Art of the Rural

Art of the Rural
  • 4.8 (6)
  • ARTS

The Art of the Rural podcast highlights the work of individuals & organizations across rural America & Indian Country. Join us for conversations expressing visions and futures across the wide field of non-urban art, culture, and community. Founded in 2010, Art of the Rural is a collaborative arts non-profit organization that works to resource artists & culture bearers to build the field, change narratives, and bridge divides. Learn more and support our work at artoftherural.org

  1. Tending Our Circles: The Long Conversation with Fire in the Village's Annie Humphrey & Shanai Matteson

    FEB 27

    Tending Our Circles: The Long Conversation with Fire in the Village's Annie Humphrey & Shanai Matteson

    In this episode, meet Annie Humphrey and Shanai Matteson of Fire in the Village, a collective of artists and cultural organizers that build and sustain spiritual fires of connection where they live in Anishinaabe territory, or rural northern Minnesota, and with arts and music communities around the region. As we learn, Fire in the Village isn't what we might conventionally call an organization or a program. As Shanai shares in this conversation, Fire in the Village is better understood as a work of art in itself — one that is always evolving, always changing, and deeply tethered to the places and people from which it springs. One of the most resonant images in this conversation is the one that gives this collective its name. Annie describes the circles that Fire in the Village builds as little fires — distinct, local, and belonging to their particular lands and community, but capable of connecting to other fires across the region and beyond, growing and growing until what once seemed isolated becomes a network of warmth and light. Recorded in November 2025, this conversation raises many complex and multilayered questions with depth and honesty: What does it mean to stay? What does it cost, practically and personally, to choose to remain in and work from the communities where you were shaped, rather than accept the art world's logic of moving away? What futures are possible in terms of intercultural exchange and community resilience when artists and culture bearers are genuinely of a place and not just visitors to it? This episode is presented in a format that we call the Long Conversation, an unmoderated space that allows for individuals to cultivate a depth of conversation that shares the textures of creativity and intercultural exchange that are often hard to express in conventional interviews. Episode Resources Episode transcriptFire in the Village website & InstagramShanai Matteson's websiteAnnie Humphrey's websiteJohn Trudell archiveMore Long Conversations Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange & Kentucky Performing Arts, The Golden Thread (2025)Dyani White Hawk & Jovan C. Speller, High Visibility: On Location in Rural America & Indian Country (2021)We are grateful to folks across the country who have made tax-deductible contributions to Art of the Rural to make this conversation possible, and to the Ford Foundation and Good Chaos Foundation for their support of Art of the Rural’s media programs.

    58 min
  2. Amplifying Dakota Language & Creativity with Dr. Kate Beane (5 Plain Questions)

    12/12/2025

    Amplifying Dakota Language & Creativity with Dr. Kate Beane (5 Plain Questions)

    This episode was produced in partnership with 5 Plain Questions and Eleven Warrior Arts. Hosted by Joe Williams, 5 Plain Questions is a podcast that proposes 5 general questions to Native American and Indigenous artists, creators, musicians, writers, movers and shakers, and culture bearers. Dr. Kate Beane is a public historian, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Museum of American Art, and the Vice Chair of Vision Maker Media. In 2020, she was appointed by Governor Walz to serve on the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, which oversees Capitol complex preservation and development. Previously, Kate served on the leadership team at the Minnesota Historical Society, where she was the Director of Native American Initiatives, engaging in both Native American communities and tribes, and advocating for the implementation of indigenous interpretation & involvement at historical sites throughout the state. She holds a PhD in American Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota. In this episode, Kate shares her journey into the public art realm, including her work with Dakota name restoration at Bde Maka Ska. She reflects on the importance of public art as "more than just text on a plaque" - it plays a key role in sharing & shaping narratives, knowledge, and solidarity with Native communities.  Episode Resources Episode webpageEpisode transcriptVision Maker MediaOhiyesa: The Soul of an Indian filmMinnesota Museum of American ArtQueering Indigeneity exhibitionPenny KagigebiDJ Justis BrokenropeBuddy Red BowUniversity of Minnesota Dakota Language Program Subscribe to 5 Plain Questions wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Art of the Rural is honored to support 5 Plain Questions. We are grateful to individual donors across the country, the Ford Foundation, and Good Chaos for making these conversations possible. Learn more about our work and show your support at artoftherural.org

