About Jeffrey
Jeffrey Brown is a senior correspondent and chief arts correspondent for the PBS NewsHour.
In his 30-year career with the NewsHour, Brown has served as co-anchor, studio moderator, and field reporter on a wide range of national and international issues, with work taking him around the country and to many parts of the globe. As arts correspondent he has profiled many of the world's leading writers, musicians, actors and other artists. Recently, Brown presented a multi-year series, "Culture at Risk," about threatened cultural heritage in the United States and abroad. He created and hosts the NewsHour's online "Art Beat" and also hosts the monthly book club, "Now Read This," a collaboration with The New York Times.
Brown is author of a collection of poetry, titled "The News" and serves as an advisor to the Sun Valley Writers Conference. His numerous honors include a News & Documentary Emmy Award and multiple CINE Golden Eagle Awards. He earned a bachelor's degree in classics from the University of California, Berkeley, a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, an honorary degree (D.H.L) from Wesley College, and attended the UC Berkeley School of Law.
Jeffrey’s Recent Stories
Arts Mar 21
A culinary tradition for the Persian new yearNowruz, the Persian holiday celebrating the new year, is observed in Iran and parts of Western and Central Asia. It marks the first day of the vernal equinox. Najmieh Batmanglij, author of eight cookbooks on Iranian cuisine that are widely…
Arts Mar 18
Shunned by country radio, female artists in Nashville are looking to break throughThe proportion of female voices on country radio has been dropping in recent years, amid “long-held beliefs” that male singers drive larger audiences and greater ad revenue. But not everyone in Nashville buys into that theory. Jeffrey Brown reports on…
Arts Mar 15
Dawoud Bey on photography as a ‘transformative experience’For decades, Dawoud Bey has been considered one of the country’s foremost street photographers, known for capturing the everyday lives of black Americans with a deep intimacy. Recently, Bey has shifted his focus to the historical, with an exploration of…
Arts Mar 14
With ‘Mutual Air,’ this California artist leverages the sounds of scienceDespite increasingly dire assessments about the outlook for climate change, it can be difficult to remain mindful of our environment’s health on a daily basis. Jeffrey Brown traveled to the Bay Area to meet Rosten Woo, a Los Angeles-based artist…
Arts Mar 11
Author Marlon James on never outgrowing the magicalMarlon James is best known for writing literary fiction, including “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” which won the prestigious Man Booker Prize. But his latest book, “Black Leopard, Red Wolf,” draws on a lifelong love of comics and fantasy.
Arts Mar 08
Embracing classical music and its potential for ‘sonic salvation’Classical is a music genre hampered by a tendency to exclude or intimidate newcomers. But Clemency Burton-Hill, creative director at WQXR, a public classical radio station serving New York, wants to change that. An evangelist for art that leaves her…
Arts Mar 04
The artistry behind protecting and repairing photographsAt the Art Institute of Chicago, staff rely on state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated conservation methods, including a massive cold-storage facility, to ensure that the collection of more than 24,000 photographs is preserved. A current museum exhibit teaches visitors how that…
Arts Mar 01
‘True West’ stars Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano on Sam Shepard’s ‘profound sensibility’The Sam Shepard play “True West” is a revival of an American theater classic. The play has been a magnet for great actors since it was written in 1980. In this contemporary version, it stars Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano,…
Arts Feb 22
‘Moonlight’ writer hopes audiences leave his new play ‘full of questions’The hit Broadway play “Choir Boy” chronicles an African-American prep school and its star pupil, the choir boy, who happens to be gay. Written by Tarell McCraney, a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, the play explores themes not often addressed publicly within…
Arts Feb 20
Why Andy Warhol retrospective has special resonance in the Instagram ageA major Andy Warhol retrospective exhibit, the first organized by an American museum in decades, is on display at New York's Whitney Museum. Titled “Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again,” the show contains over 350 works. As…
