Works in Progress

ArtLab

WORKS IN PROGRESS is a podcast produced by the ArtLab at Harvard University. In this podcast, we speak with the contemporary visual and performing artists working at ArtLab. The ArtLab is helping create the conditions for the Arts to flourish at Harvard, and this podcast brings these artists and their ideas to you. 

  1. Season 3 - Ep. 8 Jacek Smolicki on Soundwalks: 2026 Loeb/ArtLab Fellow

    5H AGO

    Season 3 - Ep. 8 Jacek Smolicki on Soundwalks: 2026 Loeb/ArtLab Fellow

    In this episode of “Works in Progress,” ArtLab director Bree Edwards speaks with Loeb/ ArtLab fellow Jacek Smolicki, a cross-disciplinary artist and researcher exploring the multivalent qualities of sound.  A cofounder of the Walking Festival of Sound, Jacek has brought together transdisciplinary artists to guide participants through the reflective practice of walking through shared environments. Jacek has published and performed internationally, creating projects that reckon with the frequently delicate and unnoticed qualities of our surroundings. As part of his residency at ArtLab, Jacek will be leading immersive soundwalks that help embed people into their local ecosystems. This work is part of his larger directive to participate in the archival histories of people and place. These soundwalks have been comissioned by Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA) and was made possible with the support of the Johnson-Kulukundis Family President’s Fund for Arts at Harvard University. Listen in to hear about our discussion around Jacek’s work and residency here at ArtLab, exploring the role of sound in our everyday lives.   Links: Jacek Smolicki The Walking Festival of Sound Hildegard Westerkamp  World Soundscape Project Thanks for joining us for Works in Progress. We hope these conversations give you a glimpse into the creativity, collaboration, and experimentation happening at ArtLab. To learn more, visit artlab.harvard.edu. The podcast is recorded in the Mead Production Lab at the ArtLab in Boston, Massachusetts. Hosted by Bree Edwards Audio by Luke Damroch Production by Kat Nakaji Research by Sadie Trichler & Ria Cuéllar-Koh Design by James Blue & Sonia Ralston

    32 min
  2. Season 3 - Ep. 7 Pontus Lidberg, artist-in-residence with Harvard Medical School’s Media, Medicine, and Health

    FEB 3

    Season 3 - Ep. 7 Pontus Lidberg, artist-in-residence with Harvard Medical School’s Media, Medicine, and Health

    In this episode of “Works in Progress,” ArtLab director Bree Edwards sits down with Pontus Lidberg, an award-winning Swedish choreographer, filmmaker, and dancer. A recipient of the Guggenheim fellowship in 2019, Pontus’ works grapple with the power of touch as it relates to interpersonal connections and communication. He has choreographed for a wealth of dance companies including but not limited to the Paris Opera Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, New York City Ballet, and Beijing Dance Theatre. Pontus Lidberg is artist-in-residence with Harvard Medical School’s Media, Medicine, and Health program, and based at ArtLab for the 2025-2026 academic year. His time here at Harvard involves mentoring students, teaching a course on movement and healing, and examining how the arts can inspire bold and creative responses to disparities in healthcare. Listen in to hear about our discussion around Pontus’ work, the practice of “nonverbal storytelling”, and the transformative power of dance in our contemporary world. Thanks for joining us for Works in Progress. We hope these conversations give you a glimpse into the creativity, collaboration, and experimentation happening at ArtLab. To learn more, visit artlab.harvard.edu. The podcast is recorded in the Mead Production Lab at the ArtLab in Boston, Massachusetts. Hosted by Bree Edwards Audio by Luke Damroch Production by Kat Nakaji Research by Sadie Trichler & Ria Cuéllar-Koh Design by James Blue & Sonia Ralston

