Brandon Zech speaks with Houston artist Bill Davenport, who was Glasstire's first-ever contributor, about how he found his way to Texas, the artists he's seen grow up over the years, and writing criticism.

"I always said my writing was like a pair of pliers — it got the job done. Clarity, truthfulness — it opened my mind, and anything else was extraneous."

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2026/02/07/art-dirt-talking-with-longtime-glasstire-writer-artist-bill-davenport/

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet and Nicholas Frank discuss exhibition open calls, including obstacles around related costs, and recap some opportunities currently happening in Texas.

“It's hard to overstate the importance of social connections... Your network is really important, and it's not just the people that are going to get you into the Whitney Biennial, it's the people who are going to support you throughout the stages of your career.”

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2026/01/25/art-dirt-open-calls-opportunities-obstacles/

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech speaks with Glasstire founder Rainey Knudson about what led her to create the publication in 2001, the early years of Glasstire, and the projects she has undertaken since leaving the organization.

“In the early days, most galleries did not have a website, a lot of them didn't even have email, and they would physically mail me transparency slides and/or postcards. I would scan the slides and scan the postcards on a flatbed scanner to get a tiny crummy JPG image that we would use for an event listing.”

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2026/01/10/art-dirt-talking-with-glasstire-founder-rainey-knudson/

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech and Jessica Fuentes look back on the year in Texas art, from the removal of Sally Mann's photographs from the Fort Worth Modern to art fairs that debuted in Texas and major leadership changes at institutions across the state.

"It struck me how different not only the process of selecting [Alma Allen as the U.S. representative for the Venice Biennale] was but also how different their artwork is, compared to what else has been shown on the national stage in recent years. It's not a dig at the artist in any way, but it feels more in line with an overall blandness and [support for] artwork that doesn't necessarily push talking points or boundaries or that investigates or looks closely at culture and society..."

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/12/26/art-dirt-2025-year-in-review/

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet and Nicholas Frank discuss some of their favorite books they read in 2025, including literature on American history, craft, films, and more.

"I had been reading a lot of postcolonial nonfiction and got a bit bogged down in that, emotionally... so I thought I should read some fiction, but most of what I found ended up being the kind of heavyweight postcolonial content I had been trying to turn away from. I think it's good for us in this moment to really think about our history and how culture processes the present moment with a historical lens."

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/12/14/art-dirt-talking-about-glasstires-favorite-books-of-2025/

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and Nicholas Frank discuss the art of writing obituaries for Glasstire and the generational shifts we are witnessing as young leaders step into new roles across Texas.

“Rainy Knudson, the founder of Glasstire, told me, ‘I think that when we lose somebody in an art community, it's just a passage to the next generation. In the larger sense, the more of these you experience, the more you really see the continuum over generations; and how each of us plays our role during some section of that continuum.’”

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/11/28/art-dirt-obituaries-and-generational-shifts

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes, William Sarradet, and Nicholas Frank discuss their recent visit to the Rio Grande Valley, including stops in Laredo, San Ygnacio, McAllen, Harlingen, and Brownsville.

“One of the things that often marks our time in the Valley — and similar regions — is that the communities there are so tightly knit and welcoming. Every time we go to the Panhandle, to East Texas, to West Texas, to the Valley, we are met with these really beautiful, intimate moments where people are open and willing to share.”

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/11/16/art-dirt-a-visit-to-the-rgv/

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

William Sarradet speaks with Mallory Prucha, Associate Professor of Costume Design at Texas Tech University, about garment design, textiles, and teaching in the Texas Panhandle.

“Right now the American theater is trying to figure out what it's doing, but in the process…we’re seeing experimentation. Oftentimes, I’ll expand my students' horizons to think about things like working at Meow Wolf, that’s very theatrically adjacent… or you can think about experiential design… within these times of identity uncertainty of an industry, there is the opportunity to push the limits and boundaries.”

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/11/02/art-dirt-talking-costume-design-collaboration-with-mallory-prucha

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Jessica Fuentes and Nicholas Frank discuss art on view in Marfa during Chinati Weekend and some of the people and places that make up the region's art scene.

“Marfa is a small town, and the people who make that space home end up being a close-knit group of people... when you make a choice to live in a small town, you are also embracing a different lifestyle, something that is truly rooted in community... That’s one of the reasons I enjoy going to Chinati Weekend… every time I go, it's like coming back to an extended family.”

See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2025/10/18/art-dirt-chinati-weekend-2025

If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

Brandon Zech, Jessica Fuentes, and Nicholas Frank discuss takeaways from the Art Papers Art Writing + Publishing Symposium and issues in the field of arts writing.

“We focus on the larger impact of the field of art criticism whenever an art critic gets cuts from their post but the reality of the situation is that one person is able to impact not just an artistic community but an arts-interested public in such a significant way that it's kind of absurd.... The real world impact of journalism, or of losing just a single critic or arts writing position, is weirdly a part of the conversation that gets left out a lot of the time.”

Related readings link: https://glasstire.com/2025/10/03/art-dirt-reflecting-on-the-art-papers-symposium

This podcast is supported in part by The Texas Tribune Festival, which is bringing together inspiring thinkers, leaders, and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Discover the ideas and actions shaping our state and leave ready to turn your boldest ideas into reality. This isn’t just another political event — it’s a catalyst for shaping the future of Texas, today. The festival is happening November 13-15, 2025, in downtown Austin. Get tickets and learn more: http://tribfest.org/