Today’s guest is Jackie von Treskow, Senior Program Manager for Public Art at the San Francisco Arts Commission. Jackie’s journey into the arts wasn’t a straight line—it involved mythical Asheville forests, fringe pirate radio, writing hard for SF from LA in a master’s program, and non-profit hustle. We talk about what it really means to make art p…

“A room without books is like a body without a soul." And honestly… a mall without art or bookstores? Same energy. Today we’re heading into Daly City’s Westlake Shopping Center—yes, my childhood stomping grounds—for a conversation about how community spaces can transform not just a neighborhood but a whole way of life. I’m joined by Raquel Espana, …

This week’s guest is Tina Wiley Crawford, recruitment manager at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She is also a talented graphic designer, a champion for youth programs, and—by her own words—a Swiss Army knife of skills. In this episode, we talk about why claiming “artist” can feel weird, why thank-you notes still matter, and how to get your…

In this week’s episode I head down to the dump to trash talk...pardon me, talk trash with Deborah Munk, who’s been running the Artist in Residence program at Recology San Francisco for over 25 years, and Bryan Keith Thomas, an incredible artist, educator, and deep thinker about materials, memory, and community. We talk about how trash becomes treas…

Today’s guest is Micah Ruiz, the founder of Orion Custom Framing. Micah is the kind of person who makes you feel like you can build something beautiful from scratch—whether it’s a frame, a business, or an entire life. Micah grew up homeschooled in a town of 400 people, the son of a pastor, with no formal arts education—but with a punk mindset that …

Today’s episode features Allison Gamlen, a lifelong arts advocate who now serves as the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education. We talk about growing up in the wings of the symphony and Kabuki theater, what happens to the brain when children are denied creativity, and how California’s Prop 28 is giving p…

In today’s episode I sit down with Stella Lochman, a joy-driven community programming visionary with deep roots in San Francisco, the city where she was born and raised. Carrying forward the legacy of the city’s progressive and thoughtful artists, Stella offers a utopian perspective on our current cultural moment—along with simple tangible ways we …

Today’s guest is Craig McIntire—a self-taught painter, a practicing speech-language pathologist, and the kind of person who instantly feels like a friend you’ve known forever. He’s warm, funny, endlessly curious, and has a deep love for people (and Halloween, though sadly we didn’t get to that part). I could listen to him tell stories about anythin…

In today’s episode I sit down with LE BohemianMuse in her beautiful sunlit SF studio in the mission. LE is first generation Ghanian Bay Area-ian, and I just love talking art and life with her. She’s a philosophical soul who is a multifaceted storyteller at heart. A creative force by nature, LE has no trouble blending her art practice with a streaml…

Today’s episode features Anna Lisa Escobedo a true community building baddie from LA. Anna Lisa’s creative project management connects artists with opportunities, each other, and the public. She pours herself heart and soul into making the arts accessible to everyone. And at the time of this recording she is on that job market, so scoop her up fast…

Today’s guest is Jonathan Carver Moore—a gallerist, curator, and unapologetic advocate for emerging artists, especially artists of color and queer voices. Jonathan runs his namesake gallery in San Francisco’s budding Mid-Market arts corridor, where he’s created a space that’s as bold, joyful, and fiercely intentional as the work he champions. In th…

Shawna Vesco Ahern gabs, gossips, and otherwise chitchats with San Francisco Bay Area arts and culture baddies about how they build community through creativity—and the winding life paths that led them there. Art Yap guests bring fresh perspectives on curation, arts project management, community programming, arts funding, legislation, marketing and…