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East Coast Current

Volusia county's resource for restaurants, music, news, art and events..

The Ever Popular Annual Artist Studio Tours Return

More than seventy artists in Central Florida will once again open their private working studios to visitors for the annual Off the Beaten Path Florida Arts Tour for two upcoming weekends in three different regions:

• Lake County – February 10-11, 2024
• East Volusia County – February 10-11, 2024
• West Volusia County – March 2-3, 2024

The Off the Beaten Path website allows studio visitors to browse a full list of all the participating artists or a list of the artists on each tour, featuring samples of each artist’s work. Interactive maps are accessible on smart phones for traveling from tour stop to stop.

All studios on the tours will be open for all ages, free of charge, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each day of the tour.

The Lake County tour includes studios in Eustis, Mount Dora, Leesburg, Tavares and Weirsdale. The East Volusia Tour includes studios in Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater, while the West Volusia tour features locations in DeLand, Lake Helen and Orange City.

Every year, art patrons, collectors, curators and decorators, as well as families and children, are welcomed into the studios to meet the artists in their work environments, watch demonstrations, enjoy light refreshments, and shop for unique original works of art. The varied types of offerings include paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, ceramics, woodworks, photography, printmaking, and illustration.

John Wilton, a spokesman for the event says, “The tours have been growing rapidly in popularity every year. After a couple of ‘quiet’ years due to Covid restrictions, people are once again getting out, exploring, and discovering new ideas.”

Visitors enjoy a self-guided tour with easy-to-follow interactive maps on the website, along with artist information. Printable maps and artist lists are also available in the “Media and Maps” section on the website.

Additional information is available online at the event website or on the Off the Beaten Path Florida Arts Tours Facebook page.

ArtsTours.org

Facebook.com/FloridaArtsTours

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North Woods

Join us & meet   44 artists @  35  studios  , 2024 studio art tour dates, july 26 - 27- 28 october 11 - 12 - 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m..

ABOUT THE ART TOUR

Welcome to North Woods Art Tour, your gateway to artistic exploration in the heart of nature's beauty! Our studio tours, held twice yearly in July and October, offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the creative process firsthand. Explore the world of art as you visit artist studios, interact with creators, and witness their craft come to life.

From captivating paintings to intricate sculptures, each stop on our tour invites you to connect with artists, learn about their techniques, and even take home a piece of their inspired work. Join us on a journey of artistic discovery amidst the serene backdrop of the beautiful Wisconsin North Woods.

Take a Journey Through the North Woods Art Tour

Discover talent: get inspired by north wood artists.

Year-Round Art Discovery

Can’t visit during our tour weekends? Use this website as a resource to find great art up north whenever you visit the area. Many of our artists are open by appointment year-round.

TOUR REVIEWS

“art is alive and well in wisconsin's beautiful northwoods. you can find it down pine and birch-lined backroads, in hidden studios on wild lakeshores, and in the hearts and souls of the artists who make this special place their home. the northwoods art tour is truly something special.".

Gail Gilson Pierce

[email protected]

Northwoods Art Tour:  An educational, interactive art event in the scenic Wisconsin North Woods

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Arts & Culture

Home Explore Lake County Arts & Culture

north shore inspired artwork

The artists in Lake County capture the beauty of the north shore and surrounding wilderness in their works of art. From captivating photography and paintings to woodworking, leatherwork, metal forging, and pottery, you’ll be inspired to take home a handcrafted creation of art to remind you of Lake Superior and the great Northwoods.   

Annual Lake county art fairs

Two harbors fall art fair.

When: Mid-August

Where: Along MN-61, Two Harbors

Free to the public, the Two Harbors Art Fair features approximately 30 fine artists from Minnesota and Wisconsin exhibiting their works of art. 

Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour

When: Mid-September

Where: Two Harbors Area

The annual art tour features ten studios, three host farms, and 34 local artists. Browse unique creative studios, bring home some terrific art, and catch the fall colors on the North Shore.

North shore art galleries & studios

Coldsnap – John Gregor

Quilt Corner

Agate City – Robert’s Jewelry

Coca-Cola Mural

White Pine Market

Northwoods Pioneer Gallery & Gifts

Cooter Pottery

Burton Forge and Gallery

Bearpaw Crafts

Lancaster Soap Co.

Beaver Bay Agate Shop

Bee’s Knees

Playing with Yarn

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PEWAUKEE AREA ARTS COUNCIL

[email protected]

262-725-1468

LAKE COUNTRY ART & GARDEN TOUR 2022

Celebrating and teaching the arts in spectacular gardens, studios and lake venues.

The Pewaukee Area Arts Council hosted its third annual Lake Country Art & Garden Tour from April to September 2022. The inspired events spanned the warm seasons from spring to summer to fall offering a variety of art workshops, tours on boats and trains, garden parties, community weaves, a photo contest, creative writing, our own Art in Bloom, 24-hour theater, a plein air painting competition with a day-long celebration of the arts – and concluding with an autumn floral workshop.

Thank you to all our sponsors – especially to our key sponsor Ellenbecker Investment Group. Also thanks to event sponsors and grant providers: Soul Fire Art Studio & Gallery, Two Men and a Truck, Three Pillars, Chiropractic & Wellness on Pewaukee Lake, Positively Pewaukee, Hawks Inn, Lake Country Playhouse, Walmart, Imagine a Day Bella Foundation, Wisconsin Floral Foundation, Red Oak Writing, Heather Gergen Photography, Topside Design, Theia Vision Care, Waukesha State Bank, Stone Bank Farm Market.

The 2022 tour raised nearly $18,000 to fund and allow PAAC to offer high school scholarships, creative art contests like the Waukesha County-wide Showcase of Art for high school- and college-age students, middle school art competition and other art experiences in the community like Gingerbread house decorating with local children, Art Care Kits for homeless youth and to fill our new Joyful Free Art Library with art and art supplies to encourage and promote arts in the community. 

As an organization, we met our goals:

To support the arts in the Lake Country community

To bring awareness of the arts through the beauty in nature

To offer creative opportunities to experience the arts

To teach art and writing classes in the community

To provide venues for PAAC artists to sell artwork and fine crafts, and for performing artists sing and play instruments 

To give local businesses and individuals an outlet to support the arts community

The event was led by Teresa Spencer with much help from Julia Jaegersberg, Juli Garton, Lindy Kanavas, Anne Raskopf, Margie Koehler-Sacharok, Terri Field, Laura Bernarde, Shelley Mehmert, Krystal Nettesheim, Lise Miley, Abby Lorenz, Patty Buck, Barbara Kelsey, Christine Steinmiller, Sue Keely, Lynne Buell, Terri Weiss and Mary Weber. Thanks to you all for planning, seeing to the details, hard labor (ha!) and bringing the events to life.

Look for news of the fourth annual Lake Country Art & Garden Tour launching in spring of 2023.

About The Tours

Off The Beaten Path Florida Arts Tours are grass roots events created by a federation of practicing artists and community patrons with shared purpose and vision…

For printable maps and Artist Lists,           click on the Media and Maps menu

East Volusia Tour

February 10-11, 2024 18 Studios 26 Artists

Lake county tour.

February 10-11, 2024 12 Studios 18 Artists

West volusia tour.

March 2-3, 2024 22 Studios 27 Artists

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LAKE COUNTRY ART TOUR, OYAMA, BC

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Lake Country Entrance Sign, 2018 | Metal Tonette De Vera, Korynn Kroeskamp & Albert Van Ee Highway 97 North and Highway 97 South

LAKE COUNTRY ART TOUR ON A PEDEGO

Time: 3 hours – including stops Distance: 21km Tour: Self Guided

Lake Country is a gem. Located in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, the area boasts serene lakes, bountiful orchards and vineyards, and sunny weather. Made up of four distinct wards, Carr’s Landing, Okanagan Centre, Oyama, and Winfield, the District of Lake Country is home to only 14,000 people so there is plenty of room to roam and enjoy the peace and quiet. This is life, the Okanagan way.

The vibrant, tight-knit communities of Lake Country are also rich in culture, arts, and entertainment. They’re a perfect balance of rural and urban experiences. To fully enjoy all the artistry of the area, we recommend the following three-hour tour, which you can do on your electric bike or on one that you rent from us. Total distance is 21 kilometres and many of those are on the flat and relaxing bike trails, which offer stunning lake views.

SWALWELL PARK

From Pedego Oyama, ride east onto the isthmus and follow the Rail Trail 7 kms along the east shoreline of Wood Lake. Cross Woodsdale Rd. and continue on the trail for another 4 kms to McCarthy Rd. where you’ll find a historical marker. Turn right onto McCarthy and then right again on Bottom Wood Lake Rd. Follow this through the roundabout to the west and enter the parking lot of Swalwell park.

This community park has a picnic area, skatepark, pavilion, softball field, and waterpark. It also harbours some beautiful artwork including:

TOWN WALLS – PAINTINGS BY COMMUNITY CITIZENS IN 2005

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Town Walls: May 2005- Community citizens- Wood & Paint Etc., Temporal Artwork, Swalwell Park

CIRCLE OF LIFE – CARVED MARBLE BY TORU FUJIBAYASHI

Photo credit: District of Lake Country -Circle of Life – Toru Fujibayashi -Carved Marble, Outdoor Sculptures and Murals, Swalwell Park

FUNKY PEAR – A FUN SCULPTURE BY EDE AXELSON

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Funky Pear- Ede Axelson – Carved Marble, Outdoor Sculptures and Murals, Swalwell Park

ENTRANCE TO THE VALLEY – A LARGE SCULPTURE BY SHANGXI ZHU

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Entrance to the Valley- Shangxi Zhu-Carved Marble, Outdoor Sculptures and Murals, Swalwell Park

BERRY ROAD BIKE LOCKERS

Photo credit: District of Lake Country

From Swalwell Park turn left out of the parking lot and ride through the roundabout to the bike storage locker at the transit stop on Berry Rd. Here you’ll not only see the unique work of Sheila Tansey on the bike locker, you’ll also have a good view of the mural on the end wall of the hall.

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – 20th Anniversary Mural – Rose Braun, Chris Malmkvist, Community participation – Painted Mural – Outdoor Sculptures and Murals – Winfield Memorial Hall – South wall

In 2016 Tansey was commissioned to decorate two bike lockers in the area as part of a public art series promoting active transportation. She was the perfect person to appreciate them as she’s been using bike lockers since the first one was installed in Surrey in 1993. Residents rent space in the locker so they can store their bikes safely and out of the rain.

BERRY ROAD BIRDHOUSE SCULPTURES

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Birdhouse Sculptures 2017 – Assorted materials, 11 artists: Denise Wandt, Jeff Vouladakis, Larry Hunter, Sea Dean et al.

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Robotic Tree – Karl Ciesluk Metal & plexiglass, Outdoor Sculptures and Murals, Berry Road & Main Street.

Lake Country Art Gallery

Photo credit: Lake Country Art Gallery Continue along Berry Rd. until the roundabout and turn north on Bottom Wood Lake Rd. Follow this for 1 km and turn left into the Lake Country Art Gallery and Coffee House . There you’ll find revolving collections of local and foreign artists.

Pelmewash Parkway Cycling Path

After you’ve enjoyed a coffee, snack, and seen the latest exhibitions, turn left out of the Lake Country Art Gallery parking lot onto Bottom Wood Lake Rd. and continue north. You’ll pass the entrance to the Winfield Community Garden, which is marked by a sculpture called The Working Carat. The giant oxidized carrot was designed by Ed Goodon from Metal Dream Designs in Vernon, and if you look closely you’ll see gardening tools inside its structure.