    48 min
  3. Dreaming Back Knowledge with Autumn Cavender

    11/11/2025

    Dreaming Back Knowledge with Autumn Cavender

    On this episode of the Art of the Rural podcast, meet Autumn Cavender. She is a Wahpetunwan Dakota midwife, artist, and community leader focusing on the intersections of art, birth, and storytelling. Raised amidst community historians, Autumn initially focused on Dakota language and cultural revitalization. This background brought a unique perspective to her birth work, first as a doula, and then as a student midwife. After establishing a private midwifery practice, she joined forces with Indigenous midwives nationally, culminating in the creation of the National Indigenous Midwifery Alliance, geared towards addressing reproductive care barriers and perinatal health disparities in Indian country. Autumn’s artistic journey began as a porcupine quillwork apprentice under Elder Master artists rooted in her oral history training. She focused on Dakota artistic methodology, resulting in globally recognized digital art. Her work has graced prestigious exhibitions like Miami Art Basel and earned her the National Indigenous Media Arts Experimental Moving Image Award. She is a 2024 Bush Foundation Fellow and also currently an Art of the Rural Spillway Fellow. We are honored to present her exhibition Hinapapi — Emerging this fall at the Winona County History Center, and we are grateful for the support of the Jerome Foundation in this work. Autumn lives near her home reservation of Upper Sioux with her partner, two kids, a German Shepherd, and the occasional chicken. During this podcast, Autumn shares her personal journey and artistic practice as one animated by a commitment towards care and cultural revitalization. In this wide-ranging conversation, she discusses how blockchain, decolonization, storytelling, and childbirth are connected points in her practice and the futures it brings into being. We move in this space from talking about NFTs to Native sovereignty to the legacy of Oscar Howe in a way that feels both truly unique, but also deeply grounded in cultural tradition and contemporary experience. Our conversation concludes with Autumn’s thoughts on how the phases of childbirth might offer us teachings on how to navigate and to be with the overwhelming complexity of this current moment in the world. Episode Resources Episode transcriptAutumn Cavender’s website & InstagramAutumn Cavender: Hinapapi — Emerging exhibitionJuleana Enright, “Glitching the Glass Wall: A Conversation with Autumn Cavender-Wilson” (Mn Artists)“The Howe Legacy Across Four Generations Exhibition” (University of South Dakota University Art Galleries)

    1h 14m
  4. Hearing the Archive, Land, and Memory with Brian Harnetty

    10/24/2025

    Hearing the Archive, Land, and Memory with Brian Harnetty

    On this episode, meet Brian Harnetty, an interdisciplinary sound artist, composer, and author. Brian is known for his archival recording projects, socially-engaged works, sound & video installations, live performances, and writings, including his book, Noisy Memory: Recording Sound, Performing Archives (University of North Carolina Press, 2025). Brian works with sound archives and the communities connected to them, creating projects that are centered on place and listening. This conversation dwells on many of these projects, including his recent recording Words and Silences, which is a musical portrait of Kentucky monk and writer Thomas Merton that combines archival recordings of Merton's voice with newly composed music. Since 2010, many of Harnetty’s projects have brought together myth, history, ecology, and economy in Appalachian Ohio, informed by his family's roots there. Brian has released 10 albums and EPs, and his installations have been exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally. He is a recipient of the Creative Capital Award, two Map Fund awards, and the Blade of Grass Fellowship for Socially-Engaged Art, among many other honors. Resources Episode transcriptEpisode webpageFrom Brian:Brian's websiteSound is Magic Substack & podcastNoisy Memory: Recording Sound, Performing Archives (University of North Carolina Press, 2025)Shawnee, Ohio (2021)Words and Silences (2022)“Who Is This I?”The Workbench (2024)Lewis Hyde, The Gift (1983)Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance (2024)Mallory Catlett & Aaron Landsman, The City We Make Together (2022)We are grateful to folks across the country who have made tax-deductible contributions to Art of the Rural to make this conversation possible, and to the Ford Foundation and Good Chaos Foundation for their support of Art of the Rural’s media programs.

