FUND FOR THE ARTS AT THE ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND THE NEW MEXICO PBS GREAT SOUTHWESTERN ARTS & EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND AT THE ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THIS TIME, ON COLORES!

FROM SAN FELIPE PUEBLO, CYNTHIA CHAVEZ LAMAR IS THE FIRST NATIVE WOMAN TO LEAD THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST JUSTIN GRUBB WANTS PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR IMPACT ON THREATENED SPECIES.

"ALIGHT ON MARS" CELEBRATES HOW FIREFLIES ILLUMINATE THE NIGHT SKY.

METICULOUSLY APPLYING MULTIPLE LAYERS, CAROLINE YOUNG'S PAINTINGS ON SILK ARE INSPIRED BY CHINESE MYTHS AND HISTORY.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

AMPLIFYING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND PERSPECTIVES.

>>EBONY ISIS BOOTH: DR. LAMAR, AS AN INDIGENOUS WOMAN FROM NEW MEXICO WITH SO MUCH EXPERIENCE IN LEADERSHIP FOR THE ARTS, WHAT DO YOU BRING WITH YOU FROM NEW MEXICO?

>>DR. CYNTHIA CHAVEZ LAMAR: GREEN CHILE AND RED CHILE.

I HAD TO BRING MY OWN SUPPLY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FIND RED CHILI AROUND HERE AT ALL OF COURSE, BUT GREEN CHILE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN FIND SOME HERE AND THERE IN POCKETS BUT... AND I'M KIND OF BEING SERIOUS, I MEAN THAT'S...

BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY, OF COURSE YOU KNOW, MY KNOWLEDGE OF SOUTHWEST NATIVE CULTURES AND ARTS, OF COURSE AT THE MUSEUM YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE AND OF COURSE WE HAVE CURATORS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE CERTAIN AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION.

I WOULD SAY THAT I'M PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT HAS A SPECIALIZATION IN NATIVE AND ARTS AND CULTURES OF THE SOUTHWEST SO I CERTAINLY BRING THAT TO MY POSITION AT THE MUSEUM.

>>EBONY: DO YOU DRAW ON THE STRENGTH OF YOUR FAMILY OR COMMUNITY TIES TO NAVIGATE BECOMING THIS NEW VERSION OF YOURSELF?

>>CYNTHIA: FOR ME IN PARTICULAR AND I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF US, OFTENTIMES THE FIRST PLACE WE GO TO ARE OUR MOTHERS.

SO, WHEN I'M FEELING PARTICULARLY PRESSURED OR STRESSED OR UNSURE OR I JUST NEED A SHOULDER TO CRY ON, I CALL MY MOM AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT, IN A LOT OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, IN OUR OWN FAMILY, THE WOMEN ARE VERY MUCH A SOURCE OF STRENGTH.

THERE'S A LOT OF PRAYER INVOLVED, NOT ONLY FROM MY OWN PRAYER BUT PRAYERS THAT MY FAMILY SAY FOR ME, THAT FRIENDS SAY FOR ME AND THE MUSEUM BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, RIGHT NOW IN THIS ROLE, I'M AN EXTENSION OF THE MUSEUM AND THAT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF INTERNAL STRENGTH AND SOMETIMES I FIND THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO MUSTER UP THAT STRENGTH SOMETIMES SO IT'S REALLY NICE WHEN YOU CAN YOU CAN RELY ON PRAYER AND ALSO LOOK TO YOUR TO YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND SAY, "THIS IS KIND OF HARD AND I NEED YOUR SUPPORT," AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF THAT AND I AM JUST REALLY THANKFUL THAT I CAN LOOK TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE THERE AND THEY HAVE THEIR ARMS AROUND ME EVEN THOUGH I'M OVER A THOUSAND MILES AWAY.

>>EBONY: CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT GAVE YOU THE WHEREWITHAL TO DO THIS WORK?

