You’ve probably admired one of Ky Vassor’s murals without even knowing it—now she’s back to pull back the curtain on how those vibrant public artworks, pop-up workshops, and neighborhood installations all began with a passion for community and a sprinkle of hustle.

In this episode, Baltimore’s interdisciplinary artist and Galerie Myrtis Assistant Director walks us through the unlikely lessons she learned bartending, volunteering, and designing street-team campaigns before deciding to earn an MFA in Community Arts—and how every step shaped her mission to make creativity part of daily life.

• From bartending and street‐team hustle to graduate studies: the unconventional path that led her to an MFA in Community Arts
• Community‐first curation: activating public murals, mixed-media installations, and pop-up workshops in everyday spaces
• Mentorship in action: building support networks for emerging artists through hands-on teaching and one-on-one studio visits
• Wearing multiple hats: balancing roles as artist, educator, and museum administrator for sustainable impact
• Honoring untold stories: creating works that uplift underrepresented voices and spark neighborhood pride
• What’s next: upcoming public art commissions and expanded educational programs designed to broaden Baltimore’s creative ecosystem

Catch Ky Vassor’s first appearance on the podcast here:

Whether you’re an artist, educator, or simply curious about the power of public art, this chat will leave you inspired to look at your own neighborhood in a whole new light.

📸 Photo: Phillip Muriel

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble