Art Works

Series produced by National Endowment for the Arts

Series image
Image by: Kelli Rogowski for the National Endowment for the Arts 

Art Works is the weekly program produced by the National Endowment for the Arts. It goes behind the scenes with some of the nation's great artists to explore how art works. New shows are posted on Tuesdays. Find out more at arts.gov

Art Works is the weekly program produced by the National Endowment for the Arts. It goes behind the scenes with some of the nation's great artists to explore how art works. Guests have included the co-founder of Los Lobos Louie Pérez, National Medal of the Arts winner and the man behind Marvel comics, Stan Lee, Mohegan theater artist Madeline Sayet, National Book Award Winner Charles Yu, and NEA Jazz Master Grammy Award winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. You can find the current and archived programs at https://www.arts.gov/stories/podcast or by subscribing to Apple podcasts

Thanks for listening!


564 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Jazz Master Archie Shepp-- A Life in Music
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Archie Shepp: I Hear the Sound, Credit: Created by WOZNIAK
Archie Shepp shares his musical biography—and his thoughts about the legacy of African-American music.

Bought by KMUW, WMUU-LP, WNJR, and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Mar 02, 2016
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 4
Meet The Twin Poets Laureate of Delaware!
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills
Poets and social workers, Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills' primary audience have been Wilmington’s under served children.

Bought by WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Feb 19, 2016
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 3
Cultural Critic Rashod Ollison on music and memories
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Piece image
In his memoir Soul Serenade, Rashod Ollison describes how music was a lifeline during a difficult upbringing.

Bought by WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Feb 16, 2016
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
Playwright Lynn Nottage unmasks the cost of industrial decline in Sweat
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Scene from Sweat, Credit: C. Stanley Photography
In her new play, Sweat, Lynn Nottage gives voice to the human cost of workers without work.

Bought by WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Feb 05, 2016
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
Harrell Fletcher: Art as Social Practice
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: First-grade docents at Portland's King School, Credit: Courtesy of harrell Fletcher
Harrell Fletcher shares his passion for social practice—creative projects in communities that are by, for, and of the residents.

Bought by WABE, WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Feb 02, 2016
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 4
Composer John Adams: Creating American Classical music
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: John Adams, Credit: Deborah O'Grady
Composer John Adams reflects on his creating American music that’s intense, sensual and meaningful.

Bought by WABE, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WMUU-LP


  • Added: Jan 27, 2016
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
Spy Hop teaches the next generation of digital artists
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Sam Highsmith and Gabby Huggins from Spy Hop, Credit: Courtesy of Spy Hop
Spy Hop's executive director Kasandra VerBrugghen shares the story of Utah's award-winning youth media arts program.

Bought by WMUU-LP and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Jan 15, 2016
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 2
Author Julianna Baggott--4 kids and 20 books--she explains how she does it.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Julianna Baggott , Credit: Laura Ciociola
Harriet Wolf’s Seventh Book of Wonders took Julianna Baggott 18 years to write. Julianna discusses how writing 14 other novels in a variety of genr...

Bought by WMUU-LP and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Jan 08, 2016
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 2
Star Wars composer John Williams discusses the art of scoring films.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: John Williams
The man who gave Star Wars its wings, 2009 National Medal of Arts recipient, composer John Williams discusses the art of scoring films.

Bought by KUHF, WXAV 88.3FM Chicago, and WMUU-LP


  • Added: Jan 05, 2016
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
Ellsworth Kelly: the gloriousness of color and form.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Ellsworth Kelly in his studio, Credit: Jack Shear
Artist and 2012 National Medal of Arts Recipient, Ellsworth Kelly looks back on his career.

Bought by XRAY.fm, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WMUU-LP


  • Added: Dec 28, 2015
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians: 50 years and still going strong
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Piece image
A half-century of musical innovation and self-determination, told by AACM co-founder (currently AACM-New York president) and 2010 NEA Jazz Master M...

Bought by XRAY.fm, WMUU-LP, and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Dec 23, 2015
  • Length: 28:28
  • Purchases: 3
Television and Film Composer Dave Porter talks about creating music that tells a story.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: On the set of Better Call Saul, Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Television
Dave Porter’s iconic music is an essential part of the story: Think: Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul

Bought by WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Dec 11, 2015
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
Director and playwright Tazewell Thompson: Bringing it to the stage.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Soloman Howard as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the company of Appomattox at Washington National Opera , Credit: Scott Suchman
Tazewell Thompson may be wowing critics and audiences with his direction of the opera Appomattox, but he’s an equally brilliant theater director an...

Bought by WMUU-LP, WNJR, and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Nov 24, 2015
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 3
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley and the great work possible through city design
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Opening Day of Spoleto USA, 2015
After 40 years, Mayor Riley steps down, leaving a legacy that privileges the public sphere and beauty in the everyday.

Bought by WABE, WNJR, and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Nov 17, 2015
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 3
Actor Jane Alexander takes a look back.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Jane Alexander, Credit: Joan marcus
Jane Alexander reflects on her time at the NEA, her life-long love affair with theater, and the centrality of art to the human experience.

Bought by WNJR


  • Added: Nov 12, 2015
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 1
Comic Book Artist and Writer Mike Mignola tells us how Hellboy came to be
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Mike Mignola's Hellboy
After all this time, Mike Mignola still loves drawing monsters

Bought by KZUM, WNJR, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and KPIP-LP


  • Added: Nov 03, 2015
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 4
Richard Hunt--One of the giants of American sculpture.
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Richard Hunt in his studio, Credit: Tom McCormick
Richard Hunt talks about creating large pieces of abstract art for public spaces and reflects on his time on the National Council of the Arts

Bought by WNJR and KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash.


  • Added: Oct 27, 2015
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 2
Flying with Dolly Jacobs!
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Dolly Jacobs, Credit: Richard Czina
Most kids run away from home to join the circus. For aerialist and 2015 National Heritage Fellow, Dolly Jacobs, it was a family affair.

Bought by WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Oct 08, 2015
  • Length: 28:30
  • Purchases: 3
A Conversation with Kevin McKenzie of American Ballet Theatre
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Piece image
American Ballet Theatre received the first grant ever given by the National Endowment for the Arts. We talk about that long and fruitful relationship.

Bought by KZUM, WMUU-LP, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., and WNJR


  • Added: Sep 28, 2015
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 4
Meet the new Poet Laureate of the United States, Juan Felipe Herrera
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works
Caption: Juan Felipe Herrera Unity Poem Fiesta. , Credit: Courtesy University of California-Riverside
The new poet laureate of the United States and two-time National Endowment for the Arts fellow calls for everyone’s heart to speak out.

Bought by KPIP-LP, KFCF FM, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., WLPR , KPVL and more


  • Added: Sep 21, 2015
  • Length: 28:29
  • Purchases: 7

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