If you’ve ever loved a piece of art until you saw the price, you’re not alone. This is the question I get asked more than any other, and it’s the one that stops so many people from collecting before they even begin.

In this episode, we’re talking honestly about where to buy affordable art that actually feels good to live with. Real work by real artists. The truth is, affordable art exists, but finding it takes a little curiosity and a shift in how you think about collecting.

I break this conversation into two parts. First, the how. How to approach buying art on a normal budget without crashing out, rushing, or chasing trends. We talk about building taste, trusting your eye, and why emotional connection matters more than size or price. Then, the where. The categories of places where great, buyable art actually lives, from open studios and artist-run spaces to student shows, print shops, small art fairs, and curated online platforms.

This episode is about slowing down, looking more closely, and realizing you do not need permission to collect. You do not need connections. And you definitely do not need a comma in your bank account to have taste.

Resources that are mentioned in this episode are below, and my curated NYC Art Gallery Map is linked for anyone looking to start exploring in person.

Resources & References

Open Studios

• Bushwick Open Studios

• Greenpoint Open Studios

• Frogtown Art Walk

Artist-Run and Project Spaces

• Tiger Strikes Asteroid

• SOHO20 Gallery

• Human Resources

Art Fairs

• The Other Art Fair

• Superfine Art Fair

• Future Fair

Print Shops and Edition Studios

• Lower East Side Printshop

• Tamarind Institute

• Chicago Printmakers Collective

Online Platforms

• Tappan Collective

• Uprise Art

• Artsper

We’re stepping out of New York and into Austin—where the energy is hot, the tacos are good, and the art scene is quickly becoming impossible to ignore.

In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Austin-based abstract painter Hunter Ash, whose richly layered works feel intuitive, vulnerable, and deeply human. Her paintings aren’t about perfection—they’re about movement. The kind of feeling you recognize before you can name it.

We talk about what it actually looks like to build an art career outside the traditional art capitals, why Austin’s creative community is having a moment, and how Hunter found her voice after taking an unexpected path into the art world. We get into studio routines, creative blocks, and the hardest part of painting: knowing when to stop. Plus: why hating the work might be part of the process, and what it means to make art people genuinely want to live with.

This conversation feels like a deep exhale—honest, grounded, and full of reminders that art doesn’t have to be a shout to be powerful.

Follow Hunter Ash (⁠www.hunterash.com⁠⁠) | Instagram: @hunterash.art

Resources & References

Artists Mentioned in the Episode:

• Winter Ruski, Paintings (2000s–present)

• Heather Day, Abstract Paintings (2010s–present)

• Emily Eisenhart, Paintings (2010s–present)

Painting, sculpture, installation, conceptual work—mediums are the building blocks of how art shows up in the world. But they’re rarely explained in a way that feels accessible or relevant.

In this episode, Mackenzie offers a clear, conversational introduction to the major art mediums you’ll encounter in galleries and museums today. We talk about what defines each one, how artists use them, and why medium matters—not as a rulebook, but as context.

This is not an art history lesson. It’s a guide to looking with more confidence and curiosity. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of how to approach different kinds of work, what questions to ask, and how to articulate your reactions without overthinking them.

Because understanding the medium doesn’t limit your response—it deepens it.

Resources & References

Artists & Works Mentioned in the Episode:

• Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi (c. 1500)

• Mark Rothko, Color Field Paintings (1940s–1960s)

• Vincent van Gogh, Paintings (1880s–1890s)

• Pablo Picasso, Drawings and Studies (1890s–1970s)

• Michelangelo, Drawings and Studies (1490s–1560s)

• Jeff Koons, Sculptures (1980s–present)

• Richard Serra, Steel Sculptures and Installations (1960s–2010s)

• Carl Andre, Equivalent VIII (1966)

• Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Rooms (1965–present)

• Do Ho Suh, Fabric House Installations (1990s–present)

• Marcel Duchamp, Fountain (1917)

• Piero Manzoni, Artist’s Shit (1961)

• Yoko Ono, Cut Piece (1964)

What medium surprised you the most? DM me or tag @LaCollector -- I’d love to see what caught your eye and what you’re curious to explore next.

“Good” is one of the most powerful—and elusive—currencies in the art world. But where does it actually come from?

In this episode, Mackenzie unpacks how taste is formed, circulated, and reinforced—from the quiet influence of institutions to the louder signals of cultural buzz. We look at how context, scarcity, storytelling, and timing shape what we’re drawn to, and why certain artists or aesthetics suddenly feel unavoidable.

Rather than chasing trends, Decoding Cool offers a framework for understanding them. It’s an invitation to look more closely at why we desire what we desire—and how to develop a point of view that feels informed, personal, and durable.

Good isn’t accidental. It’s constructed. And once you see the architecture, you’re free to decide what actually resonates.

Resources & References

Art To See in NYC:

• The Frick Collection (www.frick.org)
• The Anonomous Gallery (www.anonymousgallery.com)

Artists Mentioned in the Episode:

• Marcel Duchamp, Fountain (1917)
• Agnes Martin, Grid Paintings (1960s–2000s)
• Ai Weiwei, Installation Works (1990s–present)
• Kehinde Wiley, Portrait Paintings (2000s–present), President Barack Obama Presidential Portrait (2018)
• Faith Ringgold, Story Quilts (1980s–present), Street Story Quilt (1985)

See the artists mentioned on @lacollector.podcast Instagram or TikTok. What’s the last piece of art that felt good to you? DM me or tag @LaCollector — I’d love to see what’s shaping your taste.

Art doesn’t have to feel intimidating—and it definitely doesn’t require a trust fund.

In this debut episode of La Collector, host Mackenzie introduces the podcast and the idea at its core: making art feel approachable, chic, and woven into real life. Drawing on her background as an art advisor—curating for luxury spaces—and as a painter herself, she reflects on what it means to move from proximity to art toward true connection.

This episode sets the tone for the season: less theory, more feeling. It’s about learning how to look, how to trust your instincts, and how to engage with art without needing permission, credentials, or a perfect vocabulary.

La Collector isn’t about telling you what to like. It’s about giving you context, confidence, and the space to form your own point of view.

Because art is something we should all get to experience.