Since the 1990s, myriad books have been published about conceptual art and its genesis during the 1960s and ’70s. Yet, with rare exception, the majority of accounts have centered on New York, where language- and systems-based explorations prevailed. Until recently, few books or exhibitions focused on the actions- and sculpture-based history of conceptual art in California during the ’70s, a situation that has slowly shifted during the 21st century as this latter significance has been recognized nationally and internationally. Artist Tom Marioni was a central figure in the unique artistic milieu that fueled the evolution of the San Francisco Bay Area’s conceptual scene. In his memoir, Beer, Art, and Philosophy (2003), Marioni talks about the experiences that contributed to the evolution of his art, ideas about social sculpture, and his interpretation of artistic forebears in conversational and humorous ways. The social emphasis of Marioni’s oeuvre is underscored by the book’s subtitle, which is also one of his signature artworks, “The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends Is the Highest Form of Art.” The conversations that Tom and I had over time about his art and life (excerpted in this interview) reveal the continuity of his thinking and work as a sculptor and conceptual artist, the importance of his traditional art training, and the influence of places to which he has traveled on his artistic vision. In this context, Marioni talks in depth about the ongoing personal significance of creating a social space as art.