Glasstire

William Sarradet speaks with artist, lecturer, and Glasstire contributor Renee Lai about the inaugural Friends Fair and the Affordable Art Fair in Austin. “Every room that I went into, I looked in the bathroom first... I got my impression from each booth by what was going on in the bathroom. The more outrageous or custom or funny the bathroom was, the more it predisposed me to whatever else was in the room.” See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/05/31/art-dirt-reporting-on-the-austin-art-fairs If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes speaks with art educator and author Laura Evans about her recently published book, “The Atlas of Art Crime: Thefts, Vandalism, and Forgeries.” “I remember learning about the 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner theft… and then going to visit the museum in grad school and confronting those empty frames, where those works of art were stolen from, was really sobering. Seeing these holes, these gaps, where these artworks were disappeared… it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.” Related Readings: https://glasstire.com/2025/05/18/art-dirt-theft-vandalism-forgeries-talking-with-laura-evans-about-art-crime If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet speaks with Dallas artist Hava Toobian about the art, culture, and manuscripts they encountered during their recent trip to Ireland. “I didn't know what to expect in a national contemporary art museum for the Republic of Ireland, and it was beautiful. It was an astute mixture of contemporary mediums and works in a historical building.” See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/05/04/art-dirt-manuscripts-modern-eyes-seeing-dublin-with-hava-toobian This week's podcast is sponsored in part by Aurora Picture Show's Extremely Shorts Film Festival. Always interesting and eclectic, Extremely Shorts showcases all kinds of adventurous contemporary films, all three minutes or shorter. This year's program includes 30 films from eight countries. Screenings take place May 30 and 31 at Aurora's new space on Navigation in Houston's East End, with some participating filmmakers in attendance and receptions featuring music provided by Icehouse Radio! Find more information and tickets here: https://www.aurorapictureshow.org

Jessica Fuentes, William Sarradet, and Brandon Zech discuss the trends they found at the 2025 Dallas Art Fair and the Dallas Invitational. "It stuck out to me thematically that there seemed to be a lot of landscapes and interiors — interiors of houses, some still lives. Overall the work felt a little more conservative to me than the Dallas Art Fair normally feels. Dallas is generally the most adventurous buying-wise."  See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/04/20/art-dirt-reporting-on-the-dallas-art-fairs/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and William Sarradet discuss recent news stories in Texas, including the controversy surrounding Sally Mann's work, the destruction of artwork installed at the Austin Convention Center, and the closure of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. "The Modern (Art Museum of Fort Worth) had a notification at the entrance stating that the exhibition (Diaries of Home) contained mature content. Is a museum allowed to show work that some people might deem obscene if they provide notice so viewers can make the decision whether or not they want to go in? The Modern, in particular, charges an entry fee, you make a choice to go in." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/04/06/art-dirt-news-roundup If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with gallerist Bart Keijsers Koning about the Dallas scene and the role galleries play in the art ecosystem. "An artist going directly from studio to museum is problematic because the language hasn't had a chance to encounter an audience and see what is clear, what isn't working and kind of fine tuning it. The museum's responsibility is to represent and clarify history, culture and not always (dictate) where its going next because we don't know that. That's much more in the gallery's hand, because if you do that as a museum you start getting into very murky water. I think there's a good way for a gallery to sit in between that to foster certain ideas to make sure the narrative is translated in the best way and edited in the best way." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/03/23/art-dirt-understanding-the-dallas-art-world-a-conversation-with-bart-keijsers-koning/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and Gabriel Martinez talk about the book Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma and some of the cultural creatives who have committed monstrous crimes. "There aren't good celebrities and bad celebrities. They're all just people. There is a spectrum of behaviors with people. There's nobody that's purely good, and there are maybe a few people who are purely evil, but it's rare. It's kind of ridiculous to assume that any person is going to always be good. I don't say that to excuse any of these truly heinous and criminal behaviors. I don't think they should be excused... I think that it's foolish to uplift a celebrity and expect a certain standard of behavior." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/03/09/art-dirt-monsters-of-art/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by Arts Fort Worth and the Arts Forward Summit, happening on Saturday, March 29, 2025. What if everyone who enjoys the creative arts came together at once? What new collaborations and ideas are waiting for a chance meeting? What best-kept local secrets are ready to become your new favorite thing? At the Arts Forward Summit, Arts Fort Worth invites you to join hundreds of creative and curious people as they create art, share resources, discuss big ideas, and dream together about where the arts can take us next. Learn more about Arts Forward here: artsfortworth.org/summit

