The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter
The Truth In This Art with Rob Lee is an arts and culture interview podcast. They share their work, ideas, and what inspires them. Listeners get to hear stories that matter from people who are making waves in arts and culture today.
Episodes
Ben Passmore closes out this season of The Truth in This Art.
Ben Passmore (DAYGLOAYHOLE, Your Black Friend, Sports Is Hell, BTTM FDRS; contributor to The Nib) joins Rob Lee to discuss his new book, Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance.
An award-winning cartoonist whose work ranges from the fantastical to the autobiographical, Passmore brings sharp, often humorous social commentary on politics, activi...
Kayla E. joins The Truth In This Art to discuss Precious Rubbish.
Kayla E. (award-winning artist, Creative Director at Fantagraphics, 2023–2024 Princeton Hotter Fellow) joins Rob Lee to discuss her debut full-length graphic memoir, Precious Rubbish.
An award-winning artist whose practice spans comics and fine art—textiles, sculpture, video performance art, painting, and drawing—Kayla E. brings candid, instinct-driven sto...
Professional film curator and educator KJ Mohr returns to The Truth In This Art to talk about the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) and Baltimore’s indie film scene at the SNF Parkway!
In the conversation we explore the 2025 Maryland Film Festival (MdFF)—what’s new, including the amazing new website and Festival Journeys—what still matters, and how a festival can truly feel like home. As director of the Festival and year-round ...
Chill or Be Chilled. Let's Watch It Again is back!
Rob Lee is joined by Lea Anderson to discuss the 1995 cult classic Tales from the Hood!
Tales from the Hood (1995) is a Black horror anthology directed by Rusty Cundieff, framed by a late-night visit to a funeral home where a mortician guides three men through four supernatural morality tales addressing police brutality, domestic abuse, racism, and gang violence.
Genesis Rodriguez joins The Truth in This Art for her first public deep-dive into her work and process.
A Philadelphia-area Latina mixed media artist known for blending bold color with striking realism, Genesis explores themes of femininity, natural beauty, and identity while bringing a thoughtful “emotional IQ” to both her visual art and emerging music practice.
In this episode, Genesis discusses her current “building era” ...
Sean 'SK' Kinsey returns for his second appearance on The Truth in This Art!
A Philadelphian visual artist known for blending a fine art sensibility with a street art aesthetic, Kinsey shares his thoughts on the power of art to reflect identity, honor community roots, and connect cultures in Philadelphia, the city that has shaped much of his work.
In this episode, Kinsey discusses how his North and Uptown Philadelphia upbrin...
Ernest Shaw returns for his second appearance on The Truth in This Art!
A renowned muralist and educator, Shaw shares his thoughts on the power of art to reflect identity, preserve community history, and connect generations in Baltimore, the city that has shaped much of his work.
In this episode, Shaw discusses how his West Baltimore upbringing influences his art, the lessons he carries from his family, and the role murals ...
Zina Verduzco joins The Truth in This Art to explore how AI and digital innovation are transforming community and entrepreneurship for small businesses in Baltimore and beyond.
With deep expertise across marketing, branding, and emerging technologies, Verduzco shares her journey from museum work to leading-edge digital marketing and AI development. She offers practical insights into helping local businesses adapt to the evo...
Bmore Transform and Baltimore’s Graphic Novel Festival take center stage in this episode of The Truth in This Art. Guests Gab Sussman and Victoria Lebrón share how they are reshaping education and community through Bmore Transform’s abolitionist, decolonizing approach and the city’s premier Graphic Novel Fest—celebrating sequential art, uplifting Queer and BIPOC creators, and advancing arts and literacy education across Ba...
Baltimore artist Akio Evans returns to The Truth in This Art for his second appearance, tracing his evolution from hobbyist customizer to full-time artist and self-defined shoe muralist. Evans shares how he moved beyond “customs” into shoe murals—wearable art that tells stories, carries meaning, and can move people to tears—by centering intention, integrity, and community in every piece.
Evans breaks down what changed in hi...
Chef Chris Amendola of foraged. a hyper-seasonal eatery returns to The Truth in This Art, joining the rarified air as one of just a handful of three-time guests.
Amendola shares his journey as an executive chef and restaurant owner, revealing how embracing change and curiosity keeps his creative vision fresh in the kitchen. He discusses building community at Forged and now at Forged at Black Ankle Vineyard, highlighting the...
Laiya St. Clair joins The Truth in This Art to share how she crafts culture from behind the mic as a celebrated radio and podcast personality, producer, and voice artist.
St. Clair reflects on her transition from radio to the world of podcasting, exploring how her experiences in DC, Philly, and Baltimore continue to inspire her work. She discusses her passion for amplifying Black stories and voices, and how creative collabo...
Will Walker, founder of A Tribe Called Run, joins the podcast.
Walker shares his personal journey from Cleveland to Baltimore, reflecting on how both cities' blue-collar spirit informs his approach to building community through running. A Tribe Called Run creates space for accessible runs, fitness events, and coaching, welcoming newcomers and experienced athletes alike.
Walker discusses the power of group running in forming ...
Resident Company Member Chinai Routté and director Paige Hernandez return to The Truth in This Art to illuminate Everyman Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.
Routté shares the transformative experience of portraying Berniece, the play’s powerful central character, and how her own life informs the role’s emotional depth. Hernandez opens up about the responsibility and honor of being one of the few women...
Executive Director of Small Press Expo (SPX), Warren Bernard, returns to The Truth In This Art podcast.
Bernard shares insights into how planning, innovation, and community shape the road to SPX 2025. He reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities ahead, discussing how the evolving comics landscape and creative partnerships are driving the festival’s next chapter. Bernard’s work blends organizing, relationship-build...
Musician, Creative Consultant, and Band Leader Raymond J. Spence joins the podcast.
Spence shares how growing up in Baltimore shapes his approach to music, creative consulting, and community building. Spence’s work bridges performing, teaching, and guiding artists through the early stages of their creative journeys.
Spence discusses how collaborating across disciplines and organizations fuels Baltimore’s creative boom. He ta...
Writer, curator, and editor-in-chief of UP Magazine, T.K. Mills returns to the podcast.
Mills shares how living in New York City shapes his writing, curatorial practice, and editorial leadership at UP Magazine. UP Magazine is the urban art publication he founded and leads. Mills discusses how UP Magazine gives a platform to street artists and storytellers covers graffiti culture while documents the creativity found througho...
Artist and Arts in Health Specialist Zoë Lintzeris joins the podcast.
Lintzeris shares how life in Baltimore and beyond informs her visual art practice. Lintzeris' work explores themes of love, loss, and resistance within both urban and rural settings.
Lintzeris discusses how current events shape her work, and how art helps her process personal and collective emotions. She talks about using photography and painting as too...
Aspiring podcaster and artist M’Balou Camara interviews me for a special Maryland Art Summit 2025 recording.
M’Balou is a former student, current colleague, and emerging podcaster preparing to launch “The Heart Reflex,” highlighting voices of the African diaspora in the arts.
Our conversation—recorded live at Prince George’s Community College—explores our journey from a classroom connection at UMBC to ongoing collaboration, ...
Artist, poet, and climate justice advocate Neha Misra joins The Truth In This Art podcast.
Misra shares how growing up in India, studying physics, and her cultural roots shape her creative work. Misra's art blends visual art, poetry, and climate justice activism.
Misra discusses how reclaiming creativity helped her navigate periods of loss and anxiety. Misra shares her belief in art as an essential force for healing, resil...
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