The Art Biz

Latest Episodes:

Advocating for Artists in Their Communities with Louise Martorano (#118) Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

You are not alone.

It may seem like you are at times because you do so much work by yourself in the studio, but the art ecosystem is enormous and you are not alone. There are so many good people who are advocating on behalf of and supporting artists in their businesses and careers. I want you to know about these resources so that you can tap into them. They're waiting for you.

In this episode of The Art Biz, I'm talking with Louise Martorano, the Executive Director at RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver, Colorado. RedLine is a nonprofit whose mission is to foster "education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change." In many ways, RedLine behaves like a traditional arts council. But they're far from it. Louise and I discuss their artist-in-residence program, affordable studio space, and how they collaborate with other art organizations in the U.S. and beyond.

Highlights

The history and mission of RedLine Contemporary Art Center. (1:45)
The local and global need for artist career support. (7:46)
Visual arts coalitions fill in the gaps of an artist's career. (11:23)
The staff, budget, and $22 million re-granting programs at RedLine. (19:15)
Details on residencies, applications, and juried interviews. (25:18)
Open studio doors increase opportunities for artists. (32:03)
Commission opportunities, stipends, and other program benefits. (33:58)
How to find artist support programs in your community. (37:19)
Group meetings and other expectations of artist residents. (41:01)
Auditing relationships and leveraging your community. (45:45)

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
How to Price Your Art free report
Art Biz Connection artist membership

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/advocate-martorano-podcast

Quotes

"Artists are really expected to be all the departments in their career." — Louise Martorano
"Artists' careers can live and die on the relationships they build and the opportunities they have." — Louise Martorano
"We're trying to link arms with each other in Colorado to see if we can create a more seamless journey for artists as they gain traction and opportunity in their careers." — Louise Martorano
"Talking about your work is like exercising a muscle. The more you do it, the more refined your language is." — Louise Martorano
"Artists need to reevaluate who they know and who they're connected to and see how they can use those arteries of opportunity." — Louise Martorano

Guest Bio

Louise Martorano is the Executive Director of RedLine, a non-profit contemporary art center and residency located in Denver, Colorado. RedLine's mission is to foster education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. Under Martorano's leadership, RedLine has received the Denver Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts (2014 and 2015), the Greenway Foundation's "Partner in Change" award, acknowledged by Denver Public Schools for excellence in community engagement, and has presented and organized over 100 exhibitions over the past 10 years.

Martorano holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an M.H. from the University of Colorado, Denver with a focus in Contemporary Art History & Music. In 2017, she was awarded a Livingston Fellowship from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation for promising nonprofit leaders who hold significant leadership roles in Colorado.

A Dual Path as an Artist and Art Reviewer with Philip Hartigan (#117) Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Artists need writers. They are a critical part of the art ecosystem. Look back on any art movement from the past century in the U.S. and you'll find a writer behind its day in the spotlight. My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is artist and writer Philip Hartigan. As you'll hear, he's not quite sure what order those labels should be in. In some respects, the writing came first, but the art has always been there. We talk about his writing life, the role that blogging has had for him, and how he came to be a correspondent for Hyperallergic online art magazine. You'll also hear about how writing has helped him make inroads into the art world. My hope is that you will consider writing more about not just your art, but about other artists' work, possibly for publication and definitely for connections within your art community.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/art-reviewer-hartigan-podcast

Highlights

James Joyce, literature and Philip's journey as an artist. (1:54)
The subtle narrative of Philip's current work and his gradual return to painting. (7:19)
How did Philip get into writing about art for publication? (10:13)
Overcoming disdain for a personal art blog in favor of clarity. (13:24)
Writing for an online publication and becoming an online correspondent. (18:25)
Creating meaningful connections through writing. (24:45)
The value of blogging in an Instagram world. (30:18)
Finding your why behind writing about your art. (39:00)
What is on the horizon for Philip? (42:20)

Mentioned

Philip 's blog
Philip 's website
Philip on Instagram
Hyperallergic
James Joyce 's Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man
An Art Mediation from U .S . Catholic Magazine
Time Out online magazine

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
How to Price Your Art free report
Art Biz Connection artist mem bership

Guest Bio

Philip Hartigan is a UK-born artist and writer who now lives, works, and teaches in the USA.

