The Montclair Art Museum welcomed, Arianna Jobst, as it's first ever Writer-in-Residence this Spring.

Arianna Jobst is a New Jersey native and emerging writer working primarily in creative nonfiction — short stories, essays, and novel writing that explore family, queerness, and identity. She graduated from the Literary Prose program at the Univeristy of Virginia. Her piece My Turn, voicing the frustrations of queer women and their female friendships, was published in the Virginia Literary Review.

During the duration of the exhibition, See It Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection, her literary interpretations of art on view in the show will be published weekly, with readings, such as this, released in our podcast feed bi-weekly.

This piece, titled "Restless." is an interpritation of the artwork, Face, by Natalie Frank.

Disclaimer: All works presented here are interpretive prose written by Arianna Jobst, Writer-in-Residence at the Montclair Art Museum. The views, interpretations, and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent or reflect the positions, values, or views of the Montclair Art Museum.

This week on Maybe, Actually, Museums are for me, host, Alex traveled to Chicago to sit down with the world renowned contemporary artist Nick Cave for wide ranging conversation.

Recorded at Nick's studio, Facility, in Old Irving Park, the conversation offered an intimate look into Cave’s expansive practice, from his iconic Soundsuits to his more recent explorations in bronze and performance.

Cave’s work, featured in major institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Montclair Art Museum, blends art, fashion, and social commentary, addressing urgent themes such as racism, gun violence, and climate change.

Though unable to attend MAM’s Spring Art Gala as Honorary Artist Chair due to his participation in the Venice Biennale, Cave welcomed the conversation in his studio, offering reflections on his upbringing, storytelling, and the evolution of his work. Framed through an exploration of the studio as both a physical and psychological space, this episode traces the connections between environment, process, and artistic expression, beginning with a discussion of the studio itself.

The Montclair Art Museum welcomed, Arianna Jobst, as it's first ever Writer-in-Residence this Spring.

Arianna Jobst is a New Jersey native and emerging writer working primarily in creative nonfiction — short stories, essays, and novel writing that explore family, queerness, and identity. She graduated from the Literary Prose program at the Univeristy of Virginia. Her piece My Turn, voicing the frustrations of queer women and their female friendships, was published in the Virginia Literary Review.

During the duration of the exhibition, See It Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection, her literary interpretations of art on view in the show will be published weekly, with readings, such as this, released in our podcast feed bi-weekly.

This piece, titled "Maybe, I wasn't supposed to see it." is an interpritation of the artwork, Face, by Natalie Frank.

Disclaimer: All works presented here are interpretive prose written by Arianna Jobst, Writer-in-Residence at the Montclair Art Museum. The views, interpretations, and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent or reflect the positions, values, or views of the Montclair Art Museum.

Read more by Arianna by visiting the following link—
https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/read-it-now-interpretive-works-see-it-now

***

Natalie Frank (b. 1980), Face, 2011. Oil on board. Courtesy of Ann and Mel Schaffer.

This week Alex, Creative Media Producer at the Montclair Art Museum, sat down with Audrey Roclore, MAM's Curatorial Assistant to discuss the purpose and importance of public art and civic beautification.

Learn more about MAM—
https://www.montclairartmuseum.org

This week on Maybe, Actually, Museum are for me, Alex sits down with renowned harpist, bandleader, and jazz performer, Brandee Younger. Brandee is a harpist, composer and bandleader whose music connects spiritual jazz and classical training to the rhythmic soulfulness of R&B and hip-hop. In this episode the two discuss the intersection between fine art and jazz music, if playing a show inside a museum has any influence, and how Brandee has started to develop an interest in art collecting.

You can see Brandee Younger perform at the Montclair Art Museum on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at the Museum's annual Art Meets Jazz concert hosted and supported by the African American Cultural Commitee (AACC).

You can find tickets here—
https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/events/events-and-programs/art-meets-jazz-brandee-younger

This week, Alex Pavljuk, Creative Media Producer at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), is back! In this solo, bonus episode Alex let's listeners behind the scenes to know where we've been the past couple of months.

Going forward, expect a new episode every two weeks with supplemental content here and there.

Learn more about MAM by visiting,
https://www.montclairartmuseum.org

This week, Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), chats again with his colleague Melissa Casale. In this episode, they answer some more burning questions asked by our listeners. They talk about accessibility in the arts, how we come up with show topics, trends or movements in contemporary art that excite us and more!

This week, join Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), as he chats with Andrea Ferreira, Volunteer and Intern Coordinator at MAM. In this episode, they discuss the importance of volunteers within the arts, why people should give back to their community, and how to get involved in MAM's volunteer program.

Recorded on 01/01/2025

In this week's episode revisit, host Alex Pavljuk, the Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), sits down with his colleague, boss, and resident film buff, Asif Iqbal, the Director of Marketing at MAM, about what place film, as an art form, belong in Museums?

This episode was recorded on 11/13/24

This week, Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), chats again with his colleague Melissa Casale, Digital Marketing Manager at MAM. In this episode, they discuss some recent developments in the art market.