The Curator’s Attic explores the stories behind the objects that shape our lives. I'm your host, Jon West-Bey, and I’m a Curator and Museologist, and in this podcast, we'll explore the surprising stories hidden within everyday objects. Join me as we uncover the history, the artistry, and the human connection woven into the fabric of our material world.
Reopening the Cabinet of Curiosities: The Case for Personal Museums
Send a text As we close the door on the first season of The Curator’s Attic, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey through the dusty corners of history. I also take this opportunity to make a case for people to create their own personal museums with their beloved objects and, in the process, change their relationship with museums. Support the show
20 Jan 2026
OPO The Tile Featuring Elaine Gurian and Eve Wachhaus
Send us a text I am so honored to present this episode with my longtime mentor and friend, Elaine Gurian. Elaine, along with her daughter Eve, will tell an important story of family, heritage, and an object that connects through multiple spaces and across decades, including Spain, Germany, the Holocaust, and a chance encounter with an object at a vacation home that becomes a family heirloom. Support the show
26 Dec 2025
OPO One Day It Will All Make Sense featuring Kil
Send us a text In this special music-themed 'OPO' remix, I’m joined by Kil Kilpatrick (Apartment 5B Podcast) to revisit a definitive coming-of-age album: Common’s One Day It Will All Make Sense. We’re breaking down the legacy of this 1997 classic and why it still resonates with us today. Support the show
5 Dec 2025
OPO The Ring featuring Omar Eaton-Martinez
Send us a text Welcome back to OPO (Other People’s Objects). I am honored to speak with Omar Eaton-Martinez, a leader in the museum field. He will discuss an object he inherited from his father that has been a guiding compass for his career. We will also share a message about how museum missions should serve as guiding lights during these uncertain times. Support the show
13 Nov 2025
The Golden Bible
Send us a text In this episode, I'm sharing a personal story that offers more insight into who I am. It revolves around a Bible I took from a hotel, which represents much more than its Christian teachings. For me, this Bible symbolizes a time of loss, discovery, and the strong bond I share with my mother. We will also examine how museums can innovate by extending their influence beyond their walls. Support the show
18 Oct 2025
The Saxophone
Send us a text In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with a very dear friend who possesses an old saxophone. It was passed to me, and then I passed it to him, and I'm glad to say it's still in use today. We will talk about family, friendship, and the ways in which an object can connect people over generations. Support the show
27 Sept 2025
The Funko Pops
Send us a text Today, we're back with OPO, or Other People’s Objects, and I have the privilege of speaking with a familiar name to listeners of the show, Josef Yusef. He is the producer of The Curator’s Attic, and he will discuss his Funko Pop collection, which he has built over the years, and its connections to his life. Support the show
2 Sept 2025
The Covenant
Send us a text Have you ever felt the sting of being left out? Now imagine that feeling not just as a social snub but as a legal, everyday reality. It's the sense that your own community and country are actively working to deny you a place within them. This was a common practice in our nation's capital and in many other urban areas across the country, creating a system of race-based systemic denial that made exclusion a public and legally sanctioned injustice. The object we will discuss, a ra...
18 Aug 2025
The Record (My First Memory)
Send us a text Today, we're diving into a fan-favorite series that we're bringing back for a special episode: Songs in the Key of Jon. In this series, we explore how music can unlock our memories and past. For this episode, we’re using a single object as our key—an old record—that takes me back to a memory I'm not even sure is real. So, for today’s episode, we're using one song as our key to that memory as we explore the story of "The Record (My First Memory)." Support the show
28 Jul 2025
OPO The Teacup featuring Nia Iman Smith
Send us a text We're kicking off an exciting new segment called OPO: Other People's Objects! This idea sprang from the iconic 1991 Naughty by Nature hit, "O.P.P.". While we usually dive into items from my own collection, OPO will explore the fascinating stories behind objects belonging to others. For our inaugural OPO feature, I'm thrilled to chat with a dear friend and colleague. She'll be sharing a cherished object deeply connected to her family history and her incredible work as an ...
12 Jul 2025
The Sculpture
Send us a text This episode highlights a gift from an unsung artist and fabricator who contributed to some of the 20th century's most iconic large-scale sculptures. It also emphasizes the importance of properly acknowledging every team member involved in the art production and curatorial process. Support the show
24 Jun 2025
The 45 Record (For The Love of Hip-Hop)
Send us a text This episode, titled "The 45 Record (For The Love of Hip-Hop)", takes listeners on a journey to the early 1980s origins of the host's love of hip-hop music, and the importance of why museums should diversify their collections to represent various communities. Support the show
9 Jun 2025
The Photo
Send us a text This episode uncovers how a single photograph can deceivingly present one story while hiding a vastly different truth. We then explore the crucial responsibility of museums to ensure their interpretations of objects reveal the complete, nuanced narrative, not just the surface. Support the show
9 Jun 2025
The Vase
Send us a text This episode delves into the fascinating narratives hidden within everyday objects, transforming the mundane into the magical. Join us as we explore the concept of "lieu de memoire," uncovering how inanimate items can hold rich tapestries of history, emotion, and personal significance. Our journey begins with the remarkable tale of a particular vase—more than just a decoration, it's a cherished heirloom filled with family memories, showing how a simple object can become a...
9 Jun 2025
The Chess Book
Send us a text This episode dives into a crucial question: how do we separate truth from propaganda in the information we consume? We'll explore the vital role of museums as truth-tellers, examining how they shape our understanding through their exhibitions, collections, and programming. Support the show
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
13 ratings
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