Hartigan's art explores half-remembered moments from a childhood in an English mining town. His choice of materials depends on the emotional state he has arrived at after thinking about these stories. But whether it's oil painting, intaglio printmaking, or sculpture, he aims to either tell a story in visual art or look for universally-recognized symbols for memory, loss, tragedy. Hartigan has lived for short and long periods in France, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Holland.

How One Curator Works with Artists at a Regional Art Center with Collin Parson (#116) Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Members of the general public enjoy their visits to art centers and museums without much thought as to how the art got into those spaces in the first place. Who decides on what to show and when to show it? Who decides what works to put next to one another and where to put a nail in the wall or a pedestal on the floor? Or even what color to paint the walls? All of these decisions, and more, fall under the purview of curators and exhibition directors in those non-profit spaces. In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Collin Parson, the Director of Galleries and Curator at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities in the Denver suburb of Arvada, Colorado. Collin reveals how the exhibition process works at their venue: his timeline, rotating gallery spaces, and the decision makers at the organization. We also discuss how he selects artists for shows, what makes an artist easy and fun to work with, and why it's important that artists keep him informed. Be sure to pay attention to some of the big mistakes he sees artists making.

Highlights

Collin's background of artists and his work as a curator. (1:30)
Curating a massive space and Collin's approach to rotating exhibitions. (10:50)
Scheduling artists into a gallery's calendar isn't as simple as it seems. (19:15)
Why Collin generally doesn't accept exhibit proposals. (22:52)
What makes an artist fun to collaborate with? (26:48)
What Collin wishes every artist would do—and not do. (33:03)
Studio visits and what curators expect from artists. (38:25)
Finding inspiration for the most memorable shows. (45:35)
Details about juried shows and artist rosters. (48:55)
Balancing curating exhibits, making art, and a personal life. (55:03)

Mentioned

Collin Parson
Charles Parson
Arvada Center Galleries and Exhibitions
Meow Wolf in Denver
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Steve Farland 's warrior chair -sculptures

Resources

artbizsuccess .com /curator -parson -podcast
How to Price Your Art free report
Art Biz Connection community

Guest Bio

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Collin Parson currently serves as the Director of Galleries and Curator for the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado and is a former member at the historic Pirate : Contemporary Art cooperative and past artist-in-residence at RedLine Denver. An arts administrator, artist, curator, and designer he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Design and Technology with emphasis in Lighting and Scene Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Master in Arts in Visual Culture and Arts Administration from Regis University in Denver. His creative work involves the control of light and color to create vivid geometric light and space works. He has had the privilege of jurying many arts festivals and exhibitions and has received numerous awards and recognition for his curatorial projects. He was awarded 100 Colorado Creatives by Westword magazine in 2013 and featured in many television and print productions. Parson is the son of Colorado sculptor Charles Parson, whose experience with the regions arts community helped Collin long before his professional career began. Growing up in a family of artists, Collin is proud to be continuing the educational and creative traditions.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/curator-parson-podcast

How to Get Better Feedback When You Want to Improve (#115) Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

For too long I have been noticing artists posting things like this on social media: 'Fresh off the easel! What do you think?' or 'I'm experimenting with . Let me know what you think!'

What do I think? Do you really want to know what I think?

In this solo episode of The Art Biz I want to talk about feedback. When you ask people 'what do you think' you are asking for their feedback, whether it's intentional or not. We are often too quick to ask for feedback, and we ask for it in ways that can be more damaging than anything. In this episode, I'll share what I've learned from wise women and from paying attention to my students and clients. I'll give you tips on the right way to ask for feedback—in the right environment and with specificity. I'll also share with you how to handle unsolicited advice and the best way to offer advice to others, all so that you can get better feedback when you are seeking to improve.

Highlights

The best time and way to ask for feedback. (1:36)
4 criteria to meet before asking for feedback. (2:25)
You don't really need feedback from everyone else. (5:35)
When feedback actually becomes necessary in order to improve. (7:45)
Asking for feedback from the right people. (9:15)
How to ask for feedback with specificity. (11:14)
The right way to offer feedback to others. (12:38)
How to respond to feedback graciously. (14:33)

Resources

Mentioned

Stumbling Toward Genius podcast with Cynthia Morris
Playing Big : Practical Advice for Women Who Want to Speak Up , Create , and Lead by Tara Mohr
The Art Biz Episode #61 — The Value of Critique Groups for Artists with Patirica Miranda

Quotes

"We're often too quick to ask for feedback, and we ask for it in ways that are damaging." — Alyson Stanfield
"You shouldn't care what everyone thinks." — Alyson Stanfield
"You need time to figure out what you think about your art before you ask others what they think about it." — Alyson Stanfield
"At some point, feedback is necessary when you want to improve, but you have to set up the parameters."— Alyson Stanfield

First posted: artbizsuccess .com /feedback

Risk, Rejection, and Resilience with Christine Aaron (#114) Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Risk is scary. Rejection stinks. Resilience seems elusive. When I think of these three R words, the word practice comes to mind. Taking one step at a time over and over again because we know it is the only way to make big progress. In order to embrace risk, we have to practice. We step into it, try it on, and, almost always, discover that it isn't as bad as the soundtrack we were playing in our heads. Rejection is also a practice. We build up emotional muscles after receiving disappointing news. After years of accumulated rejections, we begin to understand that they are rarely, if ever, personal. And finally, resilience is something we have to work at. We were born resilient, but, over the years, life beat us up. But rejections give us courage muscles we never had before. And, because we paid attention, we pick up on a number of tools that help us become more resilient.

My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is Christine Aaron. You'll hear how she embraces risk and has come to understand the role of rejection in her art career. She also shares the tools she relies on to act with resilience, to get back in the studio and do it all over again.

Highlights

The unusual motivation behind Christine's first watercolor class selection. (2:08)
Taking risks and challenging yourself in a rewarding art career. (5:31)
Refining your art by sharing it with and soliciting critique from others. (12:45)
Identifying your safe zone and moving beyond it. (21:45)
Taking on the work that pushes you out of your comfort zone. (25:12)
Name the risks to work your way through the potential rejection. (32:57)
What rejection really means about the work that you're doing. (39:46)
Honing your resilience skills amid rejection. (40:35)
Stop comparing yourself to other artists and remember how far you've come. (45:45)
Reflecting on your work, your processes, and your improvement. (47:06)
The risks that Christine is going to take in 2022. (48:00)

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
How to Price Your Art free report
Create Opportunities for Your Art

Quotes

"There's not one of us that hasn't experienced disappointment and loss in life." — Christine Aaron
"I make work ultimately because I want it to resonate with someone else. And the only way to do that is to get it out there." — Christine Aaron
"Think beyond what you can imagine now and know that you'll have the ability to get the resources you need to do it." — Christine Aaron
"Every artist I know gets way, way more rejections than they get acceptances. But nobody is talking about that." — Christine Aaron

Guest Bio

Christine Aaron is a conceptual and material-focused artist. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally. Aaron received an artist's grant from ArtsWestchester — New York State Council on The Arts, a Surface Design Association grant, and a residency and grant from Vermont Studio Center. She presents talks at The International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, MA, received awards in printmaking and mixed media, and had a solo exhibit of The Memory Project at California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks.

Aaron holds a BS in education from Cornell University and a Masters in Social Work from Hunter College. She lives and maintains a studio in New Rochelle, NY.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/rejection-aaron-podcast

Self-Care for Caregiving Artists with Shimoda Donna Emmanuel (#113) Dec 30, 2021

Show notes

Why is it so hard for us to take care of ourselves? We all get busy. We feel a sense of urgency to keep up and do more. But if we're honest, we realize that very little is really urgent. Still, all of this hustle means we neglect habits and routines that will keep us well and give us energy for work in and out of the studio. And it's even harder when you're also responsible for caring for others. Whether you're a parent with growing children or an adult with aging parents, caregiving can take a lot out of you. It's hard to spend time on yourself when you're maxed out on so many levels. It's no wonder that self-care takes a backseat to other priorities.

On this episode of The Art Biz, I'm joined by Shimoda Donna Emmanuel. Shimoda has been the caregiver in her family, primarily for her mother Izola who recently passed after living with Alzheimer's, but also for an ailing sister. In 2020, Shimoda wrote Sacred Stitches: The Art of Care Giving, which has tips for stitching yourself together when caring for someone with Alzheimer's, but can also be useful to other caregiving roles. Together Shimoda and I talk about her routine, how she keeps her home to maintain a high vibration, tools she uses to de-stress and to stay calm, and how gratitudes and "the rage dance" fit into her self-care routine.