    16 min
  3. Season 3 - Ep. 6 Shana F. griffin, 2025 Loeb/ArtLab Fellow

    JAN 27

    Season 3 - Ep. 6 Shana F. griffin, 2025 Loeb/ArtLab Fellow

    In this episode, we catch up with last year’s Loeb/ArtLab Fellow (2025) Shana M. griffin—artist, activist, sociologist, and geographer from New Orleans. Grounded in Black feminist theory, griffin reflects on a year of making new work in the ArtLab studios and reimagining spatial politics at the GSD. While research grounds Shana’s work, she strives to represent perspectives historically left out of the archive. Projects like SOIL go beyond traditional archival materials to instead document soil from plantations in Louisiana, capturing how the earth bears witness to slavery through its environmental memory of sugar production.  Another goal of Shana’s alternative archive is to improve accessibility. We touch on how her own access to archives fueled her to create more publicly available historical records. This culminated in an open studio display at the ArtLab, showing off her various projects in this more intimate setting. Join us for a thoughtful conversation about how to make art out of archival absences.  Thanks for joining us for Works in Progress. We hope these conversations give you a glimpse into the creativity, collaboration, and experimentation happening at ArtLab. To learn more, visit artlab.harvard.edu. The podcast is recorded in the Mead Production Lab at the ArtLab in Boston, Massachusetts. Hosted by Bree Edwards Audio by Luke Damroch Production by Kat Nakaji Research by Sadie Trichler & Ria Cuéllar-Koh Design by James Blue & Sonia Ralston

    25 min
  4. Season 3 - Ep. 4 Dayron J. Miles - The power of theater to bring communities together

    11/18/2025

    Season 3 - Ep. 4 Dayron J. Miles - The power of theater to bring communities together

    Visible through the windows of the ArtLab, the construction site for the American Repertory Theater’s new Goel Center for Creativity and Performance bustles with activity. This new home for the A.R.T. promises to accommodate public gatherings and community activities alongside the typical slate of theatrical works, weaving itself into a thriving arts community in Allston.  In Season 3, episode 4 of “Works in Progress,” ArtLab director Bree Edwards speaks with Dayron J. Miles, Associate Artistic Director at the American Repertory Theater, about the power of theater to bring communities together.  Dayron’s belief in theater as an artistic experience that helps exercise skills of democratic thinking grounds much of his practice. This ideal draws back to the early days of Western theater in Ancient Greece — a source of inspiration for Dayron. With anecdotes stretching from his time in high school to his current work with the A.R.T., Dayron shares his experiences connecting with local communities and building empathy through theatrical exposure.  Looking forward to the Goel Center’s opening, we discuss how this new space turns many of these ideals into a reality. Join us for a thoughtful conversation that reminds us to keep listening and playing throughout our lives.  Thanks for joining us for Works in Progress. We hope these conversations give you a glimpse into the creativity, collaboration, and experimentation happening at ArtLab. To learn more, visit artlab.harvard.edu. The podcast is recorded in the Mead Production Lab at the ArtLab in Boston, Massachusetts. Hosted by Bree Edwards Audio by Luke Damroch Production by Kat Nakaji Research by Sadie Trichler & Ria Cuéllar-Koh Design by James Blue & Sonia Ralston

    29 min
  5. Season 3 - Ep. 3 Louisa Penfold - ArtLab as third teacher

    11/11/2025

    Season 3 - Ep. 3 Louisa Penfold - ArtLab as third teacher

    Works in Progress Season 3 Ep 3– Episode: Every Child is an Artist with Dr. Louisa Penfold In this episode of Works in Progress, ArtLab Director Bree Edwards talks with Dr. Louisa Penfold, Faculty Co-Chair of Arts and Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and faculty resident at the ArtLab during 2022 and 2025. Dr. Penfold is the project director of Project Zero’s Art/Play, an NEA-funded study exploring how modern and contemporary art practices can be integrated into public schools. This groundbreaking project brings together partners from the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood, the Smithsonian Learning Lab, MoMA, and the Harvard Art Museums to reimagine how children and teachers learn through creative engagement, curriculum design, and professional development. During her ArtLab residency, Louisa has led numerous hands-on studio workshops where students from the Graduate School of Education have explored New Materialism as a framework for enhancing creative learning and research. Bree and Louisa also discuss Louisa’s new book, Every Child is an Artist, a guide for parents of young children that bridges her interdisciplinary work in contemporary art, early childhood education, and play. Listen in to learn how Dr. Penfold’s research and practice inspire new ways of thinking about creativity, learning, and the role of art in education. https://louisapenfold.com/ Thanks for joining us for Works in Progress. We hope these conversations give you a glimpse into the creativity, collaboration, and experimentation happening at ArtLab. To learn more, visit artlab.harvard.edu. The podcast is recorded in the Mead Production Lab at the ArtLab in Boston, Massachusetts. Hosted by Bree Edwards Audio by Luke Damroch Production by Kat Nakaji Research by Sadie Trichler & Ria Cuéllar-Koh Design by James Blue & Sonia Ralston

    23 min

Trailer

About

WORKS IN PROGRESS is a podcast produced by the ArtLab at Harvard University. In this podcast, we speak with the contemporary visual and performing artists working at ArtLab. The ArtLab is helping create the conditions for the Arts to flourish at Harvard, and this podcast brings these artists and their ideas to you.