Podcast
Art Dealer Diaries Podcast
Hosted by Mark Sublette · EN
See the art world through my eyes as an art dealer with thirty years in the business. Interviews of unique and interesting individuals that collect, deal and find art as compelling as I do. Learn the pitfalls of the art world and the interesting cast of characters that are a constant thread of entertaining commentary. Pull up a chair with me, Mark Sublette and the Art Dealer Diaries.
30episodes
Episodes
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Wendie Martin: Publisher/Owner, International Artist Publishing - Epi. 395, Host Dr. Mark Sublette
2w ago01:10:13Tap to summarizeI had Wendie Martin on my podcast today, and she's co-owner of International Artist Publishing along with Adolfo Castillo. That's the media group responsible for magazines such as Western Art Collector, Native American Art, American Art Collector, American Fine Art Magazine, and International Artist. So she's got her hands full. We talked about her magazines, sure, but we mostly spoke about the process of how she got where is she is today. When i do these podcasts I want to know how people became what they became and their journey. Wendie's journey is a very interesting one.Her father was a car racer and somebody who was a specialist in fixing and rebuilding motors and we learn about how that affected her trajectory. She's still involved the automotive world and at one point became an auctioneer that specialized in auctioning classic cars. Wendie is just this very interesting person who's quite important in the world of Western & Native arts because of her magazines and their influence. She gets it. She loves collectors, she loves what she does, and this passion comes across in this podcast. That's why I do these things. To try and learn and to understand somebody like Wendie Martin. Someone who is really interested in, not only artists, not only collectors, but the entire business of art. That's a big component of what this podcast is all about. So enjoyed it a lot. This is Wendie Martin on episode 395 of the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast.
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Skip Andrews: Artist & Co-Founder of Sagebrush Studios w/Ed Mell (1942-2024) - Epi. 394, Host Dr. Mark Sublette
3w ago00:56:52Tap to summarizeSometimes you do podcasts not only because you're interested in the person, but you're also interested in just history, right? In this case, it's the history of Skip Andrews, his own personal journey as an artist, as well as his relationship with the iconic Arizona artist, Ed Mell.Skip and Ed were friends in high school and ended up working together in New York City in the late 60's and early 70's. They started a company together called Sagebrush Studios and did some really great work together. I got to hear stories about Ed and Skip and their antics and see artwork that I would have never guessed was done by Ed Mell.We see plenty of work by Skip as well who is a highly regarded illustrator, designer and airbrush artist. He did magazine covers for National Lampoon and Arizona Highways, worked on ad campaigns for Coca-Cola and Dickies, and showed us many other incredible works of commercial art.So this is probably the kind of video that is best taken in through YouTube, because you can see the images that we're talking about, and there's just something about seeing Skip's face as we discuss one of his closest and dearest friends. I found to be very interesting. I learned a lot. I had a great time. We filmed this in Ed's studio, which was a just a treat to be able to to do that, feel the energy of Ed and all the great paintings he had done alongside one of his best friends. This is Skip Andrews on episode 394 of the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast.
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Naiomi & Tyler Glasses: Fireside Chat w/Joshua Rose at Scottsdale Art Week 2026 - Epi. 393
4w ago00:38:27Tap to summarizeIn March 2026, the Scottsdale Art week had some discussions which were really informative. I really enjoyed this part of the programming and I wanted to share it with you. We had a booth there and I gave a lecture on Maynard Dixon and Ed Mell, but there were some other lovely panels/lectures that we recorded, and one of them included Diné weavers, Naiomi and Tyler Glasses. I've been fortunate to get to know them and I'm just so impressed with their creativity. They talked about their upbringing and the influence their grandmother had on their path towards becoming weavers. They speak on the connection between traditional Navajo weaving and contemporary fashion, and how blending utility and beauty is nothing new for the Diné. During the panel we hear about the origin of Naiomi’s collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren and how she was able to bring her brother on to help with a subsequent venture with Ralph Lauren Home. It's really interesting to get their take on how they've grown as a brother and sister team looking at fashion through the eyes of their own culture. So, I felt it was a really insightful discussion and something that you would have missed were you not in Scottsdale during the show, but luckily we are able to bring it to you today. This is Naiomi Glasses and her brother Tyler Glasses on the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 393.
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Ed Mell: A Closer Look, Lecture at the Phoenix Art Museum, Introduction by Chief Curator Olga Viso - Epi. 392
Apr 2200:53:13Tap to summarizeI recently gave a lecture called "Ed Mell: A Closer Look" at the Phoenix Art Museum and I wanted to share it with all of you as an episode of my podcast.It was an interesting experience for me for two reasons. One, I knew Ed very well as a friend. Two, I represented him for almost 30 years. So with this lecture, I got to think and speak about him how an art historian would. The friendship element was part of the lecture, no doubt, but the talk is filled with the other more analytical art world components as well. For example, I talk about the difference between a 1980 Ed Mell and a 1981 Ed Mell. I analyze the kind of subject matter that he did and when he did it and why he did it. If you love Ed Mell you will probably find this talk that I did to be very interesting and maybe even compelling. I thought it was a really enjoyable from the speaking perspective. The Phoenix Art Museum just has such a beautiful collection and they have an exhibit called "Ed Mell: In the Studio" in their all new James K. Ballinger Wing. The wing is going to be closed for a renovation from now until mid September 2026, but it'll be open again after Labor Day. Once it opens back up, the Ed Mell exhibition will be up through April 2027. Most of the work in the exhibit came right out of his studio, including some very early pastels and small oil studies. It's a very cool setup and it was curated by Chief Curator Olga Viso, who I interview at the end of the podcast about the show.So if you love Ed Mell, you might want to watch this one. Keep in mind the YouTube version will have all of the images I discuss, as well as the bonus interview at the end that shows parts of "Ed Mell: In the Studio."
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Shonto Begay (Diné): Artist and Storyteller - Epi. 391, Host Dr. Mark Sublette
Apr 1501:09:09Tap to summarizeI love a podcast that's a little different. Today, Shonto Begay showed up with four new paintings and they're all terrific. One of them however was incredibly important because it explores Shonto's experience at an Indian school and how that affected him. I mean, he's 72 years old and this is something that still affects him to this day and I completely understand why. You see, he's able to make that world different in his own mind through the catharsis of painting. In this painting I'm referring to, he explores that and lets the viewer see it how they want to see it, but the story of the painting is there for everyone. If you go to the YouTube version of the podcast you'll be able to actually see the painting we're talking about.So we talk about the four paintings he brings in for about half of the podcast, and then we move over to the Maynard Dixon and Native American Art Museum where we talk about a couple of his other paintings that are a part of the exhibition "Native Voices: 75 Years of Creativity."One is called "Helpless," which is a monumentally important painting and a marker for Shonto's art career. It was done in 1996, and I've owned it for at least 15 years. It happens to be a very important painting in my life as well.Shonto is somebody that I respect and appreciate very much. You can hear the passion, the wisdom, and the energy that he breathes into the world as he speaks. He's just a remarkable individual, not only as a painter, but as just a human being. I'm grateful that I get to show his work and to call him my friend.This is Shonto Begay on episode 391 of the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast.
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Briscoe Museum Panel: Kim Wiggins, Martin Grelle, Dr. Mark Sublette and Charles Sublette, Moderated by Tim Newton - Epi. 390
Apr 800:55:48Tap to summarizeToday's podcast was a panel that I was a part of alongside artists Kim Wiggins, Martin Grelle, and my son, Charles Sublette, moderated by Tim Newton. We talk about Western art, the future of art in general, how the world perceives what we happen to specialize in.With the artists on the panel, we had two different but equally qualified individuals. There was Martin Grelle being on the traditional side and Kim Wiggins who is more of a modernist. They talk about how they see things in their world, from their perspectives as creatives.Then on the other end of the spectrum you have myself and my son, Charles. I was invited to the panel because of my 35 years of experience as an art dealer specializing in Western art, having worked with museums like the Briscoe on many occasions. Charles on the other hand, sees things in a different light because he's much younger and in tune with a completely different audience. So it's a good mix of how we see the world of Western art and where it's heading. It was fun to do and it lasted about an hour. We had some good Q&A afterwards. You can watch us on YouTube if you want to see how we just kind of talk and interact, which I think is always interesting.I'm typically surprised when I go and do one of these things, because you just don't know what's going to come up, or how others see what you see differently. That being said, Tim Newton did a lovely job of moderating all the different aspects and voices and it was a great time.So hope you enjoy this panel at the Briscoe Western Art Museum on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 390.
