ARTS for ALL Wisconsin(Hour 1)

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Broadcasting live from the Civic Media Studios in Green Bay, this is Night Light with Pete Chwabba.

Your inside source on everything entertainment from Wisconsin to Hollywood.

And now, a guy who loves to watch true crime, but only if it's shoplifting, Pete Schwabba.

Welcome to the Night Light, ladies and gentlemen.

It is Monday night in the state of Wisconsin.

On an overcast, we have basically hurricane winds here in northeast Wisconsin.

I don't know what, I think 60 miles an hour is considered low grade hurricane winds.

Can you confirm or deny that, Conrad?

I cannot confirm or deny that.

I know nothing about it.

Well, your

folks live in Key West.

They probably have some idea.

They don't.

They used to live there.

They live inland

now.

Oh, that's right.

Because of the hurricanes?

No, just

because.

Cheaper?

Yeah.

Key

West?

Key West isn't cheap.

No, I know.

That's what I'm saying.

They're probably leaving.

I mean, Key West, if you're willing to take your life in your hands to live there, is probably one of the most beautiful places, but also very expensive.

All the houses down there are on stilts.

Yeah, you know, so it's not actually They got a port a carport under so it's no garage.

It's just you put your car under that.

Yeah, they have a boat No, they do not Okay, now it takes them a little bit to get to the to the water.

I Have a

pair of stilts and I might wear them in one day.

I might do the show from stilts I don't know if that's ever been

done.

I don't know if the the mic can reach that far up

And we'll see.

I can shout.

Hey, great to have you with me tonight, folks.

It is Night Light with Pete Schwabba.

I am your host, Pete Schwabba.

We are broadcasting live from downtown Green Bay, a beautiful night here in the state of Wisconsin.

And I hope you all had a good weekend.

I hope you had a good day, because I know Mondays can be kind of a downer, but I like getting back to work.

I get excited to get back and get in a routine.

This weekend was...

Fun, but sometimes I don't know what to do with myself like what did you do this weekend Conrad?

Well, I didn't do much.

I want golfing.

Okay And then yeah, that's pretty much about it.

I worked out Cleaned do you consider golf working out?

I used to but okay, that's before like Driving in a cart getting out swinging, you know for how many times I played 18

I don't I mean it's a little exercise, you know it gets you moving and get your body moving But it's not like walking you probably burn like point

seven five calorie with each swing.

I This is the difference.

I last year I walked for the first time and After that I didn't want to do anything like for this day.

I was like I'm done But you had your clubs in a car, right?

Like a push cart, right?

So yes, you're on Saturday I golfed and

I don't have a push cart myself yet.

I borrowed one from my brother, but he was golfing too.

So I couldn't.

So after I was on the golf cart, I still, I still wasn't worked out after it.

I was like, I feel like I didn't work out today.

So

yeah,

I still, I still wanted to do that.

I remember when I was a kid, I learned on the three lakes Wisconsin golf course.

That's where I learned how to golf.

It's the worst course.

It's basically just.

nine holes of sand and crappy grass.

Like the greens don't look that much different from the fairways.

It's

not

like, but it was beautiful.

It was right in the lake and it was like kind of home.

You know, that's where we

learned

during the summer and we would carry our clubs.

And I remember thinking some people that had the push carts, it's like, oh man, are they a bunch of slackers?

You know, and now it seems like anybody, especially if you have money, they just drive a cart.

Like golf is nothing like when I had to carry my clubs as a kid that was exercise like you're

out

in the sun fighting off horse flies But I don't know I don't I Guess it would be more fun if you had a cart because you could save some energy, but I

don't know I actually last year I played with a Per you know I got put together with someone who was also a solo and they had an electric push

cart.

Oh I mean come on.

They had a remote

And he would push it forward.

Like Rodney Dangerfield and Caddyshack.

Pretty much.

Well, the funny thing is I was, he was like kind of on the green with it.

There's a bunker right next to it.

Yeah.

