Daniel White, director of the Paul R. Jones Museum and The University of Alabama Gallery, recently posted the first episode of a new podcast series, Postmodern Barbecue, on Soundcloud. The podcast will feature conversations with arts leaders, artists and gallerists from around the state, and is supported by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, through the Alabama Visual Arts Network. White kicked off the new series with a conversation with Guido Maus, the owner of the gallery Maus Contemporary in Birmingham.
White said that he hopes to do one episode a month. In the next episode, he will interview artist Charlie Lucas, who recently held a solo show, Talking to the Ancestors, at the Paul R. Jones Museum.
White, who is a board member of ALVAN, said that he wants to “bring visibility to art in Alabama and give people a platform to talk. I just find it fascinating to be a creative individual in the South. I think there are unique facets and experiences that come with the role of being a visual artist in Alabama. I am thankful to ALVAN for the opportunity and for funding the show and broadcast.”
White said that he got the idea last fall and then it was approved and funded, “After I was excited about it happening, the hard reality set in that now I must figure this out,” he laughed. “But an amazing thing happened, and I discovered something wonderful along the way. I learned how talented and resourceful our students in the Department of Art & Art History are. Because of their extra-curricular interests and experiences, they have skill sets beyond what we would expect.”
“Britt Guynes (BFA 2022), who was a student gallery worker for us last year, specializes in electronic music and he knew so much about the recording devices. He provided valuable direction and got us on the right path from the get-go with technology. Later, we commissioned him to produce the intro and outro music for the podcast.” White said he was also able to find someone to help with podcast production. “In the end, I was able to quickly assemble a team of people to help lift this off the ground.”
Check White’s Instagram account @danielwhiteart or the UA Department of Art and Art History’s website for new episodes of Postmodern Barbeque or follow it on Soundcloud.
For more information about the programs in the UA Department of Art and Art History, go to this page or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.