The Truth In This Art is a Baltimore-based documentary audio series and living archive preserving the voices, ideas, and creative practices shaping contemporary culture.

Created and hosted by independent journalist and audio producer Rob Lee, the series brings artists and cultural figures into thoughtful conversation about the experiences behind their work. Across more than 900 recorded conversations, Lee has spoken with painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, musicians, writers, and other creative voices from Baltimore, the DMV, the East Coast, and beyond.

Guests have included author and cultural critic D. Watkins, photographer Devin Allen, and journalist Tonya Mosley, alongside emerging artists and cultural workers. Together, their stories offer a record of how creative lives unfold: the influences, choices, communities, challenges, and turning points that shape both a practice and a body of work.

In these conversations:
  • Creative practice: How artists find their voice, develop ideas, and bring work into the world.
  • The work behind the work: Studio routines, collaborations, breakthroughs, obstacles, and discoveries.
  • Culture in context: The people and places shaping exhibitions, public art, creative careers, and the wider cultural landscape.
Curious, thoughtful, and rooted in community, The Truth In This Art connects local voices to broader cultural conversations—and preserves the stories behind the work for listeners now and in the future. New conversations are added regularly for artists, creatives, culture lovers, and anyone curious about how meaningful work gets made.

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Latest Episodes

Artist Tyreek Morrison Discusses Fatherhood, Generational Legacy, and the Art of Collage

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, I sit down with Tyreek Morrison! About Tyreek Morrison: Tyreek Morrison is an Atlanta-based collage artist who describes him...

Maurice Scarlett III, Baltimore-Based Visual Artist, on Using Pain as Power and Re-Imagining Black Representation in Art

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, I sit down with Maurice Scarlett III! About Maurice Scarlett III: Maurice Scarlett III is a Baltimore-based visual artist and...

Kris Fulton of Sophomore Coffee on Building Trust Through Consistency and Why Physical Presence Still Matters

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, returning guest Kris Fulton is back! About Kris Fulton: Kris Fulton is a self-described coffee nerd, Baltimore-based coffee r...

Megan Elcrat of Present Company on Hyper-Local Architecture, Preserving How Spaces Feel, and Place-Making in Station North

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, returning guest Megan Elcrat is back! About Megan Elcrat: Megan Elcrat is the founding principal of Present Company, a Baltim...

Dr. David O. Fakunle II on Art, Storytelling, Health Equity, and the Power of Narrative

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Dr. David O. Fakunle II! About Dr. David O. Fakunle II: Dr. David Fakunle II is a Baltimore native, academic, an...

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