Studio Noize: Black Art Podcast

On this special episode of Studio Noize brought to you by Print Austin, we go complete print nerd on you! We’re talking with printmaker Julia Curran, who was selected for the Print Austin and Print Sante Fe 5 x 5. Julia’s work deals with the larger social and political phenomena that land in the body, and she has a unique vision for how that manifests. We talk about some of the themes she explores...

Today your boy JBarber explores his experience as an exhibition juror over the last year. It’s a different perspective on artist calls and calls for art programs and contests. The experience of awarding the Hudgens Prize last year was a real eye-opener in terms of what works and what stands out in a wide-open field. We talk about things that eliminate you immediately and what can help when applyin...

Happy New Year! The Noize is back for more Black art conversations for you. Your boy JBarber can’t come back without talking about the biggest thing going in art right now. The Hank Willis Thomas sculpture honoring Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. To say the reviews have been mixed is an understatement. JB talks about the piece, all the conversation around it, and what we can take away f...

The new executive director of the Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Dr. Liz Andrews, joins the Noize! She has been tasked to lead the museum through a new exciting period in its illustrious history. We recorded live from the Lave Thomas: Homecoming exhibition in the halls of Spelman. Dr. Andrews tells us about the upcoming Black American Portraits exhibition overflowing with some of the biggest and best...

ArtFields is a southern art competition that is changing the landscape of art in South Carolina and giving real money out to artists. Kyle Coleman, fine art manager of ArtFields, joins Studio Noize to let us know about this 9-day celebration of art. We get to know the ins and outs of the ArtFields competition, from the selection panels to the live events in Lake City, SC. We talk about the impact...

What does it look like to have an art institution built for Black artists and audiences throughout the diaspora? Today we talk about the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA) with founder, Dr Fahamu Pecou and interim village chief, Stephanie Flemming. This is not a Black version of a white museum. It’s a space that honors, uplifts, and celebrates the culture of the diaspora. We talk about...

Studio Noize fam, Dawn Okoro, returns to the show to catch us up on her art life. Dawn has been through some major changes since we last talked to her. She toured her Punk Noir show, created and showed new work in London, and featured her work in movies, tv shows, and Life Water bottles! We talk about her latest show, Mad Explosive Spontaneity, Kool-Aid drawings, and baking to survive the pandemic...

Tattoo legend, Miya Bailey, jumps on the Noize to talk about everything he’s got going on. Miya has been tattooing for 30 years and he invested in creating a community of artists and art lovers in Atlanta with City of Ink tattoo shop and Peter Street Station, the artist-owned community art center. Miya tells us about his attitude toward building an ecosystem, his appreciation for his tattoo client...

Kevin “WAK” Williams is preparing for his annual Atlanta exhibition and stopped by Studio Noize to talk about it. Kevin has had a long, successful career in art and has created some legendary work along the way. We talk about what keeps him engaged in art making after so long and the differences between how he did his work back in the day, hustling art on the streets of Chicago, and working with b...

The Noize is back! Season 8 kicks off with a bang because we have one of the best young artists in Atlanta, Tim Short. Tim has developed a distinct voice to go along with his amazing level of skill in painting. We recorded this episode as the artist talk for his solo show, “For Da Folks”, at the end of his Mint Leap Year residency. Tim talks about the process of making his paintings, how he imagin...

On the season 7 finale of Studio Noize, we got muralist and artist extraordinaire Thomas Evans aka Detour on the podcast! From airbrushing t-shirts in high school to big, colorful murals Detour has been making it happen for a few years. We talk about his Art Tip Tuesdays video series on youtube and IG, how he started making murals, and how he developed his signature style. Detour lets us know how...

Fine art photographer, Tokie Taylor, comes back to the Noize to talk about her new projects. Tokie has been working on a book with her Reclamation series that features her fine art photography featuring children and heirlooms. We discuss the book and how it relates to family history and artifacts. She lets us know how she manages the children in the shoots, the role of experimenting in her practic...

