Best Art Podcasts – A List of Great Podcasts About Art History
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Podcasts are mainly a series of audio files that you can listen to, and which you can download. Podcasts have been active for quite a few years, but there seems to have been an upsurge in listeners over recent years. There are podcasts available on absolutely every subject you can think of, including the best art podcasts. What better way to learn and gain more insight into the art world?
Table of Contents
15 of the Best Podcasts for Artists
The best art podcasts provide a place for entertainment, but also learning, inspiration as well as the community. There has been an increase in art podcasts recently, which brings the average person closer to everything going on in the art world. You can listen to informative conversations from all over the world that involve various artists, historians, collectors, and more.
As an artist, you can gain insight into how other artists achieved their success or improve your knowledge of art history. The podcasts are usually easy to listen to and are more like you are having a conversation with a friend than sitting in a classroom. There are however quite a few choices available, so it can become a little overwhelming to find a podcast that you might enjoy.
So, below are 15 of what we consider the best art podcasts to listen to.
Art History Podcasts
Some find art history to be a fascinating subject, and to others wanting to learn, it might seem like a daunting task. Podcasts about art history can help make the subject a little more approachable and interesting.
Great Women Artists
These podcasts are presented by London-based curator as well as historian, Katy Hessel. You will hear interviews with artists, writers, and art lovers about female artists that are significant to them. We all know that women artists in history have not had as much exposure as their male counterparts.
So, this podcast aims to highlight and celebrate those women who have gained some recognition in the art field.
It all began with an Instagram account, The Great Women Artists, where enthusiasts are invited to share about female artists that inspired them, which then developed into podcasts. Some artists interviewed include Cornelia Parker, Shirin Neshat, and Cecily Brown. The podcasts help to bring focus to how women in history up until now have helped shaped the art world. Each episode is easy to follow and provides insight into a subject that has been in the shadows for a long time.
ArtCurious Podcasts
The ArtCurious website itself is appealing and who doesn’t like to learn about odd and unusual things? Depending on how a subject is presented, history can be both interesting and motivating. In these podcasts, host Jennifer Dascal will share the surprising and the unusual when it comes to art history.
The Last Supper (1495-1498) by Leonardo Da Vinci; Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A contemporary art curator who has many years of art studies under her belt, she also writes and produces podcasts herself. The podcasts aim to bring art history to life, in the hopes that you will think more about the art world. These are not your usual lessons on art history but are something more attention-grabbing. Some of the interesting topics include:
- Are there cryptic messages concealed in Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper (1495-1498)?
- Did Vincent van Gogh really commit suicide?
- Was Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring (1665) a maid in his household?
The Lonely Palette
These podcasts about art history are presented by Tamar Avishai, who holds a master’s in art history from Tufts University. She uses her knowledge and experience to produce informative and interesting art history podcasts. In each episode she presents, she selects a new painting and then interviews visitors to the museum and gains their insightful opinions. So, you can hear the thoughts of ordinary people and how they view art.
She will then go into detail about the painting including the artist, the subject of the painting, and what went into the making of the artwork.
Each episode is about 30 minutes to an hour in duration, so you should not lose interest that quickly. However, there are shorter episodes also available on interesting art subjects. All the information for the podcasts is easy to comprehend, but episodes do tend to be infrequent, so you will have to keep an eye out for the next podcast.
Art History Babes
The Art History Babes podcast is hosted by four ladies, Natalie, Jennifer, Corrie, and Ginny, who all have Master’s Art Degrees. The podcasts are fun and easy to grasp. They also offer study guides for the Advanced Placement (AP) art history, which is designed to provide students with a broader knowledge of a variety of art styles and forms.
Anti-Mass (2010) by Cornelia Parker; Cornelia Parker, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
You will get to hear all about their experiences and thoughts in a friendly, simple, and entertaining way. Each episode is around two hours; however, the time goes by quite quickly, as you will naturally feel like you are a part of the fun. On the website, you will also find a nice “about the babes” section, where you can find out what their hobbies are and even what their star signs are.
Art Detective
The Art Detective podcast is hosted by Janina Ramirez and produced by Dan Morelle. The podcasts aim to bring you small snippets of information about art history. You will hear from a wide range of experts in discussions, where the historical and cultural context is also taken into account. Dr. Janina Ramirez has studied and earned degrees in Anglo-Saxon English Culture as well as English literature.
She also works at Oxford University as a writer and art historian.
The podcasts are short and informative and last about 20 to 30 minutes. However, some are over an hour long. During each episode, special guests or experts discuss the topic of the moment. Dr. Ramirez holds a strong belief that art is a way to understand history. The podcasts are ideal for those new to the subject, and what makes them so interesting, is that it incorporates art as well as history.
Art and Business Podcasts
Whatever art form you do, it might come naturally to you. However, what happens if you want to take your art and create a business? For some, this can be challenging and even discouraging in many cases. Sometimes, you just need some inspiration and guidance, and these podcasts can help you along the way.
Creative Pep Talk
The Creative Pep Talk website is fun and simple to work through. The podcasts are hosted by Andy J. Miller and offer advice and information about how you can make a living from art. The podcasts include subjects from how to use social media to how and how to get over creative blocks to dealing with how to not undersell yourself as an artist.
The purpose of the podcasts is to help you find what you are good at, develop this, and then help you find the proper audience.
Practical Business Advice
Here you will find practical advice for artists when it comes to the business side of things. You will find industry professionals giving advice in 30-minute podcast sessions. The podcasts are hosted by Alex Mitow, the Superfine Art Fair CEO, and also James Miille, the co-founder. Each week, you will get in-depth business art advice from professionals in the fields of art as well as marketing. You will never run out of practical business tips for your art business.
