About Lauren Ashlee Messina: Award-winning choreographer and community builder based in New Orleans, founder of skool.com/dance — the original and largest multi-style dance community on the Skool platform — and a longtime connector of dancers to one another and to resources.

Lauren returns to the podcast and reintroduces herself and her work for new listeners, catching Rob up on where life has taken her since they last sat down together in person — including nearly nine years now rooted in New Orleans after growing up in Springfield, Illinois.

We get into her work as a choreographer, from acclaimed presentations at the New York Jazz Choreography Project and 92nd Street Y to performing arts residencies at the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans and the New Orleans Museum of Art, and how she continues to make site-specific and outdoor work a central part of her practice.

Messina also opens up about the origins of skool.com/dance — tracing the idea all the way back to a grad school vision of building an app to connect dancers in graduate programs — and how finding the Skool platform finally gave her the container she needed to make that community real. She reflects on how the group has evolved over the years and what it means to build a space where dancers of all levels can find connection, resources, and room to grow.

She also speaks honestly about what it costs to be a dancer — financially, physically, and in terms of time and sacrifice — and shares her perspective on self-belief: not as something that arrives with certainty, but as something built by pushing through failure, again and again.

Be sure to connect with Lauren Ashlee Messina on Instagram and YouTube at Lauren Ashlee Messina, and find her dance community at skool.com/dance.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Rée the Interdisciplinarian: Originally from Los Angeles, she holds a BA in fine art and an MFA in filmmaking, with a teaching background spanning multiple countries. She now works as an impact producer and is based in Baltimore, where she lives at the intersection of education and media.

Rée joins the podcast and introduces herself and her work for listeners who may be meeting her for the first time — walking through the path from fine art graduate to film school in Baltimore, to teaching English in South Korea for about eight years, and into impact producing, which she describes as building audiences and communities for filmmakers and media makers.

We get into HOMEWORK, her MFA thesis web series, which she wrote to document her anger at systems that prioritize profit over morals. Raised by a single immigrant mother who outsourced her upbringing to public schools, Rée set out to indict those systems — episode by episode — covering the school-to-prison pipeline, the medical industry, food systems, and more.

Rée also talks about Home Room, her podcast — nearly a hundred conversations in — which she describes as a human-centered design research project on what is and isn't working in education. She started it during the pandemic to reach people across the world, then moved back to Baltimore to focus on the city's stakeholders, and is now developing it into a documentary series.

She also shares news of her first children's book — wordless and image-based — funded by a small grant and due out in November, designed so that the reader collaborates with the images to make the story their own.

Be sure to follow Rée on Instagram at @theinterdisciplinarian and follow her Home Room podcast at @homeroomed on Instagram.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Alexandra Cenatus: PhD student in the language and literature program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, director of programs at Maryland Humanities, and commissioner at the MD250 Commission. Her work spans public humanities, food studies, and Haitian cultural history.

Alexandra joins the podcast and introduces herself and her work for listeners who may be meeting her for the first time, walking through just how many roles she holds at once — and why each one connects to the others.

We get into her doctoral dissertation on Haitian food ways, which examines the cultural, social, and historical dimensions of food within Haitian communities — exploring everything from pre-colonial food histories and the legacies of slavery and sugar cane production to the deeply communal meanings embedded in how Haitian people gather and eat together.

Cenatus also opens up about her work at Maryland Humanities, including a new initiative she designed called the Civic Moonshine project — a youth engagement program with three components: field trip funding for middle schools, an essay contest for high schoolers to envision Maryland's next fifty years, and civic panels at community colleges.

She also reflects on co-authoring the Haitian American Dream Timeline, a digital humanities project chronicling Haitian immigration to the U.S., and what that work taught her about archiving, the gaps she found in the historical record, and going outside of the archive to bring in the voices and experiences of Haitian immigrants.

Be sure to connect with Alexandra Cenatus on LinkedIn and visit Maryland Humanities at mdhumanities.org to learn about their programs, grants, and how to get involved.

Photo courtesy of subject

Learn more about Alexandra's work with Maryland Humanities

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Victoria Rowell: Victoria Rowell is a multi-disciplinary creator widely known for her television roles on Diagnosis Murder and The Young and the Restless. Driven by an innate love of movement and a childhood immersed in the arts by her foster mother, she has built a dynamic creative life spanning classical ballet, acting, and independent filmmaking. She is the artistic force behind "A Woman Becomes," a solo photography exhibition at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) exploring the timeline between girlhood and womanhood, as well as the invisible strengths of the female anatomy.

