The Thriving Artist Podcast

Taking the leap into fine art after having a 9-5 job is a difficult decision, but this is exactly the leap that thriving artists need to make. For Leslie Hirst, a multi-media artist with over 30 years of experience in commercial and fine art, tells us about her recent CHF-funded exhibition “Objectively Speaking,” the importance of continuity between shows, following the inspiration without losing the nuts and bolts of actually doing the work, and her transition from graphic design to fine art and teaching Experimental and Foundation Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design.Preparing for an Exhibition:Learn about the supply chainDetermine location, transportation, target audience, and space restrictionsEstablish relationships with suppliers and potential partnersThink about your presentation as you’re thinking about creationPlan ahead for unforeseen complicationsOn her recent exhibition “Objectively Speaking:”Interpreting the world and language through visual senses – synesthesiaInspired by

As an artist who follows the inspiration as it strikes, Etsuko Ichikawa works in a variety of media from performance, sound, and film to glass installations, sculpture, and drawing. She’s known for her pyrographs and aquagraphs, or drawings made from fire and water. She’s also a 2015 Clark Hulings Fund Business Accelerator Grant Finalist.We had a chance to sit down with Etsuko and talk about her next career move as she rebrands herself and her artwork. Her nearly hour-long interview offers an insightful look into public art commissions, the importance of vetting galleries before you work with them, and how to tackle brand management even as your career evolves.Re-Branding Your Art and Business:Following the inspiration vs. following the moneyHow to maintain the momentum of your career without losing your soulMarketing and sales as key components of your business planControlling and budgeting for your artworkBreaking into new mediums as alternative sources

“The creative legacy is not necessarily an issue of résumé, but about the creative spirit itself shown through your works,” states Jennifer Cohen, POBA‘s Co-Managing Director, about their mission and dedication to preserving the creative legacy of artists irrespective of the measure of success attained during their lifetime.In this full hour show, Jennifer underscores the importance of maintaining artistic legacies for artists living and dead, as well as the subtle nuances involved in preserving the integrity and value of artistic works. She also acknowledges the importance of artistic legacy to living artists and collectors.What happens when the artist or art collector is gone?Appraisal, Insurance, and InheritanceShared Legacy ManagementEmotional vs. financial valueResponsibility to preserve the work’s valueBulk selling and charity auctions as potentially harmful“You have to educate yourself as to how to protect art from dust, from humidity, from light, all these things that will degrade

“I would encourage everyone to buy the work that they love and that they can afford,” says Tim Newton, an art collector, Advisory Board Member at the Clark Hulings Fund, and the Chairman of the Board at the Salmagundi Club.In this full-hour show, Tim underscores the importance of collecting art to appreciate beauty, while also recognizing the role of art collectors as stewards of the arts. For Tim, this means curating shows of artwork he owns and encouraging others to do the same.Starting your collection:Buy what you can affordQuality over quantityTake time to learn about art“Every collector should have a mentor”Good art stands on its own regardless of the artist’s level of artistryArt Buyers vs. Art Collectors“Collecting artwork should be about the artwork – not investment, not the artist”Current Art Market:Art fairs vs. exhibitionsDigital media & virtual artwork vs. the tangibility of artworkPassing on art collecting to the next generation as a great love affairSocial media as a tool for art e

Working artists can be both student and teacher; this is the basic premise of Art Cantina, an online portal described as the Match.com of arts education. For Carolyn (Charlie) Bogusz and LaVonne Ewing, artists need a platform to market and brand their skills as potentially both experts and instructors. Meanwhile, students want easier access to arts education. Art Cantina allows students to find workshops in their local area and desired discipline, and helps them establish (if they wish) a teaching business to support their studio practice. Topics include:Business DevelopmentMarketing your own classes & finding studentsWhy the art world needs its own Airbnb or Match.comPricing your work and pricing your classesFrom selling expertise to selling art onlineDisruption, Connections, and SilosThe “starving artist” stigma and alternative income sourcesThe stigma of online art marketsContinuing Arts EducationThe working artist as studentArt schools vs. informal arts educationLaVonne EwingLearning and mar

