How does PBS harness the power of personal identity and diverse storytelling to challenge the status quo? In today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough Power” sits down with Nic Cha Kim, the senior producer of arts and culture at PBS SoCal, to find out. Nic produces Artbound, an award-winning anthology documentary series exploring the lives, works, and creative processes of artists and innovators in Southern California. Now in its 15th season, Artbound continues to showcase the region’s rich cultural legacy and diversity.
In this episode, Nic shares his remarkable journey from aspiring Hollywood screenwriter to a critical player in the downtown LA art community. Nic also discusses the undervalued role of naiveté, the importance of boundless curiosity, and why he views his work as a “sacred responsibility.” You’ll also get an exciting sneak peek into season 15 of Artbound, which includes documentaries about The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, the fusion of art and science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the rise of West Coast Modernism. Tune into our episode with Nic Cha Kim for a compelling conversation about the intersection of personal identity, responsibility, and creativity in storytelling.
Watch season 15 of Artbound here.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Nic’s career with PBS, from freelancer to senior producer of arts and culture
- Insight into his upbringing as a native Angeleno and who inspired him along the way
- The value of having the courage, ambition, and naïveté to embrace opportunities
- How the people you surround yourself with are critical to your personal growth and success
- Why boundless curiosity is crucial for telling authentic, meaningful, unique stories
- The extensive research and development behind every Artbound episode
- A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Artbound production process
- Why Nic views his work as a producer of color as a sacred responsibility
- An exclusive preview of what season 15 of Artbound has in store for viewers
- How Nic seeks to reveal what he considers the blindspots in art communication
- The power of working with talented filmmakers to create "records of history”
- “This isn’t your grandfather’s PBS”: what goes into staying relevant today
- What Nic is reading, watching, and listening to these days.
Quotes:
“I would have dropped any job to take [the job as showrunner for Artbound] because not only was it the show that started my career, I just have so much love for Los Angeles and the Los Angeles art scene.” — Nic Cha Kim [0:07:46]
“I didn’t have an art background. I didn’t go to art school. I didn’t study art history. I was just a film nerd, but I fell in love with this community of [downtown LA] artists.” — @NicChaKim [0:11:41]
“There’s definitely a certain amount of moxie required to thrive in this business. You have to believe in yourself, but you also need others to believe in you as well. You can’t do this alone.” — @NicChaKim [0:15:15]
“A big part of what I do is I try to curate the stories to reflect LA as best as possible. As a producer of color, I look at each season as an opportunity to discover hidden communities and hidden stories and work to uplift those stories.” — @NicChaKim [0:28:45]
“If there is a blindspot in storytelling, in art communication, it’s the coverage of Black artists. We need to do more of that.” — @NicChaKim [0:40:54]
Longer Quotes:
“When I moved back to LA after college, I fell into a group of arts activists. I actually moved here to be a Hollywood screenwriter. My original dream was to write for a Star Trek television show, but when I moved down here, I fell into this crowd that was into going to art galleries. My best friend, Kjell Hagen, had an art gallery downtown, and that became my social circle. It really influenced me.” — Nic Cha Kim [0:11:07]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Nic Cha Kim — https://www.nicchakim.com/
Artbound — https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/artbound/
‘L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement’ — https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/artbound/episodes/la-rebellion-a-cinematic-movement
‘Chinatown Punk Wars’ — https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/artbound/episodes/chinatown-punk-wars
Connie: A Memoir — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1538766981
Oscar Wars — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062859021/
The Penguin — https://www.hbo.com/the-penguin
Industry — https://www.hbo.com/industry
Nic Cha Kim on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicchakim/
Nic Cha Kim on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/nicchakim/
Nic Cha Kim on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/socalnews/
Nic Cha Kim on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@nicchakim/
Nic Cha Kim on X — https://x.com/NicChaKim
NOT REAL ART — https://www.notrealart.com/
First Friday Exhibitions — https://notrealart.com/exhibitions/
Remote Video Series – https://notrealart.com/remote-exploring-public-art/
NOT REAL ART Hotline — 833-668-7325
Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.notarealartist.com/