Artist, muralist, magician and author Katie Trainer talks her many talents

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Mural at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry created by Katie Trainer

Airdate: July 7th, 2023

Katie Trainer has to be one of the most talented people who has ever appeared on The Spark.

She’s an artist and that includes creating more than 100 murals throughout Pennsylvania and in other states, ice carving, and drawing. She also was a street magician and has written a book.

Not only is she one of the talented, but probably one of the busiest and most in demand. But we were fortunate to get a bit of her time on the program Friday.

Katie Trainer on The Spark

Trainer kind of fell into becoming a mural artist,”I was a magician on the street, like traveling around the country, just in my car. I ended up being a street performer, came back from Oregon, went to West Reading, and happened to meet a revitalization specialist who was building a mural corridor. I had my artwork that I had developed. It was theoretical science meets art and I just made prints and had them next to me as I did magic tricks. And he liked my Fibonacci seashell. And from there he said, I’ll give you money. I’ll pay you to do a mural if you make this better. And I was like, What do you mean, make it better? And so then I figured out how to do it.”

Trainer said she researches the subject of her murals thoroughly beforehand but then,”I just kind of take the concept of what the people want to see, and then I ask for the reference images, so I know the style they’d like to see. And then I kind of start just researching around that topic and merging images. And then once I get a grasp on it mentally, which I’m sure all the people who’ve ever worked with me are like, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but like there’s a spot where I can actually see it, and once I can see it, then I can actually, like, feel good about it. It takes a while to get to that point sometimes.”