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Artwork for Why Make? Podcast

Why Make? Podcast

Why Make? Podcast
Seating Assignment
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Emma Collaboration
Haystack Mountain School Of Crafts
Cyanotype
Chair Library
Fiber Art International
AO. Smith Company
CITES
Milwaukee
Madison
Why Make (podcast)
Ness Creek
Craft Education
Photography
Fiber Art
Salem College
Sawtooth School For Visual Art
Saskatchewan
Digital Fabrication

monthly conversations with makers exploring creativity and why they make

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes81Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DesignVisual ArtsArts

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Artwork for Why Make? Podcast

Latest Episodes

Why Make? Episode 77: Cyanotype

Why Make

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This episode is the story of two artists, two very different approaches and a almost two hundred year old photographic process called Cyanotype or blue printing. J... more

Haystack at 75 An Experiment in Community and Education Why Make Today we’re sharing a piece we are calling “Haystack at 75 - An Experiment in Community and Education” in celebration of the school's 75th year. A conversation with Haystack executive... more

There are four unattributed voices in the podcast that I would also like to mention and they are in order of appearance, Adam John Manley of San Diego CA,

Lisa Geertsen Seattle WA, Jason Nemec Charlton NY and

M Craig Campbell of Ness Creek SK

Agai... more

Turning the Tables

Why Make

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In Episode 74, my sister Johanna Zorn turns the table and interviews me about the podcast. This should be a familiar name to those who listen to the credits at the end of our e... more

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Patti Gaddis
Cyanotype artist featured in the Visions Museum exhibit
Vision Museum of Textile Art / Cyanotype Artist
Episode: Why Make? Episode 77: Cyanotype
Morgan Willingham
Assistant Professor of Art at Baylor University
Baylor University
Episode: Why Make? Episode 77: Cyanotype
Perry Price
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Episode: Why Make? Episode 76: Haystack at 75 - An Experiment in Community and Education
Andrew Lloyd Keith
philosophy-trained artist from Saskatoon who collaborates on Emma projects
Emma Collaboration
Episode: Why Make? Episode 75: Emma and the Art of Collaboration
Alex Gupton
painter and illustrator from Hawaii who contributed to Emma projects
Emma Collaboration
Episode: Why Make? Episode 75: Emma and the Art of Collaboration
Lisa Geertsen
blacksmith from Seattle, part of the metal fabrication team at Emma
Emma Collaboration
Episode: Why Make? Episode 75: Emma and the Art of Collaboration
Sam Nightshift Forsyth
master metal fabricator from Saskatoon, part of the Emma team
Emma Collaboration
Episode: Why Make? Episode 75: Emma and the Art of Collaboration
Eric Wolkin
Host of Why Make, interviewed in this episode
Why Make? Podcast
Episode: Why Make? Episode 74: Turning the Tables
Sylvie Rosenthal
Madison, Wisconsin-based artist and educator
Independent artist/educator
Episode: Why Make? Episode 21Reissue: Sylvie Rosenthal In Memoriam

Hosts

Eric Wolkin
Host of the show, guiding conversations with makers and navigating interview topics across episodes
Eric Vulcan
Co-host and collaborative interviewer within the show format

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • Ellsworth

    Very good Eric, I really enjoyed the episodes with Ellsworth! Looking forward to checking out the rest.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wyatt Speight Rhue
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Hosts are described as knowledgeable and thoughtful, with strong interview skills.
Guests span artists, educators, and craft practitioners, offering broad relevance.
Listeners praise the depth and practicality of maker-focused conversations.
Episodes balance technique with storytelling and community context.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#178
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#138
Ireland/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#155
New Zealand/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#170
Finland/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#172
Sweden/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#197
South Africa/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Make? Episode 21Reissue: Sylvie Rosenthal In Memoriam
Q: How did your work with Doug Sigler at Penland influence your practice?
Sigler acted as a mentor who held her accountable to her dreams, helped her secure opportunities, and emphasized practical, craft-based discipline, which informed her approach to building, risk, and collaboration throughout her career.
Why Make? Episode 21Reissue: Sylvie Rosenthal In Memoriam
Q: What was your first memory of actually making something?
Her grandfather let her hammer nails in the basement, and she spent early years in hands-on environments like a children's museum, where she explored making machines and simple circuits, laying the foundation for a lifelong engagement with making and risk.
Why Make? Episode 76: Haystack at 75 - An Experiment in Community and Education
Q: What makes Haystack different from a traditional university fine arts department?
The host explains that Haystack offers an open-ended, self-directed environment with no degrees or honors, a strong intergenerational mix, intensive two-week sessions, and encouragement to experiment and fail without the pressure of producing a finished piece.
Why Make? Episode 76: Haystack at 75 - An Experiment in Community and Education
Q: How has Haystack embraced technology and digital fabrication over the years?
Haystack established a Fab Lab with MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms about 15 years ago, which catalyzed widespread use of 3D printing and laser cutting among artists, shifting the school's stance from a fear of technology to a platform for dialogue and cross-disciplinary exchange.
Why Make? Episode 76: Haystack at 75 - An Experiment in Community and Education
Q: Do you have one or two favorite Haystack stories?
The guest describes the Haystack anniversary phase and the 'Haystack in a Box' project, which preserves and shares the 75-year history through journals, archives, and reproductions, highlighting the enduring community and the personal narratives of night monitors who cared for campus wellbeing in the 1980s.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Why Make? Podcast

What is Why Make? Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on makers across visual arts, design, and craft, exploring the motivations, processes, and communities that drive creative practice. Conversations consistently emphasize collaboration, education, material experimentation, and the social impact of making—from collaborative art events to hands-on craft and furniture making. Notable is the show's willingness to cover both deeply technical aspects (woodworking, fiber, metalwork) and broader topics like pedagogy, risk in art, and the politics of craft, often through intimate, practitioner-focused storytelling that highlights community and mentorship. This mix makes it a strong fit for listeners who want actionable insights for maker practice, studio leadership, or craft-centered... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Why Make? Podcast?

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1. Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking
2. Radiolab
3. The New Yorker Radio Hour
4. This American Life
5. The Moth

How many episodes of Why Make? Podcast are there?

Why Make? Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 81 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Why Make? Podcast?

Recent guests on Why Make? Podcast include:

1. Patti Gaddis
2. Morgan Willingham
3. Perry Price
4. Andrew Lloyd Keith
5. Alex Gupton
6. Lisa Geertsen
7. Sam Nightshift Forsyth
8. Eric Wolkin

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