The contemporary art establishment isn’t exactly known for its accessibility. In fact, the industry is far more notorious as a toxic purveyor of snobbery and pretentiousness than anything else. This exclusionary mindset discourages artists, art lovers, and buyers alike from ever venturing into the art world to discover their favorite works or develop their creative passions. 

On today’s podcast episode, NOT REAL ART digital strategist Juergen Berkessel hops into the interviewer’s seat for the first time to chat with our regular host and founder, Scott “Sourdough” Power. Scott discusses his vision for NOT REAL ART, explaining how the organization serves artists and art lovers by rejecting the elitism that defines much of the traditional art world. “We want to democratize the arts,” he says early in the interview. “We believe art is for the people and should be accessible to all the people. And so we wanted to speak to those people, and hopefully, let them know that we're for them.” 

With a passion for supporting emerging and upcoming artists, Scott designed NOT REAL ART to empower, educate, and inspire professional artists of all stripes. In his interview he shares some of the programming that lets NOT REAL ART support a wide range of talented artists year after year, including the annual grant, a growing network of podcasts, and the smARTtalks educational series. He also lets us in on the lightbulb moment behind the organization’s name: “When ‘NOT REAL ART’ hit me, it sort of hit me, as many good names do, right in the gut. I just knew that it was the right one, it resonated. I had a visceral reaction.”

You’ll also hear Scott’s thoughts on what art means to him, and why it’s the artists themselves who truly motivate him to do the work. After all, without the artists, there would be no art. Tune into this week’s podcast to hear all about NOT REAL ART from the founder himself. 

In Today’s Podcast Episode

Scott Power and Juergen Berkessel discuss…

• The story behind how NOT REAL ART got its name
• Why it was important for the organization’s name to resonate with artists
• The organization’s goal to democratize art and create a welcoming space for artists and art lovers
• How the organization expresses appreciation for artists through support and advocacy
• The annual NOT REAL ART grant for artists, how it’s grown, and how it’s changing
• The growing network of podcasts under the NOT REAL ART organization
• The NOT REAL ART School and what it has to teach artists about the business of art
• Why The NOT REAL ART School is such a great resource for artists
• Information on the smARTtalks education series and how you can take part
• Scott’s three wishes for the future of NOT REAL ART

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/scott-sourdough-power-interview