Lattes & Art

In this illuminating conversation, writer and creative Tiffany Smith joins host James William Moore to explore the messy, beautiful process of becoming your authentic self. From filtering our lives to fit expectations to learning how to silence inner critics, Tiffany shares her journey toward creative freedom—one rooted in vulnerability, healing, and radical self-acceptance.

Together, they discuss the courage it takes to be you, how to stop chasing perfection, and why true art often begins when we let go of control. Tiffany also opens up about her upcoming short film, her philosophy of turning the invisible into the visible, and how re-parenting ourselves as adults can unlock our most powerful creative voices.

A soulful, inspiring episode that reminds us: your story matters, your light has value, and imperfection is where real artistry begins.

Links for Tiffany Smith: https://www.instagram.com/creatiffity22/

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Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

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J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

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Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

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Step inside infinity.

In this episode of Lattes & Art, host James William Moore takes you into the mirrored universe of Yayoi Kusama — the groundbreaking artist whose dazzling Infinity Mirror Rooms blur the line between beauty and madness, freedom and confinement.

From her childhood visions of endless dots to her self-imposed life in a Tokyo psychiatric hospital, Kusama has spent a lifetime turning obsession into art and trauma into transcendence.

Her reflections became a language — one that now speaks to millions around the world.

Discover the paradox at the heart of her work — the divine mess behind the masterpiece — and how the artist who once feared disappearing became one of the most visible figures in contemporary art.

Link to Image Library: https://j2atelier.com/podcast-extras 

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Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

When the world feels like it’s on fire — politically, socially, spiritually — what keeps us creating?

In this powerful solo episode of Lattes & Art, host James William Moore explores how art has always risen from the ashes of turmoil. From Goya’s haunting Disasters of War and Picasso’s Guernica to the bold voices of Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and David Wojnarowicz, this episode traces the enduring thread of art as activism and creation as survival.

James reflects on why artists pick up their tools when silence might seem easier, how censorship reveals fear more than morality, and how art transforms pain into light. He also shares the story behind his own work, Projected Words — a searing response to the homophobia born from ignorance, religion, and power — turning hate-filled language into luminous reclamation.

Why We Make Art When the World Is Burning is a call to witness, to feel, and to create. Because when the world burns, art becomes both the record of our pain and the proof of our persistence.

Call to Action:

If this episode inspires you to create — any art, in any form — share it with us.

Tag @LattesAndArtPodcast and @JSquaredAtelier on social media and let’s keep the creative fire burning together.

Send us Fan Mail

Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

In this episode of Lattes & Art, host James William Moore sits down with emerging artist Read Brown as she prepares for her debut exhibition, Saturation, at Impell Gallery.

Read’s journey into art is as unexpected as it is inspiring. She discovered photography as both a healing practice and a way of seeing the world anew. From decisive moments like her striking portrait Maria, to abstractions that transform everyday objects into painterly images, her work invites us to pause, look closer, and find beauty in the overlooked.

Together, James and Read discuss creativity born from life’s upheavals, the vulnerability of stepping into the identity of “artist” for the first time, and how art can reflect both the inner self and the outside world.

Images discussed during the episode:

Maria: https://readbrownart.com/humans

Images from upcoming show: https://readbrownart.com/the-bloom

✨ Be sure to catch Saturation at Impell Gallery

Saturation

October 9, 11, 12, 18

Impell Gallery

610 S Belardo Rd Suite 1000, 

Palm Springs, CA 92264

🌐 Website: https://readbrownart.com

🌐 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readbrown/

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Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

In this episode, host, artist, and educator James William Moore brings the lens inward — into the classroom, into the photograph, and into a national conversation on race, representation, and responsibility.

Building on a previous episode featuring Aneka Brown and the topic of cultural appropriation vs. appreciation, James reflects on what happened when he introduced Gordon Parks’ American Gothic to his art history students. Their reactions were raw, reflective, and deeply aware of the inequality embedded within one of America’s most iconic visual symbols: the flag.

Through student voices and Parks’ enduring image of Ella Watson, this episode explores how photography can be both witness and protest — and how the next generation is already seeing with clarity. This isn’t just an analysis of a photograph; it’s a reflection on who gets to define the American narrative, and what happens when we study the rightimages first.

Artwork Referenced"

Gordon Parks "American Gothic": https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.05809

Roy DeCarava: https://www.moma.org/artists/1422-roy-decarava

Carrie Mae Weems: https://www.moma.org/artists/7177-carrie-mae-weems

Latoya Ruby Frazier: https://www.moma.org/artists/47008-latoya-ruby-frazier

Tyler Mitchell: https://gagosian.com/artists/tyler-mitchell/

Send us Fan Mail

Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

In this eye-opening episode of Lattes & Art, host James William Moore sits down with designer and creative powerhouse Aneka Brown to unpack the often-blurred line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Drawing from her personal experiences and professional journey, Aneka shares insight into honoring cultural heritage through design, the responsibilities that come with representing cultures not your own, and the importance of listening and learning when creating art inspired by diverse traditions.

Together, they explore how artists and audiences alike can navigate this complex conversation with empathy, respect, and authenticity. Don’t miss Aneka’s powerful perspective on how we can move beyond stereotypes to celebrate cultural richness without exploitation.

Aneka Brown (Aneka Brown Designs):

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anekabrowndesigns/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558439646123

Shop the Designer Event at Macy's

July 26th & 27th, 2025

Macy’s Colonies Crossroads

1293 E. 19th Street

Upland, CA 91784

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Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

In this solo episode, I step behind the mic to share a personal reflection on creativity, commitment, and the quiet power of simply showing up for the work. Inspired by my own journey — including the creation of Madame B’s Tarot Readingsand its inclusion in the international art project Expo Metro — we explore how showing up, even on uncertain days, opens doors to unexpected opportunities.

One of those doors led to Madame B being included in the Expo Metro Art Tunnel in Barcelona, now on view until June 29th. This public art installation brings together artists from around the world, transforming city spaces into vibrant open-air galleries. You can learn more about the Art Tunnel project here.

Whether you’re an emerging artist, a seasoned creative, or someone wrestling with doubt, this episode is a reminder: showing up matters — and sometimes, it leads you all the way to Barcelona.

🌐Expo Metro: https://expometro.co/ 

🌐Barcelona Art Tunnel: https://expometro.co/en/exhibition/2025-barcelona

🌐Expo Metro Instagram

🎥 Video Podcast Version: YouTube

Send us Fan Mail

Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

Before superheroes flew across movie screens, comic books were already shaking the foundations of society. In this episode, we crack open the panels of history to reveal the bold, subversive roots of the comic book industry—where capes and speech bubbles met protest and propaganda.

Join us as we explore how early comic creators tackled racism, fascism, sexism, and war, often under the radar and sometimes under fire. From Wonder Woman’s feminist origins to the punk-fueled zines of the ’80s and the guerrilla art of street comics today, we trace how graphic storytelling became a powerful tool for resistance, identity, and cultural transformation.

Send us Fan Mail

Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

In this episode of Lattes & Art, host James William Moore explores the dramatic world of Caravaggio through the lens of Pope Francis’s admiration. Why does a pope known for humility and mercy gravitate toward an artist with such a turbulent past? We break down two of Caravaggio’s most powerful works—The Calling of Saint Matthew and The Incredulity of Saint Thomas—looking closely at their use of light, realism, and raw emotion. These aren’t just paintings; they are spiritual confrontations in oil and shadow. Join us as we unpack the tension between faith and doubt, sinner and saint, and why Caravaggio’s divine drama still hits home today.

Image Links:

The Calling of Saint Matthew https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Calling_of_Saint_Matthew_by_Carvaggio.jpg

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas_by_Caravaggio.jpg 

Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070379/mediaviewer/rm2117716992/?ref_=ttmi_mi_11

Installation shots of Caravaggio works https://anamericaninrome.com/2019/02/caravaggio-church-san-luigi-dei-francesi-rome/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)

Join us for a stroll through Desert X 2025 as we explore the powerful, playful, and poetic installations scattered across the Coachella Valley. In this episode, host James William Moore is joined by three friends and fellow art lovers—Ellen Pirosh, Susan LeBlanc, and Jeff Snyder—each bringing their unique lens to the experience.

From Ellen’s takes and discoveries to Susan’s emotional insights, and Jeff’s design-savvy reflections at Sunnylands and The Living Pyramid, this episode captures the joy of discovering art in unexpected places. Whether you’ve walked Desert X yourself or you’re exploring it vicariously, this is a journey worth tuning in for.

Desert X runs through May 11, 2025—don’t miss it! Be sure to download the app for maps, locations, and artist statements

DesertX.org

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Follow & Subscribe to Lattes & Art
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

Be sure to catch our sister podcast - Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History streaming in all the usual locations:

Apple Podcast (audio)

YouTube (video)

Spotify (audio)