Why'd They Put That In A Museum?

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.

Why'd They Put That In A Museum? is a arts podcast hosted by Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees, with 21 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees hosts Why'd They Put That In A Museum?, a arts show with 21 episodes published.

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  Episode #11

  Jackson Pollock

  Nov 22, 202532 minS2

  <p>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 Pollock's unique approach to painting, moving the canvas from an easel to the floor, was a conceptual leap in We...

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  Episode #10

  Maman, or giant spider, by Louise Bourgeois

  Nov 15, 202524 minS2

  <p>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. The Tate Museum in London acquired the gian...

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  Episode #9

  Battle of Little Bighorn by Stephen Standing Bear, Part 2

  Nov 8, 202521 minS2

  <p>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 distinction between art museums and natural history museums, noting how historical and cultural attitudes impact...

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  Episode #8

  Battle of Little Bighorn by Stephen Standing Bear, Part 1

  Nov 1, 202525 minS2

  <p>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 American art, reviews the painting's three main sections in detail: The native American encampment...

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  Episode #7

  Where's the Café?

  Oct 25, 202519 minS2

  <p>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 museums more inviting and accessible to broader audiences. Additionally, they touch on how museums are adapting to changing times...

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