The Denver Museum of Nature and Science points out that mythic creatures like dragons, mermaids, and chupacabras cultivate conjecture as well as inspire art and culture. Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, the historical advisor for “Downton Abby on MASTERPIECE, shares how he became involved with films and television. A professional belly dancer shares her passion for dance and her deep desire for belly dance to be more widely accepted. And artist Brian Frederick used salvaged and reclaimed wood to sculpt fish.

Artist David Adickes talks about his series of mega-heads of state. We meet a multimedia specialist creating an extraordinary view of the world through time lapses. Howard Solomon invites us into his home and gallery, a unique building reminiscent of a medieval castle. And Wisconsin painter Lynn Casper combines realism, detail, and impressionistic touches to her cityscapes, landscapes and historic scenes.

In this edition of Art Connection, see how the phenomenon of Downton Abbey, the pageantry of the Rose Parade and the hard work of hundreds of volunteers came together as one of the Rose Parade’s yearly floats. We visit the American Sign Museum where hundreds of signs are on display year round. Discover how artist Timothy Raines produces stunning works with his unconventional process. And we see how an artist’s past career as a doctor and her present career as an artist is helping to make a world a better place.

We get a glimpse of mixed media sculptor Richard Feese’s beautiful creations that are made from recycled and discarded objects. We visit the largest collection of Russian icons housed in Massachusetts. We go inside a glass blowing shop where skilled artisans melt glass into various designs of glassware. And we take a look at the making of ballet shoes and how important they are to the dancer and performance.

The Tampa Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg collaborate to bring a unique exhibition to the Tampa Bay area that displays the works of Chinese artists living in post-Mao China. In Sacramento, a lesson in strings inspires children. Cincinnati artist Carol Abbott began painting at the age of 10. However, she didn’t pursue a career as an artist until years later, where she picked up the brush and found her true calling. Through his imagining of the life of medieval visionary Hildegard von Bingen, playwright Tim Slover has posited the notion of a personal experience of the divine against the practicalities of sustaining a religious community.

Meet Boy Kong, an artist who wants to spark curiosity in people who come across his work on the streets. Discover an eco-friendly fashion line with couture fashion designer, Celeste Malvar-Stewart, who works with sustainable materials and weaves her love of Columbus, Ohio into her recent collection. We visit the “American Tropical mural, a politically-charged mural in Los Angeles created by David Siqueiros. And we meet photographer, Dan Fong, who captured intimate glimpses of history’s greatest musicians.

Thirty years after the "Miami Generation" exhibition debuted in South Florida the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale is looking back at the works by these Cuban-born artists. We look at the story of activist photographers who Downloadable docsed the Civil Rights Movement. We visit the Glass Studio where artist Debbie Howell and her team create a variety of colorful glass. Lastly, we talk with painter Laura Nugent about her geometric paintings, her process and how she has learned to embrace accidents to create art.

Critically acclaimed actor Matthew Arkin tackles a new way to showcase his talent in his debut novel “In the Country of the Blind. As a way to wish newlyweds prosperity, wealth and long-life together, a Korean tradition has inspired paper artist Aimee Lee to begin creating a traditional form of art. Influenced by both religions and a love of contemporary art, painter Salma Arastu, creates calligraphy paintings. And we discover how artist Emily Stover became interested in the space between art.

Artist Mindy Colton developed a love for horses at a young age, now a sculptor, she creates art paying homage to horses and the experiences that shaped her love for them. We visit glass blower Mark Sudduth’s studio as he creates a few large glass sculptures. We take a look at how analog and digital technologies collide to create hybrid arts practices with artist Nathan Meltz. Painter Philomene Bennett has a long history of supporting other artists and at 80 she’s still making strong, vital art and sharing her passion with the younger generation.

A group of artists connects professionally in a southern California art club. Local poets share their stories during the annual Hemingway Story Contest in Miami, Florida. Milwaukee artist Julie VonDerVellen is a master paper weaver. She finds a way to incorporate stories into the weaved 3D works she creates. "The Making of a Maestro, from Castelfranco to Carnegie Hall," Downloadable docss the Italian roots of musical director
Antonio Pappano.

BLINK was a four-day event that transformed 20 square blocks of Cincinnati into an open-air art gallery including large-scale, interactive art and light displays. The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, MA just opened a show called Wood As Muse. There youÕll find a group of sculptors finding their way in and out of the wood. Painter Douglas Bourgeois employs religiou s iconography, Louisiana landscapes and tributes to musicians, writers and other artists in his work. We know Astronaut Scott Kelly from his remarkable year aboard the International Space Station. And with some of that time, he honed his artistic photographic skills.

Join us as we visit Little Free Libraries where the mission of “take a book, leave a book, hopes to expand literacy opportunities in Ohio neighborhoods. The big questions in life, the irrational, the unconscious, and the intangible are reshaped by sculptor Ed Haddaway. Detroit quilter Carole Harris, reveals tales of Detroit’s architectural history and her personal past through fiber art. And we stop by to see a performance by the Florida theater troupe, Phantasmagoria.

Urban photographer Miki Lansdowne examines how her photos link the past and the present day. We groove with the Detroit band, The Third Coast Kings, who mix funk, jazz and Motown to create a new take on an old sound. Mark Bradford a.k.a. “Scrapdaddy takes others “junk and creates magical mechanical beasts and we look at playwright Tarell Mccraney’s adaption of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.

Fabric artist Kate dePara demonstrates how she threads together her passion for textile creation with design to create a series of unique garments. Muralist and painter, Geeta Dave, who draws inspiration from her Indian heritage, brings a fierce passion to her art, her teaching, and her community. We sit down with violinist Regina Carter, who unlocks the past with every note she plays. And we visit “In Blank We Trust, an exhibit that addresses the complex nature of money and its relationship to art.

A woman who is passionate about life drawing and painting sees her art as a way to focus and re-direct her thoughts towards the positive appreciation of beauty. 4th Wall Theatre Company creates a safe space for people of all abilities to learn and practice performing arts…kids and adults sing, dance and act while gaining confidence and learning important social skills. Meet Gailmarie Pahmeier, one of 2016’s honorees into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. Experience the poetry and other works of this highly-recognized creative writer and teacher. The Orlando Museum of Art hosts a quarterly event, "Yoga in the Galleries" in collaboration with College Park Yoga. The couple that runs the studio discuss the impact of art on a yoga practice.

Artist David Blondell combines his two passions, using his artistic skills to recreate some of sports most memorable moments. See how artist Jera Rose Petal Lodge melds metal into wearable art. Take a behind the scenes look at “Louis & Keely ‘Live’ at the Sahara, a musical play about the legendary music duo. And teacher Erin Gruwell shares “Stories from an Undeclared War the real life chronicle of 150-at-risk students whose lives changed with the power of the written word.

Meet Mark Gunter, a Sacramento fashion photographer who is capturing “the look on runways across the county. Follow filmmaker Alicia J. Rose as she rehearses and films her short film “A Gift of Gravity. Artist Catalina Delgado Trunk explores mythologies from pre-Colombian Mexico and shares her inspiration form its food, traditions, and language. And artist Deane Arnold creates fantastic 3D creations of fleshy faces on pumpkins.

Can a book have a second life? In the hands of Troy, New York artist Kyleen Greene it can. She takes books of all shapes and sizes and repurposes them into eye-catching paper sculptures. Artist Bassmi of Clearwater, Florida, shares how meditation influences his abstract paintings and how a chance encounter with a famous artist inspired him to pursue his passion. Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual free, outdoor urban art experience where sculpture artists from around the world showcase their works along Wisconsin Avenue, which runs through the heart of downtown Milwaukee. AlbuquerqueÕs innovative ÒWe Are This CityÓ builds community.

Today we go inside the Milwaukee Art Museum and explore their gallery dedicated to light-based media and the featured exhibition of the work of late Downloadable docsary photographer Larry Sultan. We dig deeper into the life of Italian immigrant Marino Auriti and his seven-foot high architectural model called “The Encyclopedic Palace. We travel to New Mexico to make artifacts with ceramicist Jami Porter Lara. And artist Julie Wiegand displays her devotion to capturing the beauty of the Missouri River landscape with oil paint and canvas.

We sit down with a cabaret performer whose content is physics and other sciences. Author Richard Russo’s career reached new heights in 1993 with his third novel Nobody’s Fool. A film adaptation that starred Paul Newman a year later helped make the fictional town of North Bath, NY dear to many. Artist Lisa Scholder helps to heal the visible and emotional wounds of female cancer survivors through body paint. We talk with Kelsey Rose Young and Katherine Greene with the Detroit tap repertory. These tappers are keeping the beat with their feet while they perform around the city.