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Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light) Lecture at Scottsdale Art Week - Epi. 389, Hosted by Curator Emilia Mickevicius
Apr 100:42:46Tap to summarizeI recently attended and exhibited at Scottsdale Art Week, which was the third week in March. They had a lovely series of lectures, and one of them was with photographer Cara Romero. She's a terrific artist that I have in my personal collection.The Phoenix Art Museum has a big show of her work on display through June 2026 called "Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light)." It's a terrific show and I have been up there twice since it opened. It's very well curated and it's an immersive experience.In this lecture, Emilia Mickevicius, the Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography at Phx Art, speaks with Cara about the exhibit and about the works in the First American Girl series, Indigenous Futurism series, and her most recent photographic works. They discuss the themes of survivance, activism and ecology, and how Cara weaves these into each and every photograph she takes.Cara has her own gallery in Santa Fe and I highly recommend you go see that as well. It was a wonderful lecture. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I get to upload this talk. This is photographer Cara Romero and curator Emilia Mickevicius on the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast.
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Curt Walters: Resilience (Museum Exhibition Tour) - Epi. 388, Host Dr. Mark Sublette
Mar 2501:01:47Tap to summarizeThis podcast is a very interesting podcast, because we get to talk to Curt Walters about his retrospective exhibition "Curt Walters: Resilience" at Western Spirit: Scottsdale Museum of the West. We walk through the exhibit and hear about his life as he speaks on his magnificent landscape paintings. Curt was born in 1950 and he lived in Farmington, NM and this is where his artistic journey really begins. It was so interesting to do this walk-and-talk with Curt through the museum. To be able to see and speak with him and understand what he's done in life in front of some of his most monumental works of art.I hope people come to see the show Western Spirit and I also hope you watch this on YouTube so you can really get the sense of what we were talking about. It's great as an audio-only experience, but there's something about actually seeing the paintings when he's describing them that is just wonderful.Anyhow, I'm glad to have had the chance to record this and I hope you enjoy. This is master Grand Canyon painter Curt Walters on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 388.
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Thomas Blackshear II & Mark Sublette: Neon Cowboy Posse Lecture - Epi. 387 (Ft. Eli Blackshear)
Mar 1800:46:21Tap to summarizeIf you didn't get to come to our Thomas Blackshear opening and hear this lecture, well, you're in luck, because we recorded it and it was really a wonderful event. Basically, it was Thomas Blackshear and myself talking about the show "Neon Cowboy Posse, The Ten Most Wanted Plus One," and how the whole series began. Questions like, "what was the impetus to do it?" We talk about the characters that Thomas came up with, and how I wrote the short story styled after a pulp fiction magazine to accompany the show.It's a very interesting lecture and i'm glad Thomas was so open to talking at my gallery. I really loved the fact that I got to be part of the creative process for the show. It's a rarity for art dealers. We usually get to come up maybe with an idea or the way we set things up, but to be actually part of the creative process was a real joy.As an added bonus, at the beginning of the talk folk recording artist Eli Blackshear (Thomas's son) sang two songs for us. We included that in the podcast as well and are so glad to get to share his talent with our audience.And so that's what this is all about. I hope you enjoy Thomas Blackshear, Eli Blackshear and myself on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 387.
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Thomas Blackshear II: Inside the Artist's Studio (NEON COWBOY POSSE • Opens 3/13/2026) - Epi 386, Host Dr. Mark Sublette
Mar 1101:16:22Tap to summarizeWhen you get to go to an artist's studio, it's literally a sacred place. That's just the best way I can describe it, because it's where creativity begins and ends and inspiration is found there, too. In this case, it was Thomas Blackshear II and his studio. To be able to see the things that made his career. Seeing the relics that he's held on to in addition to the WIP early stages of the show that is going to open here at Medicine Man Gallery on March 13, 2026. That second part was the main reason I was there. The show is called "Neon Cowboy Posse: The Ten Most Wanted Plus One" and I wanted to go to his studio to see how it was going. It's something we've been working on for almost two years and you get to see those early images of the pieces before they were completely finished.This studio tour was done like six months ago. You also see his props, his library and an insight into other sides of his life, which are the figurines that he's very well known for. I'd recommend watching this on YouTube, because I think it'll have so much more impact to be able to visualize everything we discuss.So this was a very special podcast because I'm in that inner sanctum and you get to be as well. This is Thomas Blackshear II on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 386.See the show online:https://www.medicinemangallery.com/collections/march-6-2026
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