In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Podcast: Tech in the Arts, Dr. Brett Ashley Crawford and Hales Wilson speak with media artist Sarah Turner about her interdisciplinary practice at the intersection of emerging technology, performance, digital culture, and arts administration. Turner reflects on how her background in history, arts management, and experimental video informs her work critiquing platforms such as Zoom, blockchain, and AI, as well as her long-term exploration of censorship, NSFW online spaces, and alternative distribution models. The conversation traces her experiences balancing administrative and artistic roles, building DIY communities through projects like mobile public projections, and navigating institutional boundaries around funding and content. Turner also discusses her recent AI-focused work—particularly her playful yet critical “Dolphins” series—as a way to interrogate utopian fantasies, oracle-like knowledge systems, and the absurdities of human–AI interaction. The episode closes with reflections on adapting to rapidly changing technologies and Turner’s advice to emerging digital artists: embrace experimentation, break tools intentionally, and treat media art as a space of play, critique, and collective making.
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, host Luna Lu speaks with Bad Press co-directors Rebecca Lansberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, alongside journalist and film subject Angel Ellis, about the making of their Sundance 2023 award-winning documentary. The conversation explores how the team came together, the ethical and creative challenges of documenting press censorship within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the tension between tribal sovereignty and press freedom. Through Angel Ellis’s experience as a journalist turned whistleblower, the episode highlights the vital role of independent Indigenous media, transparency, and civic participation, while also reflecting on trust, community-based storytelling, and the power of individuals to effect democratic change.
Eric Theise is a geospatial engineer, filmmaker, and performance artist. On September 5, 2025, he shared “A Synesthete’s Atlas” Performing Cartography, in an artist talk at the Frank-Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry at the College of Fine Arts. The following is a joint effort by Nate Xiang, who attended the artist talk, and an interview with Eric afterwards.
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Samantha Childers explores why so many songs recommended by streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music sound strikingly similar. She breaks down the inner workings of music streaming algorithms—how metadata, collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and continuous feedback loops collectively shape the “perfect playlist.” Childers also examines Spotify features such as Discover Weekly and Discovery Mode, uncovering how these tools influence music discovery, artist visibility, and even compositional trends as musicians increasingly write with algorithms in mind. Alongside these technical insights, she raises critical ethical questions about data privacy, algorithmic bias, pay-to-play practices, and the shrinking role of human curation. Ultimately, the episode invites listeners to rethink how algorithm-driven platforms shape not only what we hear but also how we discover, value, and experience music.
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Andrew Wolverton and Zachary Collins explore how arts-focused technology can transform nonprofit ticketing and operations, tracing Ludus’s journey from a side project for a single high school musical to a nationwide platform serving more than 4,000 organizations. Collins explains how Ludus was built from the ground up around the real needs of drama teachers and community theaters, growing into an end-to-end system for ticketing, fundraising, marketing, volunteers, and concessions—while staying anchored in a people-first culture summed up by the company’s core value, “Give a Shit.” He reflects on navigating the COVID-19 shutdown through livestreaming and social-distancing tools, choosing the right growth equity partner, and why he believes AI shouldn’t replace arts workers but instead act as a “superpower” that frees them to focus on human-centered work and shared live experiences.
Christian Gaines, the Executive Director of ArtPrize, recently sat down with AMT Lab Chief Editor Patrick Zakem to talk about the necessity of open systems, the challenges of starting a large organization with a startup ethos, and Artprize’s innovative mobile application. Listen to their conversation here!
Michael Edson, Associate Director and Head of Digital for the United Nations Live—Museum for Humanity, recently sat down with AMT-Lab Chief Editor Patrick Zakem to talk about his work. Listen here to to hear Michael's views on organizational change, the digital commons, and how new ways of work are influencing the museum space.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co. in Washington, DC has been getting a lot of press lately about their re-launch of the Pulitzer-Prize winning play "Clybourne Park". Along with the production, Woolly Mammoth has begun an innovative audience engagement campaign that includes many social media platforms. In this podcast, Rachel Grossman (Connectivity Director for the theater) answers questions about social media planning, what "connectivity" actually means, and integrating efforts across platforms.[display_podcast]
This episode serves as a farewell to Amelia Northrup who has been working with the Technology in the Arts for the past two years while she completed her Master in Arts Management degree at Carnegie Mellon. We wish her the best of luck in her new adventures in the field!
In this episode, Amelia talks with Bill Predmore, Founder and President of POP - an interactive marketing agency crafting innovative experiences for the web, mobile devices and emerging technologies. Their discussion focuses on CloudTix, a new platform for mobile ticketing experiences which allows patron's to learn more about a performance, view multimedia content, select their seats, and purchase tickets from within an easy-to-use mobile application.
