Welcome to episode 29 of Arts Roll Call—a podcast for the arts curious. Join host Robin Miner Swartz as she interviews artist and arts educator, Barb Whitney. They talk about her artist life, her work in arts administration, and arts education, and look at the changes and growth of the arts scene in Greater Lansing over the years.
Meet Barb
Barb Whitney is an arts and education champion, both as an artist and nonprofit leader.
She currently serves as the director of operations for MI Creative Potential, a statewide initiative supporting equitable access to arts education in Michigan and works with the Kennedy Center Partners in Education program involving Wharton Center for Performing Arts and the Ingham ISD. An adjunct faculty member at Michigan State University since 2017, she also researches inequities in U.S. arts education and advocates for the arts as a human right. As an artist, Barb explores light, shadow, and emotion through intuitive abstraction. Her works can be found as far as Palm Springs, California, and as locally as Nelson Gallery in Lansing. Her most recent works are inspired by alcohol ink as a medium. In 2023, she served as Artist in Residence for An Incredibly Human Thing at McLaren Hospital, responding to pandemic-related grief and resilience. Barb believes art offers healing and insight. Her work—whether through teaching, advocacy, or studio practice—centers youth, equity, and the power of creativity to connect and transform.
*Please note that Arts Roll Call is also available on most podcasting platforms, including Spotify and iTunes.