Hello, SOTAns! Did you know that both of your hosts are from very rural places? This week, we're tapping into our rural roots to discuss how art can make an economic impact on the USA's small, rural towns. We lay out some common facets of rural culture then, bring in some exciting examples of rural towns that have successfully made art a pinnacle of their economy. Although this podcast centers around the Twin Cities, let's not discount the dynamic possibilities of our rural neighbors! References...
Dec 16, 2020•30 min
Greetings, SOTAns! So many of the arts organizations we love are nonprofits, many of which we have talked about on the podcast before. We even work for them! Although there are so many fantastic NPOs in existence, there is a another lens to look at how their system came to be. Criticisms of the Nonprofit Industrial Complex speak to how this system helps the rich to maintain wealth control, suppress dissemination of radical ideas, upholds a top-down hierarchy within an organization, and is a way ...
Dec 08, 2020•45 min
Hello, SOTAns! Orientalism. We know–we're cringing with you. Many of us haven't heard this term since our Art History 101 class (which has also ALSO historically been problematic, as so we have discussed before). But, let us not pretend that it didn't exist or what colonial BS lead to its subject matter and its name. In this episode, Sarah guides us through its definition and traits while also calling out it's totally Western-Centric, exoticized existence. Join us while we break it down, and goi...
Dec 01, 2020•30 min
Greetings, SOTAns! This week, we're going over some basics of accessibility in curating. Jasa recently took a class on this subject from the Node Center of Curatorial Studies and wants to pass this golden info along to all her SOTA friends. Join us for some entry-level concepts, ideas on how to make the arts more accessible, and of course some anecdotes and mispronunciations. Do you have some tips on how to make art spaces more accessible? We would love to hear from you!
Nov 11, 2020•49 min
Hello SOTA-ns! In this episode, Jasa indulges Sarah's (not so inner) academic, allowing her to wax poetic about Conceptual Art, and theorize why this type of Art is the most hated among her family members. No, this isn't a bad thing - sometimes art pisses us off. Jasa makes sure to bring it back to structural racism and colonialism, and we entertain how old 19th century white guys set up the definition of what art is supposed to be. As always, our music is provided by The Von Tramps. #jeffkoons ...
Nov 03, 2020•21 min
Hello SOTAns! Welcome back for another exciting week of critical art discussion. We're talking about the postponed Philip Guston exhibition–what the situation is and its various reactions. We explain the positives and negatives, both the pro- and anti-postponement perspectives. Join us and let us know what you think of this topical subject! Reference: National Gallery of Art Director Discusses the Decision to Delay the Philip Guston Exhibition - Hyperallergic...
Oct 27, 2020•31 min
Greetings, SOTAns! The answer is yes. Yes, graffiti is art. Someone who tells you otherwise probably has subconscious (or totally conscious) biasies. *Record scratch* But, let's go back to the beginning. We will tell you a bit about how this "non-art" stance got started and then satirize the institutional conception of "high" art. The Five Pillars of Hip Hop make a cameo. Then, we have some awesome examples of graffiti in museums and the larger art world. Join us!
Oct 21, 2020•30 min
Hello SOTAns! We hope you've had a lovely month and we are so glad to be back with our first-ever season! We've lined up some great content to keep you entertained and informed all the way through the rest of the year. Isn't it SOTA crazy that we're (thankfully) nearing the end of 2020? This episode, we are drawing from personal experience to illuminate the wide range of tasks that museum customer service staff has to master. We bet you'll be surprised at all the duties these workers have to jug...
Oct 13, 2020•46 min
Salutations, SOTAns! This week, we are talking about accessibility in language and how that relates to the art world. It's no secret that the art world is full of complicated philosophy and five-dollar words. We talk about why that is and how that may be a barrier for some when approaching the art world. We also touch on International Art English, which is a dialect all of it's own, which is known for its pretentiousness and inaccessibility. But, perhaps it's more accessible than originally thou...
Sep 15, 2020•37 min
Okay, SOTAns, this is the last edition of this thread! This week we address what organizations can do to make internships more equitable and point out a couple glaring reasons why they're often inequitable. Listen in for some solid tips on how to create change in regards to unpaid labor in museums! References: The Power of a Paid Internship: Creating pathways to careers in museums https://www.aam-us.org/2019/02/11/the-power-of-a-paid-internship-creating-pathways-to-careers-in-museums/...
Sep 02, 2020•21 min
Guess what, SOTAns? Our two-part conversation has turned into a three parter! Hooray! Jasa has more questions about the Met’s new paid internship, funded by the Magical Philanthropic Fairy. How much will the Met be paying the interns? What about institutions that haven’t been visited by the Fairy? Could Adrienne Arsht’s philanthropy inspire others to donate money to pay internships rather than donating funds to put their name on a work of art? Now is the time to transform what museum budgets nee...
Aug 25, 2020•29 min
Greetings, SOTAns! This week, we're talking about how the Metropolitan Museum in New York will now start paying interns. YAY! Right? Yes and no. Although the Met is one of the most visited museums in the US and does carry influence, it's the source of the paid internship funding that is the issue. The Met received a $5 million dollar gift from a philanthropist (who, seems to be on the up-and-up–we checked.). This is well and good, but it's not a reality for every museum and nonprofit everywhere....
Aug 18, 2020•23 min
Hey Sotans! We detour briefly from our ongoing discussion of systemic racism and inequity within the arts to discuss the City Pages “Best of” 2020 edition. City Pages, a simultaneously well-loved and much-despised entertainment and news outlet based in Minneapolis, puts together a list of the “Best of” EVERYTHING in the Twin Cities - ice cream, theater, exhibitions, etc. Jasa and Sarah found at least 11 items named the “Best of” had been discussed on SOTA! So join us, Sota fam, as we take a dive...
Aug 11, 2020•31 min
Hello SOTAns! This week, we discuss the public art work statue A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) by Marc Quinn and collaborator/subject, Jen Reid. This piece was erected by the artist in place of a toppled monument that depicted a slave trader in Bristol, UK. Although the sculpture was quickly removed by the city, controversy around this piece still lingers. Did Quinn (a white male artist) exploit Reid's likeness (a woman of color)? Was their collaboration genuine? Did the artist take away an opportun...
Aug 04, 2020•35 min
With the recent toppling of the Christopher Columbus monument in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Jasa and Sarah wondered - what if we created more monuments for the historically (and currently) significant BIPOC of Minnesota? In this episode of SOTA, w eexplore Minnesota Monuments, and the BIPOC people who should be memorialized in the form of a public likeness. Architecture, Law, and Hair Gel are only a few of the notable developments for which people like Carl Fraction, Reatha Clark King, and Clarence ...
Jul 28, 2020•31 min
Hello SOTAns! This week, we're talking a little art history and a little current affairs. We recorded the original rendition of the episode back when we were just trying to keep you entertained in your coronavirus quarantine, before the murder of George Floyd and the prominent social movement that has prevailed since. We took this opportunity to reflect on how we viewed our subjects before beginning this journey in ernest to educate ourselves on antiracist discourse and decided to revisit this p...
Jul 21, 2020•46 min
In this episode, Jasa and Sarah focus on humanities institutions that have been called out publicly by current and (recently) former staff. These institutions, SFMOMA (who deleted a comment criticising the museum’s lip-service allyship), NOMA (who was called out on its institutional racism in and open letter from current and former staff), the Toledo Art Museum (who claimed to have no political stance whatsoever), the Palm Springs Art Museum (who was critiqued for their “rhetoric and neutrality”...
Jul 14, 2020•46 min
Hello everyone! In this episode, we examine the institutional racism present in larger and older museum institutions (Minneapolis Institute of Art, Chicago Art Museum, and Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Cleveland Art Museum, for example). Have the Diversity and Inclusion initiatives by museums succeeded? Sarah outlines three points of contention which Museums might use to examine their internal systemic racism, and how they might combat it successfully. Step 1 - Museums should examine (publ...
Jul 07, 2020•54 min
Greetings SOTAns, We hope you are all keeping well. In light of the recent social unrest in the Twin Cities, we are discussing a similar situation that happened in Los Angeles in 1965–The Watts Riots (aka the Watts Rebellion). Similarly to the unjust story of George Floyd in Minneapolis, these riots started with the arrest of a black man by a white officer and lead to community rebellion against systemic oppression against POC communities. The artist, Noah Purifoy, was a resident of Los Angeles ...
