House of Folk Art
Episodes
Episode 55 | Riding Out to Liberty with Matt Ledbetter
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Ledbetter sits down before heading out to Liberty, North Carolina to set up Wade's tent for the last Liberty Antique show.Held twice a year in Ra...
Episode 54 | What Matt Bought at the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Ledbetter and Kyle sit down with a table full of pieces from the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival and break down what they picked up over the week...
Episode 53 | 10 Picks Inside a 15,000 Sq Ft Folk Art Warehouse
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter and Kyle walk through the newly expanded Ledbetter warehouse and put it to use right away. With o...
Episode 52 | Are Quilts Folk Art? Collecting Antique American Quilts with Laura Saville
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter sits down with longtime friend and antique dealer Laura Saville for a full conversation on antiqu...
Episode 51 | Mary Proctor: Called to Paint
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In January of 1994, Mary Proctor lost her grandmother, her uncle, and her aunt in a mobile home fire. The grandmother who raised her, the woman she ca...
Episode 50 | Rare 1990s Folk Art Footage from Tom Wells
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Before museums and collectors caught on, Tom Wells was documenting Southern folk artists on VHS in the early 1990s.In this episode, Matt Ledbetter sit...
Episode 48 | From Football to Folk Art
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Ledbetter talks with Julian-Sherrod Summers, also known as Red Sanford, about how their shared background in football quietly ran alongside a gro...
Episode 48 | What Real Picking Looked Like Before the Internet
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Wade Ledbetter sits down with Matt to talk through what real picking looked like before the internet changed the landscape. Long befo...
Episode 47 | Always Buying Always Selling: Life as a Full-Time Antique Dealer with Laura Saville
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter sits down with longtime friend and full-time antique dealer Laura Saville for a wide-ranging, hon...
Episode 46 | Unboxing Folk Art Pottery and Remembering Folk Artists
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Smith joins Matt in the gallery with several pieces of folk art pottery headed for the next auction, opening boxes and walking through each form ...
Episode 45 | Raising Canes the Folk Art Way
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt has been raised on canes since he was ten years old, and now he is passing the tradition down by raising his own kids on folk art canes too. From...
Episode 44 | Secrets from Alamance County and the Pick of a Lifetime
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt sits down with his dad, the infamous Wade Ledbetter, inside the auction gallery for a story Wade admits might be risky to even share. What starts...
Episode 43 | Liberty Antiques Recap: Pottery, Paintings, and a Benny Carter Birdhouse
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Kyle sit down after two full days of picking at the Liberty Antiques Festival in Liberty, North Carolina. Surrounded by their finds, they go ...
Episode 42 | From the Brewery to the Gallery: Inside Red Oak’s Griffith Museum
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Sully sit down inside the Griffith Fine Art Museum at Red Oak Brewery to explore where fine art and folk art meet. Surrounded by a collection...
Episode 41 | Inside the Folk Art Underground: Mike Smith on Folk Art Legends and Lost Stories
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Mike Smith sit down inside the Griffith Fine Art Museum at Red Oak Brewery to talk about the wild early days of Southern folk art and the col...
Episode 40 | Kentucky Legend Carl McKenzie & The Gibsonville Hwy 64 Chair Maker Revealed
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Kyle take a deep dive into Kentucky folk artist Carl McKenzie (1905-1998), examining his colorful cut-wood sculptures that inspired a generat...
Episode 39 | Wade Ledbetter: A Picker's Life & Salt Glaze Pottery Lesson
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt sits down with his father Wade Ledbetter, the legendary picker whose exploits have become House of Folk Art folklore. From walking to school with...
Episode 38 | International Folk Art Showcase & Ancient Face Jugs
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Sully kick off with some international flair as Sully shares his folk art discoveries from Poland and Denmark – including a mysterious pott...
Episode 37 | Inside Matt's Home Gallery & The Real Cost of Building a Folk Art Collection
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt opens his doors to the official House of Folk Art gallery – a sanctioned room in his Gibsonville home where guests drink wine, discuss eyebal...
Episode 36 | The Dale Jr of Folk Art: Checkered Flags & Hidden Gems
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt opens the show in Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s iconic black-and-red jersey while Sully sports Dale Jr. The playful NASCAR nod lasts only long enough fo...
Episode 35 | The Pickers’ Mindset: From $10 Bets to Six-Figure Finds
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever wondered how an old jar of quarters, a dusty license plate, or a mystery canvas can bankroll a folk-art empire, this hour is your cra...
Episode 34 | Inside the Auction House: Matt & Sully’s Folk Art Finds
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt and Sully take on a challenge inside the gallery: pick 5 folk art pieces each and analyze them for viewers....
Episode 33 | Back at the Auction House: Baskets, Jugs & Big Surprises
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt and Kyle are back at the Folk Art Auction House in Gibsonville, sifting through the spring haul from shows ...
Episode 32 | Van‐Side Collector’s Guide to Fishersville
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt, Kyle, and Sully squeeze into the back of the van just as the Fishersville Antique Expo winds down, surroun...
Episode 31 | The Best Basket You’ll Ever See
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chapters00:00 – Intro00:14 – Baskets 101: The Feel Test01:01 – Machine Cuts vs. Drawing Knife Splits03:18 – Why Smaller Baskets Matter04:16 –...
Episode 30 | The Ones That Got Away: Wade Ledbetter’s Wildest Picks
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Wade Ledbetter returns to share more stories from his life as a full-time antique picker. A life spent on back r...
Episode 29 | Face Jugs and Folk Legends: Inside the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter takes listeners deep inside the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival. One of the South’s most import...
