Episodes

What’s the role of locally-produced art in shaping our identity as a city? I sat down with Brandon Anderson, General Manager of Shadowbox Live and Backstage Bistro to talk about the Columbus theater scene, the origins of Shadowbox, what it means to be the general manager of America’s largest resident theater company, and the responsibility we have as creatives, business leaders and citizens in making Columbus a destination city. Shownotes Confluence Cast Episode #14 Amy Lay Circle of Blood Kab...

How do commercial real-estate developers create community? I sat down with Brian Suiter, Director of Real Estate Development for Kaufman Development to talk about the future of development in Columbus, Kaufman’s development goals and philosophy, the many moving parts involved in large-scale real estate, and The Gravity Project, an impressive new mixed-use building (and community concept) currently under construction in Franklinton. Shownotes Lifestyle Communities Besa Wood Companies Edwards Gr...

How do cultural art centers decide what’s worthy of presentation? I sat down with Lane Czaplinski, the Wexner Center for the Arts’ new director of performing arts to talk about his journey from literature student to art curator, his impressions of Columbus, and some of the exciting shows coming up in the Wexner Center’s fall performing arts season. Shownotes Wexner Center for the Arts The Bad Plus Bill Frisell ’85–’95 (OCT 8) Mivos Quartet (OCT 10) Arto Lindsay with Beauty Pill (OCT 19) Par...

Next week, the capital city will be taken over by Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a free, citywide arts festival hosted by people and places with a passion for cartoon arts. On the occasion of the festival, I sat down with Columbus-based artist creator Jeff Smith to talk about the festival, his work, and why Columbus is the perfect place to host the festival. Shownotes: Cartoon Crossroads Columbus Bone Billy Ireland Cartoon Research Library Wexner Center for the Arts Columbus Idea Foundry This C...

Dine Originals Week is fast approaching! Hear from the organization’s executive director about the deals you can take advantage of while enjoying Columbus’s finest independent restaurants and learn about the pitfalls of public relations in Columbus. As a bonus this week, I sat down with the founders of the new restaurant Ambrose and Eve, slated to open in German Village next year. Shownotes Dine Originals Columbus Dine Originals Week The Refectory Skillet Chile Verde Cafe The Wine Bistro Katz...

The Columbus City Charter is essentially the Columbus Constitution. It defines the structure and role of the city and its leaders. I sat down with the chairman of the most recent comprehensive Charter Review Commission, Mike Curtin, to talk about the origins of our charter, why we have the structure that we do, and his predictions on the future of the city. Shownotes Mike Curtin (Wikipedia) The Columbus City Charter Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther Columbus City Council Columbus City Attorney...

Music is many things to many people but Mark Lomax would argue that it’s not enough. The Columbus-based composer and drummer has some ideas for how we should hear music, incorporate it into our lives, and why artists will define the future of Columbus. Shownotes: Dr. Mark Lomax II Gene Walker Hank Marr Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center Ohio State School of Music Messages from Water Johnstone Fund for New Music Nicole Mitchell Renee Baker Short North Mural Project Scott Woods Holler 30 C...

It’s getting hoppy in here. We talk with Chris Davison, the head brewer at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, about sour beers, the brewing process, the brewing community, what other breweries in town you should be checking out, why Columbus is a young beer scene, and why that’s a good thing. Shownotes: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Sour beer (as defined by Wikipedia) Red Legacy Watershed Distillery Homebrew Podcasts Ohio Homebrew Clubs Columbus Brewing Company Seventh Son Brewing Columbus Ale Trail Combustion Brew...

We’re talking about capital in the capital city. VentureOhio helps to facilitate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in our state and their annual VentureReport takes a detailed look at Ohio investment activity and the people and companies putting Ohio on the map. I sat down with VentureOhio’s CEO Falon Donohue and Brad Mascho, the co-founder of local startup CrossChx to talk about the report, how venture capital works, and the opportunities available for entrepreneurs. Shownotes: Small Business Fi...

All the world’s a stage… and one man in his time plays many parts. The artistic director of Actors’ Theatre is no different. On the occasion of their 36th season, Phillip Hickman sat down to talk about his role at the Schiller Park institution, how they put together their season each year, and the importance of accessible art. Shownotes Actors’ Theatre 2017 Season Classes Greater Columbus Arts Council Ohio Arts Council Columbus Foundation Erik Tait This Confluence Cast episode is sponsored ...

Face it, anybody can make pizza. It takes a vision to turn a slice of pizza into a brand. I sat down with Mikey Sorboro at the Columbus Podcast Festival for a casual conversation about how to start a business, the virtues (or lack thereof) of owning a foodtruck, and the importance of a branding experience. Shownotes: Mikey’s Late Night Slice Oddfellows Liquor Bar Columbus Podcast Festival Cameron Mitchell Support for this episode of the Confluence Cast comes from Chepri, a full-service web an...

The Columbus Arts Festival is quickly approaching and their Sign Your Art installation is making a comeback. I sat down with organizer and artist Stephanie Rond to talk about the project, her work and background, and the thorns that she sees in the Columbus arts community. Shownotes Stephanie Rond Stephanie Rond on Columbus Makes Art Columbus Arts Festival Sign Your Art Columbus Open Studio and Stage Studies and Discourse : 20 years of art work by Stephanie Rond Carnegie Gallery Women Street A...