Beyond the Studio
The Beyond Studio podcasts are all about what happens behind the scenes for artists, and how they sustain and support themselves. The podcasts offer honest conversations with business professionals and artists and deal with everything that goes into becoming a good artist. The podcasts are co-hosted by Amanda Adams and Nicole Mueller, who studied together and became friends. They soon realized that there was a need for things like professional development and decided to do the podcasts as a way to help artists.
They share with you how other artists have learned to form and developed their skills to become successful in what they do. Artists are interviewed and share their stories and hopefully, it will help other artists live out their dreams as well.
Artisans and Trade
The Artisan and Trade podcast gets in professional artists, designers, and business professionals to discuss and answer some frequently asked questions. This provides a great learning resource for artists, helping them to develop and grow professionally. Each podcast is formed around relevant questions that creatives wish to know more about, all of which are done in 45-minute sessions. Some topics covered include artistry versus craftsmanship, defining your brand, how to win clients and customers, and lots more.
The Artist Entrepreneur
The Artist Entrepreneur is another podcast that is helping to inspire and provide practical advice for upcoming artists. The host, Catherine Orer, who is also the founder of the podcast, examines interesting business topics in interviews with professional experts. She also shares her own experiences and tries to offer help and answers to important questions. You can be assured that her answers are relevant as she owns an award-winning business, and she is also a PR strategist.
The main aim is to help artists build a successful livelihood.
Educational Podcasts
Sometimes, you want to focus more on a specific form of art, and there are podcasts for this. You can listen to podcasts that focus more on contemporary art or any other form of art. Most of the podcasts have professionals who provide their insights into they became successful in what they do.
Savvy Painter
The Savvy Painter has been top-ranked as one of the best educational podcasts worldwide and is hosted by Antrese Wood. The podcast has received over 1,000 five-star reviews, and most assuredly has something to offer you. You can listen to popular artists and other creatives, who will impart their wisdom and experience.
The podcast has a community feel to it, which is a welcome break for many artists, who sit in their studios alone.
When you are plugged into the podcast, you will not feel alone anymore, and you will find out that a lot of what you are experiencing has happened to others. You can listen, learn, and share with this art community.
The Living Artist
The Living Artist is a place where you can share and learn from other professional artists, about how to survive and grow in the art world. There is something for everyone, whether you are just getting into the art scene or if you are a seasoned artist or collector. The podcast is hosted by Preston M. Smith, whose aim is to dispel the falsehood of the “starving artist” and focuses on how you can become a successful creative professional. These podcasts are easy to understand, entertaining, provide great information, and are, of course, inspirational.
Plein Air Painting
If you are a plein-air artist, then these podcasts are for you. Discover everything you need to know about plein-air painting by PleinAir magazine publisher Eric Rhoads. Besides focusing on painting, there is also a special segment that deals with marketing, appropriately called, marketing minute. Whatever skill level you are at, you can always learn something different. Discover how other artists launched their careers, and how to best manage an art career if that is the path you choose.
Get free tips and subscribe to the PleinAir magazine for even more helpful information.
The Week in Art
Looking for informative podcasts, art news, events, and more? The people at the Art Newspaper are ready to provide you with all the latest information about the art world. The podcast introduces special guests to a variety of topics and is hosted by Ben Luke, who has many years of experience in the art world. The art world is scrutinized and discussed, and the results are provided in easy-to-understand episodes. Each podcast is only about an hour long and features big news in the art world including people who have been to events around the world and artists who discuss their work. So, you have access to all kinds of information during each episode.
A Piece of Work
Abbi Jacobson is the host of A Piece of Work podcast and helps to make contemporary and modern art more accessible to the masses. The podcast consists of ten episodes and deals with all kinds of styles from performance art to pop art. Listen to interesting conversations with artists, curators, and other special guests. You will learn everything you ever wanted to know concerning modern art.
When it comes to the best art podcasts, we understand that there are many out there, and it can be difficult to choose which one to listen to. We have tried to cover a few of them that we thought would cover the best podcasts for artists. We hope you discover one that inspires you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Can You Get the Best Art Podcasts?
Most podcasts can be located on various platforms like Spotify, Audible, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google podcasts. Most of the websites will have these options available to you so that you can listen to your favorite one.
Why Listen to Art Podcasts?
Podcasts provide an opportunity for artists to learn and discover new things about the art world. Some podcasts provide a variety of information from how to find your creative niche to making it into a successful business. Podcasts are the perfect addition for any artists who want to improve their skills and gain knowledge.
Can You Start Your Own Podcast?
Yes, anybody with a skill, like an artist, can start a podcast. It is the perfect way to share your ideas and skills with everyone. Just remember, it must be your own original work, as you do not want to use copyrighted material.
In 2005, Charlene completed her wellness degrees in therapeutic aromatherapy and reflexology at the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for several years before opening her own therapy practice. In 2015, she was asked by a digital marketer friend to join her company as a content creator, and it was here that she discovered her enthusiasm for writing. Since entering the world of content creation, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing about various topics such as beauty, health, wellness, travel, crafting, and much more. Due to various circumstances, she had to give up her therapy practice and now works as a freelance writer. Since she is a very creative person and as a balance to writing likes to be active in various areas of art and crafts, the activity at acrylgiessen.com is perfect for her to contribute their knowledge and experience in various creative topics.
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