The Conversation Art Podcast

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Episode 391- OLD NEWS plus Lucien Smith mini-tribute

This episode is a mix of excerpts from OLD NEWS (Jeff Weiss's nightly email blast of art-related content) and a Lucien Smith obituary, including comments from readers of

Sep 26
14 min

Episode 390: a broken plate catapults a career: Nyack, NY-based artist Rob Strati

Nyack, New York-based artist Rob Strati talks about: Living in Nyack, as far as its local arts community and proximity to NYC; his early artist years in San Francisco,

Sep 6
54 min

Episode 389: The Conversation presents: The Intrepid Artist, an Advice podcast- Episode 1, with co-host Arleene Correa Valencia

"To Post, or Not to Post….That is the Question" In this pilot episode of The Intrepid Artist, the main question asked by a listener is whether sharing (or even having)

Aug 8
36 min

Episode 388: Lauren O'Neill-Butler on Artist Activism, Artforum magazine and the seminal Project Row Houses in Houston

Hunter College professor and author of The War of Art, Lauren O'Neill-Butler talks about: Her 12 years at Artforum magazine, including its balance between advertising a

Jun 20
52 min

Episode 387: Peter Hujar and Paul Thek's "Wonderful World That Almost Was," with writer and Frieze editor Andrew Durbin

Writer and Frieze editor-in-chief Andrew Durbin talks about: His book tour for "The Wonderful World That Almost Was," which has been hectic; how he became familiar with

May 23
50 min

Episode 386- James Delbourgo on the 'Noble Madness' of collectors- from Charles Foster Kane to Norman Bates and others, and what Freud had to say about all of them

James Delbourgo, professor of history at Rutgers University and author of A Noble Madness: the Dark Side of Collecting from Antiquity to Now, talks about: Why he's w

Apr 25
1 h 04 min

Episode 385- Useful Art explodes what your sense of Art with a capital "A" is and can be, with John Byrne, author of "Useful Art- How Activist Artists Can Change the World"

John Byrne, author of "Useful Art- How Activist Artists Can Change the World," and professor of Useful Art at Liverpool John Moores University's School of Art and Design,

Mar 28
1 h 09 min

Episode 384: Boston artist and lifelong art school teacher on photography and teaching in art schools for 46 years

Boston-based photographer Jim Dow talks about: The Boston art community (which is often connected to the art school and universities) and why he's lived there the gr

Feb 21
51 min

Episode 383- Sarah Khan: Documenting the Immigrant Experience

Hadley, Massachusetts and NYC artist Sarah K. Khan talks about: How it's a "little miracle" to have a studio (a former chick coop on a farm in the 5-college area of Mas

Jan 17
51 min

Episode 382: Robbie Conal,from the studio to the streets--applying what you do best to what you care about most

Artist and legendary street artist Robbie Conal talks about: His family history, including his two activist-and-politically inclined parents, his background in fight

Dec 13 2025
54 min

Episode 381- Arleene Correa Valencia: From rural Mexico to the Napa Valley and back, fulfilling a family dream

Napa, CA-based artist Arleene Correa Valencia talks about: Why she lives in Napa, CA, and the two distinct versions of the town, for the wealthy and for the poor ("y

Nov 15 2025
53 min

Episode 380- London-based photographer and writer Michael Collins on the perils of photography, and art criticism, and why to give your viewers the benefit of the doubt

London-based photographer and writer Michael Collins talks about: The flat where he's lived for 35 years, which is getting 'Wallace & Gromit' crowded; how he keeps film

Oct 11 2025
56 min

Episode 379- artist Linnéa Gabriella Spransy – growing up in a commune, Yale grad school, working as a living artist in Kansas City, and co-founding the gallery Bridge Projects

Pasadena-based artist Linnéa Gabriella Spransy talks about: Growing up between Wisconsin and a commune in Oregon, the latter which she describes as a complete commitmen

Sep 13 2025
44 min

Episode 378: Artist Camilla Taylor- "My House Burned Down"

Camilla Taylor, Los Angeles artist, and curator of "My House Burned Down" (at Track16 Gallery), talks about: Her childhood with complicated religious origins, between h

Aug 9 2025
52 min

Episode 377- "An artist walks into a bar…" Guy Richards Smit on his New Yorker cartoons, his paintings, and humor in art

Brooklyn-based artist and sometimes New Yorker magazine cartoonist Guy Richards Smit returns to the podcast eight years after his first visit to talk about: His admitte

Jul 4 2025
51 min

Episode 376: Merging art & life and leaving the city for the country: artist couple and collaborators Gribaudi-Plytas.

In Episode 376, Alex and Theo Gribaudi-Plytas talk about: Their location in rural France, at the southern end of the Champagne region, where there are tons of vineyards

Jun 7 2025
47 min

Episode 375: Marcie Begleiter on artist residencies, working with nature, leaving big cities, and much more

Marcie Begleiter, an artist based on the Central Coast of California, talks about: artist residencies, including the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, where she recently

May 10 2025
47 min

Episode 374: "The Murder Next Door," Oakland-based graphic artist Hugh D'Andrade's first graphic novel

Oakland-based graphic artist Hugh D'Andrade, author of the graphic novel "The Murder Next Door," talks about: His first graphic novel, The Murder Next Door, including

Apr 12 2025
1 h 07 min

Episode 373: RealTime Arts' Molly & Rusty on interactive happenings in Pittsburgh, where it's all about "Feeling the bean"

In Episode 373, Molly Rice & Rusty Thelin, co-founders of RealTime Arts in Pittsburgh, talk about: The especially niche field of their work, which is the performance

Mar 15 2025
49 min

Episode 372: Painting, photography, and hard but necessary decisions: Claire Witteveen, an artist in Amsterdam

In Episode 372, the 1st half of the conversation with Amsterdam-based painter and photographer Claire Witteveen, she talks about: Her putting off painting initially

Feb 15 2025
1 h 12 min

Chart trend

Position in the Visual Arts chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#101#200JulAugSepOct

#45

all-time peak

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where The Conversation Art Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 8, 2026).

#200 ▼ 53 Visual Arts US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

This is a great podcast for anyone interested in the art world, behind the scenes of galleries, curators, museums, and artists and their creative process and journey. The one on one interviews are engaging, insightful and Michael has a gift for conversation. I thoroughly enjoy his efforts to share the art world and hope he has much success with the podcast and his art as well.

Mosaic96749 · Jun 2025

The Conversation is my favorite of the art oriented podcasts that I listen to. The interviewer is genuine and genuinely interested in learning about those that he’s talking with. Really informative and of-the-moment. On the other hand, the conversation doesn’t come off as trendy...in a good way. The episodes are varied and unbiased with artists coming from different walks of life. They’re not all from the same school for example. Talking about how artists afford life lately is an important topic which sometimes arises in the discourse. It’s REAL.

worthyette · Sep 2024

A wonderful conversation with author of the book “ The Death of the Artist”; I only wish it had been longer! So much food for thought. Michael hits on many topics that are important to artists trying to navigate the ever-changing art world. I will definitely read this book.

mobylino · Jan 2023

I am not an artist, I just enjoy art. Michael brings on a variety of thoughtful guests who have some fascinating insights into the art world. I look forward to hearing more! For those starting out, the Hannah Wohl episodes are incredible!

Jibbliediggs · Nov 2022

This podcast continues to perpetuate the myths around the dysfunctional contemporary art community. Hard work/skill/ideas and you will succeed in the contemporary art field - NOT TRUE. It's really about who you know in the art world and what circles you run in. You show your work at small galleries for emerging artists because a friend recommends you, talent has nothing to do with it. The small gallery calls you back because they see a market for your paintings. If you’re a couple of your paintings sell they’ll give you your own show but ask you to create “new” but similar paintings. They don't want new ideas, because what if these new ideas don't sell! You have a show and nothing sells - they don't call you again (I get it it’s a business). Or maybe they do call you but put you in a group show so there is a higher chance of selling artwork. If nothing sells you move on and call another friend that's showing at another small gallery and ask them to get you in. You continue this small gallery cycle for 5-10 years making it may be up to a mid-level gallery and then start the cycle over again for another 10 - 20 years. If you run in wealthier circles you can start at a mid-level gallery or if you’re lucky you get your start at one of the "big money" galleries. If you sell a painting their you can live off of the money for a couple of months or even years. But it’s the same cycle all over again. Myth Two, you need a studio space. Most artists have a second job and cannot make a living off their art. There are thousands of artists who are waiters/waitress and struggle month to month with a family. And yet they need to rent a studio? Why? Just because that is what an artist has to do to be taken seriously! I have older friends who are now in their late 50's divorced and are still in this NYC contemporary art world cycle and have to work crappy jobs to keep going. There is no silver lining here, there is no being discovered and then selling your art for millions. You show work, you sell a painting here & there and then some time you give up and guess what no one notices. Myth Three, you need to go to art school to understand art history and be able to talk about your thought process/ practice of your art. That is total BS most artists come up with a simple idea, then try to backfill the thought process behind it. Or the galleries/curators who think your artwork can sell, will take your idea and expand upon it with or without you. They will expand upon it and put it into the lexicon of fine art for you. The artist then regurgitates that to other patrons, collectors, galleries and other artists - to appear more conceptual and elite. But sometimes (this is where it gets interesting) an artist creates a new different never-before seen piece of art. Sometimes he’s sick of his old work and want to try something new. He has a show with a deadline and he/she didn't really think through their artwork and process. He/she didn't get a chance to sync up their thoughts with the curator, gallery or museum. The museum decides to have a Q&A with the artist and then you hear the artists real thoughts on their work and sometimes it goes horribly wrong. Myth Four, LowBrow art or "Juxtapoz" art is not real art and should not be considered in the same lexicon as current contemporary art. Artist in the contemporary art world love to talk down about it, disrespect and ignore the artists that work in this “Juxtapoz” style. They hate it, won't discuss it and they even look down at anyone who states, how much they like it. But to their chagrin, this market in the last couple of years has exploded. These artists involved make a very good living and they’re more collectors/new galleries popping up all over this art world catering to them. To me it just sounds like jealousy and close- minded thinking.

Loquat73 · Mar 2019

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.