Arts & Entertainment
The people and scenes making Columbus worth paying attention to — music, galleries, festivals, and the makers behind them.
68 episodes
Inside Wild Goose Creative: Art, Risk, and Meaning in Columbus
Columbus’ creative community often comes alive at the intersection of art, risk, and meaning; a space where organizations like Wild Goose Creative are working to make their mark. In this episode, I…
The Columbus Music Commission’s Big Gig
How do we take a music community and turn it into a music economy?
The Best of Columbus 2024
The results are in, and the people of Columbus have spoken! In this week’s episode, I sat down with Walker Evans, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Columbus Underground, to dive into the highlights…
Navigating Transitions with Matt Slaybaugh
Transitions can be transformative, but they’re often filled with uncertainty. In this week’s episode, I sat down with Matt Slaybaugh, an achievement skills coach, playwright, and former artistic…
Crafting Curiosity with Holden Ellis
Holden Ellis, a creative studio in Columbus, just celebrated its 10-year anniversary—a milestone that founder and CEO Josh Fitzwater describes as a testament to resilience, creativity, and teamwork.…
Columbus Comedy Festival
Good comedy is a reflection of society. Next month, for five days, over 150 comedians will grace ten stages throughout the city for the inaugural Columbus Comedy Festival. On the occasion of the…
The Sounds of Bustown
Not all art is created for an audience. Sometimes, it’s made for the artist. That’s true for William Mount, the host and producer of the music podcast The Sounds of Bustown. Today, we’re unpacking a…
A City of Doers
As Columbusites, we examine the evolution and identity of the city from a singular point of view. That’s not a bad thing, but an outsider’s perspective is always helpful. Today, we hear from Mark…
Downtown with Michael Brown
We’re exploring the evolution of Downtown with Michael Brown, who has been a cornerstone in the city’s development planning and worked both in and outside city government to cheer on its growth.…
Beyond the Beat
There’s a balance to be struck between storytelling and getting to the heart of what matters in writing. That’s especially true when writing about the arts.
Host and Creator Dino Tripodis
How much of ourselves should we put in our work?
Making Columbus Festivals
It has been said that festivals are one of the best things about our community. By extension, the folks who conceive and orchestrate them are making the city measurably better. This week, on the…
Columbus Memes & Inside Jokes
Columbus has a lot of character to it. From Comfest to COSI, there are a myriad of topics, issues, inside jokes, and even memes that every Columbusite should be aware of. 614 enthusiast Doug Powhida,…
Multidisciplinary Artist Lisa Mclymont
Art and artists have the power to change perceptions. In this week’s episode, multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, & social justice advocate Lisa Mclymont discusses her background, work, her…
Greater Columbus Arts Council
What’s the difference between being an arts advocate and an artists’ advocate? Look to the policies and missions of the Greater Columbus Arts Council for an idea. This week, I spoke with Jami…
Poet Maggie Smith
Everyone has the opportunity to document their lives in their own ways. On the eve of the release of her latest collection of work, I spoke with Columbus-based poet Maggie Smith. We discussed how she…
Wexner Center for the Arts
Contemporary art and the presentation of it has traditionally been a class-based endeavor. The Wexner Center for the Arts is trying to change that through its programs and the type of work that they…
Nina West
Take your broken heart and turn it into art. This week, I sat down with Andrew Levitt, AKA Nina West, Columbus’s predominant drag queen and champion. It’s been 20 years since Andrew became Nina; high…
The Beatles Marathon
The annual Beatles Marathon, now in its eleventh year, has become a holiday tradition in Columbus. Normally gathering thousands of people throughout the day at the Bluestone, the event will be…
Cartoonist Jeff Smith
The work of an artist isn’t much different from other pursuits. You have to plan, react to change, and it doesn’t hurt if you’re in the right place at the right time. This week, we talk with…
Can’t Stop Columbus
In this time of consistent change and challenge, we look at how the Columbus community is standing up. Can’t Stop Columbus is a community-wide movement that tries to address some of the problems that…
Artist Laura Alexander
When artist Laura Alexander came back to Columbus after graduate school, she thought she’d stick around for a couple months. That was ten years ago. Laura sat down to talk about why Columbus is the…
Streetlight Guild & Scott Woods
