If Objects Could Talk

Art and artifacts from the museum’s collection join us in the recording studio

Follow Getty’s Podcast for Kids and Their Families

About the Show

Trailer

Cartoon illustration of an owl and teal cat peering through a doorway beside text reading "If Objects Could Talk".

If Objects Could Talk Promo

Download the PDF

[Theme music begins]

Zoe Goldman: Getty’s family podcast If Objects Could Talk brings artworks to life.

[Theme music ends and adventure music begins]

Purrquoise: Are you ready for an adventure? Then you’re in luck! I am a traveling cat, of grand escapades and even grander tales. [swords clashing]

Goldman: Each episode, you’ll hear from new objects about everything from how they were made:

Dragon: Then we went into a fire hot kiln [fire roars]...twice! [fire roars again]

Goldman: To how they played with children just like you!

Vexed Man: [crowd noises] There were the children who would stop. Look at me. Study me. And then, scrunch! The whole face in one go. Brow down, nose up, eyes squinting. My face, on their face. [children’s laughter]

[Theme music begins]

Goldman: Look for If Objects Could Talk wherever you listen to podcasts and on Getty dot edu slash IOCT.

[theme music ends]

What is Athena's owl doing in the Greek marketplace? How can a clock tell time in the dark?

On If Objects Could Talk, art and artifacts leave the museum vault and come alive to share their side of the story. Featuring objects from the Getty Museum collection, each episode introduces listeners to the history, creation, and everyday use of incredible items like an Egyptian cat statue, a rococo microscope, and a glass flask shaped like a fish. Voice actors and immersive sound design bring these historical fiction tales to life. Find coloring pages, discussion guides, and related activities on the pages for each episode.

Heading to the Getty Villa? Take our podcast-themed self-guided tour.