Unbelievably, it’s been a year and a half since federal arts funding and humanities grants across the U.S. were abruptly canceled. In the wake of this decision, arts organizations and cultural institutions have scaled back or even halted their work altogether. Despite a general atmosphere of uncertainty, many are fighting back, determined to persevere.
Since its inception, Crewest Studio—the production house behind NOT REAL ART and its sister organization, ArtsvilleUSA—has pursued one core mission: to help artists tell their stories and promote their work. Led by Scott “Sourdough” Power, Crewest has produced podcasts, launched television projects, and published books, all self-funded and free from paywalls, subscriptions, or advertising.
Now, Crewest Studio is entering a new era with the launch of Arterial, a nonprofit grantmaking arm designed to keep artists’ stories alive and accessible to everyone. Today, Scott sits down with Morgan Laurens, editor-in-chief for both NOT REAL ART and ArtsvilleUSA, to talk about fiscal sponsorship, grantmaking, and the future of arts funding.
Highlights From Our Conversation
- Scott “Sourdough” Power discusses Crewest Studio’s evolution from a Los Angeles gallery to a full-fledged arts media house. [01:19]
- Crewest Studio provides free content for artists and art lovers, shunning paywalls and ad sales, and largely self-funding until the establishment of Arterial. [06:02]
- After receiving nonprofit status in 2024, Arterial now funds artists and cultural projects through grantmaking. Recent support includes a $10,000 grant to SoCal PBS for their Emmy Award-winning show Artbound and direct funding for documentary projects like Logan Hicks and Jeremy Chelnik's The Underbelly Project in New York. [10:00]
- Arterial now provides fiscal sponsorship for NOT REAL ART, allowing donors to receive tax-deductible write-offs. [13:08]
- Morgan Laurens discusses fundraising for Marks of Our Heritage, a program that aims to restore and document Western North Carolina’s barn quilt trails—cultural landmarks damaged during Hurricane Helene. Through Artsville USA, a platform donated to Arterial, the team is preserving regional history by hiring local artists and photographers to document these landmarks. [17:17]
Quoteables
- “We’re passionate about keeping our content free to consume. We don’t really put our stuff behind paywalls, we don’t really do subscriptions, and we don’t sell advertising.” — Scott 'Sourdough' Power [06:18]
- “The mission of Arterial is to help artists tell their stories and foster these stories. Really what I mean by that is helping fund these stories, raising money to help artists tell the stories they want to tell.” — Scott 'Sourdough' Power [09:14]
- “Our artists kind of end up becoming this kind of second responder, if you will.” — Scott 'Sourdough' Power [35:41]
Mentions & Shoutouts
- Arterial: Nonprofit fiscal sponsor funding arts storytelling, documentaries, publishing, and podcasting.
- NOT REAL ART: Contemporary arts coverage and business resources for artists, now under Arterial’s fiscal sponsorship.
- ArtsvilleUSA: Asheville-based nonprofit promoting contemporary craft and culture in Western North Carolina; currently leading barn quilt documentation and restoration initiatives through the Marks of Our Heritage program.
- Crewest Studio: Established as a Los Angeles Gallery, Crewest has since evolved into an arts media production powerhouse behind podcasts, books, interviews, and cultural projects.
Get Involved / Discover More
- Visit Arterial.org to donate or learn more about current projects and impact reports. Every dollar helps amplify arts storytelling and creative culture.
- Follow NOT REAL ART for the latest on contemporary arts coverage, including the upcoming Southern Gothic exhibition on November 6, 2026.
- Follow ArtsvilleUSA for news about contemporary craft in Western North Carolina and to learn more about or donate to the Marks of Our Heritage project.
Episode Credits
- Hosts: Scott “Sourdough” Power
- Guest: Morgan Laurens, editor-in-chief, NOT REAL ART, ArtsvilleUSA
- Production: Crewest Studio, Los Angeles
- Fiscal Sponsorship: Arterial
- Theme Music: Ricky Peugeot & Desi DeLauro of Parlor Social
- Stay in the Loop: Subscribe to NOT REAL ART and follow on Instagram for coverage of the latest projects and exhibitions.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Featured graphic: David Schwartz.