 Hello everyone, thank you for tuning in to the Straight Talk Come On show. My name is Bruce Wilson. I'm an executive director of Straight Talk Come On. I have one of our wonderful people who works with me about to help me with this show. Go right ahead, Vicky. Hi, I'm Vicky Schwartz. I am a super nerd and I am the social media and tech director with Art So Wonderful. Awesome. And so today, as usual, you know, I always talk about what we're gonna do first, you know, we're gonna, how we're gonna plan this. Normally, I'm not buying myself. I was gonna be buying myself today and Vicky decided she was gonna come on, which was awesome because she has a wealth of knowledge about things we're gonna do and creating our technology and our social media for us and a lot of events we got coming on as well as our art. It's a wonderful show. So I mean gallery and so today I'm happy to have Vicky next to me. So what I want to talk about is people, check it out. So now we're about to open a brand new arts gallery and performing center in the University Mall. It's called Art So Wonderful Gallery and Performing Center. And so the cool thing about it is we move from a location in the mall that we had before for Art So Wonderful Gallery. So now it's a performance and it's 8,000 square feet. 8,000 square feet. It's gigantic or what? Huge. Huge. And we've got a stage that we're about to build and it's already there. We just gotta, I mean tell you gonna build it. Well, not today. We're gonna bring our stuff out to storage and our art and we're gonna put the stages there already and chairs is already there. Yes. And so it's incredible. So right now Vicky and I we're trying to do is get an artist and musicians to come and actually talk to us about how you want to showcase your art or music in our space. And so we're very very excited about that because we love music and we love art. And so Art So Wonderful Gallery and Performing Center is in the University Mall 155 Doors Street in and it's right next to Targets. It's right next to Target. Right next to Target and it crawls from IHOP. So you can't miss it. It used to be like the library in the University Mall and it used to be Garnett had it recently when they did the booster shots and the flu shots. So so people you can't miss it. It's like gigantic. They have art in the window. So and I'm just so excited about it. So what are you excited about in front of the space? I'm really excited that right now I went into the University Mall and I found that there's a huge amount of foot traffic in the University Mall. And so there's a lot of opportunity where families right now are coming into University Mall. A lot of teenagers from high school up in their their after school. There's a lot of really interesting things that can be done and one of the things that I'm thinking about with Bruce and we've discussed is AI projects with generative art and putting it on the wall. And for for young people who are just getting into artificial intelligence and generative art, it's a really low-cost way to start getting creative. Now there are all kinds of other things that Bruce has been talking about and developing. For instance, there is a project upcoming starting in May called the Moran Frame and there is fencing that we are looking for people who like to design elements in Burlington to decorate these and so do you want to talk a little bit about the Moran Frame? Yeah, so the Moran Frame is down on the waterfront right next to behind Adelk Skate Park and next to the Salon Center. And the Moran Frame is a very unique frame actually. It used to be Moran Plant. But then after many years of not in operation in the 80s they stopped it and then Burlington. That's near the Salon Center right? Exactly, exactly and so they with that 250, if you tear down that building you cannot build it back to that height anymore. So to keep the height you just keep you just tear all the whatever the coverings on the frame and just keep the frame so it's already at the height that you can do you know from it off of it, off of it, but you just can't go up no higher right, you know and so which how wonderful is that you know to be able to whoever thought of that was I'm sure our good friends and that's it how I thought about that. And right nearby there you have a green-up project coming up April the 20th and do you want to talk a little bit about that? Yeah, well let's let's go back before we talk about the April 20th event Let's talk a little bit more about what you had said about the Moran frame. Yes. And the Moran frame actually We're going to be decorating the fence that's a cross from the frame that belongs to the problem of public works so it's not actually around the frame it's a cross from it and so So we got to come up with this incredible design and so you thought about some way you know with first of all We're going to use youth. Yeah Youth is going to help us with this and it's our interns and some art and of course artists and and so What what's going to happen is which I don't know totally yet because we got a You know, we got time to make it up plan it out and so one thing you we were talking about is You were talking about is using some Go ahead We were actually talking about people who do this kind of work already, which is like weavers and Crocheters and knitters people who already have an idea about how to weave things because it's a fence There's a lot of opportunity to take materials and make designs By passing, you know these things through and you could have some pretty incredible designs Plus there's paint and fabric and plastics and all kinds of things So for a green-up you could do things like if you collected for instance bags Or you know other kinds of things you could weave those through and then you could even paint them That's true because Green-up is officially in May actually So it's so and then we're gonna do this project in May. So that's a great idea All I know is that it's got to stay It's because the chain link fence and as you say go through the links and it's got to stay and it's got to other colors Gotta stay, you know I'm saying cuz I Don't want to win the blow because it's right on the lake You know, I don't want to win the blow through and blow out all the stitching or You know everything we did and I don't want to rain or elements to Change the color of the brilliant colors that we're gonna put through this fence it's gonna be so beautiful when we it's gonna be so beautiful and And I just can't wait to our artists and everybody get together and and put it, you know decide what the Proposals gonna be because I got to still send it through To the public works public works Well, they guys said but friends of Moran frames got to send it to the public works, which is you know, I'm sure they're gonna They're gonna agree those are right in there They are already used to about what elements are you know me because they put the proper public words and there's no And I'm kind of stuff they deal with roads and so they know what will last in the elements And I might just have to ask my friends Who in charge of the public works? What type of materials they think is best schools if as a matter of fact, I'll do that today And so so I'm excited about that, you know, I'm really excited about the Moran frame project, you know if it's city of Burlington Seedle Department and I'm very excited to do that and give individuals Opportunity to showcase their talents in a place where probably they normally won't be able to do it You know like some who who can do things like that in like right on the lake waterfront, right? Lots of people who walk there lot lots of people walk there And then we'll have our cable show like this this show here I so what if a show be down there, you know, if I'm filming and I'm they'll they'll see it all through To our CCTV and you can take those links and send it anywhere in the world Yeah, you know be on YouTube and everything that you're gonna Whatever you're gonna decide to put it on for our social media and people will get um They what happens is they can showcase their work on With through their press kiss or resume or the or scholars, you know trying for scholarship or jobs evening even so how Incredible is that and plus? In places where they probably never get to like they do so let me just talk about a little bit art So when we're free before you start yeah, so I said wonderful have 60% of the murals in Burlington You know and we have in our St. Albans, and we have in Brooklyn Murals and pretty much a lot of places so talk about the murals then because as you were talking about showcasing That's exactly what I was thinking of so Where are the murals? Well, what are they? Well well first first 60% of the murals in Bronx is ours And then we've been doing those murals and since 2003 and the mural program started in we created the Graffiti removal problem for the city of Brooklyn through the community Justice Center and as we did that we decided to My study I decide in 2001 I found out if you put murals over graffiti they honor them and so so murals was the caption and so Wow, I'm not gonna be able to I say some famous places with murals We have 60% of the mural so it's a lot so we have them like on pro-speed beverage If you see proceed by we see that big one in the parking lot and it's the honor of the people who Service for the state for this covert, you know, you see police and the firemen and nurses and it's an incredible mural We have one oh, yes, I have seen that one one in University Mall And I'm just a gigantic to an University mall once in Vermont and one says it's a community event We have a Gianna house. We have we created our own like our so wonderful electrical boxes since in 2003 So all those electrical boxes you see is to our so wonderful or people our partners who get those and so and So you just see them and you admire them and and we can help you if you want one this contact You look me up Bruce Wilson, and you know, I'm easy to find this Bruce Wilson You can Google my name you'll figure ways to contact me. So go ahead just for everybody's information the murals if if you see the electrical boxes that when you're driving down the side of the streets and they're painted in colorful and wonderful designs that is Bruce and group and so if you see something that's tagged and or That has something and maybe it just needs an upgrade You can always get in contact with Bruce Wilson at art. So wonderful And and leave him a message and you can talk about Or even volunteer to help Be part of the mural project And I'm glad you said that and so our my director is called is Alonzo de la Cuyesta She's my art director and she's the curator. So it's Alondra de la Cuyesta. What are you so she's so wonderful Couldn't do this without her. She's the bomb diggity My god, so I'm not an artist. I'm not a musician So I've never done any art in any of our places. I've never done any murals and suffer prime the wall and so they say I'm not best at priming the wall So I'm gonna stick with that job and put on all the artists. We work with UVM art department Art Club we work with our community art Partners we work with our artists a course around Whoever whoever you are in music and we've done over 700 events in Vermont. So we're part of first night kids night can stay just fast People who know me know all the things who I am and what I am what we do And so we want to my goal is give individuals an opportunity to showcase their talents in places that they might not normally Have the opportunity to and as well as being safe places like we know We'll open up youth centers in the malls through the years chill out centers And I will now we got the art so wonderful gallery that we want to give individuals opportunities To create art and do art and do music and perform and in no cost to them We're not charged with nobody had dime to do to it work Or we will charge is people come in and enjoy our music festivities, you know, because we're in our space now 8,000 square feet. So it's gigantic. So we need to sustain ourselves and pay our artists, you know, things like that But I'm so happy. So you want to talk about? Our cleanup. Yes, the green up cleanup on April 20th the There are some sponsors which are already Very excited about the project itself. Good. Can you bring that post up? Thank you and So the some of them is Mackenzie meets will be there with hot dogs and burgers and VP rail will be providing rakes and bags and all the other good stuff to To expose the walls that have been, you know climbed on by the vines and things and And I believe that there are already several volunteers from St. Michael's College Oh, yeah, definitely board. Definitely. We could do none of our work without our volunteers and without like Like to our United College gonna program on UVM St. Maya Johnson some plane or its can still own different colleges. And so the move program at St. Michael colleges College is our college is gonna get a lot of different things is Um They do that's what do they are they do they do volunteer stuff around Probably probably around Chinty County, you know from the dream program and all kind of cool things they do Laura Scott is their director and I'm I worked with the dream program I mean with the dream program to win this game But also with the move program for many years at St. Michael's and they're incredible So they're gonna come like I don't know 10 to 15 individuals will come down and help clean this Um graffiti or graffiti not the graffiti bushes and Kind of cool nasty stuff around this stone historical stone wall That's right across them eight all-park and the sailing center And so that's where we're gonna build the wall for a coming event We're not gonna talk about her now big easy. We're not gonna talk about that super secret Super secret. Good. Give it a name. Oh, why not? It's called. Are we are we outing the name? Well, it's the it's bombed the wall. Yeah, but anyways, okay, that's it. So anyway, so No details not yet because because you know both well I will say this we want people to bomb this wall not the skate park and we're gonna and that's the whole mission It goes in the jack and we're gonna have some cool prizes that we want because we have things for this But right now we're just gonna prep the prep that wall that this stone wall has graffiti all the way down and oh And it's owned by Vermont Railway and that's one of our sponsors and so I'm telling you this wall It's incredible. It has to store value. I think it's got something to do with the the battle of Bennington or something. I don't know. I mean, I've been a hill bird, you know, you know, you know You know, and then they built this wall. I have to get the more information about the wall from Mary Mary I know for you next time. She's gonna kill me. That's why Let me go when I say Mary, that's it. I'll write that down. You do that because I'm like Mary I love Mary so much, but then when she worked for Um, um, she's a code enforcement officer. So I got Mary's also. She's the best Um, but it is her daughter's with my youth board um years ago, but anyways, um I'm telling you And we're gonna do it in another location too, you know, you know, when you ski in another apartment So but since I gave it all away, right? But not really. Well, it's gonna be so cool. You know, I mean, it's awesome But the from round we're just gonna be a part of um reason why we're not doing this. Um, our so wonderful green Up day is in maize because most of the students are be will be gone. So we so Directed us at st. Michael said Bruce. You might want to do it in april And so another thing to we push we made it april 20 april 20 420 20 baby And so, you know, so people youth will be low to be out there and about I'm so outside celebrating 420 and and I'm helping to do a provider service in burlington Clean up that wall because it's pitiful. It's like, oh kind of crap I was down there this morning looking at the moraine for him different things. It's crappy, you know It's always vines and diffs and that and garbage all attached to it and you know, it's right on the bike Bike trail, you know, you know walkway walk through and so that should be nice down there, right? Yes So we're gonna clean this is things that um Our programs do are so wonderful do we clean up. We make we beautify things We we have a graffiti abatement program and we put cool murals on it You know, so these are the things we do we give and so And I'm that's one thing that I'm proud of doing, you know, and so I'm happy about that. I'm very happy. So what else we got something else we got something else going on well, uh back to the Back to art so wonderful the One of the interesting things that I've noticed in university mall is there are two places that have either There's one that does like it's a selfie place, but You can go in there and you have to call ahead to get the person to come in and open it up I believe there's one other place that you can do that and it's a gaming center but We're thinking about putting together a There's some wonderful space at art so wonderful Turning it into a studio where you can come in And if you don't know much about let's say youtube or tiktok and you want to get your Your career started and you want to be on tiktok and you want to do social media Well, here is a place where you can come and you can sit behind a desk Just like this one and you can have somebody just like these wonderful people and They will give you direct feedback and you won't have to have the technical knowledge that it takes To get this thing rolling and you can start to learn and so there will be technical skills And There's a space that will be quiet. That's not your home or your closet or your you know your cell phone With all of the equipment that you already need and There are other ideas that we have in the works to To get people in to art so wonderful Just to look to participate and figure out And make it their own like what can I do here? How can I participate and we want to create the buzz that makes it makes a person Imagine themselves Doing something in the specific space of art so wonderful You couldn't sit in more better vicki and the good thing too is like um cctv who's our benign sponsors Yeah, I know since for me since 2001 they said we're since you said say it the longest running show on cctv And so how awesome is that so they will help us with podcasting They will help us with all the things that you said youtube and everything that everything you had mentioned Tiktok. Yeah. Tiktok. They will help us with it and then provide The technical equipment and stuff, you know, we can take out cameras We can whatever we need they will help us with it and how wonderful is that? You know anybody can talk to cctv actually and find out the ways that they can now Work with cctv as well. And I think it's very important that people do who are interested in cameras or or film work or podcasting please come talk to Cctv Megan or work and she'll tell you exactly what what you need to do But um, thank you that's gonna be exciting So also so we have signs we have signs on the door of you know windows of our new center in the university mall Saying we're looking for artists and musicians. So and I have an email down there on there And I saw a wonderful numeral two at gmail.com is arts a rts. So wonderful Two at gmail.com, you know, you can ask my direct email you can email me And I you know, I can help you um Whatever you need, but what it says on that on that sheet on the window is that we're looking for artists We look for musicians and usually this for the short like I said for the short time only For this short time only this is what we're doing. So we're usually we charge individuals um Well, we make 30 of what we sell people's art and they make 70 percent We're the best ever at that any gallery that I know of anyways, but from this time only so many we're looking for artists and musicians to um Be a part of what we do showcase your art perform in our place and and we well Well, we'll pay our musicians and artists get a hundred percent of the proceeds If we sell your art 100 percent of the proceeds right now if you volunteer for our programs if you volunteer for our our concerts Our shows or our mural projects or graffiti removal right now You know, we'll give you a hundred percent. You can hang your art in our gallery We'll give you a hundred percent of the proceeds if you perform in our performance We pay you to perform how one You can't beat that you cannot you can't beat it. So that's all you got to do is volunteer for them We're not saying you need to do a job with us and we're now 20 hours Like you help plan events help design murals help do Maybe you can't put them on the wall But you help design them and we get we have a team of people to put murals in the community Obviously we do we've been doing this since 2003 and so how easy is that? In showcase your talents with us. Yeah, and the the equipment is is sponsored Uh, I believe that you said that there is somebody who is that you have a sponsor that is providing paints and supplies Bruce has some deep connections in the community Uh to so that you as an artist or you as a person with an idea can Come and either brainstorm Bruce is always available and uh Just pitch your ideas. Maybe you haven't actually done anything Specific yet But you have a lot of ideas come talk to Bruce He knows people and he can make things happen Well, the good thing about The good thing about me the good thing about me is that um But I think it's good about me. Is it like you said, we know all these people, you know Just on the side. No, certainly. I am a commissioner for the state of vermont human rights commission I am a commissioner for the city county regional planning. I am on the board for Jedi for agreement on transit Vermont food bank When you see school district and time racism So I sit on a