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societyMay 16, 20255:45pending

Go To the Artists Among Us

About this episode

Kelly shares the remarkable story of Armia Khalil, a Metropolitan Museum of Art security guard with a secret talent. As a child, Armia played in the mud and created little sculptures by the Nile River. Years later, the artistic young man immigrated to the US with just $375 and a suitcase of woodworking tools. After years of struggle, he landed a job as a security guard at the Met, where a chance conversation with a curator led to his lifelong dream coming true. It's a powerful reminder that everyone—from bus drivers to baristas—carries a universe of dreams inside them. What might we discover if we took a moment to see the artists walking among us?

This episode was inspired by Dodai Stewart's New York Times article.

(published January 8, 2025).

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Go To the Artists Among Us

Kelly Corrigan Wonders

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