This week on "Maybe, Actually, Museums Are for Me," Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), sits down for a  with Adrienne Baxter Bell, a leading Inness scholar and Montclair resident who brings context and insight to the artist’s legacy. Together, they explore the history and lasting impact of George Inness as both a historical figure and master of landscape painting.

Recorded on 05/29/2025

This week, Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), is joined by Raili, a Marketing Intern at MAM to chat about the interest of the arts in high school, whether or not teenagers even want to come to museums, and how cultural institutions can better program for a younger audience.

Recorded on 05/23/2025

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 answer some burning questions asked by our listeners. They chat about things like what is the most impactful show we've seen at any museum? Or what are the benefits of a small museums?

Join Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), as he sits down again with Audrey Roclore, MAM's Curatorial Assistant to discuss the purpose and importance of wall labels in museum galleries, how they tell a more full story about the art and artists on view, and why the insight that a youthful perspective matters.

Episode recorded on 05/11/2025

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 recent headlines in the art world including how a child damaged a famous Rothko painting in the Netherlands, and the Barbara Kruger's new installation on Ukraine passenger train among other topics and conversations.

Recorded on 05/05/2025

This week on "Maybe, Actually, Museums Are for Me," Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), sits down for a third time with MAM’s Chief Curator, Gail Stavitsky. Together, they explore the art and enduring impact of George Inness on the eve of his 200th birthday—his influence on Montclair, the newly rotated works in his permanent gallery at MAM, and why he deserves a place in the conversation about great American landscape painters.

Recorded on 04/22/2025

In this special Sunday bonus episode of "Maybe, Actually, Museums are for Me," we're thrilled to welcome Christian Allaire — Senior Fashion and Style Writer at Vogue and author of two books, including his newly released memoir, "From the Rez to the Runway: Forging My Path in Fashion," now available in stores.

Join host Alex Pavljuk, the Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), as he sat down with Christian to explore the intersection of fine art and fashion, what it means to be an Indigenous voice in the fashion industry, and the journey of writing a memoir — among much more.

Christian will be appearing at MAM on April 29, 2025, as part of the Succeed2gether Montclair Literary Festival. The evening will include a reading from From the Rez to the Runway, an audience Q&A, and a meet-and-greet book signing. Copies of "From the Rez to the Runway," and Christian’s first book, "The Power of Style," will be available for purchase.

Sign up today by visiting, https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/events/events-and-programs/rez-runway-book-talk-christian-allaire

Recorded on 04/25/2025

Join Alex Pavljuk, Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), as he sits down for a second time with actress, host, and Montclair Story Salon founder Liz Samuel to explore the intersection of arts, storytelling, and culture deeper then before. They’ll jump into a recap of the Montclair Story Salon hosted here at MAM, what students can expect to learn from Liz's upcoming storytelling workshop, and the ability to find stories in every part of our lives, including through art.

Registration for "Master Class: Personal Storytelling through Art" is open now at the link here. The event will take place over the course of 4 weeks, beginning on Friday, May 16, 2025.

Episode recorded on 04/21/2025

This week, host Alex Pavljuk, the Digital Content Strategist at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), sits down for a second time with Ira Wagner, the Executive Director of MAM, to discuss two new photography shows at the Museum. During the course of our conversation, we unexpectedly dive deep into the question of whether or not photography is an art form. Alongside this, we discuss movements like Pictorialism and the history of photography within arts institutions.

This episode was recorded on 04/11/2025

This episode of "Maybe, Actually, Museums are for me," is a little different. While Alex is busy prepping upcoming episodes, we thought we’d hand the mic over to our friends at "The Montclair Pod," and give you a taste of what their show is all about.

We’re big fans of "The Montclair Pod," and everything Farnoosh, Michael, and Ali are doing in our community. Like us, they’re passionate about helping people engage more deeply with Montclair—learning about the people, places, and stories that make it such a vibrant and inclusive place to live. 

While our shows may sound different, our goals often overlap, and this week’s episode is a great example of that. In this special preview, you’ll hear a range of conversations centered around the arts in Montclair. Known for its thriving creative scene, Montclair is home to actors, artists, musicians, poets, and performers.

You’ll hear from acclaimed visual artist Nanette Carter, whose work is currently on view here at The Montclair Art Museum. Tom Hall, Artistic Director of the Montclair Film Festival, shares what’s ahead for one of New Jersey’s top cultural events. Jazz legend and founder of Seed Artists, Pheeroan akLaff, reflects on the town’s musical legacy. And actress Kristen Connolly talks about growing up in Montclair and what it’s like to return as both a parent and working artist—plus much more.

You can find The Montclair Pod wherever you stream your podcasts. Enjoy the episode, and see you next week for our regularly scheduled program!