Perceived Value

Hosted by Sarah Rachel Brown

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Jan 2026

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About the show

Perceived Value is a podcast hosted by artist and journalist Sarah Rachel Brown , featuring radically transparent conversations about the financial and logistical realities of life as a working artist. Since 2017, the podcast has shared candid stories from makers, curators, and creative professionals worldwide, uncovering the behind-the-scenes challenges and strategies that shape sustainable artistic careers.

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January 20, 2026Episode 871 hr 32 min

A Return to Colombia: Jeweler & Author Nicolás Estrada

In the 87th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is just outside Medellín, Colombia, recording from the family home and studio of contemporary jeweler and author Nicolás Estrada. Nicolás and Sarah first connected on social media in 2018, when Nicolás was living in Barcelona, and Sarah was in Philadelphia, PA. Their online friendship led them to meet in person during Munich Jewellery Week that year, and all these years later, they have reconnected in Colombia.When Sarah returned to Medellín to work on theCONNECTOR Exhibition, she took up Nicolás’s offer to host her and record a podcast interview. The two friends discuss Nicolás’s upbringing in Colombia during the height of violence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, being sent to the United States to study business and marketing, and navigating education, language, and identity abroad. Nicolás shares about his familial expectations to follow a path to financial success and how a later move to Barcelona led him to discover contemporary jewelry and choose a creative path.Listen to this intimate conversation between friends about what it means to live within one’s means as an artist, redefine wealth beyond money, and use jewelry to process anger, politics, and personal history. Nicolás offers insight into how he developed multiple bodies of work—commercial, artistic, and experimental—to support himself, and into the origin of his influential jewelry books, where an unpaid opportunity grew into a long-term publishing practice rooted in connection and service to the field.Towards the end of their conversation, Nicolás reflects on returning to Colombia after more than two decades abroad, on grief and inheritance, and on settling into a slower rhythm of life.🎧 This episode is sponsored by SNAG Metalsmith, the publication of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Subscribe and save 25% with code VALUE25 atsnagmetalsmith.org.SUPPORT PERCEIVED VALUE: Explore HowSUBSCRIBE: Add Value to your InboxFOLLOW YOUR HOST: @sarahrachelbrownFOLLOW THE PODCAST: @perceivedvalueFOLLOW OUR GUEST: @nicolasestradajeweler

October 30, 2025Episode 8657 min

Never Letting the Craft Go: Marcela Rozo of Please Rain

In the 86th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown records from Bogotá, Colombia, where she visits Marcela Rozo, artist, designer, and founder of the textile brand Please Rain. With an unconventional background that combines economics, anthropology, and design, Marcela left a stable career in public policy to follow her passion for craft and handmaking.Their conversation explores the long and winding path from economist to maker; how Marcela rebuilt her career around textiles, founded her own rainwear label, and became one of the longest-standing residents at Materia Prima Escuela de Joyería. She reflects on motherhood, entrepreneurship, and the delicate balance between creative fulfillment and financial sustainability.Together, they discuss the intersections of craft, community, and education and how Marcela’s collaborative workshops with Materia Prima continue to blur the boundaries between textiles, ceramics, and jewelry.📍 CONNECTOR: Jewelry as a Language of Connection opens November 15, 2025, at Gallery Loupe in Montclair, New Jersey—just ahead of New York City Jewelry Week.🎧 This episode is sponsored by SNAG Metalsmith, the publication of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Subscribe and save 25% with code VALUE25 at snagmetalsmith.org.FOLLOW YOUR HOST: @sarahrachelbrownFOLLOW THE PODCAST: @perceivedvalueFOLLOW OUR GUEST:www.pleaserain.cohttps://www.instagram.com/pleaseraincoats/https://www.instagram.com/rozo.mar/