In my conversation, Victoria revisits how her early years on a working farm in Maine and a pivotal ballet scholarship shaped her resilience in the face of the entertainment industry's hustle. She walks through her transition from classical ballet into television — and why maintaining a diverse "bouquet of friends" is exactly what is needed to navigate the highs and lows of a creative life.

Victoria gets into the experience she is crafting with "A Woman Becomes..." — expanding beyond standard photography in favor of incorporating mixed media, found street objects, and inherited items like rosary beads that honor her foster mother, Agatha. She speaks to how a chance drive past MICA led to a partnership with the institution, giving her exhibition a home that matches the artistic vision she has been building toward.

Be sure to follow Victoria Rowell on Instagram at @victoriarowell to stay up with her work. For everything regarding Victoria Rowell: A Woman Becomes…, running from September 25th through October 11th, visit the Maryland Institute College of Art website and check out the show notes for more details.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Keith Dukes III and Tony Diallo: Keith Dukes III is an aspiring filmmaker, storyteller, and founder of Pixal Fest Short Film Festival and Pixal Neon LLC, based in the DMV. Driven by a passion for connecting people through story, he has built Pixal Fest into a community-centered event that pushes well beyond industry standard — curating films from creators met through social media, the workforce, and personal collaboration. Tony Diallo is the marketing and operations force behind Pixal Neon and Pixal Fest, handling event promotion, graphics, and the overall experience leading up to show day. Together, they are three years into building something that is equal parts film festival, creative hub, and community movement.

In our conversation, Keith and Tony revisit how Pixal Fest grew from a scrappy idea into an annual fixture in DC's creative scene, and what it means to build a space where filmmakers and appreciators alike genuinely feel welcome. Keith walks through how the festival's selection process is rooted in spotting raw genius over polished resources — and why getting to people before they go mainstream is exactly the point.

Keith and Tony get into the experience they're crafting on show day — refusing the standard black-screen-between-films format in favor of something fully immersive and themed — and how a Pixal Fest magazine is keeping the community connected long after the festival ends. Tony speaks to how their relationship with the Miracle Theatre has given Pixal Fest a home that matches the vision he and Keith have been building toward.

You may recall Keith and Tony's first conversation on The Truth In This Art — I encourage you to go back and check it out to witness their growth.

Be sure to follow Keith Dukes III on Instagram at @500milesperhour.dukes and Tony Diallo at @Tony_Diallo_ to stay up with their work. For everything Pixal Fest, visit PixalNeonLLC.com and follow @PixalNeon across platforms.

Pixal Fest returns to the Miracle Theatre on Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM at 535 8th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. Whether you're a filmmaker, a film lover, or just curious — come pull up and be part of the community.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Renea S. Brown: Lexington, Kentucky-born multi-award-winning classical actress and Shakespearean specialist based in the DMV. A storyteller since childhood, Renea began her theatrical journey at nine years old, training at the School of the Creative and Performing Arts before building a career that spans the region's leading stages — from Folger Theater to Roundhouse Theater to Shakespeare Theater Company. She has earned three Helen Hayes Awards, co-founded the Black-led Eminent Theatre Company, and has appeared on screen in Godfather of Harlem and Law & Order.

In our conversation, Renea breaks down Folger Theater's production of Measure for Measure — a Shakespeare play set in Vienna where a Duke quietly watches from the shadows as his appointed deputy, Angelo, abuses his power in the name of law and order. She walks through the play's central characters, the moral complexity at the heart of the story, and why themes of power, corruption, justice, and the silencing of women land just as hard today as they did centuries ago.

She gets into what it means to perform this particular story within walking distance of Capitol Hill, why the Folger is the ideal space for it, and why live performance — people telling stories to people in real time — still matters in a world dominated by screens.

Be sure to follow Renea S. Brown on Instagram and TikTok at @therealdarkLady and on Instagram at @ImminentTheatreCompany. For more visit https://imminenttc.org/ 

Measure For Measure, runs at Folger Theater from September 22nd through November 1st. Tickets start at $20 — go get yours.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Johab Silva: Brazilian artist and arts educator who has lived in the Washington, D.C. region for 18 years. Based in Virginia, Silva works across AI, NFTs, VR and AR, generative media, animation, video projection, and 3D modeling to explore environmental and community issues connected to urban development.

Johab reflects on how his practice shifted around 2017, after a major, material-focused exhibition at Transformer prompted him to investigate where his materials came from and how they connected to the environmental issues already present in his work. He also discusses how his education in the D.C. area, including earning the final Master of Arts in Education degree from the Corcoran before its acquisition by George Washington University, shaped his professional practice.

We get into the hands-on nature of working with digital tools. Even when he is using a mouse and computer, Johab explains that he still needs to feel the work visually and remain deeply engaged with what he is making. His process can move through three or four different software programs, from sketching and 3D modeling to animation, rendering, and video projection—each stage adding another layer to the final piece.

Johab also shares why he created New Media Workshop while teaching in the University of Maryland’s immersive media department. Beginning with YouTube tutorials for his students, the project grew out of his desire to make intimidating technologies more accessible to artists and people working in the humanities. Drawing from his own experience learning software independently during his MFA, he emphasizes patience, kindness, and side-by-side support as essential to helping artists enter new media.

Be sure to follow Johab Silva and New Media Workshop to keep up with his work, educational resources, and future projects.

Photo courtesy provided by 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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Dany Green: Self-taught abstract glass artist based in Baltimore, Maryland. Working outside of traditional mosaic training, Green has developed an avant-garde technique she calls glass painting, building each piece shard by shard in response to light, chaos, and the intangible.

Dany first joined the podcast several years ago, and in this conversation, she catches us up on where her practice and her life have taken her since then. She reintroduces her work for listeners who may have missed the first conversation, reflecting on how much she and her practice have grown.

We get into the physical demands of her process, including a wrist injury from overuse, and why building in real rest has become essential to sustaining her work long term. Green also opens up about what it means to return to the DMV creative scene after time away, and the mix of excitement and uncertainty that comes with reconnecting to a community and asking whether she still belongs to that story.

She also shares what's ahead, including her upcoming solo show, Cosmic Mirrors, at the Silva at the Art Island Gallery in Washington, D.C., as well as a virtual art workshop where she ships materials directly to participants so anyone can join from anywhere.

Be sure to follow Dany Green on Instagram at @danyxart to keep up with her work and future projects.

Photo courtesy of Mariah Miranda.

Dany's Art Workshop

Cosmic Mirrors Exhibition

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Farrah Skeiky: DC-area photographic artist with roughly 15 years of experience behind the camera. Her work centers on music and underground scenes, including hardcore punk and DC's alternative drag scene, alongside commercial work in restaurants and hospitality. Everything she creates, she says, is in pursuit of connection.

In our conversation, Skeiky catches us up on where her work and her life have taken her since her last appearance on the podcast. She talks about her ongoing long-term project documenting grief, and how staying connected to her fellow human beings remains at the center of that work, even when the subject matter gets heavy.

She also reflects on letting go of the urgency and pressure often tied to social media, encouraging artists to ask themselves what they're really trying to make and whether platforms like Instagram should have any say in that process.

Be sure to follow Farrah Skeiky on Instagram at @reallyfarah to keep up with her work and future projects.

Photo for image always on her mind.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Coka Treviño: A cultural strategist and arts advisor originally from Monterrey, Mexico, now based in Austin, Texas. Over the past two decades, she has worked at the intersection of artists, institutions, and contemporary art, collaborating with organizations including the Texas Biennial, Zona Maco, and Untitled Art Fair. Her practice centers on language, communication, and connection, helping artists and organizations clarify how they move through the world and how they speak to the people they serve.

In our conversation, Coka Treviño talks through leaving nonprofit work after a difficult stretch and taking the time to reexamine where her energy and attention truly belonged. That reflection led her toward cultural strategy and art advising, work she describes as helping make doing good, doing meaningful work more accessible, easier, and less costly for the people trying to do it.

She also discusses her newsletter, Yes, Please, and Thank You, and what it was like committing early ideas to the page for the first time. She reflects on the difference between writing for information versus writing to inspire thinking, and how the newsletter has become a space for warmth, recommendations, and connection, more like running into an old friend than consuming content.

Be sure to follow Georgina Coka Treviño on Instagram at @yes_pleaseandthankyou to keep up with her work, writing, and future projects.
 

Photo of subject courtesy of Cynthia Muñoz

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About LuvJonez: Portland, Oregon–based instrumental hip hop producer and beat maker whose work weaves a nostalgic, down-tempo blend of musical influences drawn from his cultural roots, extensive travels, and artistic experiences. Beyond music production, he founded and runs A Beat Happening, a free, monthly, all-ages, inclusive BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+-centered music producer and DJ showcase built to connect artists across the city.

In our conversation, LuvJonez talks about how time on the East Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and around Caribbean culture shaped a sound that doesn't sit neatly in one lane. He remembers going to beatmaker showcases in DC and New York before moving to Portland, watching producers just share their music with no ego and no competition — something that stuck with him long before he had any plans of his own.