Who should be taking ownership over the uniqueness that is Columbus culture? Scott Woods has some ideas about that and how we should be defining it. Among his many hats (poet, organizer, journalist,…
The Columbus Festival Scene
Two years ago, when the Independents’ Day Festival wrapped up after 10 years, it left a gap in the Columbus festival scene that’s slowly been filled by other independent event producers. Festival and…
Artist & Educator Charlotte Belland
Honing any craft takes practice. That’s the philosophy of educator, illustrator, and animator Charlotte Belland. In this week’s episode, she discusses her background, her role at the Columbus College…
Storyteller Donte Woods-Spikes
Who should we have at the table when trying to address the challenges and opportunities in Columbus? Storyteller and filmmaker Donte Woods-Spikes talks about that, being a young Black man in…
Muralist Adam Hernandez
Being a working artist isn’t easy. Thankfully, there are plenty of folks in Columbus to show you the way. Muralist Adam Hernandez talks about how he found his way here, the importance of mentors, and…
Barbara Fant
Slam brought poetry out of academia in the early 1990s. Since then it has grown and become an outlet for performers around the globe. Local poet and performance artist Barbara Fant sat down to talk…
Magician Erik Tait
Magicians guard an empty vault. Columbus-based magician and comedian Erik Tait won’t hesitate to show you that. We talked this week about the Columbus magic scene that you may not have heard of, his…
Columbus Open Studio & Stage
How do artists work, both alone and together? I sat down with organizer and artist Stephanie Rond to preview this weekend’s Columbus Open Studio and Stage and learn how she herded cats to get here.
Dominique Larue
How can women break into male-dominated fields? In the case of hip-hop artist and rapper Domenique Larue, they just do it. We sat down to discuss how she got started, how she creates her work, the…
Artist April Sunami
Art and artists don’t evolve in a vacuum. That’s certainly true for Columbus-based mixed media artist April Sunami. We sat down to discuss her work, how she translates the identities of women of…
2018 Festival & Comfest Preview
Happy Comfest! Get a preview of the already-begun festival season and hear from a selection of bands gracing the stage at this weekend’s Comfest.
RJD2
Once they find success, how do artists choose the right commercial and creative collaborations? I sat down with Ramble Jon Krohn, better known as RJD2, to talk about his journey from 8-year-old…
Opera Columbus
How does one lead the rebirth of a performing arts organization? I sat down with Peggy Kriha Dye, General and Artistic Director of Opera Columbus, to talk about this weekend’s production of Orphée Et…
Drew Hanson
What’s it like to be a local media personality? I sat down with Drew Hanson, former WNCI DJ and self-proclaimed “D-List Celebrity,” for a freewheeling conversation about his experience in Columbus…
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra
What is the role of a conductor in helping an orchestra perform to the best of its ability? I sat down with David Danzmayr, music director of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, for an engaging conversation…
Choreographer Bebe Miller
How do the choices artists make in their creative process affect what we experience as an audience? I sat down with Bebe Miller, acclaimed choreographer, dancer and director of the Bebe Miller…
Shadowbox Live
What’s the role of locally-produced art in shaping our identity as a city? I sat down with Brandon Anderson, General Manager of Shadowbox Live and Backstage Bistro to talk about the Columbus theater…
Performing Arts at the Wexner Center for the Arts
How do cultural art centers decide what’s worthy of presentation? I sat down with Lane Czaplinski, the Wexner Center for the Arts’ new director of performing arts to talk about his journey from…
Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
Next week, the capital city will be taken over by Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a free, citywide arts festival hosted by people and places with a passion for cartoon arts. On the occasion of the…
Composer Mark Lomax, II
Music is many things to many people but Mark Lomax would argue that it’s not enough. The Columbus-based composer and drummer has some ideas for how we should hear music, incorporate it into our…
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing
It’s getting hoppy in here. We talk with Chris Davison, the head brewer at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, about sour beers, the brewing process, the brewing community, what other breweries in town you should…
Actors’ Theatre
All the world’s a stage… and one man in his time plays many parts. The artistic director of Actors’ Theatre is no different. On the occasion of their 36th season, Phillip Hickman sat down to talk…
