMIC IMAGE AND THEN I CUT THEM UP AND SEW THEM TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

WHEN I WAS IN ILLINOIS I STARTED WORKING ON A PATTERN CALLED LOG CABIN, WHICH IS SORT OF A SQUARE WITH THESE STRIPS ALL THE WAY AROUND THAT JUST REPEAT AND REPEAT AND REPEAT WHICH KIND OF GIVES THE EFFECT OF A LOG CABIN AND I WAS IN THE LAND OF LINCOLN.

WHEN I CAME TO OHIO A LITTLE OVER TEN YEARS AGO, I FOUND THIS OHIO STAR PATTERNING IT'S CALLED A NINE PATCH QUILT.

THERE'S A GROUP OF PATTERNS CALLED THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE THREE SQUARES BY THREE SCOURS.

FOUR OF THE SQUARES HAVE TRIANGLES THAT FORM AN X.

SO THE THING I LIKE YOU GET THESE KALEIDOSCOPE, DIAMOND SPOTS, THEN THERE'S THIS PATTERN THAT SORT OF REPEATS SQUARE, TRIANGLE, SQUARE BUT WHEN YOU PUT IT NEXT TOO OUGHT BLOCK IT'S A CONVEYOR, TRIANGLE, SQUARE.

SO TO MY EYE IT'S COMPLICATED ENOUGH YOU HAVE TO LOOK TWICE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND I DON'T ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WHEN I'M LOOKING AT IT THAT I FIGURED IT OUT.

ONE THING I REALLY TRY TO DO WITH MY WORK IS TO CREATE OBJECTS YOU CAN APPRECIATE UP CLOSE AND FROM A DISTANCE.

SO FROM A DISTANCE IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A CARPET OR WALLPAPER OR INTERESTING SHAPES AND THEN YOU GET UP CLOSE AND YOU GO, HEY, THERE'S A PERSON THERE.

IS THAT THE NORTH MARKET?

THAT'S THE NORTH MARKET.

I LOVE FABRIC QUILTS.

MY WIFE AND I MAKE FABRIC QUILTS TOGETHER BUT FOR ME MAYBE IT'S THE RESOLUTION, THE CLARITY YOU CAN GET WITH A PHOTOGRAPH THAT REALLY SETS IT APART FROM FABRIC.

I THINK MY WORK IS SORT OF ABOUT NOTICING THE BEAUTY AROUND US AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF STOPPING AND PAUSING AND APPRECIATING IT IN A WAY MAYBE WE HAVEN'T BEFORE.

DIRECT FROM DETROIT, HERE'S AN ARTIST WHO CHOOSES TO WORK WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF MATERIALS.

FROM WOOD TO STEEL AND ACRYLICS TO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

THE POWER OF RAMON JORDAN'S CREATIONS SPRING FROM THE DIVERSITY OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS THAT THEY INCORPORATE.

LIFE SHOWS YOU HOW TO BE AN ARTIST.

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO BE LIFE WILL SHOW YOU.

I GREW UP IN DETROIT.

MY UNCLE, HE WAS A CARTOON ARTIST.

HE PAINTED BUILDINGS AND HE SHOWED ME A LOT AND I PRETTY MUCH PICKED IT UP AND JUST DID IT FOR, YOU KNOW, RECREATION AND GETTING MY FRUSTRATIONS OUT.

SCHOOL FRUSTRATIONS, RELATIONSHIP FRUSTRATIONS.

IT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND LIFE MORE BECAUSE I STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO PEOPLE AND HOW THEY ACT AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND I STARTED TO PORTRAY THEM IN MY ART.

YOU ONLY CAN PAINT SO MANY PEOPLE BEFORE IT ALL STARTS LOOKING THE SAME AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT I CAN SET MYSELF APART.

MY ART MEDIUM CONSISTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

IT CONSISTS OF WOODS, ACRYLICS, ACRYLIC PAINT.

TWO PART EPOXY.

STEEL.

INSTRUMENTS.

ANYTHING THAT I PRETTY MUCH SEE THAT I WANT TO DO I PRETTY MUCH VISUALIZE IT AND MEDITATE ON IT AND IT ALL COMES TOGETHER.

I GOT INTO MEDITATION 10, 12 YEARS AGO BECAUSE I WAS GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME IN MY LIFE AND I NEEDED AN OUTLET.

I FIGURED I CAN HELP MYSELF BY CALMING MYSELF, BEING MORE PATIENT WITH MYSELF.

IT HELPED ME A LOT.

CERTAIN WORKS I GET, IT COMES FROM TRYING TO HAVE PEACE IN THE WORLD AND I HAVE ONE PIECE THAT ACTUALLY IS DONE FROM JAPAN.

THEY HAVE A FOREST THAT, THE SUIT SIDE FOREST, I DID A PIECE ON THAT.

DEPRESSION, IT'S IN MANY FORMS.

IT CAN BE SLIGHT, IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING.

AND WHEN I DEAL WITH DEPRESSION IT'S LIKE I DEAL WITH IT IN A WAY OF PAINTING SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL SO I CAN CHANGE A PERSON'S MIND STATE, BECAUSE YOU REALLY CAN'T CHANGE DEPRESSION LIKE IT DOESN'T JUMP FROM SAD TO HAPPY.

SO I TRY TO, YOU KNOW, JUST COLUMNIZE IT AND BREAK IT DOWN FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK OVER THE TIMELINE BACK AT WHAT THEY WERE DOING UNTIL NOW TO BEING HAPPY.

IT'S A PROGRESSION IN ONE PIECE.

THE MEANING BEHIND WHAT I'M CREATING RIGHT NOW YOU WOULD CALL IT ATMOSPHERE.

I'M ACTUALLY BUILDING THE HEIGHT OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN COMING UP OFF THE CANVAS SO I CAN SEE HOW IF LOOKS IN THREE, SO IT CAN LOOK 3D.

THE SHAPE I WANTED TO CHOOSE THE SHAPES THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS A LOT OF DIMENSIONS.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THE ILLUSION OF LIKE A FOREGROUND AND A BACKGROUND AND A DISTANCE.

I'M A HUGE MUSIC LOVER.

WHEN I'M ACTUALLY CREATING I ACTUALLY LISTEN TO CLASSICAL MUSIC AND A LOT OF SOFT ROCK AND CLASSICAL ROCK.

A LOT OF THE INSTRUMENTS INSPIRE ME BECAUSE I USED TO PLAY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT IT, THOUGH.

BUT I FIGURE I CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT.

ONE DAY I WENT TO THIS PLACE WHERE THEY SELL CELLOS.

I WAS LIKE I WANT TO BUY TWO SO I CAN TAKE APART AND DO SOME ARTWORK WITH THEM.

THE LADIES WAS LIKE, CAN YOU SHOW ME WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THEM?

I DREW IT OUT FIRST AND SHE WAS LIKE, OH, THAT IS NICE AND SHE GAVE ME TWO OF THOSE.

I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO TAKE CHANGE.

I WANT THEM TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE 2D, OR OF SOMEBODY TO BE GOOD ART.

IT CAN MOLD IT INTO WHAT YOU WANT IT.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY CALL IT CREATION BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING.

THIS IS A FRIEND OF MINE, SHE'S ACTUALLY IN THE BATH MIRROR AND SHE'S ACTUALLY PLANNING OUT HER MONTH.

HER MOTHER IS IN THE MIRROR AS WELL.

SHE INSTEAD OF HAVING THE IPHONE IN HER HAND SHE HAS A DAY PLANNER SO SHE'S FOLLOWING WHAT HER MOTHER DID AND THAT'S HOW SHE BECOMES SUCCESSFUL IN HER LIFE.

