As part of Swell Art Cafe's live podcast series, I had the opportunity to sit down with three incredible artists—featured in this episode is Mark De Jong.

A Dutch-born, Cincinnati-based artist, Mark transforms ordinary buildings into immersive works of art. His creative vision has brought to life a series of unique "Art Houses," including Circle House, Swing House, Square House, Smoke House, Stair House, and Paint House—each one reimagining space, structure, and experience in its own distinct way.

As part of Swell Art Cafe's live podcast series, I had the chance to sit down with three incredible artists—this conversation featuring the thoughtful and multifaceted Cal Cullen.

Cal recently stepped into a new role as Program Manager at the Carol Ann and Ralph Haile Foundation, and brings with her a rich background from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and as co-founder of Wave Pool Arts Center.

Beyond her work in arts leadership, Cal is a dedicated artist. She maintains a daily drawing practice and creates handcrafted shoes through her shop, Shoes for The Landlocked.

In our conversation, Cal shares insights into her work as a social practice artist and how it continues to shape her creative life.

Take a listen and spend some time with this inspiring conversation.

As part of Swell Art Cafe's live podcast series I had the chance to sit down with three incredible artists - On this episode, we're joined by Jay Kalagayan — a Filipino-American creator, nonprofit fundraiser, and passionate arts advocate.

Jay is the writer behind the comic company Creative Mussel, bringing stories to life through titles like Messed, Filipino Assassin, and his newest project, St. Malo.

Beyond comics, Jay is a driving force in the arts community — founder of Know Theatre and the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, and a board member of Asianati.

Tune in for a conversation about creativity, community, and building spaces for bold, original voices.

On this season finale, I had the pleasure to sit down with the CEO and Artistic Director of Artworks, Colleen Houston. In April 2020, Tamara Harkavy, the founder and artistic director of ArtWorks, announced her departure from the organization she had led since 1996, leaving a significant gap. Colleen Houston, who had been with ArtWorks since its early days, was seen as the natural successor due to her deep enthusiasm and dedication. Houston's journey began as an 18-year-old apprentice and evolved into her becoming the CEO and artistic director, focusing on building relationships within the community and expanding ArtWorks' impact. Under her leadership, ArtWorks has continued to thrive, with initiatives like murals and the "Blink" festival, and she envisions further growth, including year-round employment and expanded opportunities for young artists. ArtWorks, founded in 1996 and now a $2.6 million nonprofit, is a leader in public art and workforce development in Cincinnati.

In this episode, we hang out with the elusive street artist EMPR CTZNS at Jerry's Jug House. For the first time ever, I've altered a guest's voice to preserve his anonymity. You might recognize his signature "Alien" artwork on the walls of Cincinnati. He also spreads his socially conscious art on bus stop benches, yard signs, and street signs all around the city. We delve into his art, his creative process, and the motivations behind his work.

On this episode we hang with artist, sculptor and the President of the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Joe Girandola. We meet at the Flag Studio in Camp Washington. Flag Studio is where he creates his beautiful duct tape artworks as well as his milk crate sculptures. We talk about the way that he has progressed from art student all the way to an art school's president. He has exhibited his work in venues like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Kunsthalle Wien in Austria, Kwangju Biennial in South Korea, and the Center for Contemporary Art Biennial in Atlanta. He received several grants, including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Grant. Girandola has held fellowships at MacDowell, Bemis Center, Santa Fe Art Institute, DUCTAC Art Center, and Caldera Artist Residency. His work is in national and international collections, and he won the West Prize in 2012. Formerly, he directed the MFA Program at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and was Assistant Director at the Santa Fe Art Institute. He holds an MFA from the University of Georgia (1996) and a B.A. from Pepperdine University (1992).

On this episode we hang with Emily Hanako Momohara in the video editing room at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Her art explores heritage, multiculturalism, immigration, and social justice. She has exhibited nationally, including a notable show at the Japanese American National Museum titled "Sugar|Islands." Momohara has been a visiting artist at several residencies such as the Center for Photography at Woodstock and the Headlands Center for the Arts. In 2015, her work was featured in the Chongqing Photography and Video Biennial. She has also created socially driven billboards for For Freedoms and United Photo Industries. She also created the film Namba, that has shown in many film festivals. Now based in Cincinnati, she is the Interim Studio Arts Chair, a Professor, and heads the photography major at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

On this episode we hang with artist, curator and gallery owner Paul Kroner. We meet at BrewDog Cincinnati in the Pendleton area. His art includes representative and non-representative works in oils, acrylics, bronze, and other media. He is the owner and gallerist of Studio Kroner in Cincinnati, OH, which features local, regional, and national artists. Paul is a winner of the 2023 Cincinnati Summerfair Aid to Individual Artist Grant, and 2nd Place Winner in the 2024 Ohio Art League Spring Exhibit.

On this episode we hang with Jenny Roesel Ustick. We meet at 50 West Brewing. Jenny is a Professor of Art at the University of Cincinnati and a leading muralist in the region. She has created numerous large-scale public murals with ArtWorks in Cincinnati, including the well-known Mr. Dynamite/James Brown project. She now focuses on independent projects, with commissions from the US Soccer Federation, Five Iron Golf, 21C Museum Hotel Cincinnati, Hard Rock Casino, and more. She has painted across the US, participating in institutional commissions and mural festivals, and has completed international mural residencies in Buenos Aires and Sicily.

In this episode, we spend time with painter, community artist, and muralist Jim Tucker. We meet at Studio Beechmont, where he shares the space with Michael Thompson. As a longtime admirer of Jim's art and style, I am excited to delve into the evolution of his creative process and explore the various places he has lived, learned, and taught, from his roots in England to his new home in Cincinnati.