What if an artist treated her project like a project, her business like a business, and became the CEO? Vanessa Diaz is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in sculpture and site-specific installations created from discarded furniture. She reimagines architectural pieces to distort conventional perceptions of how rooms and physical spaces should be used. She is also a 2015 CHF Business Accelerator Grant Recipient. The Clark Hulings Fund is funding and supporting her work “Possibility of an Exit” – an immersive installation that re-contextualizes a house impacted by natural disaster in the upper half of a 5,000 sq. ft. room provided by ArtsUP!Neil Ramsay the head of ArtsUp! says the artist is the “CEO of the project” – specifically that the artist – in this case, Vanessa – is coming in and designing the whole environment. We found that idea so intriguing that we devoted almost the entire show to it. Topics include:Scaling an artist’s business at the pivotal career moment.What does it me

Residencies, shows, and travel require forethought and planning for an artist to reach an international audience. Lauren Frances Adams is a painter and mixed-media installation artist, incorporating traditional designs and decoration with contemporary Americana. Her wallpapers depict class struggle and labor movements. She also works as a Full-Time Painting Faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and was one of our first CHF Business Accelerator Grant Recipients in 2013. Lauren lays out some of the critical issues in arranging travel for an art business.Art that Crosses MediaCross-media work as an academic distinction vs. real world experienceTotal installations and breaking the boundaries of the picture planeTechnology, mass-production, and artThe function of labor as a theme‘Career impact of social issues as subject matter“Those that produce the work are often the least in control of what happens to that work.”Art that Crosses the Atlantic (The Travel Side of an Art Bu

Despite our playful double entendre, the business of securing commissions requires taking proposals and contracts seriously. Large-scale artist Molly Dilworth explains the challenges of both producing such works and operating the professional side of the business for scale. Molly’s geometrically inspired site-specific installations across the United States highlight invisible structures and hidden motivations. Her insights on a range of topics from proposals to contracts are crucial:Creating Large-Scale WorksMaking big paintings to be seen by Google EarthSpecial challenges of large-scale workDealing with outdoor work and site control (e.g. timing, weather, and location)Technology and remote art creation [see also a previous broadcast]Using under-appreciated spaces, everyday spaces, accessible spacesOperating the Business for ScaleRFPs, proposals, and the business of finding commissionsContracts and when you get paidEnsuring clients pay vs. getting burnedContingencies and budgetin

“You can’t make full time money doing part time work. I paint every day.” – Robert C. JacksonRobert C. Jackson (or Bob, as he goes by in conversation) is a painter who uses his subject matter of balloon dogs, Oreo skyscrapers, and toy dinosaurs to highlight the satirical complexities he sees in the world. He has interviewed 20 contemporary representational artists for his book Behind the Easel, around which the Delaware Museum of Art is forming an exhibition this Fall. Bob explains exactly what it means and digs into what it takes to be a five day a week working artist.This is such an amazing talk that the topics are best expressed mainly as quotations from Bob himself:Getting Started“I was surprised at how many rules people do have – I thought art was supposed to be open-ended.”“I think it’s up to other people to label you.”“Most artists never talk about business and, as a result, most artists never make a living from their art.”If art schools were judged by how many of their graduates made a

As a painter, illustrator, and storyteller, Cheryl Gross combines her signature humor and urban appeal to create intense narratives. Currently, she is working on a large project titled: The Z Factor, a fictional work of drawings and text depicting the persecution of a new race and a resulting third civil rights movement. She is also 2014 Clark Hulings Fund Grant Finalist. What are the challenges when a fine artist wants to cross illustration, graphic design, film, poetry, blogging, and the graphic novel, all in a way that takes on current issues.ContentsBlending fine arts and commercial artsParsing an art career as a way to make a living: "Sometimes you just need money"Mitigating genre bias by breaking barriers between types of mediaCrossing media from visual art, to the graphic novel, blogging, and filmThe catch-22 of crossing genres and not having a pigeonhole to hide inBeing "Dr. Seuss on crack"!Using the online art marketsPricing commissioned workCheryl's insights on the fundamental struggle of

