European vs American art museum experiences

A conversation with Ben F. Jones

This week on "Maybe, Actually, Museums are for me.," Alex walks the audience through his conversation with renowned visual artist, Ben F. Jones. Although not intended for the podcast, the conversation they had was so informative and speical it felt right to find a way to share the full breath of Ben's wisdom and artistic philosophy in this long-form way.  Ben F. Jones is an artist, activist, and educator, who uses his art to bring awareness to the plight of humanity throughout the world. A native of Paterson, NJ, Ben first became involved with the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) in the 1980s as a founding member of the African American Cultural Committee where his work has since been acquired and displayed as part of MAM's permanent collection of art. “I want to lift people up, give them a sense of empowerment and redemption.” -Ben Jones

My Nude Tights. | From the "Read it Now" Series

The Montclair Art Museum welcomed, Arianna Jobst, as it's first ever Writer-in-Residence this Spring. Arianna Jobst is a New Jersey native and emerging writer working primarily in creative nonfiction — short stories, essays, and novel writing that explore family, queerness, and identity. She graduated from the Literary Prose program at the Univeristy of Virginia. Her piece My Turn, voicing the frustrations of queer women and their female friendships, was published in the Virginia Literary Review. During the duration of the exhibition, "See It Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection," her literary interpretations of art on view in the show will be published weekly, with readings, such as this, released in our podcast feed bi-weekly. This piece, titled "My Nude Tights." is an interpritation of the artwork, Keeper, by Sheree Hovsepian. Disclaimer: All works presented here are interpretive prose written by Arianna Jobst, Writer-in-Residence at the Montclair Art Museum. The views, interpretations, and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent or reflect the positions, values, or views of the Montclair Art Museum. You can read this work and all of the other entries in this series by visiting— https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/read-it-now-interpretive-works-see-it-now [https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/read-it-now-interpretive-works-see-it-now]

European vs American art museum experiences

This week on, "Maybe, Actually, Museums are for me.," Alex, Creative Media Producer at the Montclair Art Museum sat down with Ming-Jing, the Museum's Marketing Intern to dicuss their recent adventures abroad and how the art museum's they visited across Europe compare to their American counterparts. They discuss key experiential differences in wait times, collecting practices, attention to detail, curation decisions and audience flow among other things. Learn more about the Montclair Art Museum by visiting— https://www.montclairartmuseum.org [https://www.montclairartmuseum.org] Recorded on 04/17/2026

Restless. | From the "Read it Now" Series

The Montclair Art Museum welcomed, Arianna Jobst, as it's first ever Writer-in-Residence this Spring. Arianna Jobst is a New Jersey native and emerging writer working primarily in creative nonfiction — short stories, essays, and novel writing that explore family, queerness, and identity. She graduated from the Literary Prose program at the Univeristy of Virginia. Her piece My Turn, voicing the frustrations of queer women and their female friendships, was published in the Virginia Literary Review. During the duration of the exhibition, See It Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection, her literary interpretations of art on view in the show will be published weekly, with readings, such as this, released in our podcast feed bi-weekly. This piece, titled "Restless." is an interpritation of the artwork, Face, by Natalie Frank. Disclaimer: All works presented here are interpretive prose written by Arianna Jobst, Writer-in-Residence at the Montclair Art Museum. The views, interpretations, and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent or reflect the positions, values, or views of the Montclair Art Museum.

A conversation with Nick Cave

This week on Maybe, Actually, Museums are for me, host, Alex traveled to Chicago to sit down with the world renowned contemporary artist Nick Cave for wide ranging conversation. Recorded at Nick's studio, Facility, in Old Irving Park, the conversation offered an intimate look into Cave’s expansive practice, from his iconic Soundsuits to his more recent explorations in bronze and performance. Cave’s work, featured in major institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Montclair Art Museum, blends art, fashion, and social commentary, addressing urgent themes such as racism, gun violence, and climate change. Though unable to attend MAM’s Spring Art Gala as Honorary Artist Chair due to his participation in the Venice Biennale, Cave welcomed the conversation in his studio, offering reflections on his upbringing, storytelling, and the evolution of his work. Framed through an exploration of the studio as both a physical and psychological space, this episode traces the connections between environment, process, and artistic expression, beginning with a discussion of the studio itself.