Jessica Fuentes and William Sarradet discuss the role artists play in enacting political change in their industry and beyond. "What do we expect out of artists in these critiques? Do we expect the artist to make the change? — to be productive in forcing change? or is bringing awareness enough?" See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/02/23/art-dirt-political-expression-in-the-arts If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet and Gabriel Martinez discuss two films from the late 70s whose protagonists embark on slow journeys and a third film that stages Hamlet inside Grand Theft Auto. "I was completely awestruck. I was really grateful to see that yes it is true that you can make fictional film that is relatable and doesn't have to rely so much on artifice to be interesting or entertaining." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/02/09/art-dirt-in-the-zone-film-roundup/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by Discovery Green in Downtown Houston, which through February 16 is presenting ATLAS, an immersive installation by Jen Lewin. The piece features 24 oversized and ethereal glowing moths. The majestic creatures are suspended from the trees and react to the movement of visitors. Each represents a unique endangered North American moth species — symbolizing the vital role these creatures play in the environment. Find more information on free events associated with the installation at www.discoverygreen.com/atlas

Jessica Fuentes, Gabriel Martinez, and Brandon Zech discuss the different types of immersive art spaces and the historical work that paved the way. "I've realized that the spaces that really affect me are the ones that put me into a weird situation and take me out of wherever I am, take me out of my body a little bit, and make me have to negotiate. But not everyone is gonna want something that challenges them in that way when they go out to do something for pleasure." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/01/26/art-dirt-the-rise-of-immersive-spaces This week's podcast is sponsored in part by the Menil Collection, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Cy Twombly Gallery. To mark the occasion, this year the museum will present special programs about the work and legacy of artist Cy Twombly. Highlights include a book signing with artist Tacita Dean, performances by Meredith Monk, and a Neighborhood Community Day. Admission is always free. Learn more at menil.org/cytwombly30.

William Sarradet talks with artist and educator Dr. Estelle Voisin-Fonteneau about the loss of Eros, the architecture of sacred spaces, and the written language of patriarchal societies. "I'm very interested in the idea of the sacred within the profane. The profane comes from the word profanum which is the space before the temple and that is where most of the rituals took place. It wasn't in the temple, it was in front of the temple because only the priests or sacred virgins could go inside of the temple." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/01/12/art-dirt-talking-with-dr-estelle-voisin-fonteneau/ Art Dirt is sponsored in part by the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, which is proud to present two exhibitions for the winter: Japheth Asiddu-Kawartang and Adrian Esparza. These artists' exhibitions are complementary in the fact that they are both studies on the immigrant experience and personal identity. Visit www.amset.org for more information. This week's podcast is also supported by The Architecture of Culture: Works from the Guess Lawson Collection, which is sponsored by Gensler and runs through April 1, 2025, in Houston. Featuring icons like John Biggers and Giana De Dier, alongside rising stars, the exhibition challenges us to see art as a force for change and ignites the connection between art and activism. Talks with leaders like Vicki Meek and Harrison Guy will amplify the show's dialogue. Learn more at www.guesslawsoncollection.com.

Brandon Zech and Gabriel Martinez discuss memorable art events, exhibitions, and changes in the Texas art scene from 2024. "When budgets need to be cut the arts are always seen as expendable and even though the money that's funding the arts both locally in different cities across Texas and nationally through the National Endowment for the Arts is pennies compared to the overall budget, to the public it sounds like a lot." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/12/29/art-dirt-looking-back-at-2024/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by Prospect New Orleans and the closing weekend of Prospect.6:The Future Is Present, The Harbinger Is Home, which is taking place January 30 through February 2, 2025. Programming and events include the U.S. debut of On Flashing Lights, a light and sound installation by Brendan Fernandes; musical activations by Deborah Jack and the Diaphanous Ensemble; and Stephanie Syjuco's exploration of St. Malo, the first Filipino settlement in the U.S. Also, New Orleans-based artist Christian Việt Ðinh will present Reverence to the Refugee, a royal banquet honoring New Orleans East community leaders, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, and celebrating resilience in the Vietnamese community. Visitors can stay at hotels throughout the city like The Virgin Hotel, New Orleans for special rates through the closing. For more information visit www.prospect6.org/visit.

Jessica Fuentes and Gabriel Martinez talk about the cultural and political potential of Latinx Futurism. "A key component of Latinx Futurism is connecting back to past and ancestral knowledge – pre-colonial cultural ways of knowing. Seeing how different artists infuse that into their work is interesting to take note of...It's an acknowledgment of the knowledge and technology that existed." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/12/15/art-dirt-latinx-futurism/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet and Gabriel Martinez review the photography, painting, and installation exhibitions that stood out this season. "This is one of the magical things about photography. It can be completely constructed and artificial or it can be as close to a document of reality as humanly possible." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/12/01/art-dirt-fall-roundup/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with artist Jacqueline Overby about developing affordable art studios and their significance in building community. "MotherShip's presence there has helped solidify the scene in a way. By creating the San Marcos studio tour we've given the art community something that everybody gets to participate in. Everybody gets to come together and celebrate and it's something to be proud of." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/11/17/art-dirt-jacqueline-overby-on-the-importance-of-building-affordable-art-studios If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech and Gabriel Martinez discuss their experience visiting "Radio Tave," the new Houston branch of the Meow Wolf franchise. "One of the things about Meow Wolf and about the individual, but ultimately collective, authorship is that in someone's room, it doesn't say who the artist is, with a little plaque on the wall. It's about the experience — it's about the feeling that the room creates." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/11/03/art-dirt-interdimensional-meow-wolf-houston If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes talks with Christian Cruz about the challenges of performance work and the difficulties of its documentation. "I'm interested in investigating invisible labor, as opposed to any physical labor. Lately my work has been closer to what I call pink collar instead of blue collar which means it is the work of those that are caretakers." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/10/20/art-dirt-christian-cruz-on-the-challenges-of-performance-art Today's podcast is supported in part by the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, which is now showing the work of Texas-born artist Harry Ahysen. Ahysen's works explore themes of identity, memory, and cultural heritage, and draw from his personal travel experiences. His use of vibrant colors, layered textures, and dynamic compositions creates a sense of movement and emotional depth in his pieces. Ahysen's art is celebrated for its ability to evoke reflection on the complexities of human experience, and his influence continues to grow within the contemporary art scene. "Devices for Study" is the first museum exhibition of Ahysen's work since his passing in 2006. Learn more http://www.amset.org.

