Episodes

  • FTH Ep. 119: The Art of Building Community with James Brown III
    Nov 5 2025

    Broadway artist-turned-developer James Brown III joins us to explore Storyhouse Village, creative economy jobs, arts-powered community, and joy.

    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    52 mins
  • FTH Ep. 118 - Cartooning Around in the Creative Economy, with Ellis Rosen
    Dec 3 2024

    Episode 18 of Framing the Hammer finds us in etymological and philosophical hilarity with cartoonist Ellis Rosen. A cartoonist of many decades, Rosen has been featured in The New Yorker in addition to dozens of other publications, online, and restaurants in Manhattan. We explore his career, cartooning’s place in the creative economy, as well as 4A Arts’s study of the wellbeing economy. Additionally, we explore several rabbit holes of art’s purpose, the definition of “success,” and what really matters in life.

    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    43 mins
  • "Culture is Not an Industry" with Professor Justin O'Connor
    Oct 15 2024

    Professor Justin O’Connor of University of South Australia’s Creative Economy Department joins us for episode 17 of Framing the Hammer to discuss the ideas behind his new book, Culture is Not an Industry.

    For decades, many governments capitalized on the notion of a "creative economy," fueled by the work of academics and economists, including Professor O’Connor. He has reformed the idea that arts and culture are merely means for making economic value and instead that arts, culture, design, and craft are critical elements to human rights and a healthy society. We chat about the paradigm shift toward a "wellbeing economy" and the ways many governments are re-framing the rights of citizens to include culture.

    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    59 mins
  • Democratizing Art with Bianca Bosker
    Apr 18 2024

    “Democratization of American Arts and Culture” means lowering or removing barriers to experiencing, creating, and sharing art. Through this process, ideas are explored, questions asked, humanity exposed, bonds created, and communities are greatly strengthened. Democratizing the arts also helps strengthen American democracy, by strengthening communities, building belonging, and advancing interest in participatory citizenship. This is why Democratizing the Arts is one of the pillars of the 4A Arts mission, and our 2024 issues agenda includes Arts + Democracy. We believe that real investment in American arts, culture, design, and craft can strengthen communities and counter the political polarization currently undermining American democracy.


    Bianca Bosker is the New York Times bestselling author of “Cork Dork” whose most recent book, “Get the Picture” is a deep dive into various aspects of the visual arts industry. As a child, Bianca was a lover of all things artsy but had grown disillusioned with the snobbery and barriers erected by the art world. Eventually, the realization of her disengagement drove her to immerse herself in various aspects of the art world for better understanding. Through her research for Get the Picture, she worked as a gallerist, artist assistant, and museum guard.

    We hope you enjoy this conversation about Bianca’s fascinating dive into the art industrial complex rabbit hole.


    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    38 mins
  • Growing Arizona's Arts Advocacy Ecosystem
    Feb 27 2024

    A conversation with Arizona Citizens for the Arts (AZCA), the state arts advocacy organization fighting to increase funding in the Arizona state budget. In this episode, we chat with the AZCA Executive Director, Patrick McWhorter, and Director of Community Engagement, Sabrina Estrada. we touch on the exciting cultural developments statewide, as well as the distressing state of arts funding in the upcoming 2024 Arizona budget.

    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    31 mins
  • How Loneliness Inspires Creativity
    Jan 16 2024

    In episode 114 of Framing the Hammer, we chat with Richard Deming, Yale Director of Creative Writing and author of the recently published, This Exquisite Loneliness: What Loners, Outcasts and the Understood Can Teach Us About Creativity. In the book, Deming profiles six historic figures who publicly wrestled with loneliness and used creativity to cope (Melanie Klein, Zora Neale Hurston, Walker Evans, Walter Benjamin, Egon Shiele, Ron Serling). Their legacies leave us tools for better understanding loneliness, knowing that it is a condition that affects most people, and demonstrates how they harnessed their loneliness in their creative pursuits.


    In coping with loneliness, Deming emphasizes that vulnerability, and intimacy in relationships are critical for countering loneliness. Furthermore, the creative process is best fed with vulnerability and intimacy, leading to self-awareness and better understanding of other people.


    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    47 mins
  • FTH Ep. 113 - The Force (of the Creative Economy) Awakens, with Jason McGatlin
    Jan 4 2024

    In Episode 12 of Framing the Hammer, we chat with Jason McGatlin, a Hollywood producer who worked on films such as The Adventures of TinTin, Volcano, and the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, and (not least of all), the seventh, eighth and ninth of the Star Wars series, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker .

    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    53 mins
  • Are Your Musicians Ethically Sourced?
    Oct 6 2023

    In episode 12, we chat with Hilary Perkins, founder of Whippoorwill Arts (www.whippoorwillarts.org) a nonprofit advocating for music and musicians that recently underwent a comprehensive report on recommended wages for working musicians. We talk about the report that makes suggested base and graduated pay for musicians of all types, stripes, and locations.

    4A Arts believes that arts and culture are basic human rights and powerful tools for building a whole and healthy society.

    Please follow our efforts and growth to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    Please sign up for updates of our movement to change the narrative around American creativity and consequently to increase support from elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

    We would appreciate your support in our efforts.

    LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4aarts/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/4AArts.Org

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/4aarts/

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    46 mins