Podcast appearances and mentions of Robin Pogrebin

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2025 is: hagiography • hag-ee-AH-gruh-fee • noun Hagiography is biography that idealizes or idolizes a person and their life. // The book gives a good idea of his virtues without resorting to hagiography. See the entry > Examples: "The sisters' show can sometimes feel like hagiography; there is little discussion of Basquiat's demons or the aspects of his home life that may have been difficult." — Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times, 9 Apr. 2022 Did you know? The second part of hagiography is familiar: the combining form -graphy, which comes from the Greek verb graphein, meaning "to write," is found in biography and calligraphy (among many others) too. Hagio-, however, is more unusual; it comes from a Greek word that meant "holy, sacred" in Ancient Greek and more recently "saintly," by way of the term Hagiographa, another name for the Ketuvim, the third part of the Jewish Scriptures. English's hagiography can refer to biography of actual saints, but it is more typically applied to biography that treats ordinary human subjects as if they were saints.

This week on the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with New York Times Culture Reporter Robin Pogrebin about the devastating impact of the recent fires in Los Angeles on the city's art community. They discuss how artists, collectors, and institutions have been affected, as well as the art world's inspiring efforts to provide support. The conversation also explores how Frieze LA has transformed the city's art scene, creating a vibrant cultural ecosystem that extends beyond the fair itself to include museums, galleries, and studio visits. Robin shares insights on the challenges and opportunities facing LA's gallery scene, common misconceptions about the local art market, and what makes it distinct from other art hubs like New York. With Frieze Week approaching, they discuss the potential for the fairs to bring the art world together in solidarity, supporting the recovery of LA's art community.

"America: Idiomerica and the Terminal Century, a conversation with with R.C. Baker and Sharon Butler" Recorded live, Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Jennifer Baahng Gallery A BAAHNG SPOTLIGHT Production. Produced by Jennifer Baahng Gallery / Artists Bob Baker, Editor in Chief and art critic of the Village Voice and Two Coats of Paint publisher Sharon Butler delved into the ways their work grapples with the digital miasma, September 11, living in America at the turn of the century, and art as a vehicle for soft diplomacy. They discussed some of their older projects and their interest in the evolution of digital tools. This early work is on view in “Pitches and Scripts” at Baahng Gallery through March Episode notes: "Pitches and Scripts," Spotlight Series at Jennifer Baahng Gallery; R.C. Baker's gallery webpage, Sharon Butler's gallery webpage, MoMA Refik Anadol exhibition, Kevin Roose in NYTimes, A Conversation With Bing's Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled, Robin Pogrebin and Elizabeth A. Harris in NYTimes, Warren Kanders Quits Whitney Board After Tear Gas Protests, Colin Moynihan in NYTimes, After Surviving Opioids, Nan Goldin Goes After the Makers.

