Beholding Art & Life: An Introduction to Jared Ledesma & Reflection Prompts (Episode 19)
Charlotte Donlon introduces Jared Ledesma and her conversation with Jared, which you can listen to in the following episode, Episode 20.
Learn more about Jared Ledesma’s work at the North Carolina Museum of Art here.
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Why It Matters: Jared Ledesma is a curator, runner, and storyteller whose work at the North Carolina Museum of Art bridges the personal and collective, the emotional and historical, and voices that are sometimes overlooked. His curatorial vision is shaped by a vibrant Latino heritage, a love for storytelling passed down by family, and a commitment to inclusion—particularly of LGBTQ+ and women artists. Through layered exhibitions and accessible research, Jared invites us to encounter art as living memory—a way to behold landscapes of belonging, honor complex histories, and trace connections between artist, audience, and place. By weaving together family rituals, moments of artistic awe, and the quiet encouragement of loved ones, his practice becomes a model for seeing and caring more deeply, both in the museum and in life
Embrace the nuanced, interconnected nature of your own creative and curatorial interests. Notice how histories, backgrounds, and experiences shape who you are becoming. Allow yourself to be moved by art and story—especially when it asks you to hold loss, resilience, and transformation side by side.
>>> Art and belonging are living processes—made up of stories, emotions, risks, and connections, not fixed chapters.
>>> Welcoming vulnerability and new perspectives is radically generative, infusing cultural life with empathy, surprise, and renewal.
>>> Letting go of certainty in creativity, identity, or history creates space for greater authenticity and possibility.
After Listening to My Conversation with Jared Ledesma in Episode 20, You’ll Walk Away With:
Encouragement to approach museums, art, and your story as open, evolving, and worthy of care, no matter your background.
Fresh insight into how “belonging” and creative risk—whether felt in a gallery or a summer sunrise—can expand your perspective and deepen your experiences.
Inspiration to reflect on the rituals, influences, and memories you carry, and how your encounters with art and history can nourish self-understanding and transformation.
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Creative Prompts for Listeners:
1. Think of a piece of art in any medium that altered your awareness of memory, belonging, or place. What emotions or stories live within it for you, and how do they help you see the world in new ways?
2. Reflect on a time when you encountered an artwork that was connected to your own personal or cultural history. What emotions or memories surfaced for you, and how did the experience shape your understanding of place and belonging?
3. Consider someone in your life-- a family member, mentor, or friend-- who supported your creative interests or encouraged you to pursue a path outside the familiar, as Jared's mother and aunt did for him. Write about how their encouragement influenced your journey and how you might pass that encouragement along to others.
Episode Transcript:
Hello and welcome to All of This and More, the podcast for those who delight in exploring the intersections of art, faith, belonging, and wonder. I'm Charlotte Donlon, and I'm so glad you're joining me for this introductory episode before my conversation with Jared Ledesma.
I loved my conversation with Jared. I enjoyed speaking to him about his role as a curator whose journey embodies both a quiet perseverance and a vibrant curiosity, a readiness to behold art as a doorway into memory, identity, and transformation.
I'm delighted to introduce you to Jared Ledesma, curator of 20th Century and Contemporary Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art, whose exhibitions invite audiences to reimagine, not just what hangs on museum walls, but what stories and voices live within them.
Jared's work and background defy easy categorization. As a Latino, gay curator raised in [00:01:00] the Bay Area, his story includes the tension and beauty of both rootedness and migration, geographically and culturally. Whether discussing a Grace Hartigan painting with layers shaped by poetry and queer influence or tracing personal connections to California landscapes, Jared manifests a kind of openness that makes space for nuance and belonging. If you're a regular listener, you may remember how our previous conversation with Paul Wilm explored the cycles of creation and permanence and self-reflection that mark an artist's life.
In this episode, Jared offers his own perspective. The ways a curator balances care for objects with the challenge of presenting history, the joys of research and collaboration, and the lasting imprint of family, culture, and mentors on his vision for museum work.
Jared shares stories of learning from strong women in his family, moments of artistic [00:02:00] discovery that moved him deeply, and exhibitions like his show on Grace Hartigan and poets. His practice, grounded in historical inquiry but animated by personal experience, pushes us to see art as a layered practice of connection and change.
Our conversation addresses big questions like what does it mean to care for art and history as living processes, and how does art help us belong to ourselves and the world?
To deepen your experience of this episode, here are a few journaling prompts:
One, think of a piece of art in any medium that altered your awareness of memory, belonging, or place. What emotions or stories live within it for you, and how do they help you see the world in new ways?
Here's another one. Reflect on a time when you encountered an artwork that was connected to your own personal or cultural history. What emotions or memories surfaced for you, and how did [00:03:00] the experience shape your understanding of place and belonging?
And here's one more. Consider someone in your life-- a family member, mentor, or friend-- who supported your creative interests or encouraged you to pursue a path outside the familiar, as Jared's mother and aunt did for him. Write about how their encouragement influenced your journey and how you might pass that encouragement along to others.
Whether you're a museum lover, a maker, an advocate for inclusion, or simply curious about how creative lives unfold, this conversation with Jared Ledesma is for you. Make yourself comfortable and join us for this lovely conversation.