Northwest Arts Review

Northwest Arts Review is just about done packing in preparation for its first vacation in three years, but we're not going anywhere until we welcome Cheryl Coughlin of the Wallowa Valley’s Josephy Center with truly exciting news about that great cultural resource. Plus, a Nathan Weinbender review and a few musical and music-related gems from our first season, including a nugget of wisdom from pianist Stephen Hough and a return visit to a unique Inland Northwest performance space courtesy of flutist Alicia Mielke.  

We’re all about music on this week’s Northwest Arts Review. The Spokane Symphony’s Mateusz Wolski drops by to share insights learned during the pandemic year, Andrea Olsen fills us in on the Spokane Valley Summer Theatre’s upcoming in-person events, and we’ll meet Bozeman Symphony Orchestra composer-in-residence Scott Lee. We’ve also got music from our studio, one of the student performances recently recorded, and Classical era sounds from the Spokane Symphony’s online spring series, beginning with this Mozart.

This week on Northwest Arts Review we take a trip south to investigate the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, back this summer after a COVID-enforced hiatus in 2020. Artistic Director Timothy Christie fills us in on the festival’s offerings and we’ll hear a bit of music from an earlier season that is part of this year’s festivities as well. Also, Dan Webster is by to offer his take on a new pandemic-inspired film, and we’ll have music in and out from our studio, courtesy of pianists Archie Chen and Rhona Gouldson-Chen.

On this edition of Northwest Arts Review, we dip into our archives for segments from two interviews with author Timothy Egan, whose fascinating true life crime story Breaking Blue is currently featured on The Bookshelf. Also up are Nathan Weinbender and Dan Webster’s takes on the new sci-fi thriller A Quiet Place, Part II and the final installment of music from our recent Sibling Revelry Kids’ Concert, featuring the Treis family of St. John, Washington.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, Chris Maccini welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning author and next Hagan Series speaker, Hilton Als. We’ll also meet Gatie Nicario-Geelan, artist and recent immigrant to Spokane from the Philippines. Music is from another of the families who contributed to our latest Kids’ Concert.

Today, Chris Maccini welcomes Trent Reedy and Jawad Arash, two writers from opposite sides of the globe who are collaborators on a new young adult novel, Enduring Freedom. Dan Webster reviews Without Remorse, the latest Tom Clancy screen adaptation, and we have music from the Girges family, performers in our latest Kids’ Concert.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, Chris Maccini welcomes Marnie Rohrholm from SAGA grant awardee, Spokane Valley Summer Theatre, Verne Windham chats with Lieutenant Chris Cornette, leader of the Navy Band Northwest in honor of Navy Week in Spokane. Also, Nathan Weinbender offers a movie review, and Navy Band Northwest has music for us.

Today, Chris Maccini welcomes the next SCC Hagen Center “Diversity Dialogues” speaker, Luis Rodrigues. Two of Verne Windham’s recent From the Studio guests, Sandpoint Conservatory director Karin Wedemeyer and the Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe offer their observations and strategies for dealing with the current state of pandemic affairs through engagement with music. A particularly sublime moment from a young pianist and some Spokane Symphony sounds complete the aural picture on this edition of NWAR

Today, we continue to celebrate winners of the most recent SpokaneArts grants as Chris Maccini talks with Garfield Elementary School teacher, Samuel Rasmussen. Verne Windham presents reflections by Spokane Poet Laureate Chris Cook on his Poetry in the Neighborhood project. I’ll talk with Gonzaga University’s Matt McCormick about this Friday’s Student Film Festival, and we’ll have music from out studio, courtesy of pianist Melody Puller.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, Chris Maccini reports on the Washington State Poetry out Loud finals, Jim Tevenan checks in with Bozeman Symphony music director Norman Huynh on his first year in the job, and Nathan Weinbender critiques a movie sequel. The Bozeman Symphony provides the music.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, we celebrate the notorious (and fun) poetic form, the limerick, as well as meet artist Ryker Murdock. Music is from EWU students and their latest Second Tuesday Piano Bench program.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, Chris Maccini’s guest is muralist Daniel Lopez. Jim Tevenan talks

again with music therapist Kim McMillin, and Dan Webster is Stayin’ Alive with his review of a new Bee Gees documentary. Music is from Floating Crowbar, the band for our upcoming KPBX Kids’ Concert.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, Chris Maccini talks with professor and author Dr. Anu Taranath https://www.anutaranath.com, latest in the series of Hagan Center for the Humanities presenters at SCC. We’ll also welcome Neal Schlindler, co-chair of the Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival that begins next week. Dan Webster is by with a movie review and we have a bit of turn-of-the-(twentieth) century music from EWU.

This week on Northwest Arts Review, Chris Maccini welcomes Spokane author, Sharma Shields, I introduce emerging artist Robin Milligan, and Dan Webster has a review a recent HBO offering, The Little Things. In honor of the just past Presidents Day, our music if from the Air National Guard Band of the Northwest.

Today, Chris Maccini introduces us to poet, Yale University professor, and this year’s Race and Racism lecture presenter, Claudia Rankine. We’ve also got Verne Windham’s chat with Stage Left Theater’s Susan Hardie, director of their current production, An Illiad. I’ve got the latest from the CdA Music Conservatory executive director Julienne Dance. And Nathan Weinbender has a review of a new documentary film, Some Kind of Heaven. Music, in honor of Black History Month, is from composers Florence Price, R.

On this week's Northwest Arts Review, Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe checks in from Scotland and Chris Maccini introduces us to Seattle-based historian and author Dr. Daudi Abe, one of this year’s speakers at Spokane Community College’s “Diversity Dialogues” series. Dan Webster weighs in on a new Netflix romance novel adaptation, and we’ll enjoy a bit of music form the Spokane Piston and Rotary Cl

ub, too.

We explore finding connection in a time of isolation on this week’s Northwest Arts Review: Chris Maccini talks with Spokane Arts grant awardee Skyler Oberst about his new video series, and Jim Tevenan discusses the neglected art of letter writing with Spokane Correspondence Club organizer Nicki Sabalu. Cinematic thoughts from Nathan Weinbender and music from the WSU Solstice Wind Quintet round out this edition of NWAR.

This week’s NWAR includes Chris Maccini’s conversation with Spokane Poet Laureate Chris Cook around the state of poetry in this time of pandemic. Pianist and music educator Jody Graves reflects on her earliest experiences with her instrument, Dan Webster’s offers his take on a new Ryan Murphy film musical, and we get a reminder from James Lowe about a virtual Spokane Symphony performance happening very soon.

This week’s NWAR features two hopeful conversations about regional music as we check in with SSO MD James Lowe and Music Conservatory of CDA Executive Director Julienne Dance. Also, Chris Maccini continues his series of talks with the latest Spokane Arts Award grantees, this time welcoming writer and illustrator, Chelsea Martin. And the Clarion Brass provide some sonic seasonal cheer.

This week’s Northwest Arts Review celebrates the latest round of grants from Spokane Arts as Chris Maccini talks with one of the recipients, artist, writer and yoga instructor Donell Barlow. Also, Jim Tevenan introduces emerging artist Tayler Jakeway, and Dan Webster has a movie review for us. We’ll also have music from two of our favorite pianists, Archie Chen and Rhona GouldsonChen.

NWAR is back from a Thanksgiving holiday with three guests from the world of literature and the arts as Chris Maccini welcomes Lydia Boss, program manager at Artists’ Trust of Washington, I’ll chat with ceramic artist Gina Fruen about the new Cup of Joy show at the Trackside Gallery, and Verne Windham shares his conversation with public radio icon Garrison Keillor.

Our focus today is music and art in the Lake City, Coeur d’Alene. We’ll visit with Blair Williams, owner of The Art Spirit Gallery and Julienne Dance, Executive Director of the Music Conservatory of CdA. Dan Webster offers some cinema wisdom, and our Mozart is from the String Orchestra of the Rockies.