Ep.129 features Myrtis Bedolla. She is the owner and founding director of Galerie Myrtis, an emerging blue-chip gallery and art advisory specializing in twentieth and twenty-first-century American art with a focus on primary and secondary works created by African American artists. Bedolla possesses over 30 years of experience as a curator, gallerist, and art consultant. She provides professional curatorial services, lectures, and educational programming to corporate, civic, and arts organizations. Established in 2006, the mission of Galerie Myrtis is to utilize the visual arts to raise awareness for artists who deserve recognition for their contributions in artistically portraying our cultural, social, historical, and political landscapes; and to recognize art movements that paved the way for freedom of artistic expression. Bedolla's curated The Afro-Futurist Manifesto: Blackness Reimagined, currently on view at the 59th Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, until November 27, 2022. The exhibit, hosted by Personal Structures, pays tribute to the resiliency, creativity, and spirituality that have historically sustained Black people. In September 2022, Bedolla collaborated with Christie's NY to bring diversity and equity to the art world. The relationship is highlighted in the NY Times article Christie's and a Baltimore Gallery to Sell Work by Black Artists by Robin Pogrebin and Artnet News editorial A Black-Owned Baltimore Gallery Aims to Change the Game by Partnering Directly with Christie's by Vittoria Benzine. In June 2020, Bedolla gained national press in the New York Times article Black Gallerists Press Forward Despite a Market That Holds Them Back, by Robin Pogrebin and the self-authored article Why My Blackness is not a Threat to your Whiteness for Cultured Magazine in July 2020. Bedolla holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, University College, received her curatorial training at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, and earned online certificates in Cultural Theory for Curators and Curatorial Procedures from the Node Center for Curatorial Studies, Berlin, Germany. Board appointments: Association of Art Museum Curators & AAMC Foundation Trustee; University of Maryland Global Campus, Arts Program Chair; and the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Board. Professional memberships: ArtTable; and the Association of African American Museums (AAAM). Image courtesy photographer Grace Roselli, “Pandora's BoxX Project” Galerie https://galeriemyrtis.net/ NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/arts/design/art-basel-black-owned-galleries.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/arts/design/christies-baltimore-gallery-black-artists.html Baltimore Beat https://baltimorebeat.com/baltimores-galerie-myrtis-beautiful-and-the-damned/ Artnet https://news.artnet.com/market/galerie-myrtis-christies-sale-partnership-2176802 Christies https://www.christies.com/about-us/press-archive/details?PressReleaseID=10623&lid=1 Smithsonian https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-black-men-changed-the-world-180979710/ Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/02/08/painter-who-surrounds-her-black-subjects-with-gold/ Culture Type https://www.culturetype.com/2020/06/10/on-view-renaissance-noir-curated-by-myrtis-bedolla-at-uta-artist-space/ New York Public Library https://www.nypl.org/blog/2022/06/29/tribute-afrofuturist-deity-schomburg-center-artist-educator-m-scott-johnson Bmore Art https://bmoreart.com/2022/05/parallels-and-meaningful-difference-activating-the-renaissance.html Artlyst https://artlyst.com/features/eight-best-collateral-events-59th-venice-biennale-lee-sharrock/ Issuu https://issuu.com/patriciaandrews-keenan/docs/pigment_international_magazine_2022_layout Art Critique https://www.art-critique.com/en/2019/07/smithsonian-highlights-men-of-colour-in-new-exhibition/

[REBROADCAST FROM MAY 11, 2022] A lot has happened in the art world recently. The most expensive painting ever at auction was sold, the Sackler name was removed from two institutions, and there are two blockbuster shows at two of the city's institutions: Matisse at MOMA and Homer Winslow at The Met. We discuss what's different about the way artists in the canon are being considered by exhibitions in 2022. New York Times culture reporter Robin Pogrebin joins us to discuss.

A lot has happened in the art world this week. The most expensive painting ever at auction was sold, the Sackler name was removed from two institutions, and there are two blockbuster shows at two of the city's institutions: Matisse at MOMA and Homer Winslow at The Met. We discuss what's different about the way artists in the canon are being considered by exhibitions in 2022. New York Times culture reporter Robin Pogrebin joins us to discuss.

In this episode of Angreement, Michelle and Katherine discuss just how wrong we might all be about … a lot of history? But also how to keep teaching history anyway. Plus, erotica! And as always, so much more! “Did Neanderthals and modern humans take turns living in a French cave?” by Michael Price, 9 Feb 2022, Science https://www.science.org/content/article/did-neanderthals-and-modern-humans-take-turns-living-french-cave Dr. Chuck Tingle's Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/Chuck-Tingle/e/B00SF2MTYK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share “A short history of the short story” by William Boyd, July 10 2006, Prospect Magazine https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/william-boyd-short-history-of-the-short-story A Henry Darger Dispute: Who Inherits the Rights to a Loner's Genius?” by Robin Pogrebin, Feb 7, 2022, The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/arts/design/henry-darger-estate.html

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Sackler family announced that the Sackler name would be removed from seven exhibition spaces, including the wing that houses the Temple of Dendur. New York Times reporter Robin Pogrebin joins us to discuss what this means for the world's largest museum and one of the art world's biggest benefactors.

Robin Pogrebin is a reporter on the Culture Desk of The New York Times, where she covers cultural institutions, the art world, architecture and other topics. She is also the author, with Kate Kelly of the book, “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation,” published in September 2019. At the Times, she has also covered the media industry for the Business Desk and city news for the Metro Desk. Prior to joining the Times in 1995, she was an associate producer for Peter Jennings’ documentary unit at ABC News and, before that, a staff reporter at The New York Observer. Her freelance work has been featured in magazines like Vogue, Town & Country and Departures, along with several book anthologies. Pogrebin, who also teaches writing at the School of Visual Arts, is a frequent moderator, radio guest and speaker. She lives in New York City.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, Robin Pogrebin, culture report for The New York Times, joins us to discuss how art auction houses are shifting online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. First, Robin provides us with the latest update on when the major May and June auctions will be taking place at Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips. Then, she discusses the intricacies of their online platforms and how the auctions may be presented to the public. Also, Robin explains why the biggest concern on the mind of auction house executives and specialists is prospective bidders not being able to preview the artworks in person. Finally, Robin tells us how the pandemic may serve as a catalyst for auction houses to embrace technology moving forward and also how the online auction platforms are attracting a younger generation of collectors.

Since the #MeToo movement began in 2017, many in the museum sector have wondered when members of our own community would be called to account. In this episode, the Punks are joined by Robin Pogrebin, Zachary Small and Anne-Marie Quigg to explore a major #MuseumMeToo moment and ask how bullying and harassment shape workplace culture.

In a special report we speak with New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Zachary Small about their bombshell investigation into 31-year-old (now former) Erie Art Museum Director, Joshua Helmer and his related sexual harassment scandals at that institution and his previous employer, the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

One year after Brett Kavanaugh's tumultuous nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, questions that arose during the nomination hearings still linger. In this episode, the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles speaks with New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly about their book The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation. Progrebin and Kelly discuss what it was like to report on Kavanaugh's nomination in real time, and to speak with the women who accused him of sexual assaults dating back to his high school and college years. They discuss what they learned from people who'd known him at various points in his life, and the conclusions they came to at the end of their year-long investigation. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

One year after Brett Kavanaugh's tumultuous nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, questions that arose during the nomination hearings still linger. In this episode, the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles speaks with New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly about their book The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation. Progrebin and Kelly discuss what it was like to report on Kavanaugh's nomination in real time, and to speak with the women who accused him of sexual assaults dating back to his high school and college years. They discuss what they learned from people who'd known him at various points in his life, and the conclusions they came to at the end of their year-long investigation. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guests are Robin POGrebin and Kate Kelly, authors of The Education Of Brett Kavanaugh, published in September by Portfolio. Robin is a reporter on the Culture Desk of the NYT. She covers art, auction and architecture. She has also covered the Media industry for the Business desk and city news for the Metro desk. Kate has worked for Time and The New York Observer. She has also worked at the WSJ as an investigative journalist and is now the Business Reporter for the NYT. I believe this is their first collaboration and first book. Kavanaugh is a book about a special time and place in our nation’s history. It explores, yes, the education of a man, but also his character, his friends and acquaintances and his confirmation. And does so evenhandedly and with copious research. I learned a lot about a person I had previously formed a very strong opinion about and then after reading this book, changed a lot. Not so much that I sincerely regret the fact that he will, for the next 30 years be taking away the rights of Americans and helping to destroy our country and its values. And with that somewhat convoluted introduction welcome and thanks for joining us.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guests are Robin POGrebin and Kate Kelly, authors of The Education Of Brett Kavanaugh, published in September by Portfolio. Robin is a reporter on the Culture Desk of the NYT. She covers art, auction and architecture. She has also covered the Media industry for the Business desk and city news for the Metro desk. Kate has worked for Time and The New York Observer. She has also worked at the WSJ as an investigative journalist and is now the Business Reporter for the NYT. I believe this is their first collaboration and first book. Kavanaugh is a book about a special time and place in our nation’s history. It explores, yes, the education of a man, but also his character, his friends and acquaintances and his confirmation. And does so evenhandedly and with copious research. I learned a lot about a person I had previously formed a very strong opinion about and then after reading this book, changed a lot. Not so much that I sincerely regret the fact that he will, for the next 30 years be taking away the rights of Americans and helping to destroy our country and its values. And with that somewhat convoluted introduction welcome and thanks for joining us.

Robin on real witch hunts, tax-free tampons, the Kung-Fu nuns of Nepal, neurological "connectomes," and coked-up wild boars. Guests: NY Times investigative reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly on their new book, The Education of Brett Kavanaugh.

This week on our podcast 76West, we’ll listen to a talk with New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, whose book The Education of Brett Kavanaugh investigates the formative years and confirmation of the Supreme Court justice. Asking the questions is Robin’s sister Abigail Pogrebin. To listen, subscribe in iTunes or Google Play, or stream at jccmanhattan.org/76-west. This conversation was recorded before a live audience on November 3, 2019.

And why wasn’t the movement been able to touch Brett Kavanaugh? Nick talks to New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly about their new book, “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh,” which includes new allegations against the Supreme Court justice and shines a light on whether he could be impeached if Trump loses reelection in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White House response to the impeachment inquiry has been to dismiss the allegations, deflect the facts and discredit the Democrats. It’s the same approach that Republicans used in 2018 to push through the Supreme Court nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh.The New York Times reporters Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin, the authors of “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh,” talk to the Republican strategist who wrote the political playbook used — then and now.Guest: Kate Kelly, a reporter for The Times covering Wall Street and Robin Pogrebin, a reporter on The Times’s Culture Desk, spoke to Mike Davis, a Republican strategist. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background coverage: The White House’s declaration of war against the House impeachment inquiry this week has set the stage for a constitutional clash with far-reaching consequences.Mr. Davis crafted a “brass knuckles” approach to help confirm conservative Supreme Court justices.Here’s the latest on the impeachment inquiry.

Most of us remember being transfixed, just one year ago, to the hearings from now Supreme Court Justice Brent Kavanaugh. This week, as the court begins its new term, Justice Kavanaugh will be part of a court deciding on some of the most fundamental cases that affect our politics, our culture, and our freedoms. All in an atmosphere that, if even possible, is even more polarized than it was a year ago. So who is Brett Kavanaugh? Certainly the one week FBI investigation and the televised circus that was his hearing may not have told the whole story. For that, we must rely on the reporting of Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly in their new book The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation. My conversation with Robin Pogrebin:

Virginia Heffernan talks to Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, New York Times reporters and co-authors of The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, about the process of reporting for the book, Kavanaugh’s middle-of-the-road college performance and tendency to stay by the keg, his unease around women during his college years, religion on the court, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Virginia Heffernan talks to Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, New York Times reporters and co-authors of The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, about the process of reporting for the book, Kavanaugh’s middle-of-the-road college performance and tendency to stay by the keg, his unease around women during his college years, religion on the court, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year's Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were dominated by allegations of sexual misconduct during Kavanaugh's past, including during his prep school and college years. While Kavanaugh was ultimately sworn in for a lifetime position on the Supreme Court, many questions about his past remained unanswered. In the new book, The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly—two journalists who broke many critical stories about Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing—take a deeper look at the formative years of the Supreme Court justice and his confirmation. Their research fills in some of the blanks and explores the essential question: Who is Brett Kavanaugh? By offering commentary from key players from his confirmation process who haven't yet spoken publicly and pursuing lines of inquiry that were left hanging, the new book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand our political system and Kavanaugh's unexpectedly emblematic role in it. The authors are the perfect people to tell this story: Kate Kelly was in the same Washington, D.C. high school circuit as Kavanaugh, while Robin Pogrebin was one of his former classmates at Yale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 22, 2019: Shane Harris, Carl Bernstein, Tara Dowdell, Philip Bump, Sam Vinograd, David Zurawik, Robin Pogrebin, Kate Kelly and Lenore Taylor join Brian Stelter.

It's a bit unusual to find oneself adjacent to the biggest news story of the week, but that's exactly what happened to our own Rob Long. He, like Brett Kavanaugh, Deborah Ramirez, Max Stier, and Robin Pogrebin are all member of the Yale University Class of 1987. We explore this story in this show in great detail with Byron York (he of The Washington Examiner and our own Byron York Show podcast). Source

Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly discuss their new book, and Tim Winton talks about his most recent novel, “The Shepherd’s Hut.”

After having to listen to media pundits and politicians gripe about the unproven sexual assault allegations in September 2018 involving Kavanaugh, the same old song is being played this month, exactly one year later. Groundhog Day reset itself on Sunday, Sept. 15, when The New York Times published a piece called “Brett Kavanaugh Fit In With the Privileged Kids. She Did Not.” Written by Times reporters Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin, the authors of a forthcoming book on Kavanaugh titled The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation, the Sunday article was featured as a “news analysis” piece, not news, because in fact, there is nothing new to report. The Times is stirring the pot and trying to help its reporters hock more books. #KatiePetrick | Full Story: https://bit.ly/2kInTAJ

New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly join Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman on "Skullduggery." Their newly released book, The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, has caused quite a stir bringing forth a previously unreported allegation against Kavanaugh prompting several Democratic candidates to call for his impeachment from the Supreme Court. Isikoff and Klaidman challenge Pogrebin and Kelly as they take a deep dive into the material to find out what sticks and what doesn't. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NYT deletes bizarre tweet referencing Brett Kavanaugh's 'harmless' penis... NYT faces questions all around for new Kavanaugh story... NYT TARGETS KAVANAUGH BELIEVE ALL WOMEN ANALYST: Everett Bartlett, president of the Stop Abusive and Violent Environments' (SAVE). Between an offensive tweet and a significant revision, The New York Times’ handling of a new sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh attracted almost as much attention as the accusation itself. The story also gave President Donald Trump and his allies fresh ammunition in his campaign against the media, where the Times was already a favorite target. The revelation that led several Democratic presidential contenders to call for Kavanaugh’s impeachment came in the 11th paragraph of a story labeled “news analysis” that ran in the Sunday opinion section. The story is based on an upcoming book by Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation,” about the junior justice’s brutal confirmation battle last year. Headlined “Brett Kavanaugh Fit In With the Privileged Kids. She Did Not,” the story was primarily about Deborah Ramirez, a Connecticut woman who alleged that Kavanaugh, as a freshman at Yale in 1983, had pulled down his pants and thrust his penis at her. Kavanaugh has denied those claims. Yet the authors said they’d uncovered a similar story involving Kavanaugh at another freshman-year party, where he allegedly exposed himself and friends pushed his penis into the hands of a female student. The story said former classmate Max Stier reported the incident to the FBI and senators as Kavanaugh’s nomination was being discussed, but the story said Stier would not discuss it with the authors. Kavanaugh would not comment on the story, a court spokeswoman said Monday.

Museums have a problem. Too much stuff. But whereas you can take a few carloads to Goodwill or set up a yard sale, museums don’t have that luxury. Sometimes they end up building costly expansions just to contain the overflow. New York Times reporter Robin Pogrebin visited museums of various budgets and sizes to see just how big a problem museum storage has become.

Last week's clash between U.S. law enforcement and Central American migrants along the border with Mexico took place thousands of miles from New York. But the controversy surrounding the conflict found its way to New York City through an unlikely place: the Whitney Museum. Two days after the event, the arts news site Hyperallergic reported that Warren B. Kanders, one of the museum’s top board members, owns Safariland, the company that made the tear gas used on the border. In response to the news, more than 100 staffers at the museum wrote a letter demanding answers about Kanders and his business, which prompted responses from both him and the museum's director, Adam Weinberg. The controversy has led to criticism of the Whitney and restarted a conversation about the role of money in the arts, especially when it comes from donors that people disagree with. This week on Money Talking, Charlie Herman discusses the issue with Robin Pogrebin, reporter for the Culture Desk at The New York Times, and Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief of Hyperallergic.

