Newport Life interviewed Libby Schoettle, the New York City-based artist behind PhoebeNewYork — her paper doll-like alter ego who has popped up everywhere from Philadelphia to Berlin. Schoettle’s PhoebeNewYork is featured in Newport Art Museum “Play / Pretend” exhibit until January 31, 2027.
Photos by Carly Brockwell
*This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.
Q: Tell us about your personal journey as an artist from early days to now.
I grew up in Pennsylvania and went to three different colleges before eventually graduating with a degree in film. At that point, I was sure I would do something in the film world.
After college, I decided to study acting, which I did for a few years. At the same time, I was waitressing while also working in a literary and talent agency, so I was surrounded by people trying to figure out how to make a life in the creative world while I was trying to figure out mine.
Then, in what felt like a split second, I had an idea. It came from a photograph I had taken. That photograph became the beginning of Phoebe, and from that one image, everything I am today as an artist began.
Q: How has PhoebeNewYork evolved both visually and as a character?
She evolved quite organically. I never had any real idea of what I was making, let alone that it would turn into a character. I wasn’t looking for anything, except the feeling I had after creating something that felt important to me. And then there she was one day — a face.
But that’s the magic of art. You never really know what will come from you.
Visually, she began very simply: a tiny pink shape, one small eye, a mouth, and black hair. I started repeating those elements, cutting circles from record albums and collaging her onto anything I felt drawn to. Over time, she became more than an image. She became a personality, and eventually the character people recognize today.
Q: How did your work arrive in Newport?
Phoebe came to Newport the same way most opportunities have come to me throughout my career: unexpectedly.
Danielle Ogden, the artistic director of the [Newport Art Museum], spotted Phoebe on the streets of New York, and from there Phoebe found her way to Newport and into the museum. I was thrilled because Phoebe seemed to have a life of her own. She began on my desk, made her way onto the streets of New York, and now you never quite know where she is going to appear next.
Q: You created Phoebe as an exploration of self. What have you learned through her?
She has given me a way to understand myself better and turn what I feel into something outside of me. She gives me purpose and has taken me on adventures I never expected. Once I trusted that I could make anything with her, the possibilities became unlimited.
Every piece I make comes from some reflection of me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t make it. My work is truthful that way. If I didn’t feel it, it wouldn’t exist.
Q: Your work is quite a rare concept. How do you determine where it should be exhibited?
I think I determine it by feeling more than anything else.
Because Phoebe made her way from my desk to the street, placement has always mattered to me. It’s about surprise, and it’s about where she feels alive. I don’t think Phoebe has to belong to one kind of space. She can be on the street, in a museum, in a shop, on a wall, or somewhere completely unexpected.
I feel the right place is the place where she can be discovered.
Q: How does the idea of Phoebe fit into the “Play / Pretend” exhibit?
Phoebe fits into Play / Pretend because she is always playing, and she is always pretending. I think if there is one show Phoebe fits perfectly into, it is this one.
She wears a lot of hats, and for this show she appears so seamlessly that we don’t question it. That is what play and pretend are. You can’t judge them. They are the essence of letting go.
I also think playing and pretending are a huge part of everyday life. We all do it in different ways, and that is what makes the idea so interesting to me for a show.
Q: What did it mean to have your work in an exhibition with historic dolls?
I loved the dolls. I thought they worked beautifully throughout the rooms, and historically, it was incredible to see them. It’s not every day you get to experience doll history this way. I also thought Phoebe worked really well alongside them.
What I loved most was that the works seemed to be in conversation without trying. All of the art felt organic with the dolls, and in that way I think the curation was amazing.
The show unfolds in a very organic way, allowing visitors to absorb it without being told exactly how to experience it.
Q: Attendees were enchanted by how Phoebe was scattered around “Play / Pretend” in addition to having her own display. What was the thinking behind how she was implemented in the exhibit?
We spent a lot of time choosing the pieces and went back and forth over the past year about which ones would work best in the space.
For me, it is always about placement and surprise. Danielle [Ogden] really understood that, and she instinctively knew which Phoebes were right for the show, as did the whole Newport Art Museum team.
The collaboration was wonderful, and I was thrilled to see it all come together. It felt magical, honestly. I thought all the placements worked beautifully.
Q: What does the concept of “play” mean to you?
Play means allowing your imagination to take over without judgment. It’s a space where you can explore freely and discover how far an idea can take you. I think we did that in this show!
