Original Air Date: January 28, 2016
The first episode of Bayoulands features an interview with Stephanie Dwyer, the artist who created “Dancing Sisters,” an installation of 17-feet-tall bottle trees now located in the Children’s Garden at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, Texas. Dwyer, who has recently been invited to create bottle trees for the Smithsonian, discusses her passion for Southern folklore metal art and for making sculptural bottle trees.
The episode also features an interview with Mark Dunn about local efforts to restore the Cow Bayou Swing Bridge which opened in 1941 and was rededicated in August 2015. The Texas Department of Transportation spent $9.5 million on repair of the bridge, which is one of the most historic bridges in Texas.
Bayoulands is made possible by a grant from the H.H. and Edna Houseman Charitable Trust benefiting the Orange County area, its citizens and charitable organizations. The series is produced in the studios of 91.3 KVLU in Beaumont, TX by Production Director Jason Miller and assistant producer Jonathan Tippett. The Executive Producer is Development Director Shannon Harris.
Episode 1 Music Credits:
1. Clifton Chenier – “In the Mood”
2. Meade Lux Lewis – “Honky Tonk Train Blues”
3. Muddy Waters – “My Home is in the Delta”
4. film score project – heart beats, drum and strings
5. Howlin’ Wolf – “Smokestack Lightning”
6. Artie Shaw and his Orchestra – “Begin the Beguine”
7. Erskine Hawkins & his Orchestra – “Tuxedo Junction”
8. Benny Goodman & his Orchestra – “Don’t Be That Way”
9. Harry Connick, Jr. – “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off”
To view more photos please see the Bayoulands photo album on the “91.3 KVLU Public Radio” Facebook page.
"Dancing Sisters" bottle tree installation at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center created by artist Stephanie Dwyer, photo courtesy of Shannon Harris
Cow Bayou Bridge Dedication, 1941, photo courtesy of Bridge City Chamber and Museum