Studio Noize: Black Art Podcast

It’s every artist’s dream to be able to do what you want to do. International superstar artists, like today’s guest, Harmonia Rosales, are out here living their creative dreams and its inspirational to all the rest of us. Not only has Harmonia been creating her amazing Renaissance inspired paintings, she has recently finished her first sculpture commission with Unbound at the King’s Chapel in Boston. As if that wasn’t amazing enough she has written Chronicles of Ori: An African Epic, a personal retelling of African myths passed down to her from her grandmother. Harmonia talks about all her latest works and we get into other topics like: what is it like in the studio with Harmonia, the good and bad parts about her success and the power of the stories in her high anticipated book. Listen, subscribe and share! Episode 208 topics include: maturing as an artist vs evolving as an artist creating Unbound sculpture for King’s Chapel lesson learned at the foundry talking to/ talking with your art Harmonia’s perfect studio day artists need encouragement creating her new book Chronicles of Ori using mythology and history to connect to your roots the gift and curse of success as an artist

There is no one way to succeed in this art game. Melissa A. Mitchell is showing us all how to make moves with your art. The story will be told of her incredible run of partnerships, from Spanx, to Foot Locker to Bloomingdales, etc. Today on the Noize we’re going to acknowledge and appreciate the creative talent behind the brand. Melissa talks about her process, her studio, her journey into wearable art, and the deeper connections under the bright colorful designs. Her new ventures include furniture, a new book of affirmations, and much more. That good art talk you love with a global superstar on the Noize! Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 206 topics include: artist vs creative where do ideas come from deeper connections in Mellissa’s art Melissa’s studio set up partnership with Bloomingdales the power of personality designing furniture the journey into wearable art new book of affirmations stories from people moved by your art

The Atlanta art community is second to none. The scene is so vibrant, diverse and supportive in so many ways. Courtney Brooks has been on the scene as an artist and curator for many years. She recently got the opportunity to open her own gallery space, CBrooks Gallery, and take her creative vision to the next level. We caught up to Courtney live in her gallery space to talk about her growth as curator from to doing pop-up shows to running a gallery space, balancing her artistic practice with curating and how to pour into yourself after you do so much for others. It’s that good art talk you love to hear on the Noize! Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 204 topics include: operating an art gallery special art residency integrating art into residential spaces Know Regrets inaugural show at CBrooks Art Gallery growth in curating from pop-ups to galleries Journey of a Black Girl project making art focused on Black girls/women taking care of yourself

Ceramicist, Malene Barnett, returns to the Noize! We learned all about her amazing book Crafted Kinship and now we learn all about her artistic practice. From designing rugs to ceramics walls Malene’s curiosity and passion has pushed her in new directions. After discovering her love for hand building clay she has been on a journey to learn the craft and make work in all forms. We talk about her ceramic murals, how residencies helped her learn about ceramics, being a part of a community of artists, and the structure she uses to keep her on track in the studio. Malene has some great insights in to clay and how it connects her to her ancestors. More of that good art talk that you love on the Noize! Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 202 topics include: Crafted Kinship world tour working in clay finding residencies to study clay being a part of the ceramics community being objective about your work sturcture and discipline in art practice ceramic murals traveling to Ghana for research

Everywhere you go you’ll find artists in community. The Atlanta community has supported and produced some incredible artists like today’s guest, Charity Hamidullah. You can see her murals all over the city, her tattoos all of the people and her canvases all over exhibition walls. Charity talks about switching mediums, the artists that inspire her to grow, and how she takes advantage of all the residency opportunities she’s had so far. It’s more of that good art talk we love on the Noize. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 199 topics include: switching from tattoos to canvas learning how to draw getting into murals being fearless in your art practice how public art changes space exploring mixed media being inspired by other artists getting the most out of residencies 6 week residency in Portugal

Today we shine the light on our Caribbean brothers and sisters with Malene Barnett and her amazing book Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers. Melene talks about her heritage and how this incredible book came together. More than 60 artists are featured included some Studio Noize Alumni like April Bey. Malene talks about the connections between Caribbean artists in the diaspora, experimenting with materials, and what it means to be rooted to a place. It’s more of that good art talk that we love right here on the Noize! Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 197 topics include: Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers highlighting Caribbean artists in the diaspora growing up with parents from the Caribbean experimental materials land, climate and sustainability as a theme pride in your homeland social constructs around artistic disciplines ceramics in the Caribbean

New Year, New season of Studio Noize! Your boy JBarber went to see Giants at the High Museum of Art and he has some thoughts. The exhibition featured art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys. There are so many conversations to be had coming out of the show. There’s wealth and celebrity, there’s propaganda, and there’s phenomenal, awe inspiring art. We owe it to them and their efforts to give a good honest critique of the whole endeavor. The same way we examine a show like Afro Atlantic Histories we should examine the good and bad about Giants. A great way to blast into the new year! Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 194 topics include: Giants at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta celebrity and wealth in art iconography the who’s who of Black art Kehinde Wiley’s 30ft painting Barkley Hendrick propaganda in exhibitions

