On this episode of “Meet The Artist,” we play a bit of musical chairs, and turn the microphone on the show’s usual host and resident photojournalist for the Rockford Register Star, Scott Yates. In his place, local artist, Xen Kingsley takes the reigns. Like every hero, an origin story must be told, and in this episode, Scott tells us his - from his humble beginnings in Roanoke, Va., and aspirations as a musician, to world travel and telling stories through photographs. Most importantly, we discuss how Scott offers visibility to virtually every important artist in this city, resulting in what I believe to be a surge in networking as well as an increased reception to the art community that did not exist before. The result creates working relationships between artists and members of the community. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. -Xen Kingsley is a Rockford resident and prolific street and portrait photographer and singer. He guest hosted this episode of “Meet the Artist” reviewing nearly a year of this podcast series. ___ More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Xen Kingsley on Instagram: @xentastic https://www.instagram.com/xentastic/ Xen Kingsley on the net: https://www.thexenaissance.com/ Episode cover photograph by Xen Kingsley Music: Music: “Writin’ Rhymes Ft. Xen” on the 2015 release of Arising EP by AutoMatic. https://automatic.bandcamp.com/track/writin-rhymes-ft-xen?fbclid=IwAR14OeefsZoTbWSp9FgIM0zAZ2Xl0hLkT64FaT31Ht4kR0sBwBOZxai1YAA

Sarah Stewart opened the Rockford's newest tattoo shop, Six Finger Tattoo, in early December. She turned the vacant space on North First Street into an inviting storefront that adds to a downtown district growing with locally owned arts businesses. Stewart has been a neo-traditional tattoo artist for nine years and spent the last seven of those years working at Delicious Ink. She draws inspiration from several sources. Her mother got her drawing at an early age. Sarah continues a long tattoo tradition in Rockford. In this podcast episode we talk about her early years, and we create a left-handed secret hand shake. And we talk about Milton Zeis, one of the industry’s local legends, who set up a tattoo shop, supply store and accredited school on Leslie Avenue in Rockford. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates 6 Finger Tattoo: https://www.facebook.com/6-Finger-Tattoo-105759744156302/ Sarah Stewart on Instagram: @shewasamonster  Music: Music from https://filmmusic.io "Shades of Spring" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sierra Goddard’s latest challenge as an actress is to portray a man in the 1800s. Goddard, 23, of Freeport, is the latest guest on the Register Star’s “Meet the Artist” podcast where we meet the artists who make our community a more beautiful place.  During the podcast discussion, Goddard explains how she gets into character as Powell, the lead protagonist in the West Side Show Room’s newest stage production of “Men On Boats” - a production written by Jacklyn Backhaus and directed by Rockford’s own Mike Werckle. In real life, John Wesley Powell led the first government-sanctioned expedition through the Grand Canyon, called the Powell Geographic Expedition in the 1860s. It was a 3-month river paddle down the Green and Colorado Rivers. In the play, the all-female cast helps to highlight the ridiculousness of male bravado and questions male values. Hilarity and tragedy ensues. Goddard attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles and in New York City. She tells the story of how she ended up living in Freeport to attend Highland Community and Kishwuakee Colleges. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Sierra Goddard: https://www.backstage.com/u/sierragoddard/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9919314/  Instagram: @thewritersierra West Side Show Room: www.thewssr.org Music: The episode’s theme music was recorded live during the “Men on Boats” performance at the West Side Show Room in Rockford on November 21, and replayed here with the director’s permission.

