Episodes

  • Ep. 187: David Reis

    Ep. 187: David Reis
    Apr 22 2024
    Welcome back David "Dave" Reis, AKA David Domingo Reis, who was our guest on In-Focus Podcast 154. Dave returns once again and this time it's as the host of our first-ever podcast series. Dave Reis spent nearly 26 years as a Jazz radio show host among his many other accomplishments. That’s right, he was one of the original DJs who worked at the former WUSM which became WUMD radio station, 89.3 FM, on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus. This podcast, Podcast Episode 187, offers a little background into an upcoming and remarkable opportunity to learn about the phenomenal, historic, and impactful jazz community with its deep roots in the Cape Verdian community of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Jazz in the South Coast is still thriving and continues to make history. Local businessman Neal Weiss, a jazz aficionado, entrepreneur, and the founder of the Fiber Optic Center is underwriting this ten-part jazz podcast series. There is no better host for this series than Dave Reis, a walking, talking jazz encyclopedia and local legend himself. Dave grew up surrounded by and hanging around with many of the jazz greats he will be presenting his new jazz podcast series. Stay tuned for The Fiber Optic Center’s Jazz Podcast Series with your host Dave Reis, which launches later this month. The Artists Index wants to say thank you in advance of the series launch to the Fiber Optic Center for underwriting this series and helping us to continue our mission. We have been featuring the makers, creators, and performers of the South Coast's local arts and culture scene for quite some time, and producing podcast series has been on our list. Neal Weiss is also the sponsor of the Jazz Mural created by Kat Knutsen who has been our guest on Podcast Episode 73, Podcast Episode 131, and Podcast Episode 180. Neal is also the founder of Whaling City Sound, which Dave will tell you all about! Dave Reis has always wanted to promote Jazz musicians. WUMD signed off around noontime on a Monday in June of 2017 after 42 years of broadcasting. According to a Fall River Herald article, on “May 1, the Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of UMass Dartmouth’s 9,800-watt WUMD (89.3 FM) radio license to Rhode Island Public Radio...” Jazz was and continues to be Dave's passion. He grew up in a house with Jazz musicians and taught a class with former Southcoast Learning Network. The Artists Index co-founder and host, Ron Fortier talks to Dave Reis about his new series and lots more. The Artists Index continues using Zoom and occasionally at our studio at the Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. Our home base and recording studio is at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know! The whole concept of The Artists Index and our journey is still in the making and very organic. If you would like to be a guest or, have a suggestion, please let us know! Offering listeners up close and personal conversations with the artists, supporters, and cultural impresarios of our creative community. Listen to the artists talk about their work, backgrounds, passions, dreams, and accomplishments. Also featured are those work in or manage the creative community’s economy, promotion, and cultural agenda. The Artists Index is sponsored in part by Heavenly Sprits who invite you to celebrate the art of life. Enjoy this podcast? Considering making a one time small donation to help support our mission.
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    49 mins
  • Ep. 186: Ymelda Rivera Laxton

    Ep. 186: Ymelda Rivera Laxton
    Apr 1 2024

    Welcome, Ymelda Rivera Laxton, the Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art & Community Projects at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Ymelda is the newest addition to the Whaling Museum's staff. She is a museum professional.

    Ymelda has worked at various cultural institutions in Washington, California, Texas, and Massachusetts. She has always been interested in cultural agency and representation in museums. As the Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art & Community Projects, she brings her experience, love, and appreciation of community storytelling in all of its forms.

    Ymelda Rivera Laxton is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and credits the amazing cultural arts community there for fostering her love and enthusiasm for museums. She resides in Rhode Island with her husband, daughter, and their beagle mutt named Beemo.

    Ymelda speaks with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, about her broad scope of experience and its importance to her new position at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. This episode was recorded with Zoom. The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts.

    Our home base and recording studio is at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

    The Artists Index, offers listeners up close and personal conversations with the artists, supporters, and cultural impresarios of our creative community.

    Our In-Focus podcasts feature artists who talk about their work, backgrounds, passions, dreams, and accomplishments. Also featured are those who work in or manage the creative community’s economy, promotion, and cultural agenda.

