Museum Confidential

From time to time we explore the question, “what is a curator?” For the past 30 years, Randall Poster has been searching for, securing rights for, and working alongside directors to find the perfect moment for music in …

Video journalist Alexandra Eaton of The New York Times joins us to share an unforgettable story that begins with a painting created in 1837 New Orleans. It depicts a well-to-do family’s three children and a Black …

In the new biopic, Dalíland, acclaimed director Mary Harron give us a glimpse into the Salvador Dalí’s later years in 70s New York City via the immense talents of Academy Award-winner, Sir Ben Kingsley. From her look at …

For our Season 7 finale, we travel to the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) to chat with an architect and a neurologist about the intersections of art, …

With more and more of our lives now being lived online -- and with more and more of our stuff existing only in the cloud -- how best should we …

On this edition of MC, we've got mad props for all the archivists and librarians in the house. The stewardship that these professionals bring to …

Founded by artist Theaster Gates, the Rebuild Foundation has been transforming buildings and neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago since 2009 with art projects, community gathering spaces, small businesses, and …

This episode offers a career-spanning chat with Oscar-winning cinematographer, Sir Roger Deakins, and his wife/longtime collaborator, James Deakins. …

Museums rarely allow their most beloved works to travel. But Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum is under renovation. An opportunity arose. Now through May 28, Philbrook presents 500 years of European treasures from that …

London's Royal Academy of Arts will soon open a special exhibition titled, SOULS GROWN DEEP LIKE RIVERS: BLACK ARTISTS FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH. …

What is the “art market?” A decade ago, Michael Findlay published “The Value of Art” to explore this very question. But the world has changed in many ways since the book’s initial release. A global pandemic, MeToo, …

A work by Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson is instantly recognizable. This is even more impressive given the variety of his output. …

A century ago, the Detroit Institute of Arts became the first U.S. museum to purchase a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Now they’re hosting America’s largest Van Gogh exhibition in a generation. On this episode we chat …

MC is closing down 2022 with a one-hour special -- a breezy, somewhat geeky, opinionated, and taped-live-in-the-studio conversation between host Jeff Martin and producer Scott Gregory. The discussion topic is …

Acclaimed artist Sharon Sprung had to wait years before she could tell the world that she was commissioned to paint Michelle Obama’s official White …

On this episode we get a few kicks with British artist Dave White who pioneered the sneaker art movement 20 years ago. His portraits of popular shoes …

Well before Joan Didion’s death in December 2021, acclaimed writer and New Yorker magazine contributor Hilton Als was hard at work on a show for LA’s Hammer Museum. But how can one exhibition grapple with Didion’s big, …

With climate change and more frequent weather events, what does the future hold for coastal museums? On this special episode we speak with Courtney …

For the past few decades, American artist/sexual anthropologist Betony Vernon has been living in Europe, designing erotic jewelry, writing books, and …

The one and only Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong) stops by to discuss his recently opened museum, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and …

On our Season 7 premiere, we visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles for the opening of a groundbreaking new exhibition, REGENERATION: BLACK CINEMA 1898–1971. Enjoy a fascinating chat with …

We’re cooking up something tasty on this special summer episode and taking a bite out of the Whataburger Museum of Art. Is it really a museum? What’s the submission process? Is it curated? Is this pure marketing or …

From a fire at the Smithsonian in 1865 to the Covid-19 pandemic, museums have faced challenge after challenge, and have survived. That didn't happen by accident. On our final MC episode for Season 6 -- and our 100th …

How can a small museum in the middle of the country have an impact on par with bigger institutions? How can we fight above our weight class in the arena of ideas? On this special episode we team up with MuseumNext to …

Shirley Woodson was born in 1936. She grew up and still lives in Detroit. It’s her city, her muse. At 86 the artist recently opened her first ever …

What role can artists and creatives play in wartime? On this episode we chat with acclaimed author Lesley M.M. Blume about her recent Town & …

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we explore Gustave Courbet’s perennially provocative 1866 work, “L’Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World)” with artist/writer Lilianne Milgrom, author of “L'Origine: The …

Troy Montes-Michie was born in El Paso. Border towns are a natural mash-up of cultures, traditions, languages, food, fashion, and nearly everything …

Mike Winkelmann has been creating digital art for over two decades. He’s 40 years old, lives in South Carolina, and has a computer science degree …

In the years before World War 2, a group of artists gathered in New Mexico to “carry painting beyond the appearance of the physical world, through …

Oklahoma artist Harold Stevenson (1929-2018) created big paintings and lived an even bigger life in New York, Paris, Key West, and the Hamptons, …

We haven’t done a live audience show in ages. So when the invitation came to travel to Aspen, Colorado for the opening of a new Andy Warhol show at …

Mark Mothersbaugh has been a creative force for well over 40 years. From co-founding DEVO to scoring countless films and shows, his impact is …

