In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Carmen Acosta, also known as Jane Dope, back to the podcast. The experienced LA artist and curator will soon assume her new role as host of the unscripted home design television show Arthouse. Produced by Crewest Studio and supported by the nonprofit Arterial, NOT REAL ART’s fiscal sponsor, Arthouse aims to bridge the gap between talented artists and everyday people, redefining how art is experienced in personal spaces. With a mission to democratize art, Arthouse empowers viewers to curate authentic artwork that aligns with their tastes without straining their budgets. The show's concept centers on eliminating intimidation in art collecting, providing local artists with a platform to showcase their work directly to buyers.
To support this vision, Arthouse is launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise $150,000 to produce a full-length pilot episode. Set in Chicago, the pilot will follow an individual or family as they explore local art scenes, visit artist studios, and make informed purchasing decisions with help from Carmen. The campaign, running from June 10 to July 25, 2025, on Indiegogo, offers a unique opportunity for art lovers to contribute to a project that aims to transform the way we perceive and appreciate art in our daily lives. Support the Arthouse TV series and help bring artist stories to television here.
Scott “Sourdough” Power, the creator of Arthouse and NOT REAL ART, as well as the visionary behind the nonprofit arts media platform Arterial, emphasizes that the show is more than just a way to sell art—it's about cultivating emotional connections between artists, buyers, and viewers. As Carmen steps into her role, she’s eager to lead this movement that celebrates creativity and makes art accessible for all. Don’t miss her insights on how Arthouse aims to reshape the way we engage with art and artists alike.
Quotes From This Episode
“I'm so excited to be the host. Oh, my gosh. Are you ready for me to be this host? Because I'm not going to be your typical host.” — Carmen Acosta [13:40]
“My hope is that you not only learn what you love about art and how to choose art for your home, but also the process and what goes into the making of some of these works.” — Carmen Acosta [13:50]
“Yes, ‘Live, Love, Laugh.’ And please buy some art. Please buy original art.” — Carmen Acosta [21:10]
“You could walk into a gallery [and] tell the gallerist, ‘I want this,’ you buy it, it gets shipped or whatever to your home; you might not ever meet that artist. So that's gonna be really exciting for [buyers] to not only see the studio, hear their process, but be a part of the installation as well, which is pretty rare.” — Carmen Acosta [32:24]
“There [are] tax benefits, there's art, there's experiences. You can nominate an artist in your town to be on the show. You can nominate yourself to be one of the buyers. You can receive an executive producer credit.” — Carmen Acosta [56:30]
Links Mentioned in This Episode
About Carmen Acosta
Carmen Acosta served as a creative director at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park from January 2020 through March 2024. In this role, Carmen helped define and implement the brand identity of SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park through art and design. Since her first group show in Los Angeles in 2008, Carmen has curated over 25 art shows locally and internationally. In addition to art curation, Carmen represents two local Los Angeles artists and consults on various creative projects in the entertainment industry. After taking a break from graphic arts in 2009, Carmen found herself scheduling voiceover sessions at Bell Sound Studios in Hollywood. It was there that she discovered her passion for voiceover work and decided to enroll in classes to hone her skills. Now, after being recently laid off from her role as creative director, Carmen is excited to pursue a career in voiceover professionally and see where this new path takes her.
These show notes have been edited for length and clarity. All images published with permission of the artist(s); featured graphic: David Schwartz.