His whole thing started driving and fell off.

Oh, that's

hilarious.

I don't, it's funny.

Just being out in the sun can exhaust you.

I was out this on Saturday.

I'm just taking a walk through the neighborhood.

Some friends had a fire going.

I stopped by.

My wife and I hung out for a while.

We probably sat there for two hours and it was, I don't know, 50 degrees.

In the sun, it wasn't bad, but I got a sunburn.

Like the side of my face just got baked.

I was putting aloe on it.

I'm like, I can't believe it's 50 degrees.

It's not even mid-April, basically.

And I got a sunburn.

Oh, you're Irish, right?

I am.

That explains it.

Yeah, but you got fair

skin.

Yeah, but don't

blame

I'm Irish.

I think I'm more German than Irish.

So I Don't burn as easily but I still burn all right.

I was just surprised I was like I'm chilly I mean the fire helped but I feel like and my wife we were exhausted like the rest of the day We could barely stay awake.

We went and saw that Rami Malik movie the amateur and Sometimes in marriage, you know, you're gonna hate something

But you've got to give your spouse a win.

You've got to give in and say, yeah, sure, I'd like to see that with you.

So my wife and I went with my dad and all three of us were kind of falling asleep.

We went out to eat first.

And I think my wife and I, just because we're in the sun all day, we're tired.

But I hate to say this because Rami Malek is a good actor.

He was great as Freddie Mercury.

But I just didn't buy him at all in this role.

And it kind of

The movie was very just okay.

He did things he's like this genius analyst for the CIA trying to get even with the guys that killed his wife and he wants to be trained to be in the field.

So he outsmarts them and he blows things up and he does these things but they never really show how he does it.

It's just like he's got his back against the wall and he clicks a button something explodes.

It's like I would have loved to have seen how he did that.

It was very just okay.

Entertaining but not not that good.

And he's tough to buy in that role.

I know he's got such a unique look.

But I'll tell you, I saw Warfare last night.

And that was intense.

If you, I know he probably likes war movies, but they're entertained by him or they're curious by them.

I've seen all the big ones.

This is probably the most.

And again, I've never been to war.

I have no desire.

But based on what I've seen cinematically, this film.

really captures this group of Navy SEALs.

It's based on a true story.

The writer-director, Ray Mendoza, I think that was his group.

He was a Navy SEAL.

And an IUD goes off.

It's unbelievable.

And the first half of the movie, or the first 20 or 30 minutes, you're just waiting.

You see what Navy SEALs go through.

They're just surveilling this house in Iraq.

But they get discovered.

Then chaos ensues and it some of it is hard to watch but oh my god You want to support troops folks?

Don't send them to war unless there is no other option And I don't know I don't think that's always been the case the last 25 years because what these guys have to go through In a movie certainly but also in real life, I mean it was unbelievable really really good film best war film I've ever seen highly recommend

So there you go.

All right now on the heels of that.

That's the most guy movie I've seen in a while So we're gonna pivot Because right now it's time for a question of the night.

Let's talk about the question.

Okay question question

question question Question

question.

Okay, I have a question questions this question.

What is your favorite chick flick?

I just saw two very testosterone-y movies this weekend.

I need to balance myself.

So that's the question of the night.

What is your favorite chick flick?

8-5-5-7-5-2-4-8-4-2-8-5-5-7-5-CIVIC.

You can say romcom, chick flick, whatever, female-driven comedy.

Would love to know.

Text us on the old-fashioned cellular phone.

Or on the app or on the stream at YouTube Facebook and X WGBW too, right?

Yeah, also, you know, we post these Questions of the night on our Facebook now.

Yeah, so if you want to get a get a comment in there so we could read it on air

Absolutely get a hold of us any way you can but please just get a hold of us.

It's always more fun when you guys participate I'm gonna have to say

And I don't know, because this is just, it's one of the funniest movies I've seen, but Bridesmaids would probably be my favorite if that qualifies as a chick flick.

