What happens when a typewriter becomes a tool for collective memory? In this episode, Rob Lee reconnects with interdisciplinary artist and activist Sheryl Oring—first featured on the podcast in 2023. Sheryl returns with updates on I Wish to Say, her decades-long public performance project where thousands have dictated postcards to the U.S. president. What began as a solo typewriter setup is now an evolving civic archive—and a way to resist censorship, document the moment, and hold space for unheard voices.

This conversation follows a pivotal year for Sheryl—marked by the sudden closure of University of the Arts in Philadelphia—and explores how loss, listening, and literal paper trails have shaped her latest work.

• Resisting censorship: serving as the first artist on the board of the National Coalition Against Censorship
• Typing on tour: collecting messages from parks, libraries, and campuses during an election year
• Analog permanence: archiving 5,000+ typewritten postcards and the invisible labor of cultural memory
• Post-UArts Philly: navigating grief, disillusionment, and artistic renewal after institutional collapse
• Fear and self-censorship: how public expression is shifting for immigrants, youth, and marginalized communities
• Libraries as sanctuary: preserving democratic space as book bans and closures escalate
• Art as care: on fermenting, gardening, and rituals that ground a life in transition

Sheryl first appeared on The Truth in This Art in 2023—listen to that conversation [here].

This episode was recorded during a season reflecting on archives, resilience, and artists working at the intersection of public space and democratic expression.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
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Visual artist and educator Christopher Batten returns to reflect on evolution, resilience, and what it means to keep pushing—on canvas and in the classroom.

Now in his 10th year living in Baltimore and his third year teaching at Morgan State, Christopher shares how his practice continues to evolve. We talk about the role of failure, what teaching over 1,000 students has taught him, and how martial arts, memory, and perseverance shape his work. This conversation was recorded shortly before his residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and after being featured in Luminosity in Detroit.

• Teaching as an artistic tool and the unexpected lessons it brings
• Why HBCU teaching fulfills a lifelong dream and sense of purpose
• How rejection fueled four years of growth—and what changed when a “yes” finally came
• The importance of celebrating milestones and making space for creative restoration
• Shifting definitions of success and the value of impact over popularity

🎧 Revisit Christopher’s 2021 episode to hear the early stages of this journey.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

Baltimore-based artist and designer Elijah Trice returns to talk about growth, storytelling, and painting the everyday with dignity and joy.

Since our last conversation in 2022, Elijah has expanded his practice beyond hyperrealistic portraiture to explore themes of childhood memory and creative freedom. We recorded this just after his first solo show, Nothing Else Matters, which followed a transformative residency at Maryland Hall. Elijah shares how his architectural training shaped his painting style, what he’s learning from teaching, and why joy is radical in a world so often defined by struggle.

• How building furniture sparked a deeper connection to making
• Using vivid backgrounds and saturated color to honor Black elegance
• Tapping into nostalgia, storytelling, and his inner child
• The pros and cons of meticulous planning vs improvising in the studio
• Why nothing else matters—except the subject

🎧 Catch Elijah’s 2022 episode for more on his early work and evolution as an artist.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

If you’ve ever danced your heart out at a sold-out basement party or streamed a late-night DJ set on your phone, you’ve felt the pulse of Kotic Couture’s world. In this episode, Baltimore Magazine’s 2023 Best Local Artist shares how she swapped rap verses for turntables, co-founded one of the city’s most inclusive monthly events, and turned a bedroom-studio experiment into the Prototype album—all while building a fiercely supportive community of fellow Black queer creatives.

• Embracing vulnerability: lessons learned from emceeing full-hour sets before new audiences
• Prototype album deep dive: turning a fearless DIY experiment into a cohesive, locally produced project
• Curating intentional spaces: co-founding VERSION—one of Baltimore’s most inclusive monthly parties—and sustaining community through venue closures ​
• Power of word-of-mouth: why personal referrals and community trust can outweigh big marketing budgets
• Pandemic pivot: adapting from in-person shows to digital drop-ins and stepping back into a scene transformed by new DJs
• Broadening impact: collaborations with Black Techno Matters and Liberate DC, plus surprise opportunities in fashion and gallery features

Catch Kotic Couture's first appearance on the podcast here:

This episode was recorded during a season dedicated to creative growth, transformation, and honoring the foundations that helped build Baltimore’s culture.

Photo:

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

Ceramic-based artist and educator Ara Koh returns to The Truth In This Art for her second conversation with Rob Lee. Known for her layered clay paintings and material-intensive installations, Ara shares how her practice has deepened through repetition, research, and unexpected cracks—both literal and metaphorical.

In this episode, Ara talks about processing wild clay from her travels, the physicality of working with heavy materials, and the importance of fitness in sustaining her studio life. She reflects on inherited discipline, finding freedom through form, and why staying curious—about geology, textures, or even pickleball—is key to her creative rhythm.

Highlights include:

• How a geology book inspired a new body of work built through 100+ clay pours
• What her grandmother’s love of Monet taught her about aesthetics
• The unglamorous truth behind art labor—and why she doesn’t mind it
• Unlearning ceramic rules while teaching them to others
• Thoughts on burnout, balance, and the meditative value of hot yoga

🎧 Want more? Check out Ara Koh’s first interview in the archive—where we talk about her background, early influences, and the foundation of her clay-based work.
This interview was recorded in person at Eaton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

Curator, writer, and executive director of the ICA at VCU Jessica Bell Brown returns to reflect on her evolving leadership at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this conversation, we talk about openness as a strategy, the role of listening in shaping institutions, and what it means to make space for experimentation in times of uncertainty.

Jessica shares how porosity, risk, and care shape her curatorial and executive approach—from expanding access beyond traditional art forms to launching chef residencies and community media programs at the ICA. We discuss the influence of her time at MoMA and the Baltimore Museum of Art, the power of contemporary art to respond to crisis, and why joy and curiosity remain central to her vision.

Topics Covered:

• What leadership looks like through the lens of listening
• Expanding access to arts beyond galleries and into kitchens and podcasts
• Navigating risk and limitation in an age of shrinking arts funding
• The evolving responsibility of cultural institutions
• The importance of reflection, care, and creative openness

🎧 Explore more conversations like this in our archive.
📍 ICA VCU Website: https://icavcu.org

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble