Sandi Klein's Conversations with Creative Women

Lake Buckley - Director, Illustrator, Teacher, Guest Speaker

Lake Buckley is yet another award-winning, creative woman. Her clients include Google, What's App, Patagonia, and MTV, to name just a few. Her work has been described as “highly composed, conceptually sound, and delightfully strange.” Lake's goal is to find clients and collaborators who share similar synergies in order to make authentic and differentiated work. Does she? Tune in and find out!

Joyce Scott - Artist, Performance Artist, Lecturer

Artist, sculptor, weaver, print maker, quilter, performance artist, lecturer, educator, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Joyce Scott is all of the above! Well known for her work in jewelry, glass, and beadwork, she has been called the "Queen of Beadwork." Joyce is renowned for her social commentary on issues such as racism, classism, sexism, violence and cultural stereotypes. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions all over. Join us for a no-holds barred, fascinating conversation with this 'force of nature.'

Prune Nourry, Artist

Born in France and based in Brooklyn, multi-disciplinary artist Prune Nourry works in sculpture, performance and video and was living her life, when in 2016, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It's a journey she shares in the first person film, "Serendipity." By doing so, Prune discovered new meaning in her impressive body of work and its serendipitous relationship to her own survival and mortality. She shares that and so much more in this truly fascinating, riveting and inspiring conversation.

Melissa Iwai, Children's Book Author and Illustrator

Melissa Iwai has wanted to be a children's book author and illustrator as far back as she can remember. She has illustrated more than 30 picture books, beginning with Night Shift Daddy published in 2000. Melissa also wrote and illustrated Soup Day and Pizza Day. And speaking of soup and pizza - when she's not creating visual art, Melissa can be found in her kitchen, cooking, baking and developing new recipes. In fact, she was a 2010 Cooking Light Reader Recipe winner. We're so glad Melissa took a break from creating visual and culinary art to have a conversation with us!

Dell Hamilton, Interdisciplinary Artist, Writer, and Curator

Interdisciplinary artist, writer and curator, Dell Hamilton works across a variety of mediums: performance, video, painting and photography. With roots in Belize, Honduras and the Caribbean, Dell often draws upon the personal to investigate the social and geopolitical constructs of memory, gender, history and citizenship.Her most recent curatorial project, “Nine Moments for Now,” which Included 106 objects and was organized in just under twelve weeks was presented during the fall of 2018 at Harvard’s Cooper Gallery for African and African American Art.  The exhibition garnered both local and national press and was ranked by Hyperallergic.com as one of 2018’s top 20 exhibitions in the U.S. Clearly, you'll want to meet and get to know yet another fascinating, accomplished, creative woman.

Deb Brandon, Textile Arists/Author

Deb Brandon's career is an eclectic one to say the least. Born in England, raised there, Israel and Switzerland, she lives in Pittsburgh and is a math professor at Carnegie Mellon University, which is where she earned her PhD. Deb's a respected textile artist whose book, "Threads Around the World" describes how artisans from 25 diverse cultures create traditional fiber arts using centuries old methods. Deb is also a brain injury survivor who underwent 3 surgeries in as many weeks. She kept a diary, which eventually evolved into a book: "But My Brain Had Other Ideas: A Memoir or Recovery from Brain Surgery." We cover a lot of ground in this open, honest, life affirming conversation.

Shiva Ahmadi, Artist

"It's impossible to be Iranian and not political." Artist Shiva Ahmadi shares her personal story of growing up in Tehran during the Revolution and Iran-Iraq War. She talks openly about leaving her parents to come to the States, where she has lived and worked since 2003. This is a riveting, captivating and emotional conversation you won't want to miss.

Marlena Vaccaro, Artist and Gallerist

Painter and printmaker Marlena Vaccaro has been part of the New York City art world for more than 30 years. She also happens to be the creator, director and curator of Manhattan's Carter Burden Gallery, allowing her to marry her two passions: art and advocacy. Carter Burden is one of the only galleries in the world and the only one in New York City with a minimum age requirement. It only accepts submissions from artists 60 and over. Joins us for a fascinating conversation with yet another accomplished and committed woman.

Susan Fisher Sterling, Director of The National Museum of Women in the Arts - Revisited

This week we revisit our conversation with Susan Fisher Sterling. The National Museum of Women in the Arts, in Washington, D.C. is the only major museum dedicated solely to celebrating the creative contributions of women. Founded in 1987, NMWA not only champions women artists, it also directly addresses the gender imbalance in presenting art worldwide. Susan Fisher Sterling has been with the NMWA since 1988 when she was hired as an associate curator. In 2008, she was named Director. Susan has built her career and the stature of the museum around the message of equity for women through the example of excellence in the arts. Tune in as she shares what that's been like and what's in store as NMWA prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Erin McKeown, Singer-Songwriter

Talk about creativity! Singer, multi-instrumentalist, writer, producer Erin McKeown is known as an artist who dispenses with stylistic boundaries. Her music includes pop, swing, rock, folk, electronic. Erin, who’s performed here, there and everywhere has released 9 studio albums. She has also worked closely with a range of non-profits focusing on passion for media justice and immigration reform. Here’s yet another ‘not to be missed’ conversation.