The Object Itself

Guest: Clifford Oliver  Featured artwork: American Gothic , Gordon Parks (1912–2006), 1942, gelatin silver print, 24 in x 20 in.  See American Gothic and photographs by Clifford Oliver on view at the Albany Institute in the exhibition For Liberation and For Life: The Legacy of Black DImensions in Art , through December 31, 2025: https://www.albanyinstitute.org/exhibition/for-liberation-and-for-lif...

Guest: Serdar Arat Featured object: Red Fields, East of Madrid , Richard Callner (1927–2007), 1988, watercolor and gouache on paper. Albany Institute of History & Art Purchase, 1988.23.1. View the object on our online collections database: www.albanyinstitute.org/collection/details/red-fields-east-of-madrid View Serdar Arat’s artwork, essays, and more: www.serdararat.com Subscribe to The Object It...

Guest: Diane Shewchuk Featured object: Tulip Queen Crown, designed by Hajo Christoph, created by George Righthand, 1949, brass, copper, rabbit fur and ermine tail. AIHA, gift of Katherine G. Herrick, (Mrs. D) Cady, 1985.2.1. View the object on our online collections database: https://www.albanyinstitute.org/collection/details/tulip-queen-crown Tulips for Albany was on view at the Albany Institute...

Guest: Richard Garrison Featured objects: Sixteen Parking Lot Color Schemes , Richard Garrison, 2001, watercolor, gouache, ink, graphite, and collage on paper. Albany Institute of History & Art Purchase, 2002.27 Ruined Tower (Mediterranean Coast Scene with Tower) , Thomas Cole (1801–1848), 1832–1836, oil on composition board. Albany Institute of History & Art Purchase, 1965.1 See this painting by...

Guest: Anthony Opalka Featured object: Fire buckets, Albany Institute of History & Art, 1919.4.44(c) The Firehouses of Albany, by Anthony Opalka, is available to purchase at the Albany Firefighters Museum at 384 Broadway, Albany, NY. Visit www.albanyfirefightersmuseum.org for more information. You can also find the book on Amazon . The book talk and signing with Anthony Opalka, presented by Histor...

Guest: Doug Cohn Featured object: Mummified Dog, Egyptian, Roman Period, ca. 30 BC–AD 395, linen, pigment, and organic remains. 12 ¼ H x 3 ¼ W x 4 Diam. Albany Institute of History & Art Purchase, 1958.7.4. View the work in Albany Institute’s online collections database: https://www.albanyinstitute.org/collection/details/mummified-dog Mummified Dog, in addition to the Albany mummies and many Egypt...

Guest: Salley Mavor Featured object: Self-Portrait: A Personal History of Fashion , Salley Mavor, mixed media, 2007. Image courtesy of the artist. Enchanting Threads: The Art of Salley Mavor on view at the Albany Institute of History & Art July 27, 2024–March 2, 2025. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.albanyinstitute.org/exhibition/enchanting-threads-the-art-of-salley-mavor Sall...

The Object Itself is a podcast presented by the Albany Institute of History & Art. With over 35,000 works in the museum's permanent collection and over one million items in special collections, each piece holds a story, a link to our past, a message for the future. In each episode, we invite a guest to select one object from our collection or from an exhibition—an object that speaks to them in a u...