AART

American sculptor and painter Julie Rotblatt Amrany joins host Chris for a stroll through her life and career. Known for her collaborative work on monumental public sculptures, including the celebrated Michael Jordan statue, The Spirit, Julie brings together an understanding of the human figure, a fascination with movement and an enduring curiosity about the relationship between art and science.Meet an artist whose creative practice spans bronze monuments, painting, drawing and multimedia installation—and whose work invites us to consider how art gives physical form to human experience. For many people, an introduction to Julie’s work comes through the world of sport. Working with her husband and fellow sculptor Omri Amrany, she has helped translate athletic achievement into public art that becomes part of a community’s identity. Their collaborative Michael Jordan sculpture at Chicago’s United Center captures a figure suspended in action, connecting the physical language of basketball with the expressive possibilities of sculpture. Her career also includes work honoring Kobe Bryant, A’ja Wilson and astronaut James Lovell, bringing together subjects whose accomplishments have inspired generations. Behind these public commissions is a wider artistic practice. Julie’s background in dance and gymnastics helped shape her understanding of how the body moves through space. Her interest in anatomy and figurative sculpture developed alongside a desire to convey something beyond physical likeness: the energy, presence and sense of life that can make an inanimate form feel expressive. Julie’s artistic journey includes marble carving in Pietrasanta, Italy, where she met Omri in 1985. The experience connected her to a longstanding sculptural tradition while helping establish a creative partnership that would become central to her professional life. Together, they developed Rotblatt Amrany Studio, building a collaborative practice that brings sculpture into civic spaces, cultural institutions and sporting venues.Whether you are an artist, sculptor, painter, collector, sports enthusiast or simply curious about the people who create public monuments, this AART episode introduces a creative life that reaches across disciplines. Julie Rotblatt Amrany’s career offers a starting point for thinking about how artists capture movement, preserve memory and create work that becomes part of our shared surroundings. Follow AART on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app, and subscribe on YouTube for more artist interviews and stories about creative lives. Explore Julie’s personal artwork: https://jramrany.com/Discover Rotblatt Amrany Studio: https://rotblattamrany.com/Some favorite female artists in visual arts: Camille Claudel, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keefe, Hilma af Klint, Cornelia Parker, Chiharu ShiotaSix people to invite to a dinner party: Michelangelo, Bernini, Georgia O’Keefe, Giacometti, Frida Kahlo, Basquiat Share this episode with someone who loves sculpture, painting, public art or discovering the artists behind familiar works. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.Hollowell Studios ProductionWebsite: https://hollowellstudios.com/podcastsInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

American flower portraitist Elizabeth Barlow joins host Chris Stafford on the AART podcast for an in-depth biographical conversation about the woman behind the paintings. Known for her luminous Flora Portraits, Barlow brings individuality and presence to her floral subjects. In this personal interview, Chris gets up close with the artist whose work invites us to pause, look carefully, and reconsider the flowers around us. Barlow grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, surrounded by art and gardens. Her father, artist Philip Barlow, became an enduring influence, although her own path initially took her into the performing arts before she returned to painting. Her artistic development eventually led her to San Francisco, where she created Portraits in Absentia: still-life paintings that conveyed people’s identities through their meaningful possessions.A move to California’s Monterey Peninsula in 2016 opened a new chapter. Surrounded by coastal landscapes and abundant flowers, Barlow began developing the floral portraits that now define her practice. Working in oil on linen, she builds luminous surfaces through successive glazed layers, giving each composition depth and a carefully observed sense of character.At the heart of this AART episode is a life story: the experiences, influences, and personal perspective behind an artist’s distinctive vision. Chris Stafford brings her intimate, unscripted interviewing style to a conversation that offers listeners an opportunity to get to know Elizabeth beyond the finished canvas. What draws an artist to a particular subject? How does a creative identity develop over time? And what can a flower portrait invite us to notice about our own lives? Barlow’s work provides a compelling starting point for considering beauty, attention, and our relationship with the natural world.Whether you are discovering Elizabeth Barlow for the first time, developing your own painting practice, or simply enjoy hearing women tell their stories in their own words, this episode offers a personal introduction to an American artist and her creative life.Dinner party guests: Georgia O’Keeffe Mozart Cynthia Bougeault  Stephen Sondheim Ann Patchett George Balanchine Favorite Female Artists:  Georgia O’Keeffe Ann Truitt Rachel Ruysch Martha Alf Agnes Martin Explore Elizabeth’s paintings at https://www.elizabethbarlowart.com.Follow on Instagram @elizabethbarlowartist Follow AART on your preferred podcast platform for more in-depth conversations with women artists. Share this episode with an art lover, and leave a rating or review to help others discover the show. AART is part of the Women Unscripted Podcast Network, produced by Hollowell Studios.Elizabeth Barlow, Elizabeth Barlow artist, Elizabeth Barlow interview, American flower portraitist, flower portraits, Flora Portraits, floral oil paintings, contemporary floral art, still-life painting, oil painting on linen, contemporary realism, women artists, American women painters, California artist, Carmel-by-the-Sea artist, artist biography, artist life story, creative journey, nature-inspired art, art and mindfulness, Chris Stafford, AART podcast, artist interviews, women in art, Women Unscripted Podcast Network, Hollowell StudiosBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.Hollowell Studios ProductionWebsite: https://hollowellstudios.com/podcastsInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

American wild horse and sports photographer Maureen Armstrong joins host Chris Stafford on the AART podcast. From the intensity of competitive sports to the open landscapes of the American West, Armstrong’s photography captures movement, emotion and the fleeting moments that give an image its story. Discover a photographer whose work brings audiences closer to America’s wild horses and the extraordinary connections within their family bands. Armstrong’s background photographing Division I football and professional sports sharpened her ability to anticipate action and respond quickly. Those instincts carry into her wild horse photography, where a running herd, an encounter between stallions or a quiet moment between a mare and foal can unfold in seconds. Her images reveal both the physical power of these animals and the tenderness of their relationships.Her pursuit of wild mustangs has taken her across Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Arizona, through landscapes ranging from sweeping plains and desert canyons to snow-covered ridges. These settings form an essential part of her visual storytelling, placing the horses within the expansive terrain they inhabit. Through her lens, the American West becomes a place of individual lives, enduring bonds and moments worth preserving. At the heart of Armstrong’s work is a commitment to documenting wild horses and advocating for their protection. Her photographs invite viewers to look closely at the animals behind a familiar symbol of freedom: their personalities, their interactions and the family connections that hold their bands together. Maureen is passionate about preserving the American Wild Horses and her work contributes this effort by increasing awareness.Explore Maureen Armstrong’s photography and fine art prints at https://staywildwallart.com. Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/maureenarmstrongphotography/Follow AART on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast app, and subscribe to Women Unscripted on YouTube for more conversations with women in the arts. Share this episode with someone who loves photography, horses or the landscapes of the American West.AART is part of the Women Unscripted Podcast Network, produced by Hollowell Studios.Hosted by Chris Stafford. Maureen Armstrong, Maureen Armstrong photographer, Maureen Armstrong photography, AART podcast, Chris Stafford, Women Unscripted Podcast Network, Hollowell Studios, American wild horse photographer, wild horse photography, wild mustang photography, America’s wild horses, equine photography, horse photography, sports photography, women photographers, American West photography, fine art photography, visual storytelling, wild horse advocacy, wild horse family bands, Stay Wild Wall Art, photography podcast, artist interviews.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.Hollowell Studios ProductionWebsite: https://hollowellstudios.com/podcastsInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

In this episode of AART, Chris welcomes multi-award-winning American film editor, producer and writer Nancy Novack, ACE, for a biographical conversation about the life, experiences and creative choices behind her distinguished career in film. For more than 25 years, Nancy has helped shape documentary and feature films for HBO, PBS, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Starz. Her work has appeared at leading international film festivals, including Sundance, Venice, Tribeca, Hot Docs and Telluride, and has contributed to productions honored with Emmy, Peabody, duPont and George Polk awards.Nancy traces her journey from her early interest in film to becoming one of the industry’s most respected documentary editors. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in communications and a concentration in film theory, she entered the profession as an apprentice picture editor on Penny Marshall’s Awakenings, starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams.Those formative experiences marked the beginning of a career devoted to telling meaningful stories about people, history, culture and social change. Working her way through the film industry, Nancy developed a creative voice that would eventually bring her into collaboration with some of documentary filmmaking’s most accomplished directors and producers.Nancy won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming for Spike Lee’s acclaimed HBO documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. Her extensive credits also include All In: The Fight for Democracy, Battleground, All Static & Noise, Grass Is Greener, My Lai, The Vote, Broadway: The American Musical, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music and N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear.This episode of AART is an intimate look at the woman behind an extraordinary body of work: her beginnings, influences, achievements and enduring belief in film as an art form capable of connecting people and illuminating the world around us.Nancy’s links:IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0636794/Website: https://www.odessafilms.com/nancy-novack.html Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bklyn_novack/ Instagram: @bkln_novack Nancy’s dinner party guests:John LennonPaul McCartneyTaylor SwiftLucille BallRosie O’DonnellIlham Tohti Nancy’s favorite female artists:Yoko OnoMartha GrahamGreta GerwigBeth KamensteinThelma ShoonmakerKeiko DegichiSwoonDear AnushkaJoni MitchellTaylor Swift AART is part of the Women Unscripted Podcast Network and is produced by Hollowell Studios.Keywords:Nancy Novack ACE, Nancy Novack interview, Nancy Novack biography, Nancy Novack life and career, American film editor, Emmy-winning film editor, award-winning film editor, female film editor, women in film, women in television, women in documentary film, film industry careers, documentary filmmaker, documentary producer, documentary writer, Call Time podcast, Chris Stafford, Chris Stafford interview, Women Unscripted Podcast Network, Hollowell Studios, filmmaking podcast, film career podcast, Hollywood career stories,Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.Hollowell Studios ProductionWebsite: https://hollowellstudios.com/podcastsInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

