Producers Blog: BTS with St. Anne’s Tattoo and Michael Coppage

This month, The Art Show features the artists of St. Anne’s Tattoo in Dayton and Cincinnati-based conceptual artist Michael Coppage. These creators use their craft to reflect individual stories and creative spirits, turning lived experience into powerful visual statements. In our blog below, Rodney Veal and Brynn DeLange each give a glimpse into their days on the set while producing each segment for the episode.

Tune in Saturday, March 21, at 6pm on CET and Sunday, March 22, at 5:30pm on Think^TV16, or stream it on the PBS app. You can also watch segments on our YouTube channel @theartshow-cet-ttv.

“Michael Coppage” – Rodney Veal

Even before stepping into my role as a producer at CET and Think^TV, my life in the arts had already trained me to expect the unexpected. Time and time again, I’ve discovered that a single conversation can ripple outward in ways you never quite see coming, and a few years ago one such afternoon event introduced me to Michael Coppage.

I was attending an “artist talk” at Front Street Art Studios in Dayton, the ever-evolving cultural hub run by Richard and Carol Lundin. There was something electric about Michael that afternoon. Technically assured and intellectually restless, I felt like an intimate witness to an artist standing at a powerful crossroads: engine running, foot hovering over the gas pedal.

Our introduction after the talk led to dinner, conversation and a connection that would later brush up against the orbit of the Cincinnati Opera, but that’s a story for another day. What mattered most was that we stayed in touch. Our creative paths crossed and re-crossed with a rhythm that felt less like coincidence and more like inevitability.

Fast forward to a snow-capped Monday morning in Cincinnati a few weeks ago, our production van pulled onto a quiet residential street. Inside Michael’s home, down a set of basement stairs past the washer and dryer, we entered a transformed workspace humming with purpose. The room vibrated softly with a playlist of musical choices that revealed yet another layer of his connoisseurship.

Michael and a small team of bright, dedicated interns were deep in the creation of a commissioned piece for the Lloyd Botanical Library and Museum: an ambitious, large-scale illustrated book of collages, weaving historic botanical imagery with his own narrative as an African-American artist. Layer upon layer of tissue paper created astonishing depth and color, each page monumental in scale and intimate in confession.

In our interview for The Art Show, Michael’s engagement translated into clarity and conviction. He spoke of his journey from Chicago to Memphis for undergraduate study, on to Philadelphia for graduate work, and ultimately to Cincinnati, with each city shaping his voice and sharpening his lens of creativity. In an hour, we traversed decades of artistic formation.

And then comes the producer’s paradox: distilling that hour and all of that richness into eight minutes of television. It is always the hardest and most exhilarating task. So many insights, so many unexpected turns, and yet the goal remains simple: to bring you, our viewer, into the orbit of an artist whose work demands both reflection and response.

Sitting in that audience at Front Street years ago, I could not have imagined that saying “yes” to an artist talk would lead to such admiration and respect, and the privilege of sharing Michael’s story with our viewers. That is the quiet magic of the arts community here. Show up. Listen closely. You never know what extraordinary journey is about to unfold.

Rodney Veal
CET/Think^TV Producer and Community Arts Liaison

“St. Anne’s Tattoo” – Brynn DeLange

Most people who have tattoos remember getting their first ink – I know I do. It was my sophomore year of college. My boyfriend and I had just broken up at the time. He always discouraged me from getting a tattoo, so obviously this was my prime opportunity. I remember going into the shop, nervous and excited, to get a small bird tattooed on my wrist. Little did I know that this one mark would spark a desire to get more – lots more. Fast forward 14 years and multiple tattoos later, I was able to cover a story on St. Anne’s Tattoo for The Art Show. 

A newer shop located in the historical St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood in downtown Dayton, St. Anne’s Tattoo offers clients a welcoming and energetic environment. The owner, Alberto Carranza, originally from Los Angeles, said opening the shop has been a dream come true for him. The historic district has been going through a revitalization and he’s excited for his shop to be part of that process. 

While tattooing has a bit of a taboo history, tattoos really are for everybody. It is a fascinating blend of art, culture, and human connection. Artist Deville Pinson told me that he tattoos anyone from college students to soccer moms. The oldest client he has tattooed was in her 90s – her grandkids bet her that she wouldn’t do it, so obviously she had to prove them wrong. Even someone from our camera crew scheduled his first tattoo after filming the story!

Watching the artists work, you quickly realize how much thought and intention goes into every design and line. Artists like Morgan Jaworsky, who specializes in fine line tattoos, spend a significant amount of time designing pieces before a needle ever touches skin. This art form requires precision and careful planning, and each client who walks through the door has a different story to express. Some are commemorating a loved one, others marking a milestone, and some simply want a piece of art they can carry with them forever. 

Filming this segment gave me an inside look into that process. The steady buzz of tattoo machines, the careful preparation of inks and needles, the conversations between artists and clients – it all creates an atmosphere that feels both focused and relaxed. Seeing the amount of patience, care, and love these artists bring to their work proved what a meaningful collaboration this art form can be, turning a stranger’s idea into a beautiful, permanent creation.

Brynn DeLange
CET/Think^TV Producer and Community Arts Liaison

Stream more episodes of The Art Show anytime and anywhere on the PBS app: https://watch.cetconnect.org/show/art-show/.