But it's a female-driven comedy, for sure.

Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig.

Really funny film.

So I would say that's probably mine.

I'm gonna go the comedy angle and checking our social media responses from earlier.

Eric Rathsack of Ask Your Mother.

are very tall, very awesome lead singing friend that says, has to be bridesmaids.

But he's saying this, oh that's so funny, he's saying the same thing I am.

Is that even a chick flick though?

Or the sweetest thing, both hilarious.

I did not like the sweetest thing.

I was kind of, I auditioned for that movie and I know one of the producers and I just, it was hard for me to like that movie.

I don't know what it is.

I think, did you see it?

It was kind of forced, I thought.

Like where his bridesmaids is just so organically funny.

But great text, Eric, thank you.

And I'm sure the sweetest thing was quite popular.

Daniel Wheeler says, for weddings and a funeral, great.

That's great.

He says a favorite for my wife and I. You remember Daniel Wheeler of you have to wet your mouth to say your last name,

fame?

Yes.

Let us know, folks.

What's your favorite chick flick?

That's our question of the night.

So we will, uh, we'll get to those after a short break.

And after I introduce our guests tonight, and we've got two great ones, making radio history again, Christina Martin Wright from arts for all Wisconsin joins us tonight at 6 35.

Christina is outstanding.

She used to work for the Wisconsin Film Festival.

I've known her for years.

And I love this organization.

Just reading up about what they do.

It's fantastic.

So she will be here at 635.

She's a lot of fun.

And then Milwaukee based comedian Dana Ehrman joins us.

This is the first, you know where the history is being made Conrad?

This is the first time Dana and Christina have ever been on the same radio show.

Yeah.

We're making it happen.

Yeah.

LFG.

Let's do this.

Dana is very funny comedian and she's making a name for herself.

Milwaukee based.

You might remember her.

She did a lot of coverage from the Wisconsin State Fair last year.

I want to ask her about that.

Lots of questions for Dana.

And we've got a little sampling of her comedy we'll get to too at some point.

But coming up next, we're going to read some of your texts.

Man, what else?

I had so much stuff to talk about tonight.

You know, I watched something.

I started watching a new show, The Studio with Seth

Rogen.

Okay.

I've heard mixed.

It comes out weekly which sucks.

I really I think it would it would be better if they just put them all out right away

Totally agree.

I am enjoying the show.

I think it's hilarious.

He plays a studio head.

Well, he was He took over one of his friends rolls a studio head and she got mad at him and it was the whole thing and I think it's a good show Seth Rogen Produced it and directed I think so

and stars

He needs to get more work.

He doesn't work enough.

All right, we'll talk about that.

It's Adrian Brody's birthday today, folks.

How can we let that slip by?

We're coming right back.

It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio

Network.

You're listening to Civic Media.

Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.

Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get started.

I am your host of this evening's program, Pete Schwabba.

Great to have you with me.

And we are talking about Chick-Flicks.

That's our question of the night.

I saw two very guy heavy movies, so I thought, you know, I gotta bring myself back to center.

Let's talk Chick-Flicks tonight on Nightlight, and we're getting some great texts.

I said mine is Ridesmaids, and I'm gonna throw a couple others out there too.

Love, actually.

Great movie.

Why you laugh?

You're not like that movie.

I watched it for the first time during Christmas is here.

Yeah I Got I don't know I got bored

It took so long says the guy who likes Adam say all right.

What was the movie you were talking about the bad Adam samler movie?

I don't admit a

movie about or Adam samler is bad.

That's huge first of all,

okay?

Well, I

appreciate your honesty

Well, I was talking to talking to you during the break and I said the worst Adam samler movie and you said fifty first dates which is

That's crazy to me.

I think that's a great movie.

That's

I can't

I can't all right.

Well, all right, so Sandy Wexler is Well, you saw Jack and Jill, right?

Maybe all right, so Jack and Jill he plays His twin sister That's funny that is the old-time worst and of Santa movie,

but this is

the quote Jack and Jill.