Jun 30, 2020•26 min
*Note: This episode contains historic descriptions of violence against African Americans by White Americans. Greetings, SOTAns! Thank you for embarking on this journey with us. This episode is a two-parter: first, Sarah and Jasa discuss the numerous street murals being created honoring George Floyd, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and encouraging policing reform. The University of St. Thomas Professors have created a Street Art Database which will document and celebrate the street ar...
Jun 23, 2020•33 min
Hello SOTAns, This week, we're doing things differently again. We understand that this time is taking up a lot of people's energy–mentally, emotionally, physically. In this time of ongoing protests, while also battling a global pandemic, we did not want to put more on anyone's plate by asking them to use their energy for our podcast. (However, our platforms remains open to anyone who it may benefit.) We, your hosts, are both white and we are taking time to read antiracist literature and educate ...
Jun 16, 2020•39 min
Hello everybody, This episode will be different. The Twin Cities has become ground zero for a necessary movement towards dismantling systemic racism, and we cannot carry on as normal. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer is despicable and tragic beyond words. We side with BIPOC-led revolution, support protestors, Justice for George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and dramatic and complete reform of social and governmental systems. Now is the time for us to listen. I...
Jun 09, 2020•10 min
Hello SOTAns! We're switching up our usual format starting this week. We will now be posting shorter episodes where we dive into one topic at a time. We'll be exploring how the art world works, subjects of debate in contemporary art, and delving into a little art history! Even better, we will now be posting once a week to help entertain and educate you during your shelter-in-place time. Have a suggestion for a topic? An art world query? Let us know! This week, we're talking about higher educatio...
May 18, 2020•45 min
Hello SOTAns! We hope you're all keeping well as we are still trudging through the world in the time of coronavirus. In this episode, we cover how the news is kind of...all the same, and mostly discouraging at that. However, an uplifting trend is that there have been a multitude of artist relief grants that are coming from foundations, institutions, non-profits, etc. We talk about different trends in the type of those grants and speculate on the different pros and cons that come with them. Inter...
May 06, 2020•32 min
Be well, SOTAns! We hope you are all staying safe and during this unprecedented time. This week, we wanted to highlight just a few of the ways you can stay involved with your beloved art community and support local artists during the pandemic. This is not an exhaustive list, but we hope that it's helpful in some way or another! We are keeping our entire creative community in mind during this time and will continue to post content to keep us all connected and to uplift local artists. The intervie...
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 20 min
Salutations, SOTAns! We hope you are all well and getting through this crazy time alright. The coronavirus has effected everything. Ev-er-y-thi-ng. The art world is obviously no exception. This week, we talk about what kind of changes and adjustments various arts organizations are making. We also suggest some recommendations for how to engage in the arts during the time of social distancing and how to support local artists. SOTA will keep bringing you local content and giving artists a platform ...
Mar 27, 2020•39 min
Hello SOTAns! We hope you are all well out there. This is especially so because, in the news, we cover museums, art fairs, and other public gatherings for art that are closing due to the coronavirus. Next, we talk about how outdoor artscapes benefit a community and present a case study of sorts for one way you can go about that. We also have a most excellent interview with local artist Trina Hernandez that you do not want to miss! References: A Daily Report on How COVID-19 Is Impacting the Art W...
Mar 11, 2020•46 min
Greetings SOTAns! This week in the news, we tackle the president's call to mandate that all Government buildings should be made in the classic style and why that's super problematic. Next, we talk about remixing installations. Many institutions, museums, and exhibits are permanent and preserved that way. How and why do you mix contemporary art into these established settings? Last but certainly not least, we catch back up with local artist, Jes Reyes, who we interviewed all the way back in episo...
Feb 24, 2020•59 min
Sublime salutations, SOTAns! Have you ever taken an Art history course? One that focused on the great works from the Greek and Roman empires all the way through impressionism in Paris? What if we told you that those courses left out multiple cultures worth of art? Yale University has decided that their art history 101 courses need a redo, and are therefore canceling those courses until further notice. Some are saying that there is no way to ever include all art from every culture into these clas...
Feb 10, 2020•46 min
Hey SOTAns! This week, we're talking about P-A-R-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N. We hone in on the recently closed exhibition at Mia, Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975, as an example. But, not before we share some news about a re-discovered Klimt! We wrap it up with a delightful interview with an artist who also uses participation in her practice! References: Mystery solved: Klimt's 'Portait of a Lady' painting found after 23 years missing, verified authentic - NBC News Artists R...
Jan 27, 2020•54 min
