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Haylee Barsky is a prominent independent curator and the founder of Visionary Projects, a contemporary art platform headquartered in New York City. With a strong foundation in art history and experience in the fashion industry, Barsky has previously worked for renowned companies such as Tom Ford, Nylon Magazine, and Moda Operandi. Her transition into the art world led her to establish Visionary Projects in 2018 while co-owning a contemporary art gallery in Rome, Italy.
Visionary Projects has rapidly grown under Barsky’s leadership, cultivating a vibrant community of over 100,000 followers and collaborating with hundreds of artists, organizations, and art professionals worldwide. The platform is dedicated to making contemporary art more accessible and creating a space for discovery, inspiration, and connection. Barsky’s curatorial approach often involves hosting exhibitions in non-traditional spaces and organizing unique events such as workshops, artist talks, and immersive experiences.
The ethos of Visionary Projects emphasizes creative connection, exploration, and equity in the arts. Barsky’s consistent vision and dedication to showcasing global perspectives have significantly influenced the platform’s evolution. Visionary Projects continues to expand its community intentionally, focusing on providing resources and support for emerging artists and fostering meaningful partnerships
Hi Haylee, thank you for sitting down with me! First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in New York?
The days are always so different! These days, if I’m not working from home it’s running around the city for meetings as we’re preparing for various upcoming shows and creating our new concept gallery space.”
Let’s start at the beginning… Growing up, what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing, and how did you spend your time?
As a child I remember always daydreaming and making my own projects — whether it was coloring all over the walls or making websites, scrapbooking and writing. In my teen years I found solace in blogging. I changed schools a lot growing up, so it was difficult to make friends as an introvert. In high school I was definitely more inspired when curating art, fashion and community on my Tumblr. To be honest it kept me so engaged in positive ways on social media. It’s not too far off from what I’m doing right now!
So when did you start showing an interest in art and creativity?
For as long as I can remember.
Alright… So before entering the art world, you started off working in the creative departments of companies such as Tom Ford, Nylon Magazine and Moda Operandi. Can you tell me about that period of your life?
I was very young and driven to learn as much as I possibly could. I worked behind the scenes in their studios, whether it was shooting new content or post-production editing for their marketing and social media. Those years were very transformative, and I honestly thought those types of companies was where I was going to end up working in.
You start showing an interest in art during this time? How did you get introduced to the art world? What brought you to Rome and eventually open a gallery?
During my time working in publishing, I decided to leave New York and move to Rome full time. I remember feeling already stressed out and overworked straight out of college (haha), and knew deep down that I wanted to spend my 20’s immersed in a culturally beautiful city. I chose Rome because I already had a connection to that city while pursuing my degree in Art History.
Now – living in a foreign country is far from easy, and I have so much respect for those who make it work and last. I had to create a new life and get crafty on how to make a living. A few months after moving to Rome, I was walking through my favorite neighborhood, Rione Monti, after a morning Italian language class and came across a beautiful empty storefront that was available for rent. I was a photographer at the time and wanted a space to be able to work out of. The main room of the store had the feel of a gallery, and it desperately needed artwork. Eventually I reached out to a few artists I found on Instagram and they agreed to send their paintings. I honestly had to teach myself how to run a gallery, because that’s what it turned into very quickly. I Googled everything — how to open a business, how to create contracts, literally anything. I introduced myself to the art world just by putting myself out there and growing my community through social media.
What was it about the art world that resonated with you more than the fashion world?
I love them both equally. But given my background in Art History, I was more deeply moved by how imperative art is to our society and wellbeing. Art has transformed everything we see and use, from how our homes are built to the user experience of technology we use everyday — all of this started from an original idea. So many forms of art and design are a fundamental part of our modern human existence.
Real quick, any lessons you’ve learned in the fashion industry that can be applied in the art world?
Curating an eye for quality and composition!
Sometime after that you return to the US, where you start Visionary Projects in 2018. What was your initial idea for the platform? And how long was the process of thought to action?
I started Visionary Projects when living in Rome. As first it was an extension of my gallery — it was a social media platform I grew just by sharing things I like. It was my inspiration board. I’ve been collecting and archiving images since around 2009/2010. I also hosted a few creative workshops and events out of my space and I posted those there as well. Looking back, each year Visionary Projects has evolved deeply into different stages since 2016, when I first started the account.
In 2023, Blayne Planit, joins the team, as a Partner & Head of Creative Development. How did you two meet? And what made you want to expand the team?
In 2022, my personal growth felt a little stagnant. I knew I was meant to be doing more. But I was only one person wanting to pursue a million different projects, and that just wasn’t possible. I didn’t feel too attached to the life I was living at that time, and knew that taking on a partner, especially someone who happened to be in the same stage of life as me felt serendipitous. Blayne and I met at an event I hosted. We ended up chatting for about 5-6 hours the evening we met, and here we are a year and a half later. So much has changed since!
VP is known for throwing huge shows. Can you tell me about the planning, thought, and curation process behind them?
The ethos behind our group shows is always about curating equitable spaces for artists. We come up with ideas that resonate with how we might feel at that very moment, our vision of the world. We like creating a little bit of beautiful chaos, thought-provoking spaces, and giving the viewer a lot to look at. I always say that in our shows, there’s something for everybody. We like to approach curating our shows in an accessible way — that fine art truly is for everyone to not only have access to, but to also acquire and start collecting.
Thinking back to the beginning. What have been some of the biggest obstacles building VP? And what have been the most valuable lessons you’ve learned so far?
Some big obstacles we face are typically around organic growth. We haven’t really payed for advertising, and know very well the realities and costs of growing more slowly. The most valuable lessons are about consistently.
You recently launched the community membership platform: Tableau by Visionary Projects. Tell me about that, what sparked that idea?
When Blayne and I came together, we were thinking about ways to bring together the creative community I have grown over the past few years in a more consistent way. There is really no community without consistency. We didn’t want to be all about hosting one-off events where you meet people and never see them again. When you host events via a membership, you tend to see the same people show up while it’s growing, and a lot of the growth is word of mouth. Blayne’s job before transitioning to VP was at a company that specialized in B2B memberships. The idea came about super naturally, and it made perfect sense as a pillar of what Visionary Projects is about.
So what’s your vision for the project?
We’re always evolving — I can see VP cultivating a more influential sense of creative lifestyle.
Switch of topics… What motivates you? And more importantly, how do you stay motivated?
Just living in Manhattan keeps you motivated because you can’t afford to live here if you aren’t. Finding a work/life balance is so important.
How would you describe a perfect day?
It’s a crisp spring morning and you wake up after 9 hours of sleep to the smell of espresso already brewing. You create some mood boards, and go for a long walk in comfortable slippers and headphones to tune out the city. You grab your favorite bagel at the shop down the street and lounge the rest of the day.
Anybody you look up to? If so, why?
(Nobody at the moment I can think of!)
In a parallel universe who would you be? and what would you be doing?
A philanthropist with a raccoon sanctuary.
Can you tell me a story about a time when a connection with someone had a big impact on you?
I wouldn’t single out a certain connection, it’s rather the dozens of micro-connections along the journey! Collectively they have a huge impact.
What qualities do you find most important in the people you choose to spend time with?
Unique, witty and inspiring.
Alright Haylee. I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
My favorite movie is an oldie — it’s Center Stage which came out in the year 2000. I used to watch it on DVD on repeat as a kid more times than I can remember. The same with Blue Crush. They never get old.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
Whatever Spotify is cooking up for me as a random playlist right now!