Oh Jack and Jill, right?

Okay second closest to it came out today

on Netflix, Sandy Wexler.

He plays a talent manager, but he has that high-pitched voice.

Oh, yeah.

The whole movie.

The whole movie.

That

was the one he kind of stole the idea from what, not stole, but it's derivative of Broadway Danny Rose, I think.

He's a

bad agent.

Yeah,

well,

he, you know, he finally gets at the end, you know, gets an agent, gets a talent out there.

And it was, that was the whole journey is him finding this person and then get him all the way to stardom.

Right.

But during the whole movie, you just don't feel bad for him.

Like it just does it to himself all the time.

Talks in that high-pitched voice the whole time.

I would not recommend it.

Yeah, I'm not going to watch it.

But all right, that's good.

But does he do chick flicks?

Would you call 51st dates a chick flick?

Yeah,

I

would.

That's up there then.

Love, actually.

The threesome, which I saw at the Wisconsin Film Festival a week ago.

I'm telling you, maybe the best.

Not a chick flick it's it is it kind of a chick flick, but it's a rom-com loved it Legally blonde great one dirty dancing very popular one Harry Met Sally when Harry Met Sally A lot of options out there.

Let's get to the text line Gretchen from Green Bay says crazy stupid love forgot about that one.

I've never seen that movie.

I haven't either Yeah, thank you Gretchen

Tyler from Wisconsin Rapids says GI Jane GI Jane was great to me more

Viggo Mortensen plays the chief master, master chief.

She's in Navy SEAL training.

I really like that movie.

Isn't that a Will Smith's wife?

Demi Moore?

No.

The G.I.

Jane joke.

Dude, it was a G.I.

Jane

joke.

Fried Green, Tyler also says fried green tomatoes.

Never saw that all the way through, interestingly enough.

Uh, he says the parking lot incident was cool.

Thank you, Tyler.

Uh, Steve from Florida, that's Conrad's dad, folks.

Funny chick flick is The Other Woman.

The ending is epic.

What is that film?

It is Kate Upton in it.

So that's, that's, that's why it's a good movie.

So that's the only reason that's a good movie.

She's in a lot of other movies too, you might like.

She was in the Three Stooges.

The Fairly Brothers cast her as a nun and...

There's a scene where they're all at the pool and she takes her nun clothes off and she's got this bikini on and the stooge is like, whoa, is that Sister Beatrice?

So great.

Anna from Madison says, hi, Pete and Conrad.

My favorite chick flick is Bridesmaids.

Another vote for Bridesmaids.

My other favorites are The Notebook and Bridges of Madison County.

Yeah, The Notebook's good.

That's a great one.

Monica from Mount Horrib says, I was going to say Bridesmaids, but I'll change it to Overboard with Goldie Hawn.

Wow, I forgot about that one.

And thanks because I just got tickets for Tomorrow for the Amateur, that Romney Malick movie.

You know what Monica, my dad liked it.

And I didn't dislike it.

It will entertain you.

I was entertained.

I just, part of the writer side of me comes out and I poke holes and stuff.

So I can be annoying to watch movies with sometime, but I bet you'll like it.

I don't think you'll ask for your money back by any stretch.

So I hope you do enjoy it, despite my words here tonight.

Matt from Germantown says, just got back from Key West for the first time.

It was beautiful.

It always is.

Well done, Matt.

Welcome home.

Welcome back to the state where summer might never happen this year.

Dave on the text line says, beaches.

I never saw beaches either, Bette Midler.

Yeah,

I haven't seen that one either.

Yeah.

You know, my pick is Pretty Woman.

Yeah,

that's all.

I just saw it for the first time last.

Thanksgiving around that time.

I was into the movie the whole time.

I thought it was great.

You liked that, but you didn't like love, actually.

Okay.

I thought it was, you know, kind of bad, like, you know, the cheating on the

husband and struck a nerve.

Yeah.

Hey, we've got it's Adrian Brody's birthday today.

