How Art is Born

How Art is Born

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The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver's original podcast, How Art is Born, delves deep into the creative process with artists representing the spectrum of art making. Join host R. Alan Brooks as he explores the stories behind the artist and how their art is born. www.mcadenver.org/podcast Instagram: @mca_denver TikTok: @mcadenver YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mcadenver1485

MCA Denver


    • Aug 9, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 49m AVG DURATION
    • 35 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from How Art is Born

    Feeding your creative curiosity and self acceptance with producer, composer, bassist Derrick Hodge

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2023 62:51


    In this episode of How Art Is Born, Host R. Alan Brooks is joined by Derrick Hodge, composer, musical director, bandleader, producer, bassist, and advocate. Hodge reflects on his early days as a musician in West Philadelphia, feeding his curiosity and creative drive, his journey of self acceptance, and shares some words of wisdom for all the creators out there. Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    Healing and supporting the queer community through comedy with Dyketopia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 66:00 Transcription Available


    In this episode of How Art Is Born Host R. Alan Brooks is joined by the delightfully unhinged queer comedy duo of Lee Robinson and Kate McLachlan aka Dyketopia. Their conversation delves into how the pair found their way into performing stand-up comedy, creating a community for the queer comedy scene, and more. Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    Discovering a creative identity amongst a family of artists, and learning how to develop a video game with Leo Castañeda

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 47:09


    In this episode of How Art Is Born Host R. Alan Brooks is joined by Miami based multimedia artist and video game director, Leo Castañeda. Their conversation delves into Castañeda forging his own path and creative identity amongst a family of artists, teaching himself how to independently create and develop a video game, his video game direction and design process and more. Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    From self-publishing artist and writer beginnings to becoming an award-winning and bestselling author with professor, author, and graphic novelist John Jennings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2023 54:19 Transcription Available


    Join host R. Alan Brooks for a conversation with Los Angeles area based professor, author, graphic novelist, curator, and New York Times best-seller, John Jennings in today's episode of How Art is Born. Hear about Jennings' discovering his love for art and comics, his early days as a graphic designer, self-publishing his own books, creating a new character for the Marvel universe, and more!

    The journey to becoming his fullest self, and pioneering Denver's music scene with artist N3ptune

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023 69:03


    Join host R. Alan Brooks for a conversation with Denver-based singer, songwriter, and producer, N3ptune, in today's episode of How Art is Born. Hear about N3ptune's spiritual journey to becoming a multi-hyphenate and genre bending musical artist, growing up in the Baptist Church, embracing his most authentic self, and more!

    Discovering your passion and niche within your creative field, and learning your craft "on the job"with Amanda Lopez

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 53:15


    Join host R. Alan Brooks for a conversation with Los Angeles and Denver-based photographer, Amanda Lopez, in today's episode of How Art is Born. Hear about Lopez's journey to discovering her love of photography, learning as much as she could about her craft in the classroom and on the job, how she's dealt with fear and imposter syndrome to build a successful career as professional photographer, and more!

    Being an entrepreneurial, business savvy creator, and learning new mediums of expression with artist Thomas "Detour"Evans

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2023 59:31 Transcription Available


    In this episode of How Art is Born host R. Alan Brooks is joined by Thomas Evans, a.k.a. Detour, an all-around creative specializing in large scale public art, interactive visuals, portraiture, immersive spaces, and creative directing. Detour's focus is on expanding customary views of creativity and challenging fine-art paradigms by mixing traditional mediums with new approaches.Hear about Detour's days as a breakdancer, a student life coordinator on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, a trip to Zimbabwe that catalyzed his decision to pursue visual and interactive art full time, and more!

    The value of having diverse work experience, and the impact of having good mentors and support systems with artist Gregg Deal.

