Jackie Dettmar, Ind. IIDA
Vice President Marketing, Design and Product Development, Mohawk Group

What have you been reading?
Our Southern Highlanders by Horace Kephart - a study of life in the Great Smoky Mountains from 1913 (this is the area around our mountain cabin where I try to spend as much time as possible). I also received The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery for Christmas and have been cooking on the campfire!

What music have you been listening to?
I'm having a country moment, I guess it goes along with hanging out in the mountains: Chris Stapleton, Niko Moon, and I’m even enjoying Brooks & Dunn, my Mom and Dad's go-to line dancing favorites from the 90’s.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
I have been crocheting again and experimenting with natural dyes for fabric and yarns from forest plants and food.

John Stephens
Vice President of Marketing, Shaw Contract

What have you been reading?
I just finished Burnt Sugar, a novel by Avni Doshi, and Olivia Nuzzi's political coverage in New York Magazine has provided a fresh voice to the coverage of all the chaos.

What music have you been listening to?
Dua Lipa for escapist energy, Stephen Thompson's Songs for Editing playlist on Spotify for a calming background, and (not so) strangely the sound tracks to Rent and Hair have provided joy.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
The Daily, Pod Save America, Pop Culture Happy Hour, NYT's The Argument is also fantastic. Old standards like This American Life and Fresh Air also still have a place in my feed.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Unfortunately nothing in person but Instagram can deliver visual curiosity, joy, and ideas to rift on—my text chain with our creative director sizzles with ideas.

Guilty pleasures?
I love Song Exploder, both podcast and the new Netflix series, which offer insights into an artist's or producer's creative process. Also, any politician who is lost enough to try to score Twitter points against AOC provides endless entertainment as she, with humor and Bronx level chutzpah, eviscerates them.

Ryan Menke, Ind. IIDA
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, OFS

What have you been reading?
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl was the perfect book to read throughout the pandemic lockdowns for perspective, context, and positivity.

What music have you been listening to?
Tool’s Fear Inoculum: While too heavy for a lot of people, the complexity of their music and sheer talent of the band is undeniable, and it makes for great tunes while working out.
Paper Airplane by John Craigie: I was introduced to John by our friend, James Kerrigan, but found this gem of an album that is nothing but acoustic covers of Led Zeppelin songs.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
Imagine A Place and the soothing sounds of Mr. Doug Shapiro of course!

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
From a music perspective, I've been dusting off my vinyl albums and playing a little more guitar. My wife and I have also been renovating and restoring old buildings in our downtown.

Guilty pleasures?
The series Yellowstone on Paramount.

Doug Shapiro, Ind. IIDA
VP of Research and Insights, OFS

What music have you been listening to?
Mr Eazi

What podcasts have you been listening to?
The Imagine A Place Podcast :) A Bit of Optimism

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Recycling and reuse crafts

Guilty pleasures?
We are a big NBA family, so that occupies the airwaves in our house! We are also watching Smallville as a family. My wife and I have found this interesting comfort in watching a show from the 90’s. It’s fun but it’s also a chance to reminisce on fashion, music, and technology (or lack thereof).

Jon P. Otis, IIDA
Founder and Principal, OlA - Object Agency

What have you been reading?
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, Atmospheric Architectures: The Aesthetics of Felt Spaces by Gernot Böhme, How Music Works by David Byrne, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Dezeen, ArchDaily, Surface, and The Hill We Climb poems by Amanda Gorman as soon as I can get it!

What music have you been listening to?
At The End Of Time: Churchscapes by Robert Fripp, The Next Day by David Bowie, A String Quartet Tribute to Massive Attack, The Pavilion of Dreams by Harold Budd, Bach:The Goldberg Variations by Glenn Gould (old stuff!).

What podcasts have you been listening to?
Imagine A Place from OFS/Doug Shapiro, The Sarah Silverman Podcast, Questlove Supreme Live, MonoNeon, Scott’s Bass Lessons, and 1619.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Live in NYC: Donald Judd and MoMA, Theaster Gates at Gagosian, Albers and Morandi Never Finished at David Zwirner, and Tara Donovan at Pace Gallery

Guilty pleasures?
Bass Lessons & listening to everything, watching great bass players, practicing, practicing. Netflix, Turner Classics, CNN, MSNBC, NC Tar Heel Basketball, and Seinfeld reruns every night at 11 p.m.

Catherine (Kitty) Minervini, Ind. IIDA
A+D Manager Sunbrella

What music have you been listening to?
The Paris Lounge playlist on Spotify for when I'm working.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
I'm really into Podcasts right now: Oprah's Super Soul Sunday, The Mindful Surfer, Unlocking Us, The In Between, The Moth, Fresh Air, Asbury Pod (interviews with local peeps). I love interviews and storytelling!

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
I'm always stalking ceramicists on Instagram, I recently took an intro class and am looking to get into it more. I'm so inspired by this artform right now! I'm addicted to any kind of design account–I spend a lot of time stalking design!

Guilty pleasures?
I have been deep into working on my family history, so more time Googling things about family and different time periods. I end up going down some deep rabbit holes on history and news clippings. Honestly, I couldn't even tell you which sites because I never know where I've ended up!

Fiona Grandowski, IIDA
Principal and Interior Architecture, ‎Collins Cooper Carusi Architects

What have you been reading?
Mirror Thinking: How Role Models Make Us Human by Fiona Murden, it illustrates so many reasons we need to be back together. The Arts and Crafts Movement by Rosalind P. Blakesley (inspiration for detailing our weekend home).

What music have you been listening to?
Pink Martini, Mathilde Fernandez, Chris Stapleton (Starting Over). No, I don't speak French, however, no matter what language I love music that I just want to move to.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
Actually something I only rarely do - usually David Burkus when I do.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Anything I can find! I've found a new appreciation for folk art, meeting the artists that are doing it, and hearing their stories has been a great journey over the last couple of years for me. Seeing the largest museum collection of Louis Tiffany's work in person was awe-inspiring, seeing up close how he both captured and manipulated light.

Guilty pleasures?
The Queen's Gambit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ratched, Bridgerton - anything with great fashion. Next in Fashion, Blown Away, Skin Wars, designers competing head to head (but not interior design, too stressful!).

Ronnie Belizaire, IIDA
Corporate Real Estate Manager, Americas at Daimler North America

What have you been reading?
A Promised Land by Barack Obama, More Myself: A Journey by Alicia Keys, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and Where We Want to Live by Ryan Gravel.

What music have you been listening to?
Everything Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Sia.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
The Breakfast Club, and Angela Rye On One

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Kehinde Wiley

Guilty pleasures?
I love shoes, so Instagram pages dedicated to shoes have been giving me so much joy.