Chef & owner of On the Hill Cafe and CookHouse, Chef George Dailey joins the podcast. Dailey is originally from Venezuela. He started his cooking career in Boston, then moved to Baltimore and opened On the Hill Cafe in 2005. In this conversation, Dailey shares his passion for global flavors, seasonal menus, and the art of hospitality. Dailey reflec…

Chef & co-owner of The Corner Pantry (TCP), Neill Howell returns to the podcast to talk growth, creativity, and keeping standards high. Howell & TCP has expanded the cafe and deepened their commitment to local sourcing. Howell shares his philosophy behind TCP's menu and how to build community through food. Also, Howell discusses how evolving, being…

Henry Hyde—artisan and owner of Hyde Handmade Knives—returns to talk craft, community, and creating work that resonates. Hyde is an artisan known for his kitchen knives and meticulous approach to materials. In the episode, Hyde reflects on the evolution of his process, from isolating early days to searching for real connection at craft shows. Also,…

Artist and professor Kumasi J. Barnett returns to the podcast to talk art, protest, and making work that cuts through the noise. Known for subverting comic books through introspective reinterpretations, Barnett reflects his work today. Barnett shares the realities of being a Black painter, creating in the shadow of systemic erasure, and why some tr…

Multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator Joseph Cochran II returns to The Truth In This Art. A native New Yorker, Cochran practice spans photography, video, and archival work, with NYC baked in. Cochran examines the emotional cost of late capitalism in industrialized societies. In this conversation: Cochran discusses living and working in…

Artist and provocateur Brian Andrew Whiteley joins The Truth In This Art . Whiteley is known for his politically charged work including the infamous Trump Tombstone. Whiteley reflects on his work including creepy clown performances. He shares how comics sparked his creative journey. Whiteley discusses why art that provokes discomfort can often spar…

Interdisciplinary artist and activist Sheryl Oring returns to The Truth In This Art! Oring shares updates on I Wish to Say. "I Wish to Say" is her long-running public art project. For decades, thousands of people have dictated postcards to the U.S. president for this project. It started with just one typewriter. Now, it's a growing collection of pu…

Director of Baltimore’s new Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (MOACE), Linzy Jackson III joins The Truth In This Art! Jackson started as a summer youth worker and is now a crucial link between artists and the local government in Baltimore City. Jackson talks about what it means to streamline access to public resources and his work tearing …

Visual artist and educator Christopher Batten returns to reflect on evolution, resilience, and what it means to keep pushing—on canvas and in the classroom. Now in his 10th year living in Baltimore and his third year teaching at Morgan State, Christopher shares how his practice continues to evolve. We talk about the role of failure, what teaching o…

Baltimore-based artist and designer Elijah Trice returns to talk about growth, storytelling, and painting the everyday with dignity and joy. Since our last conversation in 2022, Elijah has expanded his practice beyond hyperrealistic portraiture to explore themes of childhood memory and creative freedom. We recorded this just after his first solo sh…

If you’ve ever danced your heart out at a sold-out basement party or streamed a late-night DJ set on your phone, you’ve felt the pulse of Kotic Couture’s world. In this episode, Baltimore Magazine’s 2023 Best Local Artist shares how she swapped rap verses for turntables, co-founded one of the city’s most inclusive monthly events, and turned a bedro…

Ceramic-based artist and educator Ara Koh returns to The Truth In This Art for her second conversation with Rob Lee. Known for her layered clay paintings and material-intensive installations, Ara shares how her practice has deepened through repetition, research, and unexpected cracks—both literal and metaphorical. In this episode, Ara talks about p…

Curator, writer, and executive director of the ICA at VCU Jessica Bell Brown returns to reflect on her evolving leadership at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this conversation, we talk about openness as a strategy, the role of listening in shaping institutions, and what it means to make space for experimen…

Guggenheim Fellow, artist, producer, and educator Kokayi returns to unpack the layers of sound, storytelling, and being a vessel for cultural memory. Since our first conversation, Kokayi has pushed deeper into multidisciplinary work—blending sound design, improvisation, code, and community-building. This conversation tracks his reflections on legac…

Artist, educator, and Afro Charities Executive Director Savannah Wood joins to reflect on legacy, growth, and leading one of Baltimore’s most ambitious cultural preservation efforts. Savannah has overseen major milestones—most notably, the $16M redevelopment of the historic Upton Mansion, future home of the Afro-American Newspaper (AFRO) archives. …

Artist Lewinale Havette returns for a conversation on art, spirit, and shedding constraints. Recorded at Palo Gallery during NYC Art Week, Lewinale reflects on her evolution since 2022—from early paintings shaped by language and migration to her latest abstract works rooted in instinct, spirituality, and ancestral memory. We discuss authenticity, p…

Director and choreographer Sam Landa joins for his first appearance on the podcast to talk about reimagining what circus can be—and how LIQUID uses punk aesthetics, narrative, and high-stakes performance to deliver something unforgettable. As co-founder of New York Circus Project, Sam blends circus, theater, and dance to push creative boundaries. W…

Artist and educator Hae Won Sohn returns for a reflective conversation on process, adaptability, and making art that holds up—materially and conceptually. Now based in Queens, Hae Won shares what’s evolved since her 2021 Sondheim Prize win and how her process-first approach has deepened through teaching, repurposing materials, and balancing art wit…

Shaolin Jazz co-founder DJ 2-Tone Jones—one half of the duo behind the genre-bending brand—returns to reflect on growth, alignment, and his continued love for blending film and music through Can I Kick It? Finding purpose through Shaolin Jazz: how re-scoring films with hip-hop and jazz gave his DJ career renewed meaning Can I Kick It?: building a n…

Baltimore’s award-winning documentary filmmaker, public historian, and Baltimore City Hall curator Joe Tropea returns to share how personal connection guides his project choices, why he embraces “ums” and raw moments in the edit, and what it takes to build strong creative partnerships — from abandoned true-crime concepts to a new mayoral portrait g…

Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful at Everyman Theatre, where director, choreographer, and arts educator Joseph Ritsch brings gothic farce, drag, and campy spectacle together in a production bursting with sharp humor and political edge. In this episode, Joseph joins Rob Lee to unpack why Charles Lud…

You know those moments when a photograph or film clip feels like it’s speaking hidden truths? New School professor and interdisciplinary artist Isaiah Winters returns to share how rigorous archival research fuels his photography, film, and mixed-media practice. From earning his MFA at Parsons to documenting pro-Palestinian campus protests and expos…

You know that moment when a painting feels so real you swear the subject might blink? Hyper-realist portraitist Monica Ikegwu returns to reveal the behind-the-scenes rigor—hours of glazing, precise lighting choices, and minimalist backgrounds—that turn a single photograph into a living, breathing canvas. Join Monica as she unpacks her journey from …

You’ve probably admired one of Ky Vassor’s murals without even knowing it—now she’s back to pull back the curtain on how those vibrant public artworks, pop-up workshops, and neighborhood installations all began with a passion for community and a sprinkle of hustle. In this episode, Baltimore’s interdisciplinary artist and Galerie Myrtis Assistant D…

Baltimore’s own DJ and producer James Nasty returns to share how stepping away from substances sparked new clarity, how he built Ecstatic Dance Baltimore into an inclusive, sober dance movement, and why guiding crowds through music remains his driving passion—from late-night club sets to substance-free floors. Finding clarity through sobriety: how …