The Next Workforce

Art Is Work: Inside Paul Hamilton’s 1,200 Piece African Art Collection

Phoenix Jackson Season 1 Episode 3

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 8:32

In this episode of The Next Workforce, Phoenix Jackson interviews Paul Hamilton, legendary art collector, state representative, and educator, about his collection of over 1,200 African art pieces housed in Denver.

The conversation explores art as work. Not just creative expression, but preservation, curation, education, and cultural stewardship. Hamilton shares how his journey into collecting was transformative, how indigenous knowledge systems like those of the Dogon people challenge Western narratives, and why preserving African art is critical for future generations.

This episode reframes art as purpose driven labor and positions artists, collectors, and cultural stewards as essential contributors to the future workforce.

Art is not extra. It is infrastructure for identity.