In this episode, I speak with artist, curator, and author Barbara Benish about her book ArtMill: A Story of Sustainable Creativity in Bohemia — a hopeful, timely memoir about artistic resistance, creative community, and rebuilding culture after totalitarianism.

In This Episode:

[0:12] Host Pam Uzzell introduces the episode, reflecting on fear of communist countries during the Cold War and how that connects to today's political climate in the US
[2:34] Introduction to Barbara Benish's book ArtMill: A Story of Sustainable Creativity in Bohemia and why it feels especially relevant now
[3:49] Barbara describes her memoir — from leaving California as a young artist to integrating into Cold War Czechoslovakia, working with underground artists, and eventually founding a rural arts center
[6:14] Growing up in Southern California with Czech immigrant heritage, witnessing the Soviet invasion of Prague in 1968, and losing connection to the Czech language
[7:42] Crossing the Iron Curtain as a young American backpacker — navigating fear, border crossings, and Cold War propaganda
[10:41] Connecting with dissident artists in Prague — serendipity, secret networks, and the surveillance state
[12:08] Life under the secret police — being followed, bugged venues, and how artists developed coded communication to resist oppression
[13:53] Barbara's frustration with the commercialization of art in 1980s Los Angeles and what drew her to the underground art scene in Czechoslovakia
[15:14] The Art Dialogue exchange — bringing together LA and Czech artists during the Cold War and the challenges of mounting a cross-cultural exhibition under an authoritarian regime
[16:57] The Velvet Revolution of 1989 — why it's also called the Artist Revolution, the role of playwright-turned-president Václav Havel, and lessons from The Power of the Powerless for democracy today
[21:47] Buying the Červený Mlýn (Red Mill) in rural Bohemia — a $17,000 ruin, a leap of faith, and the beginning of a new life
[26:28] Renovating the mill, building a rural arts community, and the reality behind the romance
[27:46] ArtMill today — artist residencies, children's programs, university study abroad, and regenerative creativity in rural Central Europe
[29:12] Art as sustainability — how creative practice connects to environmental stewardship, indigenous ways of knowing, and regenerative living
[34:42] What today's political resistance in the US has in common with Cold War Czechoslovakia — and what comes after resistance
[38:45] Barbara reads a moving passage from ArtMill about climate, beauty, dignity, and hope for future generations
[40:35] Where to find Barbara Benish, upcoming California readings, and how to get the book

Resources & Links:

Barbara Benish's website: barbarabenish.com
ArtMill: A Story of Sustainable Creativity in Bohemia — published by New Village Press, distributed by NYU
Art Heals All Wounds Podcast: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com

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