Not too long ago, artists didn’t have to worry about things like their brands. But in an increasingly competitive market, and the noisy online space, we will do better when we know where we fit. Your art is created in the studio, while your brand is created in the minds of viewers, buyers, collectors, gallerists, and curators.
When you know your brand, you know how you want to be perceived in the eyes of others. Your brand helps you make decisions. If opportunities aren’t aligned with your brand, you say no. My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is Alexandra Squire. She has a clear, intentional artist brand, and knew from the get-go what she wanted her business and career to look like. She hired professionals to help her pull together a branded identity to present her work to the world, and it has paid off. Alexandra and I talk about her decisions, marketing, and how she finds time for her painting and business while raising three young girls.
Highlights
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Alexandra’s long and winding road to becoming an artist. (3:25)
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“I looked at myself as a brand.” (7:09)
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Marketing yourself effectively. (11:26)
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Hiring professional help for your photography. (14:03)
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Your brand exists in the eye of the viewer. (18:42)
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Making the trade offs that pay off. (22:16)
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The moment when you identify your artist brand. (26:20)
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How Alexandra shows and sells her work. (28:15)
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Keeping an artist’s schedule while raising a family. (33:38)
This Week’s Assignment
Consider your artist brand. In particular, think about and even write in your journal about this one question: How do you want to be perceived in the minds of others? If you want to take it to the next step, consider whether your social media, newsletter, website, marketing material, and exhibition venues are aligned with how you want to be perceived.
Mentioned
Resources
Quotes
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“I decided from the beginning I wanted to be a certain type of artist.” — Alexandra Squire
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“You have to present yourself in a certain way, and that’s how people will view you.” — Alexandra Squire
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“I turned down a bunch of opportunities that I felt didn’t best reflect my brand.” — Alexandra Squire
About My Guest
Alexandra Squire is an abstract painter defined by the pairing of vibrant colors and muted tones to create simple yet deceivingly complex works. She focuses on blending and layering to make pieces that are rich in color and depth with unexpected palettes. Her paintings serve as a metaphor for life in that they depict the multitude of ways in which our experiences meld together. Alexandra’s work has been exhibited nationally, and her paintings are a part of private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
