fbpx

The Arts on the Air

December 20, 2024

A 2024 Podcast Roundup for Arts Advocates

Some say we’ve reached “peak podcasting” and that the exponential growth of podcasts will slow significantly in the near future. But this signals that podcasts have become a regular staple in how we consume information, seek education, bide our time, and entertain ourselves. 

So while the era of “everyone” creating a fabulously successful podcast might have passed (and the podcasting world is littered with the carcasses of hundreds of pods that have come and gone), we have settled into a new dawn with standardized, reliable content creation. 

And this goes for the arts ecosystem, especially. Many individuals, outlets, museums, and corporations contribute their thoughts, questions and musings to the podcast sphere.

Further, as with all of the podcasting world, there are both niche conversations pondering art with comedian on “Art Laughs” with Verity Babbs and mega-influencer musings on “Talk Art” with Russel Tovey. There are rabbit holes devoted to quilting (“Measure Twice, Cut Once”) and drunk conversations about art (“Art History Babes”).

In addition, many podcasts are devoted to the insider views for whom the conversation is crafted (such as talking about arts resources for artists in “I Like Your Work”) and then conversations explaining art to laypeople who just enjoy the topic (such as “Artholes – a recklessly deep dive into art and art history with someone who has absolutely no background in either topic”.)

Many of the pods that reached an endpoint for various reasons are entirely worth revisiting. But for now, here is an eclectic list of current podcasts we love focused on visual arts for folks who appreciate arts, culture, design, and craft (and described in their own words):

2024 Podcast Roundup

Are We On Air?

In Are We On Air?, Arman Naféei dives into “cultural chat where he has intimate conversations with luminaries from across the cultural spectrum. Originating with the legendary Patti Smith, and featuring juicy confessions from the likes of Dua Lipa, Rick Owens, Julian Schnabel, Gia Coppola, and Jane Birkin, the podcast promises a fascinating journey through the heart of contemporary cultural zeitgeist.”

A man in a suit sits barefoot on a modern chair in an art studio. He holds a yellow microphone, looking at the camera with a thoughtful expression. The words "ARE WE ON AIR?" are overlaid in bold yellow text. The background features a canvas and artistic materials.

Being Seen

Being Seen is an in-depth exploration of culture’s role in resolving the tension between how we are seen and how we see ourselves. It is a space to explore current cultural representations and their impact through conversation with leading artists, writers, activities, entertainers, and community leaders. If we create nuanced and accurate cultural portrayals of identity and experience we have an opportunity to reduce stigma and change perception – impacting everything from HIV to institutional inequality. Each episode is brought to life visually through license artwork and photography.”

A portrait of a person with dark skin and natural hair against a textured green background. The face is partially covered by a mask-like overlay featuring a blue floral pattern with pink and white blossoms and green leaves. The mask is painted in a way that aligns with the facial features, creating a layered and artistic effect.

Creative Characters

Creative Characters explores the people and personalities behind the brands, campaigns, and designs we love. It is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever quality podcasts can be found.” Produced by Monotype.

A graphic design featuring the text "Creative Characters" displayed in various font sizes ranging from 72 pt to 18 pt, showcasing a bold sans-serif typeface. The top left corner includes the label "CC Podcast" and a square icon with the letter "M." On the upper right, a circular gold emblem reads "W3 2024 Gold Winner" with a stylized "W3" logo in the center. The background is black, and the text is white, creating a minimalist and professional aesthetic.

Art Curious

Art Curious: “Exploring the unexpected, the slightly odd, and the strangely wonderful in Art History.”

A promotional image for the podcast "ArtCurious with Jennifer Dasal." It features a portrait of a woman with shoulder-length hair resting her head on her hand, smiling softly at the camera. The image has a pinkish overlay, and teal decorative lines curve around the design. The text "ArtCurious" is prominently displayed in bold font, with "Art" in pink and "Curious" in black, incorporating an eye graphic as the letter "O." Below it, the text "with Jennifer Dasal" appears in smaller black font. The background suggests a cozy indoor setting.

The Great Women Artists

“Created off the back of @thegreatwomenartists Instagram, [The Great Women Artists] podcast is all about celebrating women artists. Presented by art historian and curator, Katy Hessel, this podcast interviews artists on their career, or curators, writers, or general art lovers, on the female artist who means the most to them.”

A promotional image for "The Great Women Artists Podcast" featuring bold, hand-drawn black text on an orange background. The text reads "The Great Women Artists Podcast" at the top and "With Katy Hessel" at the bottom in a playful font with a pink outline. A black-and-white photo of Katy Hessel, sitting and smiling, is positioned on the right, surrounded by a pink outline. The background includes faint sketches of women’s faces, buildings, and art-related motifs, emphasizing a creative and artistic theme.

VantagePoint

VantagePoint is a monthly podcast hosted by James ‘JB’ Bullough and Tom Auto64. Each episode features an established artist or group of artists in the post graffiti/urban art/contemporary art scene and will bridge the gap between the artwork hanging on gallery walls around the world, and the artists who create that work.

Originating in Berlin, Germany, the show now roams the globe searching the next interview wherever that takes us, with shows recorded in Sweden, Hawaii, St Petersburg Florida, Miami, Hawaii, London, Hamburg, New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne and Roskilde Festival in Denmark, VantagePoint goes where no other podcast does.. to the people.

Released every the 1st of every month at on vantagepointradio.com or on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Mixcloud and Spreaker.”

A logo for "Vantage Point Radio" featuring bold, white graffiti-style text that reads "Vantage Point," with paint drips for an urban aesthetic. The text is enclosed within a circular border containing the phrases "vantagepointradio.com," "Urban Art," "Post-Graffiti," and "Contemporary Art Radio," separated by small dots. The background is a textured, dark concrete surface, emphasizing the street art theme.

Bad At Sports

“B@S [Bad at Sports] can be tricky to describe: it acts as a curious investigator, an archivist, oral historian, and occasionally as a provocateur. We produce content that lies somewhere on the Venn diagram of art, journalism, media, intellectualism, and all the naughty bits. We represent artists and their art world through an archive that is text, audio, physical, ephemeral, historical, and constantly evolving through ongoing and unique projects.”

A bold, minimalist logo for "Bad at Sports" featuring large white text arranged in a stacked format against a black background.

Draftsmen

On Draftsmen: “Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff are art instructors. If you love the arts, particularly the craft of drawing and painting and image-making… and you want to level up your skills or even make a living with your skills, we are here to answer your questions. We’re here to offer you advice, refer you to our resources, share your love of the craft and maybe inspire you!”

An illustrated logo for the podcast "Draftsmen," featuring detailed pencil-style portraits of two men on a textured red background. The man on the left has a styled, spiky hairstyle and a beard, while the man on the right has a shaved head and a goatee. Below the portraits, the title "DRAFTSMEN" is displayed in bold, stencil-like white lettering, complementing the artistic theme. The overall design has a handmade, sketchbook aesthetic.

The Lonely Palette

“When you hear the phrase ‘art history’ you probably think dry.  Snooty.  Dusty.  A British accent on an audio guide waxing rhapsodic about the Ren-AYY-since over the strains of Vivaldi.  An intellectual velvet rope.

But do you ever think about the human beings behind the artworks?  About the centuries of soulful human experience the works depict?  About how artists lived through their moments, just as you live through yours?  About all the incredible stories there are to tell?  

And that’s where The Lonely Palette comes in.  In each episode, creator and host Tamar Avishai focuses on one object – a painting, a sculpture, an installation, a very special urinal – and tells its story.  We explore the artwork, the movement, the social context, and most importantly, why art matters, not just to its own time, but to ours.”

A minimalist logo for the podcast "The Lonely Palette," featuring a stylized black-and-white depiction of the Mona Lisa wearing oversized headphones. The text "The Lonely Palette" is displayed in white, serif font to the right of the image. A small red artist's palette icon is placed beneath the text, and a tiny white bicycle icon appears in the bottom-right corner. The background is solid black, creating a bold and modern aesthetic.

Plein Air

Plein Air Podcast: “PleinAir Magazine publisher Eric Rhoads delves into the world of plein air painting and the outdoor painting movement, and includes a special segment for artists called the Marketing Minute.”

A promotional image for the "PleinAir Podcast" featuring Eric Rhoads. Eric, an older man wearing a cap and a jacket with the "PleinAir" logo, smiles warmly while seated outdoors in a wooded area. A plein air painting setup with brushes and a canvas is visible beside him. The text "PleinAir Podcast" appears at the top in large, elegant white and teal letters, while "Eric Rhoads" is prominently displayed in bold teal text on a darker teal banner across the lower part of the image. The background includes lush greenery and a natural setting, emphasizing the outdoor painting theme.

Recording Artists

Recording Artists: “Artists in their own words from the Getty Research Institute archives.”

Season 3 features Experiments in Art and Technology: Artists and engineers discover the creative potential of new technologies

A graphic logo for the "Recording Artists" podcast by Getty. The design features a bold orange background with a partial illustration of a reel-to-reel tape recorder in the upper right corner, showing a white reel with black and orange segments. The title "Recording Artists" is written in large white text, with "Recording" in a thinner font and "Artists" in bold. The word "Getty" appears vertically on the left side in white text. A black line loops through the design, mimicking the path of audio tape, adding a dynamic element.

Framing the Hammer

Yes, we couldn’t help but place our own podcast in this list. Framing the Hammer discusses arts, culture, design, and craft, as the centerpiece of the American wellness economy through the lens of people populating varied creative industries. 

A stylized logo featuring a black, hand-drawn ornate picture frame with a wavy outline and decorative corner accents. Inside the frame is a blue background with a white line drawing of a hammer, symbolizing construction or creativity. The overall design has a playful and artistic aesthetic, blending traditional and modern elements.

SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT

Support 4A Arts’ Mission by making a contribution

Prev: Art in the White House: a Presidential Candidate Questionnaire
A headshot photo of Gavin Lodge, Executive Director for 4A Arts.

Written by

Gavin Lodge

4A Arts Executive Director Gavin Lodge is also an actor, entrepreneur, political strategist, and father of two. After studying international affairs and philosophy at the University of Colorado, he worked as a field organizer in the Iowa Caucus followed by the role of “body guy” to then-candidate Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington State. Politics empowered him to move to New York City to pursue a performing career. Ultimately, he performed in multiple Broadway shows (including 42nd Street, Spamalot, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) as well as regional theater, national tours and several network television appearances.

Though he was thrilled every time he stepped onto a theatrical or sound stage, Gavin was equally happy to take on leadership roles in his local union and later his kids’ PTA.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, Gavin jumped back into the political realm, working as a strategist for Bryson Gillette, a minority-owned PR firm focused on politics and public affairs. He also volunteered for Be an #ArtsHero, an arts advocacy movement blossoming during the first few months of the pandemic. During his time with Be an #ArtsHero, he was part of a team that successfully lobbied for a first-of-its-kind hearing on the creative economy in front of the House of Representatives Small Business Committee.

Gavin lives in rural Connecticut with his partner (a composer and orchestral conductor), his TikTok-dancing daughter (who is musically gifted in unparalleled ways) and his soccer-playing son who recently told him “Dad? I’m just not into concerts and theater stuff.” As he told his son, Gavin believes there is much more to American arts and culture than “concerts and theater stuff.” From the video games his son loves to play to low-rider paint jobs to streaming television series while sitting on the couch, Gavin sees American arts and culture as an inclusive, “big tent” spectrum where everyone is an artist and everyone is a member of an audience.

...
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Related Content

Support the Movement

Support 4A Arts

You May Also Like:

Art in the White House: a Presidential Candidate Questionnaire

Dear Esteemed Candidates for president, Congratulations on securing the delegate support for your Presidential races and for earning the privilege to ask all Americans for their votes; now let's talk about art in the White House.  As you catapult through the remaining...

Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together (With Art)

 Here at 4A Arts, we frequently emphasize the way art strengthens communities. It creates ties that bind, helps people push past vulnerabilities, cures loneliness, helps us demonstrate self-expression, dismantles facades, and (some might say most importantly)...

It’s 2024 – Time for a United States Secretary of Arts and Culture

In September of 2022, President Biden announced his reinstatement of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), an advisory committee focused on cultural issues, led by Executive Director Tsione Wolde-Michael, formerly the Director of the Center...

Skip to content