AND I HAVE MY BUTTERFLY.

SHE IS PRETTY MUCH SHOWING YOU THE UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE AND HOSS IT IS BEAUTIFUL, HOW MANY DIMENSION IT IS HAS.

IT'S JUST A WOMAN WHO IS LOOKING TOWARDS HER FUTURE, PRETTY MUCH.

AND I HAVE -- IT'S CALL NEUROHUMAN BECAUSE ALL OF THE DESIGNS I HAVE ON THERE IS PRETTY MUCH THE NEUROELECTRIC IN YOUR HEAD, AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH SHOWING YOU THAT LIFE AND LOVE CAN BE SEPARATED BUT YET IT STILL HAS ITS OWN LINE TO BE LINKED BACK TO ITSELF.

PEOPLE LOVE, THEY LOVE IT AND THEY SOMETIMES ARE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN IT IN PERSON.

WHETHER THEY SEE IT IN PERSON THEY ARE LIKE, WOW, I DIDN'T THINK IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE THAT.

IT LOOKED FLAT, BUT WHEN THEY SEEN IT THEY ARE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK.

PUBLIC ART IS REMARKABLE FOR ITSABLE TO REVITALIZE ENVIRONMENTS BY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN SHARED EXPERIENCE.

SO JOIN US ON A TRIP TO RENO, NEVADA, TO CHECK IN ON THAT CITY'S EFFORT TO FOSTER COLLABORATION BY BRINGING MORE ART TO PUBLIC SPACES.

THE ART BELONGS HERE GRANTS INITIATIVE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD CREATIVE PLACE MAKING PROJECT FOR PUBLIC ART.

THE IDEA IS TO GET PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS TO WORK WITH ARTISTS AND COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER TO CREATE ART PROJECTS THAT EXIST OUTDOORS IN PUBLIC SPACE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

PROJECTS THAT REFLECT COMMUNITY IDENTITY, HERITAGE, THE PERSONALITY OR CHARACTER OF A PLACE.

ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT GOT APPROVED IS A SCULPTURE TITLED GOOD LUCK HORSESHOE.

THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE RENO RODEO SO THE RENO RODEO PARTNERED WITH ARTIST MICHAEL GRAY TO BRING THIS SCULPTURE TO RENO AND PERMANENTLY LOCATE IT.

WE HAD TO USE A CHICHING HAMMER TO BUST OUT THE CONCRETE SO THAT IT WOULD SIT PHILADELPHIA.

WE PUT THE BANNER ON THE TOP FOR STABILITY.

IT KEEPS THE REPORTS SHOE FROM SEPARATING.

YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CLIMB ALL OVER IT.

THE GOOD LUCK HORSESHOE TO ME IS A REAL PIECE OF INSPIRATION THAT MIKE HAD TO TAKE SOMETHING OUT TO THE BLACK ROCK DESERT THAT SORT OF SYMBOLIZED THE HORSES OF OUR AREA, THE WESTERN CULTURE, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT TO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AT BURNING MAN.

IT'S COMPLETELY APPROPRIATE THAT IT ENDS UP FULL CIRCLE BACK HERE.

MIKE WAS ABLE TO SOURCE THE MATERIALS LIKE THE HORSESHOES THAT ARE IN GOOD LUCK HORSESHOE ARE ALL REPURPOSED HORSESHOES THAT HE COLLECTED FROM DIFFERENT FARRIERS AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH HORSES IN THE AREA BUT A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE OUR NEIGHBORS THEY HAVE HORSES THAT ARE IN THE DRILL TEAM AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THOSE HORSESHOES HAVE BEEN IN THE ACTUAL RENO RODEO GROUNDS ARE PROBABLY PRETTY GOOD.

THERE'S A PROJECT HAPPENING ALONG FOURTH STREET, AN ARTIST THAT'S WORKING ON THAT IS ACTUALLY DOING BIKE BENCH SOS HE'S TAKING BIKE PARTS AND MAKING THEM INTO THESE REALLY COOL BENCHES.

