Art Dealer Diaries Podcast

Kansas Art Institute graduate Jeff Aeling shares his circuitous road from musician, to theatrical stage construction, to finding his love of painting. Jeff goes into detail about the effect Robert Kenndy and the Cuban Missle crisis had on his early childhood as well as his love of surfing. Jeff discusses what abilities are required to become an artist and the types of skills that are involved to b...

Duane Maktima shares his stories of growing up in two worlds one of the Hopi and the other at Laguna Pueblo and the difficulties of trying to fit into separate cultures.  Maktima speaks on his long journey from carver and painter, to world-class silversmith, and the issues he encountered along the way.  His family history includes Hopi relatives being sent to San Quentin Prison for not sending the...

Award-winning artist  Marlowe Katoney discusses his life and how he learned to weave Navajo rugs from his grandmother who worked in a traditional Ganado style to his own contemporary interpretation unique to the media.  Marlowe's life was changed by the artwork of Charles Loloma. 

Lynette Jennings produced, directed and starred in her own design show by the same name on the Discovery for 18 years, blazing a path for all the shows we now take for granted.  Her life includes owning a major architecture firm before following her passion to become an artist working in oil. Follow how she made the transition from walking the red carpet to a studio artist.

How one art collector becomes completely engrossed with collecting and how it affects his life and understanding of what it means to be an art collector.  Art Hitner shares his story of baseball cards, law, and WPA artwork.

Fred Fellows the longest active member of the Cowboy Artist of America of fifty years shares his story of saddle maker, cowboy, illustrator to a professional western artist.  How Fred Fellows became the art director for Northrup Aircraft in the 1960's and transitioned to one of the best known western artists in America.

Deborah Copenhaver-Fellows shares her life stories of growing up in rural Idaho at the top of a mountain and the obstacles she faced to become a world renown sculptor.  From the daughter of a Rodeo Champion Bucking Bronco rider to being married to Cowboy Artist of America Fred Fellows.  Deborah explains the struggles it took to make it in a profession dominated by men and to excel.  Including prod...

New Mexican Bob Gallegos shares his 40 plus years buying and selling in the antique Antique Native American business. From first buying reproduction arrowheads to building a million dollar collection, how Bob Gallegos turned his passion into a lucrative business and became a leader in the field.  The 1972-1974 Native American Art Craze and how he started collecting antique Native American jewelry...

Indian basket expert Natalie Linn discusses her life experience and passion for Native American baskets.  How she left teaching to buy and sell Indian baskets and Plateau bags for a living.  Natalie shares history on baskets, pricing and what to look for in baskets and early cornhusk bags.  Learn about the best basket makers of the early 20th century: Dat So La Lee, Lucy Teller,  and Lina Dick.

Tribal Art Dealer Mark Blackburn shares his life as one of the most successful coin dealers starting at 14 years old trading and buying some of the world's most expensive coins, including a 1804 Silver dollar now worth millions.  Mark transitions into the oriental rug business before becoming one of the top tribal art dealers. This incredible wanderlust trading adventure includes climbing an...

Native American Art Collector and Historian Jerry Freund shares his life experiences as an avid collector and student of Native American culture. Growing up in Dodge City Kansas ingrained in Jerry a sense of history and a respect for Native people and their art. A four-year stint as a Titan airman gives you a sense of the uncertain 1960's and what it was like to be one step away from a nuclea...

John Molloy the president of ATADA discusses the future of the Antique Tribal Arts Dealer Association and how it pertains to collecting early Native American Art and what is being done to help fight the trade of culturally sensitive objects. John shares his life story of getting into the Indian arts profession and how he now deals in contemporary art in New York City along with the antique Native...

Buffalo Barry, Hopi Kachina expert, and Mental health expert discusses the kachina culture of the Hopi including how to determine a genuine Kachina doll's age, through paint, style, and costumes as well as how to spot knock off fraudulent kachina dolls. Understand what characteristics makeup early Hopi dolls and the best contemporary carvers working today. Learn what characteristics are found...

