Not Real Art

Art is important for more reasons than will ever be possible to count. From aiding cognitive development and critical thinking skills to beautifying the world we live in, art matters to us all. Today’s guest, Mary Farmer, is an internationally-recognized encaustic painter based in Asheville, North Carolina, whose work creates a portal into a timeless, transcendent state of consciousness. Interestingly, Mary’s paintings serve as a counterbalance to her firebrand spirit.

While the pandemic has taken a lot away, it has also gifted many of us with extra time to pursue our passions. This is how today’s guest, Javie Lopez, views the forced downtime in 2020, and he has been grinding harder than ever before. As a consummate multi-hyphenate, Javie is an artist, producer, DJ, videographer, director, and Founder and Creative Director of Graffiti The City. Along with this, he is a great friend, a die-hard supporter of the arts, and all-around dope, positive guy.

For the acclaimed writer, producer, and broadcaster Frances Anderton, telling engaging stories is about inspiring people and never leaving them feeling hopeless. Having just left her position of 22 years at KCRW, in this episode we speak with Frances about transition and her history reporting on how design and architecture impact community, politics, and culture. Early in the show, we explore how crises can lead to personal adventure.

Brand identity is a big business. From consumer products to startups and even political parties, if people identify with your message, they will be on your side. Today's guest, Ron Vandenberg, is a multi-Clio Award-winning brand consultant and creative director and is recognized for his expertise in brand thinking, communication, design, and experience.

Deck the halls! Welcome to our holiday special episode with James Shen and Teachr1 from Paint The Town podcast. WARNING: this episode is fast and loose, featuring a bunch of boys behaving badly due to excessive amounts of holiday cheer!

As the lines we have drawn to separate ourselves from others seem to be hardening, will we ever get to a place where we all get along? There may not be a silver bullet to reach a place of inclusion and equity, but this does not mean it is not possible. Today's guest, Scott Hoesman, Founder of inQuest Consulting, is doing the work to help teams create a more empathetic and inclusive culture.

Artists who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way are a rare bread, and those who use their work to help others are perhaps even rarer. Photographer, Brian McCarty, is one of these unique artists, and since 2011, he has been collaborating with the United Nations and other NGOs to help traumatized children in war zones.

This year has understandably been tough for artists. With increasing levels of stress and anxiety, it is not easy to be freely creative. Yet, art, in all its forms, is more important than ever for getting people through these difficult times. Parlor Social is at the top of their game, and Ric’key Pageot and Dessy Di Lauro, the husband-and-wife duo behind the band, join us today to share what the pandemic has been like for them.

Today’s guest is pioneering conservation photographer, Robert Glenn Ketchum. Robert's imagery and books have helped to define contemporary color photography while at the same time addressing critical national environmental issues, having made him one of the most successful artists and activists in American history. In today’s episode, Robert talks about the development of his career, the many adventures his work has taken him on, and the social change these projects have kickstarted.

Human beings have done a good job of ripping this planet apart; we have to figure out how to put it back together, and today’s guest is at the forefront of this initiative. Erin Yoshi joins us today to talk about her new project, The Land of WE. In this project, Erin is using art to drive conversations that imagine a different world, one in which we live within our means, and we rethink our exploitative systems that deplete our limited resources.