The Lisa D Show with Maggie Meiners, unedited

Excited to share my first interview with a WOMAN! Know that Maggie Meiners is more than just a woman, she’s a creative powerhouse with skills to get tremendous amounts of things done and a huge heart that enables her to provide mentoring to young creatives coming up the ladder. AND Maggie is a personal friend and cultural collaborator.

In this interview we discuss why Maggie takes the photos she does, specifically the latest installment of her body of work Revisiting Rockwell, a modern day take on the classic American paintings of Norman Rockwell circa 1925, "Freedom of Religion". Pictured below.

We also focus on how Maggie intends to connect the Chicago art scene from the Southside to Witchita, Kansas. Part of her intention is to make Evanston’s art scene stickier for collectors of fine art but also hipper for city folks in Chicago. Her efforts are manifested in Network North’s first gallery hop on Feb. 4 featuring art partners like the Block Museum at Northwestern and Wedge on Howard Ave. and Platform, Maggie’s art event space and studio where she works alongside her talented peer in the arts Justine Bianco.

Visit Maggie’s body of work at www.maggiemeiners.com

Artist Bio

Maggie Meiners (b.1972, Chicago) is an artist and photographer whose work investigates connection with herself, others and the world at large. In 2016, Maggie received Best in Show for Photo Emerge 2016 at Center Gallery-The Midwest Photography Center, Wichita, KS. In 2017 she will be exhibiting her series, Revisiting Rockwell,  at the Butler Institute for American Art and The Garner Center at the New England School of Photography.   

Her work has been widely exhibited and remain in the permanent collections of the Illinois Institute of Art, Wheaton College, Harrison Street Lofts, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Lowey, LLP and an extensive number of private collections. In addition, her work is on loan at the American Embassy in Uruguay through 2019.  

Maggie gives private lessons and critiques, teaches classes, and speaks regularly about her work.  Maggie currently serves on the Board of the Filter Photo Festival, is a member of the Advisory Committee at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and is a member of the photography group, f/8 Collective. Most recently, Maggie moved into a new studio space with the artist, Justine Bianco. Together they run, Platform, a non-commission based exhibition space for artists to show experiential work.

Maggie grew up outside of Chicago and has an affinity for all things Midwestern. She recently moved back to the small town where she grew up with her two sons and her husband, whom she likes to describe as a Renaissance man. She is devoted to lifelong learning and daily picture taking and making.

Maggie's work is represented by Anne Loucks Gallery in Glencoe, IL. 

The Lisa D Show is a podcast celebrates creatives. Listen to 20 minute, unedited conversations with host Lisa D. and the creatives who make our world a more connected, interesting and beautiful place to live. Podcasts will be posted on this blog and on Soundcloud.com

This podcast is recorded at 1100 Florence, an art event space in West Evanston, IL, owned and operated by Lisa Degliantoni and Dave Ford. It is a former Polish Grocery store, probably not the BEST place to record a podcast (boomy to say the least) but we're new and it will get better. Reach out to thelisadshow[at]gmail.com

The Lisa D Show with Ben Blount, unedited

Lisa Degliantoni and Ben Blount talk about his upcoming art exhibit Recollection which deals with race, memory and perception. 

Recollection examines the notions of race and culture we encounter growing up in the United States. Shared through reimagined learning tools and remembered narratives, this work explores how we collect these formative ideas about identity and commit them to memory. This collection of work from artist Ben Blount includes letterpress prints, handmade books, and various interactive elements.

Ben Blount is a printer who uses books, posters and installations to explore notions of race and identity in America. Shaped by two decades of experience in design and advertising, his work draws on a common cultural language of objects, stories and experiences to draw attention to the differences between what we see, and how we are seen. With a range of contemporary influences from Dave Chappelle and Kara Walker to Mos Def and Amos Kennedy, Blount’s work is often provocative and topical. He has taught book arts courses at The Cleveland Institute of Art and Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago. A native Detroiter, he earned an MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts from Columbia College Chicago and currently lives in Evanston, IL. 

