Bakersfield Museum of Art's Podcast
This audio series offers entertaining, informative discussions about the arts and events at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Each podcast gives access to special insight by artists, curators, and historians. Hosted by BMoA Curator, Rachel Magnus, and BMoA Board Member and co-owner of Moneywise Wealth Management, David Anderson. Made possible with support from Moneywise Wealth Management.
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On the Edge: In conversation with Lita Albuquerque
03/18/2022
On the Edge: In conversation with Lita Albuquerque
Lita Albuquerque is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist and writer. Emerging from California’s Light and Space movement, Albuquerque has developed a visual language that investigates identity and the cosmos through painting, sculpture, as well as monumental environmental installations. Her array of accolades includes three NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Art in Public Places awards, an NEA Individual Fellowship grant, the 2019 Laguna Art Museum Wendt Artist of the Year Award, and MOCA’s (Museum of Contemporary Art) Distinguished Women in the Arts award. In 2020, Albuquerque major outdoor projects including NAJMA (She Placed One Thousand Suns Over the Transparent Overlays of Space) for Desert X AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and Red Earth at the Huntington Botanical Gardens and Library Centennial Celebration. Her work is in the collections of the institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Trust, the Whitney Museum of American Art, LACMA and MOCA, among others. For Further Information: On the Edge Exhibition: Lita Albuquerque: Instagram:
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In Conversation with Gregory Wiley Edwards
02/12/2022
In Conversation with Gregory Wiley Edwards
Raised in Houston, TX, Gregory Wiley Edwards was a student at California Institute of the Arts and the Art Institute of San Francisco. He was mentored by second-wave Gutai artist, Matsumi Kanemitsu, and New York abstract expressionist Emerson Weolffer at CalArts, leading him to distinguish his art through performance, activism, and his investigations into African art and philosophy. The gestures made onto his all-over paintings are abstract and fluid like as if the brushstrokes were caught in motion on the verge of creating its final form. In his “Stroke Ism” work, Edwards point to the long tradition of iconography from cultures around the world, that is both unique and shared, coupled with his personal relationships and narratives. After living in Los Angeles for three decades, Edwards moved to Oakland, CA, where he continues to make work. website:
/episode/index/show/bakersfieldmuseumofart/id/22109063
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In Conversation With Lita Albuquerque, Charles Arnoldi, Laddie John Dill, Ned Evans, and Andy Moses
01/08/2022
In Conversation With Lita Albuquerque, Charles Arnoldi, Laddie John Dill, Ned Evans, and Andy Moses
This episode of the BMoA podcast is a recording of the second of two panel discussions held on November 18, 2021 at BMoA’s On the Edge Artist Symposium. The panel, Los Angeles 1970 – 1990: Exploring the Myth of California Through Materials and Subject., was moderated by Rani Singh, former director at Gagosian Gallery Beverly Hills and former co-curator at Getty Research Institute. Here, On the Edge exhibiting artists Lita Albuquerque, Charles Arnoldi, Laddie John Dill, Ned Evans, and Andy Moses discuss the blurred distinctions between different art styles, the freedom that encouraged artists to use new materials in artmaking, the support network and friendliness that distinguished the Los Angeles art scene from its New York counterpart, and the influence that the California landscape had over their work. website:
/episode/index/show/bakersfieldmuseumofart/id/21710957
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In Conversation With “On the Edge” Artists Don Bachardy, Gregory Wiley Edwards, Astrid Preston, Allen Ruppersberg
12/11/2021
In Conversation With “On the Edge” Artists Don Bachardy, Gregory Wiley Edwards, Astrid Preston, Allen Ruppersberg
Welcome the Bakersfield Museum of Art podcast. This audio series offers entertaining and informative discussion about arts and events at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. The Bakersfield Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire and engage diverse audiences by providing a broad spectrum of creative visual arts experiences through exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach. In a similar fashion, we hope this podcast expounds upon themes in contemporary art and art history. On the evening of November 18, 2021 BMoA hosted a group of artists whose work is included in our current exhibition “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s – 1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection” for an unforgettable symposium. During two separate panel discussions that evening exhibiting artists discussed their experience of working in Los Angeles during the decades that both established Los Angeles as an art counter market to the European art scene, and saw a diversification in the art styles, materials, artists being covered. This episode of the BMoA podcast is a recording of the first panel discussion that evening: California Ethos: Conceptualism and Literalism. Moderated by BMoA Curator of Exhibitions and Collections Rachel McCullah Wainwright, On the Edge artists Don Bachardy, Gregory Wiley Edwards, Astrid Preston, Allen Ruppersberg talk about how social upheaval reverberated through the art world of Los Angeles, the network that developed between artists and the collectors who championed their work, and how the California Cool ethos informed those artists’ work.
