Transforming Intergenerational Pain into Inspiration and Strength

Open Studio Cambodia Exhibit

How are Cambodian artists approaching contemporary art today? Lauren Iida is an Artist and  Founder of Open Studio Cambodia, an artist collective based in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Iida founded this organization in  2018.  It mentors, represents, and provides supplies and communal studio and gallery space to a small group of local Cambodian contemporary artists.

KBCS spoke with Iida at The Vestibule in Ballard, where Open Studio Cambodia artists’ work is featured through December 17^th in the exhibit, Starting to Work Again: Contemporary Cambodian Art.  She describes the contemporary art scene in Cambodia today and introduces some of the artists featured in this exhibit.

Producer: Yuko Kodama

Photo: Lauren Iida

Lauren Lida

The Power of the BTS/ARMY Relationship

BTS, the South Korean music group has taken the global music scene by storm, breaking records in numbers of albums sold and spun, twitter follows, number of fans, sold out concerts and much more. 

Their influence has been noted by many, including governmental officials who have tried to suppress BTS’s reach and image in public. This story looks at who they are, their work and social reach in partnership with their fanbase, ARMY.

Reuters graph of BTS/ARMY fundraising for Black Lives Matter

Producer: Yuko Kodama – special thanks to Sam Sullivan, Christine Marasigan, Nancy Yang, Candace Epps-Robertson, Laura Mundt, Angela Young and Sherry Lynn Reynolds Anderson

Photo: Ashley[epidemic]

Artist, Lauren Iida

Artists in a Time of Monsters

Reverend Osagyefo Sekou  is a Musician and Theologian in Residence at Seattle’s Valley and Mountain Fellowship.  Reverend Sekou discusses art and its role in social movements.

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Renton Street Poet

KBCS’s Gol Hoghooghi met Garold Rainier, a poet on the street. Listen in on how he navigates life since the 2008 economic crash and a serious accident.

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The Artist Behind Street Flower Arrangements

Across the street from Cal Anderson Park in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood, you might come across a cluster of found jars and bottles arranged with  wildflowers and greenery that you would see growing through cracks in the asphalt of any parking lot.  (more…)

Unmute the Commute: The SODO Busway Murals

There’s an art gallery in Seattle only accessible by public transit. Today on Unmute the Commute, the SODO Busway Murals. Produced by Ann Kane.

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Native Art: Louie Gong

In this series, Louie Gong, Eighth Generation founder and Seattle Nooksack artist, explains “native inspired” doesn’t mean a native artist crafted the piece. He also shares his story about how he got involved in a project to enliven a local transitional shelter with genuine native art.  The goal was to inspire change in the lives of the local people transitioning from homelessness to housingl.

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New Murals Bring Art to the SoDo Track

Two miles of Seattle’s downtown warehouse district are getting a new look!

Artists from around the world and the Seattle area have been commissioned to paint vibrant murals along the SoDo Track–the transit corridor between 4th and 6th avenues only accessible to Light Rail and Metro buses.

You can find a map of the SoDo Track murals here. An Opening Event is being held tomorrow, August 6th, from 6-9pm, with entertainment for all ages.