Displacement: Visual Artist Veit Stratmann

Paris-based artist Veit Stratmann, who presented the work title L'Aquila at The Project Room in 2012, has made a practice of researching and writing about places of massive upheaval and its impact on the people who have lived there. After the recent terrorist attacks in Paris which took place near his home, we had a conversation about the connections between this event and his work, and what motivates him to be an artist, especially during difficult times.

Learning Outside The Classroom: Electronic Artist Michna

Adrian Michna shares his perspective on what makes a good song, how college transformed his musical style, and advice for young musicians.

The New Art Marketplace: Digital Artist Kevin McCoy

In this interview, we visit with Kevin McCoy during the launch of his first company, an online platform for the buying and selling of digital artwork. Monegraph, as this company is called, could change everything about how we value artwork and how artists get paid for the work they make.

A Symbol of Pride: Rainbow Flag Designer Gilbert Baker

In 1978, Gilbert Baker, a drag queen and community activist in San Francisco, responded to his friend Harvey Milk's assertion that the gay rights movement needed a new symbol. In this interview, he chats with TPR Founder Jess Van Nostrand about the rainbow flag's first showing in 1978 and many of the interesting things that have happened since.  

Was Here: Visual Artist Ellie Dicola

This month's podcast is a conversation with Seattle-based artist Ellie Dicola. As part of Seattle Storefronts, a program that places artist projects in vacant storefront spaces, Ellie created the installation Was Here. As a corporeal monument to places that are gone, Was Here is a documentation of local businesses and organizations that have disappeared over the last handful of years.

Building the Impossible City: Non-Profit Arts Collective Sawhorse Revolution with Sarah Smith and Micah Stanovsky

For this month's podcast, TPR Editor Tessa Hulls sat down with Sarah Smith and Micah Stanovsky of Sawhorse Revolution, a Seattle nonprofit that teaches carpentry skills to high school youth.

Talking with Underscore: Sound Artist Daniel Neumann

Sound Artist Daniel Neumann discusses scoring to a score he generously created in response to this conversation.

Getting Good: Interdisciplinary Artist Tameka Norris

Artist Tameka Norris dives into issues of intellectual property, authorship, appropriation and her relationship to art history as she discusses the vulnerabilities encountered while building a legacy in our digital era. 

From Masquerades to Motherhood: Poet and Interdisciplinary Artist Natasha Marin

Seattle based poet and interdisciplinary artist Natasha Marin sat down with TPR Director Tia Kramer to discuss how Trinidadian masquerades, Canadian friendliness, and motherhood influences her work.  

Monuments, Durian, & Portable Toilets:  Artist Jenifer Wofford  

Visual artist and educator Jenifer Wofford met with TPR editor, Tessa Hulls, in San Francisco to discuss the themes of monument and memory and their presence in Jenifer's diverse body of work.

Paradox and Choice: Visual Artist Jennifer Dalton

Visual artist Jennifer Dalton hosted TPR at her Brooklyn studio recently, where she makes thought-provoking work about her (and our) surroundings.

Dance Came From The People: Alvin Ailey Dancer and Choreographer Matthew Rushing 

Dancer and choreographer Matthew Rushing talks about his memorable introduction to dance as a young man, and his relationship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater legacy.

Inside the Dream Palace: Author Sherill Tippins

Sherill Tippins, recently published Inside the Dream Palace, a wonderfully-researched history of the famous NY art hub, The Chelsea Hotel. Sherill shares some of her favorite moments and her opinions about its current renovation, giving us plenty to talk about during our current “Monument” topic.

Collecting & Making:  Visual Artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir aka Shoplifter

Icelandic visual artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir aka Shoplifter invited TPR Founder Jess to her studio in New York for a conversation about collecting, making, and our current Big Question, "How Are We Remembered?"

Archivist/Activist: Visual Artist Juan Pablo Macías

Visual Artist Juan Pablo has been researching and responding to a library- an anarchist library- which has fallen out of history in his native Mexico. Jess Van Nostrand met with Juan Pablo at Villa Romana, an artist residency in Florence, to talk about why this forgotten library matters.

Tradition & Innovation: Noh Master Munenori Takeda and Composer Garrett Fisher

Japanese Noh Master Munenori Takeda was in Seattle recently, preparing for an opera collaboration with Composer Garrett Fisher and the Fisher Ensemble. At The Project Room we discuss our current topic, “Transformation,” and how it relates to the rich tradition of opera and Japanese Noh Theatre.

Empathy, Equity, Change: Musician and Visual Artist Paul Rucker

in 2009, Paul Rucker began making work that responded to the history of slavery and its relationship to current American issues about race and equality. This effort developed into the on-going work, "Recapitulation," which The Project Room is followed throughout 2014. Hear about Paul's progress and to see what he has learned so far in this ambitious and large-scale body of work. 

Heroes and Hometowns:  Author Jesmyn Ward

Author and National Book Award Winner Jesmyn Ward visited The Project Room to discuss her memoir, MEN WE REAPED (2013), a heartbreaking tribute that shines a light on problems we still face regarding race, class, wealth, and geography. Ward is smart, funny and wonderfully genuine.

Bound: Africans versus African Americans: Director and actor Peres Owino

Writer, director and actor Peres Owino recently visited us at The Project Room to discuss her new film and directorial debut, Bound: Africans versus African Americans premiering at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Adé: A Love Story: Author Rebecca Walker

Author and National Book Award Winner Rebecca Walker visits The Project Room to talk with TPR Founder Jess Van Nostrand and Off Paper Editor Tessa Hulls about her latest book, Adé: A Love Story. 

Furious Cool: Authors Joe & David Henry

Authors and brothers Joe and David Henry visited The Project Room to chat about their new book Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and The World That Made Him. As young kids who fell under Pryor’s comedic spell, and as adults (and brothers) who collaborate, there was much to discuss in light of our current theme How Are We Remembered?