Podcasts about independent publishing

What drives someone to turn an idea, personal experience, haunting, song, or childhood challenge into a book? Recorded at the Book Fair at Bel Air, this special episode brings listeners into 11 candid conversations with authors working across an extraordinary range of genres.Rich Bennett speaks with Patrick R. Field, Callie Thomas, Melissa Roos, Sarena Strauss, Steven Gellman, E.D. Lippert, Nicole M. Wolverton, Mermaid Tasha Haight, Calia Wilde, Lore Blackwood, and Piper Thomas. Together, they share the stories behind their writing, the realities of publishing, and the unforgettable feeling of connecting with readers.Listeners will discover: How professional and personal experiences inspire powerful stories  The benefits and challenges of traditional and independent publishing  Why successful authors must also learn marketing  How children's books can encourage imagination and awareness  Why aspiring writers need to stop waiting and finish the book The conversations cover paranormal fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance, young adult fiction, children's literature, music, environmental conservation, allergy awareness, pen names, and more.Explore the featured authors, purchase their books, and support their work by leaving an honest review. Subscribe to Conversations with Rich Bennett, share this episode with a reader or aspiring writer, and join the conversation.Send us Fan MailBook Fair at Bel AirCelebrate the Magic of Words in Bel Air, Maryland!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showRate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett Facebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett Instagram – @conversationswithrichbennettTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTokSponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Hosted on BuzzsproutSquadCastSubscribe by Email

Independent publishing might seem like a small element of Indonesia's cultural landscape: limited print runs, niche books, and audiences that rarely extend into the mainstream. Yet these spaces can matter precisely because they make room for voices, ideas, and forms of cultural expression that have little place elsewhere. This matters in Indonesia today, where civic space is increasingly constrained and marginalised communities, including queer people, face growing stigma, scapegoating, and political hostility. In this context, publishing becomes not only about circulating books but a way of sustaining communities, and creating spaces where people can think, disagree, and imagine different forms of social and political relations. In this episode of Talking Indonesia, Dr Clara Siagian speaks with Syarafina, co-founder and commissioning editor of Cahyati Press, an independent publishing practice based in Bali. Cahyati publishes books, zines, and artist books by writers, poets, artists, and researchers, particularly queer, working-class, and BIPOC voices that are often overlooked by mainstream publishing. Syarafina reflects on her twelve-year journey through independent publishing and on why Cahyati Press came into being. For her, independent publishing is less about size than editorial freedom to publish work because it matters, even when it defies common literary classification or when it is not commercially viable. That freedom takes on particular significance when we talk about queer publishing. As LGBTQ+ people in Indonesia face increasing stigma and political scapegoating, Syarafina argues for the importance of documenting queer lives in all their complexity. This means communicating not only stories of violence and survival, but also stories of friendship, family, work, migration, desire, boredom and joy. Publishing, in this sense, can be a quiet form of resistance which encompasses preserving stories, creating memory, and allowing people to recognise that they are not alone. The conversation also takes us beyond Indonesia. Cahyati Press is part of a growing international network of independent publishers, artists, writers, booksellers and cultural organisers across Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and beyond. Rather than seeing Indonesia simply as a place where international researchers and artists come to study or work, this network points to Indonesia as a place from which connections are being forged, and cultural conversations are being shaped. Finally, we discuss what independent publishing might offer academics: an opportunity to experiment with shapes, audiences and methods, and to imagine forms of knowledge production beyond the rigid conventions of academic publishing. In 2026, Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Clara Siagian from University College London, Dr Elisabeth Kramer from the University of New South Wales, Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Frederick Littles joins The USDN Podcast to discuss Wise Acre Comics, Dark Sentinel: Origins #2, Magnus Jakuta, independent comic publishing, crowdfunding, comic production, and the realities of building a creator-owned publishing company.As the founder of Wise Acre Comics, Frederick has spent years developing original comic book properties while building a publishing company dedicated to producing creator-owned stories with long-term vision and lasting impact.From flagship titles like Dark Sentinel and Magnus Jakuta to expanding into action figures and collectibles, Wise Acre Comics is focused on creating an interconnected universe of original characters that extends beyond the comic book page.But building comics is only part of the story.During this conversation, Frederick shares the realities of independent publishing, managing creative teams, coordinating production schedules, running successful crowdfunding campaigns, earning the trust of backers, and balancing the creative and business sides of the comic book industry.Frederick also reflects on his military service, finding a second mission through comics, and the passion that continues to drive Wise Acre Comics forward.During this conversation, The Chairman and Frederick discuss his journey into comics, the founding of Wise Acre Comics, the origins of Dark Sentinel and Magnus Jakuta, creator-owned publishing, comic production, crowdfunding, expanding into collectibles, building original intellectual property, leadership, perseverance, and the future of Wise Acre Comics.TOPICS COVERED• Frederick Littles' journey into comics• The founding of Wise Acre Comics• Building a creator-owned comic publishing company• The origins of Dark Sentinel• Magnus Jakuta and expanding original IPs• Independent comic production and publishing• Managing creative teams and production schedules• Crowdfunding strategies and lessons learned• Building trust with Kickstarter backers• Expanding into action figures and collectibles• Leadership, perseverance, and long-term vision• Military service and finding a second mission• Building sustainable creator-owned intellectual property• The future of Wise Acre ComicsSUPPORT FREDERICK LITTLES & WISE ACRE COMICSWebsite:https://www.wiseacrecomics.com/Campaigns:https://www.wiseacrecomics.com/pages/kickstarter-zoopInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/wiseacrecomicsPROTECT YOUR COLLECTION WITH BCW SUPPLIESShop BCW Supplies:https://www.bcwsupplies.com/?acc=usdnUse code USDN for 10% off your order.Affiliate Disclosure:USDN may earn a small commission if you use our affiliate link or code. This helps support the show at no extra cost to you.FOLLOW THE USDN PODCASThttps://linktr.ee/USDN_PodcastCONTACT THE USDN PODCAST: thechairman@usdnpodcast.comFollow The USDN Podcast for more conversations with independent comic creators, writers, artists, publishers, and storytellers exploring indie comics, crowdfunding, creator-owned publishing, comic production, worldbuilding, and the realities of the independent comic book industry.The USDN Podcast - Where Indie Comics Come to Life.

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Solana Rostick!About Solana Rostick: Registrar and Collections Manager at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum. An emerging museum professional dedicated to ensuring underrepresented groups are reflected within institutional collection holdings. Born in Atlanta, raised in Tampa, Florida, and recently completed her Master's in Museum Studies from the University of Florida.In our conversation, Rostick walks through her journey into the museum world—from early childhood memories of making art with shaving cream on windows at age three to being inspired by her father, one of the few Black professional photographers in the Tampa area. She recalls a pivotal museum visit where seeing Mickalene Thomas's " Ain't I a Woman " became a moment of revelation: "for the first time, I'm seeing myself represented in art." That moment sparked her decision to pursue art history and museum work.She digs into her graduate thesis on Gallery 32, a groundbreaking Black-owned art space run by Suzanne Jackson in 1960s Los Angeles during the Black Arts Movement. We discuss her first six months as Registrar at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, the challenges of transitioning from "internship mode" to being the person colleagues turn to for direction, and practical steps for diversifying museum collections. As she puts it, representation matters: "whose voices are we missing from this collection?"She shares insights on podcast listening habits, the Atlanta art scene, the importance of in-person connections over social media, and why she believes real conversations—not just memes—build community.Be sure to follow Solana Rostick and Clark Atlanta University Art Museum (@CAUArtMuseum on Instagram) to keep up with her work and future projects.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, I sit down with Tyreek Morrison!About Tyreek Morrison: Tyreek Morrison is an Atlanta-based collage artist who describes himself as "dad first, collage artist second." Born in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta, Morrison uses collage, found materials, paper, paint, and drawing to explore Black American life through memory, identity, and everyday experiences. His daughter just turned one, and this episode was recorded right before his first Father's Day. His father is an oil and acrylic painter, and Morrison grew up watching him work through the night blasting Wu-Tang Clan—those early memories shaped his understanding of what it means to be a working artist.We talk about how becoming a parent has completely transformed his relationship with time and work. On days with his daughter, he's fully present—no phone, no studio. But when she's not with him, his work schedule becomes insanely focused. He doesn't leave the studio. Even when he's not actively creating, he's studying. Morrison discusses the three-generation legacy of creativity in his family and how his work ethic was reinforced when he toured with Lil Wayne after high school, witnessing firsthand how relentless dedication translates to success.Morrison explains his philosophy that collage is parallel to Black American traditions of making something from scraps—whether soul food in the kitchen or sampling in hip-hop. He talks about his influences, including Barkley Hendricks and the artist behind Gorillaz, and how skateboarding played the biggest role in his creative thinking. We also talk about the expectations placed on Black artists to constantly discuss identity and trauma, the competitive-yet-supportive creative energy between him and his father, why he views Instagram as "a big buffet of artists you could bite off of," and his upcoming projects including Atlanta Fine Art Fair with Mason Fine Art, Scope Miami, a solo exhibition in New York City in spring 2027, and his Future Fair baseball piece incorporating real dirt.Follow Tyreek Morrison on Instagram at money team to see his work.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, I sit down with Maurice Scarlett III!About Maurice Scarlett III: Maurice Scarlett III is a Baltimore-based visual artist and multi-disciplinary creative named after his father from West Baltimore. He is of Jamaican heritage and specializes in figurative art characterized by darker, alluring tones that capture the essence of Black figures. His journey began in 2010 with photography—documenting friends who were musicians, DJs, and clothing designers right after graduating high school. In 2017, fashion designer Kirby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss discovered him on Instagram and invited him to collaborate for New York Fashion Week, a pivotal moment that pushed him to take painting seriously.We talk about his evolution from photography to painting and how his work has become more grounded, immersive, and soulful—"more of his essence in it." Scarlett discusses his use of dark tones rooted in life experiences, grief, and learning to use pain as power. He explains his philosophy of embracing imperfections, quoting Miles Davis: "If you mess up on a key, keep that because that can make the song better."Scarlett describes his approach to portraying Black people in a "re-imagined way"—highlighting them beyond repetitive narratives of politics, slavery, and trauma. He shares how Baltimore shows up in his work subconsciously, with subtle cues that come naturally from growing up in the city. He introduces the word he associates with Baltimore art: grit—the do-it-yourself mentality of creatives who carved their own lane without waiting for platforms. His advice for artists: "Find your own lane, carve your own lane and stay within it, but at the same time experiment and stay curious—doing what's true to you."We also talk about the importance of living life to create soulful work, the danger of comparing yourself to other artists on social media, learning to pace yourself as a creator, his studio on North Avenue, and why Baltimore is a "cool melting pot" slowly getting its recognition.Follow Maurice Scarlett III on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mauricescarlett to see his work, including recent pieces "Smokey" (2024), "The Scene" (2025), and "Wu-tang Is For The Children" (2025).Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, returning guest Kris Fulton is back!About Kris Fulton: Kris Fulton is a self-described coffee nerd, Baltimore-based coffee roaster, and co-owner of Sophomore Coffee, a neighborhood coffee shop in Charles Village. He opened Sophomore Coffee in April 2019, just months before the pandemic, and has spent seven years building it into a trusted community fixture. His journey in coffee began at a local café and evolved through his pivotal role at the Four Seasons Baltimore in 2011, where he honed his skills in luxury hospitality and elevated service that would shape Baltimore's food and beverage scene.We talk about his evolution from "punk kid working coffee on the side" to wearing multiple hats—plumber, janitor, counselor, delivery driver—as a small business owner who opened Sophomore Coffee without knowing all the ins and outs of running a business. He discusses the meaning behind the name "Sophomore"—embracing the second attempt, learning, and growth—and his philosophy of focusing on two pillars: coffee quality and service quality. He shares insights on surviving the pandemic, which forced him to start roasting coffee himself when wholesale partnerships became uncertain, and how that challenge became an unexpected opportunity.Fulton reveals his approach to being a reliable neighborhood fixture—open every single day, even in bad weather—and how that consistency earns trust and bandwidth in the community. He discusses his collaboration with other food and beverage professionals, his work with Tarleton, and his decision to keep Sophomore Coffee hyper-local rather than expanding. He introduces his advice for aspiring coffee shop owners: "Just be a sponge"—work in a coffee shop first, absorb as much information as possible, and understand that owning a café means you'll be working in it, not just managing from afar.We also talk about the importance of intention in coffee-making, why third spaces like cafés are indicators of a community's health, his newsletter as a way to connect directly with customers, and why physical presence and in-person experience still matter more than what can be displayed on social media in an increasingly digital world.Photo credit The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Today's show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — a 21.5" pen display with a gorgeous 2.5K screen and really smooth performance. Bottom line: it feels great to draw on — and it punches way above its price. • Check it out at https://comiclabshop.com • Use code COMICLAB5 for an exclusive 5% discount! (Valid through June 14th) This week, Dave returns from Alaska Comics Camp — https://minicon.alaskarobotics.com/comics-camp/ — with a glowing review of what he calls one of the most meaningful experiences of his professional life. He explains how the camp blends education, community, mentorship, and artistic growth in a remote setting that forces attendees to disconnect from technology and reconnect with one another. Along the way, Brad and Dave discuss what makes the camp special, the value of peer-to-peer learning, the recent panic over Kickstarter's updated NSFW guidelines, Eisner nominations, and the realities of pursuing recognition in comics. Alaska Comics Camp Alaska Robotics Comics Camp is a four-night creative retreat in the southeast Alaska rainforest for comics pros, visual storytellers, and adjacent creators — writers, game devs, filmmakers, journalists, musicians, and more. You have to apply to attend. It's not a standard “buy a badge and show up” event; accepted campers attend after the Alaska Robotics Mini-Con in Juneau.  Cost: Camp is listed at $800, which includes four nights of lodging, meals, and transportation to/from downtown Juneau. Financial aid is available, and asking for aid does not affect application review.  What to expect: workshops, presentations, peer conversations, campfires, board games, hanging out, and wandering through the woods and nearby ocean beach — basically “a professional development conference for people who don't like conference rooms.”  Comfort level: rustic but not brutal — heated cabins, bunk beds with mattresses, flushing toilets, hot showers, power outlets, meals, snacks, coffee/tea, towels, and comfort items are provided. There's no regular Wi-Fi or cell service at camp, though service is reachable by hike or ride.  How to participate next year: watch the Alaska Robotics Mini-Con / Comics Camp site and their social channels for the next application window. Recent camps have used an application process with deadlines months ahead of the event, so don't wait until spring to start looking. https://minicon.alaskarobotics.com/comics-camp/ Topics Covered A complete tour of Alaska Comics Camp and how it evolved from a small Juneau event into an international gathering of cartoonists School visits, library presentations, the Alaska Robotics Mini-Con, and the camp experience itself Why the lack of cell service is one of the camp's greatest strengths Classes taught by attendees on topics including storytelling, lettering, humor writing, character development, publishing, and business An NSFW-comics discussion that impressed Brad with the camp's openness and professionalism The importance of "Comics Rules" (similar to Chatham House Rules) in creating a safe environment for sharing industry information Real-world discussions of publishing contracts, agents, income, and career sustainability The anonymous income survey that helps attendees understand the wide range of successful cartooning careers Why Alaska Comics Camp has become one of Dave's favorite events in all of comics Stories from ComicLab listeners who attended camp after hearing about it on the podcast Dave's observations about Alaska's landscape, culture, and strong sense of community The tale of a failed camp water pump and Pat Race's MacGyver-level solution involving a distillery, a fire department, and a garden hose The viral misinformation claiming Kickstarter had banned pornography What Kickstarter's updated NSFW guidelines actually said Why Stripe — not Kickstarter — is the real concern for adult-content creators Brad's emergency solo Pro Tips episode explaining the new guidelines How creators can avoid overreacting to social-media panic cycles Listener feedback about what Brad and Dave's voices sound like to non-Americans Congratulations to friends of the show, including Ryan North, Glenn Fleishman, Tony Cliff, and Steve Lieber, on their Eisner nominations A discussion about award submissions, advocacy, and why creators must nominate themselves The realities of comics awards, including Eisners, Ringo Awards, Hugos, Reubens, and Ignatz Awards Whether award nominations come from changing your work — or simply years of steady improvement and persistence You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, returning guest Megan Elcrat is back!About Megan Elcrat: Megan Elcrat is the founding principal of Present Company, a Baltimore-based architecture and design firm where she specializes in urban revitalization, adaptive reuse, and creative workspace design. She co-founded the innovative Co-Lab Baltimore co-working space in Old Goucher, which houses both an architecture firm and a design-focused bookstore. Her work is rooted in the belief that architecture is fundamentally about experience and place-making.We talk about her formative memories of her father's mathematics department office at Wichita State University—the chalkboards, terrazzo floors, and dark wood finishes that shaped her early understanding of how spaces create meaning. She discusses her hyper-local approach to architecture, working within walking distance of her office and building authentic relationships with neighbors, clients, and community partners like the Franciscan Center and Sophomore Coffee. She shares insights on adaptive reuse—the art of giving historic buildings new life while preserving their essence—and how her firm approaches projects by asking what experience people want to have in a space.Elcrat reveals details about her work on Station North's North Avenue Market, reconnecting the north and south halves of the building through arcades to create a multi-use cultural hub with storefronts, studios, and food and beverage spaces. She discusses co-owning the Laverne nightclub with Catherine Borg and Ami Dang as part of the Neon Eon complex, emphasizing cultural preservation—not just preserving facades, but preserving how spaces made people feel. She introduces the concept of dancing and physical movement as the purest form of joy and why bringing people together in person still matters.We also talk about her collaboration with artist collective Wickerham/Lomax on the Soft Gym installation at the Y-Not Lot as part of Inviting Light, the importance of avoiding design trends like "gentrification gray," the value of having fun in architecture, and why she believes authenticity and human connection are more important than expanding for expansion's sake in an increasingly digital world.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

What if your greatest chapter begins after your life falls apart?In this inspiring episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, author Lee Ann Walling shares the story behind her debut novel, The Salt and Light Express, a moving journey through grief, faith, friendship, healing, and second chances. After reinventing herself multiple times throughout her career, Lee Ann returned to school in her late 60s, earned her MFA, and published her first novel at age 69.During this conversation, Lee Ann discusses the emotional inspiration behind the book, the challenges of independent publishing, the importance of authentic storytelling, and why it's never too late to pursue a lifelong dream.You'll discover:• The real-life inspiration behind The Salt and Light Express • How grief and loss shaped the story • Lessons learned from earning an MFA later in life • The truth about independent publishing • Why podcasts have become one of the best marketing tools for authorsWhether you're a reader, writer, creative entrepreneur, or someone facing a major life transition, Lee Ann's story will leave you inspired to take your own next right step.Learn more about Lee Ann Walling at LeeAnnWalling.com.If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Reviews help us continue bringing you meaningful conversations with incredible guests.Send us Fan MailCelebrate the Magic of Words in Bel Air, Maryland!https://bookfairatbelair.org/Support the showRate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett Facebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett Instagram – @conversationswithrichbennettTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTokSponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Hosted on BuzzsproutSquadCastSubscribe by Email

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Dr. David O. Fakunle II!About Dr. David O. Fakunle II: Dr. David Fakunle II is a Baltimore native, academic, and self-described mercenary for change and celestial body for change who has spent 25 years using art and storytelling for liberation. He is an assistant professor at Morgan State University in the School of Community Health and Policy and associate faculty at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He serves as director of the TEACH Division (Transforming Equity through Arts, Culture and Health) at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, working intentionally at the intersection of arts, culture, and health.We talk about his evolution as a mercenary and celestial body for change, his role in developing the Urban Cipher game (originally called the Game of Appreciation) during his postdoc at Morgan State University —a Monopoly-style game that models how inequities are built into systems. He discusses his contribution to the paper "Life as We Tell It: A Revolution Through Narratives and Creative Expression," which explores narrative as a determinant of health, and his framework for understanding data: stories are qualitative data that answer "how" and "why," while quantitative data answers "who, what, where, when."Fakunle shares insights from his recent work at the National Academy of Medicine in DC on a national initiative to build trust between communities and health science. He reflects on teaching his 16-person qualitative research class and helping students understand that AI cannot replicate context—only humans can bring meaning and circumstances to statistics. He introduces his concept of the "existential determinants of health"—five universal virtues all humans want: to be acknowledged, appreciated, respected, understood, and loved. He emphasizes the need to embrace stories, not just tolerate them, because "in the stories are your answers," and discusses how storytellers preserve and uplift context in ways that institutions and policy makers need to understand.We also talk about what this work has taught him, the importance of time as the greatest teacher, showing up in person, trusting others to tell his story, and why physical presence still matters in an increasingly digital world.Photo courtesy of subject.  The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Amir Browder and Maxwell Young!About the guests: Amir Browder is the curator, creative director, and founder of Homme Gallery in DC. Maxwell Young is the founder of the Art Shopping Network, a writer, and works on projects that socialize art buying and support living artists, nonprofit institutions, and galleries.We talk about Acquired Taste and what it does: a catalog and platform that socializes art buying through Polaroids from the host's personal archive, prints, editorial interviews and essays, and curated first‑access opportunities that prioritize context and history over speculation. Acquired Taste also runs a virtual component — online catalog materials, digital/3D renderings, and remote programming that operate alongside in‑person activations. Browder and Young explain how conversational, low‑barrier events help people connect with artists as humans, not just names on a wall.They compare running physical programming with online initiatives. Young stresses repurposing existing tools and trying imperfect, practical approaches instead of waiting for something polished; Browder centers collaboration and working together toward shared goals. The roster features alumni from The Truth In This Art, including Xenia Gray, Maurice James, and Esteban Whiteside. They discuss how Acquired Taste and the Art Shopping Network aim to support living artists, artist‑run spaces, and nonprofit institutions, and how local markets and gatherings can strengthen the broader art ecosystem.We also talk about why in‑person gatherings matter and how to make room for artists whose work challenges and expands community conversation.Acquired Taste is a two‑day live auction and exhibition presented by @artshoppingnetwork, arriving at @HOMMEDC on May 29–30. Free RSVP! Join us in DC or tune in live at artshoppingnetwork.com.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Sarah B. McCann!About Sarah B. McCann: Sarah is an artist, curator, and founder of SBM Gallery in Baltimore's Highlandtown Arts District. Her text-based mosaics, prints, and multimedia work has been shown nationally. She spent 15 years curating exhibitions nomadically before opening her own space this year.We talk about launching SBM Gallery and what it means to her to support artists working with love and justice—artists using their work to push for change and move us closer to where we could be. She walks through the gallery's programming: an Artists in Conversation speaker series, collector coffees, and events around Highlandtown's First Friday Art Walks. Sarah also shares how she builds real community among her artists—she hosts dinners before group shows so people actually connect as humans, not just as names hanging on the same walls.Sarah talks about shifting from nomadic curating to having her own space. She remembers unwrapping the first painting during COVID in 2021—the color, texture, and smell of that moment reminded her why we still need to show up in person. We get into how running an independent gallery lets her support artists who might not get institutional backing, upcoming shows like "All My Errors Are Human" about making mistakes in an AI world, and her own return to painting and clay after years of focusing on everyone else's work.We also talk about what it takes to build an art space with intention, why physical gatherings still matter, and how to make room for artists whose work pushes us to be better.Visit sbmgallery.com to explore the full exhibition lineup and programming through July.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Today's show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — a 21.5" pen display with a gorgeous 2.5K screen and really smooth performance. Bottom line: it feels great to draw on — and it punches way above its price. • Check it out at https://comiclabshop.com • Use code COMICLAB5 for an exclusive 5% discount! (Valid through June 14th) Brad and Dave tackle a listener question that gets to the heart of creative careers: Can you make a living telling shorter stories, or does success demand long-form work? As always, the answer is equal parts practical advice and creative philosophy — grounded in real-world experience and delivered with ComicLab's signature mix of humor and honesty. TODAY'S SHOW • Can you build a career on individual short stories? • Market expectations around story length (comics, film, TV) and perceived value • Creative problem-solving as a business tool — making unconventional formats work • Strategies for packaging short stories (genre consistency, shared setting, through-lines) • Examples of experimental storytelling formats (anthologies, vignette structures) • PROMO: Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — features, workflow integration, and discount code ComicLab5 at https://comiclabshop.com • Estate planning for cartoonists — what happens to your IP after death? • Debate: Should creative work become public domain sooner? • Should kids continue your comic… or make their own work? • The reality of legacy comics vs. modern independent publishing You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, I sit down with Sam Furnish—founder of Bemo's Clothing and the guy behind Baltimore's "born in Baltimore" premium civvies movement.About Sam Furnish: Sam launched Bemo's Clothing in 2025 after years in the outdoor industry learning product development and manufacturing. The brand name comes from his father's childhood nickname—"Bemo"—given by Sam's grandpa in 1950s Midwest America alongside nicknames like "Peavy" and "Muley." When Sam moved to Baltimore and locals said "B-more," it sounded just like his dad's name. Bemo's Clothing is his homage to both the man and the city that raised him.We talk about that origin story and why it matters—how family legacy and Baltimore identity aren't just branding, they're the foundation of everything he makes. Sam's creating what he calls "premium civvies" and "born in Baltimore" pieces: clothing that reminds you of that perfect shirt or jacket you found in your parents' attic that suddenly became your go-to. Vintage-inspired but made with modern materials and finishes.We get into his design philosophy: he'd rather make a few story-driven pieces than chase endless inventory. We discuss the realities of sourcing and manufacturing as an independent brand, how he's building community through collaborations with BMore Flea and Broadway Market, and why his clothing is meant to spark conversations and serve as wearable representations of Baltimore itself.We also dig into what it means to build a brand with intention in an industry obsessed with scale and constant drops, how he thinks about creating pieces meant to last generations, and why quality and meaning trump volume.Sam's mission: make clothing that carries real stories, celebrate what makes Baltimore unique, and build a brand that brings people together—not just fills closets.Follow along at https://www.instagram.com/bemosclothing/ or check out https://bemosclothing.com/.Listeners can use code THETRUTHINITSART for 30% off. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, Rachel Mijares-Fick returns to the program.About: Rachel Mijares-Fick is the co-founder of Future Fair, an art fair in New York. She co-founded it in 2020 during the pandemic with Rebeca Laliberte. Future Fair is a trade show where art galleries, artist collectives, and independent curators from all over the world come and set up exhibitions. The fair focuses on emerging and under-recognized voices in the art world. Future Fair has launched careers of artists and art dealers over six years and is a fabric of the New York art world.The conversation covers the fair's sixth edition at Chelsea Industrial, a ground floor venue on the corner of 28th and 11th in Chelsea, New York City. Exhibitors include Wondering People (London, UK), under the pale blue (Ridgewood, NY), and Wishbone Gallery (Montreal, Canada). Mijares-Fick discusses Future Talks, a new conversations program supported by ArtLogic, a business management platform for galleries, artists, and collectors. Future Talks features rising thought leaders in the art world—artists, collectors, curators, dealers, and funders—having conversations about topics like "The Future Economy of the Artist Studio," which examines how artists are sustaining their practices today as traditional models of patronage, institutional support, and market driven income continue to shift.The discussion also touches on the physicality of art and why people want to see the hand that painted a piece or feel the physicality of objects that artists create. There's the magic that happens when people are physically in space together at art exhibitions. Future Fair creates a warm, welcoming, and open environment with intentionality, intimacy, and accessibility that makes the contemporary art experience conversational.Future Fair runs May 13-16, 2026 (Wednesday through Saturday) at Chelsea Industrial, corner of 28th and 11th in Chelsea — FutureFairs.com---If you're in New York this May, check out Future Fair, the forward-thinking contemporary art fair returning to Chelsea for its sixth edition, May 13 to 16, 2026. This year's fair brings together 68 exhibitors from around the world, with a strong focus on curatorial vision, emerging and under-recognized voices, and a community-driven approach. The Truth in This Art listeners can get 30% off tickets with the code TITA2026 at futurefairs.com.  The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Brandon Mull and Jason Conforto sit down with independent author Aaron N. Hall to talk about the world of self-publishing. They discuss the freedom and challenges of going independent, building an audience without a traditional publisher, and what it takes to succeed as an indie author. It's an insightful conversation for anyone considering forging their own path in publishing.

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, the guest is Omri D. Cohen!Who is Omri D. Cohen: Author of Questions to Humanity — a collection born from five months backpacking South America — Omri has spent six years asking one question to 700 people across 50+ nationalities, documenting stories and street/landscape photography that reached millions.Omri D. Cohen talks about his journey leaving home to backpack South America, the process of gathering perspectives for his book Questions to Humanity, building a video series from those encounters, and how storytelling and photography can foster curiosity and connection across cultures. We also dig into the logistics of long-form travel projects, publishing the book, and bringing strangers' wisdom into public conversation.His aim throughout: to inspire curiosity, celebrate diverse voices, and create moments of belonging through questions and stories.For updates, follow https://www.instagram.com/qtohumanity/ and check out QuestionsToHumanity.com. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

rWotD Episode 3278: Independent Publishing Resource Center Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Saturday, 25 April 2026, is Independent Publishing Resource Center.The Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) is a resource center based in Portland, Oregon that provides access to tools for the creation of books, prints, posters, zines, and comics. The studios include a computer lab and general workspace, screen printing, letterpress printing, risograph printing, and a zine library. The center was founded in 1998 by Chloe Eudaly, owner of Reading Frenzy and Show & Tell Press, and Rebecca Gilbert, worker-owner at Stumptown Printers.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:28 UTC on Saturday, 25 April 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Independent Publishing Resource Center on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Jasmine.

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Alex Jennings!Who is Alex Jennings: Author, poet, and former standup comedian who lived in New Orleans for nearly 20 years—now working on his second novel from Chicago. You might remember Alex from my New Orleans series where we discussed his book, The Ballad of Perilous Graves, here. In our conversation, Jennings talks through his new book Dead End Boys—set in an alternate New Orleans where communicating with the dead is the main industry. He connects the project to comedy and digs into how moving from Louisiana to Chicago reshaped his rhythm. As he puts it, the book is "a chance to say something about blackness, about the pandemic and about the creep of fascism."He recalls discovering Henry Dumas and heading back to New Orleans for the Tolodano Comedy Festival. We get into living in one place longer than anywhere else, balancing graduate degrees with novel writing, and how that shift shaped his voice.Be sure to follow Alex Jennings to keep up with his work and future projects.Photo courtesy of subject The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

How do you create a career in education beyond institutional walls? R. Preston Clark joins RISE Urban Nation to discuss his book Black Bliss Volume 1, the emotional complexity of Black male storytelling, and how creators can use social media and podcasting to control their narrative. This conversation explores mentorship, literature, identity, and building platforms that shape culture. Resources & Mentions:

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, the guest is Barry Wright III!Who is Barry Wright III: Baltimore-based improviser, teacher, technology professional, and co-founder (and current board president) of Highwire Improv, launched in 2020. You might remember Barry from his first appearance on The Truth In The Art here.In our conversation, Wright talks about Highwire's origin during the 2020 lockdown, building an improv community in Highlandtown, and making improv financially accessible and sustainable. As he puts it, improv "can be done with absolutely no materials. You truly only need other human beings and space. Chairs are optional."He recalls launching 55 teams from across the world and running shows seven nights a week, all online. We dig into experimenting with programming like dinner-and-a-show, drop-in nights, worker-owned cooperative values, and how collaboration and feedback shape the evolving theater—all rooted in creating inclusive, community-driven arts programming that supports practitioners and connects audiences.For updates, visit https://highwireimprov.com/  Shows at Highwire Improv, 400 South Conklin Street, Baltimore.Photo courtesy of subject The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Cecilia M. McCormick!Who is Cecilia M. McCormick: President of MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) with 33 years in higher education, an art collector who raised three sons now working in the creative field.In our conversation, McCormick talks through MICA's bicentennial year and the vision she's building as the school hits 200. She connects the programming to three themes—illumination, innovation, and entrepreneurship—and digs into new degrees shaped by workforce demand. As she puts it, creativity is "the commodity that cannot be automated, outsourced, or depleted."She recalls the "Set of Lights" event where students recreated colonial life through costume—everything from lanterns to candlelight soldiers. We get into AI's role in the classroom, how MICA is teaching students to use it as a tool while emphasizing "the human mark," and the best lesson she's learned: "know when to pivot." Looking ahead, her focus is on experiential learning and driving Baltimore's creative economy.Be sure to follow Cecilia M. McCormick and MICA to keep up with bicentennial programming and future projects. Join MICA in Celebrating 200 Years of Creative ImpactPhoto courtesy of subject The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Jess Owens-Young!Who is Jess Owens-Young: Maryland-based collage and mixed media artist and professor who creates work informed by her experiences as a Black woman, mother, and former athlete, using vintage magazines (Ebony, Jet, Essence) to explore the joy and melancholy of Black life in the United States.In our conversation, Owens-Young talks about her transition from semi-pro soccer player to artist in 2018 and her two favorite series: Oak Bluffs Golf Club (exploring Black leisure and the hidden history of golf) and Hoop Dreams Never Die. As she puts it, "I use sports and our everyday experiences as storytelling vehicles to share our stories about joy, hopes and dreams."She recalls creating in her laundry room studio—"If I am waiting for a load of laundry to finish, like it has five more minutes, I might take out some paint and make papers"—preparing materials in 20-minute sessions so she's ready when inspiration strikes. We get into how motherhood has made her practice more focused, how teaching public health feeds her art, why her initials spelling JOY matter now, working with vintage magazines as time capsules, and why she invites viewers to interpret their own stories within her work.For updates, follow @truthofstrength on Instagram and Threads, and visit jessowensyoung.com.Photo courtesy of subject The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Chandler Chavez.Who is Chandler Chavez: A Los Angeles–based filmmaker, editor, story analyst, and writer originally from Arizona, drawn to complicated characters and stories that test our empathy—especially when they're filtered through the strange mechanics of online attention.In our conversation, Chandler unpacks his feature debut: a dark-comedy “screenlife” film told entirely through a computer desktop, set inside the “hellscape” of live streaming—where the real-time chat isn't set dressing, it actively drives the story forward. He talks about arriving at the format out of pure practicality (making something possible with very little money), then spending years refining the cut to make the digital world feel specific and true—not “movie internet,” but the kind of online authenticity you recognize immediately.We also get into the long road from early festival submissions with unfinished materials to a stronger re-approach—new poster, press kit, and a tighter final version—leading to the project's selection for the 2026 Maryland Film Festival.Catch Chandler Chavez's feature debut at the Maryland Film Festival, April 8–12, screening at the SNF Parkway Theatre and venues across Baltimore. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Kenny Riches!Who is Kenny Riches: A Miami and Salt Lake City-based filmmaker born in Toyota City, Japan, whose award-winning features explore loneliness, identity, and human connection through intimate, character-driven narratives. With a BFA in Painting and Drawing and a filmography that includes The Strongest Man (Sundance premiere, 2015) and A Name Without A Place (2019), Kenny has received support from Sundance Institute, Knight Foundation, and PBS—and is co-founder of The Davey Foundation, a grant-giving organization for filmmakers.In our conversation, Kenny traces his journey from wanting to make films in the early 2000s when 16mm was still too expensive for a broke college student, to making skateboard videos with camcorders that evolved into short films alongside childhood friend and actor Patrick Fugit. He breaks down how Mouse—his fourth feature screening at Maryland Film Festival April 8–12 at the SNF Parkway Theatre and venues across Baltimore—emerged from pandemic isolation as a meditation on loneliness in the pre-social media early 2000s and a thriller about a lonesome first-generation person in ultra-white, ultra-religious Utah who gets tangled up in pen pal scams and petty theft. Kenny shares the bizarre real-life origin behind the film's scam storyline: a mysterious filmmaker friend he talked to for years without ever seeing his face, whose very existence his girlfriend suspected was an elaborate con—paranoia that bled straight into Mouse. He talks about directing his Japanese mother after convincing her a week before production (his pitch: we'll save money), the difference between Miami's endless weirdness through fresh eyes versus Utah's invisibility after a lifetime there, why he believes 90% of directing is casting, and running relaxed sets where everyone's cracking jokes instead of stressing out. We also dig into why pre-production and script feedback from actual filmmakers—not just your friends—will save your life, the collaborative magic of bringing all your people together to make something, and his advice to forget arbitrary deadlines because nobody cares if you made your first feature at 25.Don't miss Kenny Riches' Mouse regional premiere at Maryland Film Festival—a thriller that's funny, a little thrilling, and quietly cuts to the bone about what it means to look for connection when the world keeps you lonesome. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guests are Ben Baker-Lee and Rasaan Hammond!Who are Ben and Rasaan: Ben Baker-Lee and Rasaan Hammond are Baltimore-born filmmakers and co-directors of A Life in Art through the eye of Dr. Leslie King Hammond. Ben, founder of TrueView Film, has been documenting life through a lens since high school, drawn to film's power to capture truthful emotion and lived experience. Rasaan, who grew up immersed in the art world as the son of Dr. Leslie King Hammond (former dean at MICA), gravitated toward audio-visual storytelling early on, working in production, weddings, music videos, and now documentary film.Ben and Rasaan talk about their early influences—from 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Senator Theater to sci-fi classics like Star Wars and E.T.—and how their filmmaking journeys began with video cameras in hand. We dive into the origins of their documentary: what started as a casual request from Leslie to film one of her students evolved into a years-long portrait of a cultural architect and "way maker" for artists of color. They share stories of Dr. Hammond's warmth, humor, and fierce conviction, the challenges of shaping a lifetime of material into a cohesive narrative, and the intimate family perspective Rasaan brings as her son. The conversation also touches on the film's observational approach, the significance of Joyce J. Scott's relationship with Leslie, and what they hope audiences take away from the film.For updates and screening information, follow @Leslie_King_Hammond on Instagram, visit ALifeInArt.net, and catch the film at the Maryland Film Festival in Baltimore, April 2026, where Joyce J. Scott will present the opening night screening. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, returning guest Esteban Whiteside is back!Who is Esteban Whiteside: A Durham, North Carolina-based artist, Esteban Whiteside creates bold social commentary through what he calls "concrete oppressionism"—work that confronts American cultural absurdities with childlike aesthetics, parody, and irreverent humor. Working across canvas, wood, and sculpture, his art is both therapy and truth-telling, making heavy subjects digestible through wit and visual directness inspired by artists like Jacob Lawrence.Esteban talks about his creative evolution since our last conversation, including his new clock series exploring history and revolutions, and how he balances tackling heavy subject matter with abstract work that lets him breathe. We dive into why he uses humor to shame oppression, the colors that make him happy (brilliant blue, yellow, and emerald green), and how his art reflects his personality—chill in person, but uncompromising when it comes to speaking truth. He shares stories about drawing daily lunchbox notes for his daughter that sparked the clock series, unconventional painting techniques (like writing text upside down or left-handed), and why Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series opened the door for him to become an artist.He reflects on the importance of making art accessible at every price point and staying true to his voice no matter what may come with that.For updates, follow @estebanwhiteside on Instagram and visit estebanwhiteside.com.Revisit Esteban's first interview on The Truth In This Art here. Image courtesy of Esteban Whiteside The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Veronica Jackson!Who is Veronica Jackson: A Washington, D.C.-bred and Virginia-based visual artist whose foundation is rooted in architecture and museum exhibit design. She critically examines the lives of Black women through innovative visual art, exploring themes of invisibility, hypervisibility, and devaluation—bringing powerful narratives to life using familiar objects, archival texts, and data.In our conversation, Veronica traces her late-in-life arrival to visual art—graduating from grad school in 2016 with plans to teach, then attending a Santa Fe residency where "art just started pouring out of me." She breaks down her seminal piece That's Pop's Money, a data portrait memorializing her grandmother's devalued domestic labor through 813 hand-cranked time cards printed in blue ink on black paper—chronicling 72 years of marriage, nine children, and invisible work. Veronica explains how she pulls from established archives like the Library of Congress, Sojourner Truth's carte de visite statement "I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance," Jefferson's farm book (which listed enslaved workers alongside cattle), and poets like Lucille Clifton ("every day something has tried to kill me and has failed") to tell stories rooted in truth. She discusses her Blacksist series spotlighting 13 understudied Black women from the 1850s, including Anna Julia Cooper—the only woman quoted in every U.S. passport—and reflects on how visual culture shapes perceptions, why Black land ownership matters, and what it means for Black women to mark, claim, and take up space.Don't miss Veronica Jackson's work—her archive-driven, text-based pieces make the invisible visible and challenge how we see history, labor, and value. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, the returning guest is Lanise Howard!Who is Lanise Howard: A Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist, Lanise Howard creates work centered around a reimagining of different histories, especially within the black experience. She pulls from the past and from the future, which she often sees in her dreams. Working across paintings, drawings, sculpture, and soon textiles, Howard is a world-builder whose portraiture depicts Black bodies and paints often untold stories.Lanise talks about the three bodies of work she's currently developing: her main project, a sci-fi world based in the future but with a story that started in the 1970s; a more personal body of work featuring herself traversing different landscapes; and an ancestral series honoring different ancestors from the past. We dive into her world-building practice, how she merges the "future past" or "past future" to create parallel universes and new dimensions, and her approach of asking which medium best conveys each story she wants to tell.She reflects on recent museum shows—particularly at the California African American Museum in partnership with Art and Practice—where she witnessed diverse audiences getting emotional while viewing her work. Lanise shares details about her Miami solo show, where she experimented with cultural elements like feathers and architectural details. She opens up about becoming more unapologetic in her work, navigating the art world as a Black woman who has to demand respect, and why her work is always uplifting—even when melancholic—to give people hope.For updates, follow @lanise_howard_studio on Instagram and Twitter, and visit lanisehowardart.com.This is Lanise's second appearance on The Truth In This Art—it's been a little over two years since her first episode.  The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, the guest is Ruut!Who is Ruut: A Finnish-born, Maryland-based singer, songwriter, composer, and writer, Ruut is a multidisciplinary artist and creative leader known for her evocative music and dedication to uplifting women artists. She's the founder of the Making Her Mark Foundation, a young nonprofit born from personal loss that connects, mentors, and amplifies women artists in Baltimore and beyond.Ruut talks about discovering music as a child at the piano, moving to the United States as a teen, and the moment creativity became her calling. We dive into how Making Her Mark grew out of honoring a mentor's legacy, the early challenges and surprising community response to a “baby” organization, and stories of mentorship—like helping a hesitant student find her voice and confidence through creative projects. Ruut also shares practical details about her music journey: a new record partnership with ECR Meridian, forthcoming shows, and where she'll be sharing new work this year.She reflects on creative routines (5:30 a.m. writing sessions with her dog as an alarm), the emotional work of returning to past recordings like the Steinway sessions, and what the phrase “art saves us” means to her now—how art can honor memory, foster resilience, and create spaces of belonging.For updates, follow @ruutartist, visit https://www.ruutartist.com, and if you're a woman artist seeking connection and mentorship, check out makinghermark.org.Image courtesy of Steven Parke The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, the guest is Barbara Perez Marquez!Who is Barbara Perez Marquez: Baltimore-based, Dominican Republic–born writer and creator working in comics and prose, focused on middle grade and young adult readers.Barbara Perez Marquez talks about her path into writing and why she centers younger readers and her own lived experience. She shares insights from The Cardboard Kingdom and previews upcoming projects: The Library of Memories, The Curious Society: A Game of Code, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and To Dance the Moon and Star. We also dig into collaboration, mentorship, and community—how creative peers shape the work and sustain the process.Her aim throughout: representation, strong storytelling, and a sense of belonging for young readers.For updates, visit www.mustachebabs.comPhoto by Jason Gitlin. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Back by Bodacious Demand. Let's Watch It Again is back!Rob Lee and Isaiah Winters revisit the 1991 childhood classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze for its 35th anniversary.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) drops the turtles back into a messy, fun, 90s adventure: reconnecting with April and Splinter, fighting Tokka and Rahzar, and chasing the mysterious ooze that created them.  It's loud, goofy, full of practical effects, puppetry, and pure kid‑movie energy.In this episode, Rob and Isaiah mix straight-up nostalgia with clear-eyed takes. No fluff — just the moments we loved, the parts that aged weirdly, and why this movie still matters to us.Topics include:Pizza PropagandaWhy the sequel went full kid-friendly and how that shapes the filmTokka, Rahzar, and Keno: what works and what doesn'tVanilla Ice's “Go Ninja Go Ninja Go” set piece and the Super Shredder finalePractical effects, puppetry, and 90s slime — what still landsIsaiah's NYC Rat StoryVHS memories, the 35th anniversary screening vibe (Georgetown), and where it fit in 1991 pop cultureRob and Isaiah's favorite scenes and quick takesWanna listen to Rob make another funny? Check out the review of the original 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles review — give it a listen and relive the nostalgia. Cowabunga. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In The Art, the guest is Juan Morales!Who is Juan Morales: Maryland native, writer and director whose films explore immigration, racism, and community; currently developing the feature Abhaile about a small town overtaken by a white supremacist group.Juan talks about his path from nearly attending medical school to filmmaking, why he wrote Abhaile from the perspective of a Latina protagonist, and the challenges of telling a large story with a small cast. We also dig into research, collaboration, mentorship, and how community shapes and sustains creative work.His aim throughout: to tell timely stories that provoke conversation about belonging, identity, and justice.For updates, follow https://www.instagram.com/j.mor_95/ The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Jamilla Okubo!Who is Jamilla Okubo: A Washington, D.C.-based multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, collage, illustration, and print design. Her work centers the Black silhouette, using pattern, ornament, and saturated color to explore identity, self-possession, and cultural memory—drawing from African textile traditions, fashion, and Black feminist thought.In our conversation, Jamilla traces her journey from Duke Ellington School of the Arts to Parsons, where she initially planned to focus on painting but discovered her multidisciplinary approach after making a dress from magazine paper. She breaks down how she developed her signature use of the Black silhouette—blacking out white models in fashion magazines with Sharpie, then tracing and painting them in bold colors to represent Black people in a positive light. Jamilla talks through the tension between her illustration work and fine art practice, explaining how client deadlines can feel like "being a machine" while her studio work requires patience and time to let ideas fully develop. She shares her creative breakthrough ritual: boxing at the gym followed by steam room sessions where she works through mental blockages. We also dig into community, the importance of trusting your gut ("if it's not a hell yes, it's a hell no"), and what it means to be in this for the long haul—creating meaningful work instead of chasing fleeting fame.Don't miss Jamilla Okubo's work—her bold, layered silhouettes tell stories of identity, heritage, and belonging you won't want to overlook. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Currie Lee!Who is Currie Lee: Filmmaker and artist with a photography background, focused on visual stories about complicated relationships.In our conversation, Currie talks through her short film The Haze—a psychological horror about a toxic relationship. She connects the project to personal moments that pulled her back into making art and digs into choices that shaped the film's edit and camera language. As she puts it, “you're upset and unhappy because you're not the one making the art.”She recalls a Q&A after a screening where she realized she was speaking before she'd decided to—steadying herself by looking to friends in the front row. We get into collaboration and making adjustments when feedback or funding reshapes a plan, and how staying connected keeps the work moving.Be sure to follow Currie Lee to keep up with her films and future projects. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Nicole Clark!Who is Nicole Clark: Chicago-born, Baltimore-based artist and writer. Nicole works across paint, prose, and collage, often pulling from personal paper trails to build layered, funny, and pointed reflections on women's lives.In our conversation, Nicole talks about moving from “Chicago proper” to Baltimore, why she leans on blinders to avoid comparison, and how running her own race keeps the work honest. She walks through mixing mediums—abstract and figurative painting with text and collage—and how revisiting old artifacts lets her thread humor, memory, and critique into a single piece. We also get into the art-and-business overlap: accidental entrepreneurship becoming intentional, and finding voice and community in Baltimore's scene.Explore Nicole's work and writing at https://tilqueendomcome.com/ and on Instagram at @til_queendom_come. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, artist Santos Shelton returns!Who is Santos Shelton: Bay Area–based artist and storyteller. Santos blends science fiction and fantasy with vibrant color and dynamic texture, using his work to explore vulnerability, healing, and lived experience through a lens shaped by being biracial—Black and Mexican.In our conversation, Santos talks about using art to translate personal and societal trauma into visual stories, and how making the work can be a way to express what's hard to say out loud. He reflects on a deeply personal solo show shaped by difficult experiences at home and how those experiences can linger, influencing identity and self-perception. We also discuss his upcoming mini solo show at Gallery Ergo in Seattle, where he's focusing on death and grief after years of family loss—and how cultural context shapes the way he approaches that theme.Catch Santos's previous episode here.Follow Santos on Instagram at @santosart and follow the gallery at @gallery.ergo for updates on the March 13 opening.As a first, I have an extended version of this conversation if you want to check it out:  The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is returning filmmaker Tristian “TrisRex” Johnson!Who is TrisRex: A filmmaker, monster maker, and practical FX artist whose work blends sci-fi and horror with hand-built creatures and DIY craft.In our conversation, TrisRex digs into his latest project, Aliens Resurgence (for the Hive). He talks through post-production—“doing a bid”—and how the edit sets pacing and tension. He breaks down working with real people alongside fabricated characters, including Big Pookie—“the biggest diva”—and what it takes to design, move, and shoot large-scale practical monsters. We get into planning for complex scenes, scrapping or reshooting choices, and staying disciplined so the story holds together while he pushes into unconventional territory.Don't miss Aliens Resurgence (for the Hive) —it's a wild ride you won't want to overlook.  The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Jonene Lee!Who is Jonene Lee: Philadelphia-based curator and owner of No Name Gallery, with roots in photography, dance, and deep ties across the city's music and arts community.In our conversation, Jonene lays out how photography—documenting friends, parties, and performances—shaped her curatorial eye. She talks about organizing Philly DJ Day, uniting around 300 Philadelphia DJs for a single group photograph inspired by Gordon Parks. We get into her dance background and how that sense of rhythm and flow shows up in how she builds exhibitions and events. She also breaks down opening No Name Gallery in Chestnut Hill—learning business on the fly, tapping community support, and expanding the gallery's role beyond a white-wall space to include urban, street, pop, abstract, and contemporary work, plus artist-made home furnishings.At the center is connection: photos that turn into relationships, music that anchors the scene, and a gallery that serves both artists and neighborhood.Be sure to check out No Name Gallery and explore the fantastic artists who are shaping the Philadelphia art scene. Visit NoNameGalleryPhilly.com for all the latest updates! The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Dr. Lawrence T. Brown!Who is Dr. Lawrence T. Brown: Research scientist at Morgan State University's Center for Urban Health Equity and author of The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America.In our conversation, Dr. Brown traces a line from West Memphis, Arkansas, to Baltimore's neighborhoods, explaining how a racial dot map led him to say, “that looks like a butterfly,” and name the pattern “The Black Butterfly.” He walks through what he found in local archives—mayors' letters, municipal journals, urban renewal files—and how those records show displacement and segregation written into policy. We talk historical trauma, “urban apartheid,” and institutions that turn one era's rules into the next—“slavery becomes Jim Crow and Jim Crow is the new Jim Crow.” He also shares how board games and comics—Urban Cipher and the Black Butterfly Dream Lab—let people feel these systems in practice, not just read about them.Dr. Brown's point is clear: show the evidence, make it experiential, and give communities tools to see—and change—the structures around them. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Rolando Reid!Who is Rolando Reid: Rolando Reid, a 2016 Morgan graduate, is a member of the 2026 and 2022 Jamaican four-man bobsled team. Reid is the first Morgan athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics. Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics marked the first time in 24 years, Jamaica has a four-man bobsled team competing in the Winter Olympics, and a former Morgan State track and field athlete is a member of the team. In this episode, Rolando shares his story. Reid reflects on his experience as a track athlete at Morgan State University, where he won gold in track and field at the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships as a member of the 1,600-meter relay team. He discusses his transition from competing in track to becoming a bobsledder, emphasizing the unique challenges and teamwork required in the sport. Reid shares valuable insights on leadership, highlighting the importance of trust and collaboration within a team, especially as he prepares for the Olympics. He encourages listeners to embrace perseverance and to keep an open mind when facing setbacks on their own journeys.Be sure to check out Rolando Reid and the Jamaican four-man bobsled team at Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Gianna Brooke!Who is Gianna Brooke: Gianna Brooke is an entertainment reporter with a fun and friendly vibe. Her natural charm and enthusiasm make every story engaging, turning even the simplest topics into something exciting. When she's not busy covering the latest lifestyle trends, she's flexing her creative muscles as an actor and model. Gianna enjoys diving into new projects and is always looking for fresh ideas to showcase on her social media platforms. Her approach to storytelling is all about genuine connections, celebrating the unique experiences of people she meets.In this episode, Gianna opens up about her journey into the entertainment journalism industry. She shares how a high school project, where she and a friend created funny morning announcements, ignited her love for storytelling. Reflecting on her experiences, Gianna discusses the challenges of merging emotions with facts in journalism, stressing how important it is to prepare well before sharing stories. Believing that every conversation matters, she strives to make people feel comfortable and open during interviews. Throughout our discussion, she emphasizes how vital it is to stay connected with the communities she covers, showing how her own experiences have informed her storytelling in a relatable way.Here's Gianna Brooke's website The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Running an independent press on a tight budget? You're not alone — and you're not out of options. This episode of Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA) explores funding opportunities many indie publishers miss.Shero Comics founder Shequeta Smith shares practical advice on finding and securing grants, fellowships, paid creative opportunities, and other nontraditional funding sources to help sustain and grow your publishing program. She also discusses how Substack can boost visibility and become an additional revenue stream for your brand.If you're looking for smarter ways to fund your publishing goals, this episode is full of actionable ideas you can start using now.PARTICIPANTSShequeta L. Smith is an award-winning writer, director, and the founder of Shero Comics, a Los Angeles–based multimedia company creating empowering comics, films, and games centered on women and girls of color. Since launching the company in 2016, she has independently sold more than 8,500 books worldwide and expanded the Shero universe into dolls, apparel, and branded merchandise. Smith is also the creator of SheroCon, a women-centered comic and creative tech convention, and recently made history as the first African-American comic creator featured at the Korea Manhwa Museum. In recognition of her work in comics and her impact on Los Angeles youth, she was named the 2025 Los Angeles Lakers & Comerica Bank Woman of Diversity.Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 4,000 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He's also passionate about indie publishing, because he's an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.LINKSLearn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/Check out Shequeta Smith's books at www.shequeta.comFollow IBPA on:Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonlineInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/independent-book-publishers-associationFollow Shero Comics on:www.instagram.com/sherocomicswww.tiktok.com/@sherocomicswww.youtube.com/@sherocomicsToday's episode is presented by Gatekeeper Press — where authors are family. Gatekeeper Press empowers indie authors with expert publishing, editing, and global distribution services—providing full, white-glove concierge support every step of the way. Retain 100% of your rights, royalties, and creative control at gatekeeperpress.com.

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Danielle De Jesus!Who is Danielle De Jesus: Danielle De Jesus is a Nuyorican painter and photographer born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, whose works tell the story of growing up in New York City amidst gentrification and displacement. De Jesus draws from her experience growing up in the diaspora as a native of Bushwick, New York to document her home neighborhood while creating narratives that uplift the lives and stories of the multi diverse residents she grew up with. Danielle De Jesus' work pushes us to think critically about the larger economies of urban America, but also about matters of intimacy and the interior lives of local residents. In this episode, Danielle shares her story. In the conversation, De Jesus shares insight on her process, intricate small-scale works, and painting dollar bills to narrate Puerto Rican politics, identity, community, rooted in Bushwick. She discusses how a viral 2016 painting of Lin‑Manuel Miranda as Hamilton on a $10 bill led her to repurpose dollar bills as political archives, inviting viewers to reconsider value through tiny, painstaking details. She reflects on gentrification, the persistence of local culture, and the struggle to remain in New York—even with a Yale degree—so her work stays connected to the people it documents. Be sure to check out Danielle's Paintings on US CurrencyHere's Danielle De Jesus's website  The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this new episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest on this episode is me, Rob Lee!Who is Rob Lee: Rob Lee, veteran podcaster, cultural critic and educator, is the host of The Truth In This Art, a podcast rooted in human connection in a world dominated by self-promotion and rankings. Through intimate, authentic, and conversational interviews, Rob invites listeners to connect deeply with the city of Baltimore while gaining insight from a diverse range of professionals—artists, chefs, professors, activists, CEOs, and more.In this episode, I'm interviewed by some of my favorite guests and friends including artists Maurice James Jr. , Zoë Lintzeris and arts administrator Camille Kashaka. The hosts peel back the curtain a bit to reveal who I am. In this episode, I'm interviewed by Maurice James Jr., Zoë Lintzeris, and Camille Kashaka as we uncover the story beneath the work, discuss film experience and its cultural impact, and explore how algorithms, media dynamics, and artist compensation shape creative life and the need to protect one's peace.Get to know me in a whole new way!  Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis. Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcast The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Phaan Howng!Who is Phaan Howng: Phaan Howng is a Taiwanese American multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. Howng creates lush, vegetal paintings and installations that examine the various historical perplexities within human-plant relationships, particularly humans' desire to control and tame nature. Her work, Big Ass Snakes on a Plane, is currently on view publicly in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District in Baltimore as one of the installations in the public arts initiative Inviting Light. In this episode, Phaan shares her story. Phaan shares her start moving from Florida to North Carolina to settling in her current base of Baltimore all while explore art as a career. Howng discusses what it was like finding her multidisciplinary approach to making art and her curiosity with plants. Howng describes some highlights from 2025 including her work, Big Ass Snakes on a Plane, and her work curating EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS, which features the work of 25 artists of the APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi American)  diaspora who live and create in the Baltimore and the DMV area.  Be sure to check out Big Ass Snakes on a Plane in the Start North Arts district. Phaan's website is https://www.phaan.com/ Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis. Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcast The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Every single day, there are news stories about artificial intelligence (AI)—most notably, controversies about unethical practices by companies that offer AI services—so independent publishers are trying to determine if using AI is the right fit for their businesses.Author and Indie Author Magazine Co-Founder and Publisher Chelle Honiker joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share her expertise on the subject, including the ethical concerns about using AI, what the most effective AI platforms are for publishers, how AI can be used to help publishers run their businesses more efficiently, and much more.PARTICIPANTSChelle Honiker is the co-founder and publisher of Indie Author Magazine, IndieAuthorTraining, Indie Author Tools, and Direct2Readers.com. Her team of more than 80 writers, editors, trainers, and support staff provides resources and insights that help authors navigate the complexities of self-publishing. Her role as the programming director for Author Nation, an annual conference in Las Vegas, further exemplifies her commitment to fostering a community where authors can grow and succeed.With a career spanning over two decades in executive operations and leadership, Chelle has honed her skills in managing complex projects and delivering impactful training programs. Her experience as a speaker and TEDx Organizer has taken her to many countries, where she has shared her insights with diverse audiences.Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 4,000 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He's also passionate about indie publishing, because he's an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.LINKSLearn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/Check out Chelle Honiker's books at https://chellehoniker.com/Also, learn more about Indie Author Magazine at https://indieauthormagazine.com/Follow IBPA on:Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonlineX – https://twitter.com/ibpaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/Today's episode is presented by Gatekeeper Press — where authors are family. Gatekeeper Press empowers indie authors with expert publishing, editing, and global distribution services—providing full, white-glove concierge support every step of the way. Retain 100% of your rights, royalties, and creative control at gatekeeperpress.com.

This is quite a surreal moment for me. I've been inspired by Valerie Phillips' work since I picked up a NYLON magazine in the early 00s. It was a dream to be able to talk with her about shooting during the peak of fashion magazine culture. We get into her start on music video sets, how she worked with some of the best during the start of NYLON, and how she self published her own work which led to international publisher and her latest book, Candy Cat Head (out soon).—Get BONUS episodes on 90s TV and culture (Freaks & Geeks, My So Called Life, Buffy, 90s culture documentaries, and more…) and to support the show join the  Patreon! GIVE US A 5 STAR RATING & SUBSCRIBE!Guest: Valerie Phillips | @wynterinspaceHost: Lauren @lauren_melanieFollow Fashion Grunge PodcastFind more Fashion Grunge on LinktreeJoin me on Substack:  The Lo Down: a Fashion Grunge blog/newsletter☕️ Support Fashion Grunge on Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/fashiongrunge 

Audiobook sales have been on the rise for many years, and they show no signs of stopping; so many independent publishers are hoping to take advantage of this boom. But there are important factors to consider first. Will the return on investment be worth the cost of producing an audiobook? How do you produce a quality audiobook on a lean budget? What genres perform the best as audiobooks? Do you market your audiobook differently than your print and ebooks?Podium Entertainment has had great success in the audiobook market, so Publisher Victoria Gerken joins the podcast today to answer those questions, as well as discuss their transition from being an audiobook-only publisher to now also publishing print and ebooks.PARTICIPANTSVictoria Gerken is the Publisher at Podium Entertainment. She has welcomed independent authors into the Podium family since 2016. She previously worked with authors in traditional publishing roles - at Random House and Alfred A. Knopf - where she was a publicist and sold subsidiary rights. Victoria got her first taste of entrepreneurship in publishing as the founder of the Random House Speakers Bureau.Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 4,000 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He's also passionate about indie publishing, because he's an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.LINKSLearn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/Learn more about Podium Entertainment here: www.podiumentertainment.comFollow IBPA on:Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonlineX – https://twitter.com/ibpaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/Follow Podium Entertainment on social media: @podiumentertainment