Behind the Scenes of the Art World: Carrie Scott on Fees, Access & Support
Episode 37
Anastasia Parmson, Carrie Scott
2/23/20263 min read
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A refreshingly candid conversation with Carrie Scott: curator, art consultant, broadcaster and founder of Seen, a media platform connecting the art world to the real world.
This is our most unfiltered episode yet, where we tackle topics that might "get us in trouble": what consultants actually charge, why artists should have elevator pitches (despite what famous curators say), whether museums should pay artists a percentage of ticket sales, and how galleries claim they'll "find you" while rejecting all submissions.
Carrie's career spans working with major galleries in Seattle and New York, collaborating with Nick Knight for a decade, launching groundbreaking exhibitions and now building a consultancy that refuses to be motivated purely by commission. She is opinionated, pragmatic and genuinely invested in making the art world less intimidating and more transparent.
Key insights from this episode:
• The real numbers: what art consultants charge
• Why Carrie is building an art consultancy that is not centered around transaction
• The controversial debate: should artists have an elevator pitch?
• What galleries mean when they say "don't contact us" (and should you ignore it)?
• Creative health as the third pillar of wellness alongside physical and mental health
• Practical advice for ambitious artists and where to find helpful resources
Carrie Scott is a curator, art historian, consultant and broadcaster based in London. She is the founder of Seen, a media platform and consultancy dedicated to connecting the art world to the real world.
You can find out more about her work at https://www.seen.art/ and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carriescottcurates/
00:34 Carrie's Favorite Quote
03:34 Background and Early Life
07:13 Journey into Art and Education
09:58 First Job and Early Career Challenges
21:26 Transition to Consulting and Launching Her Own Business
40:24 The Value of Installation Art
43:48 Challenges in Monetizing Installation Art
45:35 Artist-Museum Revenue Sharing
52:05 Curating and Supporting Artists
56:26 Advice for Emerging Artists
01:09:45 Dream Projects and Future Plans
Also mentioned in this episode:
Brothers And Keepers by John Edgar Wideman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50891912-brothers-and-keepers
Overherd oat milk: https://overherd.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/overherd.uk
The Wallace Collection: https://www.wallacecollection.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/wallacemuseum | @TheWallacecollection
Jean-Honoré Fragonard: https://www.wikiart.org/en/jean-honore-fragonard
Dickinson College: https://www.dickinson.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/dickinsoncollege | @dsoncollege
Conde Nast: https://www.condenast.com/
University of Washington: https://www.washington.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/uofwa/ | @universityofwashington
Seattle Magazine: https://seattlemag.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/seattlemag/
The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/seattletimes/
Seattle University: https://www.seattleu.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/seattleu/ | @seattleuniversity
The Stranger: https://www.thestranger.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/thestrangerseattle/
James Harris: https://jamesharrisgallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/jamesharrisgallery/
Rashid Johnson: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2830-rashid-johnson/ | https://www.instagram.com/rashidjohnson/
Nicole Klagsburn: https://www.nicoleklagsbrun.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/nicole_klagsbrun_inc/
Matt Day Jackson: https://www.hauserwirth.com/viewing-room/matthew-day-jackson/ https://www.instagram.com/matthewdayjackson/
Mika Rottenberg: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/23390-mika-rottenberg/ | https://www.instagram.com/mikarottenberg/
Jimmy Moffat: https://www.instagram.com/jimmymoff/
Art + Commerce: https://artandcommerce.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/artandcommerce/
Annie Leibovitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Leibovitz | https://www.instagram.com/annieleibovitz/
Steven Meisel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Meisel | https://www.instagram.com/stevenmeiselofficial/
Nick Knight: https://www.nickknight.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/nick_knight/
180 Studios: https://www.180studios.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/180.studios/
The Art Show on Sky Arts: https://www.carrie-scott.com/theartshoq | https://www.instagram.com/artshowtv/ | @theartshow791
Simonette Quamina: https://www.simonettequamina.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/simonette_quamina/
John Pawson: https://www.johnpawson.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/johnpawson/
Arthur Jafa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Jafa | https://www.instagram.com/anamibia/
Daelim Museum: https://www.daelimmuseum.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/daelimmuseum/ @DaelimMuseum
The Design Museum: https://designmuseum.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/designmuseum | @designmuseum
Harland Millers: https://www.whitecube.com/artists/harland-miller | https://www.instagram.com/harlandmillers/
V&A: https://www.vam.ac.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/vamuseum/ | @vamuseum
Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/tate | @Tate
Ellen Jong: https://ellenjong.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/_____ellenjong/
SXSW: https://sxsw.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/sxsw/ | @SXSW
Lubaina Himid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubaina_Himid | https://www.instagram.com/lubainapics/
CIRCA: https://circa.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/circa.art/ | @CIRCA-ART
Max Neuhous: https://www.max-neuhaus.estate/