A couple of weeks ago a group of super talented printmakers got to together in Houston at the studio of the one and only Delita Martin. We talking Delita, Chloe Alexander, Anne Johnson, Rabea Ballin, Shanna Strauss, Jess Sabogal, Rashaun Rucker and Steve Prince who couldn’t make it. Even your boy JBarber slid in there some how. The magic of the moment inspired us to create a new printmaking collective called the Legacy Print Council. Of course JBarber pulled out the mics to document such a momentous occasion. Today we got Delita Martin and Chloe Alexander talking about how this all came together and the value of sharing with your peers. Followed by Dr. Kheli Willetts who came by the studio to visit and ended up making a print herself. Kheli talks about being inspired to make a print, the time she spent with Elizabeth Catlett and her observation about the event. It’s just a little taste of that good art talk from Legacy Weekend with the crew. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 193 topics include: how the Legacy Weekend came together energy in the print studio sharing techniques with your peers continuing to learn as your career grows creating a collaborative portfolio Dr Kheli Willetts jumping into printing again Dr Kheli Willetts spending time with Elizabeth Catlett the context of Legacy Weekend

Mint Gallery in Atlanta has closed its doors, suddenly and sloppily. How could this happen to such a well known, well used space? Studio Noize has recorded episodes there. Your boy JBarber had his thesis show there. There was a history and reputation to the gallery. Today we bring back Jasmine Nicole Williams, aka Jiggy Jas, back for an emergency episode of Studio Noize. We unload our thoughts on the closing of Mint and how poorly it was all handled. We discuss the precarious nature of being an artist and how devastating it can be to have your life and livelihood threatened by bad business. We talk about the changing landscape of arts funding, the need for community and the courage it takes to advocate for yourself and your fellow artists. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 191 topics include: the chaos of Mint Gallery closing non-profit arts funding how poor leadership effects working artists being transparent the dream of having a studio what creates culture what comes from the chaos

We are talking about collecting today on the Noize! We got attorney and art collector Nick Bedford. You might catch Nick in Miami at Art Basel, flying worldwide to check out all the shows, or in the studio with your favorite artists. Nick talks about the value of art, following artists as they grow, and getting into the politics behind collecting. Nick shines a light on what he values in purchasing, which includes the sketches and preliminary drawings. It’s a talk about the other side of the art business from a person actively supporting and acquiring work. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 189 topics include: reasons to collect value in art collecting sketches and preliminary works what makes a great artist how success changes artists and collecting following artists as they grow recent treasures in the collection gatekeeping by museums and galleries

Vanessa Meshack is fresh off her first solo gallery show at Pencil and Paper Gallery and a feature in the international printmaking magazine Pressing Matters. Now she joins her favorite art podcast, Studio Noize, to talk about her new career. Vanessa was one of the super fans featured on the 100th episode! She’s made huge leaps in her art practice since she me JBarber out at Print Austin years ago. She discusses the way that making art has helped her find herself again, how she began exploring printmaking, and the challenges of setting up a new studio practice. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 187 topics include: Inner Visions solo show at Pencil and Paper Gallery figuring out a direction obstacles on the way to making art falling in love with printmaking using yourself as a reference expressing yourself through art being featured in Pressing Matters magazine print nerding out over monoprinting separating your practice from your business

Your boy, JBarber, has been teaching at the Penland School of Craft and now we’re back with new Studio Noize! We found David Harper Clemons in a weaving cabin making broaches, print, sculptures and drawings. David is also the HBCU tour coordinator for Penland. We talk about the HBCU tours and how to get more diversity into artist communities. David talks about his curiosity with materials in making his functional and wearable art, the value of Black narratives in objects and what you need to be a great metalsmith. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 185 topics include: gettting into metals HBCU tour at Penland School of Craft bringing diversity to Penland metalsmithing vs jewelry the attention to detail top 3 skills of a metalsmith curiosity for materials Black narratives in objects importance of surfaces and touch

Today on the Noize we got printmaker, Tenjin Ikeda! he has been making art as for over 30 years and its been a journey across all kinds of mediums. From painting, to dancing, to sculpting, to printmaking, Tenjin has been open to where his talents and opportunity take him. We learn about Tenjin and his philosophy on making work. We nerd out a little bit on carving and relief printmaking masters like Latoya Hobbs, Elizabeth Catlett and more. Tenjin talks about a turning point print for him, how his spirituality inspires his work and what he’s learned by being in exhibitions over so many year. Listen, subscribe, and share! Episode 183 topics include: doing art for 30 plus years finding printmaking carving tips and secrets developing compositions what piece was a turning point in his eyes the differences between mediums experience gained from exhibitions offering critique to younger artists