Images courtesy of the Goethe-Institut Boston, Monson Arts, Khalid Kodi, Bridge Guard Residential Art – Science Center, Centro Selva Residency and canva.
TRANSCULTURAL EXCHANGE TV – TCE TV
Not all of us may be able to travel. We can, though, see a movie, go to an exhibit, or read a book. Art can inspire and help us to understand the wonders of our planet and those who share it with us. To help make that possible, TransCultural Exchange exists. In the more than three decades of our existence, we have produced hundreds of global art projects, artist exchanges, web resources and a biennale International Conference on Opportunities in the Arts. and, now. . .
TCE TV.
Each month we will travel around the globe, highlighting opportunities, residencies and resources for artists in Boston and abroad. We will discuss timely topics and peek into studios down the street and around the world. In each show, the benefits of art’s global reach will be brought home to everyone, everywhere. Tune in to Boston Neighborhood Network the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm and, thereafter, always available above, the following third Wednesday, starting September 20th.
Have an idea for a guest or a show? Contact msherman[@] transculturalexchange.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Current Episode
(Previous Episodes can be accessed by clicking on the squares at the top of this page or the Episode Links below.)
EPISODE 7, Caught in the Crosshairs, Part 2
Episode 7 was recorded in early 2024, which is important to note, given this episode’s topic – how to support artists in times of global strife. When this show airs, there’s no telling how many of the struggles throughout the world today may have expanded or, we hope, contracted by then. At such times, the work of artists takes on even greater importance. It can inspire hope and empathy, provide respite, offer common ground for dialog, and encourage alternate ways of thinking. Unfortunately, during turbulent periods, these very qualities also thrust their makers into the frontlines. Artists are frequently among the first targets in oppressive regimes. Luckily, various organizations exist to help them, which this episode features, including an interviews with Julie Trébault of PEN America’s, Artists at Risk Connection, Hanna Isaksson from The Swedish Artist Residency Network (SWAN), Bojana Panevska from TransArtists | DutchCulture, Vincent Gonzalvez and Souraya Kessaria from Cité internationale des arts and Khaldi Kodi, an artist who has done extensive work in the Sudan.
Episode 7’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
PEN International, PEN America, Artists at Risk Connection, Artist at Risk, a Perpetuum Mobilezation, The Swedish Artist Residency Network (SWAN), TransArtists|DutchCulture, On the Move, Cité internationale des arts.
EPISODE 6, Beyond the Beaten Path
Episode 6 explores artist residency programs in places off the beaten tracks, meaning those that exist outside the usual art world hot spots. These are places that enable artists not only a chance to get away, recharge, and find new inspiration, but to learn about other cultures and regions of the world. First up, TCE TV’s host Jeelan Bilal-Gore interviews Krishna Luchoomun, founder of pARTage, a residency where artists can experience life in Mauritius, a tropical island with amazing tropical plants, nature, and snorkeling in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Afterward, TCE TV heads further East to visit with the founder of Artist Residency Thailand, Alex Soulsby, and a former resident Rosi Greenberg to hear about her time there. Next, TCE TV talks with Shu Lun Wu to learn about the Taitung Dawn Artist Village in Taiwan, a residency that culminates in one of Taiwan’s largest art festivals, set in a beautiful environment along the island’s stunning coast. Then, for artists looking for something in a cooler clime, there’s the At Home Gallery, a residency in a former Slovakian synagogue, blessed by the Dalai Lama. At this residency, artists can propose site-specific works. One such artist was Alison Safford, who speaks with Jeelan about her residencies there. And, back in the U.S., the show ends with a look at an opportunity in Gloucester, Massachusetts carved out of the summer home of America’s well-known sculptor Paul Manship.
Episode 6’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
pARTage, Artist Residency Thailand, Taitung Dawn Artist Village, At Home Gallery and Manship Artists Residency.