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – The Carrot- Ed Goodon, Winfield Community Garden Continue north to Woodsdale Road, turn left, cross Hwy 97 at the lights and then turn right on Pretty Road. Continue to the cycling path that ducks under the highway and onto the scenic, flat, and calm Pelmewash Parkway, which follows the west shore of Wood Lake for 6 kms. You’ll spot three Indigenous sculptures during this section of the tour including the Four Foods Chief, Canoe, and Feather.

Four Foods Chief – Clint George and Les Louis

Canoe – Clint George and Les Louis

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Canoe -Designed by Clint George of the Penticton Indian Band and Les Louis of the Similkameen Indian Band, tell traditional stories of the Okanagan people.

Feather – Clint George and Les Louis

Photo credit: District of Lake Country – Feather -Designed by Clint George of the Penticton Indian Band and Les Louis of the Similkameen Indian Band, tell traditional stories of the Okanagan people. These pieces were designed by Clint George of the Penticton Indian Band and Les Louis of the Similkameen Indian band. “The Four Food Chiefs sculpture carries infinite meaning and reminds us to seek information about why preservation of our valleys, mountains, waters, and sky are so important,” the artists said. The Canoe sculpture shows the traditional transportation of the Sylix people and is a reminder of the importance of working together. And the Feather sculpture, which includes a medicine wheel, sun-star blanket, and depictions of Okanagan pictographs, is symbolic of harmony between the First Nations and the settlers. Your ride along the Pelmewash Parkway will take you right back to Pedego Oyama where it all began. This tour is a great snapshot of the amazing artwork that can be discovered in the Lake Country but there are many other pieces that can be seen throughout the area. For more information, visit the story maps on lakecountry.bc.ca

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Lake Country Art Tour, Oyama, BC

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Art Walks & Studio Tours

Catch artists in their own space and see the inner workings of the studio tours life. Watch as a potter or ceramicist works clay with an expert touch. See a painter use colour, form and composition to splash an image on blank canvas. Experience the process of glassmaking,  woodworking, metal sculpting, and an endless variety of artistic expression. British Columbia’s diverse culture and pristine natural beauty create the perfect conditions for a vibrant arts community. Artists all over the province open the doors of their studios to the public for specialized viewing tours that can be found on Art-BC.com.  Studio  tours are  an excellent way to immerse yourself in the local art  scene. Some artists open their studios throughout the year, or for the summer season, while others will only be available for viewing  during organized studio tours.

To begin, find an existing studio tour with a proposed itinerary or create your own cultural crawl – plan a visit to one of BC’s Creative Communities using the Guide and Art-BC.com to curate your own exploration of galleries, artist studios and more!

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REGULAR MUSEUM HOURS: Thursday through Saturday from 12-4PM LCMA | 213 W Ruby Street, Tavares, FL 32778 | 352.483.2900

Upcoming Events

Art Galleries and Studios

Lake Country is home to a broad range of artists, artisans and crafters who draw inspiration from the tranquility and natural beauty of the area.

The Lake Country Art Gallery is a public art gallery, which opened in January 2010. It is located in two visible, stand-alone buildings (the gallery and the Art House) along one of the main roads in Lake Country. The gallery space is conjoined to the Lake Country Coffee House, which offers a welcoming atmosphere to the gallery space.

Original works from regional contemporary artists can be found at the Lake Country Art Gallery. Exhibits are always being updated to allow for budding new artists, along with seasoned veterans to showcase their work in the community.

