Featured Artist: Ziggy’s Arts Adventures | by Ian Morris | October 2024

A native of Baton Rouge, Clay Achee spent a decade refining his creative and collaborative skills in the Louisiana film industry before dedicating his time and attention to conceiving Ziggy and The Junkyard Band. First developed as a YouTube channel in 2018, Ziggy and his eclectic gang of kaleidoscopic friends eventually moved to LPB in 2021 for the first season of Ziggy's Arts Adventure. Whether creating an entire world or bringing a single character to life, Clay always endeavors to assemble a reality that appears comfortingly familiar while also feeling genuinely magical.

Ziggy's Arts Adventure showcases a diverse range of artistic expressions and thought-provoking conversations. What inspired you to create a platform that explores the intersection of creativity and consciousness?

Not only was I not trying to explore the intersection of creativity and consciousness, but I didn’t know what I was trying to do at all! A lovely aspect of developing an idea over a long period is that you can get lost in it, seeking out what excites you or what you find most interesting. Then, one day, when someone asks how you arrived at that intersection, you look up and are genuinely surprised to find yourself where you are. The very first seed of an idea for Ziggy was that he was the alien who finds Voyager I. He hears “Johnny B. Goode” on the big golden record and comes to Earth to discover more rock 'n' roll. At first, I’m not sure I even realized I was creating something for kids; I was definitely thinking in terms of building a movie, not a TV show. But for ten years, I built the world and populated it with characters without worrying too much about what I was making or who would like it. During that time, I was building puppets and finding collaborators based on a shared love of puppetry. By 2020, I knew I was making a kids' show, but it was primarily about the adventures of Ziggy and his friends, The Junkyard Band. People at Louisiana Public Broadcasting saw what we were doing and asked, “Can you teach a subject with this?” I replied, “As long as art counts as a subject.” Thankfully, it does! My friend and collaborator Elizabeth Foos came on as an educational consultant. Foos is an incredible arts integration educator! After months of diving deep into arts education and how our brains learn, you suddenly find yourself lost without a map. You look up, and BOOM! You’re at the corner of creativity and consciousness, not even sure how you stumbled into the neighborhood.

You have interviewed various guests with unique perspectives on the arts, spirituality, and personal growth. How do you select your guests, and what qualities make someone a good fit for the show?

The most important quality is simply to be an artist—someone who openly and curiously explores their inner and outer world and reports back. I’m looking for artists who are still in touch with their inner child. Then, it’s about finding a diverse range of voices and experiences. Artists come from different backgrounds and arrive at art through various paths. I want kids to see themselves in these artists and understand that artists come in all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and body types. Art is a deeply human endeavor that we can all participate in! Talking to artists about art is one of the most joyful aspects of my work. As a director, my role is part detective and part therapist. Artists invest so much personally into their work; when I ask, “How do you use color in your work?” their answer might lead to a story from their childhood. Or I might ask, “How do you use dynamics in your music?” and suddenly, we’re having a conversation about time travel. I love how a professional question can elicit a profound and personal response from artists.

The Ziggy's Arts Adventure series also features music, poetry, and live art performances. Can you tell us more about the importance of incorporating these elements into your show?

I feel very lucky to be charged with the mission of arts education. One reason is how seamlessly the arts integrate into our daily reality. As a kid, I would watch educational shows where characters had to stop and solve a math problem to move the plot forward. Art concepts show up in our day to day lives, and artists use their skills in everything they do. Anyone who hangs out with artists knows that it’s often a lifestyle. You meet painters who also play music, architects with a passion for pottery, or artists who jump between different mediums. It’s not just full-time artists; many people with regular day jobs create art in their homes, whether it’s painting figurines or landscaping their yards. So, if Ziggy lives with this group of artists, he can wake up every morning to an art adventure waiting for him because someone is always up to something when creative people get together.

As a host, how do you create an environment that fosters open and authentic conversations with your guests?