I'M INVOLVED WITH THE RENO BIKE PROJECT AND THE BREWERY ARTS DISTRICT ON FOURTH STREET.

WIRE PUTTING OUT A SERIES OFARAR TICK TICKS BIKE BENCHES THAT ARE ALSO BIKE RACKS.

IT PROVIDES SOMEWHERE FOR CYCLISTS TO PARK ON FOURTH STREET AND PRODUCES SOME ART FOR THE COMMUNITY AND PROMOTES CYCLING IN THE AREA.

TODAY I'M ASSEMBLING THE FIRST FINISHED VERSION OF OUR LATEST PROTOTYPE.

WHILE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE AFFECTED OUR OVER ALL DESIGN.

WE HAVE HAD TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ADA REGULATIONS AS WELL AS SIDEWALK REGULATIONS IN DEVELOPING A BENCH THAT WILL CONFORM TO THE CODES AS WELL AS BE A PIECE OF ART AND BE FUNCTIONAL AS FAR AS PARKING A BIKE AND NOTICEABLE THAT IT IS A BIKE RACK AND A BENCH FOR CYCLISTS.

ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING IS ON WEDEKIND ROAD AT THE 395 OVERPASS.

THAT'S A COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT.

IT'S BE THE CHANGE PROJECT WORKING WITH ARTIST ASA KENNEDY.

THE MUIR IS GOING TO BE A DAY OF THE DEAD THEMED PIECE.

THE WALL IS UGLY.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN UGLY AND IT GETS TAGGED AND PAINTED OVER GRAY AND TAGGED AGAIN AND THAT CAN EASILY BE CHANGED.

AS WE TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY AND GOT FEEDBACK PEOPLE WERE REALLY POSITIVE ABOUT THE IDEA AND WE JUST WENT WITH IT AFTER THAT.

ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO AGO WE WENT TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND RAN THROUGH THE CONCEPT WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BE, WENT THROUGH SOME SMALL EXERCISES ASKING THEM WHAT IMAGES, WHAT ELEMENTS AND IDEAS DO YOU KIDS THINK REPRESENT IN CULTURAL FESTIVAL.

FROM THEN WE WENT FROM THE ANSWERS BEING PROVIDED TO THEM DRAWING.

PART OF THEIR ACTUAL MORE DIRECT INCLUSION IS GOING TO BE STRUCTURING SOME OF THE PANELS AND THE WORK FOR STUDENTS' OWN ORIGINAL WORK WHERE MY JOB AS THE LEAD ARTIST TO WEAVE ALL THAT TOGETHER.

PART OF IT IS INCORPORATING THEIR OWN DESIGNS AND BRINGING THEIR IDEAS RIGHT TO THE WALL ITSELF SO THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN THE MURAL IS DONE AND THEY ARE WALKING PAST IT TO GO TO SCHOOL THEY CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, I DID THAT.

WE SEE PUBLIC ART AS BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF CITY LIFE.

A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEY SEE IT THEY GET SO EXCITED AND THEY REALLY DO FEEL A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OVER SOME OF THE ART.

IT'S GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE.

IT'S GOOD FOR THE TOWN.

IT'S GOOD FOR THE CITY ITSELF.

ART MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY.

THEY SEE IT AND ITS CHARACTER.

IT'S OUR CITY.

AND THAT IS THAT FOR THIS EDITION OF "ART ROCKS," BUT AS ALWAYS YOU CAN SEE OR SHARE ANY SEGMENT AGAIN BY VISITING LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS AND IF ALL THIS ART IS LEAVING YOU HUNGRY FOR MORE, REMEMBER THAT COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE MAKES A GREAT RESOURCE FOR DISCOVERING CULTURAL ADVENTURES ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK I'M JAMES FOX-SMITH.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.