12 Podcasts for the Creative Class

The creative class -- the nebulous, but much bally-hooed, demographic made up of knowledge workers, intellectuals, and artists -- constitutes an increasing portion of the American workforce. Social scientist Richard Florida, who gave the group its moniker, sees the rise of the creative class as a powerful force that is shaping the economies of post-industrial cities. Yet, today many members of the creative class can live and work anywhere, thanks to home-office technology and the Internet. Working as freelancers, researchers, or in Internet-related fields, the creative class is spreading beyond communities, like Austin or Seattle, that are typically associated with the demographic. Whether they live in Ellsworth, Maine, or Peoria, Illinois, creative professionals still look for ways to satisfy their artistic and technological interests. In towns without Universities or symphonies, the creative class can now go online to find intellectual and cultural enrichment. Here are twelve podcasts designed for the eclectic tastes of the creative class:

For the artist: smARThistory

These video and audio podcasts, by art history professors Beth Harris and Steven Zucker, place great works of art in context. If you can't get to a museum, you can still get your art-fix by listening to their discussions of pieces such as Duchamp's Readymades and Bernini's Ecstacy of St. Theresa. New York-based Harris and Zucker focus primarily, but not exclusively, on art from the Metropolitain Museum of Art and MoMA, sharing their insights about paintings and sculptures from all eras. While some smARThistory podcasts provide only an audio commentary one can listen to while looking at a static image of the artwork, others are more dynamic and include supplementary materials.
smARThistory

For the musician: Uncensored Blues

If you've got the blues, this podcast might just cheer you up. Produced in association with the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale Mississippi, Uncensored Blues shares tracks from rare pre-war blues albums. With music from Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, and other blues legends, each podcast explores variations on a musical theme, such as "Hard Times" or the "Black Snake Moan."
Uncensored Blues

For the scientist: ROM Media

The Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto, Canada, offers a podcast that highlights museum artifacts and expertise of museum staff. Previous podcasts include curator Burton Lim describing a day of fieldwork in China and gemologist Katherine Dunnell providing an overview of sapphires, and explaining the allure of rubies.
ROM Media

For the humanitarian: Doctors without Borders

Global humanitarian crises are not always given the coverage they deserve in America's main stream media. Stay aware of the latest efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by war, disease, and natural disaster by listening to these Frontline Reports from Doctors without Borders. The podcasts share interviews with the non-profit's staff in the field and the patients they are helping.
MSF Frontline Reports"

For the chef: ReMARKable Palate

This podcast, part of the Gilded Fork's Culinary Podcast Network, is hosted by personal chef Mark C. Tafoya. Besides sharing recipes, Tafoya interviews chefs, food writers, and gourmets, and takes listeners behind the scenes of popular restaurants.
ReMARKable Palate

For the Web 2.0 worker: Podleaders

Tom Raftery, an IT consultant and blogger, interviews "Thought Leaders" in this podcast. His list of interviewees reads as a veritable who's who in technology and social media.
Podleaders

For the freelancer: Onpodsessions

Om and Niall PodSessions covers topics such as "The Connected Home -are we there yet?" and "Widgets and gadgets and modules…oh my!" Other offerings include a comparison of music players and profilers, and a discussion of various professional video distribution services such as online streaming and video on demand. Onpodsessions is hosted by Niall Kennedy and Om Malik, editor of Web Worker Daily and other technology blogs.
Om and Niall PodSessions