Around Town

Local Podcast Episodes Focus on Director of Armenian Photo Archive, Plus a Real Estate Agent & Business Leader

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Arto Vaun

Little Local Conversations Podcast creator Matt Hanna recently profiled the executive director of the Project Save Photograph Archive, as well as a local real estate agent and business leader. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Arto Vaun

Meet Arto Vaun! He’s Executive Director of Project Save Photograph Archive and a musician and poet here in Watertown. We talk about his own journey as a self-described late bloomer in owning his artistic identity to now getting public acclaim for his music, how he came to be interested in joining Project Save and his vision for reimagining it for the future to have a broader scope outside of just the Armenian community, and we dive into the backstory of Project Save and its founder and how it’s a truly incredible 50 year old cultural collection that is unique not only in the region, but the country and world.

Around Town

Hear About a Local Activist & Photographer and Watertown News’ Editor on the Little Local Conversations Podcast

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Archy LaSalle

Matt Hanna, the voice behind “Little Local Conversations” podcast, spoke with Archy LaSalle, who has many roles, including in the arts and as an activist. Also, hear Hanna’s conversation with Watertown News Editor Charlie Breitrose. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Achy LaSalle

Meet Archy LaSalle! He’s the Vice Chair of the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee, a passionate activist, and working photographer.

Around Town

Get to Know Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner in Little Local Conversations Podcast

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Liz Helfer, the City of Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner. The “Little Local Conversations” podcast spoke with the woman behind public art projects in Watertown, and who also creates art of her own as a sculptor: the City of Watertown’s Public Arts and Culture Planner, Liz Helfer. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Creator and Watertown resident Matt Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Hanna wrote:

“Meet Liz Helfer! She works for the City of Watertown as the Public Arts and Culture Planner and she’s also a working sculptor in the region.

Around Town

Watertown Violin Teacher Featured in Little Local Conversations Podcast

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Watertown’s Nicole Kootz teaches violin and viola. Watertown’s Nicole Kootz teaches violin and viola and discussed what the Suzuki Method and Alexander Technique are in the “Little Local Conversations” podcast. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Creator and Watertown resident Matt Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Hanna wrote:

“Meet Nicole Kootz! She runs Bright Strings Studio here in Watertown where she teaches violin and viola lessons using the Suzuki Method and Alexander Technique.

Around Town

Watertown Librarian Talks About the Library’s Little Known Features on Local Conversations Podcast

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Watertown Library’s Allie Fry shares some offerings of the library that you may not know about in the fifth episode of the Little Local Conversations podcast

In Little Local Conversations, discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Creator and Watertown resident Matt Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Watertown Library’s Programming Librarian Allie Fry. Hanna wrote:

“Meet Allie Fry! She’s the Programming Librarian at the Watertown Free Public Library. We talk about what attracted her to the library here in Watertown (she’s from the Midwest), the lesser known programming for adults that the library offers, and all the other great stuff about the library.”

Around Town

Podcast Spotlights the Creator of the Program that Brings Life Science Lessons Into the High School

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Merle Kummer

The fourth episode of Little Local Conversations podcast spotlighted the work of Merle Kummer, the founder of a unique program that brings together members of life science community with students at Watertown High School. In Little Local Conversations, discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Creator and Watertown resident Matt Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Hanna wrote:

“Meet Merle Kummer! She’s the co-founder and president of CoLAB: High School STEM Collaboration. We talk about her movement from Kendall Square to Watertown to seek a more connected community, how CoLAB came to be and the unique ways it engages high schoolers in the possibilities of STEM work, and she shares a bit about the life science sector here in Watertown.”

Around Town

Watertown Podcast Speaks With New Executive Director of Gore Place

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In the third episode of Little Local Conversations Watertown’s Matt Hanna spoke with Gavin Kleespies, the Executive Director of Gore Place. In Little Local Conversations, discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Gavin Kleespies

Hanna wrote:

“Meet Gavin Kleespies! He’s the new Executive Director at Gore Place. Listen to learn more about Gore Place and some of its little known history (including steam-powered build-it-yourself cars) and a bit of insight into what it’s like to be an executive director.”

Around Town

Little Local Conversations Podcast Featuring Jan Taylor, Owner of Get Lively Fitness Studio

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Jan Taylor, owner of Get Lively Health & Fitness Studio

Watertown’s Matt Hanna has spent the last several months getting to know people living and working in Watertown, and has produced more than 20 episodes of Little Local Conversations. In the second episode of the podcast, he spoke with Jan Taylor, the owner of a local fitness and health studio. Hanna wrote:

“Meet Jan Taylor! She’s the owner of Get Lively Health and Fitness and she’s here to make people smile while they exercise. Listen to learn more about her business journey from basement to full blown fitness and lifestyle studio and more of her personal story.”