Big Daily Blend

Performers Danielle Reddick & Giuseppe Quinn in Chaco Canyon

As we near the anniversary of the National Park Service (August 25, 1916), and August being American Artists Appreciation Month, we're revisiting select Big Blend Radio interviews with park artists-in-residence through the National Parks Arts Foundation. 
This episode features performers and puppeteers Danielle Reddick and Giuseppe Quinn who discuss being the National Parks Arts Foundation’s 2016 Artists-in-Residence at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in Aztec, New Mexico. They are founders of RedQuyn, a hybrid that came about when Danielle and Giuseppe met while touring with STOMP. Both bring years of performance and diverse talents to the mix. More at https://www.facebook.com/RedQuyn 

Artist Dawnja Burris in Chaco Canyon

As we near the anniversary of the National Park Service (August 25, 1916), and August being American Artists Appreciation Month, we're revisiting select Big Blend Radio interviews with park artists-in-residence through the National Parks Arts Foundation. 
This episode features Dawnja Burris - media scholar, visual and artist, and the spring of 2019 National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF) artist-in-residence in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in Northern New Mexico. Dawnja is interested in the translation of images through diverse mediation and form. Read More and see her art: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/visual-artist-dawnja-burris-in-chaco-culture-nhp This podcast also features Nathan Hatfield - Chief of Interpretation at Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Monument, and Tanya Ortega - Founder of NPAF.  Featured music is “Chaco” by the Tall Men Group.

End-of-Summer Fun in Festive Natchitoches, Louisiana

Celebrate American Adventures Month and the End-of-Summer with this episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Go to Natchitoches” Podcast. From the Cane River Zydeco, Big Foot, and Meat Pie Festivals to the Natchitoches Parish Fair and a new Corn Hole Tournament, Paige Alost and K. Nicole Connell of Natchitoches Tourism  share what to experience at the end of August and throughout September in Natchitoches. 
Founded in 1714, Natchitoches is the original French Colony and oldest settlement in Louisiana. Celebrating a vibrant blend of French, Spanish, African, Native American, and Creole cultures, this charming city is part of the Cane River National Heritage Area and Louisiana’s No Man’s Land.  Plan Your Visit to Natchitoches and check out the event calendar at https://natchitoches.com/ 
Follow Big Blend Radio's "Go to Natchitoches" show and check out the past episodes here: https://natchitoches-louisiana.podbean.com/ 

Author Alison Rand - Walking Alison

Celebrate National Dog Month (August) with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Pet Connection" Show that features Alison Rand, author of the contemporary memoir, "Walking Alison: A Poodles’s Mostly True Story of Helping Her Human Navigate Life."
The healing relationship between a dog and her human is at the heart of "Walking Alison." Chronicling their regular walks around her Upper West Side neighborhood, this big-hearted book describes the significant relationship between Alison and her wise, yet opinionated, canine companion known as Dea. Dea nudges her human to engage with the world and appreciate everyday magic, even in the face of hardship. From processing grief to recovering from illness, Dea sees it all—and with deep wisdom, gives insight that can only be gleaned from looking through the eyes of a beloved pet.
Alison's previous memoir, “A Place Called Grace,” follows her misadventures as she struggles to find her footing as an actress in New York and Rome, Italy. Keep up with her at https://alisonrandauthor.com/ 
Big Blend Radio's PET CONNECTION Show is cohosted by Angela Laws, veteran pet sitter, and community manager at https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/  
This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio's "Quality of Life" and "Big Daily Blend" Podcast Channels. Follow the "Pet Connection" podcast at https://pet-connection.podbean.com/ 

