On this episode of the Friday Heaters podcast, we sit down with Abby Pucker—founder of the arts organization Gertie, headquartered in Chicago—and a close friend who’s building something we deeply believe in.

Abby shares her path from Sotheby’s and UTA to returning home to Chicago to build Gertie—a platform rethinking how the art world can work by blending exhibitions, membership, and community into a more sustainable model.

We get into the guts it takes to bet on your city, building outside of New York and LA, and what it really looks like to create something meaningful from scratch.

A thoughtful conversation about art, entrepreneurship, and backing a new generation of patrons in Chicago and beyond.

On this week’s episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we sit down with Joe Parmer, co-owner of Custom Art Surfaces (CAS), the Los Angeles–based fabrication shop behind many of the canvases and painting surfaces used by today’s leading contemporary artists.

Joe takes us inside a part of the art world that rarely gets talked about—the physical foundation of a painting. From stretcher bars and substrates to gesso and surface preparation, we break down what actually goes into building a canvas, and why those decisions matter as an artist’s career and market evolve.

We also get into Joe’s path into the industry, from looking for a way into the art world to eventually taking over the business and helping grow it into a trusted partner for serious artists. Along the way, we talk about the relationship between craftsmanship and value, how artists know when it’s time to level up their materials, and what happens behind the scenes when making large-scale or highly customized works.

Beyond the technical side, this conversation opens up a broader look at the art ecosystem—how different roles support the creative process, how the market has shifted in recent years, and how businesses like CAS are adapting to reach a wider range of artists.

This is a deep dive into some of the unseen infrastructure of contemporary art—and the people helping bring artists’ visions to life. Enjoy the heat🔥

On this week’s episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we sit down with Meredith Bayse and Adam Moskowitz, owners of the art gallery Moskowitz Bayse, to talk about what it really looks like to run a gallery as a husband-and-wife team—the balance, the dynamics, and the shared vision behind it.

Built from the ground up, Moskowitz Bayse has created a space that feels both approachable and serious—welcoming to first-time visitors while still serving seasoned art patrons.

We get into the realities of art fairs for smaller galleries, and the need for more accessible entry points for the next generation of collectors.

We also discuss their roster of 24 artists and their focus on early-career talent—supporting artists who are deeply hands-on in their practice and making the work themselves.

A conversation about building something real, and widening the circle of who gets to be part of it. Enjoy the heat🔥