Not Real Art

If you’re an avid listener of the NOT REAL ART podcast, you already know art has the ability to connect people across cultures and express ideas that words can’t. Art, in all its forms, has immense power to shape our beliefs. Authentic representation can break down social barriers, open minds, and even become a source of inspiration. On today’s episode, host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with figurative painter and NOT REAL ART grant winner Joan Cox to discuss the power of representation and visibility in the arts. Working large-scale, Joan creates richly detailed visual narratives that portray queer relationships as complex, beautiful, and necessary. “I look to [artists of color] who are doing beautiful things with figurative work to be inspired by them and do the same with queer work,” she tells Scott. “Trying to put that painting out there, that image, that narrative, that [lesbians] are just the same as every other couple.”Historically speaking, Joan tells us, images of lesbian couples have either bee

Artists have always sought unconventional ways to express their creative principles, which means they’re often at the forefront of innovation. On the business side of the art world, however, artists have long been confined to stale institutions like museums, auction houses, and white cube galleries. While we've seen some transformation when it comes to digital commerce for artists, options for career development are limited; artists are in desperate need of new platforms to learn, share, and grow.Enter Inversion Art, an international accelerator program that offers community, connection, and capital for artists. Driven by innovation, cofounders Joey Flores and Jonathan Neil are creating new models for artists to grow and elevate their businesses. In today’s podcast episode, host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Joey and Jonathan to discuss Inversion Art’s mission to reinvigorate the art world. “What we’re trying to do is take artists who are already starting to achieve success and help them take control

The contemporary art establishment isn’t exactly known for its accessibility. In fact, the industry is far more notorious as a toxic purveyor of snobbery and pretentiousness than anything else. This exclusionary mindset discourages artists, art lovers, and buyers alike from ever venturing into the art world to discover their favorite works or develop their creative passions. On today’s podcast episode, NOT REAL ART digital strategist Juergen Berkessel hops into the interviewer’s seat for the first time to chat with our regular host and founder, Scott “Sourdough” Power. Scott discusses his vision for NOT REAL ART, explaining how the organization serves artists and art lovers by rejecting the elitism that defines much of the traditional art world. “We want to democratize the arts,” he says early in the interview. “We believe art is for the people and should be accessible to all the people. And so we wanted to speak to those people, and hopefully, let them know that we're for them.” With a passion for

Welcome back to part two of our very special series on the Nepal Street Art Project, a collaborative endeavor between Nepali artists and Crewest Studio co-founder Man One. If you missed part one, head to last week’s episode to catch up on the project’s impact on historic Nepali cities Janakpur and Kathmandu.In today’s episode, NOT REAL ART founder and host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with three key players of the Nepal Street Art Project to discuss how government exchange programs can benefit the arts. He’s joined by Project Curator Kailash K. Shrestha of Nepali art collective Artudio, Project Coordinator Sarah Knight of the US Embassy in Nepal, and street artist extraordinaire Man One, who was invited by the US Embassy to serve as an ambassador of American contemporary art.Organized by Kathmandu-based art collective Artudio in collaboration with the US Embassy in Nepal, the Nepal Street Art Project showcases and celebrates socially excluded communities in the region with curatorial projects in Janakpur

Late in 2022 street artist extraordinaire Man One traveled to Nepal to participate in a cultural exchange program designed to celebrate the voices of Nepali minorities. Over a two week period, the California-based muralist—who also serves as co-founder of NOT REAL ART parent company, Crewest Studio—collaborated with Nepali artists on a unique public mural project promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality. In today’s podcast episode, NOT REAL ART founder and host Scott “Sourdough” Power discusses the Nepal Street Art Project through a series of man-on-the-street interviews. Scott chats with those intimately involved in the project, including Man One and Project Coordinator Sarah Knight, who calls the venture “a people-to-people exchange through the arts that is particularly [focused] on the topic of social inclusion and diversity.”Combining research, cross-cultural exchange, and public workshops, the project’s main objective is to establish critical public discourse on key issues surrounding inclusion

Organization and management are important skills in a professional artist’s toolkit. In fact, organization is such an important part of being a successful artist that today’s guest has built an entire career around it. On today’s podcast episode, NOT REAL ART founder and host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Artwork Archive co-founder Justin Anthony to discuss the platform’s mission to give artists, collectors, and organizations a better way to manage their art. Now over a decade strong, Artwork Archive provides a cloud database and inventory system for thousands of creative people and organizations in over 130 countries. “The three original tiers [of Artwork Archive were] get organized, manage your business, and share your art with the world, so those are the three things we have continued to double down on,” Justin tells us. A small company based in Denver, Artwork Archive works closely with their core client base to develop a system intuitive enough for emerging artists and powerful enough

By most measures, time is priceless. But as mere mortals, we still need to take practical matters into consideration when it comes to selling our time, managing expectations, and paying bills.On today’s podcast, NOT REAL ART founder and host Scott “Sourdough” Power is back to weigh in on the value of time in an artist’s life. “From a spiritual perspective, time is priceless and it’s precious and we need to honor it and guard it,” he says. “It’s sacred. We shouldn’t waste it. This notion of the preciousness and the sacredness of time has guided my life in many ways.”Scott opens up about his own experiences with the complicated concept of time, explaining how living in the wilderness changed his perception of temporality. He also shares a hilarious anecdote about a certain time management seminar that should make listeners empathize while they howl with laughter. Ultimately, Scott sees time as a precious resource that deserves priority in our lives. “We need to be way more thoughtful and considerate and discipl

Have you ever felt compelled to put your artistic calling on hold when there are bills to pay and mouths to feed? Sometimes life’s day-to-day responsibilities keep us from realizing our true creative potential. That was the case for Sherita Herring, an artist, philanthropist, and single mother who pushed her artistic dreams to the back burner in order to raise her two sons.Today, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Sherita and her son Crushow Herring, aka ShowzArt, to discuss the duo’s powerful creative collaboration. A former guest on the NOT REAL ART podcast, Crushow is an artist, activist, and community organizer who works to uplift LA’s unsheltered population. “Art took me off the streets,” he shares with us. “I felt like it could take [my mom] out of what she was in. I’m honored and there is just so much joy and pleasure to do [this] for her.” In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about Sherita’s inaugural solo exhibition, Beverly Hills to Barnyard, which features mo

Every year NOT REAL ART chooses six artists who push the boundaries of what’s possible in the art world. Those artists are awarded our annual grant for open-ended use. Established in 2019, the grant is designed to empower contemporary artists through financial backing and creative support. In today’s podcast episode, our host and founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with 2022 NOT REAL ART grant winner Buena Johnson to discuss the artist’s philosophy on art and positivity. Based in Los Angeles, Buena is a multidisciplinary artist and educator who counts Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, and Queen Latifah among her collectors. Her work has been showcased in the Smithsonian, The Getty Collection, and MOCA Los Angeles. Known for her sensitive portraiture and imaginative compositions, Buena promotes Black visibility in the arts using a combination of historical and spiritual imagery. “There wasn’t anyone that looked like me that was put in a positive light in art history,” Buena tells NOT REAL ART. “When I dec

Happy New Year, creative brothers and sisters! To help you ease out of holiday mode, we have a very special guest joining us for the first episode of the NOT REAL ART podcast in 2023. Today, host and founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Renaissance man Zack Norman. Zack is a true creative legend, working not only as an actor, director, producer, writer, and comedian but also as a musician, painter, art collector, and real estate developer. As a painter, he is known as Zack Zuker and began his art career in New York City in 1976. He has guest-starred in wildly popular series like The A-Team, Baywatch, and The Nanny, and has also been featured in several TV movies. As Howard Zuker, he has produced, presented, or financed more than forty movies, including Hearts and Minds, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1975. You’ll also gain some insight into Zack’s fascinating life story, from his television debut at just 12 years old to the cr