And those of you might remember, he gave the longest Oscar speech ever.

We really tore him up here on Nightlight.

And to the point where he called me.

And I recorded it, folks, so I could play it for you, and you guys can judge for yourself whether I was being out of line or if Adrian was just being kind of an idiot, but he did call.

I think we should play that right now, Conrad.

Are we good?

Okay.

I recorded the phone, too.

Hello?

Yeah, is this Pete Schwabba?

Yeah, who's calling?

It's Adrian Brody, chief.

They're gonna talk about me about my accepted speech.

How did you get this number?

I could get to anyone.

You've seen how broad my shoulders are.

Yeah, but what's that got to do with it?

Yeah, I know you think you're hot with your little radio show, but people love my speech.

I'm sure they did.

I'm surprised you're not still giving it, to be honest.

Yeah, I want an apology, and I want it right now.

Dude, I don't know what you're hoping to accomplish here, but most people thought your speech sucked.

It was meandering, it went on forever.

I'm sorry, but it was almost as long as the brutalists for God's sakes.

Aw, yeah, I know a lot of people didn't like my speech.

You think I don't know that?

You know how many phone calls I thought to make?

Well, yeah, no one understands

me.

Uh, um...

Yeah.

Yeah.

Hey, Adrian.

Come on, man.

Relax.

It's cool.

Look, you got two Oscars.

Why would you care what anyone thinks about your speech or feel the need to talk for that amount of time and not really say anything?

Come on,

man.

Oh, you know what?

Here I am opening up to you, and you take another shot at me.

Have you seen my shoulders?

Yeah, but

I mean... Have you seen my shoulders?

Yeah, man.

I saw a lot more of you than that in The Brutalist, which was totally unnecessary, by the way.

Look, dude, I... Yeah, look, it's cool, Schwab.

You know, I'll do anything for a role, but yeah, people love my shoulders.

Hang on a second.

R.B.

Weinstein's calling from prison, and make sure I'm treating his ex-wife well.

You believe that guy?

Yeah.

Hey, no hard feelings, chief.

Happy birthday, Adri.

He's a good guy.

He just gave me a hard time.

It's nice to talk to him, though.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All

right.

Arts for all Wisconsin folks, that is what it is all about.

Let's go.

Christina Martin Wright is coming up next on Nightlight with Peach Waba on the Civic Media Radio Network.

So great to have you with me on this Monday night as we start a new week with all kinds of potential potential to do better to laugh harder to love more To live every moment of every day.

So what better way this, you know, we call Thursday the Christmas Eve of week nights This is like the New Year's Day of the week Have a new have a new year have a new year's resolution every Monday folks.

There you go Make one tonight and tell us what your favorite chick flick is.

That's what we're talking about tonight.

That's our question of the night

I would say Bridesmaids is probably the front runner right now.

And that's mine as well.

I've got several that I like, but I would say Bridesmaids is probably my favorite.

Comedian, Milwaukee based comedian, Dana Ehrman joins us at 720 tonight.

Very excited to meet Dana.

I'm a fan of her comedy and it's great to have her on the show.

But right now, we are gonna talk about arts and Wisconsin.

and disabilities and all the cool things happening at Arts for All Wisconsin with my good friend who I have not talked to in a while, and I'm excited that she reached out and that she's on the show tonight, Christina Martin Wright.

How are you?

Hi, Pete.

How's it going?

It's going well.

And you know, I was going to let you know that you are the wind beneath my wings.

But then I just heard that that you have never seen beaches.

So I thought, well, that's such a wasted compliment because you will you'll have no context.

But I do know that movie or that that song was in the movie.

And I loved the Lou Rawls version from when I was a kid.

And then I heard it.

Who sang it in beaches?

Do you remember?

Is that

Whitney

Houston or?

No, a Bette Midler.

A Bette

Midler, of course.

Yeah, yeah.

I felt like it was a little dramatic, that version.

Yeah, I was Bette Midler and it was a chick flick called Beaches.

