Early this year, as I was researching the next episode of our art history series, The Unexplored, I happened upon a story that took my breath away. 

During World War II, a pair of cunning and resourceful women risked absolutely everything to undermine the Nazi war effort using art and subterfuge. Their story reminds us how, in the battle for hearts and minds, art can question the status quo and challenge existing power structures. 

As a dark period of history begins to echo in our own time, their bravery can inspire us and call us to action. 

Thanks to the generous support of George Bard, and our collaboration with the Jersey Heritage Collection and The Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive, the story of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore is now live for all to view. 

And in case you missed Episode One, “What Were They Trying to Tell Us?” takes an artistic journey from Prehistory to the Baroque. Along the way you’ll meet women artists who changed the way we see the world. Prepare to be fascinated!

For more than a year, we’ve been working on a documentary series about housing in America. The work took us all over the country to tell the stories of communities that are leading the way — exemplars of how to enact housing policy and encourage development effectively through public-private partnerships. 

As you may know, housing is one of the defining issues of our time; the unavailability and cost of housing elevates economic inequality, suppresses mobility, and exacerbates political instability (The Atlantic, free gift article). Our film series was set to inspire and educate, to show concrete and actionable steps communities could take to improve housing access and affordability. The small- to medium-sized towns we profiled represented a broad cross section of American places, identities, and political persuasions.

The shoots were going great. Then I got a phone call. 

I’ll never forget the scene: A windy and raw February day. We were filming in a lumber yard in a small southern town. The owner was passionate about serving his community and providing materials for affordable housing to developers. Just as we were filming the last few interview questions, I was directed to shut down the project. Effective immediately, the grant that funded our work was terminated. The only reason or rationale given: The work was radical and wasteful.

As of this writing, I do not know if the significant work put into this project will ever be completed and if these inspiring and educational stories will ever be aired. It’s painful to know what could have been, and the impact we could have had. Scuttling a project of this size, with this much potential strikes us as wasteful. 

The damage extends far beyond our project; the overall termination of what’s known as Section 4 HUD grants will have deep, long-lasting, and wide ranging impacts nationwide (LinkedIn article). 

In my humble opinion, there’s nothing radical or “DEI” about having a roof over your head. What’s more, federal investment in housing is a net growth engine: For every federal dollar spent, $20 or more is returned in private investment in housing and revitalization. When you do the simple math, this DOGE decision simply doesn’t cost out.  

This project and several others have brought us in touch with incredible people who are passionate about improving the housing crisis in our country. I can only hope that their work will continue, and that these dedicated folks — all with a passion to make the American Dream accessible to more Americans — can get back to work.

What a stunning year of work! Our biggest project was a major new educational series for our friends at LISC, supporting their work building stronger communities across the country. Meanwhile, we completed the first couple of episodes of an early learning series we’re creating with our longtime partners, Kentucky Educational Television. 

Oh, and in addition to creating an immersive, story-driven virtual tour of the Boston Children’s Museum,  we managed to release the first episode of our original YouTube/Patreon series, “The Unexplored.”

My gratitude goes to our incredible team, who worked together in a spirit of mutual respect and support, no matter the challenge. Jen, Jane, Songyi, and Franzi, you keep my heart and mind engaged and inspired every day. Kim Hui, Taiko Sound, Amador Biligual Voiceovers, and all our other partners — your talents and input on our projects were invaluable, as well.

I’m also grateful for the deep and lasting relationships we have with our clients. The people at these organizations are dynamic and passionate with a commitment to impact, and we were fortunate to learn from and collaborate with them in 2024:

Below, enjoy some highlights from the year that was…

The Unexplored: Episode One

This is Planet Nutshell at its best, creating what we love with passion and purpose. Painstaking research, exquisite art direction, and soulful storytelling all come together here. The result is a compelling and original experience that asks viewers to see the world in a new way.

As I’ve mentioned many times, please support our labor of love and enjoy the full, uncensored version of the episode on Patreon.

KET: Everyday Art Foundations Series

This year saw the continuation of our decade-long partnership with Kentucky Educational Television, and our Everyday Art Foundations series might just be our best collaboration yet.

The first episode, What is Creativity, helps young learners establish an understanding of what it means to be creative, and how creativity is foundational to the human experience.

Boston Children’s Museum Virtual Tour

We pushed ourselves to expand our capabilities in 2024 and dove into a virtual tour for our friends at Boston Children’s Museum. The thrill and delight (and many challenges!) of this project came from combining so many things: 360-degree panoramic photography, accessibility standards, software development, user experience/interface design, storytelling, and of course, animation.

National Immigration Law Center: Sofia’s Story

We teamed up with the amazing, dedicated people at NILC to create Sofia’s Story, which represents the stories of so many immigrants like her. We hope Sofia’s journey, which is based on a true story, will inspire empathy and action on one of the most important issues of our time.