Welcome painter/poet/podcaster Phillip J. Mellen to In-Focus Podcast Number 53. Phillip was born during the Bicentennial year which was dedicated to celebrating the Nation’s independence from the Crown of England in 1976.  He lives and works in Taunton, Massachusetts home of the Liberty & Union Flag.  He received his Certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Phillip J. Mellen has exhibited both nationally and internationally and, his work is part of numerous private collections both in the United States and overseas. Mellen is also the host and producer of the artist interview podcast Ahtcast which he began in 2011. Listen in on his conversation as The Artist Index’s host, Ron Fortier delves more into Phillip’s life, his and poetry, and his ambitions. This episode was recorded with Zoom during the pandemic of 2020. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE PODCAST LINK or LISTEN HERE! (new episodes are added a short time after being posted here) The whole concept of The Artists Index and the journey we are on is are still in the making and very organic. And, at this critical time in our country’s history, challenged by the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have continued to podcast remotely, assisted by Zoom, in order to assure that our guests remain safe and, in the comfort of their home. If you would like to be a guest or, have a suggestion, please let us know!   Music courtesy of www.bensound.com

Welcome grant writer Ben Jones to In-Focus Podcast Number 60. Ben is an arts adjacent. What does that mean? Ben Jones grew up surrounded by the arts. He had two aunts who worked as professional visual artists and teachers. His parents made sure his brother and he always had plenty of art materials. There were many museum visits. His mom continues her grade school “art lady” duties to this day via social media. Yet, Ben remains a self-described arts adjacent – what he has in creative enthusiasm, he lacks, or so he says, in talent. A while back, he established Left Brain, a business whose name was taken from the idea of helping the creatives he worked with. Ben worked in web development and assisted others in the field to navigate the business aspects of their art. Currently, Ben Jones is employed in a grant writing role at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. More specifically, as the Director of Development – Corporations & Foundations, where he continues to help artists pursue resources to assist them in pursuing their art. Listen in on his conversation as The Artist Index’s host, Ron Fortier delves more into Ben’s life, his background, and his ambitions. Music courtesy of www.bensound.com