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.

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.

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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

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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 GUEST

Brandon 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: @_brandonlopez

YOUR HOST

Sarah 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 Instagram

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The 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!

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.

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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=en

https://specificgravitynyc.com/

https://www.instagram.com/specific_gravity/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/noblecoral/

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The 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!

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 GUEST

I 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.com

siennapatti.com

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The 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!

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 GUEST

Zahra 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.a

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The 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!

In the 78th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown takes listeners to the Penland School of Craft, where she’s participating in their Winter Residency. Leading up to the residency, Sarah had heard from a few fellow artists attending, but overall, she had no idea who she would cross paths with. To her delight, the residency allowed her to meet many artists she’s admired from afar. Among them is the guest for this episode, Lauren Kalman, who has been on Sarah’s interview wishlist for some time. After sharing a few meals, Sarah asked for an interview.

The two women sat down to discuss how Lauren unexpectedly got her first teaching position, the art of negotiation and why it’s a crucial skill, how to sell work when your work is challenging to sell, and how an artist’s work is not always representative of their personality.

OUR GUEST

Lauren Kalman is a visual artist based in Detroit whose practice is rooted in craft, sculpture, video, photography, and performance. She completed her PhD in Practice-led Research from the School of Art and Design at the Australian National University. She earned an MFA in Art and Technology from Ohio State University and a BFA with a focus in Metals from Massachusetts College of Art.

Her work has been featured in exhibitions at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Museum of Arts and Design, Museum of Contemporary Craft, Cranbrook Art Museum, Contemporary Art Museum Houston, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Mint Museum, World Art Museum in Beijing, and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris among others. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Françoise van den Bosch Foundation at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Detroit Institute of Art, Museum of Arts and Design, and the Korean Ceramics Foundation. In 2020 she received the Françoise van den Bosch Award for her career’s impact on the jewelry field; in 2022, she received the Raphael Founders Prize in Glass from Contemporary for Craft; and in 2023 she was named a Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellow.

She is a dedicated educator and is currently a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Wayne State University in Detroit.

www.laurenkalman.com

Instagram: @laurenkalman

Facebook: @LaurenKalmanArt

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MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT

Instagram + Facebook: @perceivedvalue

Instagram: @sarahrachelbrown

The 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!

In the 77th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is at the Penland School of Craft during their Winter Residency this past January. Sarah was awarded the Andrew Glasgow Residency, which provides emerging and established writers, scholars, curators, and storytellers in all mediums with the freedom to write stories and conduct research and interviews on topics designed to advance the field of craft. Sarah took advantage of being surrounded by artists from all over the country and recorded 13 interviews in total. Sarah was delighted to learn that her friend Adam Grinovich had been awarded a winter residency so the two made a plan to connect while their paths crossed at Penland. 

At the time of this recording, Adam and his wife, Annika Pettersson, who is also a jeweler, were preparing to move to Penland in a few months to begin a one-year residency. The two jewelers sat down to discuss why Adam chose to transition out of his full-time teaching position at SCAD Savannah, how he navigated the logistics of living and studying abroad, and what he hopes his time as a Penland Resident Artist will bring.

OUR GUEST

Adam Grinovich was born in Boston Massachusetts USA and received his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in the Jewelry and Metalsmithing program. After working in the CAD/CAM industry for 2 years he continued his studies, receiving an MFA in jewelry from Konstfack University in Stockholm Sweden studying under professors Ruudt Peters and Karen Pontoppidan.

Grinovich’s career in jewelry is punctuated by travel and exchange. He has assisted in the studios of prominent artists and designers such as Christoph Zellwegger in Zurich, Switzerland and Ted Noten in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has an extensive list of international exhibitions and inclusion in private and public collections.

In addition to his independent studio career Grinovich is a founding member of the experimental jewelry collective A5 , a member of the design collective Critical +.

The work of Adam Grinovich deals with the themes of glamour, worth, value, technology, and adornment. His work crystalizes moments into microcosms, investigates the sublime qualities of craft, and collects simple gestures into complex expressions.

In addition to craft, art, and design, Grinovich is an educator, working for 5 years as a Professor of Jewelry at Savannah College of Art and Design. Currently he is a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts in NC, USA.

IG: @adamgrinovich

http://www.adamgrinovich.com/

YOUR HOST

@sarahrachelbrown

@perceivedvalue

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Want a chance on the mic? Visit our events page at www.perceivevaluepodcast.com/events to find out when Perceive Value Podcast will be in your area! 

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sarahrachelbrown.com

Instagram: @sarahrachelbrown

The 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!

In the 76th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is at the Penland School of Craft during their Winter Residency. This episode is part of a special series featuring the Distinguished Fellows of the Penland Winter Residency. As the Andrew Glasgow Resident, Sarah has been awarded two full weeks to conduct interviews and research at Penland during their winter program. Sarah was encouraged to share a portion of her work with Penland’s artist community, thus this special series.

The fourth and final Distinguished Fellow to be featured is Shani Richards, a metalsmith from Akron, Ohio. The two metalsmiths sat down and discussed what Shani was focusing on during her time at the Penland Winter Residency. Shani being no stranger to fellowships or residencies, their conversation evolved into discussing the pros and cons of pursuing a career as a full-time artist, how Shani is navigating her current nomadic lifestyle, and what she hopes for in her future.

This special series is possible due to the support of the Penland School of Craft and the Andrew Glasgow Residency.

Thank you to the Penland staff and artists for the generosity of your time and participation.

FIND OUR GUEST:

Shani-richards.com

Instagram: Shani.Richards

Facebook: Shani Richards

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sarahrachelbrown.com

Instagram: @sarahrachelbrown

The 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!

In the 75th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is at the Penland School of Craft during their Winter Residency. This episode is part of a special series featuring the Distinguished Fellows of the Penland Winter Residency. As the Andrew Glasgow Resident, Sarah has been awarded two full weeks to conduct interviews and research at Penland during their winter program. Sarah was encouraged to share a portion of her work with Penland’s artist community, thus this special series.

The third Distinguished Fellow to be featured is Rich Brown, a ceramic artist based in Georgia. The two artists sat down and discussed Rich’s experience as a Division 1 College Basketball player, his career in education before pottery, the importance of dreaming big, and his current dreams. In this important conversation, Rich also shares his lived experience of being black in predominately white spaces- the fears that can bring, and how Rich documents and shares his experiences within the ceramic and craft communities in hopes of inspiring the next generation of black makers.

This special series is possible due to the support of the

Penland School of Craft and the Andrew Glasgow Residency.

Thank you to the Penland staff and artists for the generosity of your time and participation.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Clay, for Rich Brown, is a means of release of life’s cumulative journey. Using this medium allows him to convey his spiritual journey through this lifetime, always evolving. Rich focuses on functional ware to connect with his audience; a part of him is embedded in each piece. Created with honesty, integrity, and pure intentions to be experienced by its user. Creating work that blends harmoniously with the user through a symbiotic relationship.

Rich Brown is inspired by the community and the gathering at the table, which brings people together to celebrate the gift of life. His work is created primarily on the wheel, with the current exploration of coiled, slabbed, and altered work. Focusing on ergonomics, craftsmanship, and pairing with food is paramount in the creative process of his work.

Find his work:

IG Pottery32

website: pottery32.com

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sarahrachelbrown.com

Instagram: @sarahrachelbrown

The 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!