PRODUCTION OF BROAD & HIGH IS FUNDED IN PART BY THE GREATER COLUMBUS ARTS COUNCIL.

CELEBRATING EXPRESSION, FOSTERING TALENT AND CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY TO COLUMBUS ARTISTS, PERFORMANCES, EXHIBITIONS, CONCERTS, PUBLIC ART, AND MORE AT COLUMBUSMAKESART.

COM.

FROM THESE CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS.

AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

> >> THIS TIME ON BROAD & HIGH, FIBER ARTIST AND FASHION DESIGNER CELESTE MALVAR-STEWART TALKS ABOUT MAKING HER OWN TEXTILES AND THE IMPORTANCE SHE PLACES ON MINDFULNESS AND MAKING CONNECTIONS.

JAVIER MARTINEZ HERRERA EXPLAINS HIS RECENT EXHIBIT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE.

AKRON ARTIST MERYL ENGLER EXPLAINS HER WORK AND THE INSPIRATION SHE FOUND IN CUBA.

AND, MOE REEN CROONS SOME OLD- SCHOOL COUNTRY WITH MODERN LYRICS.

THIS AND MORE RIGHT NOW ON BROAD & HIGH.

> >> WELCOME TO BROAD AND HIGH.

I'M YOUR HOST KATE QUICKEL.

A SELECT GROUP OF OHIO ARTISTS WERE INVITED TO TRAVEL TO CUBA IN A CULTURAL EXCHANGE WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING WORKS FOR THE 15th BIENAL DE LA HABANA.

FIBER ARTIST AND FASHION DESIGNER CELESTE MALVAR-STEWART WAS ONE OF THOSE.

FOR OVER 30 YEARS, CELESTE HAS BEEN CREATING WHAT IS CALLED SLOW FASHION BY MAKING HER OWN TEXTILES USING FELTING, WEAVING, SPINNING AND NATURAL DYING TECHNIQUES.

WE VISITED HER IN HER STUDIO WHERE SHE TALKED ABOUT USING ANCIENT TECHNIQUES TO CREATE HER VERY DISTINCT WORKS OF FIBER ART AND COUTURE FASHION.

AND, HOW SHE FOUND INSPIRATION AND REJUVENATION IN CUBA.

>> MY WORK REALLY CONSISTS OF THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN FASHION AND ART.

I CREATE COTURE PIECES.

95% OF THESE PIECES ARE MADE BY HAND AND I WORK USING A SUSTAINABLE MODEL.

I'M VERY MINDFUL OF THE MATERIALS I USE.

MY SUPPLY CHAIN.

YOU KNOW, I'M MAKING MOST OF THE PIECES SO IT IS VERY MINDFUL WAY OF CREATING.

I HAD MY OWN BRAND IN SAN FRANCISCO WHEN I GRADUATED FROM UNI AND I REALIZED THAT I WAS FILLING UP THESE BIG BINS OF WASTE AND ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ALL NATURAL FABRICS THEY WERE STILL WASTE AND THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY HAVE GONE TO THE LANDFILL.

AND SO THAT KIND OF TERROR AND CONCERN REALLY INSPIRED ME AND MOTIVATES ME TO THIS DAY TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO USE MORE AND MORE WASTE MATERIAL.

AND ALSO ANY NEW MATERIALS THAT I'M USING LIKE THE ALPACA FIBERS.

HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE THEY?

ALPACA IS ONE OF THE MOST SUSTAINABLE FIBERS AND ANIMALS TO BREED.

SO THAT IS SORT OF THE CRUX OF MY MOTIVATION.

I WORK WITH LOCAL FARMERS, I LOVE MY LOCAL SHEPHERDS I WORK WITH TO OBTAIN THE REALLY BEAUTIFUL LUXURIOUS FIBERS.

I INCORPORATE ALPACA, WOOL, PYGORA FROM ALL OHIO FARMS AND I FELT THEM.

I USE THESE ANCIENT TECHNIQUES OF NUNO FELTING AND NATURAL DYEING TO CREATE THE SURFACE DESIGN AND THE TEXTILE ITSELF.

SO, INTERESTING PROCESS BECAUSE I'M CREATING THE TEXTILE AS I'M CREATING THE DESIGN.

MY PROCESS IS UNLIKE A CONVENTIONAL DESIGNER'S PROCESS WHERE WE DRAFT THE PATTERN, CUT THE FABRIC AND SEW IT.

THE BEGINNING OF MY PROCESS STARTS OBVIOUSLY AT THE CONCEPT.

IT IS USUALLY THE CONCERN AND THEN I THINK ABOUT HOW DO I ADDRESS A CONCERN OR HOW DO I BEGIN A CONVERSATION AROUND A WEARABLE PIECE.

AND THEN I START TO THINK ABOUT IT IN TEXTILE FORM.

SO I THINK ABOUT THE SURFACE DESIGN.

THE TEXTILE, THE HAND, HOW DOES IT FEEL, HOW DOES IT DRAPE BEFORE I ACTUALLY BEGIN FORMING THE SILHOUETTE.

AND THEN AS I GO AND I PLAY A LOT, I LOVE EXPLORING.

SO BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH HAND WORK INVOLVED, I'LL SEW SAMPLES YOU KNOW, USING DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND SEE HOW THEY BEHAVE AND SEE THE OUTCOME.

I'LL EMBROIDER ONTO THE FELT SOMETIMES.

I'LL LAYER MY SURFACE DESIGN SO I CREATE THE LITTLE PIECES OF TEXTILES AND THEN ONCE I KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING IN THE DIRECTION I WANT THEM TO GO, I'LL NATURALLY DYE THEM.

I'LL PICK MY DYES, I HAVE TO FORAGE MY DYES A LOT OF TIMES SO WHEN I HAVE ALL THOSE MATERIALS AND I LIKE MY SAMPLES, THEN I BEGIN TO THINK OF THE SILHOUETTE.

AND ALSO, A LOT OF TIMES THE FIBERS THEMSELVES SPEAK TO ME BECAUSE I KNOW ALL OF THE ANIMALS WHOSE FIBERS I USE, SO IF GANDALF IS EXTRA CURLY THAT SUMMER I WILL GO IN THE DIRECTION TO HIGHLIGHT HIS CURLS ON THE TEXTILE.

WE ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TO FAST FASHION NOWADAYS.

THAT IS WHAT WE MOSTLY BUY.

BUT THERE IS A SLOW FASHION MOVEMENT THAT I LOVE SAYING I HELPED PIONEER BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS.

AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY WHEN NO ONE REALLY, NOT MANY OF US WERE TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY 30 YEARS AGO SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A MOVEMENT AND IT IS A SLOW FASHION MOVEMENT AND EVERYONE CAN PARTAKE IN THIS MOVEMENT, YOU KNOW, CONSUMERS, MAKERS, DESIGNERS, MANUFACTURERS.

IT IS A SENSE OF MINDFULNESS WE CAN ALL HAVE AND IT CREATES THIS WONDERFUL CONNECTION THAT I BELIEVE CAN HAPPEN.

WHEN WE CONNECT TO THE THINGS WE PUT ON OUR BODIES, WE DON'T WANT TO THROW THEM AWAY.

THEY BECOME SPECIAL TO US LIKE THOSE BELOVED PAIR OF JEANS WE ALL HAVE.

SO I THINK THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PLATFORM ON WHICH I CREATE.

AND I'M HOPING TO CONTINUE TO PASS THAT DOWN TO ALL OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF MAKERS AND ARTISTS.

ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING AND MOVING EXPERIENCES I HAD WHEN WE WERE IN CUBA WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO ONE OF THEIR CHURCHES AND REALIZING THAT AS A FILIPINO AMERICAN, MY CULTURE HAS SO MUCH IN COMMON WITH THEIRS.

DOWN TO THIS IDEA OF HAVING THIS VERSION OF THE VIRGIN MARY THAT WE LOOK TO AS A DEITY AND HOW A LOT OF OUR CEREMONIES AND RITUALS REALLY INTERSECT AND I WAS REALLY ALSO, I WAS MOVED BY THE WAY IT WAS ALL ENCOMPASSING.

I LOVED THE WAY THE CUBAN CULTURE EMBRACES ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF THEIR CULTURE AS A WHOLE.

IT FEELS LIKE A MELTING POT.

WE GO TO PLACES HERE IN NEW YORK AND WE SAY THAT.

BUT YOU COULD REALLY FEEL IT IN CUBA WHERE I FELT WELCOME.

I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY LOOK AT ME LIKE OH, SHE IS AMERICAN AND SHE IS FILIPINO AND SHE'S ASIAN.

IT WAS AN INTERESTING LENS THAT I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING SEEN THERE.

AND I WAS REALLY MOVED BY THAT.

WHEN WE WALKED THROUGH THE STREETS OF CUBA, HAVANA, WE SAW SO MANY ENTRANCEWAYS.

YOU KNOW?

AND WE DON'T GET TO DO THAT HERE IN THE U. S. BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE DOORS.

WE DON'T HAVE THE TYPES OF CORRIDORS AND ENTRYWAYS THEY HAVE THERE.

AND THEN, THERE WERE ALWAYS PEOPLE IN THE ENTRYWAYS HANGING OUT OR A DOG SITTING THERE OR THEIR CHILD.

IT FELT SO INVITING INTO LIKE HOW THEY LIVE.

THEY COULD BE MY NEIGHBOR HERE, YOU KNOW.

THE WAY THEY LIVE IS NOT ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY WE LIVE IN A SENSE THAT WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING.

WE LOVE OUR PETS.

WE LOVE OUR KIDS.

WE LOVE TO HANG OUT.

WE LOVE TO COMMUNE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.

AND SO, I JUST LOVE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS SO DIFFERENT AND IT FELT DIFFERENT.

THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE CULTURE WAS DIFFERENT IT IS NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM THE STREET I LIVE ON IN GERMAN VILLAGE HERE IN COLUMBUS.

>> TO SEE MORE OF CELESTE'S WORK.

FIND HER ON INSTAGRAM @MALVARSTEWART.

> >> JAVIER MARTINEZ HERRERA IS A DISTINGUISHED CUBAN ARTIST AND SCHOLAR.

TEXTUM IS A RECENT EXHIBIT BY HERRERA AT CORRAL FALSO 259, A GALLERY JUST OUTSIDE HAVANNA, CUBA.

TEXTUM COMES FROM THE LATIN VERB "TEXO", MEANING "TO WEAVE".

IT IS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PRIMARILY AS FABRIC OR CLOTH.

IN A MORE ABSTRACT SENSE, "TEXTUM" HAS BEEN USED TO DESCRIBE A SPEECH OR TEXT AS A "FABRIC OF WORDS", EMPHASIZING THAT WORDS AND IDEAS ARE WOVEN TOGETHER TO FORM A COHERENT WHOLE.

IN THIS SEGMENT JAVIER SHARES THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS WORK AND MORE.

[ SPEAKING SPANISH ] [ SPEAKING SPANISH ] >> SEE MORE OF HIS WORK ON INSTAGRAM.

> >> AKRON WOODCUT ARTIST MERYL ENGLER IS ANOTHER ARTIST WHO TRAVELED TO CUBA.

SHE EXPERIENCED DAY-TO-DAY LIFE IN HAVANA AND FOUND INSPIRATION IN THE CULTURE AND IN THE CONNECTIONS SHE MADE.

AS YOU'LL SEE IN THIS SEGMENT, HER RESULTING ARTWORK FITS WELL WITH 15th BIENAL'S THEME OF SHARED HORIZONS.

>> WE WENT TO CUBA IN MARCH OF 2024.

WE WERE THERE FOR A WEEK.

WE WERE IN OLD HAVANA.

AN OLDER PART OF THE CITY.

THINGS ARE BUILTUPWARD.

PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE REALLY OPENLY.

AND, PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE OUTDOORS A LOT.

THE WEATHER HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT, TOO.

AND, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF THE WINTER IN OHIO, YOU ARE NOT USED TO THAT.

THAT WAS REALLY INSPIRING.

I REALLY LIKED IT.

