The Art Biz Strategic Networking and Visibility Beyond Art World Centers with La Vaughn Belle (245)
host: Alyson Stanfield
La Vaughn Belle is a visual artist based in St. Croix whose interdisciplinary practice explores colonial histories and Caribbean identity.
Host Alyson Stanfield talks with La Vaughn about building a thriving art career outside traditional art centers through strategic networking, intentional collaboration, and the bold decision to hire a publicist for her monument project I Am Queen Mary.
La Vaughn reveals
- How she built strategic networks that expanded her reach beyond her local community
- Why collaboration with people outside her discipline opened unexpected doors
- The power of consistent newsletter practice and following up with genuine curiosity
- How she hired a publicist for her monument project and landed coverage in The New York Times, Guardian, and Time Magazine
- Why separating your work (obra) from your career (carrera) requires different strategies
- How dedicating 20 studio hours per week transformed her practice
01:30 How living in the Caribbean has shaped La Vaughn's cosmopolitan perspective as an artist
06:40 How La Vaughn's work explores colonial histories through material remnants and storm metaphors
09:00 The three key practices La Vaughn built to develop her reputation outside St. Croix
10:30 What La Vaughn looks for in collaboration and how working with non-artists sharpens her practice
17:00 How people find La Vaughn for collaborations and the importance of a strong website
20:10 La Vaughn's consistent newsletter practice and how she asks permission to add people to her list
23:40 Why La Vaughn's friend insisted she hire a publicist and how she overcame her resistance
26:30 Describing the two-and-a-half-story sculpture that combined coral stones and a reimagined Huey P. Newton image
33:30 How La Vaughn dove into her practice after the media attention died down
38:40 Using affirmations and strategic positioning to attract the right gallerist
43:20 The difference between obra (work) and carrera (career) that La Vaughn learned in Cuba
46:40 Why committing to 20 studio hours per week is essential for competing at an international level
🚀 YOUR ACTIONPick one relationship you already have—maybe someone who expressed interest in your work, a curator you met once, or an artist in a different discipline—and reach out this week. Not with an ask, but with genuine curiosity. Invite them for a coffee chat or Zoom conversation and see where it takes you.
🔶 Map out your follower's full journey from discovery to purchase: Follower —> Fan —>Buyer —> Collector. Learn how people find your art, engage with it, build trust over time, and buy when they're ready.
$97 (podcast listeners can save $20 with promo code PODCAST20) Sign up now at ArtBizSuccess.com/f2c
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/visibility-belle
⭐️ Connect with La Vaughn and see more of her art: https://www.lavaughnbelle.com/
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⛰️ 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/