Jessica Fuentes and Gabriel Martinez discuss the Surrealist century and the slate of upcoming shows celebrating this influential movement. "It was important for María Elena Ortiz (curator of "Surrealism and Us") to use the term surreal because she was talking about this worldwide conversation. This is a movement that spanned great distances across the world." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/10/06/art-dirt-a-century-of-surrealism/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by Prospect.6. The triennial exhibition is just around the corner, and registration for programming and events is officially open! From October 30 to November 3, experience the rich culture and dynamic art scene of New Orleans with VIP and public events across multiple venues. Plus, Gala tickets are now available! The P.6 Gala is a can't-miss event, offering an unforgettable night of art, celebration, and giving back. This year, the event will honor luminaries in the art world with fantastic food, drinks, and live entertainment throughout the evening. It's the perfect opportunity to support Prospect's mission while enjoying a memorable evening with artists, curators, and art enthusiasts. Head to the Prospect New Orleans website now to secure your spot and grab your Gala tickets before they're gone! https://www.prospect6.org/events This week's podcast is also sponsored in part by the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston's Memorial Park, happening Friday through Sunday, October 11, 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Meet and purchase art from more than 250 artists working in 19 different disciplines. Enjoy live entertainment stages, food trucks, a craft beer and wine garden, a VIP hospitality lounge, the Active Imagination Zone with activities for all ages, and more. The festival benefits several local nonprofits and offers something for everyone. Buy your tickets today at www.bayoucityartfestival.com

Gabriel Martinez talks with Robert Boyd about Charles Burns, Gary Panter, and the art of underground comics.  "The publishing industry doesn't work the way the art industry does. You have a royalty system. Whereas if you resell a painting, unless you're in California, the artist doesn't get anything." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/09/22/art-dirt-robert-boyd-on-the-art-of-underground-comics/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with Brian David Johnson about his time in Austin's robust art scene and his experience running Cloud Tree Gallery. "There's more art-making than there's ever been in the history of the world and I feel like that's only going to continue towards this notion that we'll all be artists someday." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/09/08/art-dirt-talking-with-brian-david-johnson-of-cloud-tree-studios-gallery/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here. See related readings here:

Jessica Fuentes and Gabriel Martinez discuss this summer's group exhibitions and upcoming fall shows. "Altering photographs has always been a possibility and a practice. I think sometimes people forget that or only think about the seemingly limitless possibilities now in the digital age and with AI, but photographers since the beginning of the camera have been altering images in different ways. " See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/08/25/art-dirt-summer-exhibition-roundup/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet and Gabriel Martinez discuss the links between a critical history of Latin America, a fictionalized account of a military coup, and our robotic future as depicted in animated sci-fi cinema. "Short War is a bildungsroman with the setting of the dissolution of a political regime. It's funny and charming and sweet and dramatic." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/08/11/art-dirt-history-and-sci-fi-summer-reading-roundup/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Leslie Moody Castro and Gabriel Martinez discuss the growing number of residencies in Texas and beyond. "It's important to see how other people are solving similar problems in the studio. We learn by example and by seeing people's thought processes and studio techniques. Some of the most rewarding parts of residencies are spending time with people and making connections." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/07/28/art-dirt-eat-sleep-work-talking-about-art-residencies/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by the Houston Cinema Arts Society, which in partnership with the Southwest Alternate Media Project is presenting the annual Houston Media Conference from August 23-25, 2024. The Houston Media Conference features speakers from film, television, music, digital, and media businesses, providing an open forum to meet and engage with representatives from Houston's media industry. For more information and to secure your tickets or to become a vendor, go here: https://www.cinemahtx.org/HMC

Leslie Moody Castro and William Sarradet talk about recent events in the art world including the beheading of a public sculpture, the discovery of the oldest cave art, and fake Picassos in a Tasmanian Museum. "I connect with the sentiment of exhibitions as being a site of experimentation and play. I appreciate at some level vaunting art canon as the be-all-end-all record of what is important and aesthetic in human history but at some point, you trip over yourself just to have a handful of people be successful and valued."  See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/07/14/art-dirt-beheaded-sculptures-fake-picassos-and-cave-paintings/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and William Sarradet discuss the redesign and expansion of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Art and the upcoming "Delta Triennial." "Traditionally, the Delta is a juried exhibition. This year AMFA decided to also have an invitational component. It still functioned as a juried exhibition, anybody could apply that fell within that geographic region, but the jurors also selected one artist from each of the states to be the invited artist." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/06/30/art-dirt-discussing-arkansas-delta-triennial/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with Erin Dorn about her experiences working in Houston's art institutions and starting her own gallery, Seven Sisters. "It's a relationship-based industry, and being able to anticipate what your clients would like or would respond to and introducing them to new material is part of the cycle that comes with the territory." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/06/16/art-dirt-talking-with-erin-dorn-of-seven-sisters-gallery/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Inspired by recently unveiled controversial portraits of King Charles III and Catherine, Princess of Wales, Brandon Zech and Gabriel Martinez discuss portraiture's privileged place in art history. "For the entire history of portraiture, the goal has been to depict the person as they are because it has been the only way for us to be able to tell how people looked. But now that images of famous people can be ubiquitously found on the internet, artists have a little more freedom to play with the idea of what a portrait is." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/06/02/art-dirt-whats-the-point-of-portraiture/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA), which will present their Annual Symposium and Texas Art Fair from June 21-23 at the DoubleTree by Hilton – Greenway Plaza Hotel in Houston. The event will feature a variety of lectures and conversations revolving around Early Texas Art, along with an accompanying art fair. To see a complete list of events and register for the program, please go here: https://www.caseta.org/2022-caseta-symposium

William Sarradet and Gabriel Martinez discuss the Julio Torres film Problemista and its depiction of the difficulties of succeeding in the contemporary art world. "One of my favorite things about art film is that it certainly can follow a conventional narrative arc; it doesn't just have to be talking about Snow White and Prince Charming." If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/05/19/art-dirt-problemista-magical-realism-in-the-art-world/

Leslie Moody Castro and Jessica Fuentes discuss new art organizations, the appeal of non-urban spaces, and the many changes occurring at art institutions across the state. "There might be more opportunities in these smaller places because there are less restrictions and more space. It will be interesting to see how they continue to build, and develop, and how they find ways to sustain themselves."  See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/05/05/art-dirt-staffing-changes-new-museums-other-recent-news/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with Texas artist Paul Hester about his over 50-year career taking photographs. "There are photographs that I look at and say 'that just feels right,' but there are others that bug the hell out of me, and those are the ones that stick with me." See related readings here:https://glasstire.com/2024/04/21/art-dirt-talking-art-architecture-photography-with-paul-hester If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech, Leslie Moody Castro, and Gabriel Martinez talk about the 2024 editions of the Dallas Art Fair and the Dallas Invitational. "The opening night party was kind of sparse. Normally it's a zoo; you can't walk through the lobby, the valet line is a mess. There was a nice crowd, but nothing like I have experienced in the past." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/04/07/art-dirt-recapping-dallas-art-fairs If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech and Gabriel Martinez talk about the changing state of Houston's art scene and what the future may bring. "I think we're seeing one of the most significant changes in the Houston museum landscape in the last ten years. Galleries come and go, artist-run spaces come and go, smaller nonprofits come and go, but the places that we think of as our museums generally don't tend to come and go." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/03/24/art-dirt-houstons-changing-museum-scene If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with actor, comedian, and art collector Cheech Marin about how he came to collect Chicano art, the Texas artists he's looking at today, and his museum, The Cheech, in Riverside, California. "The other great center of Chicano art was San Antonio, because they had a lot of artists and they supported them, but there was no director of any major museum that wanted to put their neck on the block and say yeah this is Chicano art. They loved me as a comedian but they weren't so sure about me as an authority on Chicano art, because these guys had studied it all their life and had unpaid student loans to prove it, so who is this doper comedian to say what's what about Chicano art?" See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/03/10/art-dirt-cheech-marin-talks-texas-art If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Leslie Moody Castro talks with artist, musician, and podcaster Barry Stone about how he engages with local artists, performers, and photography through his long-running project, Porch Swing Orchestra. “The relation of image and sound is, at its core, really what Porch Swing Orchestra and 'Vast is the Sea' is about. So, all the artists are bound, in diverse ways, through explorations of image, sound, and community.” See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/02/25/art-dirt-music-photography-with-barry-stones-porch-swing-orchestra If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with Natalia Padilla about making art in Dallas, her work as a designer, and tips on applying to grants in the city. "My project, 'Yellow,' is a poem to the Dallas community. I love this city. It has taken care of me and allowed me to have a practice and explore my creativity." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/02/11/art-dirt-talking-with-natalia-padilla If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with the Blaffer Art Museum's outgoing director, Steven Matijcio, about his approach to curating in peripheral art cities, engaging with local communities, and what he'll miss about Houston. "I have really come to love working in the unexpected place. Because in a lot of ways, I feel like you can spread your wings, you can oftentimes have more of an impact, you can get to know the community better. I really have loved these so-called non-center cities because I found a lot of richness in curatorially responding to them." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/01/28/art-dirt-an-exit-interview-with-the-blaffer-art-museums-steven-matijcio If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with Glasstire's new Editor-in-Chief, Gabriel Martinez, about what makes a good work of art, how music, writing, and art differ, and why artists should know art history. "Every artwork is in dialog with art history, and I think it's important for artists to contextualize where their work stands in that conversation. It becomes shorthand, because you're using these past iterations of similar ideas and you're speaking to them." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/01/14/art-dirt-talking-with-glasstire-editor-in-chief-gabriel-martinez If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Leslie Moody Castro talks with Harrison Guy about Houston's Fifth Ward, his Urban Souls Dance Company, and what keeps him motivated to build community in the city.  "Our projects are based on this thought process that memory builds the monument. The way that we look at it is that if you don't have a lot of assets in your community, because they're gone, for a lot of different reasons beyond your control, the thing that you do have is your memory...so if we look at the memories as the capital and we start to build from that, then we're starting from a place of asset versus deficit." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/12/31/art-dirt-talking-with-houstons-harrison-guy If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes, William Sarradet, and Brandon Zech discuss memorable art happenings, exhibitions, and events from 2023. "For a long time, and even still now, the art world has been caught up in the idea of a single genius, a singular voice, and the prestige of a solo exhibition. But I think coming out of the pandemic there was this need for community and coming together, and perhaps the amount of group shows this year is an extension of that." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/12/17/art-dirt-looking-back-at-2023 If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with Houston's Sarah Welch and Fort Worth's Raul Rodriguez about the nature of zine festivals and the landscape of self-publishing in Texas. "I think being in Texas has actually put us at a good advantage for doing self-publishing work because there are so many major cities in the state...We've done some out of state stuff, but I think the events we do in Texas are often the highest quality." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/12/03/art-dirt-looking-at-zine-fests-and-self-publishing-in-texas This week's podcast is sponsored in part by the Houston Museum of African American Culture and their annual museum fundraiser and art auction, Champagne and Ribs, which is happening December 14 in Houston. The auction features works by internationally recognized artists Evita Tezeno, David McGee, Floyd Newsum, Johnny Floyd, and others. Your bid not only gets you an incredible work of art, but also goes a long way in sustaining the Houston Museum of African American Culture. The museum will be open during the week of December 3, from Tuesday to Saturday, 11a.m. - 6 p.m. to preview the auction and purchase Champagne & Ribs tickets online or in person. Learn more and support the museum here: https://hmaac.org

