Austin Art Talk

In depth conversations and wisdom from Austin artists and creatives, about life, work, and creativity.

About the show

The goal of the podcast is to facilitate connections with and to learn from the successes, struggles, life experience, and wisdom of the people featured, most of whom live and create in Austin, Texas. The honest conversational flow of these weekly long form interviews lends itself to some really great insights and information that is available to anyone who wants to listen. Join us to explore the origins, stories, lessons, lives and work of those in our community who are at the forefront of creative expression. The podcast is hosted by photographer, art enthusiast and collector, Scott David Gordon.

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Episodes

  • Episode 93: Lauren Hunt - Glass Work

    February 10th, 2021  |  1 hr 3 mins
    glass, glass art, glass blower, lauren hunt

    Lauren Hunt is one of the rare artists who works with glass, and she has been at it for over 10 years. After college she worked for 7 of those years at the Corning Museum of glass in New York with the Hot Glass Show on land and traveling all over the world on cruise ships doing live and educational demonstrations. Eventually she made it to Austin where she has continued her practice making functional, whimsical, and sometimes purely artistic works of beauty out of molten glass. Lauren is a hoot and we had such a fun conversation. Ive always wanted to learn more about glass blowing and what it is all about and Lauren did not disappoint. check out the shop on her website laurenhuntglass.com and see if there isn’t something there that strikes your fancy. Support local artists and fill your house with beautiful handmade objects by people you know.

  • Episode 92: Kevin Ivester - The Art Of The Gallery

    February 3rd, 2021  |  48 mins 31 secs

    What does it take to open an art gallery and frame shop in Austin during a pandemic? A lot. For Kevin Ivester, owner of Ivester Contemporary and Eastside Picture Framing, these businesses are the culmination of a long-term dream and years of working in all aspects of the art world including, galleries, auction houses, restoration, conservation, handling, framing, and appraisal. Now with the potential of both endeavors and his well-rounded years of experience, Kevin wants to help artists further their careers, sell their work, and raise the profile of Austin as a town where you can buy great art and from any of the numerous talented people that call it home. We talk about what it took for him to get to this point and his intentions going forward. He’s genuinely interested in adding value and helping to further the awareness and understanding of visual art and the artists he represents. What a great mission and now he has the means to see it through.

  • Episode 91: Elizabeth Hendley - Expressive Therapies & Essential Workers

    May 27th, 2020  |  42 mins 20 secs
    elizabeth hendley

    Elizabeth Hendley is an art therapist at Dell Children’s Medical Center and a part of what is called the Expressive Therapies team. We spoke back in March of 2018 and went in depth to explore her origin story, how she became a therapist, and some of her experiences working with children that illustrate how powerful art therapy can be. If you have not heard that episode I highly recommend checking it out. It is my second most listened to interview at just over 1300 downloads. In this update we talk about how the pandemic has affected her job at the hospital and she shares some new stories of the types of work she is doing now. Again I am so impressed with her and what she does and I’m so glad to know someone like her is doing what she does.

  • Episode 90: Elizabeth McQueen - The Importance of Music & Art, Aggressive Positivity, & Transformational Songs

    May 19th, 2020  |  52 mins 26 secs
    elizabeth mcqueen

    Elizabeth McQueen is a singer-songwriter and the host of NPR’s This Song podcast. Growing up in a family of visual artists, she eventually found her own creative practice and voice in the pursuit of performing and creating music. For over eight years she was the lead singer for Asleep At The Wheel until she retired in 2014 to focus more on her kids and eventually start her radio career. For the last six years she has had the chance to interview some of the best musicians in the world and hear their stories.

    A few of the subjects we cover in our conversation are the importance of art right now, her aggressive positivity, her sisters artwork, the origins of This Song, and some great lessons she has gleaned from various artists about their own creative practices. We finish with the question she puts to every guest on her show. Can you share a story of a song that has transformed your life? What a powerful and moving answer she gives! I was so happy to finally interview Elizabeth after knowing her for so many years. She is a super talented musician, interviewer, and very positive force in the world.

  • Episode 89: Suzanne Koett - What is important to us now?

    April 28th, 2020  |  1 hr 9 mins
    suzanne koett

    This interview is with Suzanne Koett, who’s ongoing photo project captured on film, PANDEMIC, is a series of portraits of quarantined families and individuals in the places they reside. I could relate to so many of the ways that Suzanne thinks about and lives her life and what impressed me most is her very intentional dedication to self growth through her art creation. Be sure to visit her website, to see all of her various series, and the obvious, and not so obvious path she has been on for the last decade. Please enjoy this conversation with the very talented and thoughtful Suzanne Koett.

  • Episode 88: Living an Artful and Authentic Life - John P Weiss

    April 22nd, 2020  |  1 hr 35 mins
    john p weiss

    After I started reading An Artful Life by John P Weiss, I just knew that I had to try to interview him. The stories are inspirational and have been helpful to me during this time of stress and the unknown. Our conversation was everything I hoped it would be. John's thoughtfulness and life experiences put him in a position to be able to share the kind of perspectives and wisdom that are sorely needed in the world today. Hope you enjoy the interview and be sure to check out his artwork, cartoons, book, and other writings online. All of the artists and books that are mentioned are listed at the end of the show notes along with links to John's work. Enjoy!

  • Episode 87: Fusebox Festival 2020 - Virtual Edition - An Interview with Ron Berry & Anna Gallagher-Ross

    April 15th, 2020  |  45 mins 48 secs
    fusebox festival

    For over 15 years the Fusebox Festival has been delivering an amazing array of curated performances and artists from all over the world and bringing them right here to Austin. Since the festival will not be able to go on as planned as a live event, the organizers had to pivot the whole event online into what they are calling the virtual edition. Join me for a conversation with Executive & Artistic Director Ron Berry and Associate Artistic Director & Curator Anna Gallagher-Ross to talk about how that played out and what we can look forward to experiencing this year.

  • Episode 86: Becca Borrelli - Sensitive As F**K

    April 13th, 2020  |  1 hr 4 mins
    becca borrelli

    Becca Borrelli is an illustrator, teacher, story teller, and part of The Lemon House where she has her art studio, which will also be hosting an upcoming Process Over Product Art Series. Becca also just launched her own podcast Secret Sauce, and I highly recommend you check it out. We talk about her journey as an artist, teacher, and small business owner, and talk a lot about how sensitivity can be reframed into a strength instead of a weakness.

  • Episode 84: Adrian Whipp - Lumiere Tintype

    March 3rd, 2020  |  1 hr 18 mins
    adrian whipp, lumiere tintype

    Adrian Whipp is a passionate and driven photographer who has chosen to pursue more rare, challenging, and unconventional ways of making images. He is probably best known for his family heirloom level of portrait making in the form of tintypes that he captures in his custom mobile photo studio at the back of the French restaurant Justine's Brasserie here in Austin. When not doing that he is full on pursuing the creation of his own version of stereo photography, manifest soon in something called The Daydream Society. What I see is an inherent fascination and generosity in what he creates and shares that is really intriguing and inspiring. I encourage you to tune in and keep and eye on what he is up to. If you make it over to have your tintype made, which I highly recommend, make sure to let Adrain know you heard the podcast. And definitely check out the beautiful work on his website, adrianwhipp.com, and be sure to specifically check out the daydream society and sign up to get email updates. Please enjoy this wonderful conversation with Mr. Adrian Whipp.

  • Episode 83: Roi James - The Next Level

    February 20th, 2020  |  1 hr 1 min
    roi james

    Two years on from our first interview, Episode 18, which I highly recommend listening to before you proceed with this one, I recently had the privilege of a tour of the new home and art studio of Roi James. It was great to have the chance to further the dialogue and talk more about Roi’s successful career, where he finds himself now, and where he might be headed. And just like in our first conversation there is no lack of vulnerably on Roi’s part, as he shares his thoughts about being in an in-between place, recuperating and settling into the rhythms of his new space, finding inspiration, and contemplating the necessity to take his whole life and artwork to the next level. We also notably discuss the likely reasons for his success, pricing artwork, portraiture, art market challenges, and we go a little more in depth about loving more deeply and how that manifests in his life.

  • Episode 82: Naomi Schlinke - Being Mobile

    February 7th, 2020  |  1 hr 20 mins
    naomi schlinke

    Naomi Schlinke is an visual artist who after many years as a professional dancer, decided to shift her energy primarily to painting. But dance and movement still inform the spirit of her work and the way it is created. As Naomi says in the interview, she provokes the conditions where her work comes to life through many specific choices, but also leaves much up to chance and strives to push the elements of each piece until the whole is activated by the limitations of the extent of the chosen frame. Her most recent body of work, Being Mobile, expresses the movement and iconic form of entities and symbols that seem familiar but also mysterious, elusive, and timeless. Naomi was just a joy to speak with and we laughed quite a bit. I love talking with artists who are so thoughtful about their work and who have such an interesting life journey and experiences to share.