Episode 28 | Cher Shaffer Returns: Visionary Painting, Folk Art, and the Day the Mountains Cried
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter welcomes back Cher Shaffer, a self-taught folk artist whose work captures heritage, instinct...
Episode 27 | The Art of Cher Shaffer - A Conversation with a True Folk Artist
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter sits down with Cher Shaffer, a self-taught folk artist with a career spanning over 55 years. Rais...
Episode 26 | Are You Going To Hickory? We Are!
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter sits down with his wife, Jennie Ledbetter, to talk about their first experience at the Cataw...
Episode 25 | The Legend of Wade Ledbetter: King of the Pickers
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter sits down with his father, Wade Ledbetter, a seasoned picker who has spent decades knocking ...
Episode 24 | Getting Started with Outsider Art Collecting
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter sits down with long-time collector and expert Brian Sieveking to discuss the ins and outs of...
Episode 23 | Auctions, Road Trips & Folk Art Legends with Brian Sieveking
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter sits down with longtime folk art collector Brian Sieveking, a Professor in the Fine Arts Departme...
Episode 22 | From Flea Markets to Drive-Thrus: Folk Art Reimagined
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter and Kyle Sheetz explore the colorful world of folk art and its connections to their personal and ...
Episode 21 | Auctioneers Ted Muscarelli and Matt Ledbetter Dive Into the World of Folk Art Collecting and Selling
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this exciting episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter sits down with auctioneer Ted Muscarelli of the Muscarelli Auction Company and a surpris...
Episode 20 | Folk Art at the Smithsonian: Elevating Self-Taught Artists to National Recognition
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter and Kyle Sheetz dive into Kyle's recent trip to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where he exp...
Episode 19 | The Collector’s Guide: Museums, Auctions, and Folk Art Adventures
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter and Sully dive deep into the art of starting a folk art collection. They discuss the importance o...
Episode 18 | Navigating Auctions and Building a Collection
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Sully steps out from behind the camera to join Matt Ledbetter in a candid discussion about folk art auctions and...
Episode 17 | The Art of the Pick: Folk Pottery, Face Jugs, and Auction Tales
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter reconnects with antiques expert David Kane from Greensboro, North Carolina, to delve into the cap...
Episode 16 | Art Deals, Hidden Treasures, and Picking Wisdom with David Kane
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter welcomes longtime friend and antiques expert David Kane from Greensboro, North Carolina. Together...
Episode 15 | Pottery, Picking, and the Art of Folk: A Day with Marvin Bailey
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter shares a few of his favorite picking stories during the drive down to visit renown...
Episode 14 | 47,000 Works of Art: The Unstoppable Creativity of Howard Finster
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter dives into the life and influence of Howard Finster, one of the most well-known self-taught artis...
Episode 13 | Auction Adventures & Unforgettable Stories with Matt and Ethan
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, host Matt Ledbetter sits down with his long-time friend and auctioneer, Ethan Raynor, for a captivating conversa...
Episode 12 | From Auction School to Million-Dollar Sales: Ethan’s Journey in the Auction World
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of House of Folk Art, Matt Ledbetter sits down with his longtime friend and fellow auctioneer, Ethan, to reminisce about their journey...
Episode 11 | From Local Legends to Folk Art Icons: The Story of Snake, Bull, and Otto
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the House of Folk Art podcast, host Matt Ledbetter explores the unexpected ways personal connections influence artistic expression....
Episode 10 | SL Jones: Carving His Name into Folk Art History
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Matt Ledbetter and Mike Smith for a captivating episode of the House of Folk Art podcast. In this episode, we explore the life and work of SL Jon...
Episode 09 | Larry Ballard: Carving a Path from Chicago to the Vatican
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Matt Ledbetter and Mike Smith for an in-depth conversation with Larry Ballard, an 86-year-old master carver from Chicago, whose incredible journe...
Episode 08 | From Madison to Manhattan: The Artistic Journey of Benny Carter
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to House of Folk Art!In this episode, we sit down with Mike Smith of the At Home Gallery in Greensboro, North Carolina, to dive deep into the ...
Episode 07 | Embracing Originality in Folk Art: The Kudzu of the Art World
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of self-taught art, highlighting the works of various influential folk artists through the eyes of Mike S...
Episode 06 | The Artistry of Mary T. Smith Through Mike Smith’s Lens
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
🎨 Mary T. Smith: Mike Smith's Favorite Folk Art Icon 🎨Join us in this captivating episode of "Artistry Unveiled" as we delve into the vibrant wo...
Episode 05 | Folk Art Legends: Mike Smith Reveals the Magic of James Harold Jennings
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary dealer Mike Smith takes us on a journey through the captivating legacy of James Harold Jennings. In this revealing conversation, Mike shares...
Episode 04 | AB The Flag: Celebrating the Folk Art Journey of Roger Ivens
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Matt delves into the captivating story of AB The Flag Man, tracing his artistic origins, transition to Gibsonville, flag-making explo...
Episode 03 | Living Artistry: Exploring Stacy Lambert's Unique Folk Pottery
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the House of Folk Art Podcast! In this episode, we shine a spotlight on the remarkable talents of Stacy Lambert, a master in the craft...
Episode 02 | American Pottery Origins: From Everyday Tool to Unique Folk Art
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a quick overview of American pottery origins in this episode of the House of Folk Art Podcast. Discover how pottery transitioned from bein...
Episode 01 | Unveiling the House of Folk Art: Insights into Folk, Outsider, and Self-Taught Artists
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the House of Folk Art Podcast, where we delve into the captivating realm of folk art. Join us as we embark on a jo...