Episode 40: Rosalie Smith - Trash Into Treasure

Rosalie Smith is a found objects artist based in New York City.Instagram and all episodes(00:00) Moving to New York for an MFA at Hunter(01:30) Choosing New Orleans over New York after college(04:10) The turning point: leaving an office job after a cancer diagnosis in the family(06:30) Building a career in New Orleans and hitting a ceiling(08:10) Why New York offers the challenge and energy she craves(10:20) A family history steeped in art and performance(13:00) Creating DIY art spaces in New Orleans, including Lucky Art Fair(16:00) The contrast between New Orleans’ DIY art scene and New York(17:50) Deciding on a lifelong path as an artist(20:10) Found object sculpture: origins and inspirations(23:20) Influence of grief and preservation on her early sculptures(26:40) How collecting objects changed how she sees the city(30:10) Why found objects and the act of looking keeps her present(32:50) How this niche form of art became her calling(36:00) Strategies for surviving as an artist in New York City(40:20) The importance of networks, DIY projects, and saying yes(43:10) Is the struggle worth it? Reflections on fulfillment vs. hardship(45:10) Numbing yourself to rejection and the freedom it brings