RALEIGH, NC.- Launched in August 2016, the podcast series ArtCurious will air its baker’s dozen thirteenth episode in February 2017, simultaneously celebrating Valentine’s Day and the now 3000-plus fans who have made it a success.

The show, hosted by contemporary arts expert and curator Jennifer Dasal, bills itself as unlike any other in the art world. As the ArtCurious tagline proclaims, it is dedicated solely to exploring stories about "the unexpected, the slightly odd and the strangely wonderful in art history.” A fresh perspective on art that may often be perceived as too dry or far removed from the average viewer, Dasal dedicates herself to delivering fresh takes on the topic in a listener-friendly narrative style, tackling artists, their known (and sometimes unknown or misunderstood) works and other related subjects in a fashion meant to entertain, engage and educate art lovers and art novices alike.

About her inspiration for the new series, she says, “As a professional art curator, I hear comments all the time about how art can seem ‘boring,’ ‘lifeless’ or ‘not understandable.’ As an art lover, I thought that kind of mindset wasn’t just a shame but one that could change.”

On a bi-weekly basis, Dasal releases episodes about the untraditional in visual art -- murder, espionage, torrid love affairs, conspiracy theories, storytelling perspective, radicals and unsolved mysteries -- all with an eye toward how they fit into the grand tapestry of art history.

Recent episodes of ArtCurious have tackled such diverse topics as allegations that Vincent Van Gogh was murdered instead of committing suicide (Ep. 2: Was Van Gogh Murdered?); the CIA’s covert support of modern art during the cold war (Ep. 9: The CIA/AbEx Connection); and what compels art vandals (Ep. 11: Art Attack!).

“Whether you know art or not, we tell stories in which everyone can become engrossed,” she says. “ArtCurious is art history for everyone.”

The ArtCurious podcast may be downloaded for free via iTunes, Stitcher and other major podcast resources, as well as through the show’s website. Further information about each episode, including images discussed in the show, may also be found therein.