Chef & co-owner of The Corner Pantry (TCP), Neill Howell returns to the podcast to talk growth, creativity, and keeping standards high.

Howell & TCP has expanded the cafe and deepened their commitment to local sourcing. Howell shares his philosophy behind TCP's menu and how to build community through food. Also, Howell discusses how evolving, being creative and has kept the business successful for 11+ years.

Topics Covered:

• How Corner Pantry expanded while keeping its identity intact
• The creative challenge of seasonal, local sourcing
• Catering as a creative and financial engine
• Why restaurant work is more than food—it’s relationships
• Staying relevant through change, quality, and experimentation

🎧 Listen to Neill Howell’s first episode in our archive for more on his culinary roots and vision. 📍 Corner Pantry Website: https://cornerpantrybaltimore.com

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

Henry Hyde—artisan and owner of Hyde Handmade Knives—returns to talk craft, community, and creating work that resonates. Hyde is an artisan known for his kitchen knives and meticulous approach to materials. In the episode, Hyde reflects on the evolution of his process, from isolating early days to searching for real connection at craft shows. Also, Hyde discusses the realities of working alone and why iteration beats perfectionism.

• Navigating solitude and the creative process
• Choosing craftsmanship over mass attention
• Embracing feedback at markets and in person
• Letting go of perfectionism and releasing finished work
• The balance between woodworking, tinkering, and knife making

🔪 Discover how Hyde's handcrafted tools reflect both his roots in Maryland and his belief that artistry is in its making. 🎧 Revisit Henry's first episode from 2022 for more context on his powerful comic-based series.

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

Artist and professor Kumasi J. Barnett returns to the podcast to talk art, protest, and making work that cuts through the noise.

Known for subverting comic books through introspective reinterpretations, Barnett reflects his work today. Barnett shares the realities of being a Black painter, creating in the shadow of systemic erasure, and why some truths hit harder in spandex.

Topic Covered:

• Why painting is the easy part—but being an artist is not
• Rewriting comic canon to reflect modern injustice
• Teaching art, parenting, and painting as a long game
• Why selling out isn't the flex many think it is
• What he’s planning next (spoiler: it's political)

🎧 Revisit Kumasi’s first episode from 2022 for more context on his powerful comic-based series.

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