Carr's Landing Art Tour Contact: Noreen Malmkvist  [email protected]

Frayed & Feathered Studio Tour (Annual Spring tour Lake Country to Ellison) Contact: Denise Wandt [email protected]  

Lake Country Art Gallery  and Art House  10356A Bottom Wood Lake Road, Lake Country Phone:  250-766-1299 Email:   [email protected] 

District of Lake Country 10150 Bottom Wood Lake Road Lake Country, BC V4V 2M1 T. 250-766-5650 F. 250-766-0116 Email: Email District of Lake Country Map this location

Lake Country ArtWalk ArtWalk at the Lake Country Community Complex 10241 Bottom Wood Lake Rd Lake Country, BC T. 250-766-4406 Email: Email the ArtWalk Chairperson Visit Lake Country ArtWalk website Map this Location.

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Living our Dreams… We are a group of studio artists living along the North Shore of Lake Superior. We thrive on the serenity and natural beauty of our surroundings. Along with our guest artists, we look forward to welcoming you to our studios. We hope you will be inspired to return down our country roads year after year to see the new work we have created – The Artists of the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour

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Immerse Yourself in our World…..

August 17 & 18, 2024 saturday 10-5, sunday 10-4.

Creativity runs deep in Eastern Manitoba and inspiration flows at every turn. From the surreal east shore beaches of Lake Winnipeg, through the Winnipeg River System to the rugged lake country of the Whiteshell, join us on a tour of art and landscapes as artists across this beautiful region open their homes and studios to share their world with you.

  Boreal Shores Art Tour – is a free, road-trip worthy, self-guided art tour featuring  individual artists and  galleries at  locations scattered throughout the beautiful and diverse Boreal forest and shore regions of Eastern Manitoba*. From the eastern shores of Lake Winnipeg through the Winnipeg River System to the Whiteshell Provincial Park, the Tour showcases artists from diverse communities throughout the region who love to explore all aspects of visual art. Artists can be found in their private studios or at group locations along the tour route. New Artists, New Mediums, and New Venues combine with Proven Favourites from previous years to make this a great year to join us.

If you are interested in being a Volunteer during the Tour weekend (for example, greeters are needed at each location), please email [email protected] and we will find an appropriate opportunity and location for you.

Need more information?  Contact our Coordinator, Norine Harty, at [email protected] .

See you soon!!

* Many artists are available “by appointment” right now. Please check the Artists’ individual pages on our website to arrange. BSAT will follow all COVID guidelines and orders at the time.   Every effort will be made to keep everyone safe and hand sanitizers will be available at every stop.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram – Boreal Shores Art Tour – where artists are being featured now.  

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Art Along The Lake: Fall Studio Tour Now Underway in Cook County

The annual 10-day artist studio tour has officially begun for 2022

What | One of the most exciting art events on Minnesota’s North Shore, Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour, is set to begin on Friday 9/23/22.

During the 10-day event, artists’ workspaces are open to the public, giving visitors a unique opportunity to speak directly with the artists in the environments where they create works featured in national and local galleries and shows.

Visitors are invited to tour includes 27 studios and galleries in Cook County while enjoying the fall colors of the North Shore.

Where | 27 locations across Cook County, Minnesota, including artists studios and local galleries.

When | Friday, Sept. 23 – Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.  See the daily events schedule for demos, presentations, etc.

Images | For images of artists’ work:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hghntv6g3v5x2kc/AADtaxXBEy-qZhNrqj-9rkWPa?dl=0

More |  For all information on Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour, go to  https://www.visitcookcounty.com/event/art-along-lake-fall-studio-tour/

  About Visit Cook County 

Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior”.  Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades -- most recently it was named  USA Today’s   Best Midwestern Small Town , Outside Magazine’s  The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016 , and Budget Travel’s 2015  Coolest Small Town in America . Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #donorthmn, Twitter  @CookCoVisitors ,  Facebook , or Instagram  @donorthmn . Learn more at  www.visitcookcounty.com . 

Upcoming Events Near You

Texas hold' em, tech support, cards, crafts, & coloring, lunch at the hub/sr. center, between earth and sky, sawtooth mountain clinic and pharmacy closed on wednesday, june 5 from 8:00am-1:00pm, boreal ship spotter - larger view here, aurora borealis forecast.

Boreal Community Media

Second day of Railbird Festival underway at Red Mile

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) -Railbird is back on Sunday, for another day filled with brand-new artists.

On Saturday, people from all over came to Red Mile to hear old and new artists such as Noah Kahan.

For Caden Prigge and Braden Kettering, it was right down the road from their childhood homes.

“It’s super cool to see a bunch of big artists in our hometown just 10 minutes away from where we grew up,” Prigge said.

They came back home from college to experience artists together such as Wynonna Judd and Flatland Cavalry.

They said everyone could find a song they enjoyed, but some people didn’t expect the rain to join in on the fun.

“I still had fun and I was fine. We bought a poncho today though,” railbird fan Lasley Combs said.

The rain didn’t stop them from singing along or the show from running.

Railbird is back today for day two with headliners including Kentucky’s own Chris Stapelton and some other favorites.

“I’m here to see Hozier, he’s my favorite,” railbird fan Chole Barnes said.

With 32 artists performing this weekend, many people found new artists to listen to.

“I hadn’t heard of everybody yesterday but now I have new people to go home and listen to,” railbird fan Jack Garrison said.

Most said it isn’t just the artists they come for, but to gather with friends and family and listen to some good old country music.

“Being able to come back and connect in our hometown and enjoy live music is honestly one of the biggest joys in life, personally for me,” Kettering said.

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.

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Along the Great Salt Lake’s shores, a podcast is telling stories of peril and hope

‘stay salty: lakefacing stories’ aims to explore the climate crisis from ‘a personal level.’.

(Jeri Gravlin) Meisei Gonzalez, right, co-host of the podcast "Stay Salty: Lakefacing Stories," interviews Jim Hopkins, discussing the magic of sunrises and sunsets reflecting on Great Salt Lake, near Saltair on March 30, 2024.

This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune, in collaboration with the University of Utah, to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.

Olivia Juarez doesn’t want to leave Salt Lake City. And they don’t want you to leave either.

“All of my family’s here,” said Juarez, a lifelong Utahn and one of the voices behind a new podcast focused on the Great Salt Lake. “Everything I love is here, … and so, it would be incredibly heartbreaking and disrupting to my life to leave.”

The “ Stay Salty: Lakefacing Stories ” podcast, which launched on March 25, explores what it means to keep living in the Great Salt Lake Basin as concerns mount around environmental and public health issues around the shrinking body of water.

Juarez, public land program director for GreenLatinos, said they and co-host Meisei Gonzalez wanted to amplify voices not always heard in storytelling about the lake, including conversations with youth activists, Indigenous leaders, people with disabilities, farmers, parents, brine shrimpers and people who are incarcerated.

“Conversations about the climate crisis and economic transition happen at a scientific level or a policy decision-making level, but not on a personal level,” Juarez said. “We started this podcast to focus on people who live here [and] to understand how their daily lives are being impacted by the Great Salt Lake.”

A project by Of Salt and Sand , a Utah-based storytelling collective, the podcast team includes Hosts Juarez and Gonzalez, visual artist Frances Ngo, photographer Jeri Gravlin (who is the visual director), event curator Ashley Finley and producers Maria Archibald, Amelia Diehl and Brooke Larsen.

Gonzalez said he and the team hope to raise questions about what these changes mean for the broadest possible cross-section of the valley’s residents.

“As with many environmental issues, many community members who are primarily people of color, Indigenous, queer, disabled and working-class are facing the realities of climate change firsthand,” said Gonzalez, who grew up in Salt Lake City’s west side communities and works as communications director for Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, or HEAL Utah. “We believe there is a need for frontline community members’ voices to be centered in this conversation.”

Just weeks after the launch of “Stay Salty,” Juarez and Gonzalez talked with the Great Salt Lake Collaborative about their hopes for the podcast, the future of the lake, and what they want to learn from the people who live in its namesake valley.

