Today, we have Dr. Jenni Sorkin on the show. Dr. Sorkin is an Associate Professor of the History of Art and Architecture at UCSB. Dr. Sorkin writes on the intersections between gender, material culture, and contemporary art. Her most recent book is Art in California (2021), written for Thames & Hudson’s acclaimed World of Art series. As a state, California is the site of tremendous diversity in the visual arts and has been at the forefront of cultural production throughout the 20th century. We cover a broad range of topics in this conversation, and I honestly feel like the conversation could have been twice as long with all of the fascinating details and history in her book.
In this episode, we begin to explore the life Junipero Serra by looking at his background, his culture, and his religious worldview.
In this episode, we jump into the background of the transcontinental railroad and the companies and government initiatives designed to complete this monumental infrastructure...