Museum Confidential

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Think of a museum. Any museum. Which works of art get to be displayed, and which don't, and why? Where do they keep all the unshown (or unshowable) pieces? And why do they keep them at all? And just how does one pack/ship/transport a priceless painting or sculpture? "Museum Confidential" is a new…

Philbrook Museum of Art


    • May 30, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 152 EPISODES

    4.8 from 60 ratings Listeners of Museum Confidential that love the show mention: museums, appreciation, art, thank, great, love.


    Ivy Insights

    The Museum Confidential podcast is an outstanding show that offers a unique and insightful look into the world of museums and art appreciation. As a first-time listener, I was immediately drawn in by the engaging and thought-provoking discussions, particularly in the episode focusing on album covers. The hosts provide valuable insight into the background of artists who create these covers, adding depth to my understanding of the albums themselves. This podcast has truly opened my eyes to new perspectives and provided me with knowledge that I can now bring into my classroom as a teacher. It has enriched my life in ways I never expected.

    One of the best aspects of The Museum Confidential podcast is its exceptional production quality. The episodes are well-paced, not overly long or too in-depth, making them easily digestible for listeners. Despite their brevity, each episode manages to deliver intriguing content that leaves you wanting more. Furthermore, the interviews featured are timely, engaging, and accessible to all levels of art enthusiasts. Additionally, the ads within the episodes are perfectly incorporated and add to the overall enjoyment without being intrusive.

    While it's challenging to find any significant drawbacks to this podcast, one minor criticism could be that some episodes may lack sufficient depth for listeners seeking more extensive information about specific topics. However, it's important to note that this podcast aims at providing an overview and sparking interest rather than delving too deeply into any one subject.

    In conclusion, The Museum Confidential podcast is a must-listen show for anyone interested in museums and cultural institutions. Its ability to present insightful and captivating content in a concise format makes it both informative and enjoyable. Whether you're a museum enthusiast or simply looking to expand your knowledge of art appreciation, this podcast is sure to leave you inspired and eager for more. Kudos to Jeff Martin and the Philbrook Museum team for creating such an exceptional show!



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    Latest episodes from Museum Confidential

    Pop Goes the Museum

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 31:01


    Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) turns 25 this year. On our Season 9 finale we light out to the Pacific Northwest for a fascinating conversation with MoPOP CEO Michelle Y. Smith.

    America's National Churchill Museum

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025 34:20


    1946, in the wake of the Allies winning World War II, Sir Winston Churchill came to the US and gave his famous (and famously cautionary) "Iron Curtain" speech at a small college in Mid-Missouri. That school, Westminster College, is the home of America's National Churchill Museum, which celebrates the life, work, thought, and leadership of the "British Bulldog." How does a museum dedicated to the man who saved Western liberal democracy endeavor to stay relevant at a moment when, around the world, democracy itself seems endangered? Our guest is Timothy Riley, Director and Chief Curator of this museum.

    Ralph Steadman

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 21:09


    Ralph Steadman is an English artist and illustrator best known for his long collaboration with the iconoclastic Hunter S. Thompson, notably illustrating "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Their partnership helped define “Gonzo” journalism. On this episode we catch up with Ralph, who turns 89 next month, and his daughter, Sadie, to discuss a career spanning exhibition now on view at Oklahoma State University.

    On "Japonisme”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 30:03


    When Japan opened its borders for trade and travel in the 1850s, the goods that hit markets across Europe and America sparked an international craze known as “Japonisme.” On this episode we explore the history, legacy, and a new exhibition on this era with Rachel Keith, Deputy Director for Audience Engagement & Curatorial Affairs at Philbrook Museum of Art.  

    What's a Creative Director?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 27:45


    Museum staff titles are often lengthy, so “Creative Director” seems pretty straightforward. But what exactly does it mean? And what exactly do they do? Bhadri Verduzco holds this position at Philbrook, so on this episode we go straight to the source.      