Highlights

The fiber collages, jewelry, circles of love and sacred stitches of Shimoda's work. (2:13)
Shimoda wrote Sacred Stitches during the pandemic while caring for her mother. (7:29)
Key tips for de-stressing as a caregiver artist. (14:20)
How to keep your energy high so you can stay positive and productive. (24:52)
Spring cleaning takes on a new meaning with self-care. (28:40)
Finding a support group that can give you the support you need. (31:16)
Handling emotions might mean screaming, crying and doing a rage dance. (34:51)
How to cultivate a space that helps you destress. (36:30)
Making time for sleep and watching your diet. (40:45)
'Let this be easy'- Shimoda's mantra for hectic days. (46:05)
A peek at what Shimoda is looking forward to in the New Year, and where her name came from. (49:10)

Mentioned

Sacred Stitches : The Art of Care Giving - Tips for Stitching Yourself Together When Caring for Someone with Alzheimer 's by Shimoda Donna Emanuel
Illusions : The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Mama Gena 's School of Womanly Arts
CaringKind in NYC

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
Artist Planning Sessions
Create Opportunities for Your Art

Quotes

"I've got to take care of myself. The caregiver has to take care of themselves." — Shimoda Donna Emanuel
"I've got to keep my energy high and keep my vibration high. That's what's most important to me." — Shimoda Donna Emanuel
"It's just not good to hold it all in. I can get through emotions quicker if I just let myself deal with the feelings." — Shimoda Donna Emanuel

Guest Bio

Shimoda Donna Emanuel is a mixed media artist living in Harlem, N.Y. Shimoda Accessories has a range of work that includes intuitive jewelry & fiber art. Her art has been on HGTV as well as the covers of Essence magazine and other publications. Her art is available for purchase at The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

As a caregiver of her sister and her 97-year young mom with Alzheimer's, Shimoda wrote Sacred Stitches: The Art of Caregiving. This colorful book offers tips for other caregivers. She found solutions that worked for her with creative exercises, rituals, and more.

Shimoda also published Sacred Stitches: Fiber Art Dolls for the Soul and Sacred Stitches, an inspirational 25-piece card deck.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/caregiving-shimoda-podcast

Leaning Into Creativity in Times of Pain with Rich Simmons (#112) Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

We need art. Some of us need it more than others, and for some of us, it's as necessary as the air we breathe. My guest on this episode of The Art Biz is Rich Simmons, a London-based artist who insists that art saved his life. Rich is not an art therapist, but he is an advocate for the therapy of an art practice. He knows from first-hand experience that art heals.

Rich has struggled with depression and was eventually diagnosed with Aspergers. The realization that making art could make him feel better was life-changing, and he wanted other people to know about this. In 2008 he started Art Is The Cure to inspire people to turn to creativity in times of pain. Art has given his life purpose. In our conversation, you'll hear that Rich has many balls up in the air. He makes murals, gives workshops, sells prints, has recently entered the NFT market, and is starting a podcast. And that is just scratching the surface of his inspiring ambitions.

Highlights

"I was thrown into the deep end." Rich's unusual entry into the art world. (2:51)
Rich started on his artistic path at a very young age by trading art with his grandfather. (7:57)
Discovering art as a form of creative therapy amidst personal turmoil. (11:49)
The act of creative release has expanded Rich's spectrum and allows him to make better art. (17:44)
Art Is The Cure gave Rich the purpose he needed to move forward. (24:50)
How to channel your negative energy in a way that affects change. (33:48)
Finding inspiration, community and movement, and what to do when art is the source of your stress. (36:50)
Rich's income stream and his approach to creating a continual stream of potential clients. (41:50)

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
Artist Planning Sessions
Free e -course : The Artist 's Annual Review
Create Opportunities for Your Art

Quotes

"I want to give back to art because art saved my life." — Rich Simmons
"I like to say yes to opportunities no matter what it is and try to figure out how to do it." — Rich Simmons
"I realized I had found my own version of art therapy, and I needed to help other people discover their own version of art therapy." — Rich Simmons
"An artist's job is not only to be a storyteller but to evoke emotions." — Rich Simmons
"I couldn't be an inspiration for people if I wasn't looking after myself." — Rich Simmons
"You can be the messenger about how powerful art can be." — Rich Simmons

Guest Bio

Rich Simmons is an Urban Pop artist who has exhibited all over the world. Simmons' work explores the intersections of visual culture, spanning pop art, comic books, the Renaissance, contemporary fashion, sexuality and beyond.

