Oregon Art Beat Kicks off Tenth Season on September 18

Oregon Art Beat, Oregon Public Broadcasting's Emmy-Award winning weekly television series profiling local artistic talent, kicks off its 10th season on Thursday, September 18 at 8pm. The first show of the season features a glassblowing artist in Vancouver, a dose of the blues and a retrospective of Art Beat's past nine seasons.

"It's been an honor (and a blast!) to feature artists from around the state for the last nine seasons," said Jessica Martin, executive producer. "Each one is unique -- every person we meet allowing us a glimpse into an artist's life. We'll celebrate our 10th year with more inspiring stories from all over Oregon and southern Washington," said Martin. "We'll visit a printmaker in Pendleton, a ceramics artist in Astoria and a sculptor in Corvallis. We'll take you to hear salsa music in Portland and a tango-style band in Eugene. We'll even meet a famous hurdy-gurdy maker and a whole lot more," she noted.

On the season opener, the show visits David Schwarz's glassblowing studio in Vancouver to see how he uses a combination of glassblowing and cold techniques to create dramatic pieces that seem to move and shimmer in the light. The Art Beat crew tracks down the Northwest boogie cat, Norman Sylvester, for a dose of the blues. Also, a look back over nine years of profiling artists.

"In nine seasons, we've profiled more than 750 artists and the list of stories we'd like to do is probably at least that long," said Jeff Douglas, Art Beat host and OPB senior vice president and station manager. "We often hear from viewers that they had no idea that Oregon is home to so many talented artists from ballet dancers to saddle makers. We love celebrating that diversity," he said. "Linda Ethier, one of the first artists we featured on Art Beat, told us, 'Money is a way of moving goods and services through time and space. Art moves people's spirits through time and space.' Exactly. And moving people's spirits through time and space is a good description of what Oregon Art Beat does," said Douglas.

About Oregon Art Beat
Oregon Art Beat, Oregon Public Broadcasting's local arts series, is in its 10th season. The program airs Thursdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2am and 6pm. In the Mountain Time Zone of Eastern Oregon, the program airs at 9pm Thursdays and repeats at 7pm on Sundays. More information is available online at opb.org/artbeat.

Former OPB Reporter to Head Northwest News Network; Headquarters to Move to Portland

Former Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Colin Fogarty has been hired as the new editor of the Northwest News Network, a public radio news cooperative providing comprehensive coverage of regional news issues for more than 1.4 million listeners in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Colorado.

Fogarty was an award-winning reporter with OPB for 13 years, specializing in coverage of the Oregon legislature. Since January, he has been a project manager for nonprofits in the Portland Office of Pyramid Communications. "Public radio is in my blood," said Fogarty. "This is an opportunity I couldn't pass up because the Northwest News Network has done so much to advance timely, accurate news service to people of the entire Northwest."

"We're pleased to welcome Colin back to public radio. He is the perfect professional to move the organization ahead," said Guy Nelson of KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio, who headed the search for a network editor. "He has contributed many stories to the national networks and has a strong understanding of the region and its issues. He's also a skillful editor with a nice touch for storytelling."

Since its inception in 2003, the Northwest News Network has been headquartered in Seattle. With Fogarty's hiring, effective September 9, the organization will move its headquarters to Portland and will be housed in the Oregon Public Broadcasting facility on Macadam Avenue.

"We're looking forward to Colin's return to our newsroom," said Morgan Holm, OPB vice president of News and Public Affairs. "We've missed his experience and dedication. And now I'm very happy that not only OPB but all of the network members will be able to benefit from Colin's leadership as the new editor."

The Northwest News Network harnesses the power of 61 public radio stations to generate in-depth, high-quality news reports and features that capture the diversity of the great Northwest. Fogarty, who holds a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in American studies and political science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, will manage the network's four bureaus as well a "roaming" regional news correspondent, Tom Banse, who provides coverage in rural areas of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Other reporters in the Northwest News Network are Chris Lehman headquartered at the state Capitol in Salem; Anna King in Richland; Austin Jenkins at the Capitol in Olympia; and Doug Nadvornick in Coeur d'Alene. This vital service is expanding public radio's longstanding tradition of public service and further enhances the programming of Northwest public radio stations in major metropolitan areas. Partners in the Northwest News Network include Oregon Public Broadcasting, Boise State Radio, Colorado Public Radio, Jefferson Public Radio, KLCC/Eugene, KMUN/Astoria, KPLU/Tacoma, KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio, Northwest Public Radio and Spokane Public Broadcasting.