PODCAST · arts
Art Works Podcast
by National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts podcast that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation’s great artists to explore how art works.
Episodes
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Terence Blanchard: The Music That Speaks
In the second part of our conversation with 2024 NEA Jazz Master trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, we explore the emotional and creative depths of his work, from his jazz innovations to his evolution as an opera composer. Blanchard shares the challenges of scoring the documentary When the...
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February 11, 2025
In part one of this two-part interview, trumpeter, composer, and 2024 NEA Jazz Master Terence Blanchard speaks about his deep musical roots in New Orleans and how the city’s rich traditions shaped his artistry. He reflects on growing up in a household filled with music, his early piano lessons…
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Strings of Transformation: June Kuramoto and the Journey of the Koto
Koto musician and 2024 National Heritage Fellow June Kuramoto shares her remarkable journey from Japan to Los Angeles, recounting the challenges of adapting to a new culture as a young child and how a chance encounter with the koto reconnected her with her heritage. Kuramoto discusses her rise as...
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January 14, 2025 Hana S. Sharif: Curating Conversations at Arena Stage
A conversation with Hana S. Sharif, Artistic Director of Arena Stage since August 2023. Sharif discusses her transformative first year at the helm and her inaugural season as Arena’s producing artistic director. She reflects on the vibrant theatrical community in Washington, D.C., and her...
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December 17, 2024 Andy Statman: Master of Many Musical Traditions
To mark the rare convergence of Christmas and Chanukah, we’re revisiting a conversation with one of the nation’s most extraordinary musicians 2012 National Heritage Fellow Andy Statman. A virtuoso clarinetist, mandolin player, and composer, Statman has defied musical boundaries throughout his...
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December 10, 2024
Opera is being transformed into a more inclusive and innovative art form, and Opera Praktikos (OPrak) is one of the companies leading this movement. Co-founded by librettist Marianna Mott Newirth and opera journalist Greg Moomjy, OPrak is New York City’s first disability-forward opera company,...
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Revisiting Author of Interior Chinatown Charles Yu
Today we revisit our 2020 interview with Charles Yu, whose novel Interior Chinatown received the National Book Award for fiction and has been recently adapted into a Hulu series by Yu who is also the showrunner. A novel told in the format of a screenplay, Interior Chinatown follows Willis Wu, a…
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Exploring American Routes: A Conversation with Nick Spitzer
In this special Thanksgiving episode of Art Works, we’re revisiting our interview with Nick Spitzer, folklorist, radio host, and the 2023 Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellow. Nick discusses his path from college radio to producing the award-winning American Routes, a program that has spent…
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November 19, 2024 Celebrating Jazz Giants: Roy Haynes and Lou Donaldson
Last week, the music world lost two titans of jazz: drummer Roy Haynes and saxophonist Lou Donaldson, both NEA Jazz Masters who reshaped the genre with their artistry. This special episode of Art Works pays tribute to their immense contributions through archival interviews and timeless...
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November 12, 2024 Theater of War: Bridging Greek Tragedy and Veteran Stories
In honor of Veterans’ Day, we’re revisiting an episode of Art Works that tells the origin story of the transformative project Theater of War Productions. Co-founded by classicist, translator, and director Bryan Doerries, Theater of War began with a simple yet profound concept: presenting staged...
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November 5, 2024 Native American Artist Rose B. Simpson: Forging Pathways through Heritage and Innovation
We mark Native American Heritage Month with artist Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) who discusses her work in large-scale public art, and her journey as a creative rooted in Santa Clara Pueblo heritage. Simpson reflects on her process, exploring themes of protection, generational healing, and...
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October 29, 2024 "Embracing the Darkness: A Conversation with Author Christina Henry"
In time for Halloween—a conversation with author Christina Henry who has written 19 books of horror. We discuss her latest book—The House That Horror Built, a chilling story set during the pandemic. The novel follows Harry, a single mother navigating the struggles of parenthood and financial...
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October 22, 2024 Meet Todd Goings, the 2024 National Heritage Fellow who keeps carousels spinning!
A conversation with Todd Goings, a 2024 National Heritage Fellow renowned for his work restoring and building carousels. Goings shares stories from his early days in woodworking, his path to becoming a master of carousel restoration with a shop, Carousels and Carvings, that employs 18 artisans…
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October 15, 2024
Today, we’re bringing Hispanic Heritage month to a resounding close and celebrating Juan Felipe Herrera’s recent MacArthur Fellowship by revisiting my 2015 interview with the former U.S. Poet Laureate and two-time NEA Literature Fellow. In this podcast, Herrera reflects on his upbringing, his…
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Family, Identity, and Survival: Showrunner Soo Hugh on the series Pachinko
A conversation with Soo Hugh, showrunner and head writer of the critically acclaimed series Pachinko. Based on the bestselling novel by Min Jin Lee, the series follows four generations of a Korean family navigating life under Japanese occupation, war, and displacement. Soo Hugh discusses the deep...
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Inside Jaja’s African Hair Braiding: A Conversation with Playwright Jocelyn Bioh
In this episode of Art Works, a conversation with Jocelyn Bioh, the brilliant and funny mind behind Jaja's African Hair Braiding, a play set in a Harlem salon that explores the lives of African immigrant women. Bioh shares how her childhood visits to New York City's hair braiding shops inspired…
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Celebrating the Power of Stories with Meg Medina, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
We’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by revisiting my 2023 conversation with Meg Medina, author and the Library of Congress’s 2023-24 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. As the first Latina to serve in this role, Meg discusses how her own immigrant background and experience...
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Art and Redemption: A Conversation with Chicano Muralist Fabian Debora
Art Works is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and the National Heritage Awards with a conversation with Chicano muralist and 2024 National Heritage Fellow Fabian Debora. Debora discusses his remarkable journey from growing up in the gang culture of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, to becoming an...
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James Rees: Advocating for Arts Education and Creative Expression
We’re celebrating Arts Education week with James Rees, an accomplished visual artist and arts educator who has spent decades advocating for the importance of arts education. Rees talks about his early inspirations, his time at Brigham Young University, and his unexpected path to teaching. He...
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Professor Thalia Goldstein unpacks the impact of theater education on student development.
As students across the country head back to school, we have a conversation with Dr.Thalia Goldstein about the significant impact of theater education on child development. Dr.Goldstein is an associate professor and director of the Applied Developmental Psychology program in the Department of...
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August 20, 2024 Rhythms of Resilience: Bril Barrett on Tap, Tradition, and Resistance
A conversation with 2024 NEA Heritage Fellow Bril Barrett, a Chicago tap dancer and educator. Barrett discusses his early exposure to the arts through his grandmother’s encouragement, which led him to fall in love with tap dance at a young age. He recounts his journey from learning under Carlton...
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Healing Through Storytelling: Dr. David Fakunle on Arts, Culture, and Public Health
Today, we revisit my 2023 conversation with Dr. David Fakunle, a storyteller, scholar, and public health expert whose work embodies the healing potential of the arts. Dr. Fakunle’ s own story from a boy in Baltimore to a leader in public health and cultural advocacy is deeply rooted in his belief...
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Vijay Iyer: Jazz Virtuoso and Classical Composer
An interview with renowned jazz pianist, composer, innovator, and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Iyer. In this podcast, Vijay Iyer discusses his debut orchestral album "Vijay Iyer: Trouble," his classical music roots, and his dynamic journey through various musical genres. From his early violin lessons…
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July 30, 2024
We’re marking Disability Pride Month by revisiting my 2022 interview with Dr. Joel Snyder, a pioneering force in the field of audio description. Dr. Snyder delves into the origins and evolution of audio description, a crucial service that makes visual media accessible to those who are blind or…
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"The Waters": A Conversation with Bonnie Jo Campbell
Bonnie Jo Campbell discusses her novel, "The Waters," its fictional setting in Southwest Michigan, and the focus on the intricate dynamics within a family of women living in a swamp: Hermine, the herbalist grandmother; her restless daughter, Rose Thorn; and Rosie’s mathematically gifted daughter,...
