Those are just some of the many accomplishments achieved by this talented woman who brings attention to issues of gender justice and discrimination.

Today, we are here in New York City looking at her current exhibit at the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial Center on Broadway.

In this podcast interview you’ll learn:

• About the Goddess show that’s currently featured on the walls of Malcolm X Center — the place where Malcolm X was shot — and why having the show here is so important to her
• How she got into the fine arts business after starting her career in Mexico as a dancer
• Andrea’s fascination with the female form — and why it spurred her quest to research women’s images and their stories
• Her prolific career, which includes studio work, public art, and commissions, which total 31 individual and more than 100 group exhibits in such prestigious collections as The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Institution, and The National Museum of Mexican Art
• What it was like to work on President Clinton’s Global Citizen Awards
• What’s left on her wish list

Download the podcast interview now!

To learn more about Andrea Arroyo, don’t miss her Q&A with illustrator and designer Michael Gibbs in Be Inkandescent magazine.

And they’re sung by a truly amazing roster of Country Music’s biggest and brightest stars: There’s Brad Paisley with “Copycat,” Dwight Yoakam singing “I’ve Got a Dog,” Alison Krauss on “End of a Summer Storm,” Ben Folds rocking “Broken Piano,” and Darius Rucker with “Beautiful Baby.”

The lonesome-cowboy title track is performed by the low-voiced moody rocker Mark Lanegan (yes, of Queens of the Stone Age.) Add Josh Turner, Fountains of Wayne, Ryan Adams, Linda Eder, and quickly rising Country star Kacey Musgraves — all accompanied by Nashville’s finest instrumentalists — and whoa. You’ve got yourself some mighty fine music, with a whole lot of gumption and heart.

Created for children ages 1 to “older than dirt,” this is Boynton’s fifth foray into merging music, words, and art. Like the others she’s created with keyboard player Michael Ford, it’s not hard to know why these ditties are a New York Times best-seller.

The message of the book is as charming and iconic as the lyrics and illustrations by Boynton herself.

It was a privilege to interview this iconic artist, who shares:

• How the book-CD combo come to be.
• Her writing process, and her longtime partnership with musician Michael Ford.
• How she developed her easily identifiable illustration style.
• How she rounded up such stellar singers as Ben Folds, Darius Rucker, Dwight Yoakam, Ryan Adams, and many more for the “Frog Trouble” CD.

Download the podcast now, by clicking on the link above.

• And for more insights, read our article and check out Boynton’s work in Fine Artists column of the October 2013 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

• Also be sure to visit her website: www.sandraboynton.com.

Yee-haw!

Crazy talk? Not according to Woolman, who knows that to making a living as an artist means running your own business.

“Entrepreneurship translates to skills, a mindset, and a confidence to go out and if you want to sell your paintings around the world, the ability to do just that at VCUarts,” he explains.

Although there was pushback at first, especially from traditional fine artist teachers, Woolman says students are embracing this big idea—and slowly but surely he’s seeing a positive change of mindset for the school.

You’ll learn why—and more—in our podcast interview with Matt, including insights about:

• VCU School of the Arts—and why it has become the number one public arts school in the country.
• VCUarts entrepreneurial program—its long- and short-term goals.
• Why the Millennials are eager to balance their artistic sensibilities with a business mindset—and how their fine art-focused teachers feel about it.
• VCU’s Creative Disruption Lab—and how it’s engaging business leaders from around the region, an the country.

Download our podcast interview now!

And coming Sept. 1 read our Q&A interview with Woolman, which also features artwork by the talented art students in his program.

Style Weekly named him one of Richmond’s top 25 most influential artists in September 2007.

And those are just a few of the accolades that the art world has bestowed on one of their most beloved.

So we are thrilled to have had the chance to sit down with Meganck, a professor of illustration, graphic design and digital imaging, who is also chair of the Department of Communication Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In our podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why Meganck knew he had to have a career in the illustration business.
• What attracts art directors to him—including US News and World Report and Governing magazine, to Newsweek and the Society of News Design’s Quarterly Journal.
• How his style evolved over the years—especially his switch to digital.
• How he got into teaching?
• The most important lesson he has shared with his students.

Listen to our podcast with Robert Meganck, by clicking download at right.

• Check out our interview with Meganck in the June 2013 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
• Read the Culinary Road Trip that Meganck’s daughter Shana wrote for our Restaurant column.
• Learn more about Robert Meganck at meganck.com.

He wrote an article for the March 2013 issue of Be Inkandecscent magazine’s “Women in Power” issue about one of his latest scores for the PBS special, Makers: Women Who Make America.

The documentary tells the story of the women’s movement through personal accounts of the leaders, opponents, and trailblazers who created a new America in the last half-century, and is part of a historic video initiative from AOL and PBS.

It made its debut on Tuesday, Feb. 26 on PBS, and showcases hundreds of compelling stories from such notable women as Oprah Winfrey, Erin Brokovitch, Alice Walker, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Rita Moreno, Rita Mae Brown, and more.

In this podcast interview we discuss:

• Joel’s career, and how he broke into the music business.
• What it was like to compose the music for award-winning films such as “Being Elmo.”
• What it was like to work on the “Makers” project.
• If someone wants to get into the music composing business, what are good first steps?
• And what’s next for this high profile composer.

Download the podcast with Joel, at right.

• Click here to read his article about “Makers” in the March 2013 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

• Click here to read our article on Joel’s entrepreneurial venture, MusicBox.

A 1998 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, he’s currently an Associate Professor in VCU’s Department of Communication Arts, as well as on the faculty of The Art Department, an online art school dedicated to training and preparing artists for today’s professional art world.

In this podcast, you’ll learn:

• How Sterling launched his professional career–while still in college.
• How he knew he’d grow up to be in article back in kindergarten.
• The artists who are his biggest influences.
• What it means to be an entrepreneur in the world of art.
• And, how he creates a higher purpose for your students, and in your own artwork.

Listen to our podcast interview with Sterling Hundley, by clicking download at right.

• Click here to read our interview with Sterling in the May 2013 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
• Click here to check out his website: www.sterlinghundley.com.

The mastermind behind the project, The House That Faux Built, which is also a book, is a former military officer who in 2005 brought the decorating world’s best faux artists to Arlington, VA to turn a fixer-upper into a must-see work of art.

So we are thrilled to be here today to talk with Adrienne, who now resides in Asheville, NC.

In this podcast interview we discuss the 10 tips you need to have a successful career in government, including:

• What inspired you to buy a fixer-upper and bring 50 faux artists in to refurbish it?
• How much did you sell it for?
• Are there still copies of the book available?
• If someone wants to get into the faux business, what are some good steps?
• What are simple ways to improve your house for resale using faux techniques?
• Your new project is www.paint4thecure.com. What does that involve?

Download the podcast with van Doreen, at right.

• Click here to read our feature article on The House That Faux Built in the March 2013 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

For decades, collectors around the world have gobbled up her artwork after attending her numerous solo exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel.

Artist Clarice Smith is also the wife of developer and philanthropist Robert H. Smith, whose father founded Charles E. Smith Co. in 1946. Robert and his brother-in-law, Robert P. Kogod, took over the company in 1967.

Under their tutelage, it grew to become one of the largest commercial and residential landlords in the Washington, D.C., area, managing 24 million square feet of office space and more than 30,000 residential units.

The Smiths gave generously to the University of Maryland, College Park, which was Robert Smith’s alma mater. The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, was named in his honor in 1998 to recognize his gift of $15 million, the largest gift the school had ever received. The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, completed in 2001, is named for Clarice.

Being an artist has always been a driving force in Clarice Smith’s life. She added author to her list of credentials when she joined forces with her son, writer and publisher David Bruce Smith.

Among the many books they have written is their first project, “Afternoon Tea with Mom,” a book of 33 of her paintings that David compiled and gave to Clarice for her birthday in 1988; “Three Miles from Providence,” a tale about Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers’ Home; and “Tennessee,” a limited edition, four-color letterpress three-volume collection that contains the first publication of Tennessee Williams’ newly discovered play, “These Are the Stairs You Got to Watch.”

And most recently, they wrote their first children’s book: “American Hero: John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States,” which hits bookstores in March 2013.

So it was a pleasure to sit down with David and Clarice* and celebrate their collaboration in our February 2013 Power Couples issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

In this podcast interview we discuss:

• Where Clarice gets her inspiration and motivation for her internationally-renowned artwork.
• How David and Clarice came to write their first book together, “Afternoon Tea with Mom.”
• How this mother-and-son team work together.
• What advice they have for other parent-child teams.
• What they are working on next. And more …

Download our podcast interview with Clarice and David Bruce Smith, at right.

• Click here to read our the article we crafted for Be Inkandescent magazine based on our interview with Kristine.

• Want a sneak peak? Scroll down for more.

• Want to read about David Smith’s additional collaboration with George Washington University English professor and author Faye Moskowitz? Learn more about their big project, Jewish Literature Live.

Be Inkandescent: What inspired you to become an artist, Clarice?

Clarice Smith: I have always been an artist. That was my main interest growing up, and I have always drawn. As early as the 1st grade, if somebody needed a picture of the Easter Bunny, I would raise my hand and say, “I can do that!”

After high school, I went on to Maryland University to take art courses—and then I got married and had a baby, so I only had two years of college. When my three children were growing up, I decided it was time to get my art degree. I enrolled in the Corcoran Art School, and after a few weeks I started complaining about the lack of formal instruction. It was very artsy there, and I used to joke that if I wanted to spray spaghetti, I could do that at home with my kids.

That’s when I started exploring other options, and thanks to a reciprocal program that the Corcoran had with The George Washington University, which was down the street, I found a class called Methods and Materials. It was exactly what I wanted. In fact, the head of the GW Art Department at that time had been one of my favorite instructors at Maryland University, so I knew I was in the right place. I ended up graduating from GW with my master’s degree, and then went on to teach portrait painting there for years.

Be Inkandescent: You have also had a lot of success showing and selling your work. Tell us a little bit about that accomplishment.

Clarice Smith: My paintings have been in galleries and shows in Paris, Israel, London, Zurich, and so many other cities. In fact, I was at an event at the National Gallery of Art here in Washington, D.C., a couple of months ago, and a man was visiting from Zurich. He has an extensive Old Masters collection, and he mentioned to the curator that he has one of my paintings, too—and that it is actually one of his favorite. That is nice to hear. He was a collector of Old Masters and he liked mine.

Be Inkandescent: What inspires your art?

Clarice Smith: Painting is my life, and my paintings are a reflection of what I see, what I’m exposed to. I don’t paint sad pictures because I’d be making myself miserable while doing it. I think one of my saddest works was a painting of a cemetery in Prague—but it’s not actually sad looking. Rather, there is something romantic about it, filled with beautiful willows.

Be Inkandescent: David, how did you and your mother start working together?

David Bruce Smith: It was 25 years ago, and humorously, my mother wasn’t even aware of our first collaboration. I put together what I told her to be an album of 33 paintings of hers that I liked the best. We sat together and went through each painting, and I asked her, “How did you feel when you were painting that? Why?” Then, when she saw the collection again, it was a book.

Clarice Smith: It was a real surprise, and it increased my popularity right here in the Washington area because every mother I knew was so jealous that her child didn’t think about doing this for her.

Don’t stop now! Click here to read more.

ON TODAY’S SHOW:

Our spotlight is on: Michael Radparvar, co-founder Holstee: design with conscience

Our hot topic: The Holstee Manifesto

Your host: Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine, and founder & president of The Inkandescent Group, LLC

On this episode of the Inkandescent Entrepreneur Show, Michael Radparvar, co-founder Holstee, co-author The Holstee Manifesto joins us for a spotlight interview.

We wanted to know what happens when three twentysomethings, each with a social conscience and desire to make a difference in the world, sit down and write a manifesto about the change they want to see in the world? The answer: The Holstee Manifesto!

When we found the document (while on a Wiki-trip, of course), we reached out to co-author Radparvar, now 30, a graphic designer who in 2009 co-founded Holstee with his brother Dave, also 30, and their buddy Fabian, 27.

*In this episode of the Inkandescent Entrepreneur Show, you’ll learn why millions have dubbed Radparvar and his co-authors the entrepreneurial philosophers of their generation.

You’ll also find out:

• How Mike Dave, and Fabian got into the design business
• Whether they ever conceived it would touch, and reach, so many people around the world
• What has changed since the Manifesto went viral
• How he thinks being a Millennial has impacted his worldview—as well as your ideas about business
• Why the Manifesto also makes sense to older generations, too
• Lessons he and his partners have learned in the last three years running their start-up
• And, Radparvar shares his three tips for other budding entrepreneurs

• Download our podcast interview with Michael Radparvar, right.

• Read Radparvar’s Tips for Entrepreneurs in the November 2012 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

About The Inkandescent Entrepreneur Show: What’s Your Story?

Bringing the voices of small-business owners to the radio waves is the goal of The Inkandescent Radio Show, which launched in the fall of 2012 on the Entrepreneur Podcast Network.

Hosted by journalist, publicist, author, and entrepreneur Hope Katz Gibbs, the show will spotlight the Entrepreneurs of the Month featured on her monthly business magazine, www.BeInkandescent.com, — as well as the Truly Amazing Women she has interviewed for her book project, www.TrulyAmazingWomen.com.

Gibbs will also be interviewing the bestselling authors, nationally renowned artists, and expert columnists featured in Be Inkandescent magazine, and on her popular networking website, www.InkandescentNetworking.com, which lists hundreds of the best networking events—and professionals—in seven East Coast cities. Plus, she’ll be talking to top restaurateurs, chefs, foodies, and hoteliers whom she spotlights in her “From Soup to Nuts” reviews.

Promoting, educating, and inspiring entrepreneurs is the mission of The Inkandescent Group, LLC — a PR, marketing, design, and publishing company that helps small businesses get the visibility they need to glow and grow.

So, what’s your story? If you’d like to be interviewed on The Inkandescent Entrepreneur Show, www.inkandescentradio.com,, send Hope Katz Gibbs an email: hope@inkandescentpr.com.