The Curatorial Blonde

In this episode of The Curatorial Blonde Podcast , host Caira Moreira speaks with Legacy Russell — curator, writer, and Executive Director & Chief Curator of The Kitchen. Russell is the author of Glitch Feminism and Black Meme , and her work reimagines how we experience art in both digital and physical space. Together, they discuss curating at the intersections of technology, diaspora, and com...

In this episode of The Curatorial Blonde , Caira sits down with Hrag Vartanian — co-founder and editor-in-chief of Hyperallergic — to unpack the evolving role of art criticism in today’s cultural landscape. From the early days of building one of the most influential art publications to navigating the shifting boundaries between journalism, activism, and personal voice, Hrag offers candid insights...

In this episode of The Curatorial Blonde , Caira sits down with contemporary abstract artist Ashley Cole, whose bold, expressive works channel the energy of color, memory, and personal symbolism. Ashley shares how her early environment shaped her creative voice and sparked her love for vibrant color and layered textures. Together, they discuss Ashley’s unique approach to abstraction, the significa...

In this episode of The Curatorial Blonde , Caira sits down with Asmaa Walton — Detroit-based arts educator and founder of the Black Art Library, a growing reference archive dedicated to Black visual art. We talk about the origin of the project, the role of ephemera in preserving cultural memory, and the importance of making art history accessible to all. From museum education to grassroots archivi...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, we are thrilled to welcome the immensely talented Layo Bright! Known for her captivating sculptures and mixed-media works, Bright explores themes of migration, inheritance, and identity through materials like glass, clay, wood, and textiles. Her art resonates deeply, reflecting fragile yet complex relationships with personal, natural, and built environments. In...

New Episode: The Curatorial Blonde x Arvie Smith In this episode of The Curatorial Blonde , I sit down with the incredible Arvie Smith, a painter whose vibrant, politically charged works confront the legacies of racism, power, and representation in America. We discuss his artistic journey, the influence of storytelling in his practice, and how his bold, layered compositions challenge dominant narr...

🎙️ New Episode Alert: A Conversation with Natasha Roberts This week on The Curatorial Blonde , we are honored to host Natasha Roberts —a visionary publicist turned art advisor and strategic consultant. Known for her ability to bridge creativity and strategy, Natasha works with artists, brands, nonprofits, and cultural organizations to craft impactful campaigns and culturally resonant experiences....

In this week’s episode, we're thrilled to welcome multidisciplinary artist  Basil Kincaid ! Known for their powerful explorations of memory, identity, and liberation through quilting, performance, and sculpture, Basil dives deep into the roots of their practice, the influences that shape their artistry, and the role of community in their work. Tune in as we explore Basil's journey, their unique cr...

Tune in this week for a special monthly episode of The Curatorial Blonde where we take a look at the current state of the art market in the midst the fall art season.

This episode, we’re joined by the incredible artist Adebunmi Gbadebo ! Renowned for her powerful sculptures and works using materials like human hair, indigo, and cotton, Adebunmi sheds light on her profound approach to reclaiming history, memory, and the Black experience through her art. Listen in as we discuss her journey, the symbolic materials she uses, and the stories embedded in her work. Ad...

In this episode of The Curatorial Blonde Podcast, Episode 59, we’ll be joined by Siobhan An Jie Russell Wood, a multifaceted artist whose work spans photography, sculpture, modeling, video making, and poetry. Her diverse background as a former fashion assistant informs her multi-disciplinary studio practice, characterized by a collaged process that reflects the overwhelming flow of contemporary in...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde we have Lauryn Levette. Levette sets her colorful figurative works in a dreamscape capturing the subconscious mind and elevating agency and power in Black women. Her paintings and drawings reference personal narrative, pop culture, and spirituality to explore themes of the self, the power of introspection, and learning to assert comfort and vulnerability in a wor...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde we have Jasmin Hernandez (she/her). She is the Black Latina founder & eic of her art baby  Gallery Gurls . An award-winning digital space celebrating Black & POC changemakers in contemporary art since 2012. Gallery Gurls has been featured in Vogue, Artnet, and partnered with Vanity Fair, Dior, Outfront Media, Artsy, etc. Her writing has appeared in Harper...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde we have Allison Glenn. Allison Glenn is a New York-based curator and writer focusing on the intersection of art and public space, through public art and special projects, biennials, and major new commissions by a wide range of contemporary artists. She is a Visiting Curator in the Department of Film Studies at the University of Tulsa, organizing the Sovereign Fut...