Simmons' bold use of color, intricately detailed hand-cut stencils, sense of humor and thought-provoking narratives running through his work are proving Rich is both an innovator and highly collectible artist.

Simmons is also the creator and founder of Art Is The Cure, a vInspired award-winning organization promoting art therapy and has run workshops and talks around the world.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/cure-simmons-podcast

Focusing on Self-Care to Increase Productivity with Maria Coryell Martin (#111) Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

There is an urgency to making the work and getting it out there so that you can find the people who respond to it, but it becomes much harder to accomplish much of anything if your body aches from the physically demanding work you do, or your shoulders are tense from hunkering over the computer all afternoon, or you're living on caffeine and wine, or especially if you aren't sleeping. If you want to improve your productivity, and your health, then it's time to focus on your self-care.

What are you doing to take care of yourself? To keep up your energy, maintain a positive mindset, balance out the hours in the studio and on the computer? Is balance even necessary when you're doing what you love?

In this episode of The Art Biz, I talk with Maria Coryell-Martin, a busy mom with a thriving art career and companion business that supports her family. With all that she has going on, Maria makes time for almost daily swims and cold, open water, healthy eating, and plenty of sleep. Listen to hear how she does it.

Highlights

Maria's expeditionary art combines her passions for science, art and education. (2:20)
The motivation behind splitting Maria's two artist endeavors. (4:57)
An income breakdown from Art Toolkit and Expeditionary Art. (7:44)
Maria's art takes her all over the world. (10:31)
"I want to be a capable, useful person in the field." (14:39)
How Maria successfully solicits funds for her expeditions. (17:17)
Self-care is the rock for Maria's sanity. (19:25)
The physical aspect of making art requires taking care of your body. (24:06)
A typical day for Maria starts with getting enough sleep and swimming in the ocean. (28:21)
Monitoring energy levels, controlling what you're eating, responding to stress. (35:15)
Setting boundaries around your time and energy. (40:57)
Getting the help you need so you can do your best work. (42:45)
The simple first steps for starting self-care today. (46:00)

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
Artist Planning Sessions
Free e -course : The Artist 's Annual Review

Quotes

"Ask for what you need. You may not get it, but at least you'll learn something." — Maria Coryell Martin
"I've developed tools and habits over my life that are my rock for my sanity." — Maria Coryell Martin
"Work is like a river. You dip your toes in and do what you can and then you take your toes out and it keeps flowing." — Maria Coryell Martin
"Mistakes are part of everything you do, but you've just got to move forward and let mistakes happen." — Maria Coryell Martin

Guest Bio

Maria Coryell-Martin is an expeditionary artist following the tradition of traveling artists as naturalists and educators. She graduated from Carleton College in 2004 and received a Thomas J. Watson fellowship to explore remote regions through art from 2004-2005.

Since then Maria has worked with scientists, local communities, and travelers in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the Antarctic Peninsula. In the field, Coryell-Martin sketches with ink and watercolor, and collects multimedia recordings to build her palette of place, a record of experience, climate, and color. This led her to create the wildly popular Art Toolkit.

This work became the basis for exhibits of large-scale studio and field paintings, as well as multimedia presentations and hands-on workshops for audiences of all ages to promote observation, scientific inquiry, and environmental awareness.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/self-care-martin-podcast

An Unusual Path to Landing Art Commissions with Leisa Collins (#110) Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

Lots of artists make a good living, or at least a significant part of their income, from commissions. The standard commission process is something we don't question, but what would happen if you turned the whole commission process on its head?

In this episode I talk with Leisa Collins, who started her art business by targeting people whose homes she wanted to paint. After a few failed attempts at marketing her work, her career as a house portraitist took off. To date she has painted more than 2,500 house portraits and has a waiting list for commissions. She no longer has to send direct mail, which you'll hear about, but maintains that the personal relationships with clients are paramount.

Leisa shares her quest across the country to paint a house in all 50 states, that following up with prospects results in 85% more sales for her, and how she has partnered with realtors to provide closing gifts for their clients.

First posted: artbizsuccess .com /commissions -collins -podcast

Highlights

"I exchanged my art for everything." Leisa's adventurous art journey. (2:17)
Combining a love of art with architecture and advertising it in effective ways. (4:36)
The details of direct mailings that lead to collectors. (9:45)
Hand selecting the demographic you want to work with. (13:05)
The business process and price range of Leisa's non-traditional approach to commissioned art. (16:10)
Selecting, photographing and painting houses in all 50 states. (22:26)
Creating 250 pieces a year means Leisa gets two or three new clients a week—and has to keep careful track of them all. (30:50)
Selecting images, marketing and selling a book. (36:50)
The importance of following up with prospective clientes—without being too pushy. (39:31)
The details of Leisa's spreadsheets help her maintain a personal relationship with her clients. (45:10)
Creating relationships with clients through realtor closing gifts and phone calls. (48:51)
A look at what is coming up next in Leisa's very busy holiday schedule. (53:25)

Mentioned

Episode 68: Procedures for Art Commissions with Sema Martin
Leisa Collins
Leisa on Instagram

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
Artist Planning Sessions
Free e -course : 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

Quotes

"I could choose my demographic very carefully by looking at the house." — Leisa Collins
"I now get tons of commissions every week because they told their neighbor… by now it's just word of mouth." — Leisa Collins
"I get quite a few commissions coming in every single week. I get two or three new clients a week." — Leisa Collins
"If you love what you're doing, it's not so much like work." — Leisa Collins

Guest Bio

Leisa Collins, a native of New Zealand, has carved a niche for herself as an acclaimed architectural artist.Eventually settling in the United States, Leisa became interested in the people and cultures that defined architecture throughout the country's history. She was inspired to drive from coast to coast, creating original paintings of homes in every state. She selected 650 of these works of art—as well as the fascinating stories behind many of them—to share with readers in her new book, Hand-Painted Homes: An Architectural Artist's Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America (May 2021). This coffee table book explores architectural styles in all fifty states, plus the nation's capital.

In 2013, Leisa established the Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award to pay tribute to exceptional individuals committed to saving and restoring old buildings across the country. Her work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Huffington Post and Los Angeles Times.

Lessons from a Wildly Successful Pop-up Art Gallery Event with Mai Wyn Schantz (#109) Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

So many art venues shut down during the pandemic, and I'm sure many of the people that ran those venues mourn for not only what might have been, but also the fact that there wasn't an opportunity for closure. My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is Mai Wyn Schantz, an artist who was also a gallerist when she closed her space at the beginning of COVID. She hated to lose the relationships she had built over the years as the gallerist. She needed closure and she was determined to do right by her artists.

As soon as she felt it was safe, Mai Win organized a pop-up farewell exhibition with her artists. Her goal was to break even, which as you'll hear was far too conservative of a goal because she hit it out of the park, mostly because of the relationships she had nurtured throughout the years. Together we discuss the timing of the pop-up, the details for pulling it off, including the space she worked with, and what she learned from the experience. She reveals at least three things that she will do differently next time, and will inspire you to consider a pop-up gallery for your next art sales event.

Highlights

Mai Wyn's journey to finding her space in galleries. (1:42)
Acting as a gallerist when you feel like an imposter. (6:11)
The impact of an artist's experience on Mai Wyn's gallery experience. (8:58)
Reflections on the decision to close her gallery. (11:55)
Celebrating the closure the proper way with a pop-up gallery. (16:16)
Artist requirements for participation in the event. (25:42)
How to promote a pop-up event across your network. (27:08)
Handling inventory and sales in a pop-up gallery. (30:10)
Playing the part of the hostess means hiring the right kind of help. (32:50)
Lessons learned from this hugely successful pop-up. (42:51)
Exceeding sales expectations by 1000%. (49:00)
The relationships that make artists and gallerists succeed. (50:26)
Mai Wyn gets real about what's up next for her as a reborn artist. (52:22)

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
Grow Your List program at Art Biz Success
Free e -course : 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art

Guest Bio

Landscape and wildlife painter Mai Wyn Schantz developed a love of nature at an early age canoeing the lake country of the upper Midwest with her father. Since her introduction to the art world in 1999, Schantz has exhibited steadily, including solo and group exhibitions at commercial galleries, art centers and museums notably the Museum of Wisconsin Art, Yellowstone Art Museum and Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities in Colorado. Beyond the studio, she remains an avid hiker spending her down time exploring trails along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies with her husband and young daughter.

First posted: https ://artbizsuccess /pop -up -schantz -podcast

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