thumbnail of Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 608s; 
     Artist Brendan Condal, Professor Nat Colletta, Venice Youth Boating
    Association, Sk8 Skool
Transcript
Hide -
If this transcript has significant errors that should be corrected, let us know, so we can add it to FIX IT+
This special presentation was produced in high definition by W. edu Tampa St. Petersburg Sarasota. If you want to learn to skateboard here's a man you want to become a sailor. A good way to do that. There's a local man who travels the world trying. Trying to make peace. And a gifted young artist with a gift for nostalgia. In this volume of a Gulf Coast Journal this w edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice building strong communities through a leadership partnership and endowed philanthropy. You're joining me. Dear Journal. Summer vacation. Kids out of school having fun
and that's sort of the theme of this volume of the Gulf Coast Journal. What did kids do on their summer vacations. And if this first person we check in with is in fact 43 years old that doesn't disqualify him because he's a kid and a very talented one. OK and they're going to delay the pill thing he's going to more. Fish than have to be alive. I am with sand now right on. Cue hatch. Fishing Rod. A lovely model. OK turn your torso a little bit. Perfect. Not so much right there. OK. OK and then kind of give me a little hip shot. And there you go. And a creative mind. Don't move a muscle.
Look at good simple props that help artist Brendan could all take us to a simpler time. Basically it's a nod to the mid century illustrators where it has a kind of a travel poster a vintage feel to it with a little all-American kind of pin up girl in their. Midst Eldrick. Idealistic wholesome images of Florida's innocent age long past. The start. Why does it connect with you which it's so far before your time. There's something about that Illustrated style that I really gravitated to the lushest brushstrokes the oil. It's it's an idealized image and more than anything it's the emotion that people get when they see him. Brendan Coles dish latest body of work the ballyhoo girls the biggest admirer of his gals seem to be other gals.
I don't know if they're empowering or they kind of have that that Rosie the Riveter feel are you know that kind of nostalgic empowerment of women or it's just fun. You. Know like you know like the lighting. I think that the ballyhoo girls come in all shapes and hairstyles but they are in fact one model. His wife Nicole and Mitch to being and I'm willing to support the person. I am probably the worst model anyone could ever have because I'm impatient. I cannot hold a pose. I complain about how hot it is. You know that one I like. But Nicole contributes much more than a smile and a pose. She also really contributes to picking out locations and contributing ideas and things to the composition. You know fish looks good in everything. Brandon wasn't always an illustrative artist. In fact until recently he wasn't an artist at all.
Well you know I started out as a as a former fishing guide and just a scuba diver and fisherman is right under the boat. But after 9/11 Brendan decided to combine his childhood love art with his grown up love of the sea. You know I think a lot of people took a look at their life and what they were doing after 9/11. And I knew there was a creative part of me that I just really wasn't tapping into and tapped. He did. Trying his hand at marine life art a learning process that got easier with the help of a mentor artist John Syrie Lester. He listened to everything I said but he didn't think well I'm going to paint my Johnno once a paint like me. He went away and did his own thing and he has been getting John says better and better. He's found his own direction and he's not really listening to anybody else all listening to trends or trying to emulate so the people he's found his own path and I can only admire him for that.
Oh one other prop that's important to Brendan in the creative process. His backyard hammock. I call it my meditation. It could be construed as sleep but I do like to lie on the hammock and kind of quiet the mind and then usually an ideal come to me. One idea that came to fruition how to combine both of his passions on canvas so we might have a cowgirl riding a tarpon you know or something a mermaid on a turtle combining two really fun elements to make something really unique and different. An artist may use what's called a maul stick to steady his hand. Brendan uses a fishing gaff. And a mirror not for the sake of vanity. Yeah it's a lot. You know I keep my hair out of my eyes. No actually if I look in the mirror I get a mirror image of it and it's kind of a fresh look at it.
And it's also like looking at it 15 or 10 or 15 feet away. It's really amazing to me to see the finished piece because I know how much of his heart and soul goes into each painting and I know how much we both collaborate on it and becomes a product that's very special to us both. Even if you know Brendan's work heightens the bond between a husband and wife between an artist and art lover between the past and the present we wouldn't be we. So if kids this summer have been painting and sailing in skateboarding We'll get to those. What have grown ups been doing. Well around the world too many grown ups have been arguing and fighting and making war or threats of war. While one man here on the Gulf Coast has been traveling
the world trying to make a bit of peace bless should be. The Waterfront courtyard of New College is not the usual setting to discuss international conflict resolution. But then again natural law is not your usual college professor. We're not isn't teaching on the peaceful Sarasota campus he may be off mediating disputes in war ravaged countries around the globe. It's a career that started at the World Bank as an expert in mediation forgiveness conflict resolution. My work in a bank was actually to develop a program and manage a group of people who went into these war torn countries and tried to put them back together from an economic to a social and political a whole if you will. Now that has been the several third world countries including of Gondor Towanda the Philippines. His mission to help
negotiate or restore peace between warring and conflicting factions in Rwanda. His persistence has been tested. And I left the country came back to the States very happy that I thought we had finally nailed the last tenet of peace in a country only to see on the news the president both Burundi where they were visiting and negotiating. And the president of Rwanda the Hutu president their plane got blown up as they were returning and chaos broke out after a horrible genocide it was two years before Nat returned to Rwanda to redo what he had originally done. Now it is also involved in a reconciliation process in the Philippines separatist forces of the Islamic Moros Liberation Front in Mindanao wanted to break away from the country. A negotiated settlement included an arms to farms program to teach
former rebels how to successfully run their own agricultural and fishing businesses. The peace agreement was signed really more a National Liberation Front in 1996. It was really important. That must mean that the intervention in terms of improving the lives of people especially assisting the farmers on the Times at the Sarasota new college now teaches a course called war for peace transition. Students learn mediation techniques to take to the frontline of a war zone or to the home front. A program was created allowing college students to help Venice High School pupils solve their conflicts. The new college students act as a kind of peer mediation trainers of the frontline high school Bennett high school students who actually do peer mediation and conflict resolution in the high school among students who have various differences different issues from bullying to a you name it.
The high school students hold a peer mediation panel where students in conflict state their case so stop. You know with you. Yeah OK thank you. We always I have like every day you know things all the time and she just kind of way. So I was like OK. Mediators listen to students and let them talk it out without judgment. People friend you want to hang out with. Ultimately the goal is to find a peaceful resolution. Is that good. Obviously while there is a different set of issues behind the conflicts that one encounters in high school as opposed to in a civil war in the developing country or whatnot. I think it's been pretty remarkable and pretty rewarding actually seeing how some of those concepts from the class can really be applied to every day conflict. When the session is over everyone comes together to talk about what they
observed what what what have you learned from the program so far as frontline mediators. I think I'm going to have people in there screaming and crying. You just have to be patient. I. Think it's something that helps us we're all agree agreeing with you is hard. Yeah that's a very common situation the high schools because you know there's always the we don't know how to manage our time very well I guess you could say it's like you get a boyfriend going to hang out with him best friend is just it's a really really common one that we get often. So I'm not an expert on women but you know it seems like bad to be calm and actually it is because the friends I've had and you know they have got a minister time and things like that in there we're not too good at that. If you don't actually have any contact with the other people for just kind of an entity in your mind then there
is no way you're going to get past whatever problems you have whatever anger you show towards them whatever you're holding against them but if you actually have contact with people have a dialogue with them see the other person's side then you're much more likely to you know view them as being as human as you are. And you know someone who's capable of both you know faults and being forgiven. Awareness that leads to understanding is awareness that leads to compromise and awareness that makes this piece of paper. How do. You know whether I'm doing it among them or us and the government in the Philippines or the Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda. Some of those same human social interaction skills of good listening. Paraphrasing positions coming back with compromises and trade offs trying to create a situation where everyone feels that it's a win win situation. These skills are equally beneficial to Venice High School as they are and in Rwanda or
Mindanao. Realization negotiation reconciliation three skills that can improve lives in any corner of the world. For many and not just kids. Summer means getting somehow to the water the ocean the Gulf lake upon the river whatever. Getting to the water and if you can find someone to teach you made me learning to sail. A sunny Saturday. In the southeast winds during. A perfect sailing day. 11 year old Gareth Lawler is a proud member of the Venice youth voting Association. He and his team are ready to set sail in their eight foot pram boat small vessels in the Square
Mile. So you've just been told there's about no rain attaching to the view as the boom bust. Our matron 15 year old Cara petite gets thrilled with every sale. No fair. It's all just fun. Her mother show last has grown quite close to her daughter crediting the mutual fondness for this board. It's helped us present and in our relationship as mother and daughter that you know she appreciates me being there for her. This airing here creates feeling at home because my mom here and just helps us out. So having her here definitely staying there. Good. As the horn sounds in the distance. You really should begin. There I'm sure. Really on board here because some of them grew up in these little sailing
dinghies the benefit Yacht Club founded this vanished youth pram fleet back in 1950 to deafen brings back memories recent come here with all my buddies and we'd sell on Saturday mornings. And. We'd have our races in this very exact day. Just think about it you know at that young age being having a boat being a control I mean it's way before you get to drive a car. And. It's pretty awesome that's it's a it's a really. How those are able to do it are pretty lucky. It takes more than luck to stay afloat and on course out there. The coaches say sailing builds character discipline strength and self-reliance. We work hard to keep them on course so to speak and. Keep them right side up not only in the boat but in life. Garrett is also having the time of his life. On the water just because it's kind of like you can just float along.
He's having a ball. He has found his thing completely. Round in this race he didn't play. But. That's OK with. Some people there are better than me you know. And now they've moved up about you know there's only one spot left. Winds of time. May just take him there. Mother bring joy for kids in the summer is they 40. Well what if a kid wants to learn how to do that work and he turned to home to him. Well since I was a little kid you know eight years old in their early
80s and you know everyone looked escape orders as you know the hoodlums and the rebels and just you know the bad kids and you know I wasn't a bad kid. I'm just trying to change and make the people realize that it's a sport. It's a really hard sport takes a lot of dedication and practice to master it. Teaching her to say yes and the founder's. Problem that I started to cooperate skateboarding. Within the school trying to give the kids an outlet where they can compete at the school
at the skating part time. That. Traditionally is an individual sport. But what I'm trying to do you know with the schools is have each kid you know represent their school. You know say they have a team of five five students you know they come as a team and they decide who skates and they decide you know who tries what trick or you know a little bit of strategy involved. To me it's a game where you have to have bravery courage and he'll want to take things by surprise. Sometimes. I wish I was hot headed you know I mean to experience. The mission. I mean skateboarding since I was three or four years old. Started watching Tony
Hakan and I did biking for a while and then I discovered Warner ski warning. At my school what I do is I utilize porno. Yes and your class. Is sentencing them to maintain those things so they can go to court to deal with. You know we take the kids up to Cape Parker Tampa and you know we spend all day there anyway to have that help which. I think is good. Well really Good morning. I can hang in. There. I'm getting all the take a couple days recovered but. I can still. We started designing our boards about three four
years ago. Starts out with a rectangle. You know has the concave nose and the tail. They design the wheel base the shape that they want to make it. We can make it like a regular skateboard that they need these days or they can be an old school. It's a long process to make a skateboard. Where did you cut it. Sand. You measure it. And. Then at the draw design. And then. Put her coat over it so I doesn't hear. That. As it was. This I got off the computer. It's my name. It's like graffiti style. Well. Then this is the medical symbol. I don't know why did it but I just like it how it works. Is going to blow your drums out I can hear your music. My name's John. Very. Close.
To making your music. Bench I'd like to have after school programs as well as the substance abuse and beer type program where I go into the school and talk to the kids you know and educate them and kind of get them to look at things in a different way or look at skateboarding in a different way. To. You. I learned always stay positive. And. I guess when you're down. There right back up. You. Know when they leave the school I want them to walk away with good memories. You know good friendships. He skateboarding. I just want to see my skateboarding.
That's my right. Well we're glad you checked out this volume of a Gulf Coast Journal and we hope you'll see the next one. Meanwhile we like to use this last moment of a broadcast to calm things a bit to let make sure just for this moment to slow us down. And in nature there is nothing slower than these two. You can order this or any other volume of a Gulf Coast journal with Jack Perkins on a high
quality DVD format. Call 1 800 3 5 4 9 3 3 8. Or visit our website at W edu dot org. This Dell edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. Building strong communities through a leadership partnership and endowed philanthropy.
Series
Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins
Episode Number
608s
Episode
Artist Brendan Condal, Professor Nat Colletta, Venice Youth Boating Association, Sk8 Skool
Producing Organization
WEDU
Contributing Organization
WEDU (Tampa, Florida)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/322-0966t2xc
NOLA
GCJ000608S
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/322-0966t2xc).
Description
Episode Description
The first segment is about artist Brendan Condal whose "Ballyhoo Girls" illustrations harken back to midcentury Florida travel posters and pin-up girls. The second segment profiles Nat Colletta, professor of International Studies at New College in Sarasota, Florida; he was involved in reconciliation processes in Rwanda and the Philippines. The third segment is about the Venice Youth Boating Association. The fourth segment is about Sk8 Skool, a club for youth to learn how to skateboard founded by Sarasota high school teacher Dan Giguere.
Series Description
"Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins is an Emmy award-winning monthly magazine, which highlights the communities of Florida's west central coast. "
Broadcast Date
2009-08-27
Genres
Magazine
Topics
Education
Local Communities
Fine Arts
Rights
Copyright 2009 WEDU-TV
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
00:27:07
Embed Code
Copy and paste this HTML to include AAPB content on your blog or webpage.
Credits
Executive Producer: Conely, Jack
Host: Perkins, Jack
Interviewee: Condal, Brendan
Interviewee: Colletta, Nat
Interviewee: Giguere, Dan
Producer: Noble, Jen
Producing Organization: WEDU
AAPB Contributor Holdings
WEDU Florida Public Media
Identifier: GCJ000608S (unknown)
Format: Digital Betacam
Generation: Master
Duration: 00:26:46
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
Citations
Chicago: “Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 608s; Artist Brendan Condal, Professor Nat Colletta, Venice Youth Boating Association, Sk8 Skool ,” 2009-08-27, WEDU, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 28, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-322-0966t2xc.
MLA: “Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 608s; Artist Brendan Condal, Professor Nat Colletta, Venice Youth Boating Association, Sk8 Skool .” 2009-08-27. WEDU, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-322-0966t2xc>.
APA: Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 608s; Artist Brendan Condal, Professor Nat Colletta, Venice Youth Boating Association, Sk8 Skool . Boston, MA: WEDU, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-322-0966t2xc