>>CYNTHIA: YOU KNOW, EARLY ON I WAS INTRODUCED BY MARYLAND SALVADOR TO THIS IDEA OF COLLABORATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON EXHIBITIONS AND I DID THAT KIND OF WORK AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN IN THE EARLY 2000S LEADING UP TO THE OPENING OF THE MUSEUM ON THE NATIONAL MALL IN 2004 SO YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME I REALLY HAD THE BENEFIT OF HEARING DIRECTLY FROM MANY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL AND HOW MUCH THEY VALUED YOU KNOW THIS EXPERIENCE AND COLLABORATING WITH THE MUSEUM AND WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO BRING GROUPS OF PEOPLE TO THE CULTURAL RESOURCES CENTER WHERE WE HOUSE THE COLLECTION AND CONNECT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WITH THEIR COLLECTIONS FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES AND IT WAS THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES AND SEEING THOSE DIRECT INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE AND THE COLLECTIONS THAT YOU KNOW, IT JUST FELT RIGHT YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT IT FELT LIKE THIS WAS IMPORTANT WORK THAT NEEDED TO CONTINUE SO WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE MUSEUM IN 2014, ONE OF THE INITIATIVES OF THE MUSEUM WAS TO REUNITE COMMUNITIES WITH THE COLLECTIONS HERE AT NMAI AND SO ONE OF THE FIRST BIG PROJECTS I WAS INVOLVED IN WAS THE LOAN OF 100 PIECES OF PUEBLO POTTERY TO THE POEH CULTURAL CENTER AT POJOAQUE PUEBLO IN NEW MEXICO AND THEY OPENED UP AN EXHIBIT IN OCTOBER 2019 TO SHOWCASE ALL OF THOSE PIECES OF POTTERY THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TEWA COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO.

>>EBONY: HOW DO YOU CONNECT YOUR WORK TO YOUR COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY?

>>CYNTHIA: I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT TAKING WHAT I'VE LEARNED GROWING UP AS A SAN FELIPE PUEBLO PERSON AND TRANSLATING THOSE VALUES AND INTO THE WORK THAT I DO SO YOU KNOW I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY SINCE I'VE BEEN AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH MY PUEBLO, I HAVE IN PREVIOUS POSITIONS BUT NOT SINCE I'VE BEEN AT NMAI SO I'D SAY IT'S REALLY ABOUT YOU KNOW, THOSE VALUES OF RECIPROCITY AND GENEROSITY AND THE IDEA OF GRATITUDE.

I'VE BEEN GUIDED AND I'VE BEEN SUPPORTED BY OTHERS INCLUDING YOU KNOW, MY ANCESTORS, THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE ME AND SO I GIVE THANKS FOR THAT.

>>EBONY: WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAINTAIN THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNITY IN YOUR WORK?

>>CYNTHIA: IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU KNOW FOR TOO LONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, WE HAVE BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED.

NOT JUST IN AMERICAN NARRATIVES OR AMERICAN HISTORY OR AMERICAN POP CULTURE AND ALL THE LIST GOES ON, BUT EVEN GLOBALLY.

SO, THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN IS A PLACE, IS A VENUE WHERE WE CAN HIGHLIGHT AND SHOWCASE AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE SO THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, WE CAN SPEAK FOR OURSELVES AND WE CAN PRESENT MORE ACCURATE NARRATIVES ABOUT OURSELVES WHICH IS YOU KNOW TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT TO COMBATING STEREOTYPES AND OTHER MISREPRESENTATIONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF US THAT ARE VERY CONFIDENT IN OUR INDIGENOUS IDENTITIES AND WE MAY NOT FEEL THREATENED BY THOSE STEREOTYPES OR OTHER MISREPRESENTATIONS OUT THERE BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IT DOES AFFECT US NO MATTER WHAT BECAUSE IT CAN CREATE INEQUITIES, IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO RACISM AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE MUSEUM TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT PERSPECTIVES THAT COME FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEMSELVES.

>>EBONY: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>CYNTHIA: THANK YOU EBONY.

THE LITTLE THINGS ADD UP.

I GREW UP IN WORTHINGTON, OHIO, AND I THINK IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO GROW UP TO CONNECT WITH NATURE.

YOU KNOW WITH THE METRO PARKS BEING SO PREVALENT IN THE CITY.

THE COLUMBUS ZOO BEING RIGHT THERE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY THINK SHAPED WHAT I DO NOW, IS BEING ABLE TO GO OUT AND FIND WILDLIFE AND EXPLORE.

MY NAME IS JUSTIN GRUBB I AM A SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR.

