Society ridiculed the modern art she loved, so Lillie P. Bliss set out to create a museum to house it.

It might be hard to imagine, but there was a time when the work of modern artists like Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Paul Cézanne was ridiculed by the public. Despite all the criticism, three women founded a museum dedicated to art that was new. In this edition of the Magazine podcast, we explore the life and work of Lillie P. Bliss, one of MoMA’s three founders and a passionate advocate for modern art. Bliss is also the subject of MoMA’s exhibition Lillie P. Bliss and the Birth of the Modern. Described by her niece as “the most typical Victorian daughter,” the dutiful Bliss nonetheless defied not only society but her parents by going on to build an art collection that became the cornerstone of The Museum of Modern Art.

Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1169

A hundred years later, a Surrealist artwork continues to inspire curiosity in all who encounter it.

“It is an object that—once you’ve seen it, it’s there in your imagination forever,” says former MoMA senior curator Anne Umland about Meret Oppenheim’s Surrealist Object. Objects conservator Caitlin Gozo Richeson had a similar reaction on seeing the fur-lined teacup, saucer, and spoon for the first time as a MoMA intern. “I remember seeing it in the galleries and just being floored,” she recalls. “For me, it’s always been one of those objects that is just so burned into my memory and my senses.”

Oppenheim’s Object is one of the most celebrated works in MoMA’s collection—and for good reason. It’s an artwork full of wonder and humor, often leaving us with more questions than answers. For this edition of the Magazine podcast, we plumb the mysteries of an artwork that has come to embody Surrealism, an artistic and literary movement celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1133

Jazz in the Garden, Episode Three: “Return to the Garden”

An overwhelmingly popular series of jazz concerts in MoMA’s Sculpture Garden in 1985 proved…a little too popular, and it would be nearly a decade before live jazz was once again a regular occurrence at the Museum. In our third and final episode, hear about a new generation of musicians who revived the legacy of jazz at the Museum in the 1990s, and brought it into the 21st century.

Writer/producers: Naeem Douglas, Alex Halberstadt, Jason Persse

Music:

Hear from current and former teens about their experiences of growing up queer.

When was the last time you thought about your teenage self?

For a lot of us, our teenage years were an uncomfortable time. Sure, there were some good moments, but there were also a lot of confusing thoughts and big emotions that we couldn't figure out. For Pride 2024, we invite you to enter the world of Open Art Space (OAS), MoMA’s weekly drop-in program for LGBTQ+ high school students and their allies. You’ll hear from different community members about the ways they discovered and embraced their identity as queer people. They discuss what it was like growing up queer, the role of art in their lives, and the places and spaces that played a vital role in making them feel safe.

Jazz in the Garden, Episode Two: “One Magic Summer”

After a golden age of big names and big crowds throughout the 1960s, by the mid 1970s live jazz at MoMA had become something of an afterthought. But a magical summer of performances in 1985—including landmark concerts by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, “Butch” Morris, and the “saxophone colossus” himself, Sonny Rollins—put the music back at center stage. Join us for our second episode, and hear the story from Rollins and others who were there.

Writer/producers: Naeem Douglas, Alex Halberstadt, Jason Persse

Music:

“Now’s the Time.” Written by Charlie Parker. Performed by Clark Terry. Courtesy of The Orchard. By arrangement with Universal Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing; “Uncle.” Written by Roscoe Mitchell. Performed by the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Courtesy of Universal Music Group. By arrangement with Art Ensemble of Chicago Publishing; “Soloscope, Part 1.” Written and performed by Sonny Rollins. Courtesy of Concord Records. By arrangement with Kobalt obo Son Rol Music Company; “Namesake.” Written and performed by Milt Jackson. Courtesy of Universal Music Group. By arrangement with Reecie Music; “On Green Dolphin Street.” Written by Kaper Bronislaw, Ned Washington. Performed by Sonny Rollins. Courtesy of Universal Music Group. By arrangement with Reservoir Media, BRTS, and BMG

Jazz in the Garden, Episode One: “In the Beginning”

Our story begins on June 16, 1960, when George Wein and the Storyville Sextet played the first jazz concert in MoMA’s Sculpture Garden—and launched more than a decade of legendary performances and recordings from some of the leading lights of jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Sonny Rollins. In this episode, you’ll hear about the first era of jazz at MoMA from some of the musicians who were there.

Writer/producers: Naeem Douglas, Alex Halberstadt, Jason Persse

Music:

Hear how this popular crop is helping craft a more sustainable future in Mexico.

What do corn, craft, and Mexico have in common? The answer to this question comes in the form of Totomoxtle, a project and materials created by designer Fernando Laposse in collaboration with the village of Tonohuixtla. On view through July 7 in the exhibition Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design, Totomoxtle is an example of how good design can do more than please the eye—it can offer new pathways to preserving cultures, supporting local communities, and bringing balance to an ecosystem that has been exploited for far too long. 

For this Earth Month edition of the Magazine podcast, we sat down with Laposse to discuss the origins of his Totomoxtle project and how corn is helping build a more sustainable future for people and planet.

Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1062

Is art the secret to everlasting love?

It’s no secret that some of the most powerful art has been inspired by love, that singular, indescribable feeling that, as it turns out, we are all capable of experiencing. “We all have the 12 brain areas that are critical for love,” says Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo, a leading figure in the neuroscience of social connections. It doesn’t matter if that love we feel is for our friends, our community, or our romantic partners, the only thing that changes between these relationships is the intensity we feel and see in the brain. What’s more, when we embrace that love, amazing things can happen and our brains become stronger.

In this Valentine’s Day episode of the Magazine Podcast, we’re exploring the science of love and how art can help foster it. We’ll hear from Dr. Cacioppo about her research, and from a couple who met at MoMA more than 50 years ago. Together, they’ll teach us that we don’t need to look far for love—sometimes we’ll find it where we least expect.

Access a transcript of the conversation here: moma.org/magazine/articles/1027

Join meditation artist Dora Kamau for an eight-minute guided audio meditation that explores the spectrum of emotions and energies associated with each color.

We’ll delve into color theory and the psychological and emotional effects colors can have on us. Composer James Pratley Watson, who created the soundscape for this meditation, aligned each color with its respective sonic “healing frequency,” in an attempt to infuse it with a deeper vibrational resonance. As Kamau leads you through this immersive meditation, allow the interplay of sound and color to guide you through a calming exploration of your own consciousness.

A neuroscientist discusses how smell influences everything from emotions and relationships to identity and wellbeing.

Our sense of smell is something many of us take for granted, but this sensation is more powerful than you may think. “It literally filters through all aspects of our existence,” explains neuroscientist Rachel Herz, “and the more we deliberately use our sense of smell…the better our brain health is, and even the general health of our bodies.” Smell also plays an important role in art, with many artists using scent as a way to prompt questions. These artworks encourage us to slow down and engage our senses. As Herz reminds us, when we stop and smell the metaphorical roses, “it can really ground us and bring us into that moment.”

For this month’s Ten Minutes podcast, we dig into the complex process that takes beans to bars, and the real-world impact chocolate has on the people who make it.

Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1017