The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

Curator, writer, and executive director of the ICA at VCU Jessica Bell Brown returns to reflect on her evolving leadership at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this conversation, we talk about openness as a strategy, the role of listening in shaping institutions, and what it means to make space for experimentation in times of uncertainty.

Jessica shares how porosity, risk, and care s...

Guggenheim Fellow, artist, producer, and educator Kokayi returns to unpack the layers of sound, storytelling, and being a vessel for cultural memory.

Since our first conversation, Kokayi has pushed deeper into multidisciplinary work—blending sound design, improvisation, code, and community-building. This conversation tracks his reflections on legacy, experimentation, and why he’s wary of institutions that try to own culture...

Artist, educator, and Afro Charities Executive Director Savannah Wood joins to reflect on legacy, growth, and leading one of Baltimore’s most ambitious cultural preservation efforts.

Savannah has overseen major milestones—most notably, the $16M redevelopment of the historic Upton Mansion, future home of the Afro-American Newspaper (AFRO) archives. We talk about curiosity as a compass, how archives become creative tools, and...

Artist Lewinale Havette returns for a conversation on art, spirit, and shedding constraints.

Recorded at Palo Gallery during NYC Art Week, Lewinale reflects on her evolution since 2022—from early paintings shaped by language and migration to her latest abstract works rooted in instinct, spirituality, and ancestral memory. We discuss authenticity, pushing limits, and why she’s letting go of surface-level meaning in favor of ...

Director and choreographer Sam Landa joins for his first appearance on the podcast to talk about reimagining what circus can be—and how LIQUID uses punk aesthetics, narrative, and high-stakes performance to deliver something unforgettable.

As co-founder of New York Circus Project, Sam blends circus, theater, and dance to push creative boundaries. We recorded this at Union Market District in DC just after the premiere of LIQ...

Artist and educator Hae Won Sohn returns for a reflective conversation on process, adaptability, and making art that holds up—materially and conceptually.

Now based in Queens, Hae Won shares what’s evolved since her 2021 Sondheim Prize win and how her process-first approach has deepened through teaching, repurposing materials, and balancing art with life. Recorded after her Surface Tension exhibition in Baltimore, this epis...

Shaolin Jazz co-founder DJ 2-Tone Jones—one half of the duo behind the genre-bending brand—returns to reflect on growth, alignment, and his continued love for blending film and music through Can I Kick It?

• Finding purpose through Shaolin Jazz: how re-scoring films with hip-hop and jazz gave his DJ career renewed meaning
• Can I Kick It?: building a national, live-scoring experience that fuses cult classic cinema with origi...

Baltimore’s award-winning documentary filmmaker, public historian, and Baltimore City Hall curator Joe Tropea returns to share how personal connection guides his project choices, why he embraces “ums” and raw moments in the edit, and what it takes to build strong creative partnerships — from abandoned true-crime concepts to a new mayoral portrait gallery.

• Following personal connection: why priests breaking into draft bo...

Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful at Everyman Theatre, where director, choreographer, and arts educator Joseph Ritsch brings gothic farce, drag, and campy spectacle together in a production bursting with sharp humor and political edge.

In this episode, Joseph joins Rob Lee to unpack why Charles Ludlam’s cult classic still hits hard today — blending outrageous comedy with qu...

You know those moments when a photograph or film clip feels like it’s speaking hidden truths? New School professor and interdisciplinary artist Isaiah Winters returns to share how rigorous archival research fuels his photography, film, and mixed-media practice. From earning his MFA at Parsons to documenting pro-Palestinian campus protests and exposing housing inequities, Isaiah shows how historical fragments—old photograph...

You know that moment when a painting feels so real you swear the subject might blink? Hyper-realist portraitist Monica Ikegwu returns to reveal the behind-the-scenes rigor—hours of glazing, precise lighting choices, and minimalist backgrounds—that turn a single photograph into a living, breathing canvas. Join Monica as she unpacks her journey from MFA student at the New York Academy of Art to international exhibitions, and...

You’ve probably admired one of Ky Vassor’s murals without even knowing it—now she’s back to pull back the curtain on how those vibrant public artworks, pop-up workshops, and neighborhood installations all began with a passion for community and a sprinkle of hustle.

In this episode, Baltimore’s interdisciplinary artist and Galerie Myrtis Assistant Director walks us through the unlikely lessons she learned bartending, volunte...

Baltimore’s own DJ and producer James Nasty returns to share how stepping away from substances sparked new clarity, how he built Ecstatic Dance Baltimore into an inclusive, sober dance movement, and why guiding crowds through music remains his driving passion—from late-night club sets to substance-free floors.

• Finding clarity through sobriety: how stepping away from alcohol renewed his love for DJing and sharpened his c...

Abstract neurographic artist Ayiana Viviana shares how reconnecting with Puerto Rico, battling inner struggles, and choosing self-trust transformed her art—and her life—with new courage, clarity, and creative depth.

• How a return to Puerto Rico—and a visit to an Indigenous site—recharged her spirit and creativity
• Neurographic art as emotional release: painting through pain, grief, and unseen feelings
• Listening to the secon...

Contemporary figurative painter Xenia Gray unpacks how post-Soviet Siberia, spiritual retreats, and life in D.C. converge in canvases that pulse with raw feeling.

• Growing up in 1990s Siberia—creating a protective “shell” and turning to art for what words couldn’t say
• Finding her visual voice later in life: mixed media, unseen faces, and the recent pivot to vivid greens
• Camino de Santiago, Vipassana silence, and yoga—how p...

Founder and director Tony Gittens returns with the inside story of steering the Washington DC International Film Festival—now in its 39th year—through last-minute venue shake-ups, budget poker with distributors, and a mission that never changes: bring global cinema to everyone in the nation’s capital.

• Losing a flagship theater six weeks out—and the scramble to secure a new home without busting the budget
• Balancing buzz t...

Visual artist Alexi Abi returns to talk new work, new influences, and what it takes to stay visible in Washington’s competitive arts scene.

• How her Lebanese heritage and years in the Caribbean shape today’s bold color fields
• Building momentum since her last visit—grants, gallery shows, and a pivot toward larger canvases
• Balancing three lanes: studio practice, teaching, and arts advocacy
• Tips for navigating D.C. galleries a...

Designer Jerrill Sankey (formerly “Creative King”) returns to talk evolution—name change, sharper focus, and bigger ambitions.

• 90s music videos and Vogue tear‑outs that still shape his color and form
• Turning a one‑man label into Jerrill Sankey Headwear—process, pricing, perseverance
• Artistry × craft: why materials and fit matter as much as concept
• Reading today’s fashion scene—trends to skip, moves that last

Missed his...

Co‑Executive Director Ariel Shelton returns to map out how CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia functions as a co‑op for creatives—and why that matters right now.

• From co‑founding Arts Administrators of Color Network to leading CultureWorks
• Turning fiscal sponsorship, shared services, and workspace into real‑world leverage for artists
• Lessons Philly can steal (and avoid) from Detroit and D.C. cultural scenes
• Honest talk on na...