EPISODE 5, Caught in the Crosshairs, Part 1
We often think of art as a luxury, but for the artists profiled in this episode, it is an immense responsibility. TCE TV’s host Jeelan Bilal-Gore talks with the composer and musician Qudrat Wasefi and the artist Omaid Sharifi who had to flee Afghanistan. Now, they both are using everything in their power to provide support, hope, and healing for those in their country and others facing conflict. Likewise, when war broke out in Ukraine, Liudmyla (Lucy) Nychai relocated to the United Kingdom. There, and now in Finland, Lucy continues to run her residency in Ukraine, sheltering artists and helping to bring them and their work to the attention of the world. In Boston, the founder of Community Supported Film, Michael Sheridan takes a slightly different tack, giving cameras and training to immigrants and people in areas of strife and natural disaster to present us with authentic, first-hand accounts of what is happening on the ground. All their stories are amazing testaments of resilience and poignant reminders of the importance of art in troubled times.
Episode 5’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
The Afghanistan Freeharmonic Orchestra, ArtLords, Nazar Voitovich Art Residence, Community Supported Film.
EPISODE 4, Valuable Perspectives
Episode 4 delves into what we can learn from artists working outside the cultural canon – artists with disabilities or, perhaps, more accurately said, other abilities. In an interview with the blind researcher Kyle Keane, for instance, we discover how our ears might be better suited than our eyes to understanding certain aspects of the world’s vast mysteries, such as the confounding nature of black holes. By tuning into one sense over another, tonight’s guests explain how we can experience valuable new ways of imagining the world around us, including how we might make and appreciate works of art. Visiting with artists who work with painting, sound, theater and dance – the episode, sets out to explore a range of possibilities that artists working with dis- or other abilities can provide. We discover how this exciting work can help us consider other means to access the world and make the world more accessible for all.
Episode 4’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
TransCultural Exchange, Abilities Dance Boston, SQx Dance Company, Art Beyond Sight, Centre for Sensory Studies, Au-delà du visuel
EPISODE 3, Rural Retreats, Part 2
Episode 3 picks up where Episode 2 left off, with an exploration of the historical underpinnings of the extensive network of residencies across the United States, run by the National Park Service. Included is an interview with the musician Terry Jenoure that she recorded at her residency at the edge of the Grand Canyon and a brief overview of various other NSP’s programs including the residency in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The show then moves further down the East Coast of the United States with an interview with Provincetown’s Fine Arts Work Center’s director Sharon Polli. From there the show heads south with an interview with Chad Davis speaking about Georgia’s gem of a residency, Newnan ArtRez, and then even further south, with an overview of Brazil’s vibrant Sacatar Foundation, a culturally rich and multi-disciplinary residency located in Bahia. Closing out the show is a writing prompt from the Weir Farm National Historical Site.
Episode 3’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
TransCultural Exchange, National Park Service Artist-in-Residence Programs, Grand Canyon Conservatory’s Artist-in-Residency Program, Fine Arts Work Center, Newnan ArtRez, Sacatar Foundation, Weir Farm National Site.
EPISODE 2, Rural Retreats, Part 1
Episode 2’s topic is rural residencies. A chance to prolong summer’s bliss. To get away from the everyday routine, to find a moment of quiet in the noise of the everyday. A moment to hear oneself think. With that in mind, the show features one of the best-known and oldest United States residencies, MacDowell in New Hampshire, the newer Monson Arts in Maine and Bridge Guard in Switzerland, along with interviews with former Bridge Guard residents Lara Loutrel and Matthias Mura about their residency experiences.
Episode 2’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
TransCultural Exchange, MacDowell, Monson Arts, Bridge Guard
EPISODE 1, Introduction: Where to Find Artist Opportunities
This episode looks at the rise of artist-in-residence programs, what they are, why artists should consider one, and the various databases that exist to help artists find the right residency for them, including TransArtists, IASPIS, and TransCultural Exchange’s resources portal. Additionally, the episode considers the rapid proliferation of residencies around the globe and the cultural and political climate that spawned many of these newer residencies, along with their shift towards more cross-disciplinary and socially engaged works. Wrapping up the show is a visit to the Centro Selva residency in Peru and the Goethe-Institut Boston’s Studio 170.
Episode 1’s Featured Programs in Order of Appearance:
TransCultural Exchange, TransArtists, The Netherlands, IASPIS – International Programme for Visual and Applied Arts, Sweden, TransCultural Exchange’s Hello World Project, Centro Selva, Peru, Goethe-Institut Boston Studio 170