    1h 6m
  5. Cultivating Latinx Culture & Creativity with Maria Cristina Tavera (5 Plain Questions)

    09/03/2025

    Cultivating Latinx Culture & Creativity with Maria Cristina Tavera (5 Plain Questions)

    This episode was produced in partnership with 5 Plain Questions and Eleven Warrior Arts. Hosted by Joe Williams, 5 Plain Questions is a podcast that proposes 5 general questions to Native American and Indigenous artists, creators, musicians, writers, movers and shakers, and culture bearers. Episode Summary In this episode, meet Marina Cristina “Tina” Tavera, a Minneapolis-based Latinx artist whose work explores the intricate constructions of identity and culture through various artistic mediums. Throughout her work, Tina examines the complexities of Latinidad within the United States resonates throughout her work, as she utilizes various mediums to challenge conventional narratives around race and culture, while also highlighting how her experiences as a mother have prompted her to reflect on the cultural legacies she wishes to impart to her children. Tina is also deeply dedicated to her community, particularly through her role at Serpentina Arts, where she advocates for the advancement of Latinx artists. Resources Episode webpageEpisode transcriptMaria Cristina Tavera's website, Instagram, and US Latinx Art Forum member pageMaria Cristina Tavera's "Casta" seriesBestario exhibition at Metro State UniversitySerpentina ArtsSubscribe to 5 Plain Questions wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Art of the Rural is honored to support 5 Plain Questions. We are grateful to individual donors across the country, the Ford Foundation, and Good Chaos for making these conversations possible. Learn more about our work and show your support at artoftherural.org

    26 min
  6. Tending to Place: Art, Reciprocity, and the Road with Mary Welcome

    08/15/2025

    Tending to Place: Art, Reciprocity, and the Road with Mary Welcome

    On this episode, meet Mary Welcome, a multidisciplinary cultural worker and rural avant-garde artist.  For close to 20 years, Mary's life and creative practice have radiated out from her hometown of Palouse, Washington, toward an immense web of rural communities and partners across the continent. Few artists in our field articulate both a sense of deep respect for local community and a belief in the generative detours of life on the road as well as Mary does. Along this journey, Mary has created some of the things we expect on an artist's CV, like national and international exhibitions, installations, and publications, but has also followed her own unique path. Serving as an artist in residence with the Washington State Department of Transportation, and as a post office portrait photographer for the United States Postal Service. In the last decade, the urban-normative arts & cultural field has slowly turned its attention towards what we at Art of the Rural call “the rural condition.” These efforts by institutions, philanthropies, and the media often either reaffirm a preconceived set of assumptions or are extractive spectacles that further mystify what it's like to actually live beyond the city. Mary's work provides a powerful antidote to this compulsion through long-term attention and care for land, culture, and history, and ultimately the tethers of belonging that hold our communities together. Resources Episode transcriptMary Welcome’s website, Instagram, BlueSky, LinkedInGod Bless the USPSPlaces & Events Mentioned: Woodpecker Archives, Slippery Gulch 2025, Palouse Newspaper & Printing MuseumPublications & Authors Mentioned: Ray Bradbury, “The Happiness Machine”; Swift Lathers, Mears Newz; Terry Tempest Williams; Loren Eisley; Mary Oliver; Jorge Luis Borges; William Least Heat-Moon; Roger Tory Peterson; adrienne marie brownShows Mentioned: Pee-wee as Himself (2025)We are grateful to folks across the country who have made tax-deductible contributions to Art of the Rural to make this conversation possible, and to the Ford Foundation and Good Chaos Foundation for their support of Art of the Rural’s media programs.