Comedy writer Barry Friedman shares stories of his days as a cub writer for the New Times to a well-known writer in the comedy world and his interactions with some of comedy's biggest stars, including Rodney Dangerfield, Phylis Diller, Bob Hope, Arsenio Hall, Garry Shandling, and his lifelong friendship with comedian Richard Lewis and how a joke on Carson still stings. Listen to how Barry tra...

Wolfgang and Gabby Irle share their international perspective on Native American Art and the importance of Indian Art in their lives. From Deutschland to Navajo Lands, and back - the Irle's reflect on their years of travels to the American Southwest, the path that led them to founding an Indian art gallery in their home country of Germany, and how a 19th century German writer Karl Friedrich M...

An extremely challenging childhood and the chance encounter with a Navajo Sandpainting in Gallup lead Robert Sommers down the road to Native arts which ultimately became his calling in art and antiques. His journey included becoming a millionaire California Real Estate Developer and going bust to then finding his true passion for art, writing, and photography. This episode is sponsored by Medicine...

Terry Etherton explains how a move from San Francisco to Tucson Arizona changed the trajectory of his life to becoming a leader in twentieth-century photography. How he developed the skill sets needed to open and successfully run a top-notch photography gallery in a city primarily known for western and Indian art and how his stable of world-class artists developed over time. Terry discusses his pe...

John Morris shares his experience of being in his twenties booking The Who, Grateful Dead and The Doors and managing Woodstock in 1969. How the expected crowd of 50,000 people swelled to half a million and how he dealt with the bands and crowds. Dragging The Doors John Morrison off stage after overdosing to an Emergency Room and paying Jimi Hendrix $35,000 to close Woodstock, managing Paul McCartn...

Joshua Rose editor of American Art Collector, Fine Art Collector, Western Art Collector and Native American Magazine discuss how as a student in Wales he became entranced with art studying 18th century English poet and artist William Blake before returning to Phoenix to start his own magazine Shade. Josh shares the inner workings of the magazine he publishes and how he sees the art world growing i...

Howard Post discuss how his third-grade Tucson art teacher submitting a drawing to the newspaper propelled him in the direction to become one of the top western artists in American. The all-around high school rodeo champion in Arizona had tough decisions to overcome including fulfilling his Morman mission or going to the national rodeo competition and what kind of artist he wanted to become if any...

David Adler takes us on his lifelong journey of buying and selling antiques and art. From working as a gopher in an auction house to owning a premier rug and antique gallery in Scottsdale. David shares how he ended up in the business and some of the deals he made during forty years in the art business. Learn how the trade has change and the importance of the designer in the high-end rug business.

Mel Smothers, a successful New York City artist, shares his experiences finding his unique voice as an artist during a midlife change of careers. Mentoring by famed pop artist Wayne Thiebaud allowed Mel to achieve his lifelong passion of being a professional artist. Mel takes us through his life journey as a drag racer, a commune hippie during the Summer of Love, a forest ranger, and fiddle player...

Moria Geoffrion, has exhibited in more than 200 museums and galleries in the United States,European countries, Australia, and Russia. Moria received her BFA from Boston University School of Fine Arts and served in the Peace Corps Corps in Sierra Leone. Learn the struggles of being a woman heading two major art departments and the struggles of women in art during the 1960-80 period

Julie Sasse discusses her journey ascending the ranks of the art world, traveling from her Illinois roots to Arizona in pursuit of her dream of being a leader in the art field. Julie worked with some of the most distinguished Native American artists including Fritz Scholder and was the gallery manager for the cutting edge Elaine Horwitz gallery in Santa Fe, Palm Springs, and Phoenix. Julie left th...

Larry Cansler is world renowned composer who enjoyed a long career in the Hollywood studios. Larry is an Emmy award nominated composer, arranger, conductor, musical director, and pianist. He has worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Michael Martin Murphy and Kenny Rogers and his symphony, “Mojave”, was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Among his musical credits is composing the...