Can photographs of the natural world help create spaces of hope, comfort and healing? In this episode of the AART Podcast, host Chris Stafford speaks with Sacramento-based American wildlife photographer and architect Beth Young, whose luminous images bring the restorative beauty of nature into healthcare and residential environments throughout California.Beth’s photography can be found in hospitals, cancer centers, psychiatric facilities and elder care communities, where her images offer patients, families, residents and caregivers a meaningful connection to the natural world. Using bright colors, warm light and uplifting compositions, she creates photographs designed to evoke hope, healing, renewal and a sense of calm.During the conversation, Beth shares how her background in architecture influences the way she sees and photographs the landscape. Her understanding of space, light, design and the emotional experience of the built environment gives her a distinctive perspective on where art belongs—and how carefully chosen images can transform the atmosphere of a room.Beth discusses her approach to wildlife and nature photography, from observing the rhythms of the landscape to waiting for the light, color and composition that bring an image to life. Rather than simply documenting a place or animal, she seeks to capture the feeling of being immersed in nature: a moment of wonder, stillness or possibility that viewers can return to when they need it most.Chris and Beth also explore the growing recognition of art and nature as important elements of healing environments. For someone undergoing cancer treatment, receiving psychiatric care, living in an elder care community or supporting a loved one through illness, access to the outdoors may be limited. Beth’s photographs can provide a visual pathway into nature, inviting viewers to pause, breathe and experience a sense of connection beyond the walls around them.The episode considers the meeting point between art, architecture, healthcare and human wellbeing. Beth explains how an image intended for a hospital or therapeutic setting requires sensitivity to its audience and surroundings. Color, subject, scale and mood all matter when the goal is not only to decorate a space but also to support the people who spend time there.This thoughtful conversation reveals how wildlife photography can become more than a record of the natural world. In Beth Young’s hands, it becomes an expression of optimism and a source of emotional refuge—bringing the warmth of sunlight, the vitality of color and the resilience of nature into places where they can have a profound impact.Listen to discover how Beth developed her artistic vision, how architecture continues to shape her photography and why she believes the beauty of the natural world can help us reconnect with hope. Some of Beth’s favorite female artists:Julia Morgan (d) (architect)Vivian Maier (d) (photographer)Karen Waller (contemporary photographer) Dinner party guests:Julia Morgan Vivian MaierKaren WallerSteven KingAnnika AillesLouis Kahn Beth’s links:https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com/https://substack.com/@optimalfocus https://www.instagram.com/optimal_focus/ AART is part of the Women Unscripted Podcast Network, produced by Hollowell Studios. Hosted by journalist and broadcaster Chris Stafford, the podcast features intimate conversations with women artists about their lives, careers, creative practices, challenges and achievements. Beth Young photographer, Beth Young wildlife photography, American wildlife photographer, Sacramento wildlife photographer, California nature photographer, women photographers, female wildlife photographers, nature photography, therapeutic photography, healing art, art in hospitals, hospital art, healthcare art, cancer center artwork, psychiatric facility art, elder care art, senior living artwork, evidence-based design, healing environments, nature and wellbeing, biophilic design, architecture and photography, wildlife art, landscape photography, restorative nature, therapeutic power of nature, art and mental health, art and healing, women in photography, women in architecture, Sacramento artists, California photographers, uplifting nature photography, AART Podcast, Chris Stafford, Women Unscripted Podcast Network, Hollowell StudiosBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.Hollowell Studios ProductionWebsite: https://hollowellstudios.com/podcastsInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved