THIS SPECIAL PRESENTATION WAS

PRODUCED IN HIGH DEFINITION BY

WEDU -- TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG,

SARASOTA.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR

"WEDU ARTS PLUS" IS PROVIDED

THROUGH THE GREATER CINCINNATI

FOUNDATION BY AN ARTS-LOVING

DONOR WHO ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO

SUPPORT YOUR PBS STATION, WEDU.

FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE

S.L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION.

IN THIS EDITION OF

"WEDU ARTS PLUS," A TAMPA BAY

ARTIST BRINGS THE OCEAN INTO

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD.

I FINISH IT METICULOUSLY WITH

SMALL SHELLS, AND I SEND IT OFF

IN HOPES THAT IT WILL CREATE A

PEACE AND AN APPRECIATION OF THE

OCEAN IN THEIR HOME.

THE LIFE OF A LEGENDARY

PERFORMER THROUGH MUSIC AND

MAGIC.

I THINK IT WAS HIS WARMTH AND

GENEROUS SPIRIT THAT SOMEHOW GOT

OVER THOSE FOOTLIGHTS AND

REACHED THOSE DEVOTED FANS OF

HIS.

A FILMMAKER SHEDS LIGHT ON A

WORLD-RENOWNED BALLET COMPANY.

THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

IS THE OLDEST AMERICAN COMPANY

BUT VERY, VERY YOUNG AS

COMPANIES GO, AND I THINK IT'S

GOING TO REMAIN YOUTHFUL.

AND DISCOVER THE ART OF

QUILTING.

AN ART QUILT IS BASICALLY A

PIECE OF ART THAT'S REFERENCING

THE QUILT FORM.

SO, BASICALLY, AN ART QUILT IS A

CREATIVE VISUAL WORK THAT IS

SKETCHED AND LAYERED.

IT'S ALL COMING UP NEXT ON

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

[ MUSIC ]

HELLO.

I'M GABE ORTIZ, AND THIS IS

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

A DAY ON THE BEACH WITH FAMILY,

A SIMPLE PLEASURE THAT HEATHER

KENDALL TREASURES.

AND WITH GOOD REASON.

ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO, YOUNG

HEATHER PATIENTLY COMBED THE

BEACH FOR SHELLS WITH HER COUSIN

WHILE HER LITTLE BROTHER WAS

SICK IN THE HOSPITAL.

NOW, SHE'S TURNED A PASTIME INTO

A SUCCESSFUL AND CREATIVE DESIGN

ENDEAVOR.

[ MUSIC ]

HI.

I'M HEATHER KENDALL.

WELCOME TO MY HOME STUDIO WHERE

I MAKE SEASHELL DESIGNS FOR MY

BUSINESS, ELEGANT SHELLS.

WHEN I MAKE A PIECE FOR SOMEONE,

I REALLY TRY TO IMAGINE IT IN

THEIR HOME.

AND I FINISH IT METICULOUSLY

WITH SMALL SHELLS, WHICH IS MY

FAVORITE PART, AND I SEND IT OFF

IN HOPES THAT IT WILL CREATE A

PEACE AND AN APPRECIATION OF THE

OCEAN IN THEIR HOME.

I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE OF

SEASHELLS, BUT ABOUT 16 YEARS

AGO, I WAS ON A FAMILY VACATION,

AND I WALKED INTO A STORE WITH A

BUNCH OF GIRLFRIENDS, AND WE SAW

THIS AMAZING SEASHELL WORK.

ONE OF MY GIRLFRIENDS AND I

LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND

THOUGHT, WE COULD DO THIS.

WE COLLECTED A BUNCH OF SHELLS,

AND WE PURCHASED A LOT OF SHELLS

ALSO.

SO I CAME HOME AND I TRIED IT

WITH A GIRLFRIEND, AND WE MADE

$10,000 IN THREE DAYS IN OUR

FIRST THREE SHOWS.

AND WE KNEW IT WAS A VIABLE

BUSINESS THEN.

FRIENDS STARTED TO HEAR ABOUT

US.

DESIGNERS STARTED TO HEAR ABOUT

US.

AND WE STARTED GETTING BUSINESS

VIA WORD OF MOUTH.

AND I GREW UP ON CLEARWATER

BEACH.

THOSE PEOPLE STARTED TALKING.

THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA, I HAVE

BECOME KNOWN AS ONE OF THE TOP

SEASHELL ARTISTS IN THE WORLD.

I'M DRAWN TO SHELLS BECAUSE AS A

LITTLE GIRL, I SPENT MANY DAYS

AND EVENINGS ON THE BEACH.

I GREW UP ON THE BEACH.

MY COUSIN MARY WALKED WITH ME ON

THE BEACH ALMOST EVERY DAY FOR

SUNSET.

WE WOULD COLLECT SHELLS.

MY LITTLE BROTHER WAS SICK.

AT THAT TIME, HE WAS MY ONLY

SIBLING AND MY MOTHER WAS GONE

WITH HIM.

THAT TIME WITH MY COUSIN WAS

REALLY SPECIAL.

I FELT SAFE, AND THE BEACH HAS

ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE WHERE I GO

TO FEEL AT PEACE.

SO WHEN I SEE SEASHELLS,

I'M HAPPY.

I FEEL AT HOME.

AND TO WORK WITH THEM AS A

MEDIUM HAS BEEN A REAL BLESSING.

I GET MY SHELLS FROM THE BEACHES

HERE IN CLEARWATER BEACH AND

MANASOTA.

I KAYAK OUT INTO THE BAY TO GET

MY CRUSHED SHELL FOR MY WHITE

MIRRORS.

I BUY SHELLS FROM INDIA, THE

PHILIPPINES, SOUTH AFRICA.

THOSE ARE THE MAIN COUNTRIES

THEY COME FROM.

THIS IS A MIRROR THAT I FINISHED

LAST NIGHT.

IT IS ALL MUSSEL SHELLS THAT I

GOT FROM BONEFISH.

MY FAMILY AND I ATE ALL OF

THESE.

I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE

GLUE AND THEN PLACE IT RIGHT IN

HERE.

AND I'LL BE FINISHED, AND IT

WILL BE READY TO DELIVER TO

VERO BEACH THIS WEEK.

I HAD BEEN WORKING FOR INTERIOR

DESIGNERS.

I UNDERSTOOD INTERIOR DESIGN.

I WAS A VISUAL MERCHANDISER AND

A STYLIST FOR PHOTO SHOOTS.

SO I UNDERSTOOD PLACEMENT, AND I

ALSO HAD TAKEN A LOT OF ART AND

WAS RAISED BY ARTISTS WHO WERE

RAISED BY ARTISTS AND ART

COLLECTORS.

SO I FELT CONFIDENT THAT I COULD

LOOK AT A BLANK CHANDELIER AND

FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT THE

SHELLS AND HOW I COULD ADORN IT

TO MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL.

AND WITH THAT CONFIDENCE,

BECAUSE OF WORKING IN ALL THOSE

DIFFERENT JOBS AND POSITIONS, I

WENT HOME AND PUT IT TOGETHER,

A CHANDELIER, AND THEN DID A

MIRROR, AND THEN DID MY

FIREPLACE.

AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT AND

FUN, AND PEOPLE CAME IN THE

HOUSE AND SAID THAT IT FELT

GOOD, AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND

SAID THEY WANTED THEM, TOO.

SEE HOW IT PICKS UP THE LINES.

I LOVE IT.

LIKE MAGIC.

YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL THAT ALL OF

THAT IS ON THERE, YOU KNOW,

LIKE ALL THAT METALWORK, BUT

THEN AS SOON AS YOU DO THAT --

I JUST PLAY AROUND WITH THEM.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT THESE IN

HERE, AND YOU CAN PUT IN PIECES

OF CORAL WITH IT AND JUST LOAD

THIS WHOLE CENTER PART UP.

AND THEN HANG THESE SHELLS IN

WHEREVER YOU LIKE.

WHATEVER SHELLS YOU LIKE.

ALL THESE DIFFERENT LITTLE

PLACES ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN

PUT SHELLS, ON THE TOP, ON THE

BOTTOM.

AND YOU JUST FIND COORDINATING

SHELLS OR SHINY ONES POLISHED

AND MIX THEM WITH NATURAL OR

COLOR.

SOMETIMES I USE RED CORAL AND

BLACK-AND-WHITE SHELLS.

EVERY ONE IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE

EVERY SEASHELL IS DIFFERENT.

I RECEIVE A LOT OF E-MAILS AND

PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE THAT

WANT TO KNOW HOW TO SHELL A

PIECE.

I CERTAINLY DO ANSWER ALL THE

E-MAILS AND GIVE ANYBODY

WHATEVER ADVICE I CAN.

I BELIEVE I'VE INSPIRED MY

CHILDREN TO BE ENTREPRENEURIAL

AND THAT WE CAN CREATE A JOB FOR

OURSELVES, AND IT'S POSSIBLE TO

LIVE YOUR PASSION AND DO THINGS

THAT YOU WANT AND THAT YOU

SHOULD.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT

HEATHER KENDALL DESIGNS, VISIT:

> STEP INSIDE THE MILWAUKEE

REPERTORY THEATER IN WISCONSIN

FOR A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT

THE PRODUCTION, "LIBERACE!"

THIS ONE-MAN SHOW PAYS TRIBUTE

TO THE LEGENDARY MUSICIAN AND

ENTERTAINER BY BRINGING THE

SHOWMAN TO LIFE THROUGH MUSIC

AND COSTUME.

HI THERE, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN.

MY NAME IS WLADZIU VALENTINO

LIBERACE.

WLADZIU, W-L-A-D-Z-I-U.

MY MOTHER LIKED THE NAME WHEN

SHE SAW IT ON THE DOCTOR'S

EYE CHART.

IT'S POLISH FOR WALTER.

MY FRIENDS CALL ME LEE.

YOU CAN CALL ME LEE.

WELL, STRAP IN, FRIENDS, BECAUSE

HERE WE GO.

I WONDER IF ANY OF YOU ARE OLD

ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE

BOOGIE WOOGIE CRAZE?

[ MUSIC ]

LIBERACE WAS A THOROUGH

ENTERTAINER, AND HE WANTED

PEOPLE TO LAUGH, AND HE WANTED

PEOPLE TO CRY, BUT HE WANTED TO

HAVE THIS COMPLETE SENSUAL

EXPERIENCE.

LIBERACE IS A PLAY ABOUT

LIBERACE, A SAMPLING OF HIS LIFE

AND HIS MUSIC AND DIGGING A

LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE BIOGRAPHY

THAT MOST PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE

AWARE OF.

THE PLAY ITSELF EXPLORES THE

ISSUES OF IDENTITY AND SORT OF

THE MASKS THAT WE WEAR ON A

DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

AND LIBERACE HAD SORT OF THE

BIGGEST, MOST EXPENSIVE MASK

ANYONE IN THE HISTORY OF SHOW

BUSINESS EVER DID, YOU KNOW,

THIS CHARACTER THAT WE ASSOCIATE

WITH THE LIBERACE IN OUR MIND,

THE FEATHERS AND SEQUINS AND

CLOAKS AND CAPES WAS TO HIM IN

MANY WAYS A DISGUISE TO ALLOW

HIM TO GO OUT AND PERFORM EVERY

EVENING, TO SHARE THE MUSIC THAT

HE REALLY LOVED WITH HIS

AUDIENCE.

THAT BOOGIE WOOGIE ALWAYS

TAKES ME BACK TO MY YOUTH DURING

THE DEPRESSION.

BOOGIE WOOGIE, TIN PAN ALLEY,

AND RAGTIME.

WE START WITH HIM AS A LITTLE

KID GROWING UP IN WEST ALLIS,

WISCONSIN, IN THE EARLY 1920s,

ALL THROUGH HIS FORMATIVE YEARS,

HIS TIME AT THE WISCONSIN

CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC LEARNING

TO PLAY, THE STRUGGLE HE HAD TO

DECIDE WHETHER HE WANTED TO BE A

CLASSICAL PIANIST OR JUST AN

ENTERTAINER.

HIS RISE TO FAME THROUGHOUT THE

'40s AND EARLY '50s AND THEN

HIS FALL AND HIS RISE BACK.

AND THEN, AGAIN, ULTIMATE

SUBSEQUENT FALL WITH HIS DEATH

IN THE '80s.

ALL DONE IN FRONT OF THE

CANDELABRA.

THIS IS NOT A BACKSTAGE STORY.

HE SPENT HIS LIFE IN FRONT OF

AUDIENCES.

IT WAS SORT OF A CREATION, THIS

MR. SHOWMANSHIP THAT WE SEE.

IT WAS HIS OWN CREATION.

SO THE TRICK OF THIS PLAY IS HOW

DO WE TELL THE TRUE STORY WE CAN

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF SOMEBODY

WHOSE IDEA OF TRUTH WAS LAYERS

AND LAYERS OF ARTIFICE.

MR. SHOWMANSHIP, LAUGH AT

YOURSELF BEFORE THEY CAN LAUGH

AT YOU, RIGHT?

YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT I WORE TO

MY LAST COMMAND PERFORMANCE FOR

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT, I WAS

THE ONLY ONE THERE WITH ONE LIKE

IT.

JACK FORBES WILSON IS

LIBERACE.

I MEAN, HE'S PERFECT.

HE'S A LOCAL ARTIST HERE IN

MILWAUKEE.

WE'VE WORKED WITH JACK HERE IN

THE MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER

A NUMBER OF TIMES.

THIS PLAY WAS FIRST DONE

FOUR YEARS AGO.

I THOUGHT LIBERACE WAS A PRETTY

GOOD PIANO PLAYER.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I COULD PULL

THAT OFF.

AND THEN AFTER I SAID YES, I

REALIZED WHAT A REALLY

PHENOMENAL PIANO PLAYER LIBERACE

WAS, SO I HAD TO START

PRACTICING.

SO I WAS INVOLVED IN CHOOSING A

LOT OF THE MUSIC AND FINDING

THINGS THAT HE DID THAT I LIKED

THAT I THINK WOULD STILL BE

POPULAR TODAY AND THAT I THOUGHT

I COULD PULL OFF.

TO ME, THERE WASN'T ANY

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACHMANINOFF

AND RAGTIME.

MUSIC WAS MUSIC, AND I LOVED ALL

OF IT.

SO JACK IS ABLE TO BLEND THIS

ENDLESS VOLUME OF TEXT I'VE

GIVEN HIM.

I MEAN, HE SAYS MORE WORDS THAN

HAMLET IN THIS PLAY WITH SOME

REALLY FEROCIOUS MUSICIANSHIP.

IT IS A GREAT EVENING OF MUSIC

INSIDE A GREAT STORY.

BUT JACK WAS -- JACK WAS SORT OF

THE ULTIMATE NO-BRAINER TO DO

THE ROLE.

♪ DOWN IN A MEADOW ♪

♪ IN A LITTLE BITTY POOL ♪

♪ SWAM THREE LITTLE FISHIES ♪

♪ AND A MOM OF FISHY, TOO ♪

A SING-ALONG, YOU WOULD ALL

KNOW THE WORDS.

HE WAS A GREAT PIANO PLAYER,

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S

WHAT SOLD OUT RADIO CITY MUSIC

HALL THREE YEARS IN A ROW.

I THINK IT WAS HIS WARMTH AND

GENEROUS SPIRIT THAT SOMEHOW GOT

OVER THOSE FOOTLIGHTS AND

REACHED THOSE DEVOTED FANS OF

HIS.

I THINK HE NEEDED -- HE NEEDED

THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDIENCE

HIS WHOLE LIFE.

THAT'S A NICE LITTLE SONG!

HIS COSTUMES DEVELOPED FROM

THOSE EARLY PERFORMANCES WHERE

HE WAS WORKING LARGER AND LARGER

AUDIENCES AND WANTED TO BE SEEN,

AND HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO JUST

KEEP GOING.

MY FRIENDS WENT NUTS OVER THE

MIX OF STYLES.

HE COULD GO AS FAR AS HE

WANTED TO GO, MAINLY BECAUSE

THERE WAS ALWAYS A TWINKLE IN

HIS EYE.

IT WAS ALWAYS SORT OF A JOKE,

AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO LAUGH

AT HIM BECAUSE HE WAS LAUGHING

WAY BEFORE ANY OF THE CRITICS

WERE.

WE STARTED OUT WITH CAPES,

BUT THEN ELVIS WENT TO CAPES, SO

WE HAD TO LENGTHEN OURS TO

CLOAKS, AND THAT LED TO ROBES.

I KNOW.

HE ALWAYS AIMED FOR THIS

ELEGANT HOLLYWOOD IMAGE, SO HE

ALWAYS WORE TAILS OR A TUX.

AND THERE'S ONE LAST PIECE.

I SAW IT IN A MOVIE ABOUT MY

FAVORITE COMPOSER, CHOPIN.

IN ONE SCENE, HE DIDN'T HAVE

ENOUGH LIGHT TO PLAY, SO A CUTE

LITTLE MAID PUT ONE OF THESE

RIGHT ON HIS PIANO.

I THOUGHT IT LOOKED PRETTY

CLASSY, SO I STARTED USING IT ON

THOSE SUPPER CLUB TOURS.

AND WOULDN'T YOU KNOW,

IT BECAME MY TRADEMARK.

NICE, HUH?

BY THE TIME OF MY 35th

BIRTHDAY IN 1954, I WAS THE

BIGGEST STAR IN AMERICA.

BETWEEN MY TOUR DATES,

ENDORSEMENTS, TV RESIDUALS,

AND RECORD ROYALTIES, I PULLED

IN MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS

THAT YEAR PLAYING THE PIANO.

PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THIS STORY

FOR ALL THE GOOD AND FOR ALL THE

BAD, HE IS SORT OF THE

EMBODIMENT OF WHAT WE USED TO

CALL THE AMERICAN DREAM.

HE CAME FROM HUMBLE MILWAUKEE

ORIGINS, A WORKING-CLASS FAMILY

IN THIS WORKING-CLASS IMMIGRANT

NEIGHBORHOOD OF WEST ALLIS,

AND HE WORKED, AND HE CREATED

THIS THING FOR HIMSELF.

AND SO I THINK THERE IS THIS

APPEAL OF THIS SELF-MADE

AMERICAN WHO WENT TO BEING THE

HIGHEST PAID ENTERTAINER IN THE

WORLD AT VARIOUS TIMES IN HIS

LIFE.

I HOPE THAT AUDIENCES WALK

OUT WITH A GREATER APPRECIATION

FOR WHO HE WAS, WHAT HE

STRUGGLED WITH IN HIS LIFE, AND

THE REAL SUCCESS THAT HE HAD, TO

FIND A WAY TO EXECUTE HIS ART

AND TO SHARE THE MUSIC THAT HE

LOVED WITH PEOPLE, IF WE'RE

WILLING TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE

OURSELVES FOR WHO WE ARE AS

INDIVIDUALS THAT THE WORLD

BECOMES A RICHER, MORE

INTERESTING PLACE AS A RESULT.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE BY

VISITING:

> ONE OF THE WORLD'S

PREEMINENT BALLET COMPANIES,

THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE,

IS CELEBRATING ITS 75th

ANNIVERSARY.

AMERICAN MASTERS IN

COLLABORATION WITH FILMMAKER

RIC BURNS, PRESENTS

"AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE:

A HISTORY," DELVING INTO THE

RICH STORY OF THIS BALLET

COMPANY.

HERE'S A LOOK.

[ MUSIC ]

"AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE: A

HISTORY," A COPRODUCTION BETWEEN

PBS SERIES AMERICAN MASTERS

AND FILMMAKER RIC BURNS.

I THINK WHAT FILM CAN BRING

TO DANCE IS AN ACT OF ATTENTION

THAT, IN ESSENCE, WHETHER IT IS

LITERALLY SLOWING IT DOWN IN

SUPER SLOW MOTION SO WE HAVE

THIS FOOTAGE USING A PHANTOM

FLEX CAMERA WHICH SHOOTS 1500 TO

2500 FRAMES A SECOND.

THAT TAKES TEN SECONDS AND TURNS

IT INTO TEN MINUTES.

LITERALLY SLOWING IT DOWN OR

FIGURATIVELY SLOWING IT DOWN,

SOMEBODY WHO HAS INTERNALIZED IT

AND CAN THINK AND FEEL AND

ARTICULATE, PUT INTO WORDS

PROVISIONALLY WHAT'S GOING ON

FOR A DANCER, FOR A

CHOREOGRAPHER IN A PIECE IN THE

HISTORY OF BALLET.

SO WHETHER IT'S

KEVIN McKENZIE, INCREDIBLE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, OR SOMEBODY

OUTSIDE THE COMPANY ENTIRELY.

LIKE A WONDERFUL DANCE

HISTORIAN, JENNIFER HOMANS,

THEY'RE, IN ESSENCE, SLOWING IT

DOWN SO THAT WE CAN THINK AND

FEEL AT A SLIGHTLY MORE DILATED

PACE.

