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Ben Bradford
Ben Bradford
Reporter
Greg Collard
Greg Collard
News Director
Mike Collins
Mike Collins
Charlotte Talks Host
Briana Duggan
Briana Duggan
CAJA Fellow
Duncan McFadyen
Duncan McFadyen
Weekend Edition Saturday Host/Reporter
Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller
Reporter
Julie Rose
Julie Rose
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Mark Rumsey
Mark Rumsey
Community Engagement Coordinator/All Things Considered Host
Tasnim Shamma
Tasnim Shamma
Reporter
Marshall Terry
Marshall Terry
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Michael Tomsic
Michael Tomsic
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Briana Duggan

Credit Tasnim Shamma
CAJA Fellow

Before finding her way to public radio, Briana traveled throughout South America, Europe, and the Middle East in the pursuit of adventure. When she returned to Charlotte, she found that there was much exploration to do in her own hometown. She now reports on the area's arts & culture as part of the Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance (CAJA), a consortium of local media dedicated to covering the arts.

Briana graduated from South Mecklenburg High School, and later UNC-Chapel Hill, with a degree in International Relations.

In her free time, Briana likes to practice her Spanish, and her dance moves, at the local salsa clubs.

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Arts & Life
10:38 am
Fri June 7, 2013

From Soviet Romania To Front Stage: Charlotte Symphony's Concertmaster

Credit Briana Duggan
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The Charlotte Symphony begins its summer outdoor concert series this weekend. And before the conductor steps onto Symphony Park stage, steps the orchestra’s highest ranked member: the concertmaster. He takes the seat to the left of the conductor.

For the last ten years, one man has occupied that chair: Romanian born violinist, Calin Lupanu. WFAE's Briana Duggan met with the concertmaster and discovered that the route to that chair has been a tumultuous one.

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Arts & Life
9:37 am
Mon June 3, 2013

Forget 'Buffy', A Local Writer's Spin On A Vampire Slayer

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Credit Briana Duggan
"When writers create worlds, it's always imaginary even if it's modern day Charlotte," says local writer Faith Hunter. "The restaurants change, the stop signs change...I get to go a whole lot farther with my make believe than the average person."
Credit Briana Duggan
A couple dressed in leather devils outfits explains how they made the outfits. The convention hosted three days of panels, which covered a range of sci-fi and paranormal topics.
Credit Briana Duggan
A leatherworking class at ConCarolinas, a sci-fi convention held in Charlotte this weekend.
Credit Briana Duggan
Credit Briana Duggan
Credit Briana Duggan
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If you saw Wonder Woman or Frodo Baggins near the university area this weekend, don't worry, it wasn't your eyes. It was probably someone from ConCarolinas, a sci-fi and fantasy convention that attracted about 1,300 filmmakers, writers, and enthusiasts.

Some writers didn't have to travel far. WFAE's Briana Duggan profiles a Charlotte-based writer who has found quite a following, thanks to one shape-shifting Cherokee vampire slayer.
 

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Arts & Life
11:57 am
Wed May 29, 2013

Dancing Out True Tales Of Murder

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Credit Briana Duggan
UNCC professor E.E. Balcos, at center, practices with several local dancers for Friday's performance of Deep Water: The Murder Ballads. Balcos and composer John Allemeier have been working together on Deep Water for about two years.
Credit Briana Duggan
The production follows the story of three murders that took place in North Carolina in the 19th century. "We discovered having a bit of a narrative really piqued the interest of audience members," says Balcos.
Credit Briana Duggan
Balcos and the work's composer, John Allemeier have partnered on projects for about 6 years. "Our collaboration evoles as we go along," says Balcos "and it has come to such a wonderful point that all of our ideas, we come up with them together now."
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Not all love stories have a happy ending. Consider one of the most famous ballets of all time, Swan Lake. The story ends with two lovers drowning themselves when they can’t be together.

But then again, that is fiction. A dance performance this weekend portrays true stories from our region. We already know how these relationships end: with murder in the first degree.

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CAJA
10:19 am
Mon May 20, 2013

The Latest Exercise Fad: Run From Zombies

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Credit Briana Duggan
Credit Briana Duggan
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Running is a chore for many, and that can make the business of putting on races extra challenging. But on Sunday, one 5K race attracted a crowd of 3,500 people. It featured some unusual extras:  a helicopter, smoke machine, and, oh yes, zombies.

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Local News
10:18 am
Tue May 7, 2013

WWII Vet Didn't Want To See War Memorial, But Now He's Going

Credit Briana Duggan
Vince Adametz with his WWII medals
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Seventy-seven World War II veterans from upstate South Carolina are on their way Tuesday morning to see their memorial in Washington DC. They’re taking what’s called an Honor Flight.  These flights have transported thousands of vets to DC free of charge since the memorial opened in 2004.  With an estimated 600 World War II vets dying every day, there’s a real urgency to these flights.

Vince Adametz is one vet on the flight who thought he’d never make the trip. 


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Arts & Life
8:55 am
Mon May 6, 2013

Providing Distraction At Hospital, Thanks To A Couple Of Red Buttons

Credit Briana Duggan
A young girl plays with the new permanent interactive display at the Levine Children's Hospital. The work represents the mythological concept of "The Heroes Journey", where a hesitiant hero confronts challenges, and is empowered in the process.
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Medicines, needles, strange buttons, there are plenty of things in hospitals you can’t touch – and are tempting for kids to touch.  But a new art installation at the Levine Children’s Hospital turns that on its head. Children are supposed to touch it. 


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Arts & Life
4:28 pm
Mon April 29, 2013

When A Poet Throws Rhymes, And A Right Hook

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Credit Briana Duggan
Boxer John "Spidey" Williams is ranked 41 in his weight class in the country. He is also a poet. "I wanted people to understand and listen to my words rather than just think I'm a fighter," he says. "A lot of times they say boxers are not thinkers."
Credit Briana Duggan
Spidey was hesitant to name himself "The Boxing Poet". "A lot of times in a gym they don't want to associate poetry as masculine," Williams says.
Credit Briana Duggan
Spidey "The Boxing Poet" Williams wins his fight, bringing his record to 11, 2 and 1.
Credit Briana Duggan
Williams recites a poem at an open mic night at Poor Richards Bookshop. He has self-published 5 books of poetry and says he has written over 1,300 poems.
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Boxing requires physical strength to be sure, but a boxer’s words can also pack a punch.Perhaps the best known wordsmith is Muhammad Ali, who is known for his clever rhymes, like in 1974 when he said “I have wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale, I done handcuffed lighting, thrown thunder in jail,". One local boxer also embraces poetry,  Spidey “The Boxing Poet” Williams. 


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Arts & Life
11:47 am
Fri April 19, 2013

Breaking Into The Fashion Industry From The Kitchen Table

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Credit Briana Duggan
Johnson hopes that showing her collection at Passport for Fashion will connect her with professional designers. "I would love to find a mentor," she says, "someone that can teach me and help me further my craft."
Credit Briana Duggan
Sara Johnson has a design studio in her basement, but she moved her work upstairs to the kitchen table. "I found I was feeling bad because I wasn't seeing my family," Johnson says.
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Passport for Fashion is Charlotte’s largest spring fashion show and is estimated to attract around 3,000 people to the NC Music Factory. Around 200 models will wear designs from fashion industry professionals, as well as work from local aspiring designers. WFAE's Briana Duggan spoke with one of them.


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Arts & Life
9:26 am
Tue April 9, 2013

Folk Society Blends Bluegrass With Some Latin Romance

Credit Briana Duggan
Fiddler Glen Alexander, and bolero musicians, Jesus and Alberto Morales will perform at Bluegrass Meets Bolero, the latest monthly concert put on by the Charlotte Folk Society.
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For over 30 years, the Charlotte Folk Society has given free monthly concerts to share the region’s traditional music. At this Friday's concert, North Carolina’s bluegrass meets a Latin import, bolero. And this music – was made for romance.


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CAJA
9:39 am
Fri April 5, 2013

A Blumey-ing Theater Program in Belmont

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Credit Briana Duggan
Senior Kourtney Conway was part of last year's award-winning cast. "It was a major thing that clicked with me at that point," she says. "I was like, 'hey, maybe I can do this', when we won."
Credit Briana Duggan
Junior Ryan Dever moved to South Point last semester for the theater program. He says he didn't move to South Point because they won Blumey's, "even so much that they participated. I wanted something that would give me that opportunity."
Credit Briana Duggan
South Point High School's sports trophy cases stand opposite the school's auditorium, the headquarters of the theater program.
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Just about every high school has its cliques, groups like the jocks, and the theater crowd. South Point High School in Belmont is no different. 

The school gets a lot of recognition for its football team, which has won a long list of conference and state titles over the last forty three years. But last year, the drama crowd gained some ground with its own title.


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