I had Steve Weil on the podcast today. It was a really a fun, interesting interview because it wasn't done in the studio. It was actually done at Rockmount Ranch Wear Headquarters in Denver. I highly encourage you go to this store (and bring your wallet) because there's some really great things inside. I definitely walked away with a few Western and Hawaiian shirts.

You see, Steve is the third generation owner of this company. That's a really, really rare thing these days. His brand has been a staple in the realm of Western fashion for 80 years. His grandfather started it 1946 and he was the first guy to do a "snap" western shirt. Not to mention that everyone has worn this brand. Elvis, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, and more.

I found it all absolutely fascinating. I knew the store was there, and I had been in it before, but to actually get to hear the man himself speak about how it all came to be was awesome. We get a behind the scene tour of the building, the museum area showing the history of these shirts and his family, and even a look at the garage where he keeps his vintage automobile collection.

It a very interesting podcast and I hope you can take the time to watch it. If you find yourself in Denver do yourself a favor and visit Steve's store. I think you'll find it just as cool as I did.

I love spontaneous podcasts. That's what happened today with Randy Barton. He's a Diné (Navajo) artist and is just a very interesting man and a very unique and important artistic voice.

He has a great story. He moves from the reservation to Winslow, AZ and gets into hip hop culture and graffiti at a very young age. He runs with this, and it becomes the story of his life. Randy lays it all out in our conversation.

This is one of those that you should watch on YouTube. Granted, this is an ART podcast, so they're all better with added visuals, but also because he's just such an animated individual. It's fun to be in his presence. He has a magnetism that you just can't put into words, but you know it when you feel it.

I got to watch Randy do a live painting this summer and it was amazing to see. He's just so multi-dimensional in his creativity, from traditional art, to graphic design, to fashion, to dance, to music, to filmmaking.

It was a really fun, interesting, and overall dynamic podcast that just happened out of thin air. After speaking with him for an hour or so, I like to think that's how Randy's life is. Things are naturally spontaneous for him and he's the type of person that - when he feels something, he just does it.

So anyway, I had a great time, and I think you will too. This is Randy Barton on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 370.

I had the very dynamic Knox Kronenberg on today. He's a fine art photographer and he's got a really interesting story. He's pushing the envelope and he's only 27, but it feels like he's 40.

Knox has really found his niche. We're talking about major endeavors. It's like doing directing a movie. I mean, he can spend up to $70,000 on a single shot. He has a clear vision, especially for as young as he is.

It's really interesting to see how utterly and completely focused a guy like Knox can be. He sees who he is and what he wants to forge his legacy. I think when you're that driven at that age you're going to be successful.

Looking at some of the shots that he shared with me, it's just beautiful, amazing work. He's a classic artist in that he lives to create. He is a storyteller who also happens to be a fine artist with a camera.

So yeah, I like Knox. He's a very nice, animated, gifted individual. I genuinely think he's one of those that you'll look back at this podcast and go, oh, yeah, that was an important guy and he was young when he did that. That's how it felt for me at least and I'm glad I get to be a part of that history.

Anyhow, this is storyteller Knox Kronenberg on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 369. I hope you enjoy.

Today's podcast is a little different because it's a panel that was done at the Coors Western Art Show Collectors Roundup in September 2025. They have a show that's in January 2026 and this is kind of a preview get together with collectors, artists, and other key figures in the Western art world.

This particular event was a panel that was part of the programming for this preview event. The panel featured Kevin Doyle, the Director of the Jackson Hole Art Auction, Josh Warren, who's the Associate Publisher of Western Art & Architecture Magazine and myself. Joshua Rose was the moderator and asked us questions about Western Art and what to expect in the future of the genre.

I think it's a fun and interesting discussion and there were some things that came out and you go "yeah, I agree with that," and other stuff where you're saying "maybe I don't agree with that." Regardless, it was a fun and unique conversation and I thought you might enjoy it as an episode of the podcast.

My favorite podcasts are the ones where I get to go to the person's studio and/or house, sit in their environment, and talk to them. It gives me such a deeper understanding of that person and where their creative juices come from.

I got to do that with renown sculptor Star York. We've been working on a 50 year retrospective, and this was part of that project. We recorded this interview in August in preparation for her Retrospective show here in Tucson on October 24th.

It's a two part podcast. The first part is us sitting and talking on her front porch and part two is the two of us going into her studio and doing a deep dive on what she does, how she does it, and why she does it.

Part one and part two are very different types of podcasts. One is more from the personal background standpoint. The other one, really more of what's happening today.

Anyhow, this is Star York part two on the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast. I hope you enjoy.

My favorite podcasts are the ones where I get to go to the person's studio and/or house, sit in their environment, and talk to them. It gives me such a deeper understanding of that person and where their creative juices come from.

I got to do that with renown sculptor Star York. We've been working on a 50 year retrospective, and this was part of that project. We recorded this interview in August in preparation for her Retrospective show here in Tucson on October 24th.

It's a two part podcast. The first part is us sitting and talking on her front porch and part two is the two of us going into her studio and doing a deep dive on what she does, how she does it, and why she does it.

Part one and part two are very different types of podcasts. One is more from the personal background standpoint. The other one, really more of what's happening today.

This is Star York part one on the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast. I hope you enjoy.

I had Jeremy Lipking on today and he is such a wonderful artist. I've always been a fan of his work. You know, it's not a far stretch to compare him to somebody like John Singer Sergeant or Joaquín Sorolla. He has this strong sense for posing figures, highlighting their emotions and body language. The way he sees these images in his head and then is somehow able to translate them to the viewer is quite remarkable.

In early September 2025 our schedules lined up and I finally had the opportunity to record a podcast with him. We had been talking about doing this for quite a few years, but I wanted to do it in person as opposed to recording over Zoom. We actually got together during the Far West Show here in Austin and recorded on the balcony of my hotel room with the beautiful backdrop of the Austin skyline in the background.

Like all these podcasts, I came away with something unique. In this case, it was the essence of who this individual is and his humbleness, quite frankly. I found out something unique that I had never even considered.

You see, Jeremy is a quarter Native American, and it's not something that he's really spent time talking about or exploring so much. So for me, that was quite interesting, to say the least, to hear about that component of his life. That's the thing. You have to take your time when interviewing people so you can hear their story in full. Jeremy was very generous and let everybody get to hear about his world.

So I had a great time with this really important artist. He's got a retrospective that's going to come up in April 2026 at the Booth Museum that you don't want to miss. This is Jeremy Lipking on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 365.

I had a great interview with Starr Hardridge and he's just an incredible artist. He's Muskogee (Creek) and is known for his pointillism paintings that he does primarily of Native imagery. He also does some abstract artwork, which I really like as well.

It's a very unique style and takes an insane amount of time to do it. We even talk about how he does it, which usually I get more into the story of the person rather than the process. His style is just so unique and it's worth listening or watching this deep dive into it to find out how he does it.

He has this incredible journey like so many artists that I've interviewed. It is not an easy path to get to the promised land, and I do believe Starr is at that point. In fact, I ended up winning a draw to buy a piece of his art from the Eiteljorg because I really wanted one for my collection.

I had a great time talking to Starr. We did this at the Eiteljorg Museum and we got a room setup and just podcasted. I learned a lot about him and that's the great thing about this podcast, and not just for me, but other people that get to hear this, you get to get this inside view of the individual.

So this is Starr Hardridge on Art Dealer Diaries Podcast episode 364.