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Connecticut artists reflect on the power of art in community

Drone image of Professor Katharine Owens (far left) with life size Sperm Whale she created May taken 5th 2022.
Dan Nocera
/
Provided by Katharine Owens
Drone image of Professor Katharine Owens (far left) with life-sized Sperm Whale she created, taken May 5th 2022.

This hour, we talk to two Connecticut artists whose work reflects on the impact we have on our communities.

Photographer Bill Graustein’s exhibition, “Traces,” features vast western landscapes that represent different moments in Bill’s life, but it’s not just about Bill. It also includes question prompts that give viewers a chance to reflect on how the photos relate to their own lives.

Juniper and Cottonwood, El Rito, New Mexico, 1985.
Bill Graustein
Juniper and Cottonwood, El Rito, New Mexico, 1985.

Artist Katharine Owens makes life-sized portraits of animals, includes ones that she created with help from the general public. The portraits are made by sewing plastic packaging on to canvas, and they bring awareness to the way pollution impacts wildlife.

GUESTS:

  • Bill Graustein: Photographer and community leader. His exhibition, “Traces,” is on view at Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT) in New Haven until July 26th. Bill has also worked as a research scientist.
  • Katharine Owens: Artist and Professor in the Department of Politics, Economics, and International Studies at the University of Hartford. Her series of life-sized portraits of animals is called "Entangled and Ingested.”

Special thanks to our interns Coco Cooley and Isaac Moss.

Disrupted is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Kevin Chang Barnum is a producer for Connecticut Public Radio’s weekly show Disrupted. Kevin grew up in Connecticut and started his radio work at his graduate university’s radio station, KUCI. He has also worked for HRN, a network of food and beverage podcasts.
Dr. Khalilah L. Brown-Dean is an award-winning scholar at Wesleyan University, author, and host of 'Disrupted' on Connecticut Public.
Erica McIntosh is Senior Regional Editor for Southern Connecticut. Erica was born and raised in Connecticut.
Robyn Doyon-Aitken is the Deputy Director of Audio Storytelling and Talk Shows
Meg Fitzgerald is the senior manager of projects and radio programming.

Funding provided by:
The Connecticut Office of Film, Television and Digital Media