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On The Edge: In conversation with Lynda Benglis
11/13/2021
On The Edge: In conversation with Lynda Benglis
Lynda Benglis is most celebrated for her engagement with the physicality of material within her artistic practice. Studying in New York City, Benglis propelled Abstract Expressionism’s gestural temperament away from the confines of the canvas. In the 1960s, she created fluid sculptures by pouring pigmented wax and latex within the gallery space, allowing the work to dictate its final form, while subverting the bravado of the male art stars from that period. The following decades saw production of provocative video and photographic work that explored the artist’s concern of gender stereotypes, critique of the art market and the artist as celebrity. Benglis continues to create today, compelling an ongoing conversation between abstraction and femininity and is featured in BMoA’s current exhibition On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s - 1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection. For Further Information: On the Edge Exhibition: Lynda Benglis:
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On the Edge: In Conversation With Joan Agajanian Quinn
10/09/2021
On the Edge: In Conversation With Joan Agajanian Quinn
Joan Agajanian Quinn and her late husband Jack represent a key moment in the history of contemporary art, as Los Angeles came to symbolize an innovative and prolific brand of creative freedom. Few individuals have left such an indelible mark on the artistic landscape of Southern California more than Joan and Jack Quinn. Joan found herself both muse and promoter of several Southern California artists, while Jack used his skills as a prominent and influential attorney to help an array of emerging artists and their dealers navigate the worlds of law and business. Known for her charisma, intelligence and incomparable flamboyance, Joan Agajanian Quinn has served as inspiration for artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney, Ed Ruscha, Zandra Rhodes, Larry Bell, Frank Gehry, Ed Moses, Helmut Newton, Billy Al Bengston, Antonio Lopez and many others. As artists sought to record her image across a variety of media, Joan Quinn found herself with one of the world’s largest and significant collections of contemporary portraiture — a poignant representation of friendship, appreciation, and respect.
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The Bakersfield Sound: In Conversation with Music Historian, Scott B. Bomar
07/10/2021
The Bakersfield Sound: In Conversation with Music Historian, Scott B. Bomar
This month's guest Scott B. Bomar grew up in Nashville before relocating to Los Angeles and becoming a staff songwriter at Sony/ATV Music. He moved to the other side of the desk to work for Universal Music Group before going to BMG, where he's now the Senior Director of the company's music-related book publishing efforts. Scott has worked on projects with the Library of Congress' National Recording Archive, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Gibson Guitars, the Grammy Museum, Ken Burns' Florentine Films, Leiber & Stoller Music, SiriusXM, Omnivore Recordings, Bear Family Records, and others. He was nominated for a Grammy award for his album notes for the compilation The Other Side of Bakersfield (which he also produced). Additionally, his 2019 box set The Bakersfield Sound was named one of the best of the year by the New York Times, Variety, and Rolling Stone, and earned Scott a second Grammy nod. Along with Paul Duncan, Scott co-hosts the bi-weekly podcast Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters, featuring interviews with over 150 writers such as Smokey Robinson, Elvis Costello, Loretta Lynn, David Crosby, Steve Earle, Valerie Simpson, Bill Withers, and more. Scott splits his time between Idyllwild and Inglewood, California, where he lives with his wife Melanie and his two big dogs Jean and Ferlin. Further Links: Online Exhibit: Bomar’s Website: Bomar’s Podcast Songcraft: Social Media: Instagram: Twitter: Facebook:
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The Bakersfield Sound: In Conversation with Robert Price
06/12/2021
The Bakersfield Sound: In Conversation with Robert Price
Current exhibition, The Bakersfield Sound: Roll Out the Red Carpet explores the major figures and stylings of the country music sub-genre with a celebratory display of local history that features costumes, guitars, and posters from the era. In this week's episode we talk with author, newspaper columnist, and television journalist Robert Price who collaborated with BMoA to bring the exhibition to life. Price is the author of "The Bakersfield Sound: How a Generation of Displaced Okies Revolutionized American Music," which was the winner of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections' 2019 book prize for best country or folk history. He is a native of Sonoma County, California. Further Links: To purchase Robert Price's book: Online Exhibit:
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CSU-Bakersfield Graduating Senior Exhibition and The Todd Madigan Gallery: In Conversation with Jedidiah Caesar
05/08/2021
CSU-Bakersfield Graduating Senior Exhibition and The Todd Madigan Gallery: In Conversation with Jedidiah Caesar