    1 hr
  7. Reconnecting with Practice: The Music of Mali Obomsawin (5 Plain Questions)

    07/30/2025

    Reconnecting with Practice: The Music of Mali Obomsawin (5 Plain Questions)

    This episode was produced in partnership with 5 Plain Questions and Eleven Warrior Arts. Hosted by Joe Williams, 5 Plain Questions is a podcast that proposes 5 general questions to Native American and Indigenous artists, creators, musicians, writers, movers and shakers, and culture bearers. Mali Obomsawin stands at the forefront of contemporary Indigenous music, embodying a diverse range of genres that include jazz, roots music, and experimental sound.  As a bassist, composer, and vocalist hailing from the Odanak First Nation, her artistic journey has led her to collaborate with esteemed musicians while forging her own path through innovative compositions that challenge the status quo. In this dialogue, we explore the nuanced influences that have shaped Mali’s musical identity, spanning her rich upbringing in rural western Maine, where folk traditions intermingle with political activism. We explore her recent endeavors, including her eponymous free jazz ensemble and the rock band Deerlady, emphasizing her commitment to authenticity and artistic evolution. Join us as we engage with Mali’s insights on the vital interplay between creative practice and personal well-being, illuminating the profound impact of Indigenous culture on her work. Episode Resources Episode transcriptEpisode webpageMali Obomsawin’s website & InstagramMali Obomsawin on BandcampDeerlady website & InstagramJulia Keefe Indigenous Big Band website5 Plain Questions websiteSubscribe to 5 Plain Questions wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Art of the Rural is honored to support 5 Plain Questions. We are grateful to individual donors across the country, the Ford Foundation, and Good Chaos for making these conversations possible. Learn more about our work and show your support at artoftherural.org

    27 min
  8. Magical Places: On the Road & At Home with Erika Nelson

    07/10/2025

    Magical Places: On the Road & At Home with Erika Nelson

    Independent artist & educator Erika Nelson discusses her two-year journey living in a vehicle and exploring Outsider Art across the United States - and creating her own. In this episode, independent artist and educator Erika Nelson discusses the communities, places, and artworks that tell the story of her two-year journey living in a vehicle and meeting people who built Outsider Art Environments and Roadside Vernacular Architecture across the United States.  She also discusses the development of her own traveling roadside attraction and museum, The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things, and the inspirations behind her “Gremlin Cache” installation included the exhibition High Visibility: On Location in Rural America and Indian Country, which was created in partnership between Art of the Rural and the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota. Through her travels, Erika has written a graduate thesis titled Driving Around Looking at Big Things While Thinking About Spam, prepared a full meal utilizing foil and her automobile's radiator and heat manifold, stood on a sideshow performer lying on a bed of nails with a genuine Kansas Cowboy at the last functioning 10-in-1 sideshow in Coney Island, found out what The Thing is in southern Arizona, drunk free ice water at Wall Drug, eaten Rocky Mountain Oysters, bought a Genuine Walnut Bowl from somewhere along I-70, seen Rock City, and been stuck in a traffic jam in Branson in front of Yakov Smirnof. The conversation dwells on the communities, places, and artworks that tell the story of this journey. Along the way, Erika shares a ton of wisdom on what life in a small town in Kansas can teach us about how we live, work, and create across difference. Episode Resources Episode webpageEpisode transcriptErika Nelson’s website, Instagram, and Facebook“The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things” (1999-present)“Gremlin Cache” (1973-2020)This episode was originally published in 2021 as part of the High Visibility podcast, which accompanied the exhibition of the same name. High Visibility is a partnership with Plains Art Museum and Art of the Rural. We are grateful for the support of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts for their support of this work.

    1h 6m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The Art of the Rural podcast highlights the work of individuals & organizations across rural America & Indian Country. Join us for conversations expressing visions and futures across the wide field of non-urban art, culture, and community. Founded in 2010, Art of the Rural is a collaborative arts non-profit organization that works to resource artists & culture bearers to build the field, change narratives, and bridge divides. Learn more and support our work at artoftherural.org

Information

  • Creator
    Art of the Rural
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Art of the Rural
  • Show Website
    Art of the Rural

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