Social Media and the Subway

Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution

Exhibits, Postal Museum, National Museum, Science, Tony Cohn, African American History And Culture, Air And Space, Zoo, Sidedoor, Dc, Art19, Washington, Megan Detrie, Pop Culture, Exhibit, Society & Culture, American History, History, The Smithsonian, Smithsonian, Museum, National Zoo, History Of The World, Natural History

4.7 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2024

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There aren’t many portrait artists who get recognized on the street, but it happens to Devon Rodriguez all the time. After quietly honing his skill for a decade, Devon started posting videos of his live drawings of New York City subway commuters to social media. The videos took off, earning him some 50 million followers and placing portraiture in front of a huge new audience.

In this episode of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery’s podcast, Portraits, Director Kim Sajet speaks with Devon about the mentors who had his back, and this new model for showing art— not in museums, but on screens.

See the portraits we discussed:

Kim Sajet, by Devon Rodriguez

John Ahearn, by Devon Rodriguez

“The Rodriguez Twins,” by John Ahearn

María Elena Estrada, by Devon Rodriguez

Devon Rodriguez draws Kim Sajet, Instagram

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey sighedorables, happy August.
0:02.6	We are on summer break, but while we're away working on our new season,
0:06.4	I wanted to share this gem of an episode from our friends over at the Smithsonian's National
0:10.8	Portrait Gallery.
0:12.4	Their show, Portraitsings brings together art, biography, history, and identity.
0:18.1	And this episode made me want to get up from my desk, run over to Union Station, and take the next Amtrak to the Big
0:24.7	Apple, in hopes of spotting one of the coolest contemporary portrait artists out there.
0:30.5	You might feel the same way. Here's social media and the subway from the Portraits Podcast.
0:37.0	Enjoy.
0:38.0	Welcome to Portraits. I'm Kim Sayette,
0:40.0	Director of the National Portrait Gallery.
0:42.0	Welcome to New York.
0:43.0	Oh my God, it's so great to see you.
0:45.0	Can I do your portrait? Oh my God, really?
0:47.0	One morning, not too long ago, I met up with the artist
0:50.0	Devon Rodriguez in New York City.
0:52.0	So what street are we on right now?
0:54.3	We're in Chelsea, this is 27th or 7.
0:56.8	Devon did what Devon does, a live drawing of me
1:00.4	right there on the street
1:01.7	with a videographer filming. He draws people all over
1:05.1	New York City and under it in the subway and then post his encounters on the internet
	...

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