Visual Artist, Author & Creative

Museum of Presence

Shabazz Larkin’s *Museum of Presence* is a multimedia storytelling project connecting a printed magazine and podcast that documents conversations with artists and activists shaping Nashville’s cultural landscape. Created and led by Larkin as Editor-in-Chief, the project was developed in collaboration with a community of artists and organizers including Evan Brown, Kamilah Sander, Tonya Lewis, Chris Cowley, and LeXander Bryant, among many others. Together, the project brings forward the voices, practices, and lived experiences of people whose work contributes to the creative and social life of the city.

Museum of Presence is a multimedia storytelling project I created and lead as Editor-in-Chief. The project was designed as a bridge between print, audio, and community dialogue, bringing together artists, activists, and cultural thinkers whose work shapes the creative and social landscape of Nashville, Tennessee.
At the center of the project was a printed magazine that functioned like a living archive. Each issue included QR codes embedded directly in the pages, allowing readers to move seamlessly from the printed stories into a companion podcast. By scanning the codes, readers could immediately hear the voices behind the work, creating a conversation between the tactile experience of reading and the intimacy of listening.
Through the Museum of Presence podcast I interviewed a wide range of artists, organizers, and activists working in and around Nashville. These conversations explored themes of creativity, mindfulness, justice, identity, and the daily practices that sustain people doing meaningful work in their communities. Rather than focusing only on finished achievements, the project centered the lived experiences, struggles, and reflections that shape artistic and civic life.

Through print, podcast, and public storytelling, Museum of Presence reflects an ongoing commitment to presence itself: being attentive to the voices around us, honoring the creative work happening in our neighborhoods, and recognizing the ways art, mindfulness, and community can shape a more conscious cultural future.
Follow the Museum of Presence on Substack.

Here is a full list of our guests as of March 2026
Full Guest List (with episode links)
Artists, Activists, and Cultural Voices
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
The Artist Is Born Brave
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7suA6dGdF5qYxF7UAVcJiT
Trenton Wheeler
Grass Dancer—Trenton Wheeler
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0dTdTEVm6JAjDJFiUGkpwp
Dr. Veronica Womack
Farming While Black
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2g3bzwg51enjIuCnx3nNMn
Jamel Campbell-Gooch
The Artist Must Make Revolution Irresistible
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qQTQno5f2mcFb4JpQMbe4
Isaac Kirk
Nothing Funny About Reparations
https://open.spotify.com/episode/31BzbgHy194wT24amOhaN9
+
Nashville Artists & Cultural Organizers
Omari Booker
Finding Freedom Through Art & Incarceration
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZZkqNMM20aVOkrtukTVV1
Mike Floss
Black Nashville Assembly & The Creative Process
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1149HPZQRAlHAjYHCJO91d
Reaux Marquez
Hip-Hop, Fatherhood, and Black Presence
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FG21JgKaHr8MHENLEPGcg
Brittney Boyd Bullock
Slowing Down the Creative Process
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ik7ieFdWpQ5piM6sDQjf3
Eric Holt
The Art of Space-Making & LoveNoise
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5pmPuTQyABg87iTOtw8ctb
Elisheba Mrozik
Respect Black Art & Respect Black Artists
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2F46pJKNZAUSymbdocDMeK
Ashley Currie
The Currency of Nashville
https://open.spotify.com/episode/05seqU7eXjZaB6DhNzm5jO
Jennifer Wang
Mindfulness, Art, and Concentration Meditation
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HuE8wawBsP1YD2YA3RMnU
Exhibition Episode
Shabazz Larkin, Tonya Lewis, Evan Brown, Kamilah Sander
Exhibition One: May I Be Brave Enough to Speak My Truth
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SUFUF6UPfliSL8TbGEV8s

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