CENTREVILLE — As the calendar turns to a new year, ArtScene | The Podcast is celebrating both reflection and momentum with the release of a special “Best of 2025” highlights episode—marking the close of its third year and a period of extraordinary growth, reach, and impact.
Hosted by Michael Bell, ArtScene | The Podcast continues to spotlight the talented Visual and Performing Arts teachers, Media Specialists, students, and arts partners who make a difference in schools and communities. In 2025 alone, the podcast experienced a 568% increase in new audience members, a 22% increase in total followers, and unprecedented listener engagement across platforms.
While rooted in Queen Anne’s County’s vibrant local arts scene, ArtScene | The Podcast has reached a global audience, with listeners tuning in from five additional countries, including France, Denmark, Japan, Spain, and Italy. In Spotify’s annual listener recap, the show ranked as a Top 10 podcast for 99 listeners, Top 5 for 81 listeners, and the #1 podcast for 50 fans, reflecting deep engagement and loyalty among its growing audience.
One standout episode—Episode 29 featuring ELA Supervisor Bridget Passyn—was played 105% more than any other episode this year, underscoring the growing appetite for meaningful conversations with district leadership around connections between literacy and the arts.
This year also featured a milestone moment when Bell streamed a live statewide Maryland Art Education panel discussion from a MAEA Summer Retreat, joined by fellow National award-winning Supervisors of the Year. That conversation became one of the podcast’s top video episodes and is now featured again in rewind as part of the New Year release.
In addition to educator voices, ArtScene continues to highlight the essential partnerships that support arts education across the region. Guests throughout the year included Peter Pucci, Executive Director of the Carole Cascio Fund for Mind, Movement, and Dance Connections (CCF), Rob Thompson from Chesapeake College, and live broadcasts from state and national conferences. Released on January 1, the “Best of 2025” episode features segments with:
- Windy Broadwater (SES Music)
- Allison Dorsey (Kent Island Elementary School Art)
- Gabby Pfeifer (CCF Associate Teaching Artist)
- Erika Beyer (Kent Island Elementary School Music)
- Bayrex Hernandez (Matapeake Elementary School Music)
- Heather Efland (Church Hill Elementary School Music)
Beginning February 1, ArtScene | The Podcast will return with new guests, new stories, and new conversations, continuing its mission to connect, uplift, and inspire through the arts.
🎧 ArtScene | The Podcast is available on Spotify and major podcast platforms.