Seren Morey was born in Massachusetts in 1969 and graduated from Bard College in New York in 1991. Upon graduating she became an assistant to Kiki Smith and then went on to complete an MFA at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York in 1996. Following school, Morey became an instructor for three years of the courses Painting Processes for materials and techniques and Foundation: Light, Color and Design- a comprehensive color theory course at Pratt Institute. Morey’s work has been exhibited in numerous shows and reviewed by Robin Pogrebin, Barry Schwabsky and Helen A. Harrison of the New York Times. Her work has also been acquired by multiple collectors both private and public including The Williamsburg Art and Historical Center and The Middlebury College Museum of Art. She currently lives and works in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and is a partner in Guerra Paint and Pigment in NYC, a specialty resource store for artists. Âme, 2018, 22x19x4 in.,Ultralight, dispersions and urethane on panel Zozimos, 2017, Ultralight and dispersions on panel,19.5x16x4in

The F.B.I. investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh is underway. More of his former classmates are now coming forward with personal stories — but it’s unclear whether the inquiry will take those stories into account. Guests: Kate Kelly, a New York Times reporter who attended an all-girls private high school in Washington, and Robin Pogrebin, a Times reporter who was Judge Kavanaugh’s classmate at Yale. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, Robin Pogrebin, culture reporter for The New York Times, joins us to discuss the recent phenomenon of an increasing number of small and mid size galleries closing in the US. First, Robin identifies the major reasons why this trend is occurring at this time. Also, Robin speculates if this pattern is temporary or if a shift in the way art transactions occur is responsible. Then. she explains why social media hasn't helped small and mid size galleries as much as they anticipated. Lastly, Robin reveals what typically happens to artists represented by these now closed galleries.

In this week's edition of the ArtTactic Podcast, Robin Pogrebin, culture reporter for The New York Times, joins us to recap Art Basel Miami Beach. First, Robin discusses how visitors and gallerists felt about the relatively slow pace of the fair this year and also identifies some of the reasons why this year wasn't as expeditious as in the past. Then, she describes the type of artists and artworks that were on display for sale at this year's fair. Also, Robin touches on the difference between the art world and the art market's reaction to Trump's election victory. Lastly, Robin explains the significance of the Rubell collection and the other notable Miami-based private contemporary art collections as tastemakers for the contemporary art world.

Mother Nature is unpredictable, as WQXR was reminded last summer in a broadcast of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in Central Park. Heavy rain arrived halfway through a Haydn symphony and musicians and station recording engineers were forced to pack it in quickly. Of course, outdoor summer concerts present many hazards: relentless mosquitoes, noisy airplanes, chatty audiences, and stages baked by the afternoon sun. Bad weather can also lead to substandard performances, with wayward intonation and unfocused playing. It can occasionally be dangerous for players and their instruments (varnish on string instruments turns sticky; seams can come unglued). Last year, the New York Philharmonic performed only half of a concert at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx due to the heat, and the crowd got ugly, booing and chanting "We want Dvorak." Despite these challenges, many orchestras say the concerts absolutely necessary. In this podcast we look at the challenges of al fresco performing with these three guests: Robin Pogrebin, culture reporter, New York Times, who recently covered the New York Philharmonic's parks concerts Nardo Poy, a violist with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Tito Muñoz, conductor and music director of the Phoenix Symphony The New York Philharmonic at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on July 17, 2012 (Kim Nowacki/WQXR). Segment Highlights: Pogrebin on the value of outdoor concerts: "Something that seems bucolic and relatively simple actually has a complex operation that enables it behind the scenes. Speaking with Alan Gilbert, the music director of the New York Philharmonic, he said 'it's one of the most important things we do.' There is this real emphasis now on culture for the people." Poy on extreme heat and humidity: "For the musicians, the most difficult part is if it rains or if it's so hot and humid, it makes it really difficult to play. The extreme humidity, I've experienced anywhere including when Orpheus was in Cartagena, Colombia. We had so much condensation on our instruments, it made it impossible for the bow to  grab the string and get the tone out." Muñoz on bug infestations: "I don't know if you've ever seen fish flies but they just swarm. We unfortunately got hit by that during one of our concerts. We actually had to stop the concert because it was getting so bad. Every page that I turned I was crunching about a hundred of these bugs." Poy on a particularly heavy rainstorm: "The sound of the water hitting the top of the tent literally wiped out the sound of any music. Poor Mark, having learned this concerto, basically half of it was inaudible. We refer to it as the Marcel Marceau performance." Muñoz on the upside of an outdoor dance performance: "As the lights were coming up, [the dancers] were hearing the crickets and that set the scene even more realistically for them. In a way, it sometimes adds to the performance." Pogrebin on rain policies: The Philharmonic does not call off a concert for rain until the musicians get in the van to go to the venue. So it's really down to the wire because they want the show to go on." Weigh in: Listen to the segment above and share your outdoor music war stories in the comments box below:

Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art said it will name its newly remodeled plaza and fountains for David H. Koch, the billionaire conservative activist who gave $65 million towards the renovation. Koch has his name on a few prominent buildings around town, including the former New York State Theater at Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History's dinosaur wing. Koch presents one of the most visible examples of naming rights, a trend that some say is a necessary part of philanthropy. Yet others argue that giving should be a selfless, anonymous act. In this podcast, we consider what's driving the trend and what it signifies. "With the fall-off in giving from the government, corporations and foundations, the private sector is even more essential than it was in the past," said Robin Pogrebin, a culture reporter at the New York Times. "In the past there was perhaps a nobility in giving anonymously. But now if donors are interested in seeing their names on things then organizations do need to make the tradeoffs involved in making that available to them." Naming rights for major buildings generally go for about $100 million in New York, as seen in recent gifts by Stephen Schwarzman (to the New York Public Library), Koch (to the New York State Theater), Henry Kravis and Ronald Perelman (both to the Columbia University Business School). Smaller gifts may fund a hallway, a lobby or even a toilet. Joan Desens is the director of institutional advancement at the Glimmerglass Festival, a summer opera festival in Cooperstown, NY. She says that patrons were once reluctant to have their name associated with a gift, but society has become more open. "People are very blatant with Facebook exposure," she said. "We’re all out there. So I think that people are more comfortable with having their name out there. It’s increasingly becoming an attraction." Patricia Illingworth, an editor of Giving Well: The Ethics of Philanthropy, believes that naming rights are a mixed blessing from an ethical standpoint. To some degree, "the arts seem to be a place where people from all walks of life and all social classes can gather together in solidarity," she noted. "So if billionaires are branding institutions and organizations with their names," that can alienate some people. Nevertheless, Illingworth believes that named buildings can serve as an example and encourage increased giving from others. Does an arts institution risk alienating patrons by associating with a major donor who holds a controversial personal agenda? "The point is, [patrons] are going to walk in anyway," said Pogrebin. "They may object but it’s not going to keep them away. Time passes and people get used to things." A more complex picture emerges if a donor feels at liberty to dictate programming. According to a recent New Yorker piece, a documentary film was halted because of pressure applied on PBS from David H. Koch. Opinions differ as to whether this occurs within performing arts organizations. "We like to think that the democratic process is what determines the social agenda," said Illingworth. "And yet when philanthropists start acting like governments, in a sense they can determine the social agenda. Naming rights can exacerbate that."  But according to Pogrebin, "there is a pretty bright line when it comes to cultural organizations and artistic interference. That's the real cardinal sin. A donor cannot meddle in artistic choices and once you go down that road it's a slippery slope." Weigh in: How do you feel about naming rights in the arts?