Love design in all its forms? Then you’ll want to join us for today’s episode, which features an in-depth look at DesignerCon (DCON), an annual art and design convention in Anaheim, California. Combining collectible toys and designer goods with underground art, this year’s convention included over 700 vendors, custom art shows, and live demonstrations galore. At booth 1221, NOT REAL ART’s parent organization, Crewest Studio, took part in the festivities, joined by longtime friends Man One, Anne Martin of Sugar Press Art, and Javie Lopez and OneSaints from Graffiti the City.In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from a few of the incredible artists, creative professionals, and art lovers who attended DCON 2022. NOT REAL ART founder and host Scott “Sourdough” Power conducts a series of man-on-the-street interviews with a whole host of art world luminaries. From illustrator and Rugrats co-executive producer Dave Pressler to Adventures in Design founder Mark Brickey, you’ll hear insight and commentary straight

No matter where you turn these days, you’re likely to encounter some form of discourse about the impact of Web3, NFTs, and blockchain technology. Of course, art and tech comprise exciting new frontiers for making and selling art, but what do artists need to know about these new media? Do they represent a real and fundamental shift in the art market, or are they simply new tools for artists and art lovers to enjoy?By now, you’ve probably heard us mention smARTtalks, a series of intimate learning sessions covering relevant topics for artists and creatives working in the 21st century. On November 12, 2022, Crewest Studio—NOT REAL ART’s parent company—produced its second smARTalks event, held at Helms Bakery District in Culver City. In today’s podcast episode, we look back at our fascinating conversation on NFTs, “Has Digital Art Finally Earned Respect? How Web3, NFTs, AR, VR, AI, and The Metaverse Are Impacting The Art World.”Featuring the creative minds and expertise of Ronnie Pirovino, Daniel Nomad, and Rad La

A longtime friend and creative collaborator with NOT REAL ART, today’s guest has a name that matches her unique style. As you’ll discover in this episode, Katie Love writes, performs, and creates from the heart. Based in Los Angeles, Katie is a comedian, writing coach, producer, and the author of three books. Her latest title, Two Tickets To Paradise: From Cult to Comedy, was recently published by NOT REAL ART parent company Crewest Studio to critical acclaim. Katie’s personal memoir tells the humorous and heartbreaking story of an earnest, bible-toting kid intent on saving the world, and follows Katie’s metamorphosis into a boisterous comedian intent on saving herself through the healing power of humor. In today’s episode, Katie offers us an overview of the story she tells in Two Tickets To Paradise and explains how it knits together the comedy and tragedy of her life. “Comedy-tragedy is what I know and what I’ve had to live through, but it’s also the thing that healed me,” she tells host

Here’s something you may not know: artists and creative entrepreneurs form part of a nearly 2 billion dollar segment of the global economy. For those who want to negotiate their place in this complex financial ecosystem, understanding an artist’s true economic value is absolutely critical.In today’s podcast episode, brought to you by your ever-faithful host and founder, Scott “Sourdough” Power, you’ll learn to appreciate (and evaluate) the unique value you have to offer the world. “When you know what you’re worth, you have more leverage,” Scott says. “You’re more empowered to hold firm and negotiate better deals for yourself.” Join us as we take a look at a global study on the economic and social contribution of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) to the world economy and discuss some of its key takeaways.While quantifying the value of creativity might be an exercise in subjectivity, there are a number of objective tools and techniques you can use to help determine what your time is worth. Tune in to this

Whether we realize it or not, most of us have experienced some level of trauma over the past few years as we learned to navigate the fallout of COVID-19. As a result, we are changed people (and artists)—but what have we learned? How do we begin to process the impact of the pandemic? And where do we go from here? By now, you’ve probably heard us mention smARTtalks, a series of intimate learning sessions covering relevant topics for artists and creatives working in the 21st century. On September 24, 2022, Crewest Studio—NOT REAL ART’s parent company—produced its first smARTalks event, held at Helms Bakery District in Culver City. In today’s podcast episode, we look back on an especially important discussion held during the inaugural event: “Who Are We Now? A Discussion About COVID, Trauma + Creativity. How Did The Pandemic Hurt or Help Us and Our Creativity?”Moderated by your intrepid host, Scott “Sourdough” Power, alongside trauma experts Dr. Kim Cookson and Eric Weiss, this discussion centers on wellness

