Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

Who Arted is art history and art education for everyone. While most art history podcasts focus on the traditional "fine art" we see in museums around the world, Who ARTed celebrates art in all of its forms and in terms anyone can understand. Each episode tells the story of a different artist and artwork including the traditional big names like Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol along with lesser-known artists working in such diverse media as video game design, dance, the culinary arts, and more. Who Arted is written and produced by an art teacher with the goal of creating a classroom resource that makes art history fun and accessible to everyone. Whether you are cramming for your AP Art History exam, trying to learn a few facts so you can sound smart at fashionable dinner parties, or just looking to hear something with a more positive tone, we’ve got you covered with episodes every Monday and Friday.

Episodes

March 31, 2025 64 mins
I was thrilled to interview Justin Witte, curator at the Cleave Carney Museum of Art. This summer, the Cleave Carney Museum of Art will be hosting Hokusai & Ukiyo-e | The Floating World. This is will be the first time this collection of works has come to the United States. They will be exhibiting not only prints, but also hand painted pieces from Edo, Japan. The collection features works by Hokusai, Hiroshige and other great artist...
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Lee Krasner, born Lena Krassner in 1908, was a pivotal Abstract Expressionist artist often overshadowed by her marriage to Jackson Pollock. Despite this, she forged a unique artistic path, studying at the Women's Art School of Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design before embracing modernism after the opening of MoMA in 1929. Influenced by Hans Hofmann's Cubist theories, Krasner experimented with abstraction, contributing ...
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Today, Vincent van Gogh is one of the most beloved and widely celebrated artists, but in his lifetime, he had extremely limited commercial success. When Vincent died and his brother Theo unexpectedly passed shortly later, the widow Jo van Gogh was left with a young child to raise and no apparent means to support herself. She inherited a collection of Vincent van Gogh's paintings and drawings, but most considered them to be worthles...
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A young, up-and-coming Robert Rauschenberg knocked on the door of Willem de Kooning, one of the biggest stars of the art world in his day. Rauschenberg had a big ask. He didn't want advice or help in the traditional sense. He wanted de Kooning to give him a drawing so he could erase it. After an uncomfortable conversation, de Kooning agreed. He looked through his portfolios and picked out a drawing. It was not easy. Rauschenberg sp...
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Guoying Stacy Zhang is an art historian and advisor specializing in Buddhist art. She previously served as the associate curator of the Tsz Shan Monastery Buddhist Art Museum and she has advised numerous private collectors on their acquisitions. Her latest work focuses on the intersection of art, spirituality, and technology. In our conversation, she discussed the history of Buddhism, some of themes and motifs in artwork, and how w...
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March 14, 2025 17 mins
Andrew Wyeth was the son of a successful illustrator. Wyeth is best known for his painting "Christina's World" which is among the few artworks to leap from the museum walls to popular culture as it has been referenced in numerous photos, TV shows and movies. The painting was inspired by Wyeth's neighbor who was unable to walk but chose to crawl rather than use a wheel chair. He was inspired as he saw Christina crawling across her f...
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March 10, 2025 18 mins
Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was a pivotal figure in the Northern Renaissance, renowned for his mastery of painting, printmaking, and art theory. Born in Nuremberg, Germany, Dürer's early training as a goldsmith and painter laid the foundation for his innovative techniques in woodcut and engraving, exemplified by his famous Apocalypse series and the meticulously crafted Adam and Eve. His travels to Italy exposed him to classical idea...
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March 7, 2025 10 mins
In mid-19th century Paris, the prestigious Paris Salon, sanctioned by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, reigned as the art world's epicenter, acting as the primary gateway to artistic success. By 1863, mounting rejections ignited public outcry, compelling Emperor Napoleon III to establish the groundbreaking Salon des Refusés. This exhibition, held at the Palais de l'Industrie, showcased rejected artists like Manet, Cézanne, and Pissarro...
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March 3, 2025 55 mins
I recently had the pleasure to interview Pierre Benjamin, UK-based artist with years of experience specializing in 3D character and concept art, illustration, painting, and sculpture. His artistic journey began in childhood, deeply influenced by his photographer father and his grandfather, figurative painter Gérard Calvet. Formal training included sculpting under Serge Destarac, art history at the Louvre Museum, and a BA and MA in ...
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Piet Mondrian is considered an icon of modern art, but he didn't start off that way. While he always loved art, he got his degree in education. Mondrian's early paintings were somewhat traditional landscapes. He experimented with Impressionist and Post Impressionist styles, then moved on to some Cubist influence. His major breakthrough was with the De Stijl movement focusing on the basic elements of art using straight lines and pri...
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February 27, 2025 42 mins
The brilliance of Edward Hopper is that he was able to be simultaneously specific and concrete yet vague and leave a lot up to the viewer to interpret. In a painting like Nighthawks we see people gathered in a diner, but as viewers we are stuck on the outside looking in. We feel isolated and apart from the scene and as we look closer, we discover that the people inside the diner are isolated themselves. It is not a group of four in...
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February 26, 2025 9 mins
Zaria Forman is a contemporary artist whose breathtakingly realistic, large-scale pastel drawings capture the fragile beauty of landscapes threatened by climate change. Unlike brushes or other tools, pastels allow for a direct, tactile connection with the artwork. Forman works primarily with her fingers and palms, smudging and blending the pigments directly onto the paper. This hands-on approach creates a unique intimacy and allows...
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Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian artist known for his provocative and satirical sculptures and installations that challenge the norms of the art world. His works often spark controversy and public discourse, blurring the lines between high art and everyday objects. Some of his most recognized pieces include, "Strategies," his mock up of a magazine cover intended to help him land a spot on the actual magazine's cover, "Comedian," a b...
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Today, Renoir is remembered as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist movement. His paintings are soft and delicate, but his life and his work was a painful struggle. Most painters pride themselves on their ability to work with their hands. They spend years practicing, developing fine motor skills and muscle memory to easily render a beautiful image, but Renoir’s hands weren’t on board with the plan. As his son Jean reco...
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February 23, 2025 11 mins
Nick Cave, born February 4, 1959, in Fulton, Missouri, is a contemporary American artist best known for his "Soundsuits," wearable sculptures that blend sculpture, performance art, and social commentary. Raised in a large family that valued resourcefulness, Cave's early experiences with textiles and transformation shaped his artistic practice. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and later at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The 19...
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February 22, 2025 50 mins
I interviewed Ephraim Urevbu a contemporary artist based in Memphis Tennessee. He shared his life experiences growing up in Nigeria then coming to the United States to study art and the ways the US did and did not fit with his expectations. We discussed his painting E Pluribus Unum and his work on The Naked Truth Project which seeks to spark conversations for an honest telling of America's history. One of the things that I really l...
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February 21, 2025 51 mins
Jess Phoenix is a designer based out of Seattle, Washington. She is known for making bright, bold floral patterns. She was nice enough to sit down with me to share her history, her influences and her process. Find Jess Phoenix online: Website: www.jessphoenix.com Instagram: @Jessraephoenix Arts Madness 2025 Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as ...
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February 20, 2025 70 mins
Today I have another artist interview. I have been a big fan of Tom DesLongchamp since I first encountered his drawings while I was researching an episode of my other podcast Art Smart. In addition to mind blowing marker drawings, Tom creates live animation performances on Cartoon Mess. I talked with him about his life, his influences and his process. Check out Tom's links: Website https://www.tomdeslongchamp.com/  Instagram http...
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February 19, 2025 55 mins
Herb Williams is an incredibly talented sculptor bringing crayons to a whole new dimension. I sat down to talk to Williams about his background, his artistic influences, and exactly how and why he uses crayons to sculpt. He shared his memories of making art as a child as well as his experience working in a foundry making lost wax castings before he decided to pursue a literal dream of making sculptures out of crayons. For more fro...
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February 18, 2025 74 mins
Reggie Laurent is a contemporary artist based out of Atlanta. Laurent is a largely self-taught artist working in a variety of media and often on unexpected surfaces. He is known for his DNA series of paintings characterized by bold colors and elaborate patterns in abstract compositions. He says that the DNA series is largely similar to his childhood doodles and the creative expression that was always in him. While many artists insp...
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