I DO WILDLIFE FILMMAKING, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY, I WRITE ARTICLES ABOUT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, I DO PHOTO GALLERIES, AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE FOCUS.

CONSERVING WILDLIFE.

MY BACKGROUND IS IN WILDLIFE BIOLOGY.

GOING OUT AND TAKING DATA DOING POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS, BUT WHILE I WAS DOING ALL THAT I SORT OF REALIZED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ELEMENT TO CONSERVATION AS WELL.

AND THAT'S THE STORYTELLING THAT'S THE CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW WORKING WITH THE GENERAL MASS PUBLIC AND GETTING THEM TO UNDERSTAND, HOW THEY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THESE SPECIES, BECAUSE CONSERVATION REALLY IS A PEOPLE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW?

THE ANIMALS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO GET THEMSELVES IN THIS SITUATION, IT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN ORDER TO CHANGE THAT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ANIMALS YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE ROOT CAUSE WHICH IS THE PEOPLE.

AND SO BY DOING THAT I GOT INTO PHOTOS, I REALLY GOT INTO VIDEO, I REALLY GOT INTO WRITING.

MY LOVE IS WILDLIFE.

I SHOW THAT LOVE THROUGH EDUCATION AND I EDUCATE THROUGH VISUAL MEDIA AND STORYTELLING.

WE'RE SITTING AT THE GRANGE INSURANCE AUDUBON CENTER AND ON THE WALL THERE IS A PHOTO GALLERY CALLED CONSERVATION THROUGH A LENS.

HAVING JUSTIN WHO IS KNOWN FOR HIS WORK WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IS JUST, I THINK IT'S A SURPRISE FOR GRANGE INSURANCE AUDUBON CENTER TO HAVE HIM HERE, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT HIS ARTWORK DOES AND HOW IT CONNECTS TO THE BIGGER STEWARDSHIP IN CONSERVATION.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CENTER, YOU'LL SEE PHOTOS ALONG THE WALLS THAT ALL DEPICT ANIMALS THAT HAVE VERY UNIQUE, INTERESTING CONSERVATION PROGRAMS INITIATIVES STRATEGIES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.

THERE'S THE HALL OF A THREATENED SPECIES WHICH EACH PHOTO DEPICTS ITS OWN CONSERVATION INITIATIVE.

BUT THEN WE'VE GOT THE FORGOTTEN WOLF, WHICH IS AN ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF PHOTOS THAT DESCRIBE, A SINGLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE FROM START TO FINISH, AND THEN THERE THE PLANET INDONESIA GALLERY WHICH TALKS ABOUT HOW AN ORGANIZATION IN INDONESIA IS DOING CONSERVATION WORK THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

WHICH IS A REALLY UNIQUE STRATEGY THAT I THINK SHOULD BE ADOPTED MORE AROUND THE WORLD.

PEOPLE REALLY CONNECT WITH A GOOD STORY, AND SO WITH THESE PHOTOS THEY ALL KIND OF CONVEY THEIR OWN LITTLE STORY.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING A SNAPSHOT OF THE ANIMALS LIFE THROUGH THEIR EYES IN THE MOMENT, IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT BEHAVING NATURALLY AND AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, I LIVE FOR THOSE MOMENTS.

IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING JUST IS STILL ON EARTH AND THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS YOU AND THIS ANIMAL AND YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT AS IT HAPPENS.

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS I'D SAY ABOUT THE GALLERY IS ITS INTERACTIVE-NESS.

EACH PHOTO HAS A LITTLE CARD NEXT TO IT THAT EXPLAINS IT'S RANGE, THE CONSERVATION PROJECT ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMAGE, BUT ALSO AS A QR CODE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CONNECT TO A WEBSITE CALLED "CONSERVATION THROUGH A LENS" THAT HAS MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT ANIMAL.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE INITIATIVE, AND YOU CAN EVEN DONATE TO THE INITIATIVE IF THAT'S YOUR THING.

BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER REALLY COOL ELEMENTS AT THIS GALLERY AS WELL, THERE IS A SECTION WHERE YOU CAN DRAW, AN ANIMAL, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE GALLERY.

ALSO HAVE A COUPLE FILM SCREENINGS, AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I BUILT CALLED BEYOND THE LAWN.

IT'S A BIODIVERSITY SURVEY WHERE PEOPLE CAN LEARN HOW TO CONVERT THEIR LAWN INTO USABLE WILDLIFE SPACE.

NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE IN THIS WORLD, WE LIVE ON THIS WORLD WITH ANIMALS, INSECTS, PLANTS, AND OTHER THINGS.

AND WHAT WE DO AFFECTS HOW THEY LIVE AND OFTEN TIMES WE DON'T MAKE THAT CONNECTION AND SO I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL WORK AND HOW HE CAPTURES IT AND LEARN ABOUT HOW THEY CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WE DO AS HUMANS TO HELP NOT HAVE THOSE ANIMALS BECOME EXTINCT.

BRINGING MY WORK BACK TO COLUMBUS IS REALLY EXCITING, THIS GALLERY BRINGS IN A VERY GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON CONSERVATION, AND SO YOU KNOW YOU'RE SEEING ANIMALS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD BURYING CONSERVATION INITIATIVES TO HELP PROTECT THEM FROM VARIOUS THREATS, BUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT, IS APPLICABLE TO WHAT GOES ON, ON A SMALL SCALE LIKE COLUMBUS, OHIO.

AND SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WANT PEOPLE TO WALK AWAY WITH IS EVERYTHING IS VERY INTERCONNECTED, AND WHAT YOU DO LOCALLY HAS A HUGE EFFECT ON GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY.

COLUMBUS IS AN ART RICH COMMUNITY AND I'M JUST EXCITED TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS DOWN THE PIKE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE JUSTIN'S OUT THERE.

A MAGICAL PLACE.

THIS FALL, AS THE DAYS GROW SHORTER AND NIGHT BECOMES HEAVIER, A GLOUCESTER ESTATE IS LIGHTING THE WAY.

"I JUST LOVE BEING HERE AT THIS MOMENT WHEN IT IS ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE" BELINDA RATHBONE IS A GUEST CURATOR OF THIS NOCTURNAL EXHIBITION FEATURING 16 MEMBERS OF THE BOSTON SCULPTORS GALLERY CRAFTING WORK THAT FLOATS, FLICKERS AND TANTALIZES.

"OUR IDEA WAS TO CREATE A KIND OF JOURNEY, SHALL WE SAY, THROUGH THE SITE WITH SURPRISES AROUND EVERY CORNER."

RATHBONE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF A NEW, FIRST-EVER BIOGRAPHY ON KINETIC SCULPTOR GEORGE RICKEY AND SAYS THESE ARTISTS HAVE RISEN TO SIMILAR CHALLENGES.

"HE WAS VERY CHALLENGED ABOUT WORKING WITH OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS, WHICH IS WHAT HE'S BEST KNOWN FOR.

AND THESE SCULPTURES HERE TODAY ARE ALSO MAKING WORK THAT IS ALIVE.

THAT METAMORPHOSIZES, YOU KNOW, IN THE LANDSCAPE AS LIGHT TURNS TO DARK, BUT ALSO FACE THESE CHALLENGES THAT RICKEY DID OF CREATING THINGS THAT WILL STAND UP TO THE ELEMENTS."

THE EXHIBITION POPULATES THE ONETIME ESTATE OF PAUL MANSHIP-PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS 1934 SCULPTURE OF PROMETHEUS IN NEW YORK CITY'S ROCKEFELLER CENTER.

TODAY, HIS HOME, STUDIO AND GROUNDS COMPRISE THE MANSHIP ARTISTS RESIDENCY.

A PLACE FOR ARTISTS TO GATHER, FIND INSPIRATION AND AND BREAK OUT OF THEIR ROUTINES.

REBECCA REYNOLDS IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

"THE RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC AND ARTISTS TO PEOPLE WHO COME HERE, THEY REFER TO IT AS A MAGICAL PLACE.

AND TO ME, THAT'S JUST WHAT WE'D LOVE TO HEAR BECAUSE TO ME, THAT SUGGESTS, YOU KNOW, OTHERWORLDLY OR TRANSFORMATION TAKING YOU OUT OF YOUR EVERYDAY."

THE SCULPTURES HERE ARE INSPIRED BY MANSHIP'S UNYIELDING FONDNESS FOR FIREFLIES.

