LARRY A BRECHNER
With over 40 years of professional and educational theatrical experience, Larry "LAB" retired in 2016 as the Auditorium/Theater Company Producer Director (administrator) for the School Town of Munster. He previously worked as the Theatre Administrator for The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, including as the Production Manager/Resident Lighting Designer for The Center's resident professional Equity theater for six years. Larry also served as the Auditorium Director and Producer/Director for the Highland Theatre Company for 13 years at Highland's Monbeck Auditorium.

ESTER GOLDEN
As co host of Art On the Air Ester brings a depth of experience and awareness of the artistic process in the visual arts, the written word, music, theater, film, and the healing arts. Her curiosity and sense of adventure have called her to work in wildly wonderful arenas, which include successfully directing an art center gift shop, collaborating with other museum gift shop directors to promote local and regional artists, designing costumes, sets and props for theater, film and corporate events, plus visual merchandising.

Over his entire career, Larry has produced/directed a total of 230 theatrical productions (mostly musicals), and as Auditorium Director/Lighting Designer he has done 300 professional/community concert events and over 1000 school concert/events. He was a founding member of the Main Square Players also serving as its resident technical director/lighting designer, and for the Northwest Indiana Opera Theater board and resident lighting designer.

In 2016, Larry was inducted into the Indiana Thespian Hall of Fame recognizing his over 31 years as an outstanding theater educator/director. In 2010 Purdue University Calumet honored him with the Alumni Leadership Award recognizing outstanding alumni from various fields of study, and in 1997 with the Distinguished Corporate/Community Service Award.

In 2007, Larry earned his Doctor of Fine Arts in Theatre Studies with concentrations in musical theater production/direction, small theater operations, and stage lighting design. His Masters and Bachelors degrees are in Communications with concentrations in broadcast production and performance from Purdue University Calumet (now Purdue University Northwest). He served for 10 years  as an adjunct professor for Calumet College and as has served as a Guest Lecturer for Purdue Northwest in Westville.

Larry is a recognized fine art photographer with numerous exhibits and awards to his credit. His artistic photography work is mostly in landscapes, scenic, nature, wildlife, still life, buildings, nautical themes, plus includes abstract figure studies and aerial work. Larry's work is exhibited in galleries throughout Northwest Indiana, Suburban Chicago and Southwest Michigan plus appears in several private collections, in several regional calendars, and part of advertising and billboard campaigns. Outside of his fine art work he does portrait, performer headshots, event and other commercial client photography.

In October 2021, he had a 70-piece exhibit, "Through Our Eyes - A Retrospective Exhibit featuring the Photographic Visions of Larry A Brechner and Carol Lynn Brechner" at the Chesterton Art Center.

Larry is an instrument-rated commercial pilot, drone pilot, a Life-time Voting Member for the Grammy Awards since 1980 from his days of owning a small recording studio. Larry currently serves on art or media association boards including: Chesterton Art Center, WVLP, Regional Arts Council, and as board chair for Lakeshore Public Media (TV/Radio) also serving there as an on-air TV/Radio pledge host since 1993.

In decades of endeavors she has lent her ability as a designer, producer, curator, educator, community advocate, provocateur, and sometimes an extra pair of hands. All of these experiences led to opening her own exhibition gallery and performance venue known as the Nest. The Nest is a talent incubator mentoring artists and supporting their growth by creating programming, exhibition and events. She developed monthly offerings including the highly popular Movable Art Feast with Blink Contemporary Art, and Brabant Lenting Studio, James Neary and Friends, Alchemy in the Nest, Comedy in the Nest, and the Every Kind of Talent Show with Captain Ambivalent, are a few highlights.

In 2019 partnering with the hyper talented Billy Foster and Renée Miles-Foster they founded the successful Foster-Golden JazzNest Fest, it was the perfect culmination of talent joining together and creating a memorable experience.

In 2017, to take part in World Creativity and Innovation Week, the Center for Creative Solutions invited her to spearhead a Poetry Showcase for K-12, which has recently expanded to include adults.

Ester’s personal work expresses in multiple disciplines and has representation in both private and corporate collections, she was a past award winner for an installation piece called “Presumptive Evidence” and selected as a participating artist for the 2020 Hoosier Women Artist with the piece “A Century of Tenacity-Hoosier Suffragists”, placed in the Office of the Auditor of State, Tera Klutz.

Current activities supporting the arts include sitting on the Michigan City Urban Enterprise Association Board, current grant proposal reviewer for the Indiana Arts Commission. In the past, Ester has also served as a grant panelist for the NEA , Secretary for the Michigan City Main Street Association Board and board member of the Michigan City Enrichment Corporation.

Everything put into motion because of coloring yellow over red at four years old.

“Art on the Air has only increased how much I adore people and the art world. Engaging with the artistic community, learning about what is transpiring with the visual, written, literary, healing, and musical arts, plus delving deeper into the creative process with artists from multiple genres and disciplines is tremendously inspiring!!! I feel honored sharing this energy with AOTA listeners.”

          
   LAB         Photo    Voice Over

Voice Over | Broadcast Radio/Video/TV Host