October 22, 2025Episode 851 hr 33 min

Feeds the Heart: Simón Mazuera on Building a Life Through Art Jewelry

In the 85th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown records from Bogotá, Colombia, where she sits down with jeweler, educator, and designer Simón Mazuera. A graduate of Universidad de los Andes, Escola Massana in Barcelona, and MAD School of Arts in Belgium, Simón is known for his technically precise and process-driven approach to jewelry.Their conversation traces his journey from industrial design to contemporary jewelry, the influence of his mentors in Spain and Belgium, and how he balances teaching, studio practice, and family life. Simón shares his perspective on Colombia’s evolving jewelry landscape, the challenges of making a living as an artist, and the importance of passing on knowledge generously and without ego.This episode is sponsored by SNAG Metalsmith, the publication of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. Save 25 % with code VALUE25 at snagmetalsmith.org📍 CONNECTOR: Jewelry as a Language of Connection opens November 15, 2025, at Gallery Loupe in Montclair, New Jersey—just ahead of New York City Jewelry Week.FOLLOW YOUR HOST: @sarahrachelbrownFOLLOW THE PODCAST: @perceivedvalueFOLLOW OUR GUEST: @simonmazuera.jewellery

October 16, 2025Episode 841 hr 35 min

Son Madrinas: Tatiana Apráez & Linda Margarita Sánchez Méndez of Materia Prima Escuela de Joyería

In the 84th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown records from Bogotá, Colombia, where she visits Materia Prima Escuela de Joyería, a jewelry school founded in 2015 by Linda Margarita Sánchez Méndez and Tatiana Apráez. What began as two friends sharing tools and rent has grown into a vibrant creative hub for jewelers, ceramicists, and artists across Latin America.In this conversation, Linda and Tatiana reflect on the origins of their school, the challenges of sustaining an independent art space, and the lessons learned through a decade of growth—surviving the pandemic, moving into Tatiana’s historic home, and building a community rooted in generosity and collaboration.Looking ahead, they share their hopes for Materia Prima’s next chapter: artist residencies, international exchanges, and new ways to celebrate Colombia’s rich jewelry traditions.📍 CONNECTOR: Jewelry as a Language of Connection opens November 15, 2025, at Gallery Loupe in Montclair, New Jersey—just ahead of New York City Jewelry Week.🎧 This episode is sponsored by SNAG Metalsmith, the publication of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Subscribe and save 25% with code VALUE25 at snagmetalsmith.org.FOLLOW YOUR HOST @sarahrachelbrownFOLLOW THE PODCAST @perceivedvalue

October 8, 2025Episode 831 hr 22 min

My First Connection: Ana María Jiménez of Taller sin Borde

In the 83rd episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown begins her travels through Colombia with an in-depth conversation with Ana María Jiménez of Taller sin Bordes and the co-curator of the CONNECTOR exhibition.Broadcast from Medellín, this episode marks the start of Season 9: CONNECTOR, recorded during Sarah’s early 2025 travels across Colombia while studying Spanish and living as a digital nomad. What began as a one-way ticket evolved into one of the most ambitious projects of her career: an international exhibition and podcast series exploring the lives and practices of Colombian jewelry artists.Ana María shares how her background in architecture and fine arts informs her jewelry practice, which bridges the object, body, and space through a deeply intentional and experimental approach. The two discuss her creative space Taller sin Borde (“Workshop Without Borders”), her research project Volver al Proceso, and how she reconstructs pre-Hispanic goldsmithing techniques using stone tools, clay molds, and lost-wax casting.Their conversation explores the cultural differences between Colombia and the U.S., the realities of working as an independent artist, and the freedom that comes from defining success on one's own terms. Together, Sarah and Ana María reflect on what it means to build a sustainable creative life rooted in curiosity, care, and connection.📍 CONNECTOR: Jewelry as a Language of Connection opens November 15, 2025, at Gallery Loupe in Montclair, New Jersey—just ahead of New York City Jewelry Week.🎓 To U.S.-based listeners: Ana María will be a visiting artist at The Bench Jewelry Studio in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on November 7–8, teaching her workshop Exploring Alternative Casting and Forging, where participants will learn pre-Hispanic metalsmithing techniques.🎧 This episode is sponsored by SNAG Metalsmith, the publication of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Subscribe and save 25% with code VALUE25 at snagmetalsmith.org.

October 1, 2025

Season 9 Trailer: CONNECTOR

A new season of Perceived Value begins on October 7, 2025, and it’s called CONNECTOR. This special series features interviews with Colombian artists that host Sarah Rachel Brown connected with during her first visit to Colombia earlier this year.The idea of a Connector comes from Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, where he describes individuals with a unique gift for bridging worlds, introducing people across social circles, and facilitating the spread of ideas and trends. Inspired by this concept, Sarah brings her own role as a Connector to life through conversations that amplify Colombian voices and expand the global dialogue around contemporary jewelry.CONNECTOR is more than a podcast season. It is also an international exhibition co-curated by Sarah and Medellín-based artist Ana María Jiménez, who will also be the first guest of the season. The exhibition will feature the work of 16 Colombian jewelry artists and opens on November 15, 2025, at Gallery Loupe in Montclair, NJ—just before New York City Jewelry Week.This trailer introduces the vision behind CONNECTOR: a project that celebrates jewelry as a bridge between cultures, communities, and stories. Subscribe now to Perceived Value and join Sarah as she connects you with the incredible artists she has met through her travels in Colombia.FOLLOW YOUR HOST: @sarahrachelbrownFOLLOW THE PODCAST: @perceivedvalue

September 27, 2025Episode 821 hr 22 min

At the Core of It: Penland Core Fellowship Then & Now with Brandon Lopez

It's been well over a year since this interview was recorded, and it's finally seeing the light of day. Life happens - projects come up, and this wonderful conversation and a handful of others were recorded in 2023/2024 and never released. This backlog of recordings is Season 8 of the podcast: Light Of Day.This conversation focuses on the Penland School of Craft Core Fellowship. Since recording, the program has evolved, and certain aspects we discuss may no longer be accurate. Still, the heart of the fellowship—and its impact on artists—remains at the core of this episode.2026 applications accepted Jul 15 – Oct 8, 2025. Please review the current program details here________________________________________In the 82nd episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown records from the Penland School of Craft during the 2024 Winter Residency. As the Andrew Glasgow Resident, Sarah was invited to use her time at Penland to interview artists from across the country. Her relationship with Penland goes back to 2011, when she first attended a workshop as a scholarship student, and deepened when she became a Core Fellow from 2013 to 2015.Since launching the podcast, Sarah has often woven her Penland experiences into conversations, with many guests connected to the school or the Core Fellowship. It was only fitting that she finally welcomed a Core Fellow to the mic. In this episode, Sarah speaks with Brandon Lopez, who was in his second year of the fellowship at the time of recording.The two artists sit down and compare their Core Fellowship experiences, discussing how it has shaped Sarah’s own life and career, why Brandon chose a craft school experience over academia, and how the fellowship has evolved to meet the needs of a new generation of artists.OUR GUESTBrandon Lopez is a Mexican American artist creating functional and sculptural work with glass. Originally from Pennsylvania, he first began working with glass in 2013. Lopez attended Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia from 2014-18, where he received his BFA in Glass. Since then, he has assisted classes at craft schools and worked as an assistant for a number of artists. His work combines traditional glass blowing techniques with the aesthetics of art and objects made by ancient civilizations to create sculpture and functional objects. Lopez recently completed the Core Fellowship at Penland School of Craft. He is currently living and working in Asheville, North Carolina.Instagram: @_brandonlopezYOUR HOSTSarah Rachel Brown is an artist, journalist, and curator whose work bridges communities through storytelling, exhibition-making, and cross-cultural dialogue. She is co-curator of CONNECTOR, an international jewelry exhibition and podcast series fostering dialogue with Colombian artists. Since 2017, she has produced Perceived Value, a podcast acclaimed for its transparency on the financial realities of artists’ lives. In addition, she maintains a consulting business in marketing.Follow Sarah on InstagramRATE AND REVIEW US ON APPLE PODCASTS OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN!$ Support Perceived Value $Follow the podcast on InstagramThe music you hear on Perceived Value is by the Seattle group Song Sparrow Research.All You Need to Know off of their album Sympathetic Buzz.Find them on Spotify!

April 1, 2025Episode 811 hr 28 min

All of Their Efforts: Erin S. Daily of Brooklyn Metal Works

It's been well over a year since this interview was recorded, and it's finally seeing the light of day. Life happens, projects come up, and this wonderful conversation and a handful of others were recorded in 2023/2024 and never released. This backlog of recordings is Season 8 of the podcast, The Light Of Day series.______________________________________In the 81st episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is at the Penland School of Craft during their Winter Residency program. It’s January of 2024 and Sarah has been invited to Penland as the Andrew Glasgow Resident which afforded her the time and space to record interviews with artists from all over the country. One such artist being Sarah’s friend and peer within the jewelry/metals field, Erin S. Daily. On a snowy afternoon, the two jewelers took some time to catch up. Although Sarah was very familiar with Erin’s current business, Brooklyn Metal Works, she knew very little about her background. The two discuss Erin’s education and how she found her way to metals/jewelry, Erin’s passion for seeking and building community, her time at the The Arcosanti Project, what brought Erin to NYC, how she met her Brooklyn Metal Works co-founder, and the realities of starting a business in one of the most expensive and competitive cities in the world. ABOUT OUR GUEST:Erin S. Daily is the Co-Founder of Brooklyn Metal Works, a jewelry and metalsmithing studio, educational lab, and exhibition space dedicated to fostering creative practices and community engagement. She builds international connections among artists and makers through exhibitions, artist talks, and discussion groups while providing a dynamic studio environment for artistic growth. Erin is also deeply committed to responsible sourcing in the jewelry industry, advocating for ethical and sustainable practices. She was among the first U.S. jewelers to join the Fairmined Initiative in 2013 and continues this work as a Fairmined Gold licensee and collaborator with the Jewelry Glossary Project.Beyond her studio practice, Erin plays an active role in the jewelry and metalsmithing field, serving on the Advisory Committee for NYC Jewelry Week and contributing to museum exhibitions like 45 Stories in Jewelry: 1947 to Now at the Museum of Arts and Design. She has taught extensively across the Northeast, including at Brooklyn Metal Works and Parsons School of Design, and her artwork has been exhibited internationally. In 2019, she co-founded Specific Gravity, a retail space supporting Brooklyn Metal Works artists while offering a platform for diverse jewelry expressions to engage local audiences. Erin holds a BFA in Metal from the University of Kansas and an MFA in Metal from SUNY New Paltz.https://www.bkmetalworks.com/https://www.instagram.com/brooklynmetalworks/?hl=enhttps://specificgravitynyc.com/https://www.instagram.com/specific_gravity/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/noblecoral/RATE AND REVIEW US ON APPLE PODCASTS OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN!SUPPORT PERCEIVED VALUE!www.patreon.com/perceivedvaluewww.perceivedvaluepodcast.com/how-to-support-donate/Instagram + Facebook: @perceivedvalueFind your Host:Instagram: @sarahrachelbrownThe music you hear on Perceived Value is by the Seattle group Song Sparrow Research.All You Need to Know off of their album Sympathetic Buzz.Find them on Spotify!

March 9, 2025Episode 801 hr 6 min

Drawing Attention to the Ordinary: Artist David Chatt

It's been well over a year since this interview was recorded and it's finally seeing the light of day. Life happens, projects come up, and this wonderful conversation and a handful of others were recorded in 2023/2024 and never released. This backlog of recordings is Season 8 of the podcast, The Light Of Day series.In the 80th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is in Seattle, WA over the Thanksgiving holiday. It's November of 2023, and Sarah has set up her microphones in David Chatt's guest apartment, which she's fortunate to stay in for the week. It's a charming and cozy apartment and reflects David’s eye for design and impeccable taste.David and Sarah's friendship has evolved from benefactor/artist to friends to chosen family, and the two begin by sharing how they were brought into each other's lives. David speaks to how his creative practice began, how his parents' talents inspired him, navigating between following his passions and monetizing his abilities, the preciousness of studio time, his relationship with his things, the importance of a good editor, and a fascination for rocks.OUR GUESTI have spent my entire adult life sewing tiny glass beads, one to the next.  I have spent as much as a year to create one piece.  I am a pioneer, an inventor, and one of a few who have gained recognition for beadwork as a fine art/craft medium.  My work has taken me all over the United States and abroad as a lecturer, exhibitor, and teacher, and is included in public and private collections, including a recent acquisition by The Smithsonian’s Renwick Museum.  My achievements have been chronicled in books and periodicals, and in 2006 my career was recognized with a retrospective at the Bellevue Arts Museum.  I have received a number of awards, including the grand prize at the 2020 Ireland Glass Biennale. In 2006 I accepted a three-year residency at Penland School of Crafts where I built a hot glass studio and studied ladle-cast glass. At the end of this residency, I returned to working with beads, but struggling with tools that were unfamiliar and allowing myself to consider other ways of working was invaluable.   The time I spent living in this community and taking a break from my usual way of working, offered me an opportunity to think differently.  The process of becoming adept at something, which challenged me, also made me a better teacher.  I am planning to move permanently to the Penland area this spring.davidchatt.comsiennapatti.comRATE AND REVIEW US ON APPLE PODCASTS OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN!SUPPORT PERCEIVED VALUE!www.patreon.com/perceivedvaluewww.perceivedvaluepodcast.com/how-to-support-donate/Instagram + Facebook: @perceivedvalueFind your Host:Instagram: @sarahrachelbrownThe music you hear on Perceived Value is by the Seattle group Song Sparrow Research.All You Need to Know off of their album Sympathetic Buzz. Find them on Spotify!

October 27, 2024Episode 791 hr 22 min

It's Not Appropriation When It's Your Culture: Zahra Almajidi

In the 79th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown takes listeners to the Penland School of Craft, where she’s participating in their Winter Residency. During the two-week residency, Sarah never missed an opportunity to enjoy a meal in the dining hall. The Pines, the Penland dining hall, has large, round tables perfect for gathering and enabling conversations over meals. Each meal is an opportunity to sit next to a stranger and potentially meet a new friend - or podcast guest.After enjoying a few meals and conversations, Sarah asked Zahra Almajidi if she would be willing to come on the podcast. The two metalsmiths sat down to discuss Zahra’s upbringing and why her family immigrated to the United States, the benefits of living with your parents while going to college, and if it’s possible to appropriate a culture that is your own while living in the diaspora.Speaking of Penland….Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. This area is home to the Penland School of Craft and many artists and craftspersons. If you are able, please consider donating to one of the following organizations or platforms providing aid and relief in the area. TREATS STUDIOS: This network aims to connect affected artists and arts organizations with individuals who want to support them.Beloved Asheville: Backed by your support, BeLoved Asheville is dedicating every resource to those most affected by this disaster. Our immediate focus has been on critical necessities like food, water, and healthcare for survival and stability. As winter looms, we are securing warm and safe housing for the displaced. Looking further ahead, recovery from the vast destruction will be a large-scale investment over several years. We believe that we can unite to rebuild a community that embodies home, health, equity, and opportunity for all. OUR GUESTZahra Almajidi is a visual artist and metalsmith raised and based in Detroit, MI. Utilizing both traditional metalsmithing techniques and CAD/CAM processes, her work explores the ways in which objects and adornment allow displaced people to continue to uphold and practice their craft traditions while living in the diaspora.She has worked at several art fabrication spaces in Metro Detroit including Wayne State University where she received her BFA in Metalsmithing, Lawrence Technological University where she briefly served as shop co-manager, and Cranbrook Academy of Art where she received her MFA in Metalsmithing and was awarded the Cranbrook Art Director’s fellowship and the Director’s Award.She has taken part in the 2021 Incubator Residency program at Talking Dolls Detroit, the Artist + Residents Program at the Arab American National Museum in 2021, and the Winter Residency program at Penland School of Craft in 2024. She’s also dedicated to maintaining an active studio practice, and regularly exhibits work. She is currently the Central Materials Lab Coordinator at Cranbrook Academy of Art as well as anadjunct instructor at Wayne State University.Follow: @z.alm.aRATE AND REVIEW US ON APPLE PODCASTS OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN!SUPPORT PERCEIVED VALUE!www.patreon.com/perceivedvaluewww.perceivedvaluepodcast.com/how-to-support-donate/FOLLOW:Instagram + Facebook: @perceivedvalueInstagram: @sarahrachelbrownThe music you hear on Perceived Value is by the Seattle group Song Sparrow Research.All You Need to Know off of their album Sympathetic Buzz.Find them on Spotify!