Photo by Charles Champagne
“The emphasis on a good conversation, as opposed to a more straightforward interview, helps maintain a good energy,” said Bruce Morgan, producer and host of an arts-focused radio show called "Art Scouts."
It wasn’t hard to spot Bruce Morgan among the other patrons at a local café. Not many men would wear an Andy Warhol-style Tupac Shakur T-shirt with a blazer and carry a briefcase to chat over tea. It made sense that the host of a radio show might stand out, and Morgan didn’t disappoint. An hour into the interview, it was clear his eclectic attire completely matched his free-spirited vibe.
For more than a year, Morgan has hosted a weekly radio show called Art Scouts that features Baton Rouge artists and musicians. The concept of the show, which airs on Baton Rouge community station WHYR 96.9 FM, is based on one of Morgan’s childhood memories. “There was a radio show called Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, and I liked the name but also his idea, which was to find someone in the community who knows an artist, thinks highly of them, and brings them on the show to interview before the person sings their heart out,” said Morgan.
“Art Scouts emerged as a way to join the parade and add a dimension to the arts and community landscape that had the potential to help things along in its small way,” said Morgan. “The show was conceived as a way for the arts community to learn about itself because artists are so busy creating, they often fail to know one another. The show was also to be a communiqué to the populace that there are some wonderful creatives living here. I wanted people to get to know these creatives in much the same way we know our closer friends and relatives. And I also want people to support them by their attendance at events and by purchasing their works.”
A Sulphur native, Morgan’s adventurous spirit has led him on many journeys, starting when he made the decision to halt his graduate studies at the University of Houston and work on a schooner headed to the Caribbean. The same day he decided to take the job, he proposed to his love Wendy Harrington, and they married one week later. Almost immediately after, Morgan set sail and wouldn’t see his wife for six months. When he returned to Houston, he and Wendy moved to New York City without having ever visited the city. “I’ll never forget it,” said Morgan. “Arriving in New York was exactly how we had pictured it. It was fantastic. Everything just worked out beautifully there.”
Three years later, Morgan, Wendy, and their newborn moved to Baton Rouge, where Morgan graduated from Louisiana State University and eventually took a job as head of advertising and publicity with the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism that further connected him to the arts. “The department had so many facets to it, and I found a way through tourism to connect all that,” said Morgan. “So, for example, talking about storytelling, we created a program for one year that was spectacular. We commissioned a pavilion—a big tent if you will—that went around to festivals so that people would come and tell stories. We recorded them and later made a book from that. Prior to the tent, there were field workers who were going out finding people who could tell great stories, which is kind of what I’m doing with the show now.”
To find new artists and musicians for Art Scouts, Morgan relies on his friends to keep him in the loop, and he also attends various events around Baton Rouge. “My wife says I don’t go anywhere that I don’t come back with a name,” he said. “I start talking to people and one thing leads to another.”
Some of Morgan’s guests for the show have included renowned Louisiana photographer C.C. Lockwood, LSU football hero and Heisman Trophy-winner Billy Cannon, Theatre Baton Rouge Executive Director Jenny Ballard, and musician/author Alex Cook of The Rakers (who also wrote Louisiana Saturday Night). “My favorite guests are the ones who get into a good conversation, bantering with each other as well as talking with me,” said Morgan. “The emphasis on a good conversation, as opposed to a more straightforward interview, helps maintain a good energy.”
Though music is an essential part of the show, Morgan particularly enjoyed a segment on tattoos called “Tattoos – Art or Not?” “This is a fun thing to talk about, but also a fun thing for the listener to consider,” said Morgan. “I’m interested in people’s stories, but I’m also interested in who’s doing it—to find out about the person, not just the art.”
As for what Morgan takes away from the show, besides meeting new and interesting people and developing friends in the community, he said, “I gain beauty from the arts and gain even more beauty from the artists. Baton Rouge is growing and growing together. People are finding more reasons why they love this town and are also realizing that they do, in fact, enjoy life here.”
Art Scouts airs on Fridays at 6:30 am, with repeats at 5:30 pm and Saturdays at 10:30 am. Past shows can be found on the Art Scouts Radio Facebook page and at mixcloud.com.
