KBIA News brings you a look at arts and entertainment this week in mid-Missouri in Off the Clock. Formerly known as Arts Week, this program, with host Janet Saidi, offers a glimpse into the week in arts.

Want to subscribe to a podcast of Off the Clock? Paste this link into your aggregator. More about KBIA podcasts here.

Spring 2008

04/11/08 "New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music" is the title of a national exhibit from the Smithsonian Museum. The exhibit uses photographs, old recordings and instruments to celebrate the nation's musical heritage. Next year the exhibit comes to Missouri, and the Kirksville Arts Center has been chosen as the exhibit's first stop to launch the Missouri tour of the exhibit. KBIA's Ryan Spencer has this report on why Missouri arts organizers are already excited about this exhibit.

For more information arts in Kirksville, visit the Kirksville Arts Association website.
For more information on the exhibit, visit the Museum on Main Street Smithsonian site.


Also on Off the Clock...

On the first Thursday night of every month, blues musicians and neighborhood people grab instruments and head to Boonville's historic Turner Hall for a monthly Blues Jam. It's hosted by the Turner Hall River Rats for the Arts, who clear the stage each month for anyone who wants to perform. KBIA's Akiko Oda went to this month's jam session. It was hosted by guitarist Rick Aiken and the Temporary Blues Band. They dedicated the jam to the memory of a friend, musician, who passed away earlier this year.

04/04/08 If you're in a book club you already know that getting people together to choose one book to read is a complicated process. And what's it like when an entire community gets together to choose a book? Well, that's what the Daniel Boone Regional Library and the surrounding community does every year – we choose a book to read. Together. It's called the "One Read" program and this year's choice was recently narrowed down to two books. KBIA's Jashin Lin got the scoop on this year's choices and the process so far.

At a recent art exhibit featuring the work of MU faculty members, the exhibit became more about the museum-goers than about the art. The exhibit "Other/Self" uses hidden cameras and television monitors to explore themes like narcissism, voyeurism, self-image and other good stuff. KBIA's Martin Winkler caught up with artist J.J. Higgins at the George Caleb Bingham Gallery on the MU campus, and got a tour.

Below: Higgins' clear tent represents how one feels when they think they are isolated.



Below: Higgins' "Kissing Booth" displays a mirror, lipstick, clean wipes, and an eye lash curler: objects showing how people create themselves at the start of each day.

03/28/08 Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood is the first book by Ibtisam Barakat, a Columbia writer whose memoir is a rare look into the experience of growing up in Palestine's occupied territories. In the book Barakat recounts her early childhood. She was three years old when the Six Day War between Israel and Arab countries ended with Israel occupying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Two hundred thousand Palestinians fled their homes during the Six Day War – Barakat's family was one of them. The three-year-old Barakat lost her family during the chaos, while tying on one of her shoes. It's one of many details in this memoir that brings out everyday aspects of growing up Palestinian.

We spoke with Barakat last year when Tasting the Sky was first published, and replay the conversation now in an archive edition of "Off the Clock."

Encore broadcast from 04/06/07.

03/21/08 The latest project of The Missouri Contemporary Ballet, a dance company based in Columbia, is called "ROCK," and presumably it does just that. The program combines ballet choreography with rock songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. KBIA's Matt Jeffries caught up with the company at a recent rehearsal, and he has this story...with a little help from Sting, and Mick Jagger.

MU Journalism Professor Steve Weinberg says he loves reading novels about the lives and work of journalists. He started collecting journalism novels more than two decades ago, and since then he's added thousands to his collection, which is held at Ellis Library. KBIA's Sean Powers invited Weinberg into the studio where they spoke about what journalists can get out of journalism fiction. Here's the conversation.

03/14/08 Treasure hunting usually conjures images of pirates and gold and sunken ships. In fact, because of a new hobby known as letter-boxing, treasure hunting is alive and well in central Missouri and the rest of the country. People who call themselves "Letter boxers" are making their own intricately-crafted rubber stamps, and hiding them, with notepads, for other people to find. They leave clues on the internet. And the result is a new national past-time. Letter boxers are reportedly a secretive lot, but KBIA's Austin Coates recently caught up with one and went...hunting.

Hip Hop artist MC Lyte has been a force in the music industry for nearly two decades. The rapper, actor, and author recently came through Columbia to speak with students at Stephens College. KBIA's Mike Moreau used the occasion to call her up and find out what's on her mind. Here's their conversation.

Visit MC Lyte's official website by clicking here. (Photo from official website.)

03/07/08 Columbia got its huge fix for independent films last week when the popular True/False Film Festival swept through downtown, featuring nearly 40 films and drawing record crowds. But as KBIA's Tyson Sprick found with this story, college students in Columbia have created a sort of spin-off festival. Here's the story.

On the heels of the True/False festival, a film called "Box Elder" premiered. It's an independent movie, it's made in Columbia ....and it shows through the weekend at RagTag CinemaCafe before going on tour to cities throughout the South and Midwest. With KBIA reporter Mu Li, Sara Wittmeyer has this story.

02/29/08 If you live in Mid-Missouri and love film, this weekend is Christmas for you. It's the weekend of the annual documentary film festival known as True/False. This year's festival showcases dozens of films shown to hundreds of film-goers, over four days at venues throughout downtown Columbia.

The band "They Might Be Giants" has been making music for 25 years – since capturing the college crowd in the 1980s. Partners John Linnell and John Flansburgh make up the band – they're performing the closing party for True/False. They're in the middle of a big national tour so we talked about what it's like on the road, and getting old. Here's the conversation.

Cherry Street Artisan is a major True/False venue – it's hosting some parties, some music, and also serves as a box office for the festival. KBIA's Sean Powers was at the Artisan last night – he met up with a throat-singing pirate named Baby Gramps, who has quite a fan base in Columbia.

Photo: They Might Be Giants

02/22/08 The RagTag Theatre, a vestibule for all things cinema, moved to its new location earlier this week. KBIA's Sean Powers got a tour of the new, two-screen theatre.

And, the Moberly Community College auditorium was alive with classical music during a recent performance there by The Roadkill Clarinet Quintet. The five musicians that make up the quintet have a passion for classical music that has lasted throughout their partnership...unfortunately, so has their unconventional name. KBIA's Matt Jeffries caught up with the guys in Moberly and has this story.

02/15/08 The True/False Film Festival returns to Columbia Leap Day Weekend. It's non stop with movies, Q-and-A sessions, debates, and parties. Preparations are underway now for the annual festival, and passes are sold out. This week's Off the Clock checks in with the festival's co-director Paul Sturtz, as well as an area artist who's showcasing her work during the event.

And, the main gallery at the Missouri Historical Society is currently dedicated to a Native American lithograph exhibit. The prints date back to the mid-1800's. KBIA's Catherine Wolf reports.