La Collector

How do contemporary artists turn memory into meaning? In this episode of  La Collector , host Mackenzie Heard interviews painter Ray Hwang about his creative process, artistic influences, and the role of personal history in contemporary painting. Based in New York, Hwang’s work blends abstraction with symbolic imagery—drawing from his upbringing, cultural identity, and everyday observations. This...

Art history was never meant to be a list of names and dates you were supposed to memorize in tenth grade. It was always something messier, more human, and far more interesting than that. In this episode, Mackenzie breaks down the major art movements — Neoclassicism, Impressionism, Modernism, Abstract Expressionism, Postmodernism, and Contemporary art — not as a timeline, but as a chain reaction. B...

If you’ve only been to The Whitney, we need to talk. This week, I’m sitting down with Michelle, the woman behind What’s Up in NY ( @whats_up_in_ny)  who's mapping the best art, talks, and cultural moments happening across New York City.  We talk about: The best free and pay-what-you-wish museums in NYC The small galleries in Tribeca, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side you shouldn’t sleep on Wh...

We’re talking art discovery—NYC edition—with Morgan Everhart, artist and founder of ArtHap, the beloved New York listings platform that helped thousands of people figure out what openings were actually worth leaving the apartment for and is now part of ArtRabbit, a global art discovery platform. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Morgan to unpack what’s really happening behind the curtain o...

In this episode, Mackenzie explores art as a necessary form of expression during moments of crisis, division, and uncertainty. We talk about how artists use their work to document lived experience, preserve memory, and speak when language — or institutions — fail. From historical examples to contemporary artists working right now, this episode looks at how art often becomes the first draft of hist...

In this episode of La Collector , Mackenzie sits down with Gigi Dick to talk about what actually keeps us connected to art long after the opening night buzz fades. With a background in art history and experience spanning Sotheby's, art advisory, and now the design world as a buyer at Williams-Sonoma’s GreenRow, Gigi has seen the art world from nearly every angle. She pulls back the curtain on...

We talk about art as objects all the time. But what happens when art becomes environment? Luxury hotels are one of the few places where art has to work instantly, at scale, and for thousands of people a day — most of whom aren’t consciously thinking about the art at all. And yet, it shapes how we move, how we feel, and how we experience a space. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how...

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 fin...

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 reco...

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 wh...

“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 aesthetic...

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 proximit...