Jessica Fuentes, William Sarradet, and Brandon Zech discuss recent shows they've seen across Texas, the opening of new galleries in Houston, Austin, and Wimberley, and the art news that's been making headlines this fall. "In a lot of ways, Jeremy Strick's retirement from the Nasher Sculpture Center isn't surprising — we've talked recently about how we're kind of at a turning point where organizations across Texas are starting to see a certain generation retire or step back and new people come in to lead. It will be interesting to see what will happen next for the museum." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/11/19/art-dirt-rounding-up-fall-art-news-exhibitions-weve-loved If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes talks with Dallas' Darryl Ratcliff about the rise of unions for arts and culture workers. "Ultimately, we're all served by a more engaged public, and we're all served by taking care of people. And I know that our large institutions and their supporters want to do that, and sometimes it is up to us as artists, as culture workers, as people who are more on the ground, to help lead the way." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/11/05/art-dirt-discussing-the-rise-of-art-culture-worker-unions-with-guest-darryl-ratcliff If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with Eric Schnell about what it's like to live, work, and run a ten-month residency program in Galveston. "Galveston is exactly the right size, where you can hold the whole island in your brain at one time. If it were bigger, that wouldn't be possible." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/10/22/art-dirt-talking-with-artist-galveston-artist-residency-director-eric-schnell If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with special guest Jon Revett about life in the Texas Panhandle and about the 50th anniversary of artist Robert Smithson's "Amarillo Ramp." "Smithson is using the land to give you a place to re-view the land and see it from a different point of view and think about it in a different way." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/10/08/art-dirt-amarillo-ramp-cadillac-ranch-the-texas-panhandle-with-jon-revett Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, and their exhibition, "The Iconic Portrait Strand by Nestor Topchy," on view now through January 21, 2024. On Thursday, October 12, at 7 p.m., Topchy will be joined by Timothy Morton, the Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English at Rice University, for an Artist Talk in conjunction with the show. The talk and the museum are both free to the public. Find details here: https://www.menil.org

Jessica Fuentes, William Sarradet, and Brandon Zech discuss exhibitions they've seen so far this fall, including shows at The Warehouse, Ruby City, Inman Gallery, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and beyond. "If you're going to use a kooky installation technique for a show, you've got to go all or nothing." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/09/24/art-dirt-discussing-fall-exhibitions-in-texas If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

To wrap up the summer, Jessica Fuentes and William Sarradet discuss what this season's hottest blockbuster says about our current moment. "The film has this incredible potency, but somehow it very neatly ties up what it aims to do...which is totally fine, but I feel like there's some need to find out what happens next, because we just spent a year waiting for this movie to come out and now it's over...so what's next?" See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/09/10/art-dirt-are-we-living-in-a-barbie-world If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and Brandon Zech discuss our recent loss of numerous influential Texas art legends, and talk about the implications of Frieze's acquisition of The Armory Show and EXPO CHICAGO. "The people who are building a future in Texas are very much committed to being here and working here and buffing up and adding to the Texas art scene." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/08/27/art-dirt-a-changing-of-the-art-guard-when-a-locally-run-art-fair-is-bought-out If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Leslie Moody Castro and Brandon Zech discuss what's been happening in the art world this summer, including Sotheby's buying the Breuer Building in NYC, an increase in museum admission prices, and the Dallas Museum of Art picking an architecture firm to redesign its building.  "One element of this new design is a major almost floating contemporary art gallery at the top of the museum...this design and this incoming collection could transform the Dallas Museum of Art into one of the more important museums for contemporary art in America." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/08/13/art-dirt-museum-admission-prices-increase-sothebys-buys-the-breuer-building-the-dmas-big-redesign If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet talks with Dallas artist Andrea Tosten about calligraphy, her artwork, and her new position at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. "I think my main point of being in this position is to get city dollars into artists' hands — public hands." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/07/30/art-dirt-talking-with-artist-andrea-tosten If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and William Sarradet discuss their visits to Dallas-Fort Worth's newly opened Meow Wolf location. "One of the things about truly great art is that it changes every time you revisit it; you bring something new to it, you see something new in it, and you get to continue to explore it in various levels over an extended period of time." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/07/16/art-dirt-a-visit-to-meow-wolf-grapevine If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech talks with Ann Graham, who for the past ten years has run Texans for the Arts, about the ins an outs of art funding policy and how to advocate for art in your community. "At Texans for the Arts, we know that the arts are essential to our lives, so how do we bring that passion and commitment to the fore so citizens can get engaged, artist leaders and artists can get engaged, and elected officials and decision makers can get engaged." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2023/07/02/art-dirt-talking-with-ann-graham-from-texans-for-the-arts If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate