The Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO) is a non-profit organization devoted to access, education and experimentation with scent.
A Brief History
The IAO was founded in September of 2012 by Saskia Wilson-Brown, and opened its first public location in downtown Los Angeles in February 2013. It moved to its current location in Los Angeles’ Chinatown in 2015.
In April 2014, the IAO held the first annual Art and Olfaction Awards, a yearly awards mechanism designed to help celebrate excellence in independent and artisan perfumery. We have since held this important international annual event in Los Angeles, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, and Lisbon.
Since its inception, the IAO has partnered with global institutions and has launched initiatives such as the Experimental Scent Summit (in partnership with Smell Lab, Berlin), Scent Fair LA (with Darin Klein and Craft Contemporary), the IAO Gallery, IAO Library, and many others.
Pictured: preparing IAO’s first space, January 2013
More information
+ Read our mission statement
+ Meet our past partners
+ Learn about collaborations
+ Read the founder’s statement
+ Learn about exhibitions
Organizational Purpose
The Institute for Art and Olfaction is devoted to creative experimentation through cross-modal arts and technology projects with a focus on scent. Our goal is to create new points of entry for people interested in the field of olfaction, while accommodating creative ideas in all mediums.
Through our programming, we hope to provide the following:
Accessible Education:
We provide learning opportunities for all people interested in gaining comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of perfumery– from blending to chemistry, history to theory.
Convergence + Cultural Programming:
We produce and support multi-disciplinary programs that highlight creative applications of scent, exploring scent-making and perfumery within the context of the broader contemporary cultural landscape.
A Place to Experiment:
We provide a space in which perfumers at all levels can experiment with new ideas with no pressure to create mass-market products.
A West Coast Presence:
With California’s culture of curiosity and experimentation, new practices in perfumery are thriving on the Pacific Coast.
Pictured: Open session at IAO, 2023
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
We were founded in 2012 based on principles of inclusion and accessibility. We continue this work today. As an organization that supports (and engenders) full representation of people who have historically been excluded from the modern fragrance industry, our programs are entirely designed for cultural accessibility.
Pictured: Open session at IAO, 2024