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Cut & Paste: Nika Marble performs improv on the piano, at the easel and behind the bar

Nika Marble’s artistic toolbox holds an eclectic mix: A shot of tonic, a staccato note and a sharp pair of scissors.

Each tool is in service of one of her artistic endeavors: music, mixology and collage making. But as she dons one hat after another, how does Marble define herself? In this reboot of our Cut & Paste podcast, we talk with Marble about an identity crisis that plagues many creative people.

“Am I am I an artist who waits tables? Or am I a waiter who occasionally makes art?” Marble said. “This is a thing that has worried myself and a lot of my friends in their lives.”

Willis Ryder Arnold and Nancy Fowler talk with Nika Marble about the improvisation and pairing of disparate ingredients in all her artistic pursuits.

With this episode, Cut & Paste is returning from a hiatus. During our time off, we launched a survey asking people what they want to hear  in their arts and culture podcast.

Among other things, we learned that listeners want deeper stories about how artists and cultural drivers approach their work and how they fit it into their lives. We used that feedback to hopefully create a better listening experience.

Look for new Cut & Paste (#cutpastestl) podcastsevery few weeks on our website. You can also find all previous podcasts focusing on a diverse collection of visual and performing artists, and subscribe to Cut & Paste through this link.

The podcast is sponsored by SPACE Architecture + Design.

Follow Willis and Nancy on Twitter: @WillisRArnoldand @NancyFowlerSTL

Please help St. Louis Public Radio find artists to feature on Cut & Paste. Tell us which artists and cultural themes deserve a closer look.

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Nika Marble's "king for a day // fool for a lifetime" is part of the Chess Hall of Fame's "The Imagery of Chess: Saint Louis Artists" exhibition.
Provided | Nika Marble /
Nika Marble's "king for a day // fool for a lifetime" is part of the Chess Hall of Fame's "The Imagery of Chess: Saint Louis Artists" exhibition.
"white, red" is a work by Nika Marble, currently hanging in St. Louis' Chess Hall of Fame.
Provided | Nika Marble /
"white, red" is a work by Nika Marble, currently hanging in St. Louis' Chess Hall of Fame.

Nancy is a veteran journalist whose career spans television, radio, print and online media. Her passions include the arts and social justice, and she particularly delights in the stories of people living and working in that intersection.
Willis Ryder Arnold is an arts and culture reporter for St. Louis Public Radio. He has contributed to NPR affiliates, community stations, and nationally distributed radio programs, as well as Aljazeera America, The New York Times blogs, La Journal de la Photographie, and LIT Magazine. He is a graduate of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and a recipient of the Society of Professional Journalist’s award for Radio In-Depth Reporting.