In this episode of Been to the Mountain Top, art historian and curator Carrie Scott shares how a transatlantic upbringing and a career spent both inside and outside elite institutions led her to launch Seen.art a community-forward, WhatsApp-native platform making the art world radically more accessible.

Carrie unpacks why traditional galleries often feel uninviting, how the market's over-financialization broke the value exchange, and why artists—not intermediaries—must be put back at the center.

You'll learn how Carrie is building a "YouTube town square" for art through short-form, artist-led conversations; why she champions "creative health" as essential to our wellbeing; and what new, music-inspired models of patronage could look like for artists today.

Carrie makes a compelling case that art is a bridge back to empathy and humanity—and that cultivating visual literacy should be as normal as discovering music.

Key Topics Covered

• Seen.art Platform: Carrie built a grassroots, community-driven platform using WhatsApp and short-form content to break gatekeeping and put artists first
• Creative Health: Treating creativity as essential to mental and emotional wellbeing, not a luxury or performance metric
• Visual Literacy: Normalizing "I don't get it—let's talk about it" as a valid way to experience art, similar to how we discover music
• Artists as Cultural Infrastructure: How artists can rebuild empathy and connection in a polarized world
• Rethinking Art Patronage: Moving beyond speculation to explore accessible objects, editions, and sustainable artist-friendly models

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Carrie Scott and Seen.art

04:35 Carrie's Journey in the Art World

10:11 The Evolution of Art Consumption

16:17 Creative Health and Its Importance

21:40 The Freedom of Art and Its Impact

22:33 The Importance of Visual Literacy

29:13 Art as a Bridge to Empathy

36:26 Innovating Art Patronage

44:38 Vulnerability as the Mountaintop

Ready to join the community? Here's how you can connect with us:

Follow the Journey:

@thelarosiliere

Get Involved with Stoke:

Transform lives through action sports and mentorship

@stokedorg

stoked.org

Level Up Your Business:

buildergrowth.io

Design with Purpose:

purposedesignbuild.com