Art Box Podcast adds new hosts

Steve Dudrow and Rachelle Knight established the Art Box Podcast in Mesquite in May 2022. Since its inception, the podcast has produced 343 episodes and is now listened to in all 50 states and 75 countries.

Dudrow is still at the helm of Art Box, but Knight and Linda Harris, a former cohost, have moved on. Now Dudrow has added two new hosts, Sandi Randelle and Mary Jane Stiles, who are bringing their own brand of broadcasting to the production.

The podcast began under the umbrella of the Virgin Valley Artists Association as a way to help people learn more about the arts. According to Dudrow, the board of directors helped purchase the necessary equipment.

“We first started recording at the Women’s History Center, but the air-conditioning was too loud,” Dudrow said. “So, we learned to turn off the air conditioner, but it was summer and we were always sweating.”

A couple more moves, and now the podcast is run out of the STEAM Center. They have a small sound room in the back with foam-padded walls and other sound-absorbing gear.

Randelle, a writer, was a guest on the series and has now become a co-host, focusing mostly on other authors. “My first guest was a friend of mine from my very first writer’s group at UNLV,” Randelle said. “I have always told stories since I was a little girl. I started writing them down when I was in high school.” She is the author of “Chasing Shadow,” “Of Plight and Promises” and “Of Dark and Bright.”

“I love talking to writers,” Randelle said. “These are people with the same kinds of experiences that I have. They have such wonderful, creative minds. All writers, especially if they are good, deserve more promotion than they get. You only ever hear about the best sellers, the Stephen Kings and the Anne Rices. Steve refers to me as ‘Champion of Authors and the Written Word.’”

“Mary Jane (Stiles) just loves art, and she has this bubbly personality,” Dudrow said. “She is going out and finding people. She is going to Vienna right now, and she took one of our remotes and she is going to try to do a podcast there.”

Stiles also works at Juniper Outpost, and she targets some of the artists the store represents. Stiles could not make the interview but emailed from her international flight en route to Austria.

“As a tiny girl, I loved creating, gluing and glittering,” Stiles wrote. “And now, in this chapter in my life, I find myself in the most glorious space. I am part of an amazing team at Juniper Outpost.”

The Art Box can also be heard on KNVM, the city’s local radio station. Tune into 105.3 FM at 10 a.m. Thursdays and 3 p.m. Fridays to listen to this group talk about art, authors and creativity in the Virgin Valley and beyond.