AND WHAT YOU REALIZE IS WHAT YOU

WOULD FEEL IF IT WERE GOING AT

NORMAL SPEED.

THIS IS A FORM, WHICH HOWEVER

MUCH YOU THINK IT'S LIKE PLAYING

TO A KIND OF TUTU CROWD OR IT'S

ELITIST, THIS IS THE MOST PRIMAL

HUMAN FORM OF EXPRESSION.

BEFORE WE TALKED, WE GESTURED TO

COMMUNICATE.

AND WHAT THESE DANCERS ARE

DOING, HOWEVER MUCH IT SEEMS TO

BE IN THIS CODIFIED RITUALIZED

FORM, IS THEY ARE USING THE

LANGUAGE OF THE HUMAN SOUL

THAT'S BEEN INSIDE BODIES TRYING

TO COMMUNICATE.

DEEP FEELINGS.

LOVE, HATE, DESPAIR, ANGUISH,

WHAT IT IS TO BE A HUMAN BEING.

WHILE IT CAN ALWAYS BE

TRIVIALIZED OR IT CAN BE DONE IN

A CARTOONISH WAY OR IN A WAY

THAT LEAVES AN AUDIENCE COLD,

WHEN DANCE WORKS, WHEN BALLET

WORKS, THERE'S NOT A HUMAN BEING

IN THE WORLD WHO WOULDN'T

RESPOND TO IT.

[ MUSIC ]

IT'S A HISTORY BOTH OF

BALLET, THE ART FORM, THIS

COMPANY, WHICH IS THE AMERICAN

BALLET COMPANY, AND IT'S

DESIGNATED AS SUCH BY OUR

GOVERNMENT.

IT TOURS THE WORLD, AND IT'S

DIVERSE.

IT REPRESENTS US AS AMERICANS.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE IS

THE OLDEST AMERICAN COMPANY BUT

VERY, VERY YOUNG AS COMPANIES

GO, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO

REMAIN YOUTHFUL.

[ MUSIC ]

I'VE JUST FOUND THE ART FILMS

THAT I'VE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE

TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON ARE THE

MOST HUMBLING BECAUSE THEY ARE

THE ONES WHERE YOU JUST REALIZE

NOBODY IS DOING IT FOR THE

MONEY.

WHEN YOU GO TO THE THEATER OR

YOU SEE A MOVIE OR YOU READ A

BOOK, THAT PROFOUNDLY STAYS WITH

YOU.

AND EVERYBODY HAS AT LEAST ONE

OF THOSE EXPERIENCES IN THEIR

LIFE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW WHY.

IT JUST REPRESENTS THAT THAT IS

A FORM OF COMMUNICATION THROUGH

ART THAT TOUCHES TO THE VERY

SOUL OF WHAT WE AS HUMAN BEINGS

AND A SOCIETY ARE CAPABLE OF.

POWERFUL FILMMAKING, BUT THAT

COMES AS NO SURPRISE,

CONSIDERING THAT RIC BURNS IS

YOUNGER BROTHER TO KEN BURNS.

WE'RE CLOSE IN AGE.

KEN IS A YEAR AND A HALF OLDER

THAN I AM.

YOU KNOW, WE SHARED KIND OF

GARDEN VARIETY DYSFUNCTIONAL

CHILDHOOD.

SO WE KIND OF HAD OURSELVES MORE

THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

LIKE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, I

THINK WE BROUGHT A FAIR AMOUNT

OF PAIN AND DAMAGE OUT OF OUR

CHILDHOOD.

AND I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING

TO BE A FILMMAKER UNTIL I

WATCHED KEN.

SO, BASICALLY, I JUST WENT INTO

HIS BUSINESS.

I'M THE LITTLE BROTHER.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE,

IF HE PLAYED CIVIL WAR,

I PLAYED CIVIL WAR.

ALWAYS THE REBEL.

NEVER THE UNION CAUSE,

BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I WAS THE

YOUNGER BROTHER.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SO GRATEFUL

TO HIM FOR HAVING SHOWED THE

WAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW -- HE

KIND OF SHOWED HIMSELF THE WAY.

AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE

A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH FOR A

LONG TIME, AND I STILL LOVE ALL

THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT THE

POWER OF WHAT FILM CAN BE AND

IT'S NOTHING IF NOT HUMBLING

BECAUSE YOU DON'T -- YOU KNOW,

EVERYBODY PUTS THEIR PANTS ON

ONE LEG AT A TIME, AND TO MAKE

30 SECONDS OF FILM THAT CAUSE

SOMEBODY VOLUNTARILY TO STOP

OTHER THINGS THEY ARE DOING AND

LOOK AND ATTEND TO IT, YOU KNOW,

AS LONG AS I STAY IN THE

BUSINESS, IT DOESN'T GET ANY

EASIER.

AND I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING

DEEPLY, DEEPLY MAGNETIC ABOUT

LOOKING INTO PEOPLE WHO WORK IN

THE ARTS.

LIKE WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY

DOING?

WHY GO TO THAT KIND OF TROUBLE?

YOU KNOW, LOOK HOW MUCH IT COST

THEM.

CAREERS ARE VERY OFTEN SHORT IN

DANCE.

VERY OFTEN MISERABLE IN

LITERATURE.

YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE

ARE DOING WHEN THEY ARE MAKING

ART?

AND I FOUND THEM THE MOST

SATISFYING FILMS TO WORK ON.

VISIT:

> HOUSTON, TEXAS, QUILTER

KIM RITTER STRUGGLED WITH THE

ADVICE OF A TEACHER WHO ADVISED

HER TO "NEVER DO CUTE."

AFTER MANY TRIALS AND

TRIBULATIONS IN HER OWN LIFE,

SHE DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO JUST

BE HERSELF -- WHIMSICAL, IRONIC,

AND FUNNY.

JOIN RITTER AT HER STUDIO AS SHE

TAKES US STEP BY STEP THROUGH

HER CREATIVE PROCESS.

[ MUSIC ]

ART QUILTS STARTED, ACTUALLY,

IN THE '70s, SORT OF DURING

THE HIPPIE DAYS WHEN PEOPLE WERE

GOING BACK TO MAKING WHOLE WHEAT

BREAD AND TIE-DYE AND ALL THAT.

THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE ART

QUILT MOVEMENT STARTED.

I COME TO MY STUDIO EVERY DAY,

AND I SIT, AND I JUST WRITE AND

THINK OF IDEAS AND JUST MAKE

NOTES.

I HAVE A PILE ABOUT THIS BIG OF

IDEAS AND SKETCHES THAT ARE

WAITING TO BE MADE INTO QUILTS.

I'M KIM RITTER,

AND I'M AN ART QUILTER.

AN ART QUILT IS BASICALLY A

PIECE OF ART THAT'S REFERENCING

THE QUILT FORM.

SO ART IS SOMETHING, A CREATIVE

VISUAL WORK THAT COMES FROM

THOUGHT AND BECOMES FORM.

AND A QUILT IS SOMETHING THAT IS

THREE LAYERS AND IS STITCHED

TOGETHER.

SO BASICALLY AN ART QUILT IS A

CREATIVE VISUAL WORK THAT IS

STITCHED AND LAYERED.

I'VE BEEN AN ARTIST MY WHOLE

LIFE, AND I WAS A COLLECTOR OF

TRADITIONAL QUILTS.

WHEN WE MOVED TO LONDON, I TOOK

A LITTLE CLASS THAT I THOUGHT

WAS JUST GOING TO BE A CLASS TO

MEET FRIENDS, AND IT ENDED UP

BEING A CITY AND GUILDS CLASS,

WHICH IS SET UP TO RETAIN AND

FURTHER THE TRADITIONAL CRAFT OF

THE UK.

AFTER I TOOK THAT TWO-YEAR

CLASS, I WAS PRETTY MUCH SET UP

AND READY TO GO TO BE AN

ART QUILTER.

THE STEPS OF MAKING AN ART QUILT

ARE, FIRST, YOU HAVE TO COME UP

WITH A DESIGN.

I GET THE IDEAS, AND I PARE DOWN

TO ONE IDEA THAT SEEMS TO BE

RIGHT FOR THE MOMENT THAT I'M

WORKING IN.

AND THEN I TAKE THE DRAWING AND

I SCAN IT INTO MY COMPUTER.

SO THEN FINALLY I PRINT OUT THE

QUILT.

PART OF WHY I DO THE PRINTING IS

I DON'T LIKE PIECING.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHEAT,

BUT --

[ LAUGHTER ]

SO THEN AFTER YOU ACTUALLY HAVE

THE QUILT TOP, THEN YOU HAVE TO

LAYER IT IN THREE LAYERS.

YOU HAVE THE TOP, THE BATTING,

WHICH IS THE THICK SOFT STUFF,

AND THEN THE BACKING.

THEN YOU HAVE THREE LAYERS,

QUILTED WITH THE THREAD YOU

WANTED, AND THE COLORS YOU

WANTED.

THEN YOU TAKE IT OFF THE FRAME

AND YOU HAVE TO TRIM IT.

AND THEN YOU PUT ON WHAT IS

CALLED THE BINDING, WHICH IS

WHAT YOU SEE GOING AROUND THE

QUILTS, THE LITTLE THIN EDGE.

AND THEN YOU'RE DONE -- WELL,

CUT OFF ALL THE THREADS.

[ LAUGHTER ]

I THINK MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION

FOR ART QUILTS HAS BEEN DAILY

LIFE.

WHAT I'M REALLY WELL KNOWN FOR

ARE MY QUILTS THAT ARE ABOUT

WOMEN.

SO THAT HAS BEEN REALLY MY FOCUS

FOR MOST OF THE TIME.

I ALSO DO SOME THINGS ABOUT

PETS.

RECENTLY, I GUESS ALL THE

READING OF DRAGONS KIND OF CREPT

INTO MY HEAD, AND I HAD A WHOLE

SERIES OF DRAGON QUILTS THAT

JUST SHOWED UP FROM PEN AND HAD

TO GO STRAIGHT TO BEING QUILTED

BECAUSE I JUST LOVED THEM SO

MUCH.

MY DRAGONS DON'T BREATHE FIRE.

THEY EAT CHERRIES.

[ LAUGHTER ]

IN 2008, OUR HOUSE GOT HIT BY

HURRICANE IKE PRETTY BAD.

WE WERE LIVING DOWN IN

CLEAR LAKE, SO WE MOVED UP HERE

TO MY STUDIO.

AND I NEVER DID ADDRESS THOSE IN

MY QUILTS.

SIX YEARS LATER, HERE I AM,

AND ALL THESE DRAWINGS KEEP

COMING UP WITH THIS SORT OF

CIRCULAR MOTION.

I FINALLY REALIZED THOSE WERE

THE HURRICANE QUILTS.

THE QUILT WITH MY MOTHER ON IT

IS AN HOMAGE TO HER.

SHE IS THE ONE THAT TAUGHT ME

HOW TO SEW AND TAUGHT ME TO BE

REALLY CREATIVE.

SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRAW.

SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO KNIT.

SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO ALL THE

THINGS THAT WOMEN DO TO MAKE

ART.

WHEN I'M MAKING MY ART QUILTS, I

JUST LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU GET

ZONED IN AND ALL THE OTHER

WORRIES OF THE WORLD GO AWAY

WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON ART.

WHEN PEOPLE COME AND LOOK AT MY

WORK, WHAT MAKES ME THE HAPPIEST

IS WHEN I HEAR A LITTLE CHUCKLE

OR SEE A LITTLE SMILE AND I CAN

SEE THE WHEELS TURNING IN THEIR

HEAD OF CONNECTING THE TITLE TO

THE PIECE AND KIND OF SEEING

WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANT

THEM TO TAKE AWAY IS A SMILE AND

SOMETHING ELSE TO THINK ABOUT

AFTER THEY ARE DONE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

AND THAT WRAPS IT UP FOR THIS

EDITION OF "WEDU ARTS PLUS."

FOR MORE ARTS AND CULTURE,

VISIT wedu.org/artsplus WHERE

YOU'LL FIND FEATURE VIDEOS,

LOCAL EVENTS, AND ARTS AND

CULTURE PARTNERS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

I'M GABE ORTIZ.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

[ MUSIC ]

MAJOR FUNDING FOR

"WEDU ARTS PLUS" IS PROVIDED

THROUGH THE GREATER CINCINNATI

FOUNDATION BY AN ARTS-LOVING

DONOR WHO ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO

SUPPORT YOUR PBS STATION, WEDU.

FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE

S.L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION.