Public art is the most accessible art form we have… and it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, Samantha Hunt-Durán talks with Mirko Carnovali, Art Director at DiBari and Associates, about what it actually takes to bring large-scale public artworks to life: from research and concept development to engineering realities, permits, fabrication, and installation.

✨ In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• Why the best public art creates a sense of place + belonging (Mirko’s “emotional cityscapes”)

• The hidden steps most people never notice: materials, wind loads, climate, maintenance, bureaucracy

• The business reality: RFQs vs RFPs, proposal labor, and “finding a new job every day”

• Designing for communities you don’t live in (with a case study: Sun Salutations, Sunset Park, West Palm Beach)

• Why public art is the most democratic art form—and a misconception Mirko wants to correct

🔗 Resources + links:

• DiBari and Associates: https://dibari-id.com/

• Mirko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirkocarnovali/

• Mirko’s Instagram (digital art): @mcdigitalartist

• Sun Salutations project: https://dibari-id.com/project/sun-salutations/

• 1% for Art background: https://nasaa-arts.org/nasaa_research/state-percent-art-programs/

⏱️ Timestamps / chapters:

00:00 Museum Backstage Intro

00:42 Meet Mirko Carnovali

03:06 From Idea to Installation

07:11 Timelines and Teamwork

09:48 Costs and Misconceptions

11:58 Winning Public Art Jobs

14:37 RFQs vs RFPs

19:25 Advice for New Artists

21:59 Emotional Cityscapes

28:22 Story Beats Aesthetics

31:23 Why Feedback Is Rare

33:23 Feedback and Fairness

34:45 Who Is Judging

35:57 Designing for Strangers

37:29 Sunset Park Case Study

40:21 Emotional Cityscapes

41:50 Knowing the Balance

45:15 Public Art Is Democratic

48:12 Do Cities Get It

50:55 Mirko Origin Story

56:54 Digital Art and AI

58:25 Public Art Misconceptions

01:00:51 Links and Wrap Up

🎧 Listening prompt: What’s one public artwork that made you feel something—and why?

#publicart #urbandesign #placemaking #cityplanning #civicdesign #artsadministration #designthinking #creativeindustry #publicspace #museumbackstage

🧵 Fashion collections are not just garments—they are living archives of memory, labor, identity, and culture.

In this episode of Museum Backstage, I’m joined by textile specialist and creative entrepreneur Jensina Endresen to go behind the "seams" of fashion exhibitions, sustainability in the museum field, and what it really takes to build a creative, non-traditional career in cultural heritage.

We talk about mannequinage, exhibition installs and de-installs, working with Dior on international projects, creative business ownership, and why sustainability in fashion is far more complicated than most of us realize.

🔗 Resources & mentions

• Bustleworship (Jensina’s business & portfolio): https://bustleworshipdesigns.com

• Dior exhibition work – https://www.galeriedior.com/en

• Denver Art Museum Dior exhibition – https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/dior

• Sustainability in museum transport resources – https://icom.museum/en/research/sustainability-and-local-development/

📚 Jensina’s sustainability & theory reading list

• All Art is Ecological – Timothy Morton

• Dark Ecology – Timothy Morton

• Realist Magic: Objects, Ontology, Causality – Timothy Morton

• Fashion Theology – Robert Covolo

• Craft of Use – Kate Fletcher

• Paul J. Crutzen and the Anthropocene: A New Epoch in the Earth’s History

• The Psychopolitics of Fashion – Otto von Busch

• Worn – Sofi Thanhouser

🔗 Connect with Jensina

• Website: https://bustleworshipdesigns.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bustleworship

⏱️ Episode timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Fashion collections & personal meaning

06:30 Stories textiles can tell

11:00 Mannequinage & exhibition logistics

18:00 De-install & packing couture

24:00 Working with Dior internationally

34:00 Creative business ownership

37:30 Advice for museum entrepreneurs

46:30 Motherhood & creative practice

52:00 Sustainability in fashion (hot takes)

60:00 Museums & sustainability

63:00 Where to find Jensina

#MuseumBackstage #TextileConservation #FashionCollections #MuseumCareers #SustainableFashion #WomenInMuseums #CulturalHeritage

Can art collecting be approachable — even if you don’t know the “right” words or have a massive budget?

In this episode of Museum Backstage, I’m joined by Delia LaJeunesse, founder of Delia LaJeunesse Art Consulting, for a behind-the-scenes conversation that gently dismantles the idea that art is only for elites.

Delia shares how she helps first-time and seasoned collectors find art that feels emotionally resonant, personally meaningful, and actually good to live with — not just “good on paper” as an investment. We also get into the surprisingly vulnerable side of collecting: intimidation in galleries, fear of “bad taste,” and why so many people feel like they were never invited into the art world in the first place.

And yes — we go there on AI: what it means for artists, collectors, and why Delia believes story and human connection will become even more valuable as machine-made content grows.

If you’ve ever felt awkward in a gallery, overwhelmed by the art market, or unsure where to start… consider this your backstage pass. 🎟️✨

Places & orgs mentioned

• Bell Projects (Denver) — gallery with a “living room” viewing space: https://www.instagram.com/bell_projects/?hl=en
• Art Basel (Basel, Switzerland) — referenced as overwhelming but eye-opening: https://www.artbasel.com/basel?lang=en

Online art marketplaces mentioned

• Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/
• Saatchi Art: https://www.saatchiart.com/

Book mentioned

• Your Brain on Art (Delia recommends): https://www.yourbrainonart.com/

Ways to find artists

• Instagram (following artists + seeing process/behind the scenes)
• Local galleries and arts organizations (as a great starting point)
• Gallery newsletters + press releases

Connect with Delia

• Website: https://delialajeunesse.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dlartconsulting
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delia-lajeunesse/
• Newsletter (every other Thursday): https://delialajeunesseartconsulting.substack.com/
• Email: inquiries@delialajeunesse.com

Question for Listeners

Delia crowdsourced this live: Is there a better term than “art consultant”?

If you’ve got ideas, drop them in the comments — we’re serious. 😄

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Museum Backstage

00:44 Meet Delia LaJeunesse: Art Consultant Extraordinaire

02:03 Making Art Accessible and Personal

03:01 Delia's Unique Approach to Art Consulting

05:23 The Personal Touch in Art Collection

06:46 Navigating the Art Market

10:55 Supporting Artists and Building Connections

13:38 Art Appreciation Practices

30:48 The Role of Art in Everyday Life

32:51 Generational Shifts in Art Collecting

33:50 The Impact of AI on Art and Collecting

39:03 Navigating the Art Consulting Business

40:10 The Importance of Art in Personal and Professional Spaces

43:17 Balancing Multiple Roles in the Art World

46:36 Supporting Artists as Business Owners

53:39 Frequently Asked Questions and Final Thoughts

#MuseumBackstage #ArtCollecting #DenverArt #SupportLivingArtists #ArtWorld #ContemporaryArt #ArtConsultant #ArtAppreciation #InteriorDesign #AIandArt