    Crip Curation and Disability Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 26:55


    Why are museums built the way they are? Why do we hang art at that height? If a disabled artist makes art, is it necessarily Disability Art? Who gets to decide? On this episode we explore these questions and more with “Crip Curator” and acclaimed author Amanda Cachia.            

    curation crips disability art
    Reimagining Native Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 27:04


    As Season 9 resumes, we travel to New Jersey's Montclair Art Museum to experience the Museum's stunning new installation, Interwoven Power: Native Knowledge / Native Art and a chat with Laura Allen, the acclaimed curator behind the long-gestating project. Featuring artists including Shan Goshorn, Fritz Scholder, Holly Wilson, Oscar Howe, Rose Simpson, and dozens of others, the installation reimagines and presents a new template for what it means to display Native Art.   

    Introducing: Immaterial

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 42:24


    While our midseason break here at MC continues, we would like to introduce our beloved listeners (that would be you) to something special. It's a podcast called Immaterial: 5,000 Years of Art, One Material at a Time; it's produced by our pals over at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. We dig it. You will, too. For more episodes, or more information, please visit HERE. 

    Return To Taliesin West

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 35:01


    Four years ago, deep in the pandemic, we travelled to Frank Lloyd Wright's Arizona compound, Taliesin West, to see how they were weathering the unprecedented challenges. We just went back to see what was learned and what remains with Niki Stewart, Chief Learning and Engagement Officer for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

    Charles Gaines

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2024 32:31


    A dispatch from the Phoenix Art Museum where we recently traveled to speak with acclaimed conceptual artist, Charles Gaines prior to the opening of a new retrospective.  Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 runs through March 9, 2025. 

    Live from Tulsa

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 32:39


    This special episode of MC was recently taped before a live audience at Philbrook Museum of Art. Our host Jeff Martin is joined by on stage by interdisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger, Brooklyn Museum curator Kimberli Gant, and Philbrook Chief Curator Kate Green. They speak in detail about why and how today's museums are diversifying (or attempting to diversify) their collections. Presented in partnership with Tulsa Town Hall. 

    What is American Art?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024 28:31


    What makes American art "American"? Let's discuss. On this episode we welcome back Philbrook curator, Susan Green to chat about the new exhibition, "American Artists, American Stories from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1776-1976." It's a sweeping, varied exhibition offering more than 100 masterworks -- by Mary Cassatt, Barkley L. Hendricks, Edward Hopper, Thomas Moran, Alice Neel, Georgia O'Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth, and many others. It runs through December 29, 2024.

    From Haiti with Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 27:33


    On recent trip to Washington, D.C. we stopped by the National Gallery of Art to chat with curator Kanitra Fletcher about a new show she was preparing to debut, the first show dedicated to Haitian art in the history of the institution. As with most things in life, timing is everything. Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti opens September 29 and runs through March 9th. www.nga.gov

    Re-imagining Museums

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2024 29:43


    On our Season 9 debut we talk with Stephen Reily, attorney, entrepreneur, and former Director of Louisville's Speed Art Museum about REMUSEUM, his ambitious new project to reimagine what museums can be.

    Banksy Unmasked

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 25:44


    Psyche! We're not actually unmasking Banksy on this episode, but we are taking a closer look at the recently-opened museum in New York City dedicated to the famously anonymous street artist/activist. William Meade is the Executive Director of the Banksy Museum in Manhattan and we have no idea if he knows Banksy's true identity. For all we know he could actually be Banksy! It's all a bit complicated.

    Art Fair Diaries: Chicago

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 22:51


    On the final installment of our ART FAIR DIARIES trilogy, Philbrook Chief Curator and roving MC correspondent, Kate Green takes us to the land of John Hughes movies and deep-dish pizza. Welcome to EXPO CHICAGO.

    The Things We Keep

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2024 38:11


    Acclaimed artist Chris Ramsey's work deals with big, universal subjects: time, space, impermanence, what we discard, and what we choose to keep. Now, after receiving an incurable cancer diagnosis, Chris is confronting the biggest questions of all.

    Art Fair Diaries: Mexico City

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2024 15:53


    For this new installment in our Art Fair Diaries series, Philbrook Chief Curator (and occasional roving Museum Confidential correspondent) Kate Green reports from the biggest art fair in one of the world's biggest cities. Welcome to Mexico City.

    On Sovereign Futures

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2024 25:13


    Our guest is curator Allison Glenn; we previously spoke to Glenn a few years ago about her Breonna Taylor-inspired show, "Promise, Witness, Remembrance." Now Glenn is curating a multi-venue, multi-day, multi-focused convening titled Sovereign Futures, which runs April 4th through the 7th. Per the Sovereign Futures website, various "artist-led projects will explore themes of sovereignty through...food, land, speculative futures, and histories of the place that is now called Oklahoma."

    The Insider

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 27:58


    Our guest is acclaimed journalist Bianca Bosker, who tells us that -- when it comes to which topics she chooses to investigate and cover -- she's "obsessed with obsession." Bosker's latest book is "Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See." She was a security guard at the Guggenheim. She worked in a commercial gallery. She was a studio assistant to an emerging artist. What Hunter S. Thompson did with the Hell's Angels, Bosker does with Art History majors.

    The Future of Museum Funding?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 26:53


    A recent headline in The New York Times read: To Save Museums, Treat Them Like Highways. There's no shortage of conversations about museum funding models. But after reading this one, arguing that museums should be thought of more like infrastructure, it was time for another. On this episode we speak to one of the piece's co-writers, Laura Raicovich, former Executive Director of New York's Queens Museum. 

    Live in Reno with Cannupa Hanska Luger

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 38:32


    The Nevada Museum of Art invited us out for a live show in Reno with acclaimed indigenous artist Cannupa Hanska Luger. Futurism and speculative fiction are just two of many terms that describe Luger's unforgettable work and the special exhibition, SPEECHLESS. On this episode we chat with Luger and Apsara DiQuinzio, the Museum's Senior Curator of Contemporary Art.

    Film & Fashion: Killers of the Flower Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2024 33:32


    Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon just nabbed ten Oscar nominations, including one for Costume Design. But how do you authentically take people back to the Osage Nation of the 1920's? How do you get every detail just right? Meet Julie O'Keefe, the Osage Nation wardrobe consultant hired to do just that. 

    Edward Hopper Abides

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 30:27


    On our first episode of 2024, we chat with the co-directors of an acclaimed new PBS American Masters documentary on legendary New York painter, Edward Hopper. “Hopper: An American Love Story” has it all; lonely people in rooms, quiet city streets, difficult relationships, and plenty of secrets revealed.

    Art Basel Miami Beach: A Diary

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 36:59


    Art Basel Miami Beach, the biggest international modern/contemporary art fair in North America, took place earlier this month; thousands of art dealers, artists, collectors, curators, and art aficionados showed up. Kate Green, the Chief Curator & Nancy E. Meinig Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art at Philbrook Museum of Art, was among those attending this very active and multifaceted annual event (or series of events). At our request, Green kept an audio diary while she was there. She joins us on MC to share her diary and discuss this gala expo more generally.

    Sharon Stone

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 21:11


    You probably know Sharon Stone the actress. It's time you get to know Sharon Stone the ARTIST. Over the past few years, the Oscar nominee has turned painting into a dedicated daily practice. On this episode we talk about inspiration, early museum experiences, a new exhibition, and so much more.

    Impossible Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 42:13


    We travel to Pittsburgh's Miller Institute of Contemporary Art (Carnegie Mellon University) for the special exhibition, IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC, a fascinating collection of sounds, scores, sculptures, video, live performances, and more. First up we have a big picture chat with the ICA's Director, Elizabeth Chodos before a deeper dive with acclaimed curator Candice Hopkins and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist/composer, Raven Chacon. IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC runs through December 10.

    Trade & Transformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 28:37


    Every object holds a story. That's the idea behind the thought-provoking new Philbrook exhibition, TRADE & TRANSFORMATION. Curator Kalyn Fay Barnoski (Cherokee Nation enrollee, Muscogee descent) originated and organized the exhibition. On this episode she joins us to chat about how she came to create it. Trade & Transformation is on view through December 30. Details at Philbrook.org.  

    Live in Iowa: Words & Pictures

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 40:42


    In 2008, a catastrophic flood shut down the art museum on the University of Iowa campus. 15 years later, the museum has finally reopened with a new building, new name (The Stanley), and a new catalog created in partnership with the legendary Iowa Writer's Workshop. They invited us up to chat about all of it.

    Selecting Scorsese's Songs (and more) with Randall Poster

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 27:53


    From time to time we explore the question, “what is a curator?” For the past 30 years, Randall Poster has been searching for, selecting, securing rights for, and ultimately finding the perfect moment for music in hundreds of films. The official job title is Music Supervisor. It could easily be called “Music Curator.” In 2023 alone, his slate includes Wes Anderson's “Asteroid City,” Sofia Coppola's “Priscilla,” and Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

    Erasing History

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 29:15


    Video journalist Alexandra Eaton of The New York Times joins us to share an unforgettable story that begins with a painting created in 1837 New Orleans. It depicts a well-to-do family's three children and a Black enslaved child named Bélizaire. Decades later, Bélizaire was removed from the portrait. Experts have restored the work to its original state, revealing the enslaved youth who had been painted out of history. It goes on display this fall at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

    Summer Vacation to “Dalíland”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 25:51


    In the new biopic, Dalíland, acclaimed director Mary Harron give us a glimpse into the Salvador Dalí's later years in 70s New York City via the immense talents of Academy Award-winner, Sir Ben Kingsley. From her look at attempted assassin Valerie Solanas in I Shot Andy Warhol to the murderous broker Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Harron has always been attracted to infamous, challenging, and to put it lightly, difficult people.  The film is now on demand now wherever you watch movies. On our special summer episode we chat with Harron about Dalíland and much more.

    Live from Hawaii

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 37:36


    For our Season 7 finale, we travel to the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) to chat with an architect and a neurologist about the intersections of art, science, and nature.

    Preserving the Digital World

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2023 28:52


    With more and more of our lives now being lived online -- and with more and more of our stuff existing only in the cloud -- how best should we preserve art...and culture...and everything else worth saving? On this go-round of Museum Confidential, we speak with Richard Rinehart, the Director of the Samek Art Gallery at Bucknell University. He's also the co-author of an interesting new book titled "Re-Collection: Art, New Media, and Social Memory."

    Life in the Archives

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 28:18


    On this edition of MC, we've got mad props for all the archivists and librarians in the house. The stewardship that these professionals bring to MuseumLand is as multifaceted as it is vital: caretaking, cataloging, researching, locating, documenting, preserving, updating, etc. Our guest is Saige Blanchard, the Library and Collection Information Specialist at Philbrook. She also tells us about a new rare book exhibit that just opened.

    The Art of the Record Store

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2023 25:51


    Founded by artist Theaster Gates, the Rebuild Foundation has been transforming buildings and neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago since 2009 with art projects, community gathering spaces, small businesses, and more. Their latest venture is a vinyl shop called Miyagi Records. On this episode we do a little crate digging with the project leaders, Nigel Ridgeway and Marco Jacobo.

    Sir Roger Deakins & James Deakins

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 29:00


    This episode offers a career-spanning chat with Oscar-winning cinematographer, Sir Roger Deakins, and his wife/longtime collaborator, James Deakins. Known for his collaborations with Coen brothers (Fargo), Sam Mendes (1917), and Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), Deakins began his life in film as a still photographer. He published his first-ever book of photographs, "Byways," in late 2021. Many of those photos (alongside unseen works) are now on view in Tulsa at the recently-opened photography gallery, The Hulett Collection. On view through April 29. 

    Rembrandt to Monet

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 29:01


    Museums rarely allow their most beloved works to travel. But Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum is under renovation. An opportunity arose. Now through May 28, Philbrook presents 500 years of European treasures from that acclaimed collection. Featuring paintings by the likes of Rembrandt, Monet, El Greco, Titian, and Renoir, there's no shortage of star power. Philbrook Curator Susan Green tells us all about it.

    The American South...at the Royal Academy of Arts

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2023 28:37


    London's Royal Academy of Arts will soon open a special exhibition titled, SOULS GROWN DEEP LIKE RIVERS: BLACK ARTISTS FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH. Created in partnership with the Souls Grown Deep Foundation in Atlanta, the exhibit will showcase 60+ works by notable Black artists over the last century. We speak with the curator of this show, Raina Lampkins-Fielder.

