What Does It Mean to Feel Seen? A Conversation on Community and Serving Through Art with Artist The Tracy Piper

What Does It Mean to Feel Seen? A Conversation on Community and Serving Through Art with Artist The Tracy Piper

July 20, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode explores the concept of feeling seen through the lens of The Tracy Piper's art project SEEN, discussing community, connection, and sustainable creative practices.

What does it mean to feel seen? Five years ago, the Tracy Piper asked that question and turned it into SEEN, an ongoing portrait and storytelling project rooted in community and connection. In this episode, we talk about how the project began, how she has used her practice to serve the people around her, and what it takes to keep a personal project like this going year after year. Now in its fifth year, SEEN includes over 250 participants and five published volumes, with a new book and exhibition launching this July at Art Tower in Portland. In this episode: How motherhood led Tracy to start asking people what it means to feel seen The ritual behind SEEN, from open call to painting to exhibition Why the project is free to participate in What she's learned from five years and 250 stories Her new show and book launch in Portland this July Advice for artists building a sustainable creative practice Connect with the Tracy Piper: Website: www.thetracypiper.com Instagram: @thetracypiper Call For Art We're currently accepting submissions for Issue No. 59, guest curated by Indira Cesarine of The Untitled Space, deadline July 31st. We're also celebrating our 10th anniversary with an art…

People in this episode

Host: Ekaterina Popova

Guest: The Tracy Piper

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Create! Magazine

Books & works: SEEN

Places: Portland

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