NPR Radio Interview on Traditional Sign Painting

Hello Friends and Fellow Sign Painters,

I was contacted this August by Alana Rinicella, a reporter for NPR radio, 89.3, to do an interview about Traditional Sign Painting. Her goal as she saw it was to ‘share the art of sign painting with others’.
She had seen a clip of ‘The Sign Painters’ movie and was looking for a local sign painter to interview. Alana then found Traditional Sign Maker Magazine, an e-magazine showcasing sign painters. James Thomas, a local Sign Painter and reporter for Traditional Sign Maker Magazine, had interviewed me several months ago, and Alana read the article.

You can see that article here at traditionalsignmaker.com

Our meeting was scheduled for August 14. I had never done a radio interview before and she said pictures would be taken and an article written. I thought okay, go with the flow.

I read the finished article and listened to the edited radio interview. I feel really proud to be on NPR radio. An old friend contacted me today and reminded me that 89.3 is a Blues station. I used to listen to 89.3 years ago, and an aquaintance of mine, Bernie Pearl, was one of the original disc jockeys. It was also good to see the video on the Disneyland sign shop and see the guys I used to work with. The video on the ‘Basketball Court’ in the Matterhorn brought back memories of when I rode up the two man elevator and Art allowed me to sign my name on a metal beam, for lettering some basketballs on my own time.

Alana was gracious and took me thru the process like a true professional that she is. I hope you will enjoy this article and it will give you an appreciation of the craft known as Sign Painting and the impact it has had on our visual world.

Here is the NPR interview

http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2014/09/04/39048/meet-the-man-who-hand-painted-hundreds-of-signs-at/

Patrick G. Smith

Traditional Sign Painter