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2023 58:00 Transcription Available


    In this episode of How Art is Born we welcome Colorado-based multi-disciplinary artist, activist, and "disruptor," Gregg Deal, (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe). His work is informed by his Native identity and includes exhaustive critiques of American society, politics, popular culture and history. Through paintings, murals, performance work, filmmaking, spoken word, and more, Deal invites the viewer to confront these issues both in the present and the past tense. Host, R. Alan Brooks and Deal, discuss his life growing up in Utah, the early days of his career as an artist and student in the Washington, D.C. area, the value of having diverse work experience, and the impact of having good mentors and support systems.

    Finding your lane within your creative community with artist and educator Kaneem Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2023 44:48 Transcription Available


    In our Season 3 premiere of How Art is Born we welcome Houston-based educator and visual artist Kaneem Smith. Kaneem creates sculptural works out of fabric materials such as burlap formerly used for import/export purposes, referencing concerns on ethical trade, colonialist interactions on the natural environment, and contemporary issues concerning global civil justice. Her work has been included in numerous venues such as the African American Museum in Dallas, National Art Gallery in Athens, Greece; Lima Art Museum, Peru, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.In this episode, Kaneem and host, R. Alan Brooks talk about growing up in the south, finding your lane to create within your community, and working through the process of overcoming fear of failure.

    How Art is Born Season 3 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2023 0:43 Transcription Available


    How Art is Born season 3 is coming soon! Join artist, writer, professor, and host R. Alan Brooks, for in-depth conversations with folks across the spectrum of artmaking. This season we'll discover the stories, experiences, and origins of artists Leo Castaneda, Gregg Deal, Amanda Lopez, Kaneem Smith, Thomas “Detour” Evans, and more! We'll explore how these artists careers began; delve deep into their creative processes, and bring to light how their art is born. Get new episodes of How Art is Born every other week starting Wednesday April 12, 2023 wherever you get your podcasts, or at mcadenver.org/podcast.

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    Best of Season 2 Part II

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2023 73:08 Transcription Available


    Welcome to another bonus episode of How Art is Born Season, continuing our reflection on some highlights from season 2. We had ten amazing, insightful, and inspiring guests on our show this season that we wanted to relive some of those moments. In this episode of How Art is born we're revisiting some highlights from the last five episodes of season 2 with guests, Cami Galofre, Sofie Birkin, Maia Ruth Lee, Finnegan Shannon, and Eric See. We hope you love listening back to these moments as much as we did.

    Best of Season 2 Part I

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 78:01 Transcription Available


    Welcome to another bonus episode of How Art is Born Season 2. Reflecting on this season of the podcast we had so many wonderful, passionate, and talented guests on our show that we wanted to relive some of those moments. In this episode of How Art is born revisit some highlights from the first five episodes of season 2 with guests, AJ Haynes (00:00:35), Blake Jackson (00:15:00), Sebastian Jones (00:29:18), Diego Gerard Morrison and Lucia Hinojosa (00:40:43), and Wes Watkins (01:00:32). We hope you love listening back to these moments as much as we did.

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    Going from "square job" to comic book artist and writer with R. Alan Brooks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2023 69:20 Transcription Available


    R. Alan Brooks is Denver-based writer, artist, and professor. He teaches graphic novel writing for Regis University's MFA program, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. He's the author of the graphic novels “The Burning Metronome” and “Anguish Garden”, and his award-winning weekly comic for The Colorado Sun, “What'd I Miss?” has been praised for its direct engagement with social issues. His viral TED Talk on the importance of art has nearly 2.5M views. Alan also has graphic novel work featured in the Denver Art Museum's recently renovated Western exhibit.In this special bonus episode of How Art is Born season 2, R. Alan Brooks and guest host and MCA Denver Digital Producer, Dele Johnson, discuss Alan's love for comics, his time as a hip hop artist, his decision to close down his insurance agency to pursue his dream, and more!

    Cooking up culture, community, hospitality, entrepreneurism, and activism with Eric See

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2022 48:42 Transcription Available


    Eric See is a New Mexican-born and raised chef, living in Brooklyn, NY. In 2020, he opened the popular and award winning New Mexican-inspired cafe, Ursula, where he has worked to support and celebrate his intersectional queer and New Mexican-Hispanic identities. His restaurant was a 2022 top 10 nominee for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation and a 2021 Bon Appetit Heads of The Table honoree for his work within the queer food community.In this episode of How Art is Born season 2, Eric See and host, R. Alan Brooks, discuss Eric's love of hospitality, his journey to becoming a pastry chef and eventually opening his own restaurant, activism and supporting his LGBTQ+ community in New York and beyond, and much more!

    The intersections of disability, accessibility, and art with Shannon Finnegan

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022 47:42 Transcription Available


    Project-based Shannon Finnegan experiments with forms of access that intervene in ableist structures using humor, earnestness, rage, and delight. Some of their recent work includes Alt Text as Poetry, a collaboration with Bojana Coklyat that explores the expressive potential of image description. Shannon has done projects with MoCA Cleveland, Queens Museum, the High Line, MMK Frankfurt, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and Nook Gallery.In this episode of How Art is Born season 2, Shannon Finnegan and host, R. Alan Brooks, discuss the intersections of disability, accessibility, and art, and centering marginalized communities in their work to influence change.

    Sustaining a successful art career, and experimentation, playfulness, and healing through art with artist Maia Ruth Lee

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2022 53:11 Transcription Available


    Maia Ruth Lee is an award winning multidisciplinary artist based in Salida, Colorado. Lee's works have been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Aspen Art Museum, MCA Denver, and other select galleries around New York City and Los Angeles. In this episode of How Art is Born season 2, Maia Ruth Lee and host, R. Alan Brooks, discuss her early exposure to art through Nepali culture, her formal art education in Korea, sustaining a career in art, maintaining a playfulness in her creative process through experimentation, and more. Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    Becoming a professional illustrator by chance, and "making it" as a freelance creative with Sofie Birkin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2022 46:47 Transcription Available


    Sofie Birkin is a queer British artist currently living in Denver. Her work explores transhistorical narratives of femininity and queerness, focusing heavily on themes of fantasy, community, intimacy and empowerment, in dynamic scenes and vivid color. She's been commissioned by companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Planned Parenthood, Nike and The New York Times. Sofie has published work available both domestically and internationally including a permanent installation at Meow Wolf's Denver location, Convergence Station.In this episode of How Art is Born season 2 Sofie and host, R. Alan Brooks discuss her journey to becoming a professional illustrator (and all her stops along the way), her interest in the narrative around domestic labor, her creative process, and more.

    Passing energy through art and creating art from a place of courageous optimism with Cami Galofre

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2022 42:15 Transcription Available


    Cami Galofre is a Colombian contemporary visual artist and educator based in Denver, CO with a national and international exhibition record, including a permanent installation in Meow Wolf's Convergence Station. She holds a Bachelors degrees in Studio Art and Environmental Science from Colorado College and a Masters of Fine Art from Arizona State University. In addition to her work as an artist, Galofre currently teaches at the Community College of Denver and El Museo de las Americas. In this episode of How Art is Born Season 2, host R. Alan Brooks and Cami Galofre discuss creating art from a place of positivity and passing that energy along through her art, creating for her own satisfaction and taking commissions to create artwork for others, and more.

    Being art, and creating music that encourages and inspires self-discovery with musician Wes Watkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 52:26 Transcription Available


    Wes Watkins is a Denver-based musician and “cosmos crusader”, formerly houseless, and constantly countering systems of indoctrinated oppression. Wes strives to be everything he imagines the world could be, perfect in imperfection and constantly seeking to be better. His music will make you dance, think, cry and (he hopes), strive to be better. In this episode of How Art is Born Season 2, host R. Alan Brooks and Wes Watkins recall their history of performing and collaborating together on stage, discuss who their favorite orators are, why they both make music, self-discovery, and more. We hope you enjoy this fifth episode of How Art is Born. There are only five more episodes left in Season 2.

    Examining the nuance and power of language with writer Diego Gerard Morrison and artist Lucía Hinojosa Gaxiola

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 48:30 Transcription Available


    Diego Gerard Morrison is a writer and translator working in the intersections between appropriation, plagiarism and co-writing. He is the author of the play The Wait, and the novel Myth of Pterygium. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Brooklyn Rail, The River Rail, Boiler House Press, The Poetry Project and Shifter among others. Lucía Hinojosa Gaxiola is an artist, experimental poet and editor whose work explores the materiality of language, memory, sound ecology, elements of chance and archive. Her conceptual art/poetry book The Telaraña Circuit (Tender Buttons Press) is forthcoming and her album REZO (Insect Poem) was released in 2021. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and art spaces in Mexico and abroad. Diego and Lucía are co-founders of diSONARE, an editorial platform based in Mexico City.In this episode of Season 2 of How Art is born, Diego and Lucía join host R. Alan Brooks to discuss the nuance and power of language, how being bilingual can impact one's perception and approach to language, and so much more.

    Emphasizing story and representation in independent comics with President of Stranger Comics Sebastian Jones

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2022 57:31 Transcription Available


    Sebastian A. Jones is the President of Stranger Comics and the creator of the world of Asunda including its lead character Niobe, which became the first nationally distributed comic with a Black female author, artist, and lead hero in history. At Stranger, Jones partnered with Garcelle Beauvais on the I Am Book Series, children's books that focuses on diversity. Titles Jones has written and published include: The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer, The Untamed: Killing Floor, The Untamed: Still a Fool, Niobe: She is Life, Niobe: She is Death, Niobe & Dura, Dusu: Path of the Ancient, Erathune, Essessa: The Fallen, Tales of Asunda: Silver Blood, First Kill, Morka Moa: Rise of the Jade Lord, Salvador, Pinata, I Am Mixed, I Am Living in 2 Homes, I Am Awesome, and Ruining Christmas. In this episode of How Art is Born Season 2, Sebastian sits down with friend and host R. Alan Brooks to discuss the importance of focusing on carefully crafted characters and stories for independent comic creators, what it takes to run an independent comics company, what kind of music they like to listen to while writing, and more.

    Self expression through artwork with photographer and director Blake Jackson

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2022 49:20 Transcription Available


    Blake Jackson is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Denver focusing primarily on photography and film direction. As a self-taught creative, his journey has had several forks in the road ultimately all leading him to this place and time. Blake is passionate about movies, the liberation of the working class and BIPOC, and his daughter Ava. In this episode of How Art is Born Season 2, Blake sits down with friend and host R. Alan Brooks to discuss using art as a medium for expressing his worldview, dealing with trauma, depression, and imposter syndrome, creating work that deeply connects with an audience, and so much more.

    Engaging with community through art with singer/songwriter and reproductive justice leader AJ Haynes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2022 53:14 Transcription Available


    A.J. Haynes is a Black Filipina queer femme performance artist, singer/songwriter, abortion access advocate, and reproductive justice leader. Haynes is led by spirit with a keen eye on the cosmos, centering her intersectional experience to shape not only the sound and ethos of her band Seratones, but the potential for liberation within her community. In the premiere of How Art is Born Season 2, A.J. sits down with host R. Alan Brooks to discuss how she got her start as a singer, a brief history of the reproductive justice movement in America, creating deeper engagement with community through art, and more.

    How Art is Born Season 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2022 0:37


    How Art is Born is back for a second season! If you don't know, it's an original podcast from the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, that delves deep into the creative process with artists across the spectrum of artmaking. Join me, R. Alan Brooks, for a conversation with fellow creatives as we explore stories of how their careers as artists began; how and where their ideas are generated; which ideas become art, which ones faded away into the ether; and so much more. Discover the stories and experiences behind the artists and how their art is born. New episodes dropping every other Wednesday Starting September 7. Find How Art Is Born wherever you get your podcasts or at mcadenver.org/podcast.

    Taking a stand for your art with jazz musician and visual artist Jason Moran

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 55:29 Transcription Available


    Today, internationally-renowned jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran is a MacArthur genius, Artistic Director of Jazz at the Kennedy Center, and his visual art is currently on view at MCA Denver. Rewind forty years and Jason was a six-year-old growing up in Houston and begrudgingly beginning to take piano lessons. His attitude toward the piano changed its tune when he was thirteen and heard Thelonius Monk play for the first time, inspired by his game-changing melding of jazz and hip hop. Jason went on to attend New York's Manhattan School of Music where his unconventional style and unwavering self-confidence challenged his teachers and bandmates, but today makes him a one-of-a-kind artist. In the final episode of How Art is Born season 1, Jason sits down with host R. Alan Brooks to discuss the history of Black music, parenthood as an artist, finding a tribe that appreciates what you want to bring to the table, and so much more.Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    Exploring the “true self” with multidisciplinary artist Laura Shill

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2021 45:02 Transcription Available


    Multidisciplinary artist Laura Shill always felt like an outside observer. Her grandfather recognized this in her as a child and gifted her a hot pink point-and-shoot camera, which turned out to be the start for an early career in photojournalism. However, a few years into that career, she felt uneasy about using her camera as a weapon to show people at their lowest moments. Instead, she chose to pursue an MFA from the University of Colorado at Boulder and explore the artistic side of photography. Today, her “brain works more in 3D,” as she puts it, and she focuses most of her art practice in sculpture. In this episode of the podcast, Laura and host R. Alan Brooks discuss the performative and vulnerable aspects of photography, using art to connect with other people, carving out a space for other weirdos, and more.Links mentioned in this episode:Follow Laura on InstagramCheck out Laura's websiteTank StudiosCamp TintypeGuy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle (Laura accidentally calls it Spectacle of the South)“Phantom Touch” (Laura's “pink tube” project that appeared at MCA Denver in 2015 as part of the Thief Among Thieves exhibition)Watch a video about Laura's work, "Including Other in the Self" (based on the psychological study and subsequent New York Times article, “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love”)

    Holding up a mirror to the audience with choreographer & performance artist Helanius J. Wilkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 43:21 Transcription Available


    Choreographer/Performance Artist Helanius J. Wilkins was wired to be a maker. Born and raised in Louisiana, Helanius watched a PBS Special on Black American choreographer Alvin Ailey and knew he found his calling. Today, he is an Associate Chair and Professor of Dance at the University of Colorado at Boulder and ran his own all-male, primarily-Black dance company, EDGEWORKS, in Washington, DC.For this episode, How Art is Born host Alan sits down with him on the precipice of Helanius's multi-year, multimedia, transcontinental project, The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-body Belonging. Together, they discuss Helanius's efforts to build community and lift up marginalized voices in his work, never apologizing for your art (even when a project feels like a failure), their respective experiences as Black men in a predominantly white community, selfcare for the end purpose of larger change, and more.Links mentioned in this episode:Alvin Ailey American Dance TheaterWatch excerpts from Helanius's 2018 project, A Bon Coeur: Pages From A JournalHow to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It!)Helanius's current project, The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-body BelongingHelanius's websiteFollow Helanius on InstagramFollow Helanius on Twitter

    The artistry of food and hospitality with chef Kelly Whitaker

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2021 38:09 Transcription Available


    Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, award-winning chef Kelly Whitaker grew up spending summers on his grandfather's vegetable farm and felt pulled towards the culinary arts. With a mission to deepen his understanding of food and its impact on people and the planet, he traveled abroad to hone his skills with various mom-and-pop restaurants. He eventually returned to the U.S. and applied his learnings toward opening his own wood fired pizza shop in Boulder, Colorado and starting the hospitality group, Id Est. Today, Id Est has grown to three restaurants and a bakery/grainery. In this episode, Kelly sits down with Alan to discuss the give and take of turning your passion into an empire, advocacy kitchens, challenging the paradigm of the restaurant industry, and the power of seeing yourself as an artist.Links mentioned in this episode:Id Est Hospitality Group websiteFollow Id Est on InstagramThe Wolf's Tailor websiteFollow The Wolf's Tailor on InstagramBRUTØ websiteFollow BRUTØ on InstagramBasta websiteFollow Basta on InstagramDry Storage websiteFollow Dry Storage on Instagram

    Mental health and representation with comic artists Jacenta L. Irlanda & Diamanto Sala

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2021 56:52 Transcription Available


    Jacenta L. Irlanda, Diamanto Sala, and host R. Alan Brooks all have something in common: A love of comics from a very young age. All three found escape and joy in reading and creating comics as children and that love persists today, though with a more nuanced approach, especially due to their respective jobs and identities. In Jacenta's case, she incorporates comics into her art therapy practice in order to help clients access their emotional trauma in a safe manner. For Diamanto, their job as a sex worker has enhanced their desire to see themes of justice in the comics they consume. For both of them, meaningful representation—not tokenization—both on the page and behind the pen, are of paramount importance. In this special two-for-one episode, the group discusses these themes, plus the pressure to conform their artistic style to others', advice for receiving harsh feedback, and more.This episode contains mature language and content.Links mentioned in this episode:La Borinqueña — Puerto Rican superhero Jacenta mentions“Steven Universe,” “She-Ra,” “The Owl House” — Cartoons with queer representation Diamanto and Alan mentionThe Burning Metronome by R. Alan Brooks

    Using art as a light in a dark world with painter Diego Rodriguez-Warner

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2021 47:14 Transcription Available


    Diego Rodriguez-Warner has a cinematic origin story. The son of a guerrilla fighter and an international aid worker, Diego started out his studies in higher education focusing on the darkest parts of human history. He was feeling understandably discouraged by humanity until one fateful night at a jazz club gave him the epiphany to totally change course and dedicate his life to being an artist. In this episode, Diego and Alan discuss their shared love of comics and how it shows up in Diego's work today, the fear of conforming to the tastes of the mainstream, activist art versus timeless art, and how Diego is able to say he's never experienced failure in art (spoiler: it's got nothing to do with luck and everything to do with perspective).Links mentioned in this episodeFollow Diego on InstagramRead about Lesbia Vent Dumois (Diego's tutor in Cuba) on WikipediaKoyaanisqatsi soundtrack on SpotifyIn Search of Duende by Federico García LorcaThe Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault Learn more about Diego's exhibition at MCA in 2018This episode contains mature language and content.

    Designing to heal the inner child with immersive installation artist Lonnie Hanzon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2021 51:07 Transcription Available


    Lonnie Hanzon has been a professional artist for over four decades, with impressive credentials including Lucas Films, the nationally-acclaimed Camp Christmas, Neiman Marcus, and the “Evolution of the Ball” sculpture at Coors Field. But coming from humble beginnings and with the lack of a formal education, he started out taking a variety of odd jobs to pay the bills, from singing telegrams to designing costumes for drag queens. In this episode, Lonnie sits down with Alan to talk about how his wide variety of past work has coalesced into his current focus in immersive experiences, the fear of failure and success, the narrow and high standards we hold artists to, and more.Links discussed in this episode:Lonnie's websiteCamp ChristmasFollow Lonnie on InstagramSubscribe to Lonnie's YouTube channelR. Alan Brooks' TEDx Talk “When the world is burning, is art a waste of time?”This episode contains mature language and content.

    Creating through grief with indie-pop producer and recording artist ZEMBU

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2021 42:24 Transcription Available


    Recording artist and indie-pop producer Sarah Pumpian grew up in a musical household near Seattle. She woke up to the sound of her mother's vocal students warming up and spent her childhood singing “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” on the family's karaoke machine and even performing on tour with her mother in Japan. But after her mother's death when she was 15 years old, Sarah pushed away her love for singing. It wasn't until after college when a friend invited her to a jam session that her passion was reignited and she decided to pursue music professionally. Today, she writes and produces her own songs and tours as ZEMBU. In this episode of How Art is Born, Sarah and Alan discuss mental health and grieving, art versus commerce, and how to balance creativity and commerce as a professional artist.Learn more about ZEMBU on the Japanese Arts Network's AMPLIFY platformLinks discussed in this episode:ZEMBU's websiteFollow ZEMBU on InstagramFollow ZEMBU on SpotifyBeats by Girlz Fort Collins chapterR. Alan Brooks' TEDx Talk “When the world is burning, is art a waste of time?”Crying in H Mart (the memoir Sarah references by Japanese Breakfast)Special thanks to ZEMBU for letting us use her song “Overgrown” in this week's episode.This episode contains discussion of depression and suicide. If you're thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States at 1-800-273-8255.

    From acting to stand-up and winning over the audience with comedian Janae Burris

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 58:07 Transcription Available


    Comedian Janae Burris has made a name for herself in Denver as a member of Comedy Works' Pro List and as a frequent opener for Josh Blue (not to mention her Sh!t Talk Tours at MCA Denver). But her journey to comedy came by way of her love for theatre and standup was initially a way to bolster her acting résumé. In this episode, Janae and R. Alan Brooks discuss her path to the stage, tips for newcomers to comedy, and her experience being pigeonholed and typecast as a Black woman in both theatre and comedy.You can find Janae performing at the 8th annual High Plains Comedy Festival September 16-18, 2021.Links discussed in this episode:Janae's websiteFollow Janae on InstagramFollow Janae on TwitterJanae's comedy classes for girls at Athena ProjectThis episode contains mature language and content.Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    Introverts and the danger of ego with photographer Armando Geneyro

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 54:21 Transcription Available


    Armando Geneyro has been photographing various subcultures in Denver for the past seven years from the local hip-hop scene to cruisers and lowriders. Originally from Lompoc, California, he spent six years in the military after the passing of his father when Armando was 18. Throughout his childhood and time in the military, he used cameras to document his surroundings, but it wasn't until the rise of Instagram that he started exploring photography as an art form. In the first episode of How Art is Born, he talks to host R. Alan Brooks about imposter syndrome, the power of the Internet for budding artists, not being afraid to fail and pivot focus when necessary, and the challenges of being introverted as a photographer of people.Links mentioned in this episode:THEYSHOOTN, Armando's collective of photographers who host different events that celebrate the people of Denver while also collecting resources for the community.Brick & Soul, Armando's exhibition at History Colorado open now through July 30, 2022.Armando's websiteFollow Armando on InstagramThis episode contains mature language and content.Mentioned in this episode:Check Out Off The Walls from Colorado Public RadioHey! If you love How Art is Born, there's another podcast that I think you should check out. It's called Off The Walls and it's all about the people and stories behind Denver's street art. In each episode, you'll meet artists, activists and other Denverites ... to explore some powerful murals around town ... and why they matter. Find Off The Walls from Denverite and Colorado Public Radio wherever you get podcasts!CPR Off The Walls Ad 1

    Introducing How Art is Born

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2021 0:47 Transcription Available


    The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver presents How Art is Born, a podcast that delves deep into the creative process with artists representing the spectrum of artmaking. Join host R. Alan Brooks, a comic book writer and professor, for a conversation with a different creative person each episode, learning about their artistic practice. How and where are their ideas generated? Which ideas become art and which ones stay on the cutting room floor? How did their careers as artists begin? Get the story behind the artist and how their art is born.mcadenver.org/podcast

    art museum alan brooks

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