UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Brooklyn-based artist Brian Alfred, an assistant professor of art at Penn State, has taken his conversations with fellow artists to the airwaves with "Sound & Vision," a podcast of his discussions with artists and musicians about the creative process. Alfred travels to artists’ studios and gallery exhibitions to talk about life as a creative person. Recent episodes have featured Shara Hughes, Ellen Harvey, Matthew Ronay, Peter Demos and one of Alfred’s Penn State colleagues and former teachers, Helen O’Leary, professor of art.
Alfred, a recipient of the College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Award, said this podcast is filling a void. “Because I commute to Penn State from Brooklyn, I have started really getting into podcasts. I noticed that there aren’t too many casual-conversation podcasts with artists,” he explained. “Music is also a big part of my life and creative process, as it is for many of the artists I know. I have so many great conversations with friends in their studios, and I wanted to share that with fellow artists and students. It’s been an amazing experience so far.
According to Alfred, he has learned “so much” through these conversations. “Not only do I dig deep into their lives and history, but I learn a lot about their process and what drives them in life. I also get to learn about the music they like and what made them a creative person to begin with.”
Alfred said he plans for the podcasts to be an ongoing project. “I really have been doing this without microphones and recording for a long time,” he noted. “I value the ability to talk with fellow artists and musicians. … I feel lucky to have such a great community of creative people in my life. I’ve already lined up so many discussions and I’m excited to share them with the world.”
Subscribe and download the podcast here.
For more on Alfred’s work, visit paintchanger.com.