This week on episode 54 of The Curatorial Blonde we speak with Laura Lester, owner of Lester Fine Art LLC is a full-service art advisory specializing in modern, post-war, and contemporary art. Laura works with clients in Chicago and beyond— from first-time buyers and established collectors, to real-estate developers and interior designers. Her clients rely on our reputation for discretion, confide...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 53 Artist, Na’ye Perez discusses his artistic journey, navigating exhibition, and  how he approaches painting, drawing, and performance in his practice resulting in “This transmedia approach grounds each work to the communities and memories they were derived from.”  Listen now on all major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, and view v...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 52 features Kimmah Dennis (b. 1996, Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire), who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, for Studio Art (2020) and is an MFA candidate in the Painting and Drawing program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as well as a recipient of the New Artist Society Scholarship and the 2024 Terra Founda...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 51 features Reevah Agarwaal who is a multi-disciplinary artist from New Delhi, India, currently based in Chicago, IL. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 2024. Through textiles and print media, her work explores girlhood, memory, and the complex dualities that exist in domestic relationships. Using repurposed found...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 50 features Jasmine Weber. Weber is a writer, editor, and artist from Long Island, New York, now based in Brooklyn.  Her experience includes news editor of Hyperallergic, editing and writing about contemporary arts and culture since 2018. She has participated in panels hosted by the  Brooklyn Rail , Medgar Evers College, ICP-Bard, Creative Time, the Internat...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 49 features entrepreneur, Rebecca Daniel. Mottley, Founded by Rebecca Daniel, serves artists, art institutions, galleries, museums, and creative leaders in the art world by providing careful public relations strategy and art historical legacy preservation. Rebecca is dedicated to bringing attention to the broader Chicago cultural landscape and the art ecosys...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 47 features Artist, Lisa DeAbreu. Lisa is driven by her feelings of rootlessness being American-born and Caribbean-raised, exploring different mediums and familiar artifacts to piece together fragments of her family's collective past. In an attempt to repair familial traumas, she reflects on how we build memory and that innate human desire for connection.  L...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 48 features Artist, Luke Agada. Luke Agada is a Nigerian artist living and working in Chicago. His practice examines themes of globalization, migration, and cultural dislocation within the framework of a postcolonial world, as he reflects on the African diaspora and its impact on neo-cultural evolution. He obtained an MFA in Painting and drawing at the Schoo...

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Ep. 46 features Photographer, Christian K. Lee. His experience as a documentarian drives his desire to utilize Art as an investigative tool. Christian’s goal is to create imagery that reflects the world in which he currently lives. Listen now on all major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, and view visuals on YouTube. Link in bio. #Christ...

This week's guest on The Curatorial Blonde is Rugiyatou Ylva Jallow (b. 1990, Stockholm, Sweden) is an artist based in Los Angeles, California. Rugi and Caira sit down to discuss the representation of mixed race and Black women in artistic spaces, the experience of growing up mixed race in Sweden, and the costal art hubs of America.

This week on The Curatorial Blonde, Caira sits down with painter Christina Nicola, an expressionist figure painter whose paintings capture the elasticity of the black feminine identity and originated the phrase "afroromantic". Caira and Christina talk about the New York and Miami art scene, what being an artist means, and what Back female bodies in our communities. You can follow Christi...