Speaker 1 (00:00): Coming up on Art Palace for Speaker 2 (00:02): Me, I like pumping Speaker 1 (00:04): The people up. Speaker 2 (00:04): Yeah. That's my thing. I just like people to be excited, you know what I'm saying? Just excited as I am, or at least half excited as I am. Speaker 1 (00:25): Welcome to Art Palace, produced Speaker 2 (00:26): By Speaker 1 (00:27): Cincinnati Art Museum. This is your allergy ridden host, Russell iig. Here at the Art Palace, we meet cool people and then talk to them about art. Well, usually we do, but today's different. Today we are chatting with museum staff and others live from the Reds opening day parade. Well, not exactly live, but recorded on Speaker 2 (00:48): Site. Speaker 1 (00:49): The Reds opening day is such an Speaker 2 (00:52): Exciting day Speaker 1 (00:52): In Cincinnati. The streets are packed and you never know who you'll run into. As I walked past marching bands that filled the streets of Finley Market, I ran into Gary Gaffney, one of my former professors at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Get on your float Speaker 2 (01:09): Buddy. Get on my floats. Yeah, you're being naughty. I'm being naughty. Speaker 1 (01:14): Those naughty Speaker 2 (01:15): Connotations. I know. Can you believe a conservative institution like the art Speaker 1 (01:20): Museum would Speaker 2 (01:20): Put a phrase so controversial as folk? Yeah. On their t-shirt. It's so bold, right? What are you Speaker 1 (01:27): Doing? Speaker 2 (01:28): He's at Speaker 1 (01:29): Your pet. Speaker 2 (01:29): It's my pet. No, this is my recorder. I'm recording you for the podcast right now. So, oh my God. Are you just here to watch the parade or? I Speaker 1 (01:37): Am here to watch the parade, but also to search out my granddaughter and son who are here with her school class from Fairview. Speaker 2 (01:45): Oh, okay. And I don't Speaker 1 (01:47): Know if I'll Speaker 2 (01:47): Find them, but I hope Speaker 1 (01:48): I do. But I'll Speaker 2 (01:49): Watch the parade. I'm Speaker 1 (01:51): Hoping to see the art academy in Speaker 2 (01:52): It. I haven't heard Speaker 1 (01:53): Anything about that this year. Speaker 2 (01:54): So they usually do it though. They've done Speaker 1 (01:57): It the past number of years, but I don't know. Speaker 2 (02:00): Alright, well it's nice talking to you, Gary. I'm going to go try to find my float before they leave me. Okay. Enjoy Potting. Speaker 1 (02:09): I finally located the art museum's float and first chatted with Caitlin Charro from the marketing department. Speaker 2 (02:19): How many opening days you've been to Speaker 3 (02:21): With Art Museum? This is my second one, folk. Yeah. I'm so excited. We really, really did good this year. We've got amazing and amazing banners. They are Speaker 2 (02:32): Nice. Feel like I put it on and I was like, I feel good about myself in this shirt, which is not something Speaker 3 (02:38): Comfy shirt Speaker 2 (02:39): And that's not something I usually say when putting on sort of an institutionally given shirt. Usually it's always like, oh boy, I'll put up with this for a couple Speaker 3 (02:48): Hours. They're a hot ticket. I've been getting people saying that they want to pay big bucks Speaker 2 (02:53): For Speaker 3 (02:53): This and I say, sorry, first come first serve. You're either in it or you're not. So Speaker 2 (03:01): It's Speaker 4 (03:01): What it is. These t-shirts will probably be going for a hundred dollars on eBay tomorrow. I'm sure they Speaker 2 (03:07): Will. Speaker 4 (03:07): Just saying. But the art Speaker 5 (03:09): Museum does not accept any sort Speaker 4 (03:11): Of, Speaker 5 (03:12): Any Speaker 2 (03:12): Sort of Speaker 4 (03:13): Bribes, eBay bribes or anything like that. I will say that the Speaker 2 (03:16): Upstanding institution, Speaker 4 (03:17): Yes, Speaker 2 (03:18): We don't take those bribes, Speaker 4 (03:19): But honestly I think you should talk to James. Speaker 2 (03:21): Oh, I was planning on it. James. Speaker 2 (03:23): James is my number one interview that I hope to get today for the podcast. Thank you. Yes, yes, yes. James. So will you let me interview you? Exactly. Yes sir. Here we'll have some gentle serenading from a little saxophone music over here, sir. I like that, sir. Yes sir, yes sir. We little James Brown going on. So I'm here with James Bets Jr. And James, you call yourself the cheer captain. Actually, I'm what I call the chant master, but yes, they give, they called me cheerleader. Chant master. Yeah, chant master. They called me cheerleader, chant captain and everything like that, but I just enjoy coming down here. This been the eighth? This is my eighth one with the museum. With the museum, yes. Did you come to the opening day parade before that or Oh yes. We used to do that. It was like a tradition with my dad back in the day and now that I'm actually in it, it makes all the more better, man. It makes all boards special. So what's your favorite part about being in the parade? What do you like? Is it better to be in it or to watch it? It's better to be in it because for me, I like pumping the people up. That's my thing. I just like people to be excited, just excited as I am, at least Speaker 4 (04:42): Half Speaker 2 (04:43): Excited as I am just to get everybody. I don't think we can ever match your level of excitement, but that's good. Set the bar really high. We'll meet you halfway. That's right. Just, hey, follow my lead man. And we going to have some, we're going to have some fun. We're going to have some good fun and I'm looking forward to whenever it starts. I'm looking forward to having this. Oh, it never starts when you want it to. I know, I know. It's always a hurry up and wait. Exactly. It's always a hurry up and wait. But like I said, I always look forward to this. This is one of the things that I always look forward to is the opening day parade. Me too. It's a fun time. Well, thanks James for talking with us. Thanks. Thanks. Speaker 5 (05:24): Next I ran into Madeline Mills, our Speaker 2 (05:27): Event Speaker 5 (05:27): Sales Speaker 2 (05:28): Coordinator. I'm here with Madeline Mills. Speaker 4 (05:31): Hello. Speaker 2 (05:32): And you're seem really caught off guard now because you didn't expect that to just start so fast. Speaker 4 (05:37): Now I'm in it. Speaker 2 (05:38): Now you're in it. So are you excited for opening day, Madeline? Speaker 4 (05:41): I totally am. I'm excited to be, to not pay attention to the Reds for the rest of the season. I love the Reds, but I have a hard time with following baseball and sports in general. Speaker 2 (05:53): Yeah, me too. I don't really care about the actual game so much. I going sometimes, but it's more about for me, like, oh, it's okay, nachos and beer. Speaker 4 (06:03): When we're doing well, I'm with everyone. I'm like, we're going, we're going to do something this year. Last year we got pretty close. We did really well last year, right? Or no? Speaker 2 (06:12): I have no idea. Speaker 4 (06:12): Okay. Well, I am right there like a Fairweather fan. If we're doing badly, then I move on to other things. Speaker 2 (06:23): Perfect. Well, I think you follow it more than I do because if you even know to follow it up until the point where we're doing badly, this is my favorite part because I mean, there's Ronald McDonald and Birdie, it's colorful. There are things to distract me. Baseball probably. I certainly can't watch it on tv. Like I said, I can be there in person, but I can't TV Speaker 4 (06:50): And radio's even worse. I can't call it on radio. I think that's a lost art is following baseball on the radio. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Speaker 2 (07:03): Yeah, I would mean they, for me, let's try to decipher a baseball game via radio would be like if I had tapped into a NASA broadcast, it would be like the same thing. I have no idea. Speaker 4 (07:16): It's cool to be down here in the middle of Findlay Market. I love Findlay Market. It's a highlight. Speaker 2 (07:22): Yeah. Yeah. It's always fun to be. Actually, I'm starting to think for a while I always dreaded this weight, but actually I think it's kind of the most fun part now hanging out beforehand because once it starts, it is walking and waving. Speaker 4 (07:34): Yeah. Arms. Both years I've done this, we've had a specific be ready by 11. It must be like a soft Speaker 2 (07:43): Yeah, no. Yeah. Every year I was pretty militaristic about my time. The first year I was like, oh, we got to be here, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and then I was freaking out and I started to realize each year I get more and more like, oh, it never actually, they want you ready, but they're not really going to actually start moving. I Well, thank you. Speaker 4 (08:03): Oh, you're welcome. Speaker 2 (08:04): While we continue to wait, I chatted about our floats design with Sarah Burer, coordinator of interpretive programming and Danielle Lin, a former museum employee. Speaker 4 (08:15): Well, we've got the baseball, the elastic baseball bats and the steam things. What do they call this? I Speaker 2 (08:24): Think Steam things. That's what they're called. Speaker 4 (08:27): Like tall stacks from I'm the worst person to interview right now. I'm sorry. Speaker 2 (08:33): I mean, it's probably Speaker 4 (08:35): Fireworks shoot out at them at the Red Station? Yes, Speaker 2 (08:38): At Great American. That's what happens. Yeah. Here, I don't think we have any pyrotechnics probably unfortunately. Yeah, would, I mean, I could try and rig some up right now, but just set the granola box on fire and just it in there. Speaker 4 (08:55): You know what we can do? We can get some Diet Coke bottles Speaker 2 (08:57): And Mentos Speaker 4 (08:58): And Mentos and then do some pyrotechnics via Diet Coke. Speaker 2 (09:02): I don't know if that's pyrotechnics. It's like, I don't Speaker 4 (09:05): Knows. Speaker 2 (09:05): Soda Tes, I don't know what you'd call that Min Speaker 4 (09:09): Mix and it would be really fun, and I think that all of the children sitting on the side of the parade would really appreciate Speaker 2 (09:15): Being and Diet Coke, because if I know kids, it's one thing they love is Diet Coke. Speaker 4 (09:20): I'm more imagining children just putting their mouths up in the air and opening them and, and then just being Speaker 2 (09:25): Really disappointed and Speaker 4 (09:27): Partially dissolved. Mintos raining down on them. Speaker 2 (09:32): Yeah, it sounds like a great parade idea. We'll submit it next year probably. I can't imagine any. We'll Speaker 4 (09:38): Definitely make it in. Speaker 2 (09:39): Yes. Oh, definitely. Speaker 4 (09:41): Do we get to throw things or is that still prohibited? I think Speaker 2 (09:44): Throwing things is kind of prohibited in all parades now. It's just generally frowned upon pond, but it's Speaker 4 (09:52): Still done. Speaker 2 (09:54): I mean by, if you want to be a rogue parader, who Speaker 4 (09:58): Was just wondering Speaker 2 (10:00): Mark I the last parade, that's for sure. Speaker 4 (10:01): I saw the Make's Mark float back there, and I was wondering if they're going to Speaker 2 (10:05): Shoot out to bourbon samples, little bottles, which Speaker 4 (10:08): I want to be next to that one little, if they had super soakers filled with Make Grass, Speaker 2 (10:14): Something tells me there's a lot of laws that's breaking. Speaker 4 (10:19): I'm really excited for the parade this year. I feel like it's going to be the best ever. I'm going to be dancing in front of the float a lot. I'm already getting the moves inside me. Speaker 2 (10:27): You've got the spirit, your flash dance. You just, the music comes in your body and Speaker 4 (10:32): Just gets out through the inside. We get on the float, but I also feel the rhythm of the music. Yeah. I'll probably be up on the float with you sometimes. I don't know if my boots are going to stand the whole journey. Speaker 2 (10:43): Yeah. So Danielle, you want explain why this particular opening day is so exciting to you. Speaker 4 (10:50): Well, I just announced publicly that I am pregnant. Oh, Speaker 2 (10:55): And you have an adorable shirt that your mother bought you that says nine months you're out. Speaker 4 (11:01): Yeah. Speaker 2 (11:01): Good one. Speaker 4 (11:02): There's a limited time lease on this space. I'm a pretty tough landlord, Speaker 2 (11:09): So Speaker 4 (11:12): Without a hair. Speaker 2 (11:13): If you have to, you'll get the authorities involved to remove it. Oh Speaker 4 (11:16): Yeah. Put some eviction notices up in there. Speaker 2 (11:20): Look, buddy, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. What's it going to be? Speaker 4 (11:24): Well, if it's early, it would be Friday the 13th, or could be, oh my God. If it's late, it could be Halloween, so I don't know. Speaker 2 (11:35): You and your baby would share a Friday, the 13th birthday. Speaker 4 (11:37): I would be really excited about that. I really not secretly want it to come early. Probably 13. Ask us every pregnant woman ever when they, Speaker 2 (11:47): Yeah, exactly. Everyone's like, oh, I do hope it's born on the un luckiest day of the year. Speaker 4 (11:53): Oh, yes. Speaker 2 (11:55): But hey, it worked out for you. Speaker 4 (11:56): Yes. Speaker 2 (11:56): Yeah. So Speaker 1 (11:59): Speaking of children, Sarah spotted our favorite parade neighbors. Speaker 4 (12:06): Are they dressed up again? Is there a march shot? Go find if there's, Speaker 1 (12:09): Is there a march shot? Speaker 2 (12:10): Oh, I see. Speaker 4 (12:11): A girl got their pretty wig on. Speaker 2 (12:14): Oh my gosh. Wow. You guys look awesome. Oh wow. Where are you guys from? What school do you go to? Speaker 4 (12:23): What is that? St. Veronica. Speaker 2 (12:25): St. Veronica. Cool. So everyone's all dressed up as different Cincinnati icons. Speaker 4 (12:30): Who Speaker 2 (12:30): Are you? Speaker 4 (12:31): Frederick Jones. Speaker 2 (12:32): Oh, Frederick Jones. What can you tell me about Frederick Jones? Speaker 4 (12:36): He was actually an inventor and we wouldn't have TV without him, so Speaker 2 (12:39): We wouldn't have TV without him. What did he invent for tv? Speaker 4 (12:44): He just invented the first tv. Speaker 2 (12:46): Oh, okay, cool. He Speaker 4 (12:48): Invented goofy pictures and we're Speaker 2 (12:50): Walking. Oh, okay. Sorry. Speaker 1 (12:52): I'm not sure if you caught how unamused that teacher was when she said we're walking, so here it is again. We're walking. Speaker 4 (13:03): Should we guys just over here? Oh, nice. Mona Lisa. If only we could get them. Speaker 2 (13:09): Yeah, we don't have the Mona Lisa, but thanks. Ambitious. Certainly. Shots. Shots. Yay. This is seriously, I think my favorite thing in the parade every year. Totally nice. The best solution. Dress kids up like Cincinnati stuff. It's so good. Speaker 4 (13:31): They're so cute. They totally get into it. I have a Speaker 2 (13:35): Picture of the Marge Shot and Shazi Speaker 1 (13:37): From probably four years ago, Speaker 2 (13:40): And it's Speaker 1 (13:40): One of my treasured Speaker 2 (13:41): Memories. I wonder if they pass it down when they award the next Marge shot. It's like passing the man. It's like a fraternity, like passing down your treasured items. Speaker 1 (13:53): Who will get the shotsy? Beautiful. For some, this might be a rich tradition of dressing like Marge Shot, but for others like Casey, Joe Kovich, our corporate relations manager, this is a brand new experience. Speaker 2 (14:10): I'm here with Casey Joe now. Oh Speaker 1 (14:11): God, Speaker 2 (14:16): I love you retreating so quickly. Oh God. This Speaker 4 (14:20): Is new for me. I've never been here. This is, you've never been to opening day? Never been to opening day. No. I'm from Kentucky Live in Newport. Opening day was never a big thing for my family, but now that I'm in the Cincinnati area, I'm really feeling it. Speaker 2 (14:32): I think Speaker 1 (14:32): Newport Speaker 2 (14:32): Is in the Cincinnati area. It Speaker 4 (14:34): Is, yeah. Oh, Speaker 2 (14:34): Okay. But Speaker 4 (14:35): Grew. I grew up south. I grew up where nobody knows where it's at. It's like you need a passport to go to my hometown. Speaker 2 (14:47): Would you like to name your hometown or Speaker 4 (14:49): Falmouth Kentucky. Oh, Speaker 2 (14:50): I know Falmouth. Speaker 4 (14:51): Yeah. Speaker 2 (14:51): I used to go to the regional theater there. Speaker 4 (14:54): Yes. Kin K, regional Theater. Speaker 2 (14:56): Yes, yes, yes. Every summer we would always go see a show or two there, and we would always know people in it as well. Speaker 4 (15:01): Yeah, it's really great. Speaker 2 (15:03): Yeah, it was really good actually. Yeah, so it's Speaker 4 (15:05): Like the Artiest artiest thing they have in Pendleton County, Speaker 2 (15:09): And Speaker 4 (15:10): It's kind of surprising that something that great comes out of a town like that, but it's really cool. It's great. Speaker 2 (15:15): Yeah. Speaker 4 (15:15): It gets everybody involved and I love it. Speaker 2 (15:17): Yeah. Well, so you have no idea what to expect from your first parade experience here? Speaker 4 (15:27): No. I don't know. I have no idea how this all works out and everybody's a little crazy, but I like it. Speaker 2 (15:33): I mean, actually this is actually, there isn't really much else. We just walk. That's good. I Speaker 4 (15:38): Don't know. Well, Speaker 2 (15:39): That's kind of the end. Speaker 4 (15:40): Some of us will be walking, Speaker 2 (15:41): Some of us will be walking. Some Speaker 4 (15:42): Of us will be crawling. I will be sitting on the flow. Speaker 2 (15:49): Of course, what usually gets my attention are the snacks. Are those Fritos provided? I think a lot of the barbecue Speaker 4 (15:58): And there's a whole box of chips. Speaker 2 (16:00): I don't need any right now, but I was just curious if they were part of the provided snacks. Yes. Nice. Speaker 4 (16:08): They're complimentary freedoms Speaker 2 (16:11): The best Speaker 4 (16:11): Kind of fris. Speaker 2 (16:13): I know what I lack. I lack freedoms. Freedoms. Speaker 4 (16:17): I like to scoot a little bit more than being Speaker 2 (16:20): Standard, but Well, especially if you're serving up some skyline Chili dip. Get yourself a Frito Scoop. That's the best way. I always love these weird rubber butts that are sticking out of pants, and I don't totally understand what it's about. Just sort of older men who have their fake butts sticking out, but I don't quite know what the, is the joke that they have butts? Yeah. I don't know what the joke is. They have stickers on their mouth. Mouth stickers Speaker 4 (17:01): On their mouth. We all have butts and mouths, so what's, Speaker 2 (17:06): Oh, I should have gone and interviewed him. But we're moving now. I think we're moving right now on the parade. I'm here with Adam McFarlane. How does it feel? It feels good. I got my red wellies on. I'm s Sporting the Reds s sporting cam. It's all good. Nice. Where'd you get those bad boys? Those red boots? I've had these for 10 years. I got them in England. Wow. All the way from England to the opening day parade. I foresaw this in the future that I needed these red boots, so I got 'em. Nice. Speaker 1 (17:52): Thank you for listening to Art Palace. We hope you'll come visit the Cincinnati Art Museum and have conversations yourself. General admission to the museum is always free, and we also offer free parking. Special exhibitions on view right now are Tiffany Glass Painting with color and light dressed to kill Japanese arms and armor, transcending reality. The woodcuts of Kosaka Gaje and the poetry of place. William Cliff, Linda Connor, and Michael Kenna. A program you might be interested in is Art After Dark Spring Fling on Friday, April 28th, five to 9:00 PM Dance the Night Away with Live Entertainment from Midwest Latino and enjoy cash bars, appetizers for purchase and exclusive access to the entire museum. For program reservations and more information, visit cincinnati art museum.org. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Snapchat. Our theme song is Efron Music, al by Balal. And as always, be sure to rate and review us on iTunes. I'm Russell Iig, and this has been Art Palace produced by the Cincinnati Art Museum. My recorder, before I forget. Oh, I never hit stop. So it's just like recording, recording this whole thing, the whole parade, which will be pretty unusable, but.