Artalogue

We all knew the art market slowed slow down, but we didn't realize the rules were being rewritten, too. Advisor, curator, and reporter Elisa Carollo joins Madison Beale on The Artalogue today to discuss the most important questions arising in the art market today.:Will there be more gallery shut downs? How are galleries adapting in a post-boom, post-digital art market?  What can the next generation dealers do to keep their heads above water? Today, we connect the dots between prices, context, and staying power.

We start with Elisa’s journey navigating secondary and primary markets, curation, and daily reporting, and how that unique vantage point helps Carollo understand what moves value in contemporary and ultra‑contemporary art. She breaks down the pandemic’s fast‑track effect on emerging artists, why rapid price spikes can backfire, and how institutional recognition, biennials, and critical writing broaden demand beyond a handful of bidders.

The conversation then turns to the gallery crunch: mounting fair schedules, rising rents, thin teams, and the danger of overgrowth. Carollo explores how dealers these days believe that community is driving more sustainable sales. We also spotlight hopeful momentum, from the Studio Museum in Harlem’s reopening to Venice’s next chapter, and revisit the Malta Biennial as a model for site‑specific, context‑rich curation that builds meaning as well as markets in places less frequented by the art world's usual travel circuit.

Carollo offers grounded advice for aspiring art writers: be present in the industry, wear different hats, and ask better questions. If you care about how artworks earn their place (and keep it) this conversation is your field guide to an art world under renovation. 

Subscribe to The Artalogue, share with a friend who collects or curates, and leave a review telling me what part of the market you want explored next!

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Can Artificial Intelligence be art? And if yes, can it be good? 

Today on the Artalogue, Madison Beale sits down with artist Jake Elwes to discuss their art practice, as an early adopter of A.I., using it to challenge how we think about the world and technology through their artwork. Elwes does't separate art and tech, instead they use it as an innovative and generative medium. Elwes creates diffusion models that transform faces, words, and gestures into code. Bias, embedded into the datasets and diffusion models that are being used by almost everyone in our world,  becomes something you can see when the work breaks down.

We discuss some of their works, like a diffusion‑driven interpretation of Sontag’s Against Interpretation. The Zizi Show,  which has been the art work that introduced Madison to Elwes' work, “queers the dataset” by creating a unique data set with consenting and compensated drag performs, making moving images that transform into drag kings, queens, monsters and things that dance and lip-sync. The result is a cabaret that prompts us to think about bias, consent, and what it means to make art with tools that reflect us back in troubled but revealing ways.

Elwes and Beale talk about decolonizing data, art, tech and the problems that arise in the gaps between. We compare US and UK art education, unpack how normativity creeps into “perfect” generated images, and explore how far we can take Artificial Intelligence in the art world. The thread tying it all together is intention: tools are powerful, but human voice is the point. If you care about AI, art, drag, ethics, or how culture could absorb new technology without losing soul, this conversation offers a sharp, hopeful starting point for deeper thinking.

Follow Jake on Instagram @jakelwes and check out their website.

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Step behind the scenes of Reel Pride, Canada's longest-running 2SLGBTQIA+ film festival, as Madison sits down with festival president Ray Desautels and marketing director Greg Klassen at Manitoba's Theatre for Young People. This fascinating conversation reveals how a dedicated team of volunteers brings dozens of authentic queer stories to Winnipeg screens each year.

From its humble beginnings in 1985 when LGBTQ+ representation was limited to stereotypical characters, Reel Pride has evolved into a multi-faceted celebration of queer cinema.  "We want movies based on our lifestyle," explains Desautels, emphasizing their focus on stories where queerness is central, not incidental.

The conversation takes a compelling turn as we explore how the festival navigates today's increasingly tense political climate. "We're not going to be pushed back into the closet," Desautels states reflecting this year's theme: "Projecting Pride: Loud and Proud." Both guests provide thoughtful perspectives on the festival's evolution, from simply showing films to creating community spaces through art exhibitions, short film showcases, and social gatherings. They highlight international standouts like "Odd Fish" from Iceland and "Some Nights I Feel Like Walking" from the Philippines, showcasing how the festival brings global queer perspectives to Canadian audiences.

Whether you're a film enthusiast, an aspiring filmmaker, or simply curious about Winnipeg's vibrant queer arts scene, this episode offers valuable insights into how cultural festivals can adapt, survive, and thrive across four decades. Discover why Reel Pride remains relevant after 40 years and how it continues to create essential space for authentic queer storytelling. Check out the festival this weekend at the Gas Station Arts Centre and Canada's Museum for Human Rights!

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Bria Fernandes' unique visual language speaks volumes about the things left unsaid. The Ottawa-born-Winnipeg-based figurative painter creates work that explores the nuanced experiences of Black womanhood, identity formation, and the minutia of everyday life.  Just hours before the opening of her first hometown solo exhibition at Gallery 1CO3, Bria sits down to share the creative journey behind her new show "Things Left Unsaid."

Bria reveals how her artistic practice has evolved from her earliest memories painting children's bedrooms to exhibiting internationally. The conversation uncovers a methodical creator who meticulously plans both her figures and backgrounds, refusing to treat any element of her composition as an afterthought. 

