Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

Small Business Spotlight: Ashley Tucci on Aristelle, a Beloved Lingerie Boutique in Portland, Maine

The daughter of a small business owner, Ashley Tucci has long had an enterprising spirit. Even while fully engaged in her successful corporate career, she was considering how she could build a business for herself. She imagined focusing her considerable talents in sales and brand building in a way that would satisfy her entrepreneurial calling and sustain her young family. Ashley found this opportunity with a small lingerie store in Portland, Maine, and took the leap not long before the global pandemic turned the world upside down. She has worked through the challenges, and sees the future as bright. Though her father did not live to see his daughter follow in his footsteps, we know he would be proud. Learn about Ashley’s journey on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

The Celebrity Makeup Artist Who Left NYC for the Quiet Life in Maine: Meet Nikki Fontaine

Previously a celebrity and on-air makeup artist in New York City, COVID caused Nikki Fontaine to seek refuge in the quiet coastal Maine town of Damariscotta. No stranger to New England, Nikki grew up in a creative family in rural Massachusetts. Influenced by their filmmaker father, she and her brother (a fellow makeup artist who specializes in ‘monster’ effects) followed the bright lights to NYC. When their industry shut down in the midst of a global pandemic, Nikki remained connected to the city–and her ongoing interest in visual arts– through virtual classes offered by the Art Students League of New York. Now a member of the Portland Art Gallery staff, she continues to work on her own emerging career as an artist. Join our conversation with Nikki Fontaine on this week’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Dr. Lisa Belisle Reflects on 60 Interviews with Maine Artists

Traveling can create space, enlarge perspective and enrich the soul.  In this episode of Radio Maine, our host, Dr. Lisa Belisle, records a brief podcast from her recent trip to the Grenadine Islands where she had the space to consider the art and the artists she’s spoken with in dozens of episodes since early 2021.  “Art is interesting because you have the opportunity to see where an artist was at that moment and in that period of time in their life,” she observes. “Artists leave a trail of breadcrumbs from the present to the past.” 

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Lead Singer, Sailing Captain, and Acclaimed Landscape Painter: Meet Maine Artist Joanne Parent

Joanne Parent embodies creative energy. Her widely varied background includes many years as a musician–she has been the lead singer in nearly 20 bands—and an early career as a charter sailing captain. This latter experience proved beneficial to her work in visual art. When the responsibilities of her young family necessitated a return to land, Joanne brought the light-filled sea vistas to her canvases. Her work continues to reflect her effervescent personality. Join our conversation with Joanne Parent today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Joanne Parent is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.

The Artist and the Sea: Painter Whitney Heavey’s Fascination with the Sea Goes Back Generations

Whitney Heavey’s family has an intergenerational appreciation of the ocean. Her grandfather was the captain of the (then) fastest transatlantic ocean liner, the SS United States, before air travel became widespread; her father was a navigator for the Navy’s first nuclear submarine. The sea features prominently in Whitney’s work as an artist, and has helped her heal after a series of recent hardships. She is deeply appreciative of her life, and the lessons she has learned by working through challenges. Join our conversation with Whitney Heavey on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

 

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Whitney Heavey is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.

Dr. Lisa Belisle Reflects on the Collaborative Effort Behind Radio Maine Podcast

In this week’s episode, our host, Dr. Lisa Belisle, reflects on the collaborative effort that makes Radio Maine possible.  Beginning in the midst of a global pandemic as a primarily distance-based project, the show has evolved to include in-person interviews, and now has more than 60 episodes. A lover of books, art, people and their stories, Lisa continues to see her work with the Portland Art Gallery as a means of exploring shared humanity. Thank you for taking a moment to pause and ponder this concept with us this week, and every week, on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Sunil Malhotra, Cardiac Surgeon at Maine Medical Center, Balances an Intense Work Life with Art

For Dr. Sunil Malhotra, being surrounded by art that evokes a certain emotional response helps him “right the ship.” As a practicing surgeon and the director of the newly created Congenital Cardiac Surgery program at Maine Medical Center in Portland, his work life has a high level of intensity. Fortunately he was able to draw on the experience of multiple physician family members, including his father, grandfathers and sister, when he chose this path. He reflects on his chosen profession, and the balance that art provides, on today’s episode of Radio Maine.  

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Wallpaper Designer Brings Passion for Patterns to her Paintings: Meet Maine Artist Sarah Ingraham

Newly graduated from the University of Vermont in Burlington, Sarah Ingraham took a calculated risk and moved to Brooklyn, New York to pursue a career in art. After working briefly in the wallpaper business, then as an artist’s assistant, she decided to hone her own craft full-time. The Maine native now paints in a 10 x 10 foot space in her apartment, and receives regular support from friends from her home state, including fellow Portland Art Gallery artist Page Eastburn O’Rourke. Learn more about talented emerging artist Sarah Ingraham on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

This artist is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view their art.

This Sculptor was the Second Highest-Ranking Woman in the US Government: Meet Paula Stern

Paula Stern kept her passion for sculpting hidden from her family, friends and colleagues for many years–at one point even her husband was unaware. With a masters degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University in Boston, and a PhD in International Studies from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Medford, Mass, her professional career had been more globally oriented. After time spent as a journalist in the Middle East, writing for the New Republic and the Atlantic, she and her husband, Paul London, settled down in Washington, DC to pursue a career in government. This culminated in her role as the chair of the US International Trade Commision, making her (at that time) the second highest-ranking woman in the executive branch of the US Government. Paula’s quiet obsession with sculpting eventually became known, and her subjects would include such notables as Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and former president Bill Clinton. Learn how Paula integrated these very different aspects of her life on this week’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

This artist is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view their art.

From Construction to Artist: Maine Artist Allen Bunker Reflects on a Life Full of Unexpected Turns

Allen Bunker turned to art as a counterbalance to his fast-paced career in residential construction. Through experimentation and persistence, Allen developed a unique artistic approach. He soon left construction behind to open an art gallery in the coastal town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He learned much over the years that the gallery was open, including the fact that collectors loved the art he created. When Allen reentered the construction business, he did so under his own terms.  His alignment with the Portland Art Gallery has been well-received by the many collectors who value his work.  Join our conversation with Allen Bunker, as we discuss entrepreneurism, the search for life balance, and how art has made this possible for him on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

This artist is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view their art.