‘Studio Space’
New KEET-TV series focuses on local artists and their work
“Studio Space,” a new series premiering tonight at 8:30 p.m. on KEET-TV, explores the lives and work of 26 local artists.
The 13-week program features two artists per each half-hour segment. The show kicks off tonight with George Bucquet and Jimmie Nord, and then continues as follows: Steven Vander Meer and Dan MacCauley, April 9; Kathy O’Leary and Carrie Badeaux, April 16; Scott Hemphill and Duane Flatmo, April 23; Soulshine and Bill Pierson, April 30; Shoshanna and Peggy Loudon, May 7; Conrad Calimpong and Laura Keenados, May 14; Donvieve and Leslie Castellano, May 21; Bernadette Vielbig and Artemio Jimenez, May 28; Lynn M. Jones and June Moxon, June 4; James Hildebrandt and Dionna Fletcher Ndlovu, June 11; Ngan Ho and Alme Allen, June 18; and Mir de Silva and Leslie Price, June 25.
“We did the interviews at the studios of the artists. … We were usually outdoors or in open spaces due to COVID. The best thing about going to the artists’ spaces was it gave us a chance to become more absorbed in their world and their creation process and they were more comfortable,” said David Ferney, who co-hosts “Studio Space” with Kati “Texas” Moulton.
Both hosts are wellversed in the local arts scene and have been anchors in that community themselves.
Ferney has a background in the performing arts and is co-founder of the comedy troupe Los Payasos Mendigos at the Arcata Playhouse. He is a former student of the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theater.
“I absolutely loved being involved with the project. It was particularly nice to have such a stimulating project to be involved with during this challenging year and to work with such a great crew at KEET,” Ferney said.
“It was so great to meet and interview every single artist, really,” he said. “They were all so generous and open about themselves and their work. Some of them I knew their work and them in passing but got to learn so much more about the individual,
and some I didn’t know at all and was just fascinated to discover who they were and what they did.”
Ferney added: “It is exciting to talk with people who are so passionate about what they do. It gives me hope for the future of the arts in this world.”
Moulton is the former artistic director of the Ink People Center for the Arts and was the director of SCRAP Humboldt. The Eureka city councilmember is also a muralist, sculptor and teacher of many art forms.
“Humboldt County has so many inspiring artists,” she said. “Some of them make a splash on the national scene, but others are just quietly creating a better community through the arts every day. It’s been so amazing getting to showcase the artists making a real difference on the North Coast.
“I feel proud to be a part of this project — not just that I think it’s going to be worth watching, but I’m proud to be a part of a community that has such a vibrant and eclectic arts scene,” she said.
During the artist interviews, Moulton said she tried to understand each person’s motivations and inspirations, as well as what effect they hope their art has.
“Some people’s art is a planned and thought-out business,” she said. “They have a skill they enjoy using,
and the discipline to turn it into their job. Some artists approach their work as a spiritual or healing practice with little regard for the final product.
“I also love getting into the nitty gritty of a medium: tips for painting oils outdoors, why you weld the steel, but pop-rivet the aluminum on your junk sculpture,” she said. “The live performers fascinate me the most. They’re like chefs in that after everything, there will be no record of this work they practiced and poured their heart into except what effect it has on their audience.”
One of the artists featured in this series is Carrie Badeaux, owner and director of The Dance Scene Studio in Eureka.
“I feel honored to be part of the ‘Studio Space’ show,” Badeaux said. “To be among the other talented artists is
very extraordinary. I have studied dance since I was little and continued in college and have danced with many ballet and contemporary dance companies. I live dance and love sharing the art form with audiences and students. I enjoy the blend of physical discipline and artistic movement, then you pair that with exceptional music, and that is how I’ve chosen to live my life.”
Badeaux hopes viewers of her segment come away with “a more comprehensive understanding of the dance art that is taking place and how it is multifaceted and can encompass dance photography, performances, workshops, classes and dance theater with a blend of artists, musicians, poets and more.”
Several of Badeaux’s students are also featured in the segment, including
Brooke Grammer, Hope Magee, Harmony Sorter, Syona Gonzalez, Zaila Barba-Oliveri and Katie Kitchen.
“I invited six students to film one day in the studio to highlight the teaching aspect of my dance career as well,” Badeaux said.
Another featured “Studio Space” artist is Laura Keenados, whose art mainly focuses on drawing and printmaking.
“Everyone was so easy to work with, and it made me feel like a part of the artist community being selected out of so many folks,” Keenados said. “We have such an amazing and strong artist base here in Humboldt County, and I love being a part of it.”
In addition to finding out more about local artists and their work, Keenados hopes people watching the series will connect to the “human
experience.”
“There is a huge disconnect societally, and a beautiful thing about art besides aesthetic is that it connects people,” she said. “It gives folks a language with which to relate our experiences and stories. It gives people a voice. It tells the history of our peoples and our communities. Art can heal, whether it be trauma, heartbreak or other pain. Art can teach, allowing people to learn together or individually, and it can be very empowering to be part of the learning experience.”
Keenados added that, “It would (also) be rad if folks learned about printmaking and how easy and accessible it can be, even for people who don’t think of themselves as artists or artistic. Anyone can do it, even if all you have is Styrofoam and a pen and pencil. That’s enough to start the process.”
KEET-TV received a grant from the California Arts Council: Arts & Public Media last year prior to the pandemic to create the “Studio Space” series. Filming for the program was done last fall.
“Studio Space” can also be viewed at KEET.org or studiospace.tv. A repeat feed of the Friday evening shows will air on KEETTV the following week on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.