Premieres Thursday, August 6 at 8 p.m.

PBS NewsHour is bringing audiences a new program, “Beyond the CANVAS,” set to premiere this August on Southern Oregon PBS. With the support of PBS, the four-part modern arts and culture series highlights the best arts reporting from PBS NewsHour’s cross-platform arts initiative CANVAS.

Hosted by PBS NewsHour senior national correspondent and primary substitute anchor Amna Nawaz, the half-hour programs feature various profiles of cultural creators from the legendary artist Bruce Springsteen to the award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda. Each profile explores a variety of universal themes including finding your passion, making a change, creating a new world, and getting that big break.

“We have curated some of the best arts and culture reporting from the PBS NewsHour and created a new broadcast, for a new audience,” said James Blue, Executive-in-Charge of PBS NewsHour’s special programming. “We are honored to debut this series during the pandemic period when live performances or other forms of public entertainment are currently not possible. These inspiring stories are essential reminders of the importance of art and culture in our lives.”

The following episode descriptions are for the debut season of “Beyond the CANVAS”

Making Music - Thursday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m.
Making it as a musician takes talent, ambition, grit and a good bit of luck. In the first episode of Beyond the CANVAS. We sit down with icons Bruce Springsteen and Reba McEntire and talk about some of their most vulnerable moments.

Finding Joy - Thursday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m.
What does it take to be truly happy? For many artists taking the stage or singing their heart out is what brings them the ultimate joy. They couldn’t imagine doing anything else. In our second episode, we examine the emotional motivation that pushes some artists to chase their dream and leads others to decide when it’s time to give it up for something else. We hear from actress Adrienne Moore on the wisdom of her father’s words, Gloria and Emilio Estefan on their success in the music business and as a couple. And we hear from living legend Joan Baez on her decision to silence her voice.

Taking the Stage - Thursday, Aug. 20 at 8 p.m.
Ultimate creative bravery is putting your work on the theater stage where the audience can see it all. It takes courage and acceptance of artistic vulnerability. In this episode, we speak to some of the theater’s brightest stars. Multi-talented Lin-Manuel Miranda, acclaimed actor Bryan Cranston and others share their passion for the theater.

Movie Magic - Thursday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m.
On the Oscar Awards edition of Beyond the CANVAS, we sit down with nominees and winners to talk about their craft and commitment to storytelling. What does it take to execute a unique artistic vision? Creators behind films like Black Panther and A Beautiful Mind share secrets to their success and we hear from comedy duo Steve Martin and Martin Short.

In addition to its broadcast on PBS stations, the program will stream at pbs.org/newshour and pbs.org; on PBS NewsHour’s Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter; and on the PBS Video App (available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Smart TVs).

To complement the series, “Beyond the CANVAS” will organize digital and social coverage in the lead-up to the special. The coverage, including additional in-person and remote interviews, will update viewers on projects any of the artists currently have in the works. This content will be published on the CANVAS platform, artscanvas.org.