lot of boards and committees and just stand up and if you're not not wanted to just do um Art or music you come and meet some of the people who we work with on the central level We work with our governor our senators mayors legislators All all kind of incredible people executive CEOs You know, and that's where we want you to start if you won't have an idea about What you want to do in life your goals dreams and aspirations if you want to have an idea if you Won't need help doing that. That's where we want you to start right on the central level with the governor the senator the mayor CEO presidents our directors That's where we're going to start you with those people who are in charge of everything and people who know me Know that that mean it and they and they get it. They know they know we will be knocking We will knock at your door. You know, I will text you. I will text you I will send you email immediately And I thank you all our partners and community members and all the boards and CEOs That we know and that we work with in communities I thank you so much for being a part of what we've been doing for many years since Since 1999 in this state our program have over 50 awards And um and because of the youth and innovation who we serve and because our community partners who help us sponsor us And um, we couldn't do this without you And I thank you so much and we continue to need your service because it's not about me It's about the people who we serve and the people who you serve and we all serve the same people And so thank you. I want to thank our sponsors and community and communities And if you are uh, a person who is looking to get into Something technical and creative. There's also Myself, um, if you need problem solving or if you have a business that you Um are looking to figure out. How do you? um add Either a passive income buy Um, for instance, whatever you're already doing Maybe you might want to figure out how to just add a live stream to your business And people will come and watch or maybe You want to get into artificial intelligence and you're not ready to sign up to a technical college um Just come and pitch ideas And uh, let's brainstorm And you can get in touch with me through bruce and um You can always email or leave a message, uh or um Slip a note under the door if they if the doors are not open yet And um, yeah, I'm easy to find this is all you gotta do is google bruce wilson I mean i'm i'm easy to find just google bruce wilson. You'll find me. It's not i'm not hard to find You're not hard to find And i'm i like it that way I want people to know where i'm at and who and how they can get in touch with me I like everything you just said because that's you know, that's who we are we We're um, so we try to be like well I'm hopeful that we're like more like a systemic organization Like you know help people that goes dreams and aspirations Provide them with resources, you know art and music and and technical support and uh social social media and um, you know how to get scholarships and People who they might want to work for we you know, that's we've been doing it for connecting forever We've been doing forever and we've been very successful about doing it I don't see why I should stop. No, I'm not gonna stop doing it and we want to stop won't stop It's it's really easy. It's so easy. I'm telling individuals who are Individuals who just want this type of service. It's it's the easiest thing I can do for you. Yeah, it really is I mean I'm I'm not I mean I'm no better than nothing but to help people with their goals dreams and aspirations And that's the easiest thing I can do It's the it's not hard at all because people understand what we're trying to do Then we got over 50 awards because of that You know, we have letters from our senators or you've seen a lot of letters from Bernie and all these people saying how wonderful That they appreciate what we do for around the state not not just in berlington You know and we've been doing it for around the state forever And people know people who know me know that I have been doing this around the state since 1999 actually and um I'm continue to do it and and um people should always Um know about the people who who works for them They swear they are on our show like on the fourth April 4th. We have jim condors retired jim condors It's coming on our show talk about the world qda with the secretary of state You know, you see those checks with his name I'm gonna ask me about that. How do you like to see your How do you feel when you see your name? Well, I don't know every check, you know Then um beck a balance coming on congresswoman beck a balance coming up probably around in may And so we have all these people's quite the lineup quite the line up If you look over our shows our Straight talk from our The service running shows are quite the lineup because they're people incredible people and so um before we um Cruise off this channel what um, we gotta like about one minute. Won't you won't you kill it? I would like to say to all the young people out there, especially young girls You can do it. You can do anything you want You Can do anything technical Get into coding Be curious about math This is your time believe in yourself. You're stronger than you know That's from me and bless you awesome Thank you so much vicki for being on our show, you know And um, thank you people for tuning in to straight talk for my shows. See you april 4th when um, jim kindness will be on peace