Arts Talk

Arts Now
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Arts Talk is the official podcast of the USC Arts Now initiative, hosted by Professor Josh Kun. Each episode explores key issues and debates facing the arts and contemporary society, featuring USC faculty, students, and staff in dialogue with artists and arts leaders across Los Angeles and the world.

Episodes

  1. FEB 11

    Episode 6: Choreography as a Commitment to Expansion with Alonzo King

    “When you understand the body as an instrument that the mind and heart can play, then the whole world opens up for you.” In episode 6, we are joined by Alonzo King, choreographer, artistic director and cofounder of LINES Ballet, a visionary dance company that is redefining the possibilities of contemporary ballet. Guided by King’s singular vision, LINES has graced the stages of renowned venues around the world, including the Venice Biennale, Monaco Dance Forum, Maison de la Dance de Lyon, the Edinburgh International Festival, Montpellier Danse, the Wolfsburg Festival, the Holland Dance Festival, and the Théâtre National de Chaillot. In this episode, King joins us to discuss how dance serves as a model for new ways of being and new forms of belonging and shares how his upbringing as the son of leaders in Georgia’s Albany Movement, a key campaign in the fight for Civil Rights, continues to influence his approach to choreography and his intentional pursuit of collaboration. Working closely with an enviable roster of multidisciplinary artists, including Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer, King has led LINES with an artistic vision invested in exploring how movement can facilitate a collective commitment to expansion.    Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim. Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast.   Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "Journey in Satchidananda," Alice Coltrane "Body and Soul," Jason Moran “Refraction," music composed and performed by Jason Moran for LINES Ballet "For Love," Jason Moran “Meyer," composed by Edgar Meyer for LINES Ballet Organ Concerto in F Major, HWV 295 "Cuckoo and the Nightingale": III. Larghetto, composed by George Frederic Handel, conducted by Trevor Pinnock, performed by The English Concert and Simon Preston "Gentle Shifts South," Jason Moran "Scheherazade Pas de Deux," Zakir Hussain re-interprets music composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for LINES Ballet "Follow the Light," Jason Moran "Lift Every Voice,” Lyrics by James Weldon Johnson, composed by J. Rosamond Johnson, performed by Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer "Deep River,” composed by Jason Moran for LINES Ballet, performed by Jason Moran and Lisa Fischer "Come and Go with Me to the Land,” Bernice Johnson Reagan  Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim.  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu

    42 min

  2. FEB 2

    Episode 5: The Magic of Lines with Shantell Martin

    Arts Talk welcomes Shantell Martin, celebrated visual artist, performer, songwriter, choreographer, teacher, philosopher, and member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to reflect upon the magic of lines, a distinctive figure in her work, and to share how collaboration functions as central to her expansive artistic practice. The first Artist in Residence at USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), Martin discusses the importance of bringing artists together with engineers and scientists to explore the generative intellectual and practical intersections of these fields. She shares how her current work with USC’s ISI is harnessing the creative possibilities of AI in a new era of learning models to imagine alternative modes of engaging with art and developing adaptable and practical frameworks for preserving artistic legacies that prioritize estate planning and ownership. Recognized internationally for her artistic and charitable contributions, Martin has collaborated with key artists, institutions and brands, including Kendrick Lamar, Kelly Wearstler, the Boston Ballet, the New York City Ballet, Tiffany & Co., Adidas and Puma, and her work has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum, Denver Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of the Moving Image, The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, New Britain Museum of American Art, and MoMA, among many others. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim. Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "I Stand You Stand" by Shantell Martin "Flowing Spiritual" by Shantell Martin "Picking Up" by Shantell Martin "Present Word #17 – 2024 July 8-06" by Shantell Martin “Forget" by Shantell Martin “Ourselves" by Shantell Martin “Snowglobe" by Shantell Martin KOOL FM 94.5 London Pirate Radio (Early 90s) "Inner City Life" by Goldie "Sum of It All” by Shantell Martin Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim.  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu

    36 min

  3. 12/01/2025

    Episode 4: Theater as an Act of Radical Mediation with Bryan Doerries

    “Theater is an act of radical mediation that can create spaces where people can hear each other.” In episode 4, we are joined by Bryan Doerries, writer, translator, and Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions (@theaterofwar), a social impact company that reimagines live theater and community-specific productions as an interactive means for fostering constructive, global conversations that take up the pressing issues confronting our ever-polarized cultural and political moment. Enlisting acclaimed actors in the performance of ancient Greek plays and public readings of contemporary long-form journalism, Theater of War tackles public health and social issues through engaged productions that prioritize audience reactions and discussions as central to the main event. In this episode, Doerries shares how his own experience navigating personal loss brought him back to ancient Greek tragedies as a key source for learning how to navigate trauma, offering an affective roadmap for how to sit in and with difference and discomfort by laying bare our shared vulnerabilities and asking us to confront the preconceptions that too often inhibit our ability to find shared humanity in individuals unlike ourselves.    Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock "Music for 18 Musicians: Section II," Steve Reich "Electric Counterpoint," Steve Reich "Four Organs," Steve Reich "The Desert Music: Third Movement, Pt. 1 (Slow)," Steve Reich "Octet," Steve Reich Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim.  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu

    34 min

  4. 09/12/2025

    Episode 3: The Creative Matchmaking of Music Supervision with Sarah McMullen

    “What’s the best song for two people kissing in the rain in 1926?” In episode three, we are joined by music executive and recording artist Sarah McMullen, who is leading the way as part of a new generation of music supervisors redefining what that role means and what it means for the future of music itself. The new ears behind beloved film and TV company A24’s music supervision slate, Sarah's resume includes dynamic projects with Netflix, Apple, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and more. In this episode, Sarah shares how the creative challenge of clearing samples and placing music in film, television and beyond is shaped by her family’s own notable musical legacy, details how she is navigating the introduction of AI into a rapidly changing music and technological environment, and offers advice for aspiring supervisors on how to set boundaries for success in creative fields.   Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock The New Lost City Ramblers Mother Maybelle Carter “Skyscraper,” Sarah McMullen “Never Too Much,” Luther Vandross Sweet Emma Barrett And Her New Orleans Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show (Live), Kendrick Lamar “Reunion,” Matthew Herbert  Matteah Baim Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim.  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu

    34 min
  5. Episode 2: The Architecture of Human Fulfillment with Kulapat Yantrasast

    06/02/2025

    Episode 2: The Architecture of Human Fulfillment with Kulapat Yantrasast

    What does it mean to be an “architect of human fulfillment?” In episode two, we are joined by visionary architect and polymath Kulapat Yantrasast (@thekulaparty), founder and creative director of WHY, the world renowned multidisciplinary design firm, whose extensive resume includes award-winning projects for The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City), the Musée du Louvre (Paris), ILMI Science Discovery & Innovation Center (Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), The Tchaikovsky Academic Opera & Ballet Theater (Perm, Russia), Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Los Angeles), The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (San Francisco), Grand Rapids Art Museum (Grand Rapids, MI), The Speed Art Museum (Louisville, KY) and The Tyler Museum of Art (Tyler, TX), among many others. In this episode, Yantrasast emphasizes the importance of approaching design as an open and intimate relationship with space, place and community. He shares how curiosity and collaboration form the ethos of his creative practice and guide his stewardship of the architects, landscape architects, designers, and strategists that comprise WHY’s interdisciplinary teams across offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Tokyo.  Music Credits "Creativity," Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock Hiroshi Yoshimura  The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim.  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu

    29 min
  6. Episode 1: The Arts and AI

    10/14/2024

    Episode 1: The Arts and AI

    In our debut episode, we explore the impact of new innovations in generative AI on the Arts. What does it mean to be an artist in the age of AI? How is AI changing arts industries? What is the history of new technologies impacting artistic practice? There's plenty to worry about with AI, but is there anything to be excited about? USC Professor Holly Willis and artist Nancy Baker Cahill weigh in. Arts Talk is hosted by Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and USC Annenberg Professor and Chair in Cross Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California. Arts Talk is produced by Perry B. Johnson, with sound design, editing and mixing by Matteah Baim.  Special thanks to Suzanne Felson for her generous support of the podcast. artsnow.usc.edu

    54 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Arts Talk is the official podcast of the USC Arts Now initiative, hosted by Professor Josh Kun. Each episode explores key issues and debates facing the arts and contemporary society, featuring USC faculty, students, and staff in dialogue with artists and arts leaders across Los Angeles and the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Arts Now
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Arts Talk