Winemaker Insider - Dave Specter of Bells Up Winery in Oregon

Celebrate National Pinot Noir Day with our Big Blend Radio "Winemaker Insider" Conversation with Dave Specter, who along with his wife Sara, owns and runs Bells Up Winery in Willamette Valley, Oregon. 
After more than a decade of success as a corporate tax attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dave was emotionally and physically spent. Sara, a freelance marketing consultant and writer, convinced him to leave the profession and they turned the hobby that brought him joy—winemaking—into his new career. The pair had fallen in love with Newberg and Oregon’s Willamette Valley while on vacation in 2008, subsequently moving there in 2012 and establishing Bells Up Winery in 2013. The first wines were released Memorial Day 2015, coinciding with the opening of the estate winery/tasting room. The on-site production facility was built and equipped in time for 2019 harvest.
Bells Up is a micro-boutique winery that composes handcrafted, classically styled Pinot Noir, Rosé, Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon with grapes sourced exclusively from its estate, and from micro-sites in the Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon. The winery makes ~600 cases annually. More: https://bellsupwinery.com/ 

The Then and Now of Art and Artists in Parks

In celebration of American Artists Appreciation Month and the upcoming National Park Service anniversary (Aug. 25, 1860), this episode of Big Blend Radio's WORLD OF ART Podcast with artist Victoria Chick features photographer Tanya Ortega. Hear their discussion covering the Then & Now of Art and Artists in Parks and Public Lands. 
Talking about the history of art and artists in parks, VICTORIA CHICK is a contemporary figurative artist and early 19th/20th century print collector based in Silver City, New Mexico. Victoria spearheaded the Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center  .* Read her articles about artists in parks:  https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/art-history-in-national-parks-and-public-lands * Visit Victoria's website:  https://victoriachick.com/ * Learn more about the Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center: https://www.southwest-art-museum.org/ 
Talking about "the now" of art and artists in parks, TANYA ORTEGA is a photographer and the founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation. NPAF is the only nationwide non-profit providing Artist-in-Residence Programs (AiR), Workshops, Exhibits and Museum Loans uniquely in cooperation with National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks, World Heritage Sites and other park locations. * Learn more about NPAF: https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ * Check out Big Blend Radio's Interviews with NPAF artists-in-residence: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/national-park-arts-foundation/  
WATCH FOR BIG BLEND'S special digital retrospective publication featuring Victoria's articles and NPAF's artist interviews. It releases on Aug. 25, 2024 in honor of the National Park Service anniversary (Aug. 25, 1860). Subscribe to our Big Blend e-Newsletter to get your copy: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/join-our-newsletter/ 
Big Blend Radio's "World of Art" Show with Victoria Chick airs every 3rd Saturday. Follow the podcast:  https://worldofart-victoriachick.podbean.com/ 
Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks Show with NPAF airs every 1st Friday. Follow the podcast: https://arts-parks.podbean.com/ 

Hard Rocker Jack Russell of Great White

Legendary rock singer Jack Russell passed away yesterday, Aug 15, 2024. He had one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in hard rock history, heard on such classics as “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Rock Me” and “Save Your Love.”
On this "From the Vault" episode of Big Blend Radio (2018), we chatted with the inimitable vocalist and founding member of ‘80s metal legends Great White, who discussed his newly reissued 1996 debut solo album, "Shelter Me."  
May Jack Russell RIP. Our hearts and sympathies go out to his family, friends, bandmates, and loved ones.

Kathleen Walls - Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie in Kansas

A small portion of America's historic tallgrass prairie is preserved in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. Only about 4% of tallgrass prairie still exists and it is one of the most diverse biological environments on earth. 
In celebration of American Adventures Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel" Show features travel writer Kathleen Walls who shares her Tallgrass Prairie experiences touring the Flint Hills Discovery Center and Konza Prairie Biological Station in Kansas. Read her story, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/flint-hills-tallgrass-an-amazing-ecosystem/ 
Kathleen Walls is publisher/writer for American Roads and Global Highways at https://www.americanroads.net/.  She is also an author. See her books at https://katywalls.com/ 
This podcast is also shared on Big Blend Radio's "Big Daily Blend" and "Nature Connection" shows. Keep up with Big Blend Radio's Network of Podcasts, here: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork