4/25/2011 MinneCulture

Stories from KFAI's 10,000 Fresh Voice series:

1. Fontmaker & Alphabetician, Chank Diesel
Produced by Susan Gray
Mister Stinky, Broken Dreams, and Flubber are just a few of the 300 unique fonts created by Twin Cities typographer Chank Diesel. With the recent introduction of open font formats on the web, the number of typography choices for consumers and designers is rapidly expanding. KFAI's Susan Gray met with Chank to learn how digital technology has changed the way fonts are created and distributed, how font choices impact memory retention, and what Arial did to Helvetica.

2. Rogue Buddha Gallery
Produced by Michelle Bruch
Rogue Buddha Gallery has become famous for its haunting artwork and talented contributors. One of the first hot spots to turn Northeast Minneapolis’ 13th Avenue into an arts destination, it has survived more than decade as other galleries have come and gone. KFAI’s Michelle Brook spoke to artist and gallery owner Nicholas Harper.

3. Youth Farm & Market Project
Produced by Dan Greenwood
The Twin Cities Youth Farm and Market Project empowers young people through environmental stewardship, farming and community outreach. What started out as a community garden project with 10 kids in 1995, has grown to serve 500 youth year round in multiple neighborhoods throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. KFAI's Dan Greenwood attended a weeknight program in south Minneapolis, where kids prepared and served food for a neighborhood.

4. Forte Drums
Produced by Nancy Sartor
Rob DeMarais disassembled his first drum kit when he was 12. Decades later he's still reconstructing and repairing trap sets, and is recognized as a master craftsman of custom-built drums. KFAI's Nancy Sartor met Rob at his Columbia Heights drum shop, Forte Drums, to ogle the percussive eye-candy and meet one of Forte's more unconventional students--79-year-old Char Johnson.

5. Prison Poetry
Produced by Elena Erofeeva
April is National Poetry Month, and KFAI has been broadcasting related stories. In this segment, producer Elena Erofeeva discovers poetry from inside Hennepin County's correctional facilities, and the published works of men, women and juveniles behind bars.