Joshua Brown is the program coordinator at the Nebraska Arts Council, a state organization whose mission is to promote, cultivate and sustain the arts through programming, grants and opportunities to foster creative innovation statewide.

At the Arts Council, Brown manages grants related to arts education and accessibility. Outside of his work with the Arts Council, he also serves as a visual artist and musician, exhibiting paintings and sculptures at community galleries in Omaha and organizing shows that support emerging and community-oriented artists.

A University of Nebraska Omaha graduate, Brown has a degree in art history and is also working toward a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Nebraska Kearney. His studies have led him to explore the connections between power, government and the arts, focusing on how governments can foster environments that encourage community-oriented arts and culture.

In this episode Brown and Michael Griffin are talking about art as rhetoric and why it’s essential for a healthy democracy, and how Brown’s worldview was shaped by homeschooling and an early appreciation for art of all kinds.

Jahmai Brown is a painter, photographer and Hot Shops Art Center resident. 

An Omaha native, Brown attended North High School and graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute. His paintings are often works of bright colors, bold patterns and less traditional materials like glitter and magazine clippings. 

Brown was also among the artists who created the “Black Skies” mural in 2018 at 24th and Grant Streets, which highlights the experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen. Brown was only 17 when the mural was unveiled to the public.

In this episode, Brown and Michael Griffin are talking about the inspiration behind his work, and his hope for viewers to interact with it. They're also talking about the skills he thinks are important for a young artist to develop, and how those artists can find support in Omaha.

Erin Feichtinger is policy director of the Women's Fund of Omaha. In this episode, she's in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about history (in which she has a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago) and politics, including Governor Pillen's vision for Nebraska and how it's panning out after a contentious state legislative session.

This episode was recorded before the 2024 general election.

Working in poetry, glass and installation, Aspen Monet Laboy’s art explores concepts of environmentalism and identity. In the summer of 2022, they implemented and co-hosted Corner’s Space at KANEKO, a public program exploring poetry through creative experimentation and collaboration.

Laboy has published three books of poetry with a fourth on the way. Several of their selected poems were aired on Friday Live with Nebraska Public Media through NPR in 2023. Their writing has also been featured in local zines and performed in various galleries.

Currently, Laboy is part of the 2023-24 Alternate Currents Cohort and Community Advisory Group through Amplify Arts. This year, they were awarded a scholarship from Penland School of Craft and were accepted into the Pilchuck Glass School Auction.

In this episode, Michael Griffin and Laboy are in conversation about Laboy’s origins as a writer and artist, and how they became interested in glassblowing and sculpting. They're also talking about the economics of being an artist in Omaha and how we can better support the creative community.

Sean Kelly is a candidate for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Brian Fahey.

An Omaha native and Dundee resident, Kelly attended Creighton Prep and went on to receive an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. Outside of his run for office, Kelly works as a local investor and agricultural real estate professional.

In this episode, Kelly and Michael Griffin discuss how Kelly's business background inspired his run for office, and his vision for District 5, which includes lowering property taxes and increasing transparency in local government.

Brian Fahey is a local attorney running for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Sean Kelly.

An Omaha native and nephew of former mayor Mike Fahey, Brian Fahey attended Central High School and went on to receive a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. Fahey is also a member of the River City Mixed Chorus Board of Directors, vocalist for the Omaha Chamber Singers and artistic director of the Capitol Avenue Baroque. 

Fahey and Michael Griffin discuss how caring for elderly relatives and relying on public assistance inspired Fahey's run for office. They also discuss steps for improving quality of life in his district, staying grounded on the campaign trail, and how to foster political discussions with people from all walks of life.

Correction: An earlier version of this description incorrectly identified Brian Fahey's relationship to former mayor Mike Fahey. Brian is his nephew.

Correction: An earlier version of this description incorrectly detailed Fahey's employment history. He is not a partner at Fraser Stryker.

David Levy is a candidate for the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Board of Directors in District 2. The Transit Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running Omaha’s bus system, including ORBT and MOBY services.

Levy is running against Clarice Dombeck, who was on this show in June. You can hear my conversation with her wherever you get your podcasts.

The first elected transit board will have seven nonpartisan members, one for each district. Prior to this year, seats were appointed by the mayor rather than elected. The change is part of Metro’s increased budget and expanded regional services. Board responsibilities include determining transit policy, overseeing the budget and handling contracts.

David Levy was born in Lincoln, and his family moved to Santa Barbara, California when he was 9. He earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree in city planning at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent the first part of his career as a city planner in San Francisco. He earned a law degree from Hastings College of the Law, know known as University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

Levy now works as an attorney at the firm Baird Holm LLP, where he represents clients in land use and energy matters. He currently serves as a commissioner of the Omaha Housing Authority and as a member of the Omaha by Design board of directors. Before beginning his legal career, Levy was a city planner for the City and County of San Francisco. Levy also contributed to the City of Omaha’s streetcar project.

In this episode, Levy and Michael Griffin are talking about how Levy's early interest in architecture led to his career in law and city planning, his vision for transit equity, and how to increase civic engagement in Omaha. Here is my conversation with David Levy.

Correction: A previous version of this text misidentified the school from which Levy obtained his law degree. It was Hastings College of the Law.

Ameen Wahba is a licensed mental health practitioner whose work is grounded in the belief that psychotherapy can be a liberatory practice, both individually and institutionally.

Wahba is also a multidisciplinary artist, writer and musician. In 2018, he published a book of poetry titled “Bear Witness to That Which Is.” He’s been part of various gallery installations around town and was a 2023 Fellow at the Union For Contemporary Art.

Wahba also plays guitar and sings in the bands Thick Paint, Sgt Leisure and Little Ripple, which is a solo project. You can see him perform with Sgt Leisure on Oct. 11 at The Church/Art House.

In this episode, Wahba and Michael Griffin are talking about therapy and mental health, Wahba’s journey to realizing he could be both an artist and a therapist, and how he balances both parts of his life.

Zedeka Poindexter and Gina Tranisi are co-executive directors of the Nebraska Writers Collective. NWC is responsible for the annual All Writes Reserved Youth Spoken Word Festival, formerly known as Louder Than a Bomb, which reaches more than 30 schools and 500 students across Nebraska and Iowa with free spoken word poetry lessons, workshops with local writers, open mics, and a space to be heard.

NWC will also host National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco for a performance on Oct. 12 at Dry Spokes, located at 19th and Leavenworth.

Zedeka Poindexter is a North Omaha-born writer and performer with a background in management and communications. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Poindexter has built a historical record through poems and essays that draw on physical senses to connect with readers and listeners. Before assuming her current role, she spent ten years with the NWC as a teaching artist.

Gina Tranisi is a leader, educator, and poet who has competed at both the National Poetry Slam and the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in English with a specialization in Women's and Gender Studies from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. An alum of the Nebraska Writers Collective's youth poetry programming, Tranisi has served as a teaching artist and, most recently, an Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program certified instructor, and the organization's full-time program director.

In this episode, Poindexter and Tranisi are in conversation with Michael Griffin about the basics of writing poetry, the value of expressing lived experiences through art, and the past and future of the Nebraska Writers Collective.

Astrid Munn is a lead attorney at CIRA, the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, where she represents immigrant clients who have survived violent crime, domestic violence and trafficking. CIRA was previously known as the Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center. Munn is also a comedian who performs improv and standup at clubs around town.

Munn was born in Scottsbluff and received an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before attending law school at Washington University in St. Louis.

On weekends, you can often find her performing at The Backline, The Sydney and other venues around town.

In this episode Munn is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the common ground between advocating for a client and making an audience laugh, barriers in the legal process that immigrant communities often encounter and Omaha’s growing comedy scene.

Roger Garcia represents District 1 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Garcia was elected to his first term in 2021, becoming the seven-member board’s first-ever Latino commissioner. He’s up for reelection this year but is running unopposed.

Garcia was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Honduras and Mexico. He was raised in Columbus, Nebraska and moved to Omaha in 2005. He holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Latino/Latin American Studies, a master’s in public administration, a master’s in theological studies, a doctorate in ministry, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Administration.

In addition to his tenure as a county commissioner, Garcia co-founded the Metro Young Latino Professionals Association (MYLPA) and serves on the boards for the Women’s Center for Advancement and the Immigrant Legal Center.

In this episode, Garcia is in conversation with Michael Griffin are talking about what exactly a county commissioner does, how Garcia's family background influences his policy, and how to increase civic engagement among youth and immigrants.