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Creating Conversations Through Art: The Vision of Charleston's Gaillard Center
A conversation with Lissa Frenkel, the CEO of the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina. Lissa shares the story of the Gaillard Center, a multidisciplinary cultural hub--whose renovation was completed in 2015 under the guidance of National Medal of Arts recipient Mayor Joe Riley-- that…
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Joanie Madden: The Whistleblower of Irish Music
An in-depth interview with 2021 National Heritage Fellow Joanie Madden, the legendary Irish musician and leader of Cherish the Ladies. In this podcast, Joanie recounts her early life in the Bronx, New York, where she was born to Irish immigrant parents from County Galway and County Clare and…
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Revisiting Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Hamilton"
This July 4th, let's revisit Lin-Manuel Miranda and his revolutionary musical "Hamilton."
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Embracing Queerness in Ballet: A Conversation with Adriana Pierce
A conversation with Adriana Pierce, a trailblazing dancer, choreographer, and director, who is reshaping the ballet world through her initiative, Queer the Ballet. Pierce discusses her early dance experiences and how her passion for dance led her to notable positions at the New York City Ballet…
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Celebrating African American History and Heritage with Pat Johnson
Community Activist, Organizer and 2024 National Heritage Fellow Pat Johnson, a pillar of the Pocahontas, Arkansas community, shares her work preserving local history and fostering community fellowship through the Eddie Mae Herron Center. She founded the Center in the very building where she once...
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June 11, 2024
Curator Tyler Blackwell Discusses the Innovative Initiatives that Make the Speed a Community Hub
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June 4, 2024
This week's podcast is a heartfelt remembrance of blues harmonica master and 2017 National Heritage Fellow Phil Wiggins, who passed away last month. Phil Wiggins was celebrated for his extraordinary skill and soulful music, deeply rooted in the Piedmont blues tradition. In this interview, he…
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May 28, 2024
Director of Education and Violin/Viola Teaching Artist at the Paterson Music Project (PMP) Shanna Lin gives us the program's history: it’s an El Sistema-inspired program established in 2013 with 32 second graders and now serves over 500 students from 25 schools in Paterson, N.J. PMP offers...
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Lillian Faderman: The Emotional Truth of "My Mother's Wars"
We’re celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month by revisiting my interview with LGBT and ethnic scholar and author Lillian Faderman who discusses her book "My Mother's Wars." The book is a reconstructed narrative that explores the life of Faderman's mother, a Jewish immigrant in the United…
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Theater Unmasked: Challenges and Possibilities
President of Actors' Equity Kate Shindle and the NEA Director of Theater & Musical Theater Greg Reiner discuss the current challenges, strategic innovations, and the evolving landscape of American theater. Kate provides an overview of the history and evolving mission of Actors' Equity in...
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Staging Stories: Psalmayene 24 on Directing Across Time
Playwright and director Psalmayene 24 discusses his career trajectory from his unique approach to theater, his recent direction of the world premiere of Tempestuous Rising at Arena Stage and his upcoming projects, including his current direction of Metamorphosis at the Folger Theatre. We talk…
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Bridging Cultures: A Conversation with Diana Abu-Jaber
We’re closing out Arab-American Heritage Month with author Diana Abu-Jaber who discusses growing up with an Irish-American mother and a Jordanian father who never felt at home in the US, the lively tensions between cultures, and the centrality of this to her writing. We discuss her two memoirs,...
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Leslie Sainz: A New Voice in Contemporary Poetry
We’re celebrating National Poetry Month with 2021 NEA Literature Fellow, poet Leslie Sainz who discusses her debut poetry collection, "Have You Been Long Enough at Table." Sainz reads from her collection and talks about its major themes including the ambiguity, displacement, and impact of…
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Suzan-Lori Parks Shows Up!
MacArthur Fellow and 2002 Pulitzer-Prize Winner in Drama for “Topdog/Underdog, ” Suzan-Lori Parks tells us about her current play ”Sally and Tom”* now having its NY premier at the Public Theater. It’s a play within a play about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson and combines Parks’ love of…
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Bassist and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland talks about his life in jazz
As we’re gearing up for the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters’ tribute concert, we are revisiting my conversation with 2017 NEA Jazz Master Bassist Dave Holland. From his roots in the English working class to becoming an admired figure in the jazz world, Holland shares his musical journey, marked by a deep...
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Harmonies of Heritage: The Willard Jenkins Odyssey in Jazz Advocacy
We’re taking a deep dive with Willard Jenkins into his life in jazz. Willard discusses his early exposure to jazz in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, crediting his parents' record collection for his initial fascination with the genre, and the profound impact local jazz scenes and radio had on his…
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A Special Edition of Art Works: Talking across disciplines with the Chair of the NEA and the Director of the Census Bureau
In this special edition of Art Works, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson and U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Santos have a far-ranging discussion that explores the intersection of arts, culture, and statistical science. Moderated by the NEA’s Director of...
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The Harmonic Convergence of Amina Claudine Myers
In this podcast, Amina Claudine Myers discusses her journey from the gospel choirs of Arkansas to becoming a 2024 NEA Jazz Master, highlighting her significant contributions to jazz, gospel, and blues. We discuss her early life in Blackwell, Arkansas, and Dallas, Texas, sharing stories of how...
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Building Bridges Through Children's Literature
Co-founder Kirsten Cappy introduces us to I'm Your Neighbor Books—which aims to build communities where immigrants are welcomed and feel a sense of belonging by sharing diverse immigration stories in children’s literature—and explains the collaborative roots of the organization among leaders from...
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It's complicated: a conversation with author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Danielle Evans
2020 NEA Literature Fellow Danielle Evans is author of two collections of stories Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self and The Office of Historical Corrections, published ten years apart and to great acclaim. Today, we’re revisiting my 2021 interview with Danielle. In this podcast, we explore...
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Meet Tap Dancer and National Heritage Fellow Reginald "Reggio the Hoofer" McLaughlin
We’re revisiting my conversation with the 2021 National Heritage Fellow, Reginald “Reggio The Hoofer” McLaughlin, a master tap dancer whose feet tell stories of tradition, perseverance, and cultural heritage. In this podcast, Reggio discusses his childhood love for tap dancing sparked at…
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Meet Saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz
In this tuneful podcast, 2024 NEA Jazz Master Saxophonist Gary Bartz talks about his life and career, touching on his roots, influences, collaborations, and the philosophical underpinnings that have guided his artistic journey. Born in Baltimore in 1940, Gary's musical journey began in a…
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Celebrate Black History Month: Isabel Wilkerson discusses the Great Migration and American Culure
In honor of Black History month, we’re revisiting this 2011 conversation with author and 2015 National Humanities Medalist Isabel Wilkerson In this tuneful podcast, Wilkerson discusses her acclaimed book "The Warmth of Other Suns," exploring the profound impact of the Great Migration on American...
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Director/writer Cord Jefferson talks about "American Fiction"
Screenwriter and Director Cord Jefferson discusses his critically acclaimed film, “American Fiction” which is a satirical exploration of popular culture’s often narrow and limiting representation of Black people. We catch up with director/writer Cord Jefferson whose film ”American Fiction” has…
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“From Heritage to Health:” Bringing the diverse cultures of everyday life to medical care.
Steve Zeitlin, founder and executive director of City Lore, and Phyllis Zimmer, founder and president of the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation, discuss their joint project "From Heritage to Health" (H2H). Funded partly by the National Endowment for the Arts, this initiative aims to…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The National Endowment for the Arts podcast that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation’s great artists to explore how art works.
HOSTED BY
National Endowment for the Arts
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Art Works Podcast have?
Art Works Podcast currently has 696 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Art Works Podcast about?
The National Endowment for the Arts podcast that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation’s great artists to explore how art works.
How often does Art Works Podcast release new episodes?
Art Works Podcast releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 696 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Art Works Podcast?
You can listen to Art Works Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Art Works Podcast?
Art Works Podcast is created and hosted by National Endowment for the Arts.
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