It's great to have you here.

Do you have a favorite chick flick, Christina?

Well, you know, it came to mind right away.

As soon as you said, as soon as I heard the question is when Harry met Sally, it'll always have a really special place in my heart.

Have you seen the Richard Linkletter films, the trilogy of After Midnight, Before Sunrise, those films?

Probably not, probably.

Those

are, I don't know if I'd call them chick flicks.

It's just two people talking through three movies.

And

then they flash forward in time, but they're brilliantly done.

There's so many good ones out there.

It's hard to narrow them down just in one night.

I did like the Bridesmaids.

Yeah.

Yeah, good ol' Milwaukee film.

Yeah, that's right.

Oh my god, I totally forgot it was set in Milwaukee.

Oh my god, that's great.

Most of our votes tonight have been for bridesmaids, so you are in good company there, my friend.

It's great to see you.

You used to work for the Wisconsin Film Festival, correct?

That's correct, even though...

Really, probably when I was hired, my most recent film that I had seen was that Benjamin Button film.

Oh, yeah.

So, you know, it was not probably the wisest.

thing to do to put me in charge of coordinating that amazing festival.

But I'm so happy that Ben Reiser is there, Mike King, Jim Healy, they're in such great hands.

They do a great job.

I have said it before recently too.

People are probably sick of hearing me talk about it, but they just program so well.

I love what they offer

in the way

of films, new, old, classics.

It's

just something for everyone.

Yeah, it really is in the appearances.

So was it hard to leave that?

Did you go right from the

the Wisconsin Film Festival to Arts for All?

More or less, yeah.

But the mission of Arts for All just pulled me right in.

And it's really my dream job.

It's a great mission.

I have it here right now.

Do you mind if I read it?

Please do.

To expand the capabilities, confidence, and quality of life for children and adults with disabilities by providing programs in dance, drama, creative writing, music, and visual art.

That's a lot.

It is a lot.

When we say all, we mean all.

Yeah.

All people, all abilities, and all different art forms.

So tell us a little bit.

You've got some big things coming up.

Tell us a little bit about the start of this organization, where it's at now, how can people help?

And,

you know,

do you put shows on?

How does this function?

Great.

Well, we started, as all good things do, as a program of the Kennedy Center for the Arts.

Perhaps your listeners are familiar with what's going on at the Kennedy Center these days.

Or not

going on,

yeah.

Exactly.

40 years ago...

we became an affiliate member of a program out of the Kennedy Center.

So we were founded as Very Special Arts, Wisconsin.

And this was a program that had been started by Gene Kennedy Smith a few years earlier at the Kennedy Center called Very Special Arts Kennedy Center.

And so 40 years ago this year, we became a nonprofit organization and we're headquartered in Madison, still are, but our reach is truly statewide.

And we work with children as young as three years old and through adults through the end of their lives, through all different art forms.

In classes, performances, we have choirs throughout the state.

We have visual art programs, exhibitions that travel the state.

And we do have some performances too.

So our choirs perform for their communities.

And we have a dance recital coming up at the end of May.

And a very special event on May 17th,

okay, so Here's my I love all of that.

I wish You know there was

this kind of focus on the arts for people with or without disabilities.

I think

we

could use more of that in Wisconsin.

You sure could.

I understand

why there are great arts going on here, but I think we could use more of it.

I love that people with disabilities have access to this.

That is so fantastic.

You've got a big, like you said, a big event coming up, an anniversary event.

Tell us about that, Christina.

Well, we've doubled up on this event.

So every year we host something called the Creative

arts or the creative power arts award celebration.

So we have a statewide program in visual art every year where we invite people ages five years old through adults to submit up to two pieces of original artwork to us.

We accept all submissions that meet the criteria of size and

you know, suitable content for all viewing, and we exhibit all of these works.

So right now, I'm coming to you live from Medicine Youth Arts Center, or My Arts, and this is a four-story building.

We have art on three of the four floors right now.

We have over 200 pieces of art, original works from people with disabilities from Wisconsin.

and we're exhibiting all of them.

Now, a few weeks ago, we invited three members of the arts community to come in and adjudicate or judge them to award some creative power awards.

And this is what they look like.

They're hand-made glass awards by an artist named John Was, who's out of Oshkosh.

And we will give these awards plus a cash prize to 10 artists in different age groups and on May 17th.

So we gather together every year and this has been happening now at My Arts, third year in a row.

And it's become this Academy Awards-like ceremony.

You're in a 300 seat theater, gorgeous theater.

And we give the awards to the artists.

And in between the awards presentations, we have invited guests, professional and amateur artists with disabilities to perform dance and song, recite their original poetry, and

this year, it's going to be a fantastic event because we are also looking back on the last 40 years and presenting some awards, like a gratitude award to someone who is very, very important to our founding and really to our longevity.

Wow, that is something else.

My guest is Christina Martin Wright.

She's the executive director for Arts for All Wisconsin.

If people want to get more involved in this, Christina, I assume you guys use volunteers or people who just look

to give their time.

Absolutely.

How can they find out more information?

And do they have a choice of what kind of stuff they can help with?

Like, let's say they have

a

music background or film background or whatever.

We bet.

You bet.

We accept, happily accept, volunteer time from people who want to participate in our classes.

We offer classes during the day and in the evening in all of these different art forms so people can

can help with hanging exhibitions or doing even some administrative work.

We always accept any special skills that people can bring to our organization.

And they can go on our website, which is artsforallwi.org.

find our volunteer under support.

They'll find different ways to get involved there.

And this is like, to me, it's like, part of the reason I said I would love to see more arts programs for everybody too is just because part of your story is it says, since 1985, we have been guided by our understanding that the arts build bridges between people, support physical and mental wellness, and celebrate diversity in our community.

It really is all about community.

I mean, what kids learn doing plays or being part of a band and working together towards a common goal, you cannot put a price on that.

I mean,

It's so vitally important.

So is this 40th anniversary this event?

Can people go to that?

Can people?

Yes, yes.

Go to our website.

You'll see along the top there's an events tab.

That's a way to get involved.

We are very committed to accessibility in all aspects of our work, including financial accessibility.

So you'll find that this award celebration truly is a full celebration evening out with experiences, hands-on arts experiences, food, beverages, all provided by the Great Dane.

here in

Madison

is nearly $15 per person.

Oh, wow.

$15.

At those

prices, you can't afford not to go.

That's

right.

And truly at a time where there's so much conflict and uncertainty and dare I say angst in the air, there's really nowhere more joyful to be on May 17th.

than at My Arts at this event.

Very well said.

So, Cher, if you would, a couple, I know you guys have some other events coming up too.

I'm looking at your calendar here.

Yeah.

Very busy and a lot going on.

Like you said, something for everybody, but...

You teach, you have dance, choir, tell us more about those activities.

We have dance and choir.

We have choirs throughout the state in five different locations, closest to your immediate listening area in Appleton, in Oshkosh.

Madison, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin Rapids.

And these are choirs, Pete, for people 16 and up with and without disabilities.

So we do see folks who join with a friend.

We see a lot of people who start as volunteers, but stay for the music and will perform along with the choirs.

We have some online only classes as well.

Nice.

and some free programs for veterans, veterans in Green Bay and in Madison.

And then also we have a program called Spark, which is a once monthly program for people with memory loss and their care, their care partners.

That is.

That's excellent.

And I was going to ask you about that anyway.

We have to do a very quick break.

And then we'll come back with more with Christina Martin Wright.

She is the executive director for Arts for All Wisconsin.

They do amazing things.

And she's spending a few minutes here with us tonight.

On Nightlight, we'll be back after this very short break.

It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.

You're listening to Civic Media.

Find the latest news, information, and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website,

civicmedia.us.

Got a really fun week of shows coming up here.

And it all starts tonight.

Dana Ehrman, Milwaukee-based comedian, we'll be here at 720 right now.

We are spending some time with Christina Martin-Reich.

She is the executive director of Arts for All Wisconsin.

They do amazing work.

Before the break, Christina, you know, I felt like we were kind of rushed, but talk about Spark, because I know that, you know, with older people or people with memory issues,

the arts can be incredibly therapeutic and help, as I understand it, stem further memory loss if they get involved with theater or music or whatever.

Can you speak to that a little bit?

Yes, absolutely.

You know, arts for all Wisconsin and for your listeners, I guess I went over this pretty quickly.

We originally were very special arts Wisconsin or VSA so many of your listeners may be familiar with us under our former name.

In 2019 we changed our name to Arts for All Wisconsin but our mission as you so eloquently read it earlier has remained exactly the same.

So our organization

has worked with people with memory loss, developmental disabilities, traumatic head injuries for many, many, many years through the decades.

So when we had an opportunity to join the Spark Alliance, which is a national organization,

we thought this is a perfect fit because we've already been doing this work in many ways.

And of course there are different considerations working with people with dementia and Alzheimer's due to, and dementia because of Alzheimer's and other diseases.

So we have done training in this area with organizations in Wisconsin and we became certified to be

Dane County is Spark provider.

So what that is, is it's a program that is truly designed to engage both the individual with memory loss and their care partners.

So the care partners are not there just.

bringing their loved one

or their

client to the session, they're actually also engaging in whatever activity that we're doing.

And because Arts for All is a multidisciplinary organization, we have designed our programs to include more than one art form in every session.

So we might have storytelling and music.

visual art projects like printmaking and songwriting in the same group.

And it's

so

important too because I introduce all the films on independent lens and POV and PBS and I write the intros and

I just recently, there's a trilogy of films called Mind Over Matter, my ALS, my Parkinson's,

my

Alzheimer's, and they stress how important it is in those films to support caregivers.

Because

a lot of the

time it's their family, they're stressed out, they don't have a ton of money to just take care of someone.

So it's really a stressor.

So I think getting them involved as well is just such a great thing you guys are doing.

Well, it's one of my favorite aspects of that program because we see them coming out of their shells as well.

They make connections with other care providers and care partners, and it truly forms a network.

The last five years have been very isolating for so many people and really none more so than people with disabilities.

So having a program and this is a free program because of donors that we are absolutely dependent upon right now.

So great that people know that now or that you get the word out about that because they might not know that you have this resource.

That's right.

And we've had a call for even more programs like it.

So we have expanded into a program called Good Company, which is also offered free to individuals with memory

loss.

I talked a little bit at the top of the show about how I saw this film called Warfare yesterday, and it's the most realistic in my limited knowledge.

I mean, I have a lot of family that have been in the military.

I've never been close to it, but this film was so powerful and so intense, and you see what veterans go through.

Can you expand a little bit on the programs that you have for veterans and how people might find out about them and get involved in

them?

Well, this is one of our very few programs that is very tailored.

We just mentioned Spark.

That is really one of the other programs.

It's very tailored to a particular group of people.

Most of our programs are very broad.

And our veterans program was specifically designed in conjunction with vet centers throughout the state.

It started in Madison.

We went up to Wausau.

Unfortunately, the Wasa Vet Center closed, but then last year we expanded to Green Bay.

So this is a program that veterans find out about through the Vet Centers, and they're recommended for it.

It's also a program that we do in conjunction with a readjustment counselor.

or one of the counselors at the vet center.

So they're always present in the room to

help the veterans with, guide them through moments that come up that perhaps our professional teaching artists wouldn't necessarily be appropriate for.

Can we pick up the, can we keep you for a few more minutes, Christina?

Sure.

We gotta do the news.

I wanna finish this and then I'm gonna ask you what you're watching on TV, most importantly.

Christina Martin Wright is gonna spend a few more minutes with us after the news.

It's Peach Waba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.

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