Ali & Callie Artcast

Ep 133: Lake City Playhouse is back!

After four years being dark, Lake City Playhouse, a valuable community theater, is back and coming in with a bang with the production of Oliver which runs this weekend with four shows: Friday, July 12 at 7:30, Saturday, July 13 at 2 pm and at 7:30, and the final run on Sunday, July 14 at 2 pm. And thanks to the amazing community support this treasured theater is finally able to celebrate its 60th season!

We sat down on the set with Jessica Peterson who plays Nancy, and Brady Campbell who plays Fagan and talked about the show, the excitement about being back, many of the businesses who supported the renovation after an unfortunate flood, and their upcoming season with some very fun shows to look forward to.

For more information or tickets, visit lakecityplayhouse.org.

Ep 132: Coeur d'Alene's 2024 Riverstone Summer Concert Series

A gem of summer nights in Coeur d'Alene is the Riverstone Summer Concert Series put on by the Coeur d'Alene Arts & Culture Alliance. The season this year begins on July 11, and goes every Thursday night through the end of August. And the line up ahead is promising to be phenomenal! Board members, Ruth Pratt and Max Mendez, talk about the  season line up, the sponsors, and what you can expect from this valuable community event.

For more information about the concerts, and other A&C programs, visit artsandculturecda.org.

Ep 131: Kim Hildebrand, Local Photographer

It takes a lot of creativity to make a photography business successful. Kim Hildebrand does just that with her specialty family photo sessions and online education tools to help others become better photographers. Join us for a great conversation with Kim on her business, her inspirations, her great ideas, and more.

For more on Kim, visit her website at kimhildebrand.com or check out her instagram @kimhildrebrandphoto

Ep 130: Devin Weeks, Press Reporter

Today, we had a delightful conversation with Devin Weeks, a respected reporter for the Coeur d'Alene Press and a passionate supporter of the arts in our community. The art of writing, especially in journalism, requires great creativity, as professionals in this field offer essential information, breaking news, and captivating entertainment. Journalism, demands immense creativity as individuals in this profession provide us with essential information, breaking news, and captivating forms of entertainment.

Ep 129: Dan Brown, artist, teacher and author

Dan Brown is not just an artist, but also a teacher, author, and sculptor. He loves creating art from found objects and works in various media. For an impressive 29 years, he was the only art teacher at Okanogan Middle and High School. His art is mostly inspired by nature since he grew up on US Fish and Wildlife refuges and has a deep appreciation for exploring the outdoors. Dan holds a BS in Wildlife Biology and a master's in Education. He is the author and illustrator of "Trout: A Fictitious History", a wonderful book filled with beautiful watercolors and fanciful stories with some bits of truth mixed in.

You can find more about Dan and his book at danbrownartist.com or on social media at danbrownartist. 

For more on the local art community visit Twisp's Confluence Gallery, The Winthrop Gallery and Methow Valley Goods. located in Twispworks.

Ep 128: Janet Fagan, Methow Valley artist

We loved getting to know Janet Fagan, an exceptionally skilled painter and printmaker who combines her distinct artistic styles to create captivating and evocative artwork. Drawing inspiration from the stunning natural landscapes of the Methow Valley, her creations vividly reflect her boundless imagination. They intertwine memories, optimism, a deep love for the natural world, and a profound compassion for humanity.

For more about Janet, visit Janetfagan.com or find her on Instagram at Janet.fagan.artist

For more about the Trashion Show, visit the Confluence Gallery Facebook Page to see not only Janet's creation, but the others as well.

Ep 127: Don Ashford, Twisp DJ/radio station owner and potter

Twisp has a funky little radio station that is run by a really cool man, Don Ashford, who doubles as a potter, former horse trainer and gold miner. What makes someone suddenly decide to own and operate a radio station? He answers that and more about the art community he lives in, his love of the area, and his passion for clay.

Check out their radio station that is now streaming at radioroot.com KTRT 97.5 The Root

For more on the local art community visit Twisp's Confluence Gallery  and be sure to click on the Trashion Show, Twisps Big Gala Event and fundraiser for the gallery.

Ep 126: Leadership CDA Media Day

Leadership Coeur d'Alene is a year-long program at the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber that provides exclusive access to community leaders from various key industries that make this community unique. This month, we had Media Day, which featured representatives from the community discussing various forms of media. Our segment during the day involved conducting a live podcast. We interviewed Geoff Carr, a Journalism professor from North Idaho College, and discussed Media Literacy and Ethics. Geoff has been teaching at the college for about 13 years and provided an intriguing perspective on the distinctions between reporting and opinion, among other topics. We also talked about podcasting and shared our experiences with it.

Ep 125: Monday Night Dinners in Coeur d'Alene

About 8 years ago, Adam Schluter found himself alone in Coeur d'Alene knowing no one. He put himself out there and invited people to his home for dinner as a way of getting to know each other. The first dinner, to his surprise, eleven people showed up. That first dinner paved the way for the Monday Night Dinners outdoors in Adam's back yard every other Monday in the good months of the year. It has grown to include dinner, music, drink and a great sense of community.

This past Monday, May 13, 2024, Adam did a huge kick off dinner in McEuen Park as a way to promote more commaraderie as well as host a fundraiser and awareness campaign for the Coeur d'Alene Library Foundation. Adam knows well the great value of our local libraries, and he got together with the Foundation to organize the event in the park, which included many local businesses - a winery, breweries, sweet shops, and more - to come together to provide a free night of commonality for all. Everyone brings a dish to share, so there is plenty of food... and what better way to commune with people than over food.

Our conversation includes Adam and his videographer Jack Wade from his project, Hello from a Stranger. We also had Jimmy, Joy, and Sarah join us to tell of their experiences with the dinners.

This was filmed outdoors in the park, so please excuse the occasional quality bumps.

For more information about the Monday Night Dinners visit the website at Monday Night Dinners, and while you are there, check out the Hello from a Stranger project (hellofromastranger.com)! You can also check out his story in season 1, episode 8 on the Ali & Callie website alicallieartcast.com

Ep 124: Elaina DeJong, Musician, actress, singer and songwriter

At only 25 years old, Elaina DeJong has already accomplished so much. She has written and recorded several of her original songs, and she has put together her own concert with openers and a full band to showcase her music. She learned to play the violin at four years old, caught the musical bug at age 15, and now holds a BA in Theatre from Eastern Washington University. She has appeared in many Coeur d’Alene and Spokane plays, musicals, commercials, films, and concerts. Since August 2023, she’s been one-half of the music duo The Kindreds who can be found playing around the Inland NW.

Elaina’s first song release, “City Park”, comes out in mid-May. The single anticipates her original concert debut, Montage Season, which will play on the Kroc Center stage in Coeur d’Alene on May 31.

Elaina is also one of five individuals who received the Jack Bannon Memorial Fund for the Arts for this year. A formal presentation of the checks will be made by Ellen Travolta on May 15 at the CDA Chamber Visitors Center in a nice reception for the awardees, family and friends.

For more information about Elaina, or tickets to her upcoming show, visit elainadejong.com/.

For more information about the Jack Bannon Memorial Fund for the Arts (managed by the CDA Arts & Culture Alliance) visit artsandculturecda.org/jack-bannon-fund-for-the-arts