Essential Culture Podcast Network

Shawana profiles abstract artist Princess Rashid covering her ever evolving career, making art that is personal to her, and how she uses abstraction as visual poetry.

Carlos Rolon's work has been shown at the Bass Museum of Art, Marta Herford Museum, Museo de Arte de Ponce, and in dozens of other museums and exhibitions internationally. Today he talks with Dustin about his life as a young artist, his experience working with the Cummer Museum, and his advice for aspiring fine artists.

Toni profiles the man behind the policies - Tallahassee Mayor and Florida gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum.

Hope McMath delivers a passionate response to the importance of arts education and it's effect on young people. She, in detail, outlines how the arts helps to develop empathy, reduce the probability of negative behavior and gives individuals a better, fuller understanding of the world in which they exist. This episode is not to be missed.

How is value applied to art? In the case of Mic Fuentes, he takes what has been discarded - defeated materials - and gives them new life through new creation. Thereby making what was once worthless valuable again.

Shawana brings in guests Ebony Payne-English and Cherub 'Chop' Stewart to discuss the most ganster of hoods - Motherhood. These women dive deep into the need for tribe, personal expression and the difficulties of being a woman, a mother and an artist.

Toni sits down with Donna Deegan to discuss her life philosophy, 'Love over fear'. Through their conversation we discover how Donna's world view shifted after surviving cancer not once, not twice, but three times. Donna delves into the motivations to start '26.2 with Donna' (the first marathon to support breast cancer), and her moving encounters with those also diagnosed with cancer.

Music Producer, Recording Artist, and Graphic Designer, Countach discusses his musical influences in 80’s movies, the art scene in Jacksonville, and his favorite working artists while mixing in a sample from his new album.

Allison and student Emily Mitchell explore identity and self expression though visual art.

Host Madeleine Peck Wagner dissects the process of visual artist and guest, Brandon Coley Cox. Their conversation ranges from blackness under pressure, how he builds his own materials by first destroying them and how he's related to King Ramsses II