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PODCAST

Why"d They Put That In A Museum?

Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees

Art. Objects. Museums. Ideas. Questions. What happens when you put things on display and invite people in to look? Have you ever seen art on display and wondered, “Why’d they put that in a museum?” Museum curator Sarah Lees and author Beth Bacon start each conversation with one item, in one specific museum. We explore the object, its history, and the cultural ideas surrounding it. In the end, that object takes on new meaning as listeners discover the fascinating reasons it ended up in a museum.

arts visual arts

All Episodes

32:21

Jackson Pollock

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/11/22

In this final episode of Season 2, hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss their ongoing topic, “Why did they put that in a museum?” by focusing on an artist who is frequently the subject of this question: Jackson Pollock. They examine his masterpiece 'One: Number 31, 1950' which can be found in New York's Museum of Modern Art. They talk about Pollocks techniques and the community he was part of. They muse about abstract art and its common misconceptions. Sarah explains that

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24:08

Maman, or giant spider, by Louise Bourgeois

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/11/15

Is bigger better when it comes to art? That’s one of the questions that Sarah Lees and Beth Bacon ponder in their discussion of the life and work of Louise Bourgeois. In this episode of Why'd They Put That in a Museum?, hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees focus on the sculpture Maman, an enormous metal sculpture of a spider. Bourgeois was in her 70s and 80’s when she increased the scale of her art and around that time, her work began to command significant attention in the contemporary art world

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21:02

Battle of Little Bighorn by Stephen Standing Bear,...

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/11/08

This is the second episode of a two-part discussion of the Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast. Beth Bacon, Sarah Lees, and guest speaker Christina Burke discuss a painting by Lakota artist Steven Standing Bear. The artwork is a large-scale painting of the Battle of the Greasy Grass, which is also known as Little Bighorn, or the Custer Battle of June 25th, 1876. (In the first part of this two-part discussion, they review the painting in detail.) In this episode, Christina explains the

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25:17

Battle of Little Bighorn by Stephen Standing Bear,...

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/11/01

In this first episode of a two-part discussion, Beth Bacon, Sarah Lees, and guest speaker Christina Burke, discuss a painting by Lakota artist Steven Standing Bear. The artwork is a large-scale painting of the Battle of the Greasy Grass, which is also known as Little Bighorn, or the Custer Battle of June 25th, 1876. Standing Bear was a participant in this battle as a teenager. He became a fine artist and painted this enormous depiction of the battle. Christina Burke, a curator and expert in Native

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19:17

Where's the Café?

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/10/25

In this episode of the podcast Why'd They Put That in a Museum, hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees talk about the various elements that enhance the experience of visiting a museum. Museum cafés, movies, and lectures—and even the gift shops! How important are the museum’s offerings around and beyond the exhibits? They highlight themed food recipes inspired by artworks, café designs matching museum decor, and popular exhibits like mummies. They explore how these aspects contribute to making museum...

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16:40

Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Rooms, Part 2

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/10/18

This episode of “Why They Put That in the Museum,” is the second part of a 2-part series about the international sensation Yayoi Kusama. (Please see "Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Rooms, Part 1," season 2 episode 5 to listen to the first part.) Hosts Sarah Lee and Beth Bacon discuss Yayoi Kusama’s path from being a largely ignored activist artist in her early career to becoming a globally recognized figure by the 1990s. How did she make this change? Listen and find out. With a focus on

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24:09

Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Rooms, Part 1

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/10/11

Yayoi Kusama is known as one of the most well-known living artists… that is, today she is well known. This is the first part of a 2-part episode that focuses on Kusama;s Infinity Mirror Rooms, particularly 'Infinity Mirror Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away' located at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles. Today Kusama’s vibrant and playful interactive works seem to be “everywhere” from major museums to public spaces, to the internet feeds of trendy influencers. But did you know

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20:48

Rembrandt Artist In His Studio

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/10/04

Rembrandt is known for telling dramatic stories with his art. He often paints his figures in intriguing moods and guises. In his self-portrait, Artist In His Studio, Rembrandt does both, creating a moody, enigmatic story in a very small frame. The main subject in this small painting is the back of an enormous easel. Standing further away is the artist, Rembrandt himself, with brushes in his hands and a pensive expression on his face. What is going on here? It’s up to the viewers to use the

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27:15

Marcel Duchamp Bicycle Wheel

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/09/27

The sculpture Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp is playfully irreverent and deceptively simple. It’s just a rim and a stool. But the concepts behind it are lot more complicated. In the century since it was created, it has become significantly influential in the world of contemporary art. In this episode of Why’d They Put That In A Museum, Sarah Lees and Beth Bacon take the 'Bicycle Wheel' sculpture for a spin. They explain why Duchamp created ready-mades and talk about his part on the Dada