    If you enjoy this podcast please consider making a donation. https://theartistsindex.com/donate/

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    35 mins
  • Ep. 185: Trajic Montalvo

    Ep. 185: Trajic Montalvo
    Mar 26 2024
    Welcome Hip-Hop Artist, Trajic Montalvo (Andres Alexander Montalvo). He was born in Miami, Florida, and moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts because, as he says, he was, "surrounded by death by the time I was an early teen and found a way to get through my everyday struggles and pains. Trajic fell in in love with music. He has continued to write and rap at every chance he is presented with. Today he is releasing music consistently on all platforms. He also provides music videos on YouTube & more. As of late, he has been donating clothes and merchandise from his We Attire By Trajic Montalvo (WABTM) brand at PACE (People Acting in Community Endeavors) in New Bedford, Massachusetts while hoping to be more involved with the city and the surrounding communities. Trajic's stage name is a testament to his early teenage years and is a testament to his immersion in hip-hop writing, rapping, and recording. His releases are found on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. His journey which started in adversity and has brought him to secure a space in hip-hop has been embraced by his adopted community. And although there have been challenges, his passion for music has never faltered. Trajic continues to be successful and carve out a niche in the South Coast's vibrant and expanding hip-hop scene. He was recently featured on 24HIP-HOP. Trajic speaks with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, about his art, life, and journey. This episode was recorded with Zoom. The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts. Our home base and recording studio is located at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know! The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.
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    58 mins
  • Ep. 184: John Walker & Putnam Murdoch

    Ep. 184: John Walker & Putnam Murdoch
    Mar 18 2024
    Welcome, to Podcast Episode 184 featuring John Walker and Putnam Murdock. They are friends and a singer-songwriter team who also work together as playwrights. John has, as he describes, "some experience writing screenplays" and Putnam is a seasoned singer-songwriter and teacher. Putnam Grafton Murdock has performed throughout the US and is a middle school music and theatre teacher at Friends Academy in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. They have completed one stage play “A Friend’s One Man Show” and are working on another play incorporating Putnam’s music background. The play, however, is not a traditional musical. As of this podcast episode recording, “A Friend’s One Man Show” has been through one table reading at Friends Academy in 2021 and a staged reading at Moses Brown High School in Providence, Rhode Island in 2023. Their creative process has evolved since they began writing together in the fall of 2019 before the pandemic. When the pandemic started, they discovered they could meet more often online. John Daniel Walker is a California State University, Northridge graduate and a transplanted Fairhavenite from San Diego, California. According to John, "While the platform was a bit impersonal at first, we took the opportunity to dedicate ourselves to the creative process which, supplemented our therapy sessions that were no longer taking place." The process has allowed them to take time, revise, and edit often. it also allowed the duo to include their most honest selves in the characters. According to the friends and playwrights, while publication is a dream for the play, their goal has been to create and steep themselves in the process of writing. As a touring artist, Putnam started as a professional musician with the Colorado rock and roll band Chief Broom. He was the frontman. The group achieved a slot on the 1997 H.O.R.D.E tour, appeared in festivals at Red Rocks Amphitheater and sold out venues throughout the western United States. After graduating with a songwriting degree from Berklee School in Music in 2002, Murdock launched a solo career and has since traveled across the country performing with artists such as Martin Sexton, Taj Mahal, Ben Taylor, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Kaki King. Putnam Murdock describes his music as being steeped in old-time folk, country, and blues.his songwriting presents an honest voice of Americana music. As a one-man band or a full ensemble, the intimacy remains obvious in his contemporary sonic collages or classic ballads. His fourth studio release, "Long Time To Make Old Friends, was recorded at Bunker Studios in 2022. John Walker and Putnam Murdock speak with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, about their collaboration and interests.. This episode was recorded with Zoom. The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts. Our home base and recording studio is located in Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know! The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.
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    58 mins
  • Ep. 183: NB Film Festival

    Ep. 183: NB Film Festival
    Mar 11 2024
    Welcome, once again, Alyssa Botelho from Podcast Episode 175 and Ethan de Aguiar, from Podcast Episode 173. They have teamed up to create the New Bedford Film Festival - which, "celebrates authentic cinematic stories, cultivates bold storytellers, and champions the city’s growing creative and diverse economy." The festival will take place in New Bedford (as of this posting) in the South Coast of Massachusetts from April 18 to 21, 2024, their inaugural year. The New Bedford Film Festival event sites are at the New Bedford Ground Work and the New Bedford Creative offices. There will be multiple screening areas. The New Bedford Film Festival offers local filmmakers the unique opportunity to showcase their films as well as simultaneous, panels, and networking events. During the evening segments, the festival features the "Story in a Frame" for filmmakers to take the opportunity to share a screenshot from their project and engage in lively discussions. The New Bedford Film Festival celebrates authentic cinematic stories, cultivates bold storytellers, and champions the city’s growing creative economy. NBFF takes place in the vibrant city of New Bedford on the South Coast region of Massachusetts. Alyssa and Ethan say that the festival is committed to their shared vision by, "spotlighting the diverse human experience through cinematic storytelling such as short & feature films, episodic, music videos, documentaries, and PSA shorts through a yearly film festival." Throughout the day, the New Bedford Film Festival invites you to, "explore New Bedford's downtown small business scene where the filmmakers will be offered discounts and promotions when presenting their official NBFF badge." The opening events will be held at the state-of-the-art New Bedford Whaling Museum theater, with an Academy Award-style closing ceremony held at Steeple Playhouse on the last day of the festival. And as they say, there's more! The NB48: Filmmaking Challenge Challenge! event is held in collaboration with the New Bedford Film Festival and sponsored by UMass Dartmouth. It aims to highlight the beauty and diversity of downtown New Bedford as the perfect setting for film narratives. The challenge is a great opportunity to showcase the thriving independent film scene in the New Bedford area and connect with like-minded local filmmakers, actors, and volunteers. Alyssa Botelho and Ethan de Aguiar speak with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, once again, about their new and highly successful festival collaboration. The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts. The home base and studio of The Artists Index are located at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know! The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.
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    42 mins
  • Ep. 182: Chris Page

    Ep. 182: Chris Page
    Mar 4 2024

    Welcome, Chris Page, an artist and painter who spent most of his adult life in the Amherst-Northampton area of Massachusetts. Chris just recently moved to Somerset and has a studio in the Hatch Street Studios in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

    His work, although grounded in abstract painting is as he says, "based on walking and being present in the landscape." Chris Page is currently walking the area of Horseback Beach and Gooseberry Neck in Westport, Massachusetts as a specific exploration. He is especially interested in wave rhythms and seaweed accumulation formations and their space-making patterning.

    His work involves both painting and photography. Chris often starts with a photograph and overpainting it. His paintings begin as primarily gestural mark-making followed by scraping to form his images. Visit the Notebook section on his website to see his most recent work

    Chris speaks with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, about painting in general and his painting practice. This episode was recorded with Zoom. The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts.

    Our home base and recording studio is located at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

    The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.
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    53 mins
  • Ep. 181: Roots & Branches

    Ep. 181: Roots & Branches
    Feb 26 2024
    Welcome, once again, Jeff Angeley from Podcast Episode 122 and Chris Camarao, from Podcast Episode 135. They have teamed up to create the New Bedford Roots & Branches Festival - Everything Acoustic By and For the People! Their inaugural year was last July (2023) with a promise to bring, "a new kind of acoustic music festival... to downtown New Bedford!" The Festival is, according to their website, "a free, one-day, acoustic music festival by and for the people." It is free to all and it is devoted to ensuring the various diverse folk communities of the city are represented on the performance schedule. New Bedford Roots & Branches Festival aims to have a positive impact on the downtown New Bedford community by hosting local and regional performers of true traditional music, indie folk, acoustic roots rock, contemporary songwriting, and other compositional and exploratory acoustic music. The Festival will continue to work its successful agenda this July by working in direct collaboration with its fiscal sponsor, Downtown New Bedford Inc. The New Bedford Roots & Branches Festival featured unique indoor “stages” on small downtown business locations, which included Calico, the Pour Farm Tavern, April Evans Beauty Salon, and Destination Soups. Each venue functioned as a unique listening concert while simultaneously bringing attendees directly into the showrooms of their supportive and vibrant downtown business community. Outdoor traditional music performance areas such as Wing’s Court also hosted performances in the heart of downtown New Bedford. The festival's co-founders,  Jeff Angeley and Chris Camarao speak with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, once again, about their new and highly successful festival collaboration. The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts. The home base and studio of The Artists Index are located at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know! The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.  
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    49 mins
  • Ep. 180: Kat Knutsen

    Ep. 180: Kat Knutsen
    Jan 29 2024

    Welcome, once again,  painter/muralist/art instructor, and production artist on Loving Vincent, Katherine “Kat” Knutsen! She has been our guest on In-Focus Podcast Number 73 and last time, she spoke with our intrepid Indie Music Host – Scott Bishop about her musical side In-Focus Podcast Number 131!

    This time, she speaks with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, once again, about her background, passions, and future. She is a whirling dervish of great energy, who since childhood, has always loved working with her hands.

    Kat had survived asthma and brain cancer growing up, and she seems always to be living her best life and spreading her enthusiasm wherever she goes and sharing it with whoever needs it. Her health challenges initially led to her studying nursing but she quickly learned it wasn’t for her during the clinical portion of her education.

    She left the nursing field and was serendipitously introduced to the Fine Arts by a friend in her sociology class. Kat Knutsen was drawn into the Arts when she witnessed her, "...soon-to-be painting professor turn magic into a rational process. Something in me lit up!”

    Ever since then, Kat continued to learn about art, refine her skills, techniques, and approach, and go on to teach others. She engages with her students in the art-making process and continues to reflect and interpret the events that happen around her. She is currently featuring live figure drawing sessions under the heading of Anatomical Artisanry in her Kilburn Mill studio.

    The Artists Index uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts. The home base and studio of The Artists Index are located at Spectrum Marketing Group in Howland Place in New Bedford. If you would like to be a guest on  The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!

    The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.

     
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    55 mins