The artist known as Buddah Barrios grew up on the city’s south side and became known for his style of urban boudoir and street photography and for producing art shows. Buddah is the latest guest on the Register Star’s “Meet the Artist” podcast where we meet the artists who make our community a more beautiful place.  Buddah’s photography subjects are more often Latinas and women of color. He’s equally comfortable working with natural light outside city buildings as he is shooting in the privacy of a bedroom or an empty living room. One of Buddah’s early artistic influences was his grandmother’s cooking for family meals. Later, Buddah drew inspiration from his older brother’s custom painting on cars. The latter influenced Buddah’s curation of local art shows in which he included colorful low riders and custom motorcycles as well as two dimensional art works in the gallery. Buddah’s latest project was the Dia de los Muertos Art Gallery, which took over an unused floor of a south side building on November 9th. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Buddah Barrios Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b_easy_photos89/ Dia De Los Muertos Art Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/DayoftheDead815/ Music: Music from https://filmmusic.io "Sancho Panza gets a Latte" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Manny Tang will show you that “cuteness has a dark side, too.” Tang, a Taiwanese-American whose artist alias is China Cat 663, has lived and worked in Rockford since 2002. Her art is omnipresent in the city and around the Midwest. Merchandise of her designs are for sale in the gift shop of Rockford Art Museum. Her latest group show, called “Rapture 2019. Muse” opened at the Aeon Gallery in Richmond, Illinois, on Oct. 26th. The figures in Manny’s paintings take physical cues from the “Big Eyes” work of Margaret Keane. The humanoid figures have the strong feminine and fairy tale qualities of Manga and the classic sailor-girl tattoos. The sexuality is drawn for the female gaze as a rebuttal to pop-culture’s dominant, male-centric point of view. The themes of bondage and domination create an ominous thread throughout her work that inspired her motto: “Cuteness has a dark side, too.” Her acrylics and watercolors are masterful combinations of color that are pleasing to stare at. And her mostly monochromatic linoleum block prints equally reward lingering eye balls. In this show, Manny talks about her artwork and reminisces about the unique and much-talked-about “Black Rabbit Masquerade Hoedown” at 317 Art Collective in early September. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Manny Chinacat: http://chinacat663.com Instagram: @chinacat663 Music: Music from https://filmmusic.io "Darkness is Coming" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Tom Asher’s wood craftsmanship is as beautiful as it is intricate. Asher is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from the Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Tom, a Rockford native since the mid-1980s, is retired from working as a trumpet player in orchestras in Nicaragua, Mexico and various cities in the United States, including the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. He’s turned his professional music career and his love of violins into a second career of making and repairing instruments, furniture, trinket boxes and other objects. When Tom is not in his basement workshop, he’s probably out riding his bicycle through the midwest countryside. In this podcast episode Tom shares many stories, including one about leaving a beloved music job in Nicaragua just as the Sandinistas overthrew the government in the midst of the Nicaragua Revolution in the late 1970s. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Tom Asher: http://woodenbackroads.com Jamin VanderHeyden: https://www.dangerousdecorations.com/ Music: Music from https://filmmusic.io "Spy Groove" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Aaron Bolden, 39, a long-time Rockford resident, is a world-traveling opera singer and stage performer who most recently sang the national anthem for the 2019 North American Olympic Table Tennis Trials in Rockford. Bolden is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from the Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Bolden is a professional opera singer with a dramatic baritone voice. He is a music educator at Cherry Valley Elementary School. Whether he’s teaching in a classroom or singing, Bolden said music is a powerful medium. “It can take people in so many different directions and places. I get to wake up everyday and know that I’m making an impact on somebody’s life and do something that’s bigger than myself.” Bolden was born in Milwaukee, and spent his youth in Waterloo, Iowa, and his adolescence in Holt, Michigan.  In the podcast discussion, Bolden explains how he has used his personal experiences as a child, as a college student, and as his believer in God, enhances his portrayals of characters on the stage. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Performing in “The Magic Flute” in Tulum, Mexico in June 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itkeUtD9n8k Pascagoula: A Premiere Folk Opera: https://www.pascagoulafolkopera.com/ Peoria Players brings back ‘Ragtime’ https://www.pjstar.com/article/20140830/ENTERTAINMENT/140839947 Music: Music from https://filmmusic.io "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Jacob Polhill is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from the Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Polhill, 23, is a Rockford native and Harlem High School graduate. He is currently living on the West side of Chicago while studying industrial design at University Illinois-Chicago. Polhill opened his most recent solo exhibit on Friday, Oct. 4, called “Out of the Box” at J. R. Kortman Center for Design & Kortman Gallery located on North Main Street in Rockford. The show runs through November 16th.  Polhill’s work puts on public display the dysfunction and grace that inhabits the human mind. Polhill’s work commonly features a bubbly, humanoid figure in twisted postures that he calls “Lil Doody” who is painted onto clean, bold backgrounds. The figure is often meant to mirror Polhill’s own mental state.  Another motif of his work creates a dialogue about bucking expectations. These designs are luxurious, psychedelic memes of repeating lines of text that form a color-shifting snake squirming in mid-air. A recent illustration says, "Sometimes the things that make us feel full and comfortable in the moment are the things that hold us back." His artistic voice draws from rock concert advertisements from the 70s and 80s, Cubism, and an animated style made famous by Disney and Nickelodeon. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Jacob Polhill: IG @jacob_polhill https://www.jacobpolhill.com “Out of the Box” exhibit: Call 815-968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com. Rockford Area Arts Council: www.artsforeveryone.com  2019 Fall ArtScene: www.fallartscene.com Shout Outs: Nate Barksdale: https://www.instagram.com/natebarksdale_/ Kaws: https://www.instagram.com/kaws/ Hebru Brantley: https://www.hebrubrantley.com/ Chris Crack: https://chriscrack.bandcamp.com/ Javier Jimenez: https://bit.ly/2VbYmO7  Balta Ramirez: https://bit.ly/30Hqw4A Vic Rivera: https://bit.ly/35akxbN Music: From https://filmmusic.io "Too Cool" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Street artist David Stocker includes everyone in his Global Climate Strike performance on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. As young people around the world organized their communities Friday for climate change awareness strikes, a couple dozen Rockfordians staged David Stocker’s public theater protest on State Street. The world-wide protests demanding action against climate change preceded a weekend of United Nations’ Climate Action Summit in New York where world leaders, from government, business and civil society address the global climate emergency. This is a special episode of “Meet the Artist” where we get to hear the confluence of art and activism through Stocker’s street theater. From Market Street to State Street, protesters carried an 80-foot-long black tube that was topped with a two-headed snake figure. Stocker calls his creation the “black snake of death” - a symbol of corporate greed and environmental abuse. Other protesters carried signs and chanted “Climate justice now” over a rhythm section of drums and a tambourine. The street performance was the most recent of Stocker’s lifetime of creating free art that anybody can consume and participate in. “I’m a public artist. I believe in the science, but I’m not a scientist. So, what can I do? I thought that bringing artwork into resistance and movements and social activism...I thought that’d be a good thing,” said Stocker. “Some people say the arts shouldn’t have politics in it, but I really don’t think it’s about politics. I think it’s about the human experience.” Stocker, a 30-year Rockford resident, has used music, theater and activism to influence social change for 25 years. He was born in Philadelphia, grew up in England, earned a masters degree in theater at Yale, then came to the midwest, and Rockford specifically, for the residency at the Illinois Arts Council in the late 1980s. His environmental activism started when he participated as a kid in the first Earth Day. He’s a member of “One Drum” a multicultural ensemble that toured the midwest hosting educational music workshops. Stocker knows that the performing arts won’t win wars, but the interpersonal engagement it fosters can be a powerful experience. “In an age of moving so fast we need to have real conversations with people,” he said in a recent phone interview. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Article: Protests in Rockford and across the world urge climate action Sound: Scott P. Yates, various field recordings from the Global Climate Strike march in Rockford, Illinois, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.

Breanda Elise Fedie is the latest guests on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Fedie is a Rockford-based photographer and illustrator whose work explores the human psyche through dreamscapes illustrated with soft focus portraits or abstract designs. She shows her work often with other members of the Fringe Art Syndicate. Of her work she writes, “I appreciate the ability to capture my friends, family, and ideas. Seeing life through a lens has allowed me to focus (literally) on the brighter things in life. It teaches me constantly to appreciate my surroundings and others.” Fedie is currently working on exploring the human psyche through a series of images based on the Enneagram, which is a model for describing nine interconnected personality types. Recently she released a series of images for use as mobile phone wallpaper. They are available to download for free on her website. Fedie discusses her earliest artistic memories, other local artists she’s excited about now, and the creative power of a walk in the woods with friends. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Breanda Elise Fedie: https://www.gzhel.co Instagram: @gzhel https://www.instagram.com/gzhel/ Shout Out: Film director Summer Wagner’s “James Paul Sklena - Fool's Gold (Official Video)” https://youtu.be/V1W5OkbYdcU Music From https://filmmusic.io "Deliberate Thought" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Carrie Johnson is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Johnson is the interim executive director and chief curator of the Rockford Art Museum, a post she’s held since 2012. She started working there in 2006. Johnson is a graduate of Guilford High School where she was into theater and music, which flavor her curatorial style to this day. She’s proud of the collaborative spirit she finds within the Rockford art scene. She credits the city's artistic work ethic for the city’s rise out of the shadow of Chicago. In this episode, we’ll talk about Johnson’s new personal art studio at Mainfraim, her unique velvet flock/painting technique, her lesser known singing talent, and her ideas to foster the growth of community art in Rockford. Rockford Art Museum is integral in the production of the annual Greenwich Village Art Fair, which kicks off on September 14 and 15. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Carrie Johnson: cjohnson@rockfordartmuseum.org Rockford Art Museum: www.rockfordartmuseum.org RAM Instagram: @rockfordart Greenwich Village Art Fair: https://rockfordartmuseum.org/greenwich-home Music The episode’s theme music is a cover of “Telephone Line” by Electric Light Orchestra and performed by Carrie Johnson and Rick Zillhart in 2016.

Rachel Ford and Jim Yeager are the latest guests on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from Register Star newsroom where we meet the artists who make our community a more beautiful place. Ford and Yeager appear in the upcoming play “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.” The play is about a boy struggling through teenage angst and questioning the existence of an afterlife following the death of his dog. It opens at The Nordlof Center on September 13. Ford is a graduate of North Park University where she earned a degree in creative writing in theater and performance studies. She has several local stage and ensemble credits to her name. On the podcast, she discusses a number of topics together, like how thinking of death makes us appreciate life, and she talks about her little dog, too. Yeager is a teacher of mass communications at Highland Community College. And although he helps students with their film productions, he hasn’t performed on stage in over 20 years. That all changes this month. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates “Dog Sees God:” https://thornintheside.weebly.com/ Instagram: @titsproductions Rachel Ford IG: @rachel_m_ford Music From https://filmmusic.io "Breaktime" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Photo Photo artwork courtesy of Molly Baker Bowen

Evangelina Jimenez is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Jimenez is an acrylic painter and owner of Indigo Nail Lounge, where she makes and paints intricate fingernails. She hosts paint and sip events at 317 Art Collective on Market Street, and she assembles Zodiac-themed jewelry. Jimenez uses her canvas and bright colors to paint the power of feminine energy. Social justice advocacy and feminism are strong threads throughout her art and business projects. One big project we discuss in the podcast is her idea of a future women's coworking center in downtown Rockford. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Evangelina Jimenez on Instagram: @indigobaby.rkfd https://www.instagram.com/indigobaby.rkfd/ and @indigo.naillounge https://www.instagram.com/indigo.naillounge/  Shout Outs Shaniqwa Porter https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-rockford-register-star/meet-the-artist-shaniqwa-porter  Vic Rivera https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-rockford-register-star/meet-the-artist-victor-rivera  Jessica Alvarez @pequenapixie https://www.instagram.com/pequenapixie/  Daisy Avila: @dalien94 https://www.instagram.com/dalien94/  Jorge Martinez @jorgemarzar66 https://www.instagram.com/jorgemarzar66/ Laura Gomel: https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-rockford-register-star/meet-the-artist-laura-gomel Jenny Mathews: https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-rockford-register-star/meet-the-artist-jenny-mathews  Music Music from https://filmmusic.io "Verano Sensual" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

DJ and event producer Balta Ramirez is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from Register Star newsroom where we meet the artists who make our community a more beautiful place. Ramirez is a first generation American from Mexican parents from Chijuajua, Mexico. He was born in Chicago, but has lived here since fifth grade when his mother moved here to be closer to family. In 2012, Ramirez graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in psychology and art history. He is the first in his family with a college degree. In his day job, Balta is a family support specialist for Rockford’s Head Start Services, where he helps young families in need. His coping mechanism from this daily stress is his music and event production projects. His ultimate goal is to combine his education and his artistic skills to create his own practice as an art therapist. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Balta Ramirez on Instagram: @rkfdcollection @balta.ramirez Music: "Sunday Morning Vibes 8.17” by Balta Ramirez

Printmaker Sarah Reed-McNamara is the latest guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from Register Star newsroom where we meet the artist who makes our community a more beautiful place. Sarah operates SRMprints and recently established a collaborative maker space called GEM: Gather, Engage, Make, on State Street in downtown. She makes scarves, tea towels, table runners, and block prints with bold colors and tessellating designs. Sarah moved to Rockford at age 17, and her early favorite memories here were with her dad checking out the CDs, show posters and books at Media Play, an entertainment shop on the east side. She went on to earn an art history degree from Rockford University, where she studied and drew inspiration from the Mexican artists from the early- to mid-1900s who formed the collective called Taller de Grafica Popular. The diverse collection of men and women produced work to advance revolutionary and progressive causes which influence Sarah’s work today. For the next year, Sarah will be Rockford Art Museum’s artist-in-residence, hosting printmaking workshops for young students.  Sarah is a mother of two small children. And she happens to be married to one of Rockford’s most well-known figures, Mayor Tom McNamara.  Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates SRMprints: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SRMprints Instagram: @srmprints GEM: Gather, Engage, Make https://www.instagram.com/gem_gather.engage.make/ Rockford Art Museum https://rockfordartmuseum.org Music From https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Photographer James Hogan is this week’s guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from the newsroom of the Rockford Register Star. Hogan, a Rockford native, is the creative eye behind the Facebook photo series “Reflections of Rockford.” He has reinvented himself several times throughout his life. From his youth in the punk scene here to his adult life as an Army soldier and a blue collar factory worker. Most recently he calls himself "The Man In The Hat" because he always wears his fedora while out making photographs. Hogan’s path to this point has not been easy, though. He struggled with alcoholism, depression, and with finding his place as a family man and as a professional creator. But the way he’s managed his challenges can be a positive model for other struggling creative people. At age 40, Hogan quit his stifling day job to pursue his creative career. On this week’s podcast episode, Hogan tells us how he stays positive and how he hopes to inspire others to be more active in our city. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Facebook: “Reflections of Rockford” Instagram: @hoganx74  Music: From https://filmmusic.io "River Valley Breakdown" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Javier Jimenez is this week’s guest on “Meet the Artist,” the podcast from the newsroom of the Rockford Register Star. Jimenez has just been named the first artist in residence of New Genres Art Space, which opened its doors on July 20th. Jimenez is a Rockford native with a long history of illustration and screen printing here. He began his commercial printing enterprise as Saturated Threads Screenprinting. Through this work he was introduced to fellow illustrators who formed the collective known as Fatherless. Since 2010 that group, based in Rockford, has been showing their work internationally. Jimenez is a husband, a father, a grandfather. And now he begins his newest role at New Genres Art Space. On the podcast, listen as Javier shares his inspirations, his desire for a work-life balance, and how he’ll apply his creativity at New Genres Art Space. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates RRSTAR stories: Rockford library adds new media, digital arts through partnership Profile: Javier Jimenez 815: Creating and displaying art in the Rockford region Charlottesville rally coverage: https://www.progress-index.com/news/20170812/officials-white-nationalist-rally-in-charlottesville-linked-to-3-deaths Instagram: @javier__jimenez New Genres Art Space: https://www.newgenresartspace.com/ Fatherless: Twitter @wearefatherless, Facebook.com/wearefatherless, and Instagram @wearefatherless Music: From https://filmmusic.io "Basic Implosion" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

This week Jason Judd and Iga Puchalska, co-founders of New Genres Art Space in Rockford are guests on the “Meet the Artist” podcast from the Rockford Register Star. New Genres Art Space opens for the first time on Saturday, July 20th. Judd and Puchalska tell us why they started their non-profit and what it means for Rockford. They each have extensive backgrounds in art creation and education. They’ve held roles in galleries and universities in Utah and in Illinois. Puchalska is a Polish-born, research-driven animator and educator hybrid. She focuses on the impact of teaching digital art and animation in historically under-served communities. She holds advanced art degrees from Northern Illinois University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Puchalska is married to Judd. He is a Rockford native. He previously worked as an art editor, and had leading roles in galleries at various organizations around Illinois. And he’s even been a registrar at Rockford Art Museum. The two met while working at a gallery outside of the city. Since then, they’ve returned to Rockford to raise their two year old child closer to family. It’s here they hope to make the dream of an art space possible. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates New Genres Art Space: https://www.newgenresartspace.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newgenresartspace/ Music: From https://filmmusic.io "Wholesome" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Cassandra Rose Wills, known as the artist Cassandra Rosetry, is the latest guest on the “Meet the Artist” podcast from the Rockford Register Star. Wills is a poet and an entrepreneur. She is a graphic designer and marketer for small businesses. Her writings focus on institutional racism, prejudice and classism. She writes about senseless inner city violence and the nurturing power of motherhood. As the single mother of five children — ages 10, 7, 5, 4 and 2 — she’s learned to co-parent with her mother and her partner. She says she hasn’t found the secret to a work/life balance. But she cites her amazing support network as the reason her family does well. Wills encourages her children to question things like authority figures: “A person with a title doesn’t entitle (that person) to be above questioning,” she said. Wills recites several of her poems during this episode. She shares how she draws inspiration from paintings and drawings. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Cassandra Rosetry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcassandrarosetry/ “Rock the Vibe Fashion Show”: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rock-the-vibe-fashion-show-tickets-63413495472 Music: From https://filmmusic.io "Smooth Lovin" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Shaniqwa Porter is this week's guest on "Meet the Artist." Porter's use of bright primary colors, screams for your attention and her dripping pastels and earth tones, keep you engaged with the canvas. Porter, born and raised in Rockford, is inspired by female empowerment and dedicated to self-love and self-reflection. She is an only child of a single mother. She drew early inspirations from her mom, aunt and grandmother. She dabbled in early works doodling on papers and bedazzling kids’ shoes. “I just paint from my experience and what I come from and how I view the world, which is from a black woman’s standpoint,” Porter said. Porter began painting two years ago during a period of depression. She turned on some music one night and painted the figure of a woman. Her work is mostly bold portraits of strong and proud figures. Her body of work brings to mind the surrealism of Salvador Dali, the female strength and inner struggles of Frida Kahlo, and the pop portraiture of Kehinde Wiley. Porter’s previous shows include the Vibe Life Expo at Rivets Stadium in Loves Park in May 2019. Shaniqwa visited the Register Star newsroom two weeks ago for this podcast. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host and producer: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Shaniqwa Porter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callmesalsa Background music: From https://filmmusic.io: "Dream Catcher" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

The Rockford hip-hop collective known as the Derelict Dynasty Corps. practices the sub-genre of hip-hop known as backpack hip-hop, in which its members are ready at a moment’s notice for a public performance by carrying all they need in their backpacks. Three local members, Chris Sweeney, the artist known as Chris Geebus, his son Kain Sweeney, known as Kain the Able, and Justin Whitworth, the artist known as Jay Church, visited the Register Star newsroom last week to share their story. Chris is the illustrator of the portrait sketch series depicting local notables. He shares the creation story of Derelict Dynasty Corps. Its members initially struggled to find public venues in which to perform in Rockford. We hear how that changed as the group worked to improve the negative stereotype of hip-hop artists. We get an exclusive first-listen to not one, but two previously unreleased songs: one by Kain The Able and another by Jay Church. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. ___ More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates Derelict Dynasty Corps.: Email: dynastycorps1@gmail.com Instagram: @domddc815 @jaychurchddc @chrisgeebus1 @kaintheable @michaelmiccheck @IQtrackteam @stonetheunknown Music: “Something (Produced by Black King Pin)” By Jay Church “Kain Kong (produced by Party Hat)” By Kain the Able, on his album “Music Is Me.” Expected release date is June 2019. “All Night (produced by Roe Royal)” By Jay Church, on his album called “Ready.” Expected release date is Fall 2019.

Doc Slafkosky, co-owner and operator of J. R. Kortman Center for Design and The Kortman Gallery, is the latest guest on the Register Star's "Meet the Artist" podcast. Slafkosky and co-owner Jerry Kortman opened the shop on North Main Street in downtown Rockford in November of 1986. Kortman focuses mainly on the day-to-day operations of the shop. Slafkosky travels frequently to international destinations. He uses the trips to find objects for the store and artists for the gallery. To this day, the shop offers decorations and home gadgets of Rockford memorabilia and other objects with an international flair. Slafkosky has witnessed a generation of creatives transform the city, and come through the Kortman Gallery located on the second floor of the shop. “If we want to keep Rockford vibrant, its through the arts and culture that you do that,” he said. “I think for the longest time we didn’t understand that. I still think a lot of our civic leaders don’t get that either. I think they think it’s about taxes and about potholes and those kinds of things. Infrastructure and all that is very important, but that’s not the only thing.” His passion for the arts and for Rockford comes through in his storytelling. Slafkosky was kind enough to visit the Register Star newsroom for this podcast right after a trip to Rome. More information Rockford Register Star: www.rrstar.com Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates J.R. Kortman Center for Design and The Kortman Gallery: Open: Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone: 815-968-0123. Online: http://jrkortman.com/ Music: "Universal" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Steve Nofsinger is the latest guest on the “Meet the Artist” podcast from the Register Star. Nofsinger, 33, is a life-long Rockfordian. He’s a painter, a fabricator, a musician, and a 3D print maker. Let’s just call him a maker of all the things. He shows his work under the moniker of “Karate Horse.” In this podcast episode, Nofsinger explains how he embraces failure on the path to creative breakthroughs. His upcoming solo art show is called “The Power of Failure Compels You.” It opens at The Kortman Gallery at 107 North Main Street in Rockford on July 12th. Nofsinger visited multimedia journalist and “Meet the Artist” host, Scott P. Yates, at the Register Star newsroom last week for one of the more animated conversations of this show. They spontaneously break into a battle for the best impersonation of Randy “Macho Man” Savage. We apologise to any of our audience members who are wrestling fans. ___ More information Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates RRSTAR Story: “Creative experiences for almost any palette” https://www.rrstar.com/news/20180908/creative-experiences-for-almost-any-palette Steve Nofsinger on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karate_horse/ Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Karatehorse Music: “I’m In A Dream Flying Above A Misty Bamboo Forest” by Steve Nofsinger

Hip-hop artist Victor Rivera of Rockford, Illinois, is the latest guest on the “From the Newsroom” podcast. Rivera is a teacher, an influencer and a leader of a group of breakdancers, known as B-Boys and B-Girls in the hip-hop universe. He’s keeping that dance style, mostly associated with 80s and 90s hip-hop, alive in future generations with events and gatherings throughout the city. Rivera’s father immigrated as a teenager from Mexico to Rockford, eventually raising three sons here as first generation Mexican-Americans. Rivera attended Jefferson High School in Rockford. He has a degree in sound technology and music business from Madison Media in Wisconsin. Register Star multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates interviews Rivera about those topics and more in the latest podcast episode. Listen to the podcast online at www.rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. More information Hosted by Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates RRSTAR story: Local breakdancing scene thrives decades later, new documentary highlights Rockford’s history https://www.rrstar.com/news/20180810/local-breakdancing-scene-thrives-decades-later-new-documentary-highlights-rockfords-history Victor Rivera’s social media: https://www.instagram.com/vicmonsta/ https://www.facebook.com/vic.monsta Music credits: “Never too late” by Victor Rivera More people to know: Evangelina Jimenez (member: 317 Art Collective) https://www.instagram.com/laindigobaby/ https://www.facebook.com/laindigobaby/ Shaniqwa Porter https://www.instagram.com/callmesalsa/ Jacob Polhill https://www.instagram.com/jacob_polhill/ www.jacobpolhill.com

Xen Kingsley’s photography and spoken word poetry explore a cornucopia of personalities awash in soft light, muted colors and thoughtful turns of phrase, respectfully. His graceful artistry belies his observations of hard truths about racial politics and sociology. After Kingsley’s mother bestowed upon him his government name - which is not Xen Kingsley -  even she admitted the name did not suit him. In his adult life, Kingsley learned to embrace the name and identity he wanted for himself. “It may not be very important you, but Xen is who I am,” said Kingsley. “However, because of the collective need to categorize based on a lack of dimensional complexity, those of us with the courage to be more than what is expected are met with resentment.” In the latest episode of the Rockford Register Star’s podcast, “From the Newsroom,” multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates discusses Kingsley’s identity as a photographer, poet, musician and more. More from the Rockford Register Star. More of "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" Host: Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; Twitter/IG: @scottpyates Xen Kingsley on Instagram: @xentastic https://www.instagram.com/xentastic/ Xen Kingsley on the net: https://www.thexenaissance.com/ Music: “Xen - ‘The Return’” by Xen826; https://soundcloud.com/xen-12/xen-the-return

The mother and daughter team of Lisa and Libbie Frost has taken on the audacious task of painting some 42 tall pillars underneath the Jefferson Street bridge as part of the city-wide Creative: Transformation Art festival. The Frosts are no strangers to the Rockford art scene. The Lisa Frost Studio has distributed Lisa’s paintings, clothing designs, and even a line of dishes internationally. Libbie Frost is graduating from Boylan Catholic High School this year. And last summer, she completed a large mural on the side of the State Street bridge at Joe Marino Park. The Frosts took a moment out of their hectic painting schedule in the middle of the mural festival to visit the Register Star newsroom to record a conversation with multimedia journalist Scott P. Yates about the art scene in Rockford. More Information: RRSTAR story: https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190423/8-murals-in-5-days-new-rockford-festival-to-inject-art-into-downtown Libbie Frost on Instagram: @frostlibbieart CRE8IV: transformational Art mural festival: https://www.gorockford.com/cre8iv/ Music: "Bummin on Tremelo" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jenny Mathews is the latest guest on the Rockford Register Star podcast. Mathews is a Rockford native, the co-owner of 317 Art Collective, a book illustrator, a muralist, a roller-derby athlete, and a mom. Her art work ranges from small-scale watercolors and ink drawings, to large scale murals. Words like obsession, magic and wishing are all themes she threads throughout her work. You can find her work on the walls of city landmarks like the Rockford Art Museum, the Discovery Center, the Rockford Public Library. And starting on May 15th, you can find her leading a group of muralist painting a building at the 400 block of East State Street in Rockford as part of the weeklong CRE8IV: Transformational Art festival. Mathews is a great storyteller and today we’ll hear about plastic-eating jellyfish, kids drawing on the walls, and the summer of art. Listen to the podcast online at rrstar.com, and subscribe to "From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star" wherever you find your podcasts. Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; @scottpyates More information RRSTAR Story: https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190423/8-murals-in-5-days-new-rockford-festival-to-inject-art-into-downtown Jenny Mathews on Instagram: @jenny1396 CRE8IV: Transformational Art festival https://www.gorockford.com/cre8iv/ Music: “Peace of Mind” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Howie Mandel has been making national audiences laugh for four decades as a stand-up comedian and actor and Emmy nominated TV host of “Deal or No Deal.” He is a judge on the 14th season of America’s Got Talent. Mandel is executive producer of many shows through his production company. Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all entertainment platforms, including television, film and stage. Mandel is especially health-conscious and is on a campaign to tell everyone how to live better with healthy cholesterol in a project called Take Cholesterol To Heart. He is currently touring the nation for his latest stand-up comedy show and performed on May 1st at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. While in the Chicago area, Mandel called into the the Register Star newsroom to chat with podcast producer and host, Scott P. Yates, about all these topics and more. For more news and sports from The Rockford Register Star, go online to www.rrstar.com. Contact multimedia journalist and host Scott P. Yates; 815-987-1348; syates@rrstar.com; Twitter: @scottpyates More on Take Cholesterol to Heart; Facebook: TakeCholesterolToHeart www.TakeCholesteroltoHeart.com Howie’s Channels: Facebook: @OfficialHowieMandel Twitter: @howiemandel Instagram: @howiemandel Intro music from https://filmmusic.io: "Chill Wave" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Rockford art promotor Deion Suggs is today’s guest. He’s the mastermind behind Black Bag Money Promotions. Behind this label Suggs operates as a DJ and a promoter of other artists who have talent but no one to sponsor them. In today’s conversation, Suggs shares how growing up in the foster care system in Chicago, Durand and Aurora - and living the street life - gave him the gift of bringing people together to make their surroundings a more beautiful place. Deion Suggs will host an art showcase called, “Local Talent Matters: Volume 2” on May 18 at Loft Ten 19 in Rockford. For more information contact Suggs on Instagram at @black_bag_money_promotions_ent. At the end of the show Suggs takes us out with a special spoken word performance called, “These Are My Thoughts.” For more from the newsroom of the Rockford Register Star, go to www.rrstar.com. Opening music credits: "Sneaky Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Our guest is Rockford painter Kelvin Candie. Candie was born and raised in the Republic of Malawi, attended medical school in Russia, and now lives with his wife and dog in Rockford. Kelvin’s paintings draw inspiration from realism to abstract and experimental genres. During this conversation he shares how he deals with past trauma through artistic expression - an idea he explores in his upcoming solo show called “Symphony of a broken mind,” which opens on May 25, at Loft Ten19 in Rockford. Candie visited the Rockford Register Star newsroom on April 16th. More information: Instagram: @kelvincandie

My guest today is Laura Gomel, co-director of 317 Art Collective in Rockford, Illinois. She grew up in Chicago’s punk rock scene in the 1980s. She met her husband overseas and eventually -- and a little reluctantly -- raised a family here in Rockford. Lucky for us, Laura Gomel is co-director with Jenny Mathews of 317 Art Collective -- an art gallery, studio space and event space located at 317 Market Street in Rockford. Together the women are the latest in a series of stewards of the arts who have lived or worked in that building over the last century. 317 Art Collective opened in early January and since then it’s 10 residents and 30 members-at-large have hosted monthly art shows and classes. On March 12, Laura Gomel joined me in the Register Star newsroom for a conversation about her early years in the Chicago punk rock scene in the 80s and what she’s doing now for Rockford’s creative community. Read More: https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190111/new-artists-continue-creative-tradition-at-317-market-st More information: Open Studio: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Saturdays. Phone: 815-272-0411 Email: 317artcollective@gmail.com Facebook Instagram