Project manager, community builder, and writer Jay Clouse has experienced most stages of an entrepreneurial business in a short time. We sat down to talk about his experience, the similarity between comedy and entrepreneurship, and the importance of asking good questions. Shownotes Jay Clouse Create Columbus Commission StartUp Weekend CrossChx The Agile Methodology Jay’s Daily email You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes WTF with Marc Maron Columbus Songwriters Association Smart Columbus The next ...

For the first time in their over-forty-year history, the Central Ohio Transit Authority is changing up its routes. I spoke with representatives from COTA about how the new system was designed and what the philosophy was behind it. We also learned more about COTA as a whole, some of their new initiatives that they are rolling out, and how you can find your way with the new system. Shownotes COTA’s TSR Smart Columbus MORPC State of Downtown study (PDF) Support for this episode of the Confluence...

With the month of May quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about summer festivals. In this week’s episode, Columbus Underground co-founder and COO Anne Evans talks about what festivals are new this year, some of her favorites, and I interject my commentary on the end of Independents’ Day as we know it. Shownotes Columbus Podcast Festival Robert Mason Company AmeriFlora Columbus Festivals 2017 Mrs. Turbos Cookies Circleville Pumpkin Festival Logan Washboard Festival Ohio VegFest Far...

Three years ago, Columbus-native Stefan Thomas passed the bar, became an attorney, and embarked on a musical career as T.Wong. Having released four collections of polished work and worked with producers and industry professionals around the country, he’s certainly on his way up. On the eve of his next album, we discussed his work, his process, and the opportunities that the Columbus art scene offers. Shownotes T.Wong on the web Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | SoundCloud Stefan Thom...

This week, we’re talking about young professionals in Columbus. Specifically, the Create Columbus Commission. The group was originally chartered by Mayor Michael B. Coleman ten years ago to provide guidance on how to attract and retain young professionals to Columbus. Their grant program is in full swing for the year, with opportunities for social enterprise organizations, ideas, and artists to get monies to see their concepts come to fruition. I spoke with the commission’s chair, Jordan Davis ...

The disparity between the tech job openings in Columbus and qualified candidates to fill them is vast. To help bridge that gap, coding bootcamps have been popping up around town. Tech Elevator co-founder and CEO Anthony Hughes talks about their program, who may be interested in it, and what makes Columbus a good market for them. Shownotes Tech Elevator Rev1 Ventures Drive Capital Skills Fund IC Stars Smart Cities CoverMyMeds The post Tech Elevator appeared first on The Confluence Cast.

As we embark on our semi-regular neighborhoods series, we went to the person tasked with creating a one-stop-shop for neighborhoods to access city-government services. In this week’s episode, Director Carla Williams-Scott discusses the various functions of the Department of Neighborhoods, the impetus for it, and what opportunities she sees in the diversity of our city’s neighborhoods and the disparity between them. Shownotes: Department of Neighborhoods Director Carla Williams-Scott 311 Commun...

On the occasion of their upcoming showcase at SXSW, I sat down with Angela Perley of Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons to talk about their career trajectory, listen to a few tracks, and discuss why she calls Columbus home. Shownotes: Angela Perley & the Howlin’ Moons Spotify Vital Companies Music Videos: “Athens” | “White Doves” | “Electric Flame“ Atomic Music Group The post Musician Angela Perley appeared first on The Confluence Cast.

Let’s get pumped up! The Arnold Sports Festival is coming to town and I sat down with the organization’s president, Bob Lorimer, to learn about how it got started, how Bob is carrying on the legacy of his father, and I focus way too much on table tennis. Shownotes: Arnold Sports Festival Table Tennis Kids & Teens EXPO Schedule Volunteer opportunities Party with the Pros Photo Gallery: Arnold Sports Festival 2016 The post Arnold Sports Festival appeared first on The Confluence Cast.

The art community in Columbus is a strong one. But there’s a large portion of it that you don’t see; specifically black art. Scott Woods created Holler to showcase the work of black artists across disciplines. In this week’s episode, Scott discusses Holler and the impetus for it, the Columbus art scene as a whole, and the importance of having a space to work. Shownotes Holler: 30 Days of Columbus Black Art Columbus Museum of Art Writers Block Poetry Night Kafe Kerouac Scott Woods Makes Lists N...

Solving the immediate and long-term problems of Columbus is no small task. Thankfully, the Columbus Foundation is wielding both a large purse and a large influence. We spoke with Dan Sharpe, Director, Community Leadership and Nonprofit Effectiveness for The Columbus Foundation, about how their funds and initiatives strengthen and improve the capital city. Shownotes: Columbus Foundation The Big Give Gifts of Kindness Jerrie Mock (Wikipedia) Spirit of Columbus Benchmarking Report The Big Table ...

How do you build a community around what you’re passionate about? This week, Adam Brouillette sat down to discuss Blockfort, the new gallery and studio space Downtown, and why he thinks Columbus is the best city for doers. Shownotes: Blockfort 400 West Rich The Vanderelli Room MINT Gallery 934 Gallery Millworks Art Studios Idea Foundry The post Blockfort appeared first on The Confluence Cast.