Today we focus on the Afro-Atlantic Histories exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. This phenomenal show originally debuted at Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Brazil, and is now being exhibited at the NGA. We talk with Kanitra Fletcher, associate curator of African American and Afro-diasporic art at the NGA, about this brilliant massive show. Kanitra talks about the basis for th...

The wonderful Deborah Grayson joins the Studio Noize fam! Deborah is a printmaker artist in Baltimore, MD, and has been making work about the intersection of science and race. We dive into the deep in with some printmakers talk about ink and process but we explore her work that includes extensive research, drawing, and multiple print processes. Deborah talks about how she expresses herself in her...

Fresh from her opening at Seasons LA, we got the amazing Lanise Howard on the Noize! Lanise’s work ranges from portraiture to large allegorical figurative paintings. Her new show And Then They Heard the Wind is another step in her evolving and experimenting with new work depicting her characters in transition. She talks about building the narratives in her new works, how she developed her technica...

Abstract artist Reginald Laurent joins the Studio Noize fam! Reginald has been creating his colorful, energetic paintings for over 30 years and developed his signature style along the way. We talk about how he set up his practice while working a corporate gig, his approach to color, and the role of experimenting in his art. Beyond discussing his work and his various series, we get into what Regina...

Roscoe Hall has spent his time working as a chef and an artist his whole life. On today’s episode of Studio, Noize Roscoe tells us about how much the two worlds blend together and add depth to his mixed media paintings. We talk about his painting materials lists feeling like ingredient lists, how he made it through hustling his artwork, and the need to make paintings after long restaurant days. Ro...

Author and multi-disciplinary artist Glenn Lutz joins the Studio Noize fam and has a deep discussion about his new book, There’s Light: Artworks and Conversations Examining Black Masculinity, Identity, and Mental Well-Being . Glenn interviewed a wide range of Black men and examines themes related to Black male identities, sexuality, masculinity, and mental health. There’s Light is a collection of...

Welcome painter and collage artist Clarence Heyward to the Studio Noize fam! Clarence has an amazing story about how he became a full-time artist. In the short time, he’s been working he’s gotten museum shows, placed into collections around the country, and has built an art practice that gets him excited to work every day. We talk about doing studio visits, how to paint Black people, and using his...

It’s been a while since we've had a good ol’ JBarber rant on the Noize! Today it’s just your boy talking about his visit to Fort Dorchester High School and the inspiring experience working with the high school kids. JB talks about the presentation and the feeling he tried to give to the students. He gives his thoughts on his show at Public Works Art Center in Summerville, SC, trying to decipher hi...

Katharen Wiese returns to the Noize! We love returning guests on Studio Noize especially when they reach new milestones in life that we can celebrate. Kat was admitted into the Yale MFA program for fall 2022! We discuss how she feels and what she is looking forward to in this amazing new journey she’s starting. Kat tells us her thoughts on graduate school for artists, what attracted her to the pro...

It’s a special episode of Studio Noize as your boy JBarber, does his man on the street interviews at the East Point Better Block Street Festival. Black Art In America is opening up a brand new headquarters in East Point, GA, and part of that comes with a commitment to be a part of the community. Najee Dorsey, founder of Black art in America, pulled up with a tent, some art, and two artists live pa...

We all would want to be in class with Virginia-based artist Clayton Singleton. Clayton joins the Studio Noize fam and has a wide-ranging discussion about his colorful layered artwork, the art community in the Virginia area and the fantastic way that he approaches teaching. He tells us some great childhood stories that feed into reoccurring themes in his work. We talk about his use of adinkra symbo...

The one and only Milton “510” Bowens joins the podcast to talk about the inspiration behind his signature mixed media work. Milton has been making his painting for over 30 years and still has a big passion for what he does. He’s developed an unmistakable style with his collage paintings. He talks about the professor that inspired him, how he gathers his images, uses text in art to make a statement...

LA based artist Carla Jay Harris joins the Studio Noize fam! Carla makes intricate and layered digital art using a unique process to build her narratives. She walks us through her process of creating a series like A Season in the Wilderness which is currently on display at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History. Carla talks about the importance of a process, weaving narratives that let viewers in...