Profile of Spencer's art, culture to be part of IPTV program

(Photo by Randy Cauthron) Dan Kaercher, host for "The Iowa Journal," interviewing Martin Arthur, right, in the auditorium of the old Spencer Middle School building Thursday morning. [Order this photo]

A crew from Iowa Public Television's award-winning series "The Iowa Journal" visited Spencer this week to tape footage for an upcoming program.

IPTV produces "The Iowa Journal," which offers an in-depth look at issues that impact Iowans. The series analyzes issues and events that are in the news, and explores the state's variety and diversity.

Sara Frasher, the show's producer, and Rick Fuller, its videographer, spent Wednesday shooting video at the Spencer Community Theatre, the old Spencer High School auditorium and the Clay County fairgrounds. After picking up some still photographs of Spencer's 1931 fire, the two taped part of a rehearsal for "The Taffetas" at SCT.

Commentator and show host Dan Kaercher, the former editor and chief of "Midwest Living" magazine, joined the IPTV crew in Spencer on Thursday, when Connie Goeken, the SCT executive director, Martin Arthur, a Friends of the Old Spencer High School Auditorium representative and the Arts on Grand executive director, and Bob Rose, the Spencer Chamber of Commerce director, were interviewed before the IPTV delegation shot b-roll, or supplemental footage, around town in the afternoon before departing.

(Photo by Randy Cauthron) Sara Frasher offers a few last-minute directions to, from left, show host Dan Kaercher, videographer Rick Fuller and Martin Arthur before taping Thursday's interview. [Order this photo]

"'The Iowa Journal,' these pieces started out as five-minute profiles of a community, and it would be on every few weeks. Following the flood this last fall, in December actually, we did a half-hour (program) that was just about communities and how they dealt with the flood. We decided we liked that format better," Frasher explained of the show's format. "So, the story about Spencer will be part of a half-hour that looks at how communities develop performing art centers. We'll feature some newer performing art centers, some older ones and how communities come together to create their own culture. Spencer has done a tremendous job of this, from everything I have found out."

Of the upcoming program's "Out and About Iowa" segment, which is tentatively scheduled to air sometime in late March or April, the television show's producer added, "It will be five, six minutes in a half-hour that will profile four communities and their efforts. The only other one I know for sure yet is Ottumwa. The others are not locked in yet."

"The Iowa Journal" airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on IPTV.