Curator's Attic Podcast

Jon West-Bey

The Curator’s Attic explores the stories behind the objects that shape our lives. I'm your host, Jon West-Bey, and I’m a Curator and Museologist, and in this podcast, we'll explore the surprising stories hidden within everyday objects.   Join me as we uncover the history, the artistry, and the human connection woven into the fabric of our material world.

  1. OPO The Tile Featuring Elaine Heumann Gurian and Eve Wachhaus

    JAN 20

    OPO The Tile Featuring Elaine Heumann Gurian and Eve Wachhaus

    Send us a text I am so honored to present this episode with my longtime mentor and friend, Elaine Gurian.  Elaine, along with her daughter Eve, will tell an important story of family, heritage, and an object that connects through multiple spaces and across decades, including Spain, Germany, the Holocaust, and a chance encounter with an object at a vacation home that becomes a family heirloom.   Support the show

    22 min
  2. OPO One Day It Will All Make Sense featuring Kil

    12/26/2025

    OPO One Day It Will All Make Sense featuring Kil

    Send us a text In this special music-themed 'OPO' remix, I’m joined by Kil Kilpatrick (Apartment 5B Podcast) to revisit a definitive coming-of-age album: Common’s One Day It Will All Make Sense. We’re breaking down the legacy of this 1997 classic and why it still resonates with us today. Support the show

    23 min
  3. OPO The Ring featuring Omar Eaton-Martinez

    12/05/2025

    OPO The Ring featuring Omar Eaton-Martinez

    Send us a text Welcome back to OPO (Other People’s Objects). I am honored to speak with Omar Eaton-Martinez, a leader in the museum field. He will discuss an object he inherited from his father that has been a guiding compass for his career. We will also share a message about how museum missions should serve as guiding lights during these uncertain times. Support the show

    20 min
  4. The Golden Bible

    11/13/2025

    The Golden Bible

    Send us a text In this episode, I'm sharing a personal story that offers more insight into who I am. It revolves around a Bible I took from a hotel, which represents much more than its Christian teachings. For me, this Bible symbolizes a time of loss, discovery, and the strong bond I share with my mother.  We will also examine how museums can innovate by extending their influence beyond their walls. Support the show

    8 min
  5. OPO The Saxophone featuring Darnley Hodge

    10/18/2025

    OPO The Saxophone featuring Darnley Hodge

    Send us a text In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with a very dear friend who possesses an old saxophone. It was passed to me, and then I passed it to him, and I'm glad to say it's still in use today. We will talk about family, friendship, and the ways in which an object can connect people over generations.    Support the show

    18 min
  6. OPO The Funko Pops featuring Joseph Yusuf

    09/27/2025

    OPO The Funko Pops featuring Joseph Yusuf

    Send us a text Today, we're back with OPO, or Other People’s Objects, and I have the privilege of speaking with a familiar name to listeners of the show, Joseph Yusuf. He is the producer of The Curator’s Attic, and he will discuss his Funko Pop collection, which he has built over the years, and its connections to his life.   Support the show

    25 min
  7. The Covenant

    09/02/2025

    The Covenant

    Send us a text Have you ever felt the sting of being left out? Now imagine that feeling not just as a social snub but as a legal, everyday reality. It's the sense that your own community and country are actively working to deny you a place within them. This was a common practice in our nation's capital and in many other urban areas across the country, creating a system of race-based systemic denial that made exclusion a public and legally sanctioned injustice. The object we will discuss, a racial restrictive covenant, hits close to home. We also discuss why it is so important for museums to make themselves accessible to everyone. This episode delves into the story of The Covenant. Support the show

    8 min
  8. The Record (My First Memory)

    08/18/2025

    The Record (My First Memory)

    Send us a text Today, we're diving into a fan-favorite series that we're bringing back for a special episode: Songs in the Key of Jon. In this series, we explore how music can unlock our memories and past. For this episode, we’re using a single object as our key—an old record—that takes me back to a memory I'm not even sure is real. So, for today’s episode, we're using one song as our key to that memory as we explore the story of "The Record (My First Memory)." Support the show

    12 min
See All (14)

4.9
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

The Curator’s Attic explores the stories behind the objects that shape our lives. I'm your host, Jon West-Bey, and I’m a Curator and Museologist, and in this podcast, we'll explore the surprising stories hidden within everyday objects.   Join me as we uncover the history, the artistry, and the human connection woven into the fabric of our material world.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon West-Bey
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Curator's Attic Podcast
  • Show Website
    Curator's Attic Podcast