Barbara Kruger’s images and texts have been a consistent source of cultural commentary for decades. Her new exhibition, THINKING OF YOU. I MEAN ME. I …

Few artists have work as instantly recognizable as Vincent van Gogh. But as original and unique as it seems, the work stands on the shoulders of many …

We hear the word “viral” all the time. But very few things actually go viral. A recent exception is “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?,” a nearly …

On the occasion of her first career retrospective, we sit down with legendary artist/feminist Judy Chicago. The exhibition , now on view at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, includes approximately 130 paintings, prints, …

Many people have been incorrectly hailed as a “Renaissance Man,” but it perfectly describes Mr. John Lurie. Music, acting, painting, writing, he’s done it all. With a long-gestating memoir just out and a second season …

The long-awaited Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap just dropped. The set includes 129 tracks on 9 discs and a hefty 300–page book with …

What is an “outsider artist?” Do we even call them that anymore? In recent years the term shifted to “self-taught artist.” Sounds different. But does it mean the same thing? On this episode we chat with Dr. Katherine …

The secret's out! Season 6 of Museum Confidential starts Friday 9/3! Enjoy this early listen to our new season theme song performed by Oklahoma's own Broncho. Written by Broncho's Ryan Lindsey and MC Host Jeff Martin. 

On the season finale of Museum Confidential 2021 we sit down with Philbrook President/CEO Scott Stulen and Phil Armstrong, Project Director for the …

Through the use of artificial intelligence and augmented reality, the new exhibit, THE LEGACY OF SURVIVAL, allows anyone to interact with and …

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection tells the story of African American triumphs and accomplishments from 1595 to present day. …

Rick Lowe is one of the two Lead Artists for the Greenwood Art Project alongside William Cordova. Born in Alabama, but a longtime resident of …

On this 75th episode of Museum Confidential we chat with Mikeal Vaughn of the Urban Coders Guild. This spring the Urban Coders Guild student cohorts will use their acquired web and mobile application development skills …

On this episode we road trip to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to chat with Associate Curator, Allison Glenn. Promise, Witness, Remembrance at Louisville, Kentucky's Speed Art Museum, guest-curated by Glenn, …

Acclaimed documentary director, editor, and producer Sam Pollard joins us to talk about his recent films Black Art: In the Absence of Light, MLK/FBI, …

TheRese Aduni has been hard at work on her documentary, "Rebuilding Black Wall Street." The film uses 16mm film footage shot by TheRese's father and chronicles the men and women who rebuilt Greenwood in the aftermath of …

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the classic crime film SHAFT, directed Gordon Parks. Parks was a filmmaker, writer, musician, and one of the 20th century’s great photographers. A recent piece in the New York Times …

A new season begins in partnership with the Greenwood Art Project, an initiative of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. To get a …

On the final episode of OUR PEOPLE, Rebecca Nagle chats with artist Susan Billy (Pomo) about family, traditions, basketry, and more. Susan is the granddaughter of Pomo basket weaver Susan Santiago Billy. Presented in …

On the penultimate episode of OUR PEOPLE, Rebecca chats with artist Kelly Church (Ottawa/Pottawatomi) about basketry, invasive bugs, sustainability, …

Let's go back to Arizona. In part 2 of our look at the impact of the COVID-19 era on the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, we go a bit deeper and chat with the department heads who keep the wheels turning. Recorded live …

On the third episode of OUR PEOPLE, Rebecca sits down (virtually) with artist/photographer, Cara Romero (Chemehuevi ). Now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Cara grew up alternating between the rural Chemehuevi reservation …

Our intrepid host reports from an unforgettable desert journey to Taliesin West in Arizona, home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. In late 2019 we were invited by the Foundation to do a live show for a real, human …

On this episode of OUR PEOPLE, Rebecca chats with acclaimed artist and First American Art Magazine editor, America Meredith (Cherokee) about her work, family, and more. Presented in connection with the landmark special …

In connection with the landmark special exhibition, Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists (on view through 1/3/21), Museum Confidential presents a new limited series hosted by journalist/podcaster, Rebecca Nagle …

Docents, volunteers, tour guides, whatever you want to call them, have been and remain an important part of the museum visitor experience. As the …

Agnes Gund is a legend in the art world for her collection, her philanthropy, and her decision in 2017 to sell a painting by Roy Lichtenstein for …

We miss movies. Due to the pandemic, the latest Wes Anderson movie has been bumped to 2021. But fans aren’t leaving 2020 empty handed. One of our favorite Instagram feeds the past few years is the gentle escapism of …

On this episode we explore the groundbreaking exhibition, "Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists" with Philbrook Curator Christina Burke. The first of its kind and years in the making, this show honors the …

What is a museum? We know it's more than a big building with paintings on walls and objects in cases. But could our own homes be museums about us? On …

On this episode we revisit our unforgettable conversation with Dr. David Pilgrim, Founder and Curator of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Michigan. Museums aren't always meant to …

Season 3 Finale. How does a museum reopen in the wake of COVID-19? What are the changes and challenges museums face in this new world? We explore …

What follows is a statement recently released by Philbrook. It was created and edited in collaboration with the museum staff, leadership, and Board …

On this episode, Philbrook Director Scott Stulen steps in as Guest Host for a fascinating chat with writer and curator, Sarah Urist Green. Sarah is …

Philbrook recently kicked off a pen pal program for the museum cats. A bit of connection in the COVID-19 era. If you write them a letter, they write back. That's the deal. The program took off quickly and mail began …

In the age of Rotten Tomatoes, likes, and shares, we are all critics. But a rarified few have transcended the trends and held onto a corner of the …

A special episode commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. We chat with OKC Mayor David Holt and Kari Watkins, longtime …

It's not breaking news to say that women artists have often been ignored or even purposefully excluded from the canon. As we continue celebrating the …

In a special episode we air an important conversation hosted by museum engagement company, Cuseum. More than 3,000 museum professionals around the globe tuned in to “How to Keep Your Audience Engaged, Entertained, and …

Art museums account for less than 5% of all American museums. More than half fall into the history category. Science and technology museums barely …

2020 marks the 150th anniversary of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Christine Coulson worked at The Met for a quarter of a century in a …

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment to the constitution, giving American women the right to vote. Last fall, the …

There’s a bit of a trend happening in the museum world. Museums are unionizing. And while this trend is somewhat isolated to New York and California, …

In a special report we speak with New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Zachary Small about their bombshell investigation into 31-year-old (now …

One name keeps popping up as one of the most important young voices on the future of museums. That name is Colleen Dilenschneider. Through short …

2019 marks the 60th anniversary (October 1959) of New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim was the final and perhaps crowning …

Museums acquire. They keep. They care for their objects. And it always causes a bit of a stir when a Museum decides to sell something from its …

The name "Edward Hopper" is synonymous with loneliness. Hotels and motels play a central role in Hopper’s art. "Edward Hopper and The American Hotel" …

Sometimes a place becomes a museum by accident. This takes the perfect mix of history, people, luck, notoriety, and course, art. One of the best examples of this rare occurrence is the legendary Chelsea Hotel in New …

Bruce Springsteen just turned 70. But The Boss shows no signs of slowing down. In his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, there’s a new exhibition at …

In 2013, while looking through a forgotten box of archival materials, Dr. Seuss’s widow, Audrey Geisel, discovered a folder containing a …

Spoiler: Adam Lerner isn’t your average museum director. For the past 10 years, Adam ran the show at MCA Denver. His impact on the institution, the city, and in many ways, the industry, is undeniable. Adam recently …

During our summer break, we headed down to Atlanta to interview hip-hop artist and activist, Killer Mike. He’s known widely for his work with Run The Jewels, but this trip was to talk about museums. Specifically, …

For our 2019 Summer Special we chat with photographer, actor, and legendary skateboarder, Jason Lee (Mallrats, Almost Famous). Lee spent a good portion of 2018 road-tripping through Oklahoma taking photos for his first …

For our Season 2 finale we headed down to the Big Easy for a live show to kick off the annual conference of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). …

There are many examples of writers using paintings and other visual art as inspiration to create an entirely new work. Think The Girl with a Pearl Earring or even The Da Vinci Code. That’s exactly what award-winning …

In our first show recorded in front of a live audience, we explore what it means to be a curator with Philbrook Museum of Art Chief Curator Catherine Whitney and Gilcrease Museum Senior Curator, Laura Fry. Your …

We recently stumbled upon a fascinating blog post written last year by Graham Boettcher, Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art in Birmingham, Alabama.

The headline read, “DIRECTOR RECKONS WITH ART MUSEUM’S UGLY PAST” …

Museums have a problem. Too much stuff. But whereas you can take a few carloads to Goodwill or set up a yard sale, museums don’t have that luxury. Sometimes they end up building costly expansions just to contain the …

Time for our annual round table chat with three experts from different parts of the art world. The roster includes Hrag Vartanian, editor of the …

Less than 20 miles from Washington D.C., there’s a place called Glenstone. It was founded by Mitch and Emily Rales and opened in 2006. Last fall Glenstone took a big leap into the next chapter. But what is Glenstone? …

For the #1 slot on his Top 10 Best Art Shows of 2018, New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz selected an exhibition at the Guggenheim by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint titled “Paintings for the Future.”

“The most …

Art conservation: It’s sort of a magic trick. But there are immensely talented people using skills and techniques passed down over generations …

Close your eyes. Imagine a museum. Chances are we’re all seeing a variation on a theme. Open galleries, high ceilings, there’s a guard in the corner …

Several years ago, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria began inviting artists to sift through the museum’s more than 4 million objects and create exhibitions filtered through the artist’s own unique point of …

Pulitzer Prize Finalist Mary Gabriel joins us to talk about her acclaimed new book, Ninth Street Women. After WWII, when names like Pollock and …