Meet Saskia Wilson-Brown: Director and Founder, The Institute for Art and Olfaction

We had the good fortune of connecting with Saskia Wilson-Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Saskia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I run a non-profit called the Institute for Art and Olfaction. I started it in 2012 because I felt that, at the time, there was no recourse for people who wanted to learn about perfumery outside of a Euro-centric, capitalist model of consumption. The perfume industry has, for better or worse, relied on exclusionary narratives. The models and language tends towards a certain perception of the role scent can and should play in society, as well as how we can and should engage in it. But there truth of it is that there have been diverse scent cultures since recorded history. European-style perfumery is only one of many, and the reason it is the dominant narrative in perfumery is simply because of 20th century marketing strategies. When I started exploring the perfume industry, originally for a documentary, I found that the world could benefit from a different approach. This was what informed my decision to open a non-profit devoted to education, access, and – importantly – experimentation with scent.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Working in the realm of the arts and non-profit worlds in the United States is a game of survival. There is little to no systemic support for artists or non-profits (relative to the funding similar organizations receive in other countries), and it’s definitely not an easy career choice to maintain. I think a lot of people think that the answer lies in cozying up to big companies, and getting on the marketing department payroll. This is why we see so many artists doing crossover work with multi-national corporations, or so many museums being sponsored by the same. I get that it’s seen as a way of sustaining oneself, but I would propose that this model is actually an unreliable myth. Keeping your expectations small, realistic, and relying on your community to help you meet them is the more sustainable and more realistic option. The truth is that the level of work you put into convincing a marketing department to maybe, possibly, potentially give you some sponsorship money can be better spent on developing ideas that people want to be part of, and that they can support in a smaller way. Why give someone else the power over your destiny? Over your expression? I think this independence of spirit is the single most important factor in the survival of my non-profit. That, and caffeine.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When people come to visit, I usually have a set itinerary. I start with the Wayfarer Chapel in Palos Verdes, because it’s so lovely and quiet. Then, I like to take them for a drive through Beverly Hills, followed by lunch at Papa Cristos in the Byzantine Latino quarter. I then bring them to Skid Row so they can see the depth of the economic injustice in our city. I show them the non-profits working to end this injustice, Midnight Mission being a particularly important one. Then, we go by Guisado’s to talk it over, over a taco, and sometimes we end the day at Mashti Malone’s for rose petal ice cream. I like this itinerary because it’s honest. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would shout out to my dad, Adolfo Nodal, who was head of cultural affairs for the city of LA for a decade, and is an independent arts producer. He has always had a strong vision of the role the arts can play in public discourse and civic life, and taught me that the arts are a very important component of happiness. He’s been working for the last year on a public neon sculpture with an artist, quietly producing the thing behind the scenes and getting it past city council and all the other departments of the city of LA. He’s amazing.

Website: www.artandolfaction.com

Instagram: @artandolfaction

Image Credits
The Institute for Art and Olfaction