The (art)Scene Podcast

59: Episode 59: Shannon Rogers

Today's guest is Shannon Rogers, an artist and painter based out of Oakland, CA. You'll hear us discuss his early beginnings in Little Rock, Arkansas and his growth as an artist exploring geometric abstraction during his studies at both the SAIC in Chicago and the New York Studio School. We also talked about his time as an art professor in his home town and finally his current solo show currently on view at Pt. 2 Gallery [https://www.part2gallery.com/shannon2025public] in Oakland titled, Dreamlands Learn more about Shannon and his work by either visiting his website: https://www.jonshannonrogers.com/ [https://www.jonshannonrogers.com/] or follow him on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/northofhoxie].

58: Episode 58: Drew Grasso

Today's guest is Drew Grasso, an artist and printmaker based out of Oakland, CA. We discussed 222 Press [https://www.222press.com/], the new publishing project he recently founded and Sun Night Editions [https://sunnighteditions.wordpress.com/], the former print publishing house he once ran with Yoni Asega. We also talked about what motivated him to pursue his passion to be a printmaker and the amount of hard work that goes into operating your own printing press.  Be sure to follow 222 Press on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/222.press/?hl=en] to see their latest updates and projects.

57: Episode 57: Meryl Pataky

The newest episode of the podcast features, Meryl Pataky [http://www.merylpataky.com], a multi-disciplined artist known for her amazing neon pieces. Based here in the Bay Area, I visited Meryl in her studio to discuss her early beginnings as a mixed media artist, her neon practice and She Bends [https://www.shebends.com/], an organization she founded to create a more equitable future for neon. Finally, we also talked about the new exhibition curated by She Bends at the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) [https://www.thecjm.org] in San Francisco titled First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art [https://www.thecjm.org/current_exhibitions]. The exhibition features neon work by various artists including Meryl, that "explores mastery in craft as a devotional pursuit, presenting breathtaking artworks that connect both artists and viewers to spirituality, wonder, and universal questions of human existence." The show is up at the CJM through April 28, 2024. Visit the museum website for more details. For more info about Meryl and her work be sure to visit her website at merylpataky.com [http://www.merylpataky.com]or follow her on Instagram at @merylpataky [https://www.instagram.com/merylpataky/]. Learn more about She Bends at shebends.com [https://www.shebends.com/customneon].

56: Esteban Raheem Abdul Raheem Samayoa

This week's guest on the (art)Scene Podcast is Oakland-based artist Esteban Raheem Abdul Raheem Samayoa whose art practice focuses on charcoal, airbrush painting, and most recently mixed media painting and installation. For our conversation I had the pleasure of visiting Esteban in his studio in Oakland to discuss his early beginnings in Sacramento and the community he surrounds himself with that ultimately inspires much of his work. We also discussed his new solo exhibition titled Ain't No Dogs in Heaven currently up at Pt. 2 Gallery [https://www.part2gallery.com/]through September 9, 2023. Follow Esteban and his latest projects at https://www.wulffvnky.com/ [https://www.wulffvnky.com/] or follow him on instagram @wulffvnky [https://www.instagram.com/wulffvnky]

55: Isaac Vazquez Avila

After a long hiatus the (art)Scene Podcast is back with a  brand new guest: Isaac Vazquez Avila, a painter & sculptor based in San Francisco. I stopped by his studio in Bernal Heights to discuss what drew him to the Bay Area, his art practice and his recent projects including the exhibition that wrapped up at pt. 2 Gallery in Oakland and teaching. Follow Isaac and his latest projects at https://www.isaacvazquezavila.com/ [https://www.isaacvazquezavila.com/] or follow him on instagram @aliencitizen [http://instagram.com/aliencitizen]