Two alumni create ‘One Love Art Sessions Podcast’
Candido Crespo ’06 (Visual Arts Education) and James Jacobsen ’06 (Visual Arts; Black Studies) were recent guests on the College’s Alumni Interview Series, a video project geared at showcasing alumni success.
This was one of the most engaging episodes of the series yet, in no small part because Crespo and Jacobsen have developed plenty of chemistry through their work on the podcast “One Love Art Sessions.”
The project seeks to bring talented creatives and listeners together for heart-to-heart discussions about art, community and the role of an artist in today’s society.
“We had this idea of doing something that could bring artists and people together at a time when everyone was just home during the pandemic, looking for things to do,” said Jacobsen. “We try to bring people together from all different walks of life and focus on one topic and art itself.”
Crespo and Jacobsen have known each other for 18 years but only recently began collaborating as artists. The two made a pact in 2019 to focus on a pop-up exhibition, but 2020 had other plans.
“Everything changed overnight with COVID-19, but we didn’t want it to stop our momentum,” said Crespo.
“One Love Art Sessions” began with live webcast conversations with artists and evolved into the recorded podcast the two now produce bi-weekly.
“We want to break down the wall between artists, art, and the community that supports them,” said Jacobsen.
In addition to their creative work on the podcast project, both alums are active artists, husbands, fathers and educators.
Crespo is doing inspiring work encouraging fathers through his CreativiDad Project, and has also taught in the Central Islip Union Free School District in Long Island for 14 years.
Jacobsen is a design professional with more than 15 years of experience. His art focuses on digital design, mixed media and halftone work. See examples and follow-on Instagram @jmsljay.
Interested listeners can check out “One Love Art Sessions” on their favorite podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple. Learn more about the project here.