RADIO

Audio Documentary

Scraping the Sky: Art Deco Architecture in the Twin Cities

The skyline of the Twin Cities in the 1920’s and 30’s was an ever-changing sight. Buildings like the Foshay Tower, the Ramsey County Courthouse and the Rand Tower reached out towards the sky, and Art Deco style was all the rage. Producer Noel Clark takes a trip back in time to the roaring twenties to explore the glittering marble and chrome lobbies, epic statues, and the history behind the rise and fall of a classic American style.
[Featured on KFAI, KKWE Niijii Radio and KSRQ]

Arts and Culture Reporting

The Sound of Blindness

Without sight, the blind must rely on the soundscapes around them to navigate through a world of audio overload. To truly experience this world, Producer Noel Clark must live it, braving one of the busiest streets in Uptown blindfolded . Will he make it?
 [Featured on  KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, Washington State, New Hampshire Public Radio and KUOW in Seattle, WA]

Cirque du So Gay IV

It’s that time again. Every year since 2009, Minneapolis-based Queer Bike Gang has hosted the LGBTQA-themed alley-cat bike race, Cirque du So Gay. Producer Noel Clark puts the rubber to the road and goes along for this year’s ride.
[Featured on KUOM and New Hampshire Public Radio’s “Word of Mouth”]

Fear of a Halloween Wedding

Halloween can be a scary time, full of monsters, haunted houses, and sometimes… weddings. Noel Clark has this story about how the anxiety of getting married and the fright of Halloween are two very different kinds of scary.
 [Featured on KUOM, New Hampshire Public Radio, WLPR Merrillville, IN and KUT in Austin, TX.]

Laughing Through the News at Brave New Workshop

The Brave New Workshop has helped launch the careers of humorists such as Al Franken and Tom Davis, the first head writers for Saturday Night Live. Though Franken made the jump to politics, the worlds of comedy and current events aren’t so different. To find out how, Producer Noel Clark visits Americas longest running satirical comedy theater.
[Featured on KUOM and New Hampshire Public Radio’s “Word of Mouth”]

I Can Camp! The DNR’s Plan to bring Minnesota Families Outdoors

In 2007 the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources researched why people in Minnesota were spending less time outdoors. They found three problems: people lacked skills, equipment and time. To address this, the DNR created the I Can series. Producer Noel Clark spent a day in the woods with the I Can Camp program.
[Featured on KUOM and New Hampshire Public Radio’s “Word of Mouth”]

Somali artist Aziz Osman paints life, loss, and hope

Somali artist Aziz Osman left home for Florence, Italy, as a young man to pursue his dream of becoming a painter, sculptor and architect. Extensive travel took him across Europe, back to Somalia, and eventually to Minnesota, where he shares his passion for art with a new generation of young Somalis. Producer Noel Clark has more.
[Featured on KFAI and KSRQ]

The Farewell Season of Rollerdome

Built in 1982, the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome has seen it’s share of sporting events. Baseball, football, soccer. But off the field, a community on wheels celebrates their final season of indoor skating before the dome is razed to make way for a new chapter in sports history. Noel Clark has this story.
[Featured on KUOM and New Hampshire Public Radio’s “Word of Mouth”]

If We Can Get The Beast Out of His Lair…

In 1913, the American Social Hygiene Association launched a campaign to eradicate sexually transmitted diseases and prostitution. The subject was considered taboo at the time, and misinformation about STDs was rampant. Producer Noel Clark has this look at what has changed over the last one hundred years… And what hasn’t.
[Featured on KUOM and KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, Washington State]

A Tale of Two Night Markets

Open air night markets attract big crowds in Taipei, Bangkok and other Asian cities. Merchants sell bootleg DVDs, crafts, steamed buns and fresh seafood. How would this type of market fare here in the Midwest? KFAI’s Noel Clark reports.
[Featured on KFAI and KSRQ]

Master Builder T.P. Healy and the Queen Anne Style

Theron Potter Healy was a successful Canadian ship-builder, and businessman, who left the cold of Nova Scotia to settle in Minneapolis in the spring of 1886. The wooden ship industry was coming to an end, so Healy used his business acumen and knowledge of woodworking to venture into a more profitable enterprise – building grand homes for the moneyed elite in a growing city. Producer Noel Clark takes a look at the changing tides of industry in Healy’s lifetime.
[Featured on KFAI and New Hampshire Public Radio’s “Word of Mouth”]

Matthew Sweet on 20 Years of Girlfriend

It’s not surprising to see a re-release or a fancy tour when an artist reaches a milestone with a classic record. For Matthew Sweet, the 20th anniversary of his landmark record Girlfriend meant bringing back to the songs and memories of the 90’s for a nostalgia-filled tour across the country to play the entire record, front to back. Producer Noel Clark sat down with Matthew Sweet to revisit Girlfriend, talk about the tour, and explore the differences between standard concerts and themed shows.
[Featured on KUOM]

The Challenge of Crafting Ice Wine in Minnesota

The German “eiswein” tradition was created almost by accident. This sweet, powerful wine was discovered when winemakers tried to save grapes that froze on the vines. Because of this, the frigid tundra of Minnesota might seem perfect for an icewine. But, as producer Noel Clark discovered, sometimes too much cold can be challenging.
[Featured on KUOM]

Lefse – The Potato Patriot

Ask someone from out of state to describe Minnesota and you’ll probably hear a lot of “Minnesota Nice,” Uff Dah’s and You Betcha’s. Scandinavian roots run deep in Minnesota, as do their culinary traditions. Producer Noel Clark looks at one special treat that helped Norwegian Americans keep ties with the old world while helping Uncle Sam at the same time.
[Featured on KFAI and KSRQ]

A Rabbi Walks into a Humor Festival…

For two weeks and three weekends in January, local and national acts join together for one of the nation’s largest Jewish Humor festivals. Producer Noel Clark visited the Sabes Jewish Community Center to discover more about the festival, and even learned a joke from a Rabbi.
[Featured on KUOM]