Creativity is rarely a “lightbulb moment.” In fact it usually arrives through a winding and non-linear process that involves self-understanding, improvisation, and a whole lot of uncertainty. That’s the belief of today’s guest, Lorne Buchman, president emeritus of the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. ArtCenter is known as a world-class leader in art and design education, with some even referring to it as the Harvard of art, design, and creativity. When Lorne took office in 2009, he quickly challenged students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees to redefine what a great art and design college should look like in the 21st century. As the host of Art Center’s podcast Change Lab, Lorne interviews leading artists and designers to explore the ideas behind their work and discover how the creative process can act as a catalyst for change. In today’s podcast episode, NOT REAL ART founder and host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Lorne to discuss his recently published book, Make t

While there are a number of e-commerce platforms available to artists, there are very few—if any—that seek to integrate art and community and enable engagement between artists, buyers, art lovers, and critics too. Today, we’re joined by Michael Facchinello, who is the founder and CEO of Altamira, a unique community-oriented marketplace for artists. Prior to Altamira, Michael spent eight years at Clique Studios, a top national design firm headquartered in Chicago. There, he started as a UX designer before transitioning into launching and managing new offices—but he felt compelled to create something meaningful that combined his tech expertise with his love of art. Altamira was born, offering artists the opportunity to gain recognition, sell their work, and become part of a thriving creative community. It allows art fans, commentators, and collectors to discover new artists, bringing them all together in an accessible space, all without the gatekeeping and snobbery often associated with the traditiona

Art has the power to make people think twice, change their perspectives, and heighten their consciousness around important issues. For Puerto Rican artist NiNo Alicea, the destruction caused by climate change is the most pressing issue of our time. In today’s podcast episode, NiNo chats with host Scott “Sourdough” Power about his mission to raise climate awareness through art.“A lot of my art has become a vessel to create more climate change awareness,” says NiNo, who was deeply affected by Hurricane Maria, the near-Category 5 storm that roared across his home island of Puerto Rico in 2017. During this episode, NiNo explains how the natural disaster moved him to focus on art with a message about climate change.Crafted from pizza pans and recycled metal, NiNo’s solar-powered installation for this year’s Burning Man (2022) was created in honor of Atabey, the Caribbean goddess of fresh water and fertility. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear about the challenges NiNo faced bringing this spectacular creation to l

Halloween is right around the corner, which means we’re back with our infamous Art World Horror Stories series. We’re not talking about ghosts, ghouls, and goblins though—in today’s podcast episode, you’ll hear some truly terrifying tales from artists who brave the ugly side of the art world.You’ll hear about malicious gallery owners, neglectful shipping companies, and one graffiti artist’s very stinky encounter on the streets of San Francisco. “It could happen to anybody,” muses host Scott “Sourdough” Power. “That’s what art world horror stories are about. That’s why we want to share them, because it could happen to you.”Presented by NOT REAL ART’s parent company, Crewest Studio, Art World Horror Stories is a podcast about bad things that happen to good artists. In today’s crossover episode, we delve into the spine-chilling stories usually reserved for the spookiest podcast in Crewest’s network.While we’d rather gobble down treats than suffer through tricks, these stories offer insight into some of the baddi

Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez is a phenomenal street artist working at the intersection of graffiti, contemporary art, and design. Blending elements of pop culture with Mexican and Indigenous aesthetics—a style he calls “Neo-Indigenous”—Marka27 creates vinyl toys, large-scale murals, and private commissions for major brands. His award-winning creative agency, Street Theory, activates communities and global brands through experiential marketing, bringing the vibrancy of art and street culture into all aspects of life and work. On today’s podcast episode, host Scott “Sourdough” Power chats with Marka27 about the power of controlling his creative narrative. “Imagine if the media pushed narratives that were uplifting, that were inspiring, that showed our people thriving,” the artist muses. “It would make somebody in a bad situation see themselves [differently].”Scott and Marka27 also discuss the importance of family and faith, the tenuous balance between personal creative expression and paid work, and the artist