History
The Institute for Art and Olfaction was founded in October of 2012, opening its Los Angeles headquarters at L.A. Mart, in March 2013. In April 2014, the IAO launched the first annual Art and Olfaction Awards, a yearly awards mechanism designed to help celebrate excellence in independent and artisan perfunery. The IAO moved to its new home in Koreatown in March 2014.
Specialties
The Institute for Art and Olfaction advances public and artistic engagement with perfumery. We do this by initiating and supporting arts projects that utilize the medium of scent, by providing accessible and affordable perfume education in our experimental laboratory as well as in partnership with institutions and community groups, and by celebrating excellence in independent and artisan perfumery through our yearly award mechanism, The Art and Olfaction Awards. Through these efforts, we extend the world of scent beyond its traditional boundaries of appreciation and use.