WE SPLIT OUR TIME BETWEEN THE PRINT MAKING STUDIO IN HAVANA DOING PRINTS WITH THEM.

WITH THEIR MASTER PRINTERS AND WORKING IN THE HOME STUDIO OF ABEL, A WOOD CUT ARTIST AND SCULPTURE ARTIST.

>> I ALMOST, I HAVE ALWAYS JUST TRAVEL TODAY THE NEXT PLACE WHERE I LIVED.

>> I WAS ALWAYS SLIGHTLY LET DOWN BY MY WORK BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME OR RESOURCES TO DO THE THINGS THAT WERE IN MY BRAIN UNTIL I DISCOVERED WOODCUT.

I LOVED HOW PHYSICAL IT WAS.

I LOVED THAT I WOULD WORK REALLY LARGE AND ROLL IT UP AFTERWARDS AND STORE IT EASILY.

THE WOOD CUT PROCESS BASICALLY INVOLVES CARVING AN IMAGE INTO A PIECE OF PLYWOOD.

YOU ARE CARVING ONTO LIKE THE PLAINER SURFACE OF THE PLYWOOD INTO THE LONG GRAIN.

NOT THE END GRAIN.

SO, PLYWOOD IS THE MOST KIND OF ECONOMICAL OPTION FOR IT.

YOU ARE CARVING AWAY EITHER LIKE THE NEGATIVE SPACE OR WHERE LIGHT WOULD HIT IN YOUR IMAGE.

AND THE THING THAT IS LEFT BEHIND, THE SURFACE LEFT BEHIND GETS INKED UP, ROLLED INK ONTO IT AND THEN THE PAPER GOES ON TOP OF THAT AND TRANSFERS ONTO THE PAPER THROUGH PRESSURE APPLIED TO IT AND FORMS THE PRINT.

>> WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF WOODCUT, THEY THINK OF BLACK AND WHITE HIGH GRAPHIC WESTERN STYLE WOODCUT AND MY WORK IS A LOT MORE COLORFUL AND LAYERED AND I THINK OF THEM AS WATER COLORS IN A WAY.

>> I GREW UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RIGHT BY THE BEACH AND THAT DEFINITELY COMES INTO MY WORK IN TERMS OF LIKE THEMES AROUND WATER AND MOVEMENT AND HOW LIGHT MOVES ONTO WATER.

I LOOK AT PHASES WHERE I THINK ABOUT THE WAVES A LOT.

AND THAT CHANGES THROUGHOUT.

I HAVE LIVED A LOT OF PLACES.

AND EACH ONE I THINK IMPACTS CERTAIN SERIES OF MY WORK.

FROM A VERY EARLY AGE, I KNEW I WANTED TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR ART.

AND I WANTED TO GO TO A PLACE THAT HAD A REALLY GOOD ART PROGRAM AND SPORT.

SO SYRACUSE FIT THAT BILL.

I ROWED FOR FOUR YEARS AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

AFTER GRAD SCHOOL, I COACHED FULL TIME IN PORTLAND, OREGON.

WASN'T REALLY DOING A LOT OF ART.

AFTER A WHILE, KIND OF REEVALUATED WHAT I WANTED AND DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO MAKE ART A PRIORITY AND NOT COACHING.

SO I APPLIED TO AN ARTIST RESIDENCY AT RUBBER CITY PRINTS IN AKRON.

GOT IT, AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE OUT HERE FOR, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR A YEAR.

AND THEN COVID HIT.

WITH THE PANDEMIC, I DECIDED OKAY, I'M GOING TO STAY IN AKRON.

SO I WAS ABLE TO FIND WORK.

AND THE ART SCENE ACCEPTED ME AND GOT ME INTO IT AND I WAS ABLE TO WORK IN THERE AND FIND SHOWS AND CONTINUE MAKING WORK AND CONTINUE TO GROW.

I REALLY LOVED IT HERE.

SO DECIDED TO STAY.

BASICALLY.

>> IN CUBA, I REALLY LOVED GETTING TO JUST MEET THE PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND I WAS REALLY INSPIRED BY THEIR LIFESTYLE.

I HAVE LIVED MULTIPLE PLACES IN THE U. S. AND EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN KIND OF VIBE AND VISUAL KIND OF THINKING AND CULTURE.

CUBA IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE IN LIKE A LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRY.

THE COLORS, HOW THEY PAINTED THEIR HOUSES.

THE WAY THE SUN HIT THINGS.

THEIR COMBINATIONS OF COLORS THAT I WOULD NEVER THINK TO PUT TOGETHER LIKE PINKS AND GREENS AND YELLOWS.

TURQUOISE EVERYWHERE.

AND IT MADE FOR A VERY FUN KIND OF VIBRANT CITY.

WHEN YOU THINK OF CUBA, MAYBE IT'S NOT SO DIFFERENT.

YOU WILL FIND SIMILARITIES IN EITHER PEOPLE OR LIFESTYLES, IN LANDSCAPES, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.

HAVING THE WORK BE SOME SORT OF COMBINATION BETWEEN LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OHIO, WHAT'S HAPPENING MAYBE IN AMERICA, VERSUS KIND OF WHAT OUR EXPERIENCES WERE IN CUBA.

>> TO SEE MORE OF MERYL'S WORK, FIND HER ONLINE AT MERYLENGLER.

COM.

> >> KATHLEEN DUFFY (AKA MOE REEN) IS A COUNTRY AND FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITER WHO WRITES FROM THE HEART, FOR THE HEART.

THEIR OLD SCHOOL HONKY-TONK VOCALS ARE UNIQUELY MARRIED TO CONTEMPORARY LYRICS.

MOE REEN ALONG WITH WEST, ALEX, NATE AND JULIA JOINED US IN THE STUDIO FOR A BROAD & HIGH PRESENTS RECORDING.

TAKE A LISTEN TO THE AMAZING RESULT.

>> I COULD HAVE BEEN HIS.

I COULD HAVE BEEN HERS.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT I'M YERS.

I HAVE LOVED MANY PEOPLE IN THIS LIFE NEVER DREAMED, I'D TAKE A HUSBAND OR A WIFE.

AND IT'S TRUE, I'M OF THE ROVING KIND WITH A WANDERING EYE AND CURIOUS MIND.

OH, BUT YOU CAME ALONG ONE SUNNY DAY AND NOW I AM CERTAIN YOU ARE HERE TO STAY ALTHOUGH I MUST COME AND I MUST GO WITH THEE, I LEAVE MY RESTLESS HEART AT HOME.

PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I PROMISE I'LL RETURN CAUSE I COULD'VE BEEN HIS I COULD'VE BEEN HERS BUT I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT I'M YERS.

PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I PROMISE I'LL RETURN CAUSE I COULD'VE BEEN HIS I COULD'VE BEEN HERS BUT I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT I'M YERS.

YES I COULD'VE BEEN HIS.

I COULD'VE BEEN HERS BUT I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT I'M YERS.

>> TO HEAR MORE, YOU CAN FIND THEM ON INSTAGRAM INSTAGRAM.

WELL THAT'S OUR SHOW.

REMEMBER YOU CAN FIND ALL OF OUR STORIES ONLINE ON WOSU.

ORG AS WELL AS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

FOR ALL OF US HERE AT WOSU.

I'M KATE QUICKEL.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

OH THE WORLD IS GETTING HOTTER BECAUSE OF YOU AND ME AND MY LOVE FOR YOU IS RISING LIKE THE LEVELS OF THE SEA IT'S AN INEVIDENTABILITY YOU'RE DYING HERE WITH ME SO WHY DENY THE CLIMATE OF OUR LOVE?

YOU'VE TRIED BEFORE TO THROW OUR LOVE AWAY BURIED IT BELOW TIL YOU RAN OUT OF SPACE.

SENT IT UP IN SPOKE TIL IT CAME DOWN FROM ABOVE RAINING ACID, BURNING LOVE.

OH YES THE WORLD IS GETTING HARDER BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE YOU COULD ADMIT IT'S ALL ON FIRE.

> >> PRODUCTION OF BROAD & HIGH IS FUNDED BY THE GREATER COLUMBUS ARTS COUNCIL.

CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY TO COLUMBUS ARTISTS TO MUSICIANS,