"I started painting bananas to exoticize myself; it started as a joke and developed into a commentary on belonging.' Gonzalo Fuenmayor is a multi-disciplinary artist who has worked in painting and photography, but is best known for his charcoal drawings which, in their precision, resemble black-and-white photographs. He is also a 2014 CHF Grant Finalist. His comments on the role of the artist in an emigre environment (and in general) are fascinating.ContentsArtist as foreigner/diaspora: exoticizing oneself & belonging to a placeArtist as historicist: the banana trade between West & Central/South AmericaArtist as commentator: the role of the artist in politics and art as vicarious subversionArtist as tease: playfulness and deconstructing the phallic imageMarketing yourself in an environment of creative misunderstandingA public internal conversation vs. dialogue with your audienceThe fear of prostituting oneself by entering the marketplaceDiscipline and Ambition - the habits of consistencyFor more info

"When people sheared sheep 100 years ago, it wasn't just work, it was their life; work wasn't a separate thing.' Art and business are like that. Laura Petrovich-Cheney is a sculptor whose work mirrors the human experience, full of transformation, second chances, reinvention, and resilience. She is also a Clark Hulings Fund 2015 Business Accelerator Grant Recipient for her current solo exhibition at Salisbury University Art Galleries, "Piece by Piece". Her comments on building a self-sustaining art career are profoundly on point.ContentsIncreased sales by adapting art format to the marketArtist security through multiple income sources around the artThe preeminence of the toolset for managing an art businessThe pivotal moment when funding makes the differenceThe vision of Clark Hulings for working artistsPlanning an art career backwardsHoofing it - marketing prior to a showMarketing as sharing your story"There's no separation between work and life anymore."Creating an "authentic conversation" with col

Being serious about your business as an artist is more than paperwork; it's also mindset. Bette is a working artist, gallery owner, graphic designer, and author of the best-selling book: Talent is Just the Beginning - An Artists’ Guide to Marketing in the 21st Century. Sue is Vice President for marketing for the Messenger Art Collection, one of the largest, most diverse private collections in the U.S.Together, Bette and Sue are based in Santa Fe, NM, and run Ridgeway and Roderick Art Services, which provides hands-on career evaluation and marketing to artists, galleries, and collectors. Bette and Sue delve into three key imperatives for the working artist.Take Your Art Seriously As a BusinessHobby vs. Business: What Art Has in Common With Every Other EnterpriseThe Importance of a Stunning Website to Catch Collectors' EyesThe Minimum of 20+ Pieces and the Collateral Needed to Break OutMarket Yourself for the Flat WorldDevelop Communities Around Your Art PracticeDistinguish Your Appeal

What drives most art collectors, and how they decide what to collect, might surprise you. Stephen Zimmerman is an art collector and co-founder of the Western Art Society of the Eiteljorg Museum. He also serves as an advisory board member of the Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists, and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.Stephen explains that collecting is driven by self-made aficionados who often attain a level of education about a given artist and stewardship of a school of art that far exceeds that of the official mediators of taste. As a result, collectors are often driven by an intense curiosity, passion, and (profoundly) personal relationships with individual artists. Whether your an artist, art patron, or another collector - this episode is a joyous exploration of the a commitment that is anything but a hobby.What Art Collectors Know That We Don't Collecting as diversification, therapy, and self-education (the collector as autodidact)"The wisdom of collecting original fine art"Art patrons

Building your brand without sacrificing your craft requires both finding your public and going deep into the artist. Jane Robinson is a contemporary abstract artist, living and working in Michigan, who specializes in acrylic and mixed media. Jane also conducts workshops for other artists under the banner "The Business of Creativity" as well as a monthly meetup group. She was once, also, a felony probation officer and writing pre-sentencing guidelines helped her tap into her creative side.ContentsArt & business as different muscles"The Business of Creativity"The grant as the launching pad"No one will care about your art career as much as you"Being an "artpreneur" - integrating art and business.Beyond the canvas - creating the brand around your art.Getting ahead of your business - branding yourself as pulling the sale rather than pushing it.Quirky as an asset - the brand as both you and the work.Identifying vs. expressing your brand.Discovering your brand by other people's experience of you - art shows, art

We all share a planet. Frank Juliano is Executive Director of Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, New Jersey. He makes it his mission to bring innovation and community building to all aspects of the Arboretum’s programming and operation. He is well known in visual art circles for his curation of exhibitions at the Arboretum’s Wisner House and gardens. He lives in New York and studied Music, Theatre, and Dance at SUNY New Paltz before turning to his current career in non-profit management.Topics Include:Crossing over from performer to curator/talent acquisitionGoing in for the money: reflection and authenticityArt as social consciousness and means to a social endPurpose of art as transformativeStewardship of the planetMaking art and curriculum interactiveCuration: choosing artistsEffective art curationCollaboration between artists as a career pathBalancing mission with moneyMarket savvy art pricingThe usefulness of mistakesWhy go to Summit, New Jersey!Information about the Arboretum is here: reeves-reedarboretum.

COLLECTORS, ARTISTS, and GALLERIES need to think about the future of their works and collections. In this insightful podcast, Kristin Gary, a private dealer who specializes in appraisal, bankruptcy, and related divestiture issues, encourages us to think ahead. Kristin manages Kristin Gary Fine Art, a private gallery that includes European Old Masters, 19th century European, American 20th Century and select Contemporary works. Topics include:Challenges of breaking up significant collectionsOwning art as temporary. Planning in advance for some kind of divestitureArt fairs and the auction world vs. the gallery worldThe importance of dealers banding together to create eventsThinking ahead as an artistThinking ahead as a collectorProtecting yourself and your art pieces when entrusting them to a gallery (e.g. the risk of foreclosure)The importance of filing UCCThe importance of a formal tracking systemBalancing commercial viability with choosing pieces you likeIs genre bias a problem?Essential business sk

Carolyn Edlund is Executive Director of the Arts Business Institute, a non-profit that offers creative business solutions to artists and craftspeople. She is also the Founder of Artsy Shark, a forum that targets artists AS small business owners with marketing and sales tips. Carolyn flips a lot of the concerns artists may have about growing their careers as a business into positive opportunities for full artistic expression. Her emphasis on the lifestyle of the artist as one of glamour and freedom is insightful and balanced by the call for creating a skill set to further one's deepest professional aspirations.Topics Include:The fine arts vs. arts & crafts barrierArt for its own sake vs. art as a businessHow artists build a business without sacrificing their craftHow "repeat business builds business"The catch-22 of selling out for money or not being good enough for itThe artists' enviable lifestyle of glamour & freedomReferring to all customers as collectorsBranding: How artists create their brand

Tim Kennedy is a representational painter who works to present still lifes, figures, and landscapes with immediacy and intimacy. He is also Senior Lecturer at Indiana University Bloomington and was a 2014 winner of the Clark Hulings Fund Grant. He was born in Buffalo, NY and did his MFA at Brooklyn College CUNY. Articles on his paintings have appeared in American Artist and Watercolor magazines. Tim helps us understand....Topics include:The Role of Project Funding in Boosting an Art CareerCreating a Well Defined Project Proposal for a Grant ApplicationBeing a Visual Artist in a Photographic World (e.g. Instagram)Coops and Other Gallery RelationshipsThe Challenges of Large PiecesInsider Keys to an Effective Grant ProposalListen now, or download and take this 42min episode with you on your phone or mobile device. Tim's website is timkennedypaintings.com.You can also see the video on challenges of "working large".If you’re an arts industry professional, collector, or business specialist, or a working artist

Brandon Kralik is an internationally exhibited post-contemporary figurative painter who employs classical oil painting methods “with a current vision to create a visual mythology.” Born in the US, he has spent 13years of his 20-year career in Sweden, where he currently lives and works. His work is found in the collections of Steven Tyler, The Crown Princess of Sweden, Matthew Barzun, and Carlos Santana. He studied Fine Art at Western State College of Colorado, Art History at CUNY (Manhattan), and painted under Norwegian figurative painter Odd Nerdrum for 3 years before opening his own studio.Brandon helps us understand how, exactly, one "makes it" in business as an artist.Topics include:The Tenacity of Choosing an Art Career vs. "Shadow Careers"What Does "Making It" Look Like?The Series of Affirmations That Amount to SuccessArtist As Digital Nomad!Contact Management As The Key To More Art SalesThe Role Of Semantics In Describing Your Art & 'Personal Brand'Thought Leadership As Net