    The Value of Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2023 28:31


    What is the “art market?” A decade ago, Michael Findlay published “The Value of Art” to explore this very question. But the world has changed in many ways since the book's initial release. A global pandemic, MeToo, Black Lives Matter, crypto currency, and other factors have impacted how people and institutions are buying/selling art. Michael has just released a new, updated edition. Much to discuss.

    Jeffrey Gibson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 32:56


    A work by Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson is instantly recognizable. This is even more impressive given the variety of his output. He paints, sculpts, repurposes, re-contextualizes, creates performances, and more. On this episode we chat with Gibson about his past, his work, and a current exhibition at the Aspen Art Museum called, “The Spirits are Laughing.”

    Van Gogh in America

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2023 28:46


    A century ago, the Detroit Institute of Arts became the first U.S. museum to purchase a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Now they're hosting America's largest Van Gogh exhibition in a generation. On this episode we chat with DIA curator Jill Shaw about this massive undertaking.

    Art, Artists, and LP Covers: An Extended Chit-Chat

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2022 61:31


    MC is closing down 2022 with a one-hour special -- a breezy, somewhat geeky, opinionated, and taped-live-in-the-studio conversation between host Jeff Martin and producer Scott Gregory. The discussion topic is outstanding LP covers as rendered by known and/or notable artists. Kind of a long title, of course, but you get the idea -- and it's a pretty fun listen. With a few tangents, yes, but with lots of tasty music clips as well. Kick back, relax, and turn it up.

    Painting Michelle Obama

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2022 29:36


    Acclaimed artist Sharon Sprung had to wait years before she could tell the world that she was commissioned to paint Michelle Obama's official White House portrait. On this episode we chat with Sprung from her Brooklyn studio about painting, patience, and what's it's like to have a First Lady drop by.

    Sneaker Art at 20

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2022 28:01


    On this episode we get a few kicks with British artist Dave White who pioneered the sneaker art movement 20 years ago. His portraits of popular shoes led to collaborations with Nike, Jordan, and countless other brands. But Dave is no mere “sneakerhead.” His recent work is more concerned with the ground we stand on than the things we stand in. 

    Hilton Als on Joan Didion

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 26:01


    Well before Joan Didion's death in December 2021, acclaimed writer and New Yorker magazine contributor Hilton Als was hard at work on a show for LA's Hammer Museum. But how can one exhibition grapple with Didion's big, uniquely American life? This episode explores that and much more. “Joan Didion: What She Means” runs through February 19, 2023.

    Special Report: Hurricanes and Museums

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 25:26


    With climate change and more frequent weather events, what does the future hold for coastal museums? On this special episode we speak with Courtney McNeil, Director and Chief Curator at the Baker Museum in Naples, Florida. This conversation was recorded in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

    Prudes, Puritans, and American Museums

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 29:29


    For the past few decades, American artist/sexual anthropologist Betony Vernon has been living in Europe, designing erotic jewelry, writing books, and generally following her creative muse. We caught up with Betony while she was back in the states for the inaugural FORMAT festival in northwest Arkansas.

    Cheech & Chicano Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2022 25:16


    The one and only Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong) stops by to discuss his recently opened museum, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture. Nicknamed “The Cheech,” the 61,420-square-foot, two-story center resides in what used to be the downtown public library in Riverside, California and houses nearly 500 paintings, drawings, and sculptures. That's a lot, man. Far out. 

    The Hidden History of Black Cinema

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2022 34:46


    On our Season 7 premiere, we visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles for the opening of a groundbreaking new exhibition, REGENERATION: BLACK CINEMA 1898–1971. Enjoy a fascinating chat with exhibition's co-curators, Doris Berger, Vice President of Curatorial Affairs at the Academy Museum, and Rhea Combs, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.  

    The Whataburger Museum of Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2022 26:14


    We're cooking up something tasty on this special summer episode and taking a bite out of the Whataburger Museum of Art. Is it really a museum? What's the submission process? Is it curated? Is this pure marketing or something genuine? We explore this and much more with Whataburger Marketing Director Brooks Boenig alongside participating artists Mayra Zamora and Kristin Moore.

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