Artist Stephanie Rond
The Columbus Arts Festival is quickly approaching and their Sign Your Art installation is making a comeback. I sat down with organizer and artist Stephanie Rond to talk about the project, her work…
COTA’s Transit System Redesign
For the first time in their over-forty-year history, the Central Ohio Transit Authority is changing up its routes. I spoke with representatives from COTA about how the new system was designed and…
Columbus Festival Season 2017
With the month of May quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about summer festivals. In this week’s episode, Columbus Underground co-founder and COO Anne Evans talks about what festivals…
Singer-Songwriter T.Wong
Three years ago, Columbus-native Stefan Thomas passed the bar, became an attorney, and embarked on a musical career as T.Wong. Having released four collections of polished work and worked with…
Musician Angela Perley
On the occasion of their upcoming showcase at SXSW, I sat down with Angela Perley of Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons to talk about their career trajectory, listen to a few tracks, and discuss why…
Holler
The art community in Columbus is a strong one. But there’s a large portion of it that you don’t see; specifically black art. Scott Woods created Holler to showcase the work of black artists across…
Blockfort
How do you build a community around what you’re passionate about? This week, Adam Brouillette sat down to discuss Blockfort, the new gallery and studio space Downtown, and why he thinks Columbus is…
Six Word Memoirs
We all want to tell stories. Larry Smith, the creator of Six Word Memoirs helps people do that. We sat down to talk about the project, Larry’s background as a journalist and storyteller, and why he…
Crafty in Columbus
This week, we explore the craft scene in Columbus with maker maven Megan Green who heads up the Midwest Craft Con and Craftin’ Outlaws. It’s a discussion about the business of craft, the many hats…
400 West Rich
The terrible fire in Oakland, California sparked discussions in Columbus about the safety of our artist communities. Chris Sherman, the development director for the largest of those communities, 400…
Cocktails in Columbus
Tis the season for a cocktail. Two of Columbus’ best mixologists, Joe Peppercorn from Little Rock Bar and Josh Rice from Bodega, talk about the bar scene in Columbus, what makes a good cocktail list,…
Shopping Locally
This week, we’re shopping local. On the occasion of the holiday season, we sat down with two people immersed in the movement. First up, Timothy Wolf Starr discusses the recently rebranded Small…
Comedy in Columbus
Stop asking why and start asking how. That’s the lesson from comedians Amber Falter and Brian Doney. We talk this week about the Columbus comedy scene, how they work, and their current tour.
Shadowbox’s Amy Lay
Columbus is home to the nation’s largest resident theater company, Shadowbox Live. Meta-performer Amy Lay sits down to talk about her craft, the importance of play, and why she chose Columbus.
Real Estate in Columbus
There are three things that matter in real estate: location, location, location. While that adage is true, there are a couple more things to know about the Columbus real estate market.
Coffee Talk
How do you take your coffee? You sure? We sat down with two roasters, Crimson Cup and Brioso Coffee , to talk about what makes a good cup of coffee, a bad cup of coffee, fair trade, and a little…
The Dick & Jane Project
How can students be empowered? The Dick & Jane Project thinks they have a solution: songwriting. Their literacy program partners middle school students with professional musicians to create…
Artist Bryan Christopher Moss
How can we make Columbus a true hub for visual art? We tackle that and more with artist and educator Bryan Christopher Moss in this week’s episode, recorded live at Independents’ Day.
Independents’ Day
When a group of people that are dedicated to making Columbus awesome get together you get a festival with more than just beers and bands. Independents’ Day , coming up September 17th and 18th in…
The 2016 Summer Movie Season
It was not a good summer for movies. That’s according to Hope Madden , Columbus Underground’s movie reviewer who, in anticipation of the unofficial end of the summer movie season, talks this week…
Restauranteurs
What’s it like to own a restaurant and what drives people to do it?
Carless in Columbus
People like the idea of living without a car. Why don’t they?
Counterfeit Madison
The creative amalgam that is Counterfeit Madison inspires many in Columbus. We talk about her upcoming show , how the show came to be, how Counterfeit Madison came to be, the Columbus music scene,…
Theme Song
Our theme song by Benji Robinson, AKA Reptile Fiction .