What emerges most vividly is Bria's current artistic evolution, like the recent fusion of her elements in her mural work with her fine art practice. Where these two creative expressions once remained separate worlds, she now deliberately incorporates the graphic, illustrative elements from her public art into her oil paintings. The result is a vibrant new direction represented by "Step Aside Slash," the exhibition's centrepiece that Bria describes as something that pushed her towards a new artistic direction. 

The discussion provides a deep and meaningful meditation on the realities of being a living artist beyond technique, to explore supporting oneself, periods of instability and the inevitable comparison with peers.  Her advice for emerging artists rings with practicality: say yes to opportunities, build connections despite introversion, and avoid alienating jargon.

Join us for this intimate conversation with an artist whose work invites us into moments of introspection, capturing the human experience. Follow Bria's journey as she continues to develop her distinctive visual language, one that speaks volumes about what often remains unsaid.

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Jacob Trouba's artistic practice couldn't be more connected to his day job as an NHL defenseman. When the Anaheim Ducks player (and former New York Ranger and Winnipeg Jet) starts painting, he's not leaving hockey behind. He's channelling his skills into a unique visual language.

"I think it's kind of a unique way of mark making that's special to me and ties into hockey," Trouba explains, describing how his approach clicked when he began viewing painting as mark-making rather than trying to create a representational image. Inspired by artists like Yves Klein, Trouba uses his body as the primary tool, incorporating the physical movements of hockey into his artistic process. The result is dynamic and apstract, capturing the energy and movement of the sport.

Trouba's artistic journey began unexpectedly during summers in New York while his wife completed her medical residency. What started as curiosity about what makes art "good or bad" evolved into a genuine passion. Now, he visits museums and galleries in cities across North America on the road during the NHL season, constantly expanding his artistic education. This dual identity as professional athlete and emerging artist culminated in his first gallery show at Harper's in New York .

Beyond his personal practice, Trouba and his wife founded the Trouba Creative Expressions Art Program, working with adults with epilepsy to experience the therapeutic benefits of painting. "To see the excitement that they all had about the pieces they made and just how proud they were... I think that struck both of us as pretty special," he shares. Trouba exemplifies how seemingly different worlds can meaningfully intersect. Maybe art and sport aren't so different after all. 

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What determines who gets memorialized in our public spaces? Why do some histories endure while others are erased? Dan Hicks, professor of contemporary archaeology at Oxford University and curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum, answer these questions today on the Artalogue.

In today's episode, we talk about Hicks' new book, Every Monument Will Fall, his research and how he navigates complex histories of colonialism and cultural heritage from within the institution. Every Monument Will Fall examines our memory culture: who we choose to remember through monuments and museum collections, and whose stories remain untold. Hicks challenges the notion that removing colonial monuments constitutes "erasing history," arguing instead that it creates space for different memories to emerge. "To shift a memory culture isn't to cancel history," he notes. "It's actually to decide that we want, as a society, to remember somebody else."

Particularly eye-opening is Hicks' critique of major museums' lack of transparency about their collections. We chat about some museums poor record keeping, some with millions of objects (including human remains) hidden away in storage and undocumented. On the politics surrounding restitution, he asks of museums, "how can you be looking after something if you don't even have a list of what you've got?" This powerful conversation forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths about whose heritage we preserve and whose we neglect.

Whether you're interested in museums, public history, or how societies remember and forget, this episode offers profound insights into how we might reimagine our memory culture for the 21st century. It packs a lot in just 25 minutes - prepare to learn! Follow Dan Hicks on social media @ProfDanHicks and discover his books "The Brutish Museums" and the forthcoming "Every Monument Will Fall."

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What happens when you combine a background in government policy, financial expertise, and a deep passion for creativity? You get Nina Orm.

Nina's journey from feeling "spiritually bankrupt" in finance to founding Orm Muse Collective and the Agora Fund is inspiring. Her story illuminates the critical moment we're facing in creative industries where traditional structures are crumbling, but from this breakdown emerges an opportunity for reimagining what the future of the art world could look like. 

"We do things for money to survive, but art and creativity are the reasons we live," Nina shares, explaining why she's dedicated to constructing financial, educational, and emotional support systems for creators. Through Orm Muse Collective, she's created a business school specifically designed for artistic minds, addressing the reality that even the most talented artists struggle without entrepreneurial knowledge.

The Agora Fund is Orm's bold attempt to redirect capital toward underrepresented voices in art, film, and fashion. Rather than waiting for traditional investors to recognize diverse talent, she's actively creating these opportunities herself, focusing on creators traditionally excluded from investment opportunities.

Orm offers practical wisdom throughout our conversation, from establishing a weekly "financial date" to review your finances, to recognizing that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work. Her candid advice for creative entrepreneurs ("keep your day job while building gradually") reflects both her financial expertise and her lived experience navigating entrepreneurial challenges.

Whether you're a creator seeking financial literacy, an arts professional wondering about the future of creative industries, or simply curious about how astrology might influence career decisions (yes, we discuss Saturn returns!), Nina's insights offer a refreshing perspective on building sustainable creative careers in uncertain times.

Ready to reimagine how we fund, value, and sustain art in a world that desperately needs it? Listen now and discover why Nina Orm believes we're on the cusp of a cultural renaissance.

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Today on the Artalogue, Canadian artist Simon Hughes chats with Madison Beale from his Winnipeg studio about his creative beginnings, Canadian art and his career. This episode is all about finding your artistic voice in unexpected places.

Hughes reveals how he developed his unique approach that treats watercolors, drawings and canvas paintings as equal  expressions, not relegating drawings to mere preparatory sketches. His technique of building translucent layers of color, inspired by Paul Klee, creates a distinctive visual depth that characterizes his work. From his early fascination with Hieronymus Bosch and Surrealism to his later dialogue with Canadian art history, Hughes traces the evolution of his artistic vision with refreshing candor.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Hughes discusses his unexpected path from graduating from the University of Manitoba to working in film production between art projects, waiting eleven years before pursuing his MFA in California, and discovering surprising similarities between Winnipeg's and Southern California's art scenes. His recent exhibition "Fire, Flood and All the Feelings" at Blouin Division showcases his ability to blend contemporary suburban landscapes with spiritual elements, creating a modern counterpoint to Lawren Harris's iconic Canadian wilderness paintings.

What makes this discussion particularly valuable is Hughes' practical wisdom about navigating an art career. Rather than waiting for institutional recognition, he emphasizes creating your own opportunities through community engagement and persistent creation. "Wherever you are, that's the place to be," he advises, offering a refreshing perspective on building an authentic artistic life regardless of location or circumstances.

Follow Simon's work at his studio gallery space Fire Door in Winnipeg or on Instagram @simonmhughes to discover more about his artistic journey.

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When she’s not curating her gallery’s programming, Paulina Petkoski is styling CEOs. As the co-founder of Playground Detroit, Petkoski created a unique cultural hub that champions emerging talent in Detroit while bringing awareness to sustainability in the fashion industry.

After studying at FIT and working with major fashion brands in New York, she launched Playground Detroit in 2012 as a platform to showcase her hometown's artists to wider audiences. What began as pop-up events evolved into a permanent gallery space housed in a historic 1877 building, supported by community crowdfunding that demonstrated Detroit's hunger for creative spaces. "Detroit has space and time, but New York has audience and market," Petkoski explains, perfectly capturing what makes each creative ecosystem distinct. 

Now on what she calls "Playground 4.0," Petkoski has expanded her vision to include a creative talent agency, artist fellowships, and partnerships that connect creators with opportunities. Her background in sustainable fashion design informs her work as a personal stylist for professionals navigating life transitions, bringing artistic sensibility to everyday wardrobes. This intersection of disciplines feels natural to Petkoski, who notes how major fashion houses increasingly collaborate with artists, recognizing that "they don't exist separately."

The gallery focuses on artists with authenticity, dedication, and uplifting perspectives; qualities that align with Playground's playful name and mission to provide respite from life's chaos through creative expression. While acknowledging the growing challenges of gallery ownership in today's economy, Petkoski remains committed to elevating Detroit's creative voices nationally and internationally through art fairs and digital platforms.

Whether you're an artist, an aspiring gallery owner, or simply curious about how creativity thrives outside traditional art capitals, this conversation offers valuable insights into building cultural bridges one exhibition at a time. Follow Playground Detroit's journey on Instagram and Twitter @play_detroit and discover how Detroit's DIY ethos continues to shape contemporary art and fashion.

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The art world is notorious for its gatekeeping. This makes Hannah Studnick's story all the more remarkable. At 31, with zero art world experience, she opened Ruby/Dakota Gallery in New York's Alphabet City because a psychic told her she would.

The space (originally found on Craigslist) transformed into something profound. In this candid conversation, Hannah reveals how Ruby/Dakota honours her late twin sister Emma, turning personal grief into a platform for artistic healing. 

Hannah's journey from the reality television industry to dental assistant to gallery owner unfolds like a screenplay, complete with chance encounters, spiritual guidance, and a driving belief that supporting living artists creates something meaningful in a fractured world. With disarming honesty, she discusses navigating the commercial gallery landscape during "the worst period in history for art sales," and creating daring exhibitions. 

What makes Hannah's perspective so refreshing is her commitment to democratising art collecting. Her advice to aspiring gallerists pulls no punches: "Don't do it unless you need to do it," she warns, describing the "manic-dead cycle" of exhibition preparations followed by quiet gallery hours.

In just one year, Ruby Dakota has been visited by art critic Jerry Saltz, featured in New York Magazine and The Wall Street Journal, and participated in Future Fair. Beyond these achievements, Hannah's greatest accomplishment is creating a space where emerging artists can process trauma through their practice, collectors can discover meaningful work, and the traditional barriers of the art world begin to crumble. 

Today also happens to be Ruby/Dakota's one year birthday! I'm excited to share Studnick's story and see where the gallery goes from here. Listen today to learn how an art world outsider is challenging conventions and proving that genuine passion, coupled with business savvy and an authentic voice, can create space for new perspectives in contemporary art.

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