(Jeri Gravlin) Rios Pacheco, left, cultural and history advisor for the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, talks to Olivia Juarez, co-host of the podcast "Stay Salty: Lakefacing Stories," at the Antelope Island State Park Visitor Center on March 11, 2024, discussing Shoshone connections to the Great Salt Lake.

Why did you choose “What It Means to Stay” as the theme of your first episode?

Gonzalez • This helped set the stage for the rest of the podcast, letting individuals know the complexity of what it means to stay in a place facing an environmental crisis.

Juarez • Our entire project team came together to come up with a list of podcast topics. We decided which ones to include in season one … by choosing stories that felt relevant, highlighted perspectives and stories that have not been focused on by others and that were timely and relevant.

The lake is also, in many ways, one of the podcast’s main characters. Do you stick around the studio to record?

Juarez • [We’re] in the field at various locations, such as Antelope Island, the Jordan River Nature Center and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) podcast studio.

Gonzalez • And [on] the Great Salt Lake’s shores.

This podcast grapples with what it means to stay in the Great Salt Lake Basin as we face an ecological and public health crisis. What have you learned so far?

Gonzalez • We have learned that financials and community are big driving factors in staying. Many individuals expressed that they do not have the financial resources to simply leave the state. Others expressed that their community, family and work are primarily here, making it very difficult for them to leave this state.

How do you bring humor into a podcast about a pretty heavy topic?

Juarez • By speaking in a light or humorous tone when it is appropriate. The title, “Stay Salty,” is a form of humor. For me, in the face of difficult questions, you can be optimistic, despair or fight back, and “staying salty” is a form of the latter. It’s a reflection that it’s OK to be salty, or in other words be angry or dissatisfied, with the crisis at Great Salt Lake, and use that energy to act.

Gonzalez • We believe that humor is needed and is something that we can all relate to one another. We wanted the interview questions to help guide the interviewee but relied heavily on stories of joy to bring humor and hope.

(Courtesy of Stay Salty) Some of the team behind the podcast "Stay Salty: Lakefacing Stories," from left: producer Maria Archibald, photographer and visual director Jeri Gravlin, producer Brooke Larsen, co-host Meisei Gonzalez, producer Amelia Diehl and co-host Olivia Juarez.

How do you approach communities to be involved in the show?

Gonzalez • Our goal is to amplify the stories of individuals and community members who have historically been left out of the Great Salt Lake conversations. … The team all have backgrounds in community organizing, which was key to ensuring that we were creating this podcast by the community for the community.

Juarez • We [first] invite guests to join the show and have a pre-interview with them to give details about the project. We give guests an honorarium and a photograph that will be used in the art exhibit at the [downtown Salt Lake City] library. … The exhibit features portrait photography of podcast guests, with quotes from their interviews. We hope to bring this art exhibit to other Great Salt Lake Basin communities.

Any standout episodes you’d like to give a shout-out?

Juarez • My favorite episode is episode two. It’s the episode about love. Love for and at the Great Salt Lake. There are dating stories and engagement stories. It will be very fun to listen to it.

What’s to come in future episodes?

Gonzalez • We will interview many different community members and highlight important stories. One episode that was very interesting to produce was about the Utah state prison, which is built on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

Juarez • My goal for this podcast and project is for everybody who lives in our community to know that their stories are valuable, to know that their connection to the Great Salt Lake and the climate, when they talk about it, and it’s going to make a difference.

What’s your takeaway so far? Is it worth staying?

Gonzalez • This depends on everyone’s own needs, but to many, Utah is home. This is where they grew up, created a community, and raised their families. It is also a state with many natural resources and outdoor spaces that many Utah residents cherish. … I hope to see systemic action taken to help address not only the drying of the Great Salt Lake but many other environmental issues that we are facing, such as heat waves and air pollution.

Kyungsoo Park , a student at the University of Utah, wrote this story with his instructor, Marcie Young Cancio, as part of a College of Humanities journalism course in partnership with the Great Salt Lake Collaborative and Amplify Utah . The collaborative is a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake – and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org .

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