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The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

The Truth In This Art with Rob Lee is an arts and culture interview podcast connecting arts, culture, and community. Sharing stories that matter through in-depth conversations with artists and creatives — photographers, filmmakers, designers, musicians, chefs, writers, and more. Guests share studio routines, community roots, career insights, and the ideas and choices that shape their projects. New episodes, show notes, and transcripts available here.

Estéban Whiteside

62 hours 9 mins; April 02, 2026

Veronica Jackson

58 mins; March 29, 2026

Lanise Howard

60 hours 48 mins; March 27, 2026

Ruut

50 mins; March 25, 2026

Barbara Perez Marquez

63 hours 43 mins; March 22, 2026

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (Feed Drop)

77 hours 52 mins; March 22, 2026

Juan Morales

53 mins; March 18, 2026

Jamilla Okubo

56 mins; March 15, 2026

Currie Lee

66 hours 42 mins; March 09, 2026

Nicole Clark

63 hours 19 mins; March 02, 2026

Santos Shelton

57 mins; February 25, 2026

TrisRex (Tristian Johnson)

74 hours 37 mins; February 23, 2026

Jonene Lee

55 mins; February 16, 2026

Dr. Lawrence T. Brown

67 hours 20 mins; February 11, 2026

Rolando Reid

53 mins; February 05, 2026

Gianna Brooke

48 mins; January 30, 2026

Danielle De Jesus

60 hours 17 mins; January 27, 2026

Rob Lee

30 mins; January 20, 2026

Phaan Howng

98 hours 12 mins; January 15, 2026

Lonnie Millsap

54 mins; January 08, 2026

Ben Passmore

75 hours 34 mins; November 19, 2025

73 - How Did Precious Rubbish Take Shape? | Kayla E. (award-winning artist, Precious Rubbish, Fantagraphics)

76 hours 7 mins; November 12, 2025

72 - What's New With the Maryland Film Festival for 2025 | KJ Mohr

47 mins; November 05, 2025

Tales from the Hood (1995): A Retrospective with Lea Anderson (FEED DROP)

78 hours 45 mins; October 31, 2025

71 - Make Something Pretty or Make Something Real? | Genesis Rodriguez

55 mins; October 29, 2025

70 - Street Art, Galleries and Who Defines Great Art in Philadelphia | Sean 'SK' Kinsey

59 mins; October 22, 2025

69 - Can Baltimore’s Art Help You Navigate Crooked Paths? | Ernest Shaw

64 hours 43 mins; October 16, 2025

68 - Who’s Shaping the Future of AI & Digital Community for Small Businesses? | Zina Verduzco

73 hours 41 mins; October 14, 2025

67 - How Graphic Novels Are Redefining Education in Baltimore | Bmore Transform & GRAPHIC NOVEL FESTIVAL

72 hours 35 mins; October 02, 2025

66 - The Heart of the Shoe Muralist: How Wearable Art Became a Full-Time Calling | Akio Evans

80 hours 18 mins; September 30, 2025

#65 - What Drives Creative Evolution in the Kitchen? | Chef Chris Amendola of foraged. a hyper-seasonal eatery

48 mins; September 26, 2025

#64 - Who Shapes the Culture Behind the Mic? | Laiya St. Clair

69 hours 45 mins; September 24, 2025

#63 - How To Find Your Tribe In Baltimore | Will Walker of A Tribe Called Run

53 mins; September 17, 2025

#62 - Who Carries the Weight of The Piano Lesson? | Chinai Routté & Paige Hernandez of Everyman Theatre

51 mins; September 15, 2025

#61 - What’s Shaping Small Press Expo (SPX) 2025? | Warren Bernard

59 mins; September 10, 2025

#60 - How Do Artists Thrive In Baltimore? | Spence

67 hours 17 mins; September 04, 2025

#59 - How Does UP Magazine Give Voice to Urban Art and Artists? | T.K. Mills

51 mins; August 28, 2025

#58 – "Is Art a Mirror for Modern Life?" | Zoë Lintzeris

75 hours 40 mins; August 22, 2025

From Mic to Movement: Documenting Stories, Sharing Resources, and Fostering Reciprocal Support Systems | M'Balou Camara for Maryland Arts Summit

55 mins; August 18, 2025

#57 – Can Art, Storytelling, and Hope Illuminate Community? | Neha Misra

66 hours 8 mins; August 10, 2025

#56 – What Do We Inherit and What Do We Share? | Kiara-Maribel Rivera

58 mins; August 07, 2025

#55 – Who Controls the Narrative? | Carter Wynne

59 mins; August 05, 2025

#54 – What Hides Beneath the Surface? | Tiger Chengliang Cai

66 hours 55 mins; July 29, 2025

#53 – Can Art Make Philosophy Less Intimidating? | Mia Ntenta

50 mins; July 24, 2025

#52 – Can Sculpture Help Us Imagine Life After Humanity? | Rosalie Smith

61 hours 41 mins; July 22, 2025

#51 – Is Being Present the Secret Ingredient of CookHouse? | Chef George Dailey

43 mins; July 17, 2025

#50 – How Does The Corner Pantry Grow? | Chef Neill Howell

52 mins; July 15, 2025

#49 – How to Stay Sharp When Knife-Making Gets Hard? | Henry Hyde

52 mins; July 13, 2025

#48 – How Do Reimagined Comics Challenge Social Narratives? | Kumasi J. Barnett

61 hours 50 mins; July 11, 2025

#47 – Can You Keep Your Integrity and Still Eat? | Joseph Cochran II

87 hours 37 mins; July 09, 2025

#46 – Is Satire Still Dangerous? | Brian Andrew Whiteley

50 mins; July 06, 2025

#45 – How Can Typing in Public Challenge Fear and Defend Free Speech? | Sheryl Oring

65 hours 22 mins; July 03, 2025

#44 – Why Baltimore’s New Arts Office (MOACE) Matters? | Linzy Jackson III

56 mins; July 01, 2025

#43 – How Does Painting Build Resilience in Art and Life? | Christopher Batten

57 mins; June 26, 2025

#42 – How Can Art Help Us Reclaim the Joys of Childhood? | Elijah Trice

62 hours 48 mins; June 19, 2025

#41 – How Do You Reinvent and Thrive in Baltimore’s Underground? | Kotic Couture

61 hours 53 mins; June 17, 2025

#40 – What Do Cracks Reveal That Clay Can’t Hide? | Ara Koh

55 mins; June 15, 2025

#39 – How Does the Institute for Contemporary Art Balance Power and Possibility for the Public? | Jessica Bell Brown

49 mins; June 12, 2025

#38 – How Does Sound Become a Tool for Creative Resistance? | Kokayi

73 hours 57 mins; June 10, 2025

#37 – Can Archives Shape What’s Next? Upton Mansion and a $16M Vision | Savannah Wood of Afro Charities

48 mins; June 07, 2025

#36 – How Can Art Transcend Time, Memory, and Tradition? | Lewinale Havette

46 mins; June 05, 2025

#35 - Fusing Circus and Storytelling | Sam Landa of New York Circus Project

49 mins; June 03, 2025

#34 - Sculpting Process, Memory & Material Integrity | Hae Won Sohn

70 hours 21 mins; May 28, 2025

#33 – How Shaolin Jazz Redefines Film & Sound | DJ 2-Tone Jones

74 hours 14 mins; May 23, 2025

#32 – How Do You Choose Stories Worth Telling? | Joe Tropea

48 mins; May 21, 2025

#31 – Why ‘Irma Vep’ Is a Wild, Campy Celebration at Everyman Theatre | Joseph W. Ritsch

45 mins; May 19, 2025

#30 – How Do You Blend Archive and Activism in Your Art? | Isaiah Winters

70 hours 24 mins; May 16, 2025

#29 – How to Bring Portraits to Life on Canvas | Monica Ikegwu

47 mins; May 13, 2025

#28 – How Do You Bring Art to the People? | Ky Vassor

61 hours 23 mins; May 06, 2025

#27 – How to Master Moving People Through Music | DJ James Nasty

75 hours 10 mins; May 02, 2025

#26 - How Does Art Turn Pain Into Power? | Ayiana Viviana

57 mins; April 30, 2025

#25 - Can Paintings Voice the Feelings We Never Say? | Xenia Gray

60 hours 9 mins; April 28, 2025

#24 - What Makes FilmFest DC Survive 39 Years? | Tony Gittens

44 mins; April 24, 2025

#23 – How Do Bold Colors Carry Heritage? | Alexi Abi

42 mins; April 21, 2025

#22 – How Do 90s Pop Aesthetics Shape Modern Headwear? | Jerrill Sankey

51 mins; April 18, 2025

#21 – Can CultureWorks Philly Turn Shared Resources Into Creative Power? | Ariel Shelton

49 mins; April 16, 2025

#20 – Can Enoch Pratt Free Library Become Baltimore’s Town Square? | Chad Helton

47 mins; April 14, 2025

#19 – How Does The Vibe Room Spotlight DMV Creatives? | Natasha Magino

45 mins; April 11, 2025

#18 – What Happens When House Beats Fuel Vivid Paintings? | Terry Thompson

54 mins; April 09, 2025

#17 – Can Stone Carving Capture Modern Stories? | Sebastian Martorana

64 hours 1 min; April 07, 2025

#16 – Can Art Fix Our Divides? | Philippa Pham Hughes

58 mins; April 04, 2025

#15 – How Does Sugarcane Magazine Capture Global Black Culture? | Melissa Hunter Davis

65 hours 49 mins; March 31, 2025

#14 – Can Reclaimed Materials Tell Diaspora Stories? | Lex Marie

45 mins; March 28, 2025

#13 – How Does Motherhood Ignite a Painting Career? | Roxanne Sauriol Hauenherm

40 mins; March 26, 2025

#12 – What Makes Audiences Tune In—And Stay? | LaDawn Black

53 mins; March 24, 2025

#11 – Can a Neighborhood Bar Become an Art Hub? | Martha Robichaud of Meander Art Bar

45 mins; March 20, 2025

#10 – How Does Biophilic Design Bring Nature Indoors? | Alex Madaus

70 hours 58 mins; March 18, 2025

#9 – Can Mixed Media Challenge Gender Barriers? | Caitlin Gill

49 mins; March 13, 2025

#8 – How Do Childhood Flavors Shape Award-Winning Pastry? | Chef Rochelle Cooper

51 mins; March 10, 2025

#7 – Can Vibrant Art Heal and Inspire? | Melanie Royster

43 mins; March 06, 2025

#6 – How Do Family Photos Become Museum Paintings? | Jerrell Gibbs

53 mins; February 27, 2025

#5 – Where Does Street Energy Meet Fine Art? | Jerome “Groovy Vandal” Chester

50 mins; February 20, 2025

#4 – How Does Jazz Fusion Find a New Voice? | Alicia Waller

50 mins; February 18, 2025

#3 – Is “Inviting Light” a New Beginning for Station North? | Derrick Adams & Tonya Miller-Hall

41 mins; February 07, 2025

#2 – Can Bold Stripes Reimagine Urban Identity? | Qrcky

54 mins; February 06, 2025

#1 – How Do 15 Years of Losses Create a James Beard Winner? | D. Watkins

50 mins; January 30, 2025

#0 – The Truth In This Art: Creativity, Culture & Stories That Matter | Rob Lee

1 min; January 01, 2025

#108 – Who Gets to Speak—and Who Decides? | Tonya Mosley

54 mins; December 30, 2024

#107 - Who Shapes the Narrative—Media, Politics, or Culture? | Carri Twigg

51 mins; December 27, 2024

How Are Black Media Pros Rewriting the Playbook? | Truth In This Art Highlights

29 mins; December 26, 2024

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The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

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