Dec 4th, 2008 · Legendary folksinger Odetta visited Mountain Stage nine times during her highly influential, 50-year career. Today's Mountain Stage features video of an interview and set she did in 2006 at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tenn./Va. Odetta died on Dec. 2, but her powerful voice and graceful character live on through the countless people she inspired, including fellow musicians Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.
Oct 29th, 2008 · Though he now lives in Seattle, folk musician Darren Smith grew up across Washington's eastern border in the small college town of Moscow, ID. With a secluded population of only 22,000, Moscow bills itself as the "Heart of the Arts." It might sound like an unlikely title, but Moscow, ID is also the home of singer-songwriter Josh Ritter. "Maybe it's the cold winters and isolation that brings out the artistic drive in people," Smith says.
Oct 8th, 2008 · American artist Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." In an era of reality TV and YouTube, it looks like his prediction came true. Sherri Geldin, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio talks about Warhol's new relevance in the digital age.
Apr 14th, 2008 · The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public school in Washington, D.C., has a reputation for its successful performing arts program. That reputation was bolstered by their recent staging of the musical, "The Wiz." Principal Rory Pullens and Theater Chair Ken Johnson discuss the philosophy behind the program and why they believe it works so well.
Nov 29th, 2007 · A new report from the National Endowment for the Arts reveals that Americans are reading less frequently and less proficiently. Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and award-winning poet, talks about the new report, "To Read or Not to Read."
Nov 19th, 2007 · The National Endowment for the Arts has released a study on reading trends in the U.S. The study shows "startling declines" in "how much and how well" Americans are reading.
Aug 14th, 2007 · Hengdian, or "Chinawood" as it's been dubbed, is the world's largest film studio. And it's where the long-awaited collaboration between two giants of the martial-arts world, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, is being filmed. We get a sneak peek.
Jan 23rd, 2007 · The classical music press has been holding a deathwatch for decades. Why? Low ticket sales, crippling deficits and a slow fade from radio may signal a waning interest in Bach, Beethoven and the rest of the greats. Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, and American composer John Corigliano talk about whether classical music is in crisis.