Art Is Awesome with Emily Wilson

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this Episode, Emily features an in-depth conversation with mixed media artist Demetri Broxton whose work is showcased in several prestigious museums and exhibitions in San Francisco. The discussion delves into Demetri's artistic themes, including his use of beads, the...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  This week, Emily features an insightful interview with artist Ester Hernandez. Ester shares her journey from growing up in a farm town in the San Joaquin Valley to becoming a renowned printmaker. She discusses the impact of growing up in a culturally rich Mexican environ...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this Episode, Emily chats with "The Button Man", Harlem artist Beau McCall, an artist renowned for his unique use of buttons in wearable and visual art. McCall's work is featured in prominent collections such as New York's Museum of Arts and Design and London's Victor...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this week's episode, Emily interviews painter and muralist Oscar Lopez. Oscar shares his journey from growing up in Mexico City, where graffiti first introduced him to art, to becoming an established artist in California. He talks about his murals honoring farm worker...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this episode, Emily Wilson interviews painter Emilio Villalba about his personal and professional journey in the art world. Emilio discusses his decision to become a full-time artist, his creative process, and the inspirations behind his latest show, 'Paintings from H...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this Episode, Emily features artist Laurel Roth Hope. Laurel discusses her journey from a conservation worker to a full-time artist, emphasizing her use of recycled materials in her sculptures. She shares her creative process, influences, and collaborations with her h...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  This week, Emily features an interview with curator Ciara Ennis, director of the De Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University. Ciara discusses her evolution from painter to curator, her efforts to challenge traditional museum practices, and her initiatives aimed at foster...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this episode Emily interviews artist and singer Mary Graham about her journey from drawing as a child, to painting in high school and eventually moving to the Bay Area to study at the California College of the Arts. Mary discusses her recent residencies in Maine and C...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  This week on 'Art is Awesome,' host Emily Wilson chats with Stephanie Robison, a sculptor living in Oakland and the chair of City College of San Francisco's Art Department. The episode delves into Stephanie's background, from growing up in Oregon and being encouraged by...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this episode, Emily features Daisy Nam, the director and chief curator at the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts. Daisy discusses her journey from growing up in Los Angeles to her roles at prestigious institutions like NYU, Columbia, Harvard, and Marfa Ballroom. Sh...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with Ranu Mukherjee, a painter, textile, and film installation artist, who was recently appointed as Dean of the Film and Video School at CalArts in Los Angeles. Ranu discusses her background, her collaborative work with choreographers, and her latest...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with painter Kirstine Rainer Hansen, as they discusses her transition from design and illustration to becoming a self-taught artist specializing in 'Disrupted Realism.' Born in Denmark, Kirstine has lived across various countries, ultimately settling i...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this episode  Emily chats with multimedia artist Tricia Rainwater. Tricia delves into her artistic journey, focusing on self-portrait photography and installations. Her work, seen in exhibitions like 'Allegedly the Worst is Behind Us' at San Jose's Institute for Conte...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this week's Episode, Emily features artist Carrie Ann Plank. Originally inclined towards a medical career, Carrie Ann found her true calling in printmaking. Her work, which combines science and art, is showcased in multiple renowned collections, including the Fine Art...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  This week, we are replaying a conversation from December 2023, as our final drop of the year.  It features Emily chatting with artist Rupi C. Tut, whose work focuses on capturing the stories of women like herself and her family. Rupy shares her journey from moving to the...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this episode Emily features Lorraine Woodruff-Long, a textile artist from San Francisco who turned to quilting after losing her job during the pandemic. Lorraine's work, rich in cultural heritage and social commentary, gained recognition when her piece was featured in...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with Troy Lamarr Chew II, a talented painter with an ongoing exhibition at San Francisco's Altman Siegel gallery. Troy pursued his passion for art, eventually studying at the California College of the Arts and receiving a prestigious residency at the H...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily features a conversation with writer and art historian Bridget Quinn. Bridget discusses her latest book 'Portrait of a Woman,' which delves into the life of Adelaide Le Béliard, a pioneering 18th-century artist. She shares her journey of discovering Adelaide'...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  This week, Emily features photographer Chloe Sherman, who shares her journey from Portland to San Francisco and her role in capturing the queer community of the 90s. Chloe's work, which portrays a time when the city's rents were affordable and its social spots thriving,...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with painter Amrita Singhal, known for her vibrant oil paintings and the Rama Prayer mural in Berkeley. Amrita discusses her background, growing up in a culturally rich city in India, and how her former career as a tax lawyer enriched her artistic prac...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with Sculptor & Fiberworks Center founder Gyöngy Laky...Ging shares her incredible journey from being a refugee from Hungary to becoming a pivotal figure in textile arts. She talks about her initial inspiration, work at Fiberworks Center, and a teachin...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with Ceramic Sculptor Wanxin Zhang...Wanxin discusses his journey from studying art in China, his move to America, and the influence of prominent Bay Area artists on his work. He shares how artists like Robert Arneson and Viola Frey helped shift his pe...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  This week, we're taking an end of Summer break and revisitng a 2022 interview with Oakland painter Esteban Samayoa. Esteban shares his artistic journey starting from childhood, his growth in Oakland, and his diverse body of work. The discussion covers exhibitions featuri...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Today, Emily chats with BAMPFA Chief Curator Margot Norton.  In this Episode, Margot discusses her background, including her move from New York to Berkeley and her previous roles at the Whitney Museum and the New Museum. She describes an upcoming exhibition titled 'To Ex...

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.  On this Episode, Emily chats with Alma Landeta, an artist whose work centers on queer and trans representation. Alma shares their background, including their education at the Maryland Institute, their move to Oakland, and current residency at the Palo Alto Art Center. Th...