12:00: Federal funding cuts hit the arts community
1:00: The 2025 Rochester Cocktail Revival
The Trump administration has begun canceling grant funding for arts organizations across the country. As word of the funding cuts hit different communities — Oklahoma City; Pittsburgh; New Orleans; Rochester among the first — a group of senior officials at the National Endowment for the Arts announced their resignations. For some local organizations, the funding cuts are coming almost immediately, after they had planned for the money. Evan and co-host Leah Stacy welcome guests to discuss what's cut, and what could be lost as a result. Our guests:
- Peter Conners, publisher and executive director of BOA Editions, Ltd.
- Jessica Johnston, executive director of Visual Studies Workshop, Inc.
- Chad Post, publisher of Open Letter Books
- Sherry Vile, executive director of A Magical Journey through Stages
Then in our second hour, America is in what some industry experts are referring to as a kind of alcohol recession. Beer and wine sales have been hit hardest, but even some premium spirit brands are seeing significant declines. An annual event seeks to breathe some light into the scene. With that in mind, this week's final episode feels like happy hour: it's all about the twelfth annual Rochester Cocktail Revival (RCR), which returns June 2-8. RCR is the only weeklong festival of its kind in New York State, made possible by 30+ Rochester bars and arts venues that host 70+ events across downtown Rochester. This hour, Evan, co-host Leah Stacy, and our guests talk about new events, the ongoing tiki trend, immersive cocktail theater and more. Our guests:
- Chuck Cerankosky, director of Rochester Cocktail Revival
- Flo Cardella, head bartender at Leonore's
- Cat D. Olson, artistic director of CAT + THE COYOTE
- Patrick Stetzel, owner and operator of Ziggy's
*Note: "Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
