The Sonoma Community Center Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Fontaine, a chef, teacher, and beekeeper who brings a touch of Normandy, France, to the heart of Northern California. From Berkeley to  Petaluma, Anthony has not only planted roots but infused his communities with the warmth and depth of French cuisine.

Teaching at the Sonoma Community Center, he believes a meal is more than just food—it’s an experience, an atmosphere, and an op...

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Christian Moses is the 2025 Sonoma Ceramics Artist in Residence and kicks off the pod with a deep dive into his whimsical world of ceramics, where nostalgia meets New York’s rich cultural history. Born and raised in Harlem and Brooklyn with five siblings, Christian’s ceramics journey really took off in 2020 with his handcrafted, unconventional ceramic designs filled with whimsical il...

Join us for an inspiring episode featuring Tony Gonzalez, the Artistic Director of Transcendence Theatre Company. Tony opens up about his deep-seated belief in the power of teamwork and how it shapes his work in theater, family and life. 

 From his Ohio roots to the dazzling lights of Broadway, Tony shares his incredible journey as a performer and associate choreographer in the hit musical "Mama Mia," which took him around ...

Meet Azelia Mazur, the warm and vibrant Sonoma Ceramics studio tech and assistant, as she invites you into her world of creativity and connection. In this episode, Azelia shares her journey growing up with Deaf parents, becoming bilingual in ASL, and how these experiences shaped her unique perspective. From milking water buffalo to creating wild and wonderful ceramics, she blends her passions into an extraordinary life. Li...

Meg Billingham, Director of Sonoma Ceramics, co-hosts the podcast and we dive into the immersive creative journey

of interdisciplinary artist, Kate Rusek. Kate is based in the vibrant heart of New York City and is currently the Fall 2024 artist-in-residence at Sonoma Ceramics at SCC.  Her upcoming exhibit, Filtering the Feast  will be in SCC Gallery 212 from Nov 23- Dec 23, 2024.

Kate describes her work as "maximalist bioph...

The Center's Screambassador, Cat Smith, pops in to reintroduce the Scream Extravaganza episode. Learn about Screamers and Scream-ees. Test your knowledge of Scream trivia while Cat discovers that Molly and Takeshi are really just Screamees. This episode revisits interviews with Daniel Casabonne, the man responsible for making it possible to film Woodsboro High School scenes at the Center, and Franco Caramelino, a Scream en...

Kelly Autumn is an American Asian visual artist and multidisciplinary printmaker based in Northern California. Currently, she is showcasing her solo exhibition, "Everything on the Table" at the Center. In this exhibition, Kelly draws inspiration from her unique upbringing in a dome during the 1970s, raised by a free-spirited, DIY, back-to-the-earth family.

Her artistic journey has taken her through various creative ende...

Hot musical vibes as we sit down with multi talented Sophia De Leon Sanchez,  a flamenco dancer, musician, songstress and beautiful human with a zest for life! 

First time podcast moment-  Sophia sings us a soulful version of Cucurrucucú Paloma. We talk about growing up in Chicago with deep multi-cultural roots  and early exposure to dance and music through her family and neighborhood. We also talk about life in Sonoma with...

Eric Jackson stops by Sonoma and doubles up a visit and interview with Molly Spencer of the Sonoma Community Center podcast and Cat Smith of the KSVY 91.3 radio show Hollywood and W. Napa! Eric' is currently Associate Artistic & Outreach Director at Pioneer Theatre Co in Salt Lake City , UT and returns to Sonoma for Trancendence Theater Co. summer production! We know and love him as former Creative Director and Trashio...

Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell is living the dream! A multi-talented New Yorker cartoonist, author, comedian, and filmmaker. Her debut memoir, *Murder Book*, snagged the title of Best Graphic Novel of the Year at the 2022 Midwest Publishing Awards, solidifying her spot in the creative cosmos. With a knack for humor and insight, she has illustrated acclaimed books like *Feminist Fight Club* and *Are You My Uber?*, and her eager...

Lee Armstrong is co-owner, producer and puppeteer at Images In Motion Inc.,  a company that specializes in puppetry for TV and film.

Hailing from Nova Scotia, Canada, Lee went looking for a job in the Arts and after Canada ManPower shared they did not even have an arts folder- Lee had them create one. Low and behold - one job came through the next day seeking a puppeteer and the rest is history!

She worked on Canadian networ...

 Claire shares their magic to living an organic and authentic life! We talk to this "master of disguise" (as Gerardo calls them) and learn all about how they are a born Sonoman with deep Italian roots, and a clinical herbalist and teacher at the CA. School of Herbal Studies. They share their rich past rich in farming with the renowned Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley and a former student/farmer of Green String Farms fou...

Nao Kobayashi Is a interdisciplinary artist and 2024 Trashion Fashion "Most Theatrical" Designer . She explores expressional and contemplative art through puppetry, costume, butoh dance and performance. She shares her story of feeling like an outsider in Japan and America and finding her voice through performance art and mindful expression. She continues her ongoing expansive journey to cross borders and nurture culture wi...

Haylie Jimenez is the 2024 Sonoma Ceramics ceramics artist in residence ( SCC program) and she's the visual  arts bada**  you you want to be when you grow up. We go on the journey from her birth in Orlando, growing up in rural Georgia, attending  the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the wide open spaces on Montana and now here in CA at the time.   
  Cool as a cucumber,  she is a BIPOC artist who lives life and e...

Back for a second time is Maeve Smith! This time as director of Sonoma Arts Live's musical, "The Hello Girls." The compelling and  true story of Hello Girls was the name for American female switchboard operators sworn into the U.S Army in World War I as the first female soldiers. They served as bilingual telephone operators on the front line that helped shape the outcome of the war before they even had the right to vote. I...

"The Duke of the Dumpster"- Robert Stickley, stops by to chat! Trashion Fashion winning Designer, prior Trashion judge and all around fun loving chap tells us all about how his one of a kind creations come to life  -from rubbish to the runway! We get details  on his unusual foraging for materials and how his designs draw inspiration from historical references and his roots from his homeland, Scotland. We chat about his ear...

Ever wonder where clay is mined from around the world , the  history of ceramics or what  is a firing cone? Welcome to the beginner's guide to clay and ceramics with Meg Billingham and Dan Clauson. We take a fascinating ride into all things ceramics and in particular our amazing department of Sonoma Ceramics. We also talk Contemporary approaches to clay through performance, movement, and touch as well as beautiful synopsis...

Tim Zahner from Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and our other favorite podcast, The Sonoma Spiel,  stops by and talks with Gerardo and Molly about recommendations,  best foodie spots and a behind-the-scenes look for those that want to know a true locals guide to  Sonoma. 

  We also learn how to pronounce Milwaukee  the right way "Mi-waukee" from Tim's time at college, coming back to CA and that there is a guy with an epic mus...