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28:15

Edvard Munch: The Scream

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/09/20

The Scream by Edvard Munch is among the world's most recognizable artworks. But how much do you really know about this image of a wavy figure with a scull-like face and wide open mouth? Sarah Lees and Beth Bacon discuss this painting in their podcast, "Why'd They Put That In A Museum." For one thing, The Scream cannot be called "one" of the most recognizable artworks… since Munch made multiple versions. Also, according to Munch’s notes, the figure in the picture isn’t

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26:42

Crystal Z. Campbell

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/09/13

In the first episode of season two of Why’d They Put That in a Museum, host Sarah Lees speaks with Beth Bacon about an exhibit of works by contemporary artist Crystal Z. Campbell. Through most of this podcast, Beth is recording while walking around the exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum. They discuss and array of Campbell's works, including collage-like artworks featuring manila paper, glass apothecary jars, and a video installation. Beth and Sarah explore themes such as healing,

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18:28

What Is A Museum? The Evolution and Purpose of...

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/03/29

In this episode of "Why They Put That in a Museum," Beth Bacon, an author and avid museum goer, joins Sarah Lees, a museum curator and researcher, to explore the origins, history, and purposes of museums. They discuss ancient Greek philosophical institutions, the Renaissance patronage of Lorenzo de Medici, and the concept of cabinets of curiosities in the 1600s. They talk about the founding of significant museums like the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford and the British Museum in London. The discus...

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29:05

Lusha Nelson: Photographs of Jesse Owens, Katherine...

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/03/22

In this episode of “Why Did They Put That in a Museum?” hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss the photographs of a little known photographer, Lusha Nelson. Nelson’s photos were found in a yard sale. Why’d they put them in a museum? These were not just any old thrifted finds. First, they are stunningly beautiful. Plus, Nelson's photographs include portraits of icons and luminaries like Jesse Owens and Katharine Hepburn. The shading and compositions are rich and evocative. Who is Lusha Nelson...

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25:22

Vivian Maier, American photographer

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/03/15

In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss the unusual story of Vivian Meier, an unknown nanny whose extraordinary street photography was discovered by chance in an unclaimed storage locker. They discuss the unique and enigmatic nature of her photographs and the very unusual way her body of work came to be known. In fact, none of Meier’s powerful and thought-provoking photos are on display in traditional museums. Sarah and Beth go on to explore...

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26:14

Dolley Madison Daguerreotype by John Plumbe, Jr.

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/03/08

In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss a rare 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison recently acquired by National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. Dolley Madison was the wife of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison. What is a daguerreotype? To answer that question, they do a quick overview of early photography and some of the inventor-artists who got this technology started using glass and silver-plated copper sheets. What’s cool about...

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28:11

"Joe" by Richard Serra at Pulitzer Arts Foundation

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/03/01

Beth Bacon visits Richard Serra's 'Joe' and talks with Sarah Lees about her experience while walking around this large steel sculpture. In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' Beth and Sarah wrestle with the opposing thoughts and feelings that arise when encountering this enormous steel sculpture located at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri. Beth provides an on-site description of the piece, made from a huge coil of weathering steel. The piece invites visitors to...

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21:43

Storage Jar by Dave The Potter

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/02/22

In this episode of Why They Put That in a Museum, Sarah Lees and Beth Bacon discuss a stoneware jar made by Dave The Potter, a skilled enslaved potter from South Carolina. They discuss the inscription on the jar, which is a lighthearted description (dare we say roast?) of people in the town. They also explore other aspects of the jar, such as the clay it was made from, the history of its creation, and its various owners over the years. Finally they ponder its cultural context as an object fro...

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23:09

Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/02/15

In this episode of 'Why'd They Put That in a Museum?' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss how Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, the Mona Lisa, ended up in the Louvre (hint—it was brought to the Louvre before the Louvre was a museum!). They also talk about the time the Mona Lisa was stolen from the museum and Picasso was accused of the robbery. Beth asks Sarah why art curators think Mona Lisa is such a great masterpiece so you can decide if you agree whether it's one of the best panting...

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19:22

Cage Crinoline "A Favorite of the Empress" by Unknown...

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/02/08

Sarah Lees, a museum curator, and Beth Bacon, an art enthusiast, co-host a podcast called 'Why Do They Put That in a Museum?' In this episode, talk about the cage crinoline, an undergarment from Victorian England that's currently in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. It's basically the hoop inside the hoop skirts that were popular in the 1860's. No one knows who made it. So what's it doing in a museum? Is it beautiful? Not really. Was it associated with a famous person? Maybe (or mayb...

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22:46

Faith Ringgold: Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach

Why"d They Put That In A Museum? ·

2025/02/01

In this episode of 'Why'd They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Sarah Lees, a museum curator and researcher, and Beth Bacon, an avid museum goer and children's book author, discuss Faith Ringgold's 'Tar Beach,' which is a part of her 'Woman on a Bridge' series. This colorful work defies categorization. It blends painting, quilting, and storytelling. It’s an artwork… and also a Caldecott-winning picture book. We start by talking about the quilt version of the work in the New York Guggenheim, which...

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