Image above: Spread from ABC: An Abecedarium of Black Culture

See more of Ben's work at benblount.com

The public is invited for the Opening Reception Saturday, Feb. 4, 6-9 p.m. 

The public is invited back Sunday, Feb. 12, 3-5 p.m. We'll host an artist talk and hear from Ben and his wife Melissa Blount on their work in social justice. Ben is a founding board member of OPAL (Organization for Positive Action and Leadership). He is interested in equity issues in Evanston and how we as a community can affect change through political participation. Seats are limited, please click here to RSVP on EventBrite. 

1100 Florence is a new art event space in West Evanston, IL, owned and operated by Lisa Degliantoni and Dave Ford.

The Lisa D Show is recorded in a former Polish Grocery Store in West Evanston, IL, this podcast celebrates creatives. Listen to 20 minute, unedited conversations with host Lisa D. and the creatives who make our world a more connected, interesting and beautiful place to live. Podcasts will be posted on this blog and on Soundcloud.com, https://soundcloud.com/lisa-degliantoni

The Lisa D Show with Ken Krimstein, Unedited

The Lisa D Show podcast features 20 minute, unedited conversations with creatives. 

Our guest Ken Krimstein is a Writer, Cartoonist, Right fielder, Professor in the College of Communications at DePaul University in Chicago, father, neighbor, husband, citizen and friend. 

We talk about Ken's work as a cartoonist for the New Yorker, one of the most competitive creative endeavors anyone can pursue. The cartoon below, published in the Harvard Business Review this month, is referred to in the interview and a strong example of Ken's talent.

Because this interview is unedited it plays like a live-radio interview, it's 100% authentic and flawed which is why we kept the part where Ken spilled hot coffee on his leg (7:59) and "yeows" really loud. 

See Ken's work at www.kenkrimstein.com

The Lisa D Show is recorded in a former Polish Grocery Store in West Evanston, IL, this podcast celebrates creatives. Listen to 20 minute, unedited conversations with host Lisa D. and the creatives who make our world a more connected, interesting and beautiful place to live. Podcasts will be posted on this blog and on Soundcloud.com, https://soundcloud.com/lisa-degliantoni

The Lisa D Show is Back!

Tuesday, March 11, 2011, was the last time I posted on this blog, telling fans that I would make a move to a new radio show platform. Since 2011 I've been "radio silent" and not doing anything in front of a microphone. Today I am excited to announce that "The Lisa D Show" is BACK in the form of a weekly podcast. 

For those of you meeting me for the first time, I'm a former radio talk show host. My work as a radio personality in El Paso, Texas, from 2005- 2011, was beyond enjoyable and rewarding; I was paid to talk to humans for 1-3 hours a day on live, call-in radio. My radio shows took many forms; political talk show host on a call-in station, lifestyle talk radio host for "Charlando con La Gringa" (translation: chit chat with the white girl) on airwaves out of Juarez, Mexico, and host of "The Lisa D Show" a weekday call-in talk radio show featuring guest interviews and cultural news of the day. "The Lisa D Show" was my longest run as a talk radio show host, honoring me with a slick logo!

When my family left El Paso, TX, for Evanston, IL, in 2011, I had intentions of setting up shop on a new platform ... it took me 6 years! Thank you returning fans for waiting for my voice to reappear and welcome new fans to my podcast, "The Lisa D Show." You can look forward to conversations with creatives, roughly 20 minutes in duration, posted on a weekly basis. I believe creatives (of all kinds) make our planet a more connected, interesting and beautiful place to live. My energy and enthusiasm for my guests will be consistent, I don't invite guests whose work I don't admire. This podcast will 100% FOTP (Focus on the Positive) and isn't a criticism-based platform. Don't be afraid to request to be on the show, email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

"The Lisa D Show" will be recorded in a former Polish Grocery Store at 1100 Florence Ave. in Evanston, IL. We welcome a live audience and will announce podcast recordings and guests using Facebook Live so you can stop by and see the podcast in action.

We will post new podcasts on this blog or you can listen on Sound Cloud

Before I forget I want to thank my supportive husband Dave Ford for nudging this project along and helping get me back in front of a microphone. Dave is very familiar with my love of conversating and thinks I do it very well, his enthusiasm is much appreciated! 

New Radio Project: “On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America”

Hello Friends and Fans of "The Lisa D Show"! My new radio project launched this week and I am moving to a new show platform and web presence. Below you'll find the press release announcing this new and exciting project and I encourage you to follow the new show blog at http://ontheroadwithlisad.blogspot.com/.

2010 was a fantastic year on the air and I am so grateful to you for making the experience so fun. In 2011 I hope to be more mobile, more connected, as I explore and rediscover America. Come with me, as I think we'd make great travel buddies!

Facebook fan page: “On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America”
Twitter: OTRwLD
YouTube: OTRwLisaD
Email: otrwld@gmail.com

Press Release

Talk Radio Goes 4D via “On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America”

2.26.11 – Lauded border region talk radio host Lisa Degliantoni (Lisa D.) has launched a new radio project taking multimedia audiences all over the world on virtual and real adventures across America.

Using the latest digital and online platforms and content partners in all 50 states, “On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America” connects audiences no matter where they are to great spots around the U.S. via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, Whrrl, text messaging, and more. Audience-generated content and reviews from fans on travel news & tips. provide a truly interactive experience for followers of the show, who can also take advantage of giveaways, intimate and off-the-cuff interviews with event organizers, tips from foodies, and just about anything else that can help them plan an excellent adventure.

"It's amazing just how much you can discover in the next town," says Degliantoni, former host of "The Lisa D Show" on 1150 AM Talk Radio in El Paso, Texas. "We're aiming to help Americans rediscover the exciting, diverse and picturesque travel options we have in our own 50 states while the power of the Web will give international visitors the chance to experience America in a whole new way."

Degliantoni launches this timely, technologically innovative project with more than 10 years of media experience. The last Managing Editor of Spy Magazine, Degliantoni has also revamped and maximized online, print and on-air media in the world's largest border community of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She served as Editor in Chief of El Paso Media Group, overseeing El Paso’s only monthly magazine El Paso Magazine and taking local news website www.newspapertree.com from a for-profit news outlet to a nonprofit news paradigm—the first of its kind in the market. A veteran of the airways, Degliantoni hosted talk radio shows “Charlando con la Gringa” and “The Lisa D. Show”.

“On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America” will stream online every Saturday from 5 to 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time at www.talkradio1150.com. The latest schedule, archived interviews, and news about the show can be found online at www.ontheroadwithlisad.blogspot.com. All media queries can be directed to 915-238-6624 or otrwld@gmail.com.

Press Release: El Paso Opera’s “Madama Butterfly” adds third show

Thursday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.
3rd SHOW: Sunday, March 13, 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: Abraham Chavez Theatre



Due to popular demand, El Paso Opera has added a third performance to its “Madama Butterfly” schedule. There will be a matinee on Sunday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m. This is in addition to performances Thursday, March 10, and Saturday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. All performances are at the Abraham Chavez Theatre.

“Madama Butterfly” marks El Paso Opera’s return to grand opera, with full sets and costumes. “Butterfly” is also one of the most popular operas of all time. It’s been two years since El Paso Opera has staged a grand opera (“Magic Flute” was the last, in 2009), and audiences are in for a treat with an Emmy®-winning production and all-star cast.

But “grand” doesn’t mean elitist — at least, not in El Paso.

El Paso Opera artistic and general director David Grabarkewitz has made it his mission to bring opera to the entire El Paso-Juárez community, as well as to traditional opera patrons.

So he’s made sure that promotions for the “Madama Butterfly” reach a Spanish-speaking audience and most neighborhoods of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.
And for the first time, El Paso Opera advertised on a billboard in Ciudad Juárez and established a toll-free phone number for ticket-buyers in Mexico.

The opera also stretched its Spanish promotion in El Paso to bench ads in the Mission Valley and the bustling East side. A Spanish-language billboard is visible on I-10 West at Lomaland.
“Opera for All!” has been the motto of Grabarkewitz’s mission, and El Paso Opera will continue its Opera for All series in advance of “Madama Butterfly.” Opera for All events run from 60-75 minutes and will feature performances by members of the “Butterfly” cast.

Opera for All performances will be presented in English and Spanish and are open to the public free of charge.

Opera for All performances:

• El Paso Community College Transmountain Campus, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2:00 p.m.
• Fort Bliss’ Freedom Crossing- Grand Hall, Sunday, Feb. 27, 5:00 p.m.
• La Fe Community Technology Center, 721 South Ochoa St., Tuesday, March 2, 2:00 p.m.

“Butterfly is a celebration of big, classical opera,” said Grabarkewitz. “It’s a great story for first-time opera goers. If you haven’t been to the opera recently, this is the perfect show to get re-acquainted.”
Grabarkewitz used his influence as the resident stage director for the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center to ensure the highest quality Butterfly production in El Paso.

“I requested favors from the amazing cast and designer, and we've put together a phenomenal show.” Grabarkewitz said. “We’ve assembled an internationally renowned cast that is second-to-none.”

Indeed, Grabarkewitz directed several of the principal actors in an Emmy®-winning telecast for PBS performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

“Its story holds themes very familiar to El Pasoans: a military serviceman falls in love with a young woman.”

Information: El Paso Opera 581-5534

El Paso Opera: 1/2 off tickets to Madama Butterfly

Today only, you can buy tickets to March 10th opening night of El Paso Opera's Madama Butterfly.

Click here to visit Busca El Paso to buy your tickets.

Visit www.epopera.org to find out more about the performance!

Neon Desert Music Festival Band Lineup

Neon Desert Music Festival annual music festival organized by Splendid Sun Productions held in Downtown El Paso, TEXAS. This event features local, regional, national, and international entertainers mostly in Indie rock, Latin Rock, and Electronic music as well as local Arts. The event has several stages, each playing live music continuously. The festival will take place Saturday April 30, 2011, at San Jacinto Plaza.

First 1,000 tickets are $25 each, cost goes up to $35 after that.

Check out the band lineup here, http://www.neondesertmusicfestival.com/#bands

CD Premier: World Premiere of the CD "Brahms"

El Paso Pro Musica 100 presents the World Premiere of the CD "Brahms," works for Cello and Piano featuring Zuill Bailey and Awadagin Pratt, Tuesday, March 1, El Adobe Recording Studios, 5301 El Paso Drive, El Paso, Texas. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and features a special concert, cocktails and culinary delights from fine Chefs. For tickets call 915-833-9400

Open Auditions for a Child Role in 'Madama Butterfly'

WHAT: Auditions for the role of Cio-Cio San’s son
WHEN: Sat., Feb. 19, at 2 p.m.
WHERE: El Paso Public Library Auditorium, 501 N. Oregon St.

El Paso Opera is looking for a child to play the role of “Trouble,” the young son of Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly). This is a non-speaking, non-singing role suitable for any child interested in theater; however it does require the ability to take direction.

We're looking for a child age 6-9 who is shorter than 52 inches tall. The child will appear on stage with Emmy-winning soprano Shu-Ying Li. Rehearsals begin in early March and will extend through the Madama Butterfly performance dates of Thursday, March 10, and Saturday, March 12. The Opera will contribute $500.00 to the Texas Tomorrow Fund (http://www.texastomorrowfunds.org/), a pre-paid college tuition plan, for the child selected to play the role. This will be a great adventure for one local child.

Auditions will be held Saturday, Feb. 19, at 2:00 p.m. downtown at the El Paso Public Library Auditorium. The library is located at 501 N. Oregon St.

Information: El Paso Opera 581-5534