He talks about his approach to making beats as less about chasing a style and more about following a mood, using the process to decompress and work through his day. It's a "no style is my style" kind of thing, where the genre-blending isn't really a decision so much as a byproduct of everywhere he's lived and everything he's taken in along the way.

He also gets into how A Beat Happening came together, noticing that rappers in Portland had plenty of platforms to perform, but producers and beat makers didn't really have anything built for them. The idea started small: approach a local record shop, no money involved, no tickets, just a chance for beat makers to get on stage.

LuvJonez reflects on the show now reaching its nine-year anniversary, having hosted over eighty events and featured more than four hundred local Portland artists along the way. For the anniversary, he changed things up — rather than booking individual artists like usual, he invited other music collectives around the city to share one lineup. He talks about going into it unsure whether everyone would say yes, and how surprised he was when every single collective agreed, turning the night into a rare moment where the city's music community showed up for each other instead of competing.

Be sure to follow LuvJonez on Instagram, Bandcamp, and YouTube to keep up with his music, and follow A Beat Happening on Instagram @abeathappening or at abeathappening.org for show archives, photos, and videos from over four hundred featured artists.

Image 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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Jose Duran: Born in Moca, Dominican Republic, Duran is a painter, designer, and sculptor whose work constructs elaborate, opulent interiors rooted in Baroque and Rococo traditions. His practice is grounded in extensive research into survival, celebration, vengeance, sabotage, and aspirational desire within Black communities. Duran centers Black feminine figures in his compositions as a reclamation of their historically overlooked contributions to European standards of taste, and as a form of retribution for generations of forced labor under colonial rule.

In the conversation, Duran discusses his early career in fashion, including time spent studying and working in Paris, as well as an MBA program in Taipei focused on the Asian luxury market. He explains his decision, at age 41, to leave the fashion industry behind and commit fully to becoming a visual artist, a shift shaped in part by a residency in Senegal that marked his entry into the art world.

Duran describes the influence of his late mother, a hairstylist whose gatherings between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic shaped his early understanding of beauty, celebration, and hospitality. He also outlines his research process, including his study of the historical relationship between textiles and the transatlantic slave trade, and his investigation into love-attraction plants once used by enslaved women in the Caribbean, both of which directly inform his work.

The conversation also touches on Duran's early relationship with artist Mickalene Thomas, and how that connection shaped both his confidence and his development as an artist.

Follow Jose Duran on Instagram at @joseduranstudio 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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Bony Ramirez: Dominican-born artist based out of Jersey City, New Jersey, working across painting, sculpture, and installation to create a vivid celebration and exploration of Dominican life and Caribbean culture. Blending European painting traditions — Renaissance and Mannerist influences drawn from church art — with distinctly Caribbean imagery, symbolism, and materials, Ramirez has built a visual language entirely his own. His elongated, exaggerated figures function almost like landscapes, each one deliberately distinct, never referencing real people but instead pulling from memory and imagination.

In our conversation, Ramirez talks through moving to the United States at 13 years old and how that transition shaped both his identity and his relationship to the culture he left behind. He reflects on how being physically close to New York City's art scene, including a stretch living in Harlem, became an essential part of his growth as an artist. Ramirez discusses his responsibility to tell Caribbean stories that are still underrepresented in contemporary art, noting how many people don't even know where his island is.

He gets into how his figures evolved — starting from self-taught limitations that became a stylistic signature — and why he keeps cultural markers like plantains, machetes, and crabs, along with bilingual English and Spanish titles, at the forefront of his work, refusing to let that world fade into the background.

Be sure to follow Bony Ramirez on Instagram at @bonyramirezz 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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Khadija Jahmila: Silver Spring, Maryland–based Afro-Caribbean mixed-media artist, mother, and teaching artist working across hand-cut analog and digital collage. Her pieces pull from folklore and surrealism, layering found and donated print material onto wood panels and reclaimed metal to explore what gets carried forward and what gets left behind.

Jahmila talks about the apartment building her family first lived in after settling in Maryland, and how a printed photo of that building became what she calls the "spark image" for a larger piece she made during her residency at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. She also remembers the exact moment she started calling herself an artist: twenty-one years old, sitting on a sidewalk outside her freshman dorm, writing poetry and reading it back to herself. Good enough that she believed it.

Much of the conversation circles back to material. Jahmila started out working almost exclusively with paper, building early pieces from posters she'd picked up after the People's Climate March. Residencies pushed her further, onto wood, onto salvaged street signs, into printing photographs for the first time instead of only scavenging them. She talks about surrealism as something closer to survival than style, a way the African diaspora has always reached for new realities when the old ones didn't leave room to breathe. "We are building the world we want to see," she says at one point, almost in passing.

Jahmila also walks through how her relationship with Eaton DC started small, at a local pop-up market, when the hotel's program director stopped in front of one of her digital collages and asked if she'd ever thought about a show. That conversation led to her first solo exhibition, Hindsight is 2020, a piece she nearly lost when her basement flooded mid-project. She talks about salvaging what survived and finishing the work anyway, water damage and all.

There's also a section on her year as Season Artist for Baltimore Center Stage, where she worked across six productions with directors and playwrights. She lights up talking about it, comparing it to designing album art—another place where her collage instincts collaborate with someone else's story.

Explore Khadija Jahmila's portfolio at khadijajahmila.com/portfolio, and follow her on Instagram at @khadija.jahmila. She currently has work on view in Thresholds at Techne Fine Art in Rockville (through August 22) and SUPERIMPOSED at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (through August 9), and will exhibit at the FEMME Art Fair at International Square August 26–30.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Dina AZ. Salem: Washington, DC–based abstract contemporary artist born in Alexandria, Egypt, working across painting and sculpture to create materially driven works that explore healing, transformation, memory, and resilience. Through layered surfaces, texture, and unconventional materials, her practice investigates how personal experience can be translated into visual language. She signs her work with the initials of her late father, honoring the person who first encouraged her artistic journey.

In our conversation, Salem talks through growing up in Alexandria, Egypt, and how her mother discovered that painting calmed her down as a kid — leading to a lifelong artistic practice that began at four or five years old. She shares how she once applied to a shoe design school in Italy, and how her path eventually led her to Virginia Tech and, about four years ago, to Washington, DC — a journey she describes as something that "chose her" rather than the other way around.

She gets into her philosophy that materials carry memory — sourcing everything from plaster to broken rock to items she comes across walking around DC and shopping at Home Depot, which she calls her happy place. Salem talks about creating her first major piece while healing from a difficult period in her life, and how she began seeing certain textures, like plaster, as visual stand-ins for scars — marks that represent surviving something rather than being defined by it. She also describes her love of physically breaking materials down and rebuilding them, finding the process both grounding and exciting. Central to her practice is a question she keeps returning to: how do we become someone new without losing who we were — using an example like sand, which can be reshaped into something entirely different while still, fundamentally, remaining sand.

Be sure to follow Dina AZ. Salem on Instagram at @dinaazsalem to keep up with her work and future projects.

Photo courtesy of Abdallah Sabry.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Simone Phillips: Award-winning content creator and event curator behind Charm City Table, Baltimore's popular food and beverage platform with more than ten million impressions per month. She's become a trusted voice in Baltimore's culinary scene, highlighting the people, places, and stories that shape the city's food culture. She also curates vertical videos for the Maryland Film Festival and works closely with Parkway Theater.

In our conversation, Phillips walks through her journey from starting Charm City Table in 2017 as a hobby to journal her dining experiences. Growing up, she didn't eat out much—Golden Corral and IHOP at church functions, but never exploring Baltimore's dining scene. After graduating college and moving back to Baltimore, she started exploring Harbor East, Fells Point, the Inner Harbor, Canton, and fell in love with all the options. That curiosity became her whole life.

She shares her humanitarian approach to content creation—thinking about the restaurant owners and their feelings as creatives, but also the people spending their money who see something and get excited about visiting. We get into what it takes to build a sustainable brand voice rather than chasing virality, why Baltimore remains her intentional focal point even as she partners with national brands in New York, Chicago, and California, and what she believes is missing from Baltimore's food scene to take it to the next level: elevated service as an art form.

Be sure to follow Charm City Table on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

Photo courtesy of subject &  David Stuck. 

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Louis-Antoine Gilbert: French-American painter and artist known for his acrylic on canvas works that create the illusion of depth, living in Washington, DC for nearly a decade, creating colorful acrylic cityscapes inspired by brutalist and modernist architecture, art deco design, and graphic novels by Moebius, François Schuiten, and Benoît Peeters. His cubist-influenced work draws from M.C. Escher and Wassily Kandinsky, and he's also a musician, beat maker, and painting instructor.

In our conversation, Gilbert talks through growing up in Paris with parents who brought him to free museums and concerts, first wanting to be an artist at age four after seeing an orchestra, and starting with graffiti following older kids in the streets. He connects his journey from Parisian punk bands to DC's basement show scene and digs into how DC's greenery—particularly Rock Creek Park—has transformed his gray, Parisian-inspired compositions into more hopeful work with vegetation. As he puts it, discovering DC made him realize "both cities, both of them have brutalist and modern buildings in them."

He recalls meeting artist Autumn Spears early in his DC years, shares stories from selling affordable original drawings at the Little DuPont flea market every six weeks, and discusses learning that French house music actually originated from Detroit. We get into the realities of teaching painting in summers, the influence of graphic novels from his dad's collection, and how nearly a decade in DC has made him rethink the art deco shapes he loved from Paris.

Be sure to follow Louis-Antoine Gilbert on Instagram at @antoine_paints to keep up with his work and future projects.

Photo courtesy of subject.

All views expressed by Louis-Antoine Gilbert are his own and not those of the Law Library of Congress or the Library of Congress

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Zoë Poindexter: Documentary filmmaker, producer, and director based in Washington, DC. She attended journalism graduate school at Georgetown University, where she continues to work as a documentary teacher's assistant, and specializes in nonfiction storytelling.

In our conversation, Poindexter walks through her journey to A Revolution Called Love, a feature documentary inspired by Black Love Day—a holiday created in DC in the nineties by Mama Ayo Handy-Kendi. After living in DC for almost ten years without ever hearing about it, she called the founder and asked to attend. She showed up in purple—the colors of Black Love Day, which happens to be her favorite color—stayed for the entire seven-hour ceremony, and came back saying, "Yes, this needs to be made into a film." The documentary is structured around the holiday's five tenets: love for the creator, love for yourself, love for family, love for community, and love for the Black diaspora. We explore how she's weaving community voices throughout—filming interviews with Black Washingtonians defining what those tenets mean to them, with select responses used as voiceover narration in the feature.

She shares her commitment to telling positive stories that aren't clichés—"We have way too many clichéd stories about Black people, Black communities. I often ask myself, why do we need this again? Who is this actually being made for?" She hopes the film sparks conversation around what we think love is—a deeper dialogue about intention, community, and making work that's truly for us. This conversation came about through a shared passion for storytelling—and the belief that the stories we tell should actually be made for us.

Be sure to follow the project (@blacklovedocfilm on Instagram, Black Love Documentary Film on Facebook) and visit BlackLoveDocumentary.com to learn more and support the crowdfund. Both Defining Love: Voices of Black DC (a short oral history film funded in part by Humanities DC) and A Revolution Called Love are currently in production.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Paloma Vianey: Interdisciplinary artist from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, now based in Washington, DC. She holds an MFA from Cornell University and has created large-scale public art installations along the US-Mexico border, with work exhibited at major museums and galleries internationally. She is primarily a painter and educator, teaching at the collegiate level.

In our conversation, Vianey walks through her artistic journey from beginning to paint as a teenager when Juarez was labeled "the most dangerous city in the world," using art as catharsis during years of violence. She recounts completing a groundbreaking 72-foot-wide community-funded border bridge mural in 2018, depicting a girl blowing bubbles with each bubble representing emblematic images of Juarez including a tribute to femicide victims. We dig into her signature "Chamara" paintings—labor-intensive works where she hand-sews canvas jackets with industrial zippers over oil-painted urban landscapes of Juarez, creating what she calls "portraits of the city." One painting captured a pink house she'd see every time crossing the border—until one visit when she discovered it had been painted white. "That was a little heartbreaking for me," she shares, explaining how these works archive the changing memory of her hometown through a lens of resilience and hope.

She shares insights on finding community in DC after moving six times in five years, her love for the U Street corridor (particularly Taqueria Xochi for authentic Mexican food), and how DC has been generous in giving her platforms to show her work. This conversation came about after I encountered Vianey's work at Umbrella Art Fair—a chance discovery that sparked a deeper dialogue about representation, resilience, and the power of challenging negative narratives through art.

Be sure to follow Paloma Vianey (@palomavianey on Instagram) and visit palomavianey.com to keep up with her work and future projects. Her exhibition "Un Mismo Cielo Entre Washington y Juarez" is on display at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC until July 25th.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Miles Johnson: Miles Johnson is a self-described "unclassically untrained oil painter" and mechanical engineer based in the DMV area. In over 4 years—starting with over a year on iPad before transitioning to oils 3 years ago—he has created numerous pieces. His late grandmother was a painter herself who created approximately 300 pieces and inspired his creative path. Miles first painted her portrait last summer for his solo show.

Growing up, Miles would run cross-country to the Smithsonian, where Thomas Cole's four-part series "Voyage of Life" gave him a revelation: "I never thought that paintings were like almost manga panels." He also draws inspiration from Little Black Goat, incorporating anime-style faces into his work. Miles applies his engineering background with painting by creating bullet-point lists and maintaining over 200 pages of documentation in Google Docs. His research process studies figures like Fannie Lou Hamer—someone who was "born into sharecropping and ended up dying with a foundation that gave a million acres of land across Mississippi."

Later we discussed Miles working on Common People Ain't Common, a 2025 undertaking. He made 100 pieces dedicated to celebrating the small moments in life and of the people he has observed.  His goal was to make this art affordable for the everyday people who supported him on his art journey. His aim is that these pieces will serve as a great investment for first-time collectors. 

His Instagram handle @MJonthewall pays homage to Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" album.
Connect with Miles on Instagram and TikTok at @MJonthewall or visit MJonthewall.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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Bernard Feinsod: Editor, producer, writer, director, sound designer, and voice actor with over 17 years of experience in comedy, documentary, news, variety entertainment, and live events. A Baltimore-raised, Brooklyn-based creative who started at NBC's Today Show at 21, spent eight years at Vice Media, and is now navigating the independent content creator landscape.

In our conversation, Feinsod talks through his 17-year journey in post-production—from the NBC mail room to creative producer, working with Sony, Field and Stream, and Huckberry across television, film, and new media. He connects his Baltimore DIY roots to his New York work and digs into how transitioning from Vice staffer to freelancer reshaped his creative approach. As he puts it, "it's easy to get complacent when you have like a day job that's holding you down so well."

He recalls his time at Vice Media as "the best job I ever had," shares stories from editing Bret Raybould's comedy special, and discusses heading into a new self-starting phase. We get into the realities of working from a Brooklyn apartment edit suite for six years, the mass exodus from Vice, and how the last two years as an independent have pushed him toward more passion-driven, project-based creative work.

Be sure to follow Bernard Feinsod to keep up with his work and future projects.

Photo credit: Dan St. Ours

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Jacob Ming-Trent: Acclaimed performer, playwright, and one of American Theater's people to watch. A celebrated artist bringing his solo play, How Shakespeare Saved My Life, to Washington, DC's Folger Theater, and later to The Public Theater in New York with Red Bull producing.

In our conversation, Ming-Trent walks through his journey from a rough childhood in an abusive home to moving to New York at seventeen—having been homeless the previous year and recently dropped out of high school. He recalls the pivotal moment Shakespeare entered his life: at six years old, his father, an English major, mentioned the Bard alongside Amiri Baraka. Years later, he accidentally walked into the wrong classroom and was asked to read a Shakespeare speech. "It felt like home to me," he says. "The words were big enough to give context to my emotions that were inside."

He digs into the origins of How Shakespeare Saved My Life, a play that poured out of him unexpectedly while working on a different project. The solo show follows a kid with a tough childhood who discovers Shakespeare and tries to use it to navigate his world—sometimes it works, sometimes it fails. "It's a raucous ride, it's outrageous, it's funny, it's sad, and in the end we experience some black joy," Ming-Trent shares. We discuss his decision to leave theater at 35 after feeling treated like "an affirmative action hire," his pivot to television in LA, and how a call from director Saheem Ali brought him back to the stage to lead Shakespeare in the Park in Merry Wives—which ultimately led to writing this play. He reflects on the influence of figures like Biggie, Tupac, James Baldwin, and Basquiat—all artists trying to save their lives through their work. He also talks about audience interaction, the differences between performing in Berkeley and DC, and why vulnerability and fear are necessary parts of telling personal stories.

Be sure to follow Jacob Ming-Trent and catch How Shakespeare Saved My Life, running until July 5th at Folger Theater (201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC). Tickets start at $20. The play is also published by Bloomsbury Publishing. After DC, the show heads to The Public Theater in New York.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About the guest: Shaun Stewart is the HBIC (Head Bartender In Charge) of Patterson Pins in Baltimore's Upper Fells Point. Known for "killing the business, one cocktail at a time," Stewart brings years of bartending experience—including consulting for Hemingway's, features in Esquire, and competition wins—to his role at one of the oldest duckpin bowling alleys in the country, now reimagined with an arcade gaming and vaporwave aesthetic. Shaun has been part of many of the best, unique cocktail programs in Baltimore.

We talk about Patterson Pins and what it does: a cocktail bar and arcade entertainment lounge at 2105 Eastern Avenue in Baltimore, occupying the historic Patterson Lanes building. Stewart designed the upstairs bar program and pitched the arcade concept downstairs—a non-pretentious space where guests can enjoy craft cocktails or vodka sodas, then play Marvel vs. Capcom 2 or bowl duckpin. The Upper Fells Point venue recently won Baltimore Magazine's Reader's Poll for Best Cocktail Program and Best Non-Alcoholic Program.

Stewart explains his "killing the business" philosophy: strict bartending rules don't matter anymore. Why can't you put Kool-Aid or Mountain Dew reduction into a drink if it tastes good? What matters is what ends up in the glass—how it's presented, how it tastes, the experience it creates. Build cocktails on structure (strong, sweet, bitter, sour) but get there however feels right, whether stirring a Paper Plane for more acidity or serving drinks in Chinese takeout boxes or Capri Sun bags.

He stresses hospitality and community over gatekeeping at the Baltimore bar. Every guest gets greeted the moment they walk in. Stewart pays staff a living wage and encourages patrons to support neighbors like Johnny Rad's across the street. Patterson Pins creates a third space where people from all backgrounds can celebrate with low-ABV crushers, fighting-game-themed menus, or just beer and a shot.

We also talk about his award-winning non-alcoholic cocktail program in Baltimore, using ingredients like Pathfinder (a non-alcoholic amaro) to build thoughtful $15 NA cocktails with the same care and presentation as full-proof drinks.

Patterson Pins is open every day except Tuesday and Wednesday at 2105 Eastern Avenue in Upper Fells Point, Baltimore.

Follow Shaun Stewart at @shaunpointonepercenter and Patterson Pins at @pattersonpins.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Rachel Mijares-Fick: Rachel co-founded Future Fair back in 2020 during the pandemic with Rebeca Laliberte. Future Fair is an art fair in New York where galleries, artist collectives, and independent curators from around the world come to set up exhibitions. The fair spotlights emerging and under-recognized voices in the art world. Over six years, it's launched careers for artists and dealers and become a real part of the fabric of New York's art scene.

We talk about the fair's sixth edition happening at Chelsea Industrial—a ground floor venue on the corner of 28th and 11th in Chelsea. Exhibitors include Wondering People from London, under the pale blue from Ridgewood, and Wishbone Gallery from Montreal. Rachel also breaks down Future Talks, a new conversation series supported by ArtLogic that brings together rising voices in the art world—artists, collectors, curators, dealers, and funders—to discuss topics like "The Future Economy of the Artist Studio," which looks at how artists are actually sustaining their practices as the old models shift.

We get into why people still want to experience art in person—to see the brushstrokes, feel the physicality of what artists make, and experience that magic that happens when people are together in a space. Future Fair creates that kind of environment: warm, welcoming, open. It's intentional, intimate, and accessible in a way that makes contemporary art feel conversational instead of intimidating.

Future Fair runs May 13-16, 2026 (Wednesday through Saturday) at Chelsea Industrial, corner of 28th and 11th in Chelsea — FutureFairs.com

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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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 http://qtohumanity.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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About Douriean Fletcher: An acclaimed jewelry designer and artisan whose work bridges adornment and storytelling. She was the specialty jeweler for Marvel's Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and became the first jewelry artist to be part of an Academy Award–winning costume design team—an honor she achieved twice. Douriean has expanded into spacial adornment art, creating large-scale installations and immersive environments.

In our conversation, Douriean Fletcher discusses her exhibition, Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture, at the Walters Art Museum and how a ring in the museum's collection became a touchstone for the show. Years ago, she found an ancient Egyptian brass and red jasper ring online—covered in hieroglyphics and telling a story of religious belief, culture, and tradition. She saved the image, not knowing it belonged to the Walters. When putting together the exhibition, she showed the curator that same image—and found out it was part of the museum's collection all along.

Fletcher also talks about the parallels between her pieces and objects in the Walters' collection, including a sculpture of Isis and Horus that reminded her of the Dogon sculptures she referenced in the Ramonda dress for Wakanda Forever. She discusses her move from wearable jewelry to larger spacial adornment that transforms gallery spaces.

Be sure to check out Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture at the Walters Art Museum — https://thewalters.org/exhibitions/douriean-fletcher/

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
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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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

About 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 "Fête of Lights" event where students paraded light-inspired wearable art and staged interpretations of colonial life—everything from lanterns to candlelight soldiers. Importantly, students also reimagined a century-old Main Building painting that celebrated Maryland’s founding: rather than repeating its singular narrative, they researched it and layered contemporary interventions to challenge who is centered in that history. It’s a good example of MICA teaching craft alongside critical inquiry.

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 Impact.

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

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 Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• 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.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble