On Season 8, episode 4 of The Art Career Podcast, Emily sits down with Dr. Ace Lehner to discuss trans visual culture, the politics of representation, and so much more

Their conversation explores how images construct identity, how institutions shape visibility, and what it means to challenge dominant frameworks of seeing. As both a scholar and an artist, Ace brings depth, clarity, and lived insight to questions that sit at the center of contemporary culture.

Emily and Ace talk about photography, authorship, power, and the responsibility that comes with representation - and why rewriting visual narratives isn’t just theoretical, but necessary.

Recorded at: Creative Legion in Hudson, NY

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Ace Lehner is an interdisciplinary visual culture scholar and artist whose work focuses on trans and queer visual culture, race and representation, photography, performance, and modern and contemporary art. Their writing has appeared in leading journals including Art Journal, Visual Studies, Cultural Politics, and Media-N, among others. Lehner recently guest edited the first-ever issue of Art Journal dedicated to trans visual culture and is currently developing a book project, Trans Representations: Decolonizing Visual Theory in Contemporary Photography, based on their award-winning dissertation research.

Lehner’s artistic practice spans photography, installation, and performance, examining the relationship between representation and identity.  Their project Barbershop: The Art of Queer Failure has been presented in solo exhibitions at Brewer Harris projects and Practice Gallery, as well as in group exhibitions at the Fleming Museum and the Wassaic Project with additional exhibitions at institutions, including the International Center of Photography, El Museo del Barrio, and SOMArts. 
A recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the College Art Association Professional Development Fellowship, Lehner has delivered public talks and organized conference panels internationally. They have worked in museum education for over two decades and pioneered the first Queer Tours at the Museum of Modern Art. Lehner is currently a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Art and Art History at the University of Vermont.

Dr Ace Lehner's Website: http://ace-lehner.com

Follow Ace: https://www.instagram.com/ace_lehner_projects

Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠theartcareer.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more episodes and resources  

If you loved this episode, tag ⁠⁠⁠@theartcareer ⁠⁠⁠and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show. 

Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig

Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic

About Blake Cooper Griffin: Blake Cooper Griffin is an actor, advocate, speaker, and entrepreneur whose career bridges film, television, and public life. Known for emotionally layered performances and wide-ranging screen roles, he has worked opposite Academy Award winners and led projects across genres, from prestige drama to thriller and comedy. Off-screen, he is the founder of Brainworks Team, an education and mentorship company helping students nationwide build academic strength and self-authorship. A national surrogate for three U.S. presidential campaigns, Griffin has spoken widely on identity, democracy, and the power of personal reinvention. His work and commentary have appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, and HuffPost. The Story of You: A Life Rewritten is his nonfiction debut.

About the book: 

Part memoir, part guidebook-for anyone standing in the middle of change, when the old version of life no longer fits and the next chapter remains uncertain.

Actor and advocate Blake Cooper Griffin traces the quiet wreckage-and unexpected grace-of personal reinvention. From a Southern childhood marked by silence and shame to building a screen career in Hollywood and speaking on national political stages, he reveals what it took to stop performing a version of his life-and start truly living it.

Blending emotional depth with practical clarity, The Story of You invites readers to reframe the narratives that have held them back. Each chapter delivers cinematic storytelling, hard-earned insight, and a re-authoring question designed to move readers forward-not with perfection but with power.

This isn't about having the answers. The Story of You is about reclaiming the pen, stepping into the unknown, and daring to write what comes next-with intention, clarity, and heart.

Pre-order The Story of You: A Life Re-Written: HERE

Follow Blake: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/blakecoopergriffin/?hl=en

Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠theartcareer.com⁠⁠⁠ for more episodes and resources  

If you loved this episode, tag ⁠⁠@theartcareer ⁠⁠and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show. 

Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig

Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic

On Season 8, Episode 3 of The Art Career Podcast, Emily sits down with Rachel Dratch.

Rachel Dratch ⁠is an American actress, comedian, writer, and podcast host whose career spans stage, television, film, and audio storytelling. Most recently, she has been cast as the narrator in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, continuing her long-standing relationship with live performance and theater. 

Dratch rose to wide prominence as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006, where her range of unforgettable characters — most notably Debbie Downer — became cultural touchstones in sketch comedy. She has since returned frequently as a guest performer, including recent appearances portraying Senator Amy Klobuchar. 

Beyond SNL, Dratch has appeared in beloved television comedies including 30 Rock, Broad City, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, as well as films such as Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Click, and Plan B. In 2022, she made her Broadway debut in POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. 

She is also the author of Girl Walks into a Bar…, a memoir that blends humor with candid reflection on career, resilience, and reinvention. Known for her sharp wit, improvisational brilliance, and enduring curiosity, Dratch continues to work across mediums while remaining deeply connected to the craft.

Follow Rachel: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/raedratch/?hl=en 

Woo Woo Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/woo-woo-with-rachel-dratch/id1710044536 

Purchase Tickets to Rocky Horror Picture Show: HERE 

Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: ⁠⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠theartcareer.com⁠⁠ for more episodes and resources  

If you loved this episode, tag ⁠@theartcareer ⁠and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show. 

Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig

Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic

In Season 8, Episode 2 of The Art Career Podcast, Emily sits down with Sarah Ortegon. 

Sarah is an Eastern Shoshone–enrolled and Northern Arapaho visual artist, dancer, and performer whose work bridges ancestral knowledge, land, and contemporary Indigenous life. Raised between Denver and the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, her practice spans painting, beadwork on hide, mixed media, and performance—grounded in memory, resilience, and cultural continuity. In 2013, she was crowned Miss Native American USA, a moment that led to years of international jingle dress performances and a deepened commitment to bringing Indigenous presence into contemporary cultural spaces. 

Many first encountered Sarah through She Never Dances Alone (2019), a multi-channel video by Jeffrey Gibson, first presented on the screens of Times Square and later traveling internationally, including live performances at the Venice Biennale. Centering the jingle dress dance—a powwow dance traditionally performed by women to call upon ancestors for strength, healing, and protection—the work amplifies Indigenous visibility on a global stage. 

In this episode, we talk about ancestral knowledge, contemporary Indigenous life, motherhood, and performance—how these threads intersect, and what it means to carry cultural continuity forward with intention and care. This conversation is part of a broader effort to support and elevate Indigenous women artists and to make space for their voices, practices, and leadership within contemporary art. 

Follow Sara: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nonookeiht_bee3eisei/?hl=en 

Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: ⁠⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠

 Visit ⁠⁠theartcareer.com⁠⁠ for more episodes and resources  

If you loved this episode, tag ⁠@theartcareer ⁠and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show. 

Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig

Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic

In Season 8, Episode 1 of The Art Career Podcast, Emily sits down with Johnny Cirillo, the photographer and visual storyteller behind Watching New York— one of the most influential portrait projects documenting contemporary life in the city today.

Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, Johnny developed an early passion for photography as a teenager on Long Island, after his mother gave him his first 35mm camera and shared her own black-and-white photographs from the 1960s. What began as an obsession quickly became a practice: rolling his own film, building a darkroom, and photographing friends as he explored the medium from the inside out.

Through Watching New York, Johnny has built and connected a global community of more than 2 million people united by a shared love for New York — its people, its fashion, and its everyday magic. His work is rooted in attention and intimacy, capturing fleeting moments that feel both deeply personal and collectively recognizable. Johnny has collaborated with brands including Airbnb, Gucci, AMI Paris, Balenciaga, GQ, Burberry, Adidas, Away, and Free People, and has interviewed artists and cultural figures such as Halsey, Ethan Hawke, Colman Domingo, Charli XCX, Ashley Graham, and Lizzo.

In this conversation, they explore:
His early relationship to photography and image-making
How Watching New York evolved into a cultural archive
The ethics of looking, access, and photographing strangers
Building trust and community through portraiture
Collaborating with major brands while maintaining artistic integrity

This episode is a thoughtful reflection on observation, authorship, and the quiet power of paying attention — essential listening for anyone interested in photography, cultural memory, and the art of seeing.

Follow Johnny: https://www.instagram.com/watchingnewyork/?hl=en
Purchase: Watching New York: Street Style A to Z: https://www.amazon.com/Watching-New-York-Street-Style/dp/1419769944

Follow Emily McElwreath on Instagram: ⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠

Visit ⁠theartcareer.com⁠ for more episodes and resources

If you loved this episode, tag @theartcareer and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show.

Sound Engineer and Production: Josh Craig

Creative Direction: Nina Yankovic

In this landmark episode, Emily sits down with one of the most influential figures in modern theater—Jeffrey Seller, the Broadway producer behind Rent, Hamilton, Avenue Q, and In the Heights.

Recorded in Jeffrey’s own home, this intimate and revealing conversation explores:

• His early creative influences and the making of Rent

• What it takes to recognize and develop groundbreaking work

• The emotional and financial risks behind Hamilton

• His revolutionary $20 ticket lottery and commitment to accessibility

• How he balances artistic vision with the demands of production

• Advice for creatives building sustainable, impactful careers

In celebration of the release of his new memoir Theater Kid, Jeffrey opens up about the real moments behind the musicals that changed Broadway.

Jeffrey is one of the most successful American producers of our time. His shows have won 22 Tony Awards, earned over $4.6 billion, and reached more than 43 million attendees. He’s the only producer in history to mount two Pulitzer Prize–winning musicals—and he revolutionized theater accessibility with Rent’s $20 ticket lottery.

Order his memoir Theater Kid: https://www.amazon.com/Theater-Kid-Broadway-Jeffrey-Seller/dp/1668064189

With a legacy that is not just extraordinary—but transformational—this episode is essential listening for anyone interested in storytelling, producing, or creating at the highest level.

• Jeffrey Seller NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/theater/jeffrey-seller-theater-kid-hamilton-memoir.html

• Follow Emily on Instagram: @emilymcelwreath_art

• Visit theartcareer.com for more episodes and resources

If you loved this episode, tag @theartcareer and share your favorite insight on IG stories! Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more creatives discover the show.

In this episode of The Art Career, Emily sits down with the incomparable Melissa Auf der Maur — musician, visual artist, filmmaker, and co-founder of the multidisciplinary arts center Basilica Hudson.

Known for her role as the bass player in iconic 1990s rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa’s journey spans far beyond the stage. From self-producing solo albums to launching a nationally recognized cultural venue in Hudson, NY, Melissa has spent the past two decades creating space — literally and metaphorically — for artists to gather, experiment, and thrive.

This conversation covers the full spectrum of her creative life: music, motherhood, mythology, and the radical act of sustaining a long-term, independent practice. We also talk about her upcoming literary memoir, which will explore her time inside the legendary 1990s rock scene — set to be released in 2026 by Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Books.

We discuss:

• Touring the world with Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins

• Creating Basilica Hudson as a haven for artists and community

• Her deep roots in visual art and photography

• Storytelling, place-making, and the role of women in music history

• Writing her forthcoming memoir on the 90s rock era

Follow Melissa: @xmadmx

Learn more about Basilica Hudson: basilicahudson.org

Follow Emily: @emilymcelwreath_art

Follow The Art Career: @theartcareer

Melissa Auf der Maur was born and raised in Montreal, Canada where she received a fine arts education focused on music and photography. Auf der Maur is most prominently known for her
role as the bass player and band member in two Grammy Nominated and Winning 90’s rock bands, Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. At the turn of the millennium, after multiple world tours she set off on her own to self-produce two solo albums, released on Capitol Records and
RoadRunner / Warner Brother Records. In 2010 she co-founded the multidisciplinary art center Basilica Hudson in Hudson, NY with filmmaker Tony Stone, which welcomes up to 20,000 yearly visitors to genre-pushing music festivals, large-scale marketplace events, film screenings, and public installations. In addition to her work as an arts and music curator at Basilica Hudson, Auf der Maur has produced films that have been presented at Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, New Directors New Films, and released by NEON and Magnolia Pictures. Her photography work has been published in National Geographic, American Photo, SPIN and BUST Magazines, and exhibited at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Sotheby's NY, among other venues. Her literary memoir, focusing on her time in the iconic 90’s rock scene, is due to be released in 2026 by Grand Central / Hachettes Books.

In this candid and richly layered episode, Emily sits down with artist and actress Jemima Kirke for a conversation that unfolds with wit, depth, and honesty. Best known for her role as Jessa in HBO’s Girls, Jemima is also a RISD-trained painter whose work explores vulnerability, womanhood, and identity through a deeply personal lens.

Jemima opens up about the nuances of balancing visibility in the film world with the more private act of painting, the impact of motherhood on her creative process, and why she remains uninterested in pleasing anyone but herself when it comes to making art.

The interview was photographed by the inimitable Matthew Tully Dugan, who captured Jemima at home—images as intimate and magnetic as the conversation itself.

As always, The Art Career Podcast is brought to you by a small but passionate team. These unscripted, heartfelt dialogues are made possible by a community that values art, storytelling, and truth. Thank you for being here.

Jemima Kirke is a British-American actress and visual artist. She rose to prominence for her role as Jessa Johansson on the HBO series Girls, and has since starred in acclaimed projects such as Conversations with Friends, Maniac, and Sex Education. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Jemima’s first love is painting—her figurative works often exploring themes of intimacy, identity, and the complexities of womanhood. Her art has been exhibited in both the U.S. and the UK, and she continues to cultivate a multidisciplinary practice that defies easy categorization.

Jemma Rose Brown is an artist, strategist and curator of cultural programs raised & based in NYC. Her approach is shaped by a decade+ career in podcasts and the audio industry. Jemma is the General Manager of The Signal Awards and Co-Creator of On Air Fest, the premiere event for audio storytelling. She is the Co-Founder of Cosmophage. Previously, she was the Director of creative agency work x work and a Producer at The Moth. Her projects have been covered widely in Vanity Fair, Wired, Forbes, Rolling Stone & more. Jemma sits on the Advisory Committee of UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art. Alongside her professional work, Jemma’s art practice is in incessant pursuit of intimacy: reaching across the asymptote of human experience to create momentary acts of connection. Jemma utilizes memoir, staged meals and performance to test the boundaries between self and other.

Links:

 ⁠⁠⁠theartcareer.com⁠⁠⁠

Follow Cosmophage Collective: https://www.instagram.com/cosmophage/?hl=en

Follow Jemma: https://www.instagram.com/_needsmoresalt/

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠@theartcareer⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠⁠

Production + Creative Direction ⁠⁠⁠@soniaruscoe⁠⁠⁠

Editing: ⁠⁠⁠@benjamin.galloway⁠⁠⁠

 Join our community for exclusive updates, artist resources, and behind-the-scenes content! Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠theartcareer.com⁠⁠⁠

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Cultural Icons is here. A new editorial series by Emily McElwreath, spotlighting the spaces, brands, and experiences shaping today’s creative landscape.

As a curator, art advisor, and cultural journalist, Emily has spent years immersed in the art world, uncovering the people and places that truly move culture forward. Now, she’s bringing that insight to Cultural Icons—a definitive selection of the most inspiring destinations, institutions, and brands that understand the intersection of art, design, and experience.

In this episode, Emily introduces the vision behind Cultural Icons, how it expands upon The Art Career Podcast, and what’s to come. Stay tuned for the first feature this spring.

Follow along - Cultural Icons

@theartcareer

@emily_mcelwreathart