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On this episode of the PEMcast, curators and experts explore the remarkable life and work of 19th century sculptor Edmonia Lewis.

In this episode of the PEMcast we explore one of the nation's earliest and most historically significant museum collections of Korean art and culture. Join us inside PEM's new gallery and look closely at the objects on view. Learn about a fascinating 19th century friendship that helped form PEM's significant Korean collection and the ongoing good will that continues today. Interviews include Jiyeon Kim, PEM's Curator of Korean Art, our Chief Philanthropy Officer Sue Kim, and Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, PEM's Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO.

Join us on this salty episode of the PEMcast, as we feature a 24-hour reading of the book at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, exhibition curator Dan Lipcan and Moby Dick expert, author Nathaniel Philbrick.

In Part 2 of this episode about William Bentley, join curators and experts as we continue looking at the remarkable and storied life this popular polymath, collector, and diarist. Bentley was a consultant on the founding of the Peabody Essex Museum and an influencer, shaping Salem to be the city it is today.

This episode of the PEMcast looks at the life and legacy of Reverend William Bentley who chronicled his busy days as a clergyman from 1784 to 1819 with an unmatched dedication and flourish. We know so much about Salem, Massachusetts and its quirky history in part because of this meticulous diary keeping. We explore Bentley's living quarters and his vast collection of objects, as well as the more grand home next door and a piece of its dark history. Come with us on this romp through time, place and the mind of a total polymath.

Bats have an interesting association with Salem, a place that celebrates Halloween pretty much year round. We're used to seeing multiple versions of Dracula around town. But a small colony of live Egyptian fruit bats living in a specially designed enclosure at the Peabody Essex Museum...that's something new. In this episode, we give much respect and appreciation to bats as vital living beings on the planet. Join host DInah Cardin, curator Jane Winchell and local artist Maia Mattson. The episode takes us foraging for plants in Salem, looking for bats in California and under a night sky in Maine.

In this epsisode of the PEMcast we go behind the scenes of PEM's latest Salem Witch Trials exhibition. We examine objects that belonged to the Salem Puritans and attempts to restore justice from the 17th century to today. 

As we anticipate the return of Pride to Salem, artists Bill Crisafi and Hogan McLaughlin are the featured guests on the PEMcast. They share with us their day-to-day creative collaborations and their compelling story of love.

In episode 30 of the PEMcast, we follow the thread of a story all about hair. We look at why artist Gu Wenda used human hair to create 188 flags from around the world, currently on view at PEM. We explore our own collection of mourning jewelry with the snipped locks of a loved one. Then we chat with Gio Swaby, whose exhibition Fresh Up is coming to PEM this summer. In her textile portraits, hair reveals the personal creative expression of her subjects. We also share the news that this August, we're hosting the Moth Story Slam. The theme? You got it...hair.   

In Episode 29 of the PEMcast, we delve into the hearts and minds of two artists, separated by geography and time, but inextricably linked in their curiosity, their exploration of Tibetan Buddhist spirituality and a traditional art form. We discover what each learned about themselves and their own cultures by traveling to the opposite side of the world. Spirits: Tsherin Sherpa with Robert Beer is on view at PEM through May 29, 2023.

This episode of the PEMcast looks at what makes some places magnetic. Libraries, museums, certain cultural experiences. Why are we drawn to them? We talk with Canadian artist Shelagh Keeley about her current exhibition at PEM, as well as PEM Curators Trevor Smith and Karina Corrigan. We also look at our Japanese collection, which partly inspired a massive wall drawing by Keeley, and the collector who started it, Edward Sylvestor Morse. PEM's Director Lynda Roscoe Hartigan shares her thoughts on Morse, who led PEM in the 19th century, and where the museum is headed today. Shelagh Keeley: Drawn to Place is on view through November 26, 2023.