Leaning Into Her Roots and Community Art with Marilyn Fontaine (ep. 185)

Apr 18, 2024

Marilyn Fontaine, a multidisciplinary artist in East London, discusses her feminine-themed work and integrating community history. Topics include studio rituals, embracing rejection, and letting go. She emphasizes building a network, securing funding, and the importance of community engagement. The conversation touches on digital artwork ownership, seeking a museum for a migration collection, and navigating artistic growth. The episode explores collaborations, grant applications, and balancing spiritual faith with artistic challenges.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Empowering Narratives Through Community Art Projects

01:57 • 12min

Digital Artwork Ownership and Preservation Discussions

13:59 • 2min

Seeking a Museum for an Intergenerational Educational Experience

16:06 • 2min

Exploring Community Connections and Grant Applications in the Art World

17:46 • 4min

Navigating Artistic Opportunities and Growth

21:28 • 18min

Reflecting on Art and Cultivating Connections in the Art Business

39:16 • 2min

host: Alyson Stanfield

Some artists are fine working by themselves in their studios. Other artists need to move their art beyond the studio walls and into the public in order to be fulfilled.

My guest for this episode is Marilyn Fontaine, a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in East London. Her work is spiritual with a strong foothold in feminine themes.

She has begun marrying that work to the history of the local community—in particular, the stories of those who share her Afro-Caribbean roots.

Marilyn and I talk about the work she does within her community, including how it is funded and why her growing network is essential.

We also discuss:

Her ritual upon entering the studio for a day’s work, which is always a favorite topic of mine.
Why she’s leaning into rejection and learning to be curious about negative reactions that some people have to her work.
How she is learning to let go—to not hold too tight to the idea that she wants something so badly—and to allow it to come by creating that space.

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

Injecting Personal Narrative Into Your Art with Sara Lee Hughes (ep. 131)

Committed to Telling Native Stories Through Her Art and Activism with Danielle SeeWalker (ep. 153)

How Your Art Makes People Feel (ep. 184)

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/community-fontaine

⭐️ Connect with Marilyn and see more of her art: https://marilynfontaineart.weebly.com/

🔶 Please join me for THE PEOPLE PLAN 🔶 a planning workshop to identify, establish, and nurture stronger relationships with buyers, collectors, curators, students, gallerists, and more. May 7-9, 2024. https://artbizsuccess.com/peopleplan

⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~

This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/