Tidbits: Pocket-sized art history lessons for the mildly curious

Join Gallery Manager Kristina in a sparknotes-style journey through art history, making stops at artworks you may have heard about and some that may be entirely new to you. The episodes are not arranged chronologically or in any other recognizable semblance of order; just the way this information lives in her brain. Featuring historical context, artistic influences, and also some completely biased personal opinions, hop on this magic school bus for art nerds and join Kristina to geek out over some cool stuff.

Episode 32: Click here to watch

Episode 32: After 51 weeks of Tidbits, it’s time for a change. Gallery Manager Kristina shares her three lessons learned from a year of Tidbits, and explores how to continue this project in 2022. Airs December 26, 2021 at 10am


Episode 31: Click here to watch

Episode 31: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss the origins of abstract art, and how a Swedish painter named Hilda af Klint created it nearly a decade before Wassily Kandinsky. Airs December 12, 2021 at 10am


Episode 30: Click here to watch

Episode 30: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss the groundbreaking work of Abstract Expressionist painter Lee Krasner, and her lessons on how to become an artist. Airs November 14, 2021 at 10am


Episode 29: Click here to watch

Episode 29: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”, and how it portrays the very real human emotions of fear, anxiety, and loneliness. Is it even more relevant today, in the wake of a global pandemic, than it was 100 years ago? Airs October 31, 2021 at 10am


Episode 28: Click here to watch

Episode 28: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss Jan van Eyck’s “The Arnolfini Portrait”. Previously thought to depict a wedding, this masterful oil painting redefines what’s possible in paint, holds immense symbolism, and hints at deeper meanings behind every object. Airs October 17, 2021 at 10am


Episode 27: Click here to watch

Episode 27: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, her Infinity Rooms, and the impact of social media and blockbuster shows on the art world. Airs September 19, 2021 at 10am


Episode 26: Click here to watch

Episode 26: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss Michelangelo’s unprecedented sculpture “Pietà”. Airs September 5, 2021 at 10am


Episode 25: Click here to watch

Episode 25: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we discuss Dada anti-art, readymades, and how World War I influenced the reckoning of the art world. Airs August 22, 2021 at 10am


Episode 24: Click here to watch

Episode 24: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we visit an art environment close to home: Fred Smith’s Wisconsin Concrete Park in Phillips, WI. Also included is a discussion of Outsider Art and resources for further reading. Airs July 25, 2021 at 10am


Episode 23: Click here to watch

Episode 23: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we revisit the question of colonial art in western museum collections, after news of bulk repatriation efforts in Costa Rica. Airs July 11, 2021 at 10am


Episode 22: Click here to watch

Episode 22: This week we take a look at the life and artwork of Francisco Goya, last of the Old Masters in Spain, and how war and illness impacted his art over time. Airs June 27, 2021 at 10am


Episode 21: Click here to watch

Episode 21: This week we take a look at the life and photography of Claude Cahun, a gender-neutral artist who secretly fought the Nazis in the 1940s. Airs June 13, 2021 at 10am


Episode 20: Click here to watch

Episode 20: This week we take a look at The Bayeux Tapestry, a remarkably well-preserved textile that tells the story of the Battle of Hastings. Airs May 30, 2021 at 10am


Episode 19: Click here to watch

Episode 19: This week we take a look at Donatello’s David, a radical sculpture that predates Michelangelo’s version by nearly 60 years, and why it’s being embraced by new audiences today.Airs May 16, 2021 at 10am


Episode 18: Click here to watch

Episode 18: A special Mother’s Day message from Gallery Manager Kristina, and an update on future episodes of Tidbits. Airs May 9, 2021 at 10am


Episode 17: Click here to watch

Episode 17: This week we take a look at the Benin Bronzes, priceless artifacts currently on display in the British Museum, but looted from Africa over a century ago. Airs May 2, 2021 at 10am


Episode 16: Click here to watch

[CW: contains mention of suicide]

Episode 16: This week we take a look at the artwork and life of American painter Mark Rothko. Airs April 25, 2021 at 10am


Episode 15: Click here to watch

Episode 15: This week we take a look at the iconic Japanese woodblock print “The Great Wave” by Hokusai, and how historical events can impact art and culture. Airs April 18, 2021 at 10am


Episode 14: Click here to watch

Episode 14: This week we take a look at one particular artwork by sculptor Auguste Rodin, The Thinker, and how it teaches us what it means to be human. Airs April 11, 2021 at 10am


Episode 13: Click here to watch

Episode 13: This week’s video is all about big news coming from the Louvre: their 48,000 piece collection is now entirely online, for free! Airs April 4, 2021 at 10am


Episode 12: Click here to watch

[CW: contains mention of s*xual assault]

Episode 12: This week we take a look at work by Artemisia Gentileschi, Baroque painter of the Italian Renaissance. Airs March 28, 2021 at 10am


Episode 11: Click here to watch

Episode 11: This week we take a look at work by Rachel Ruysch, a Dutch still-life painter from the 17th century who is still making headlines today. Airs March 21, 2021 at 10am


Episode 10: Click here to watch

Episode 10: This week we take a look at work by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, a founding artist of the Glasgow Style and Art Nouveau. Airs March 14, 2021 at 10am


Episode 9: Click here to watch

Episode 9: This week we take a look at over 3000 years of ancient Egyptian art, focusing in on 4 pharaohs and a few specific works of “art”. Airs March 7, 2021 at 10am


Episode 8: Click here to watch

Episode 8: This week we take a look at the powerful silhouettes of Kara Walker. Airs Feb 28, 2021 at 10am


Episode 7: Click here to watch

Episode 7: This week we take a look at the vibrant and colorful history of African American quilting, specifically by studying two artists: Harriet Powers and Bisa Butler. Airs Feb 21, 2021 at 10am


Episode 6: Click here to watch

Episode 6: This week we take a look at American artist Beauford Delaney, who was active during the Harlem Renaissance. Airs Feb 14, 2021 at 10am


Episode 5: Click here to watch

Episode 5: This week we take a look at “Creation of God” by Chicago-based artist Harmonia Rosales. Airs Feb 7, 2021 at 10am


Episode 4: Click here to watch

Episode 4: This week we take a look at why art history often studies the history of religion, as well as Islamic Architecture and the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba in Spain. Airs Jan 31, 2021 at 10am


Episode 3: Click here to watch

Episode 3: Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. This week we take a look at The Two Fridas, the largest painting ever created by Frida Kahlo. Airs Jan 24, 2021 at 10am


Episode 2: Click here to watch

Episode 2: The Woman of Willendorf. This week we take a look at the Venus of Willendorf, a Paleolithic sculpture and hypothetical fertility statue. Airs Jan 17, 2021 at 10am


Episodes 0 and 1: Click here to watch

Dive into some art history for beginners, hosted by Gallery Manager Kristina. Episode 0: What is Tidbits, and why do we study art history? Episode 1: Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci