Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities
17 Unique Stations from Border to Border
17 Unique Stations from Border to Border
In today’s Untold Story of Central Minnesota, Arts & Cultural Heritage Producer Jeff Carmack talks with Desiree Clark and Xakk Asphodel about this weekend’s Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration.
Formerly known as the MLK Breakfast, this enormous community gathering began in 2014 at SCSU and has grown steadily over the past few years to the point where last year’s breakfast saw more than 1,600 attendees at the River’s Edge Convention Center. In the age of COVID, however, the organizers needed to evolve the event in order for it to continue to exist. This year’s plan includes a series of online events focused on community involvement and action taking place over this weekend on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Urban Spectrum Theatre Company is a unique Minneapolis-based troupe. Founded in 1974 by artists, performers and residents, it’s a multi-cultural, multi-aged company that represents inner city neighborhoods. KFAI producer Daniel Zamzow talks to members of Urban Spectrum to learn more about the company and its productions, which are always donation-based.
From stories about the days of yore to innovative ideas about how to move into the future, the KVSC series the Untold Stories of Central Minnesota has covered a lot of ground during 2013. In today’s installment of the Untold Stories, Arts & Cultural Heritage Producer Jeff Carmack takes a look back at 2013 for an audio recap of a common thread that ties all these different stories together: community. We create our community through the way we live, and after hearing about the concepts of community found with stories such as an interview with St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, the music and laughter of Weber’s Deck, a partnership with the SCAR Dolls to prevent suicide, as well as from a few others, you’ll agree that central Minnesota is a pretty darn nice place to live.
Braving the day after the December 11th blizzard that brought down the metrodome and dumped 26 inches of snow here in Winona MN, comedian Shane Mauss arrives to KQAL for an interview before his set the night of the 12th. Tonight you’ll here how comedy has influenced his life, and thus certain members of his family, and advice to others. Then it’s off to the big bubs comedy show where we will here a portion of his set. Shane’s comedy is a bit risqué, so please take that in consideration when listening to this broadcast.
Last November, KFAI community radio and Juxtaposition Arts partnered for a special event at Jxta that included a reception and exhibition of “Paintings and Rickshaws,” and conversation about art and community. It was part of the What’s in the Mix initiative, made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
The forum was moderated by artist Caroline Kent, and featured Jxta apprentices Cameron Downey, Jahliah Holloman, Namir Fearce and Tyanna Williamson. Performer/educator Kenna Cottman, architect Sam Babatunde Ero-Phillips, and journalist Sheila Regan also participated in this conversation about the intersection of art and community. This segment was produced for KFAI by Tom Garneau.
“You can’t be what you don’t see.”
That’s why Anthony Scott and Dr. Chaunda Scott are so dedicated to continuing their father’s work. Walter Scott produced a series of books profiling the African-American community of the times (The Scott Collection: Minnesota’s Black Community in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s) and his children, already working with a non-profit called Minnesota’s Black Community Project, released their new book this month.
The waning years of the Great Depression ushered in a renaissance for comic books–not just in New York City, where Superman and Batman emerged from the ashes of the economic four-alarm fire–but in the Twin Cities as well. Minneapolis and St. Paul both spawned comics publishers. KFAI’s Britt Aamodt talks to R.D. McHattie about the Golden Age of comic book artists, and her recently published book, “My Comic Mom.”