SO PROFOUND THAT HE NAMED HIS HOME STARFIELD FOR THE TWINKLING, MESMERIZING INSECTS THAT DANCE AROUND THE PROPERTY STILL.

"PAUL MANSHIP DIDN'T MOW HIS MEADOW UNTIL THE END OF JULY BECAUSE HE KNEW IF HE DID IT ANY SOONER, HE WOULDN'T GIVE THE FIREFLIES A CHANCE TO GO THROUGH THEIR LIFE CYCLE."

NOW THAT LIFE CYCLE HAS EVOLVED-BOTH IN ACTUAL, LITERAL FIREFLIES AND IN THEIR ESSENCE.

HERE, LIGHT CAPTIVATES BECAUSE IT PLACES THE BIG DIPPER BENEATH THE SKY AS IN JESSICA STRAUS'S "DRINKING GOURD".

CHRISTOPHER ABRAMS' PIECE "DEVELOPING WEATHER" ASSUMES THE FORM OF A PORTABLE STORM.

WHILE MARILU SWETT'S SCULPTURE "GLOW" FLOATS.

"(I KNOW THIS IS MEANT TO BE SEEN IN THE DARK, WHICH WE WILL SEE IN ABOUT AN HOUR, BUT WHAT ARE WE SEEING HERE?)

YOU'RE SEEING A COLLECTION OF MULTIPLE PIECES.

THEY'RE IN THE SPIRAL FORMAT BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE FLIGHT PATTERNS FOR FIREFLY."

THIS HAS BEEN A SHOW YEARS IN THE MAKING-GIVING ARTISTS TIME CRAFT WORK BOTH SITE SPECIFIC AND LEVERAGING LIGHT AT ITS BEST.

"PEOPLE STARTED WORKING AND DOING THEIR RESEARCH ON LIGHT, HOW TO INCORPORATE LIGHT INTO THEIR WORK.

REALLY ONLY A FEW OF OUR MEMBERS HAD WORKED WITH LIGHTING THEIR PIECES BEFORE, SO IT TOOK SOME DIGGING."

BUT THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN AN AREA OF EXPLORATION FOR SWETT, WHOSE WORK GLOWS WITH PHOSPHORESCENT PIGMENT.

"I'VE COME TO BE INTERESTED IN THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THE RESEARCH OF DEEP SEA CREATURES BEING MORE AND MORE INTERESTED IN BIOLUMINESCENCE AND FINDING THAT IT'S NOT JUST IN THE OCEAN, IT'S MANY, MANY EVEN FIREFLIES, OF COURSE, AND OTHER INSECTS, BUT MAMMALS AS WELL FLUORESCE."

OTHER ARTISTS HAVE TAKEN THEIR CUES FROM THE PROPERTY-FROM SUN DAPPLED LEAVES [GOLDIE], A LAMP [SCHÖN] THAT BRIGHTENS THE HOME'S STAIRCASE AND GLASS FISHING FLOATS TUCKED INTO A LIVING ROOM BASKET.

"MANY OF THESE ARTISTS HAVE STUDIOS AND THEY'RE WORKING EVERY DAY IN THEIR STUDIOS.

BUT IT'S DIFFERENT IF YOU CAN GET OUT OF YOUR EVERYDAY AND GO INTO A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE NO EXPECTATIONS."

NOT TO MENTION, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT.

PAINTING ON SILK.

IN ANCIENT TIMES IN YUNAN PROVINCE, THERE LIVED A MAGICAL SONGBIRD CALLED THE NUGELO, WITH THE SWEETEST SINGING VOICE.

THE PEOPLE LOVED LISTENING TO IT, BUT NONE MORE THAN A BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE MAIDEN WHO WOULD BECOME LOVESICK IF SHE SKIPPED EVEN A DAY OF IT.

EVERY MORNING, SHE WOULD GO INTO THE FOREST AND LOSE HERSELF IN THE SONG OF THE NUGELO.

SHE CHERISHED ITS MEMORY AND SHE BEGAN TO SING LIKE NUGELO HAD SUNG, OF THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF HER PEOPLE.

I GREW UP IN HONG KONG.

MY PARENTS WERE EXPATRIATE AMERICAN CHINESE LIVING IN HONG KONG, AND JUST LIKE YOU GROWING UP IN THE US, YOU HEAR ABOUT CINDERELLA, YOU HEAR ABOUT SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.

WELL, WE HEARD ABOUT CHANG'E, WE HEARD ABOUT SISHA.

THESE ARE PEOPLE FROM CHINESE HISTORY AND CHINESE MYTHOLOGY.

SO WHEN I STARTED PAINTING AS A CAREER IN HONOLULU, THERE WAS NO ONE REPRESENTING THE CHINESE CULTURE OVER THERE.

AND SO I STARTED PAINTING THAT.

IT BECAME MORE INTERESTING THAN JUST A PRETTY PICTURE.

IT HAD DEPTH, IT HAD MEANING.

AND IN A WAY, PEOPLE WERE LEARNING ABOUT THE CHINESE CULTURE THROUGH MY PAINTINGS.

THESE STORIES HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN BY WORD OF MOUTH THROUGH THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AS LONG AS THE CHINESE CIVILIZATION HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE.

AND BECAUSE THEY'RE HANDED DOWN BY WORD OF MOUTH, YOU'LL FIND DIFFERENT ENDINGS OR DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY, WHICH IS REALLY INTERESTING.

GUAN YIN IS THE GODDESS OF MERCY.

SHE'S THE EPITOME OF BEAUTY AND BENEVOLENCE.

SHE'S SAID TO TRAVEL FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH ON THE BACK OF THE MIGHTY DRAGON.

SHE'S ALSO THE PATRON SAINT OF SAILORS.

WHEN SAILORS GET INTO A FIERCE STORM AT SEA, THEY PRAY TO GUAN YIN TO SAVE THEM, AND SHE'S SEEN RIDING THROUGH THE WAVES ON THE BACK OF THE MIGHTY DRAGON TO THE RESCUE.

I TAKE MY INSPIRATION FROM STORIES THAT I READ, AND I DO RESEARCH INTO THE LEGENDS AND THE HISTORY.

AND AS I'M READING THE STORY, AN IMAGE WILL POP INTO MY MIND, AND THAT IS WHAT I PAINT.

I WORK IN WATERCOLOR, ACRYLIC AND WASH.

I ACTUALLY MIX ALL THE THREE MEDIUMS TOGETHER, ANYTHING THAT'S WATERCOLOR.

AND BASICALLY I WATER ALL THE PAINTS DOWN TILL IT'S A LIGHT WASH, AND I PUT DOWN MULTIPLE LAYERS OF LIGHT WASHES TO BUILD UP THE INTENSITY OF THE COLOR AND PUT IN THE SHADING.

I WORK ON SILK MOSTLY, IT'S JAPANESE SILK THAT'S BEEN PRETREATED SO IT DOESN'T BLEED.

AND THE SILKS TAKE A LONG TIME TO DO.

FOR INSTANCE, IN THE FACES AND THE SKIN TONES, THAT TAKES ANYWHERE BETWEEN 18 TO 22 LAYERS OF WASHES.

FOR A LARGE PAINTING, IF IT'S A WOMAN, IT GENERALLY TAKES ME OH, ANYWHERE BETWEEN TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO DO.

AND THAT'S WORKING SIX DAYS A WEEK, BETWEEN EIGHT TO 10 HOURS A DAY.

AS I'M PAINTING IT, I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT THE STORY, TRYING TO GET THE MOOD OF THE STORY INTO THE PAINTING.

EVERY COLOR I PUT DOWN AFFECTS WHAT COLOR I'M GONNA PUT NEXT.

AND SO SOMETIMES WHAT I THINK I'M GONNA END UP WITH IS NOT WHAT I END UP WITH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING BETTER.

I HOPE THAT WHEN SOMEONE SEES MY WORK, THEY WILL ENJOY THE STORY BEHIND IT, APPRECIATE IT FOR MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY PICTURE, AND UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE THAT'S BEHIND IT.

TO VIEW THIS AND OTHER COLORES PROGRAMS GO TO: NEW MEXICO PBS DOT ORG AND LOOK FOR COLORES UNDER WHAT WE DO AND LOCAL PRODUCTIONS.

ALSO, LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

"UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING."

FUNDING FOR COLORES WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY: FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FUND FOR THE ARTS AT THE ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND THE NEW MEXICO PBS GREAT SOUTHWESTERN ARTS & EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND AT THE ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.