In honor of the upcoming departure of CMA ExecutiveDirector, Della Watkins, we are re-releasing the podcast episode An Affinity for Acquisitions. Originally published in March of 2022, this episode features interviews with Watkins and then Affinity board presidents about the intricacies of acquiring art. New episodes of Binder Podcast coming in March 2026!

Host Ray McManus seeks out answers on how art makes it into the collection with help from CMA affinity groups and themuseum's executive director, Della Watkins. Featuring interviews with Chase Heatherly of the Contemporaries, Adrienne Montare of the Columbia Design League, and Therese Griffin of the Friends of African American Art and Culture.

Link to transcript: https://bit.ly/4bNb2nY

Ray and producer Drew sit down to reminisce on 2025 and look ahead to 2026. The Binder crew revisit the arts predictions they made last year, owning the hits and the misses, and then turn to what’s coming up at the Columbia Museum of Art and what they expect to matter most in museums and the art world in the year ahead.

Learn more about what's upcoming at the CMA: https://www.columbiamuseum.org/

As the CMA’s curatorial team adds the final touches to the newly refreshed CMA Collection galleries, Ray and producer Drew sit down with curators Sadé Ayorinde and Michael Neumeister for a sneak peek at what’s in store when the galleries reopen on January 17, 2026. Hear what it really takes to reimagine and rehang 20 galleries in just 12 months—and how this latest overhaul brings the collection into a whole new light.

Inspired by the CMA's current exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision, the Binder crew goes outside to touch some grass in an episode dedicated to art in public spaces. First, producer Drew puts Ray to the test with a quiz on the artworks on Boyd Plaza. Then One Columbia’s Pamela Zeljak joins the conversation to talk about how public art both reflects and shapes a city’s identity, its ever-changing nature, and One Columbia’s digital directory of local works.

Host Ray McManus is back to discuss simplicity, access to art, and working quickly on an episode dedicated to the CMA's latest exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. He kicks things off with Chadric Devin, the museum’s Director of Learning and Engagement, to talk about Haring’s bold approach to art and the parallels Devin sees in his own trajectory through the arts. After the break, Richland Library’s Ashley Warthen drops in to talk about upcoming author talks, the library’s exhibition Art of Being: Visible, and her love for Haring’s iconic style.

Binder Podcast will return with new episodes beginning in October.

Host Ray McManus experiences the museum through the eyes of its youngest visitors, uncovering the lasting impact of arts education. Producer Drew steps in to chat with museum docent Patsy Storla and 5th grader Amadeo Topakas about their shared experience with Sam Gilliam: Printmaker. Later, Curator of Education Glenna Barlow returns to reflect on the power of curiosity in young audiences and thetransformative potential of the "magic question." After the break, writer Zakiya Mickle joins the show to talk about her new book, Cotton Candy Skies, and what it was like having Ray as a teacher.

On today’s episode, producer Drew explores the fascinating intersection of science, psychology, and the way we experience art. Inspired by the museum's current lighting renovation, Drew sits down with Jackson Councilman, a recent college graduate with a concentration in neuroscience and former intern for the CMA's communications department, to unpack how light waves interact with the human eye, colorblindness, and how the work of Claude Monet may have been influenced by ultraviolet light. 
After the break, USC psychology professor Dr. Melanie Palomares joins the conversation to discuss how the brain processes visual information, the connections between Gestalt theory and the work of artist Bridget Riley, and why attention plays such a critical role in how we see.

In today's episode, the Binder podcast crew dives into the world of abstract art. Ray and producer Drew kick things off with a conversation about why abstraction can be challenging for some viewers, then play a game designed to explore emotional connections to art. Later, Sadé Ayorinde, curator of Sam Gilliam: Printmaker and Let’s Have a Talk,joins the show to discuss the CMA’s latest exhibitions celebrating the contributions of Black artists to abstract art. Finally, Katie Chandler, CMA visitor experience manager, stops by to share her love for abstraction both as an artist and an enthusiastic viewer.

Producer Drew chats with CMA Executive Director Della Watkins for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the museum’s lighting renovation project and its 75th anniversary. Discover the details of hard hat tours, navigating unexpected challenges, and the surprising number of paint layers on the special exhibition gallery walls in this engaging one-on-one interview.