This is really important to me. I want all our guests to leave feeling like they just did something fun and meaningful for children like themselves. Along with all the logistical emails, I talk with each artist on the phone. I give them a rundown of what to expect, especially when working with puppets, and then we dive into art! I introduce them to the Concept of the Day for their episode and discuss how it relates to their work, going over the questions we’ll ask. Then they have a few weeks to think about it. Once they arrive on set, we show them the stages and set pieces, letting them get used to the quirks of filming (especially with puppets). I have an incredible crew that welcomes our guests as part of the family. We aim to let them into our world, and they remind us how special what we do is through their fresh perspective. Then, I sit down with the guest and Chase Bernard, our talented actor and puppeteer who plays Ziggy. The three of us review the questions and answers again so the guest has a reminder, and Chase knows how to guide them toward the responses they gave without the pressure of the lights and cameras. In seasons one and two, we wrote the artists into the plot of the story. However, since not all artists are performers, for season three, they come as guests on Ziggy’s late-night style talk show. It’s an interview format that all our artists know and can easily navigate.

What role does art play in shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves, and how does Ziggy's Arts Adventure contribute to this dialogue?

It might be easier to answer, "In what ways does art not shape our understanding?" Ziggy’s backstory is that he comes from a planet of emotionally telepathic beings, making them extremely cooperative but preventing them from developing the arts. Ziggy is different; he doesn’t communicate like the others. When the Voyager lands, he hears music for the first time and learns that there are other ways to express ourselves. The show explores "Why art?" through an alien who represents the children watching. Ziggy is smart and curious—just like kids, but also just like kids, Ziggy is new here. For me, art is how humans process, understand, and shape their world. We take what our senses give us and try to communicate our perspectives to others. Through art, we can measure our realities against each other, find reflections of our own experiences, and feel less alone. Science supports this: art can improve test scores in other subjects and enhance our communication skills. Combat veterans report that sharing their stories is a crucial part of their recovery. Art is used in hospitals, prisons, and therapy; all of our most difficult moments.

With a growing following on YouTube, how do you envision the future of the show and its potential impact on your audience?

Ziggy's Arts Adventure is a LPB Digital production, so every episode goes directly to YouTube and is designed for use in elementary school art classes. We’re excited to partner with SCTV in South Columbus and WKNO in Memphis to expand our reach into other states and more classrooms! Our goal is to be in classrooms across all 50 states! We’re currently working to identify and reach kids who need art education the most, whether or not their schools have art programs. I think there’s a misconception that the arts or arts education are only for artists or those aspiring to be artists. I hope the show impacts young geniuses—future Aretha Franklins, Buster Keatons, or William Shakespeares—by providing them the support and tools they need to grow as artists. But I also want Ziggy to show that art is for EVERYONE! Even “bad” art is good for you! The skills you learn from being “bad” at art can carry over into any area of life. The Harvard research group Project Zero has identified what they call Studio Habits of Mind, which are skills artists develop through their practice. The skills read like a list of what employers want from their employees: observation, developing craft, engagement, and persistence. Would you like your employees and fellow citizens to observe problems, develop solutions, engage with those problems, and persist until they’re solved? May I suggest arts education? It works!

Are there any upcoming episodes or themes that you are particularly excited about and would like to share with our Frequency Minded Magazine readers?

We’re gearing up to release Season 3 this fall! I’m excited for everyone to see the whole thing! We got to create some wonderfully fun, cartoon-like gags and silliness this year! In the episode on Energy, we chase around dozens of bowling balls, the Line episode has us catapulting puppets, and in the Dynamics episode, we explore and teach about Cajun music! There’s so much to be excited about this season! Mostly, I’m thrilled to continue this journey of exploring healthy, kind, and joyful ways to be human!

Clay Achee Director | Artist | Puppeteer | Rabble-Rouser clayachee@gmail.com (912) 596-6227