  • Episode 81: MAKE YOUR SH*T - Rohitash Rao

    February 3rd, 2020  |  1 hr 32 mins
    rohitash rao

    Rohitash Rao makes cool stuff. Funny stuff. And a lot of it. Lucky for us he recently moved to Austin to take a teaching job as an assistant professor at the Stan Richards School of Advertising. Since childhood Ro has been a prolific creator, drawing and painting on anything he can get his hands on. Studying at Art Center in LA gave him a chance to try all different types of art creation and also learn how to pitch ideas and tell stories. Over the years he has worked as an award winning art director, illustrator, animator, has made a documentary, short films, music videos, stop motion, has co-written seven children's books, has exhibited his art numerous times, and is about to release an album of songs that he will be performing live with his band. Through his art creation he explores his personal experiences and also shares his often humorous commentary on the state of the world, with the belief that comedy and art are therapeutic and can lessen the weight of life. Keep smiling and make your shit.

  • Episode 80: Annalise Gratovich

    January 18th, 2020  |  1 hr 5 mins

    Annalise Gratovich is a Texas printmaker who uses a lot of different tools and a supportive community to create small to sometimes very large prints. She can often be found carving carefully and meditatively out of wood, scribing into metal, or hand dying paper, the goal being to breathe life into the various beings, objects, and plants that inhabit the totemic and endearing world she has created. A world inspired by her family heritage and a desire to engender empathy and wonder. Everything is revealed when the paper is pulled from the intricately crafted and inked matrix. All of the hard work culminates in a print that will live on the walls of art lovers and collectors who appreciate the care and compassion that comes through in her work. She also travels to many other print shops as a guest artist and lecturer, is on the board of directors for Print Austin, and works the Blanton Museum of Art.

  • Episode 79: Oen Hammonds - Design Thinking

    December 31st, 2019  |  1 hr 29 mins
    oen hammonds

    Oen Hammonds is a Design Principal at IBM here in Austin where his job focuses on employee experience design. As early as High School he found himself designing for others, and after an eight year stint in the U.S. Army, he picked up where he left off and studied design in college. The jobs he has had since have all challenged him and have added to his skill set in different ways. He talks a lot about his path to the success he has found today and how important it is for a designers to have humility in their work. We delve into the subject of Design Thinking and all the ways that framework can be adapted to peoples careers and everyday life. Oen has also been sharing his knowledge as a teacher for the last fifteen years and is married to accomplished artist and teacher Hollis Hammonds.

  • Episode 78: Art From The Streets

    December 5th, 2019  |  58 mins 50 secs
    art from the streets

    For the last 27 years Art From The Streets has helped artists who are currently or have previously been homeless to have the supplies and a safe space and window of time to just create. The work is then sold and the artists receive 95% of the proceeds. This interview consists of the voices of four different people involved with the organization. First Executive Director Kelly Worden speaks to the overall scope and mission, responds to quotes from four artists, talks about how this work has changed her life, and hopes for the future. Next, one of the original founders Heloise Gold talks about how it all started and it’s impact on her and others. Having been a weekly volunteer for the last 8 years, Katrina shares details about the open studio sessions, things that she has learned working with a homeless population, and about creating hope and success. Lastly we hear from Hugh, a formerly homeless artist who shares his story and how AFTS has helped him.

  • Episode 77: Rehab El Sadek - Transient

    November 23rd, 2019  |  58 mins 30 secs
    rehab el sadek

    Rehab El Sadek is a conceptual artist who’s work often has the aesthetic of objects discovered in the course of an archeological dig. And even though the work may have been just created, the mystery of it’s provenance and age allow the viewers imagination to expand and explore all of the rich and intriguing possibilities. Rehab’s work gets inspiration from all of the different places that she travels and from the people that she meets and what she can discover and learn from them. Her work evolves through time as she converses with those who view her exhibitions. There in those dialogues she finds the next steps of growth and reaction. Her newest exhibition, Transient, explores how we can better learn to understand each other and what it is to belong and where you call home. What a delightfully sincere and thoughtful conversation this is. Please enjoy and be sure to check out Rehab’s work online and in person if possible.