The Bakersfield Museum of Art and CSU-Bakersfield have forged an ongoing partnership grounded in their shared mission of cultivating contemporary art in Bakersfield and has recently resulted in BMoA hosting the 2021 Graduating Senior Exhibition. Tune in as we sit down with artist, gallerist, and educator Jedidiah Caesar. Since 2014 Caesar has been a lecturer in the Department of Art and Art History and the Director of the Todd Madigan Gallery at CSU-Bakersfield. Further Links: Todd Madigan Gallery: Exhibit @ BMoA: Exhibit Press release:
/episode/index/show/bakersfieldmuseumofart/id/19027634
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Color + Figure: In Conversation with Linda Christensen
04/10/2021
Color + Figure: In Conversation with Linda Christensen
Color and Figure, on display now at The Bakersfield Museum of Art, marks Linda Christensen’s first solo museum exhibition and showcases nine paintings made between 2015-2020. Belonging to the Bay Area Figurative movement's rich tradition, Christensen's work is dynamic and an amalgamation of spontaneity, historical reference, and emotional milieu. Tune in as we sit down with the artist to discuss the Bay Area Figurative movement and her commitment to using color and gesture to capture the emotional weight of the figure. Further Links: To view exhibit: Davis Park’s Two Bathers: Color + Figure Book: Website:
/episode/index/show/bakersfieldmuseumofart/id/18672530
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Uncommon Perspective: In Conversation with Art Sherwyn
03/13/2021
Uncommon Perspective: In Conversation with Art Sherwyn
BMoA's current exhibition, Uncommon Perspective explores the newest series of work by local artist and educator Art Sherwyn. The works on display combine vibrant colors and calligraphic mark-making with the artist's love for storytelling. Beginning the series in 2018, this body of work differs in scale and material, challenging the artist's forty-year practice. Tune in as we sit down with the artist to discuss process, personal evolution, and a life devoted to the arts. Instagram: @artsherwyn Facebook: Website:
/episode/index/show/bakersfieldmuseumofart/id/18307451
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The Bakersfield Sound: Nudie Suits - In Conversation with Jamie Cuevas Nudie
02/12/2021
The Bakersfield Sound: Nudie Suits - In Conversation with Jamie Cuevas Nudie
BMoA's current exhibition, The Bakersfield Sound: Roll Out the Red Carpet, explores the significant figures and stylings of California Country, displaying a dynamic shift from traditional works towards a celebratory display of local history featuring costumes, guitars, and posters from the era. Prominently highlighted in the exhibition are seven iconic "Nudie Suits." The Nudie suit was the "get noticed" stage costume for country performers for more than four decades. Today we interview Jamie Cuevas Nudie, granddaughter of Nudie and Bobbie Cohn, to discuss the colorful life and legacy of Nudie Rodeo Taylors. Social Media: Instagram: Facebook:
/episode/index/show/bakersfieldmuseumofart/id/17920943
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In Conversation with Julie Riegel, Collector of Photography
01/08/2021
In Conversation with Julie Riegel, Collector of Photography
BMoA's current exhibition: Black & White: Photographs from the Julie Riegel and Suzette Clerou Collection features the collection of two sisters who have been collecting work since the 1970's. On display for the first time, the images by world-renowned photographers such as Richard Avedon, Brassai, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, and Nadav Kander. nearly span the entire 20th century, showcasing the technical advances and thematic exploration of black and white photography. Tune in to learn more about this unique collection and the women who amassed it.
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The life and work of Marion Osborn Cunningham, a conversation with Priscilla Wheeler
11/17/2020
The life and work of Marion Osborn Cunningham, a conversation with Priscilla Wheeler
In March of 1956, Bakersfield Museum of Art opened its doors as the Cunningham Gallery after a donation from the Osborn family who wanted to establish an art gallery in memory of their daughter, artist Marion Osborn Cunningham. Cunningham was born in 1908 in Indiana, as the first of three children of Walter and Priscilla Osborn. The family settled in Bakersfield in 1911, their first home was on Sunset Avenue. Marion attended Bakersfield High School (then known as Kern County Union High School) and studied art under the beloved Mrs. Ruth Emerson. After continuing her studies at Santa Barbara City College and then Stanford University, Marion made her home in San Francisco. There she quickly gained national recognition for her artwork. In the 1930s she was well known as a pastel artist, and in the 1940s for her printmaking. Her small compositions were praised for their curious, dream-like charm and color harmony. She maintained a studio on Montgomery Street, the center of San Francisco’s art colony. Her untimely death at the age of 39 cut her prolific career short, but Cunningham and her work continue to reign as a significant facet of BMoA's history and legacy. Tune in to hear more about Cunningham’s life and work as we interview the artist’s niece Priscilla Wheeler.
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