The Art Biz

The vast majority of the marketing we do is passive. We send emails, post to social media, and broadcast podcast episodes. Then we wait and hope for positive results. For better results, activate your marketing by thinking of all the ways you can communicate on a personal level. Yes, active marketing requires more work, but I promise you’ll get better results and enjoy it more. In this solo episode, I walk you through how you can activate your marketing for 5 art business scenarios. Read the "almost" transcript, find links, see featured artists and leave a comment Highlights Personal note about your kindness the last couple of weeks. (0:00) Your list is more than people who have opted in for your emails. (3:04) Ensure you’re not wasting time on social media. (5:11) Action: Create a reliable content calendar for a framework that provides direction. (6:36) Improve exhibition and sales venues. (7:09) Action: Make a spreadsheet to track potential venues. (7:30) Receive more benefit from your exhibitions. (8:33) Boost relations with your galleries. (11:03) Do you teach? Fill your classes and workshops. (14:06) We need both passive and active marketing. (15:38) Please email me your questions and concerns: alyson@artbizsuccess.com (16:13)   Mentioned Grow Your List on-demand learning program at Art Biz Success Creating a Content Calendar short $30 workshop at Art Biz Success Create Opportunities on-demand learning program at Art Biz Success Elizabeth St. Hilaire on sending cookies to her gallery Dancing Deer Baking Company for sending baked goods in he mail

We’ve spent many months worried about inflation and a possible recession that may not ever happen. It would be terrific if we didn’t have to concern ourselves with such things, but the economy affects everyone’s business in one way or another. Today’s guest on The Art Biz is Elaine Grogan Luttrull of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals through education and coaching. We recorded this episode several months ago when the economic landscape seemed a little bleaker than it does now. This is a lesson in economics and how your art business is affected by the larger economy. We define and discuss inflation, recession, the Consumer Price Index, and Gross Domestic Product. We talk about your revenue mix, why selling lower-priced items might not be the way to go right now, bundling, and raising your rates and prices. First posted: artbizsuccess.com/economy-luttrull-podcast Highlights Defining inflation and its effect on every aspect of pricing. (1:50) What exactly is a recession and what role do rising interest rates play? (5:35) The impact of these economic factors on artists. (12:48) Combating uncertainty with effective business strategies. (15:32) Your target client in times of economic uncertainty. (20:05) Opportunities that are presented in challenging times. (24:16) Consider potentially terrible ideas to get to the good ones. (33:03) Seven strategies for artists to use during inflation and recession. (33:04) This Week’s Action Your first action for the week is to look at your expenses and see where you might be able to save. I suggest keeping a list of all ongoing subscriptions as well as regular expenses and reviewing it every so often. Your second action is to check out Elaine’s $15 course on inflation and recession by following the link below. Mentioned ArtBizAccelerator.com Elaine’s course on Inflation and the Recession Heather Robinson art Resources Show notes, images, and listener comments How to Price Your Art free report Art Biz Connection artist membership Quotes “Inflation is not always a pleasant topic. It’s scary, it takes up our brain space, and it’s a distraction from what we really need to be doing creatively in our businesses.” — Elaine Luttrull “All of the strategies we typically think about for coping with the uncertainty of the arts are suddenly being impacted too.” — Elaine Luttrull “Think carefully. Do your research and talk to peers about how things feel in the art market right now.” — Elaine Luttrull “When the market is doing interesting things is the moment to really focus on the community aspect.” — Elaine Luttrull “Anything we can do to reassess and tighten our spending without compromising quality or making our lives harder is a really good strategy right now.” — Elaine Luttrull “Artists are better than pretty much anyone else at navigating uncertainty, so we’ll navigate all of this as well and keep making really incredible work too.” — Elaine Luttrull About My Guest Elaine Grogan Luttrull, CPA-PFS, AFC® (she/her) is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals through education and coaching. Her workshops and presentations have been featured nationally by groups that support the arts, a variety of state and regional arts councils and commissions, and colleges and universities where creative students thrive. Elaine spent 10 years in academia, teaching at the Columbus College of Art & Design and serving as the Department Head for Business & Entrepreneurship from 2014-2018. Before that, Elaine served as the Director of Financial Analysis for The Juilliard School and in the Transaction Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young in New York. Elaine is the author of Arts & Numbers (Agate, B2 2013), and she contributes regularly to industry guides, including those from the Center for Cultural Innovation and the Joan Mitchell Foundation. She also serves on the boards of the Short North Alliance and Healing Broken Circles.  

The sales process is rarely discussed in artist circles. We often think of sales as a single step. Either someone buys your art or they don’t. There’s’ so much more to it. Yet, many of us think of sales as a dirty word, which is a bit ridiculous if we want to grow our businesses and careers. Artists need to adopt a new mindset surrounding sales in order to be successful. My guest on this episode of The Art Biz is Miriam Schulman, artist and founder of the Inspiration Place, where she helps other artists learn how to profit from their passion or become better artists. Miriam is the author of Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity. In this conversation, Miriam and I review her Artpreneur Sales Playbook and 10-step sales process. Highlights Miriam’s struggle with sales, despite her background in finance. (3:30) The evolution from general sales and marketing to effective art sales. (6:56) Curating your valuable contacts list. (9:05) The importance of mindset in sales success. (12:30) Developing a confident belief in the value of your art. (14:47) The first 5 steps of selling your art. (21:05) Body language, previewing the process, and establishing the decision maker. (27:37) Sell with stories, not facts, and selling happy endings. (33:10) Overcoming objections with the right language. (40:07) Close the sale by asking for it. (42:45) This Week’s Action This week’s action has two parts. Part 1 is to download the free chapter of Artpreneur at schulmanart.com/believe. Part 2 is to write out Miriam’s 10 steps in the sales process and post them somewhere so you’re reminded that it is a process. You need to be invested in the steps of the process in order for it to work. Mentioned ArtBizAccelerator.com Free chapter of Miriam’s book The Inspiration Place podcast Miriam on Instagram The Cone Sisters Dr. Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Behavior Therapy Resources Show notes, images, and listener comments How to Price Your Art free report Art Biz Connection artist membership Quotes “Once I started making the connection between sales in general and selling for art and understood that there wasn't a difference, I became a student of marketing and sales, and that has made all the difference.” — Miriam Schulman “Marketing 101 is investing in human relationships.” — Miriam Schulman “My art, going out into people’s homes, became ambassadors for me.” — Miriam Schulman “Mindset is everything. Mindset trumps talent.” — Miriam Schulman “Overcoming objections is about having compassion for the buyer and knowing where they are coming from.” — Miriam Schulman About My Guest Miriam Schulman is an artist and founder of The Inspiration Place, where she helps other artists learn how to profit from their passion or become better artists. She’s helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and create more time and freedom to do what they love. Her art and story have been featured in major publications including Forbes, The New York Times, Art of Man, Art Journaling magazine, What Women Create as well as featured on NBC’s “Parenthood” and the Amazon series “Hunters” with Al Pacino. Schulman’s forthcoming book with HarperCollins Leadership Artpreneur is scheduled to be released on January 31, 2023. First posted: ArtBizSuccess.com/sales-schulman-podcast  

Your Decision Filter: 8 Considerations for Making Decisions for Your Art Business With host Alyson Stanfield   Read the “almost” full transcript, see featured artists, and leave a comment: https://artbizsuccess.com/marketing-mix   ~ 8 CONSIDERATIONS ~ You understand WHY you are doing it. (3:04) You are willing to devote the time and energy to it. (3:32) You enjoy it or are excited about starting. (7:09) You have the systems in place to support it. (7:40) You are already doing it and are seeing results. (9:15) It plays to your strengths. (10:10) It has potential for the biggest long-term pay-off. (12:07) It has the potential for the biggest immediate pay-off. (13:26)   How Human Design has helped me make decisions. (15:07)   ~ MENTIONED ~ Please join me in the Art Biz Accelerator coaching group and community: https://artbizaccelerator.com  Human Design resource: https://jovianarchive.com   ~ ABOUT ~ Alyson Stanfield is the host of the Art Biz Podcast, founder of Art Biz Success, leader of the Art Biz Connection community of artists, and author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. https://artbizsuccess.com

There are so many ways you can sell your art and so many different avenues for earning money from your talents. I’ve highlighted a wide variety of options for earning money from your art on The Art Biz podcast, but today’s conversation is a first. I’m joined by Katie Hunt, the founder of Proof to Product, to learn more about wholesaling. She has helped thousands of brands get their products on the shelves of large retailers like Target, Nordstrom, The Container Store, and Starbucks, as well as independent boutiques around the world. In this episode, Katie shares basic basic information about wholesaling your art. What is it? Who is it for? Who is it not for? What’s the difference between wholesaling and retailing? Where does licensing fit in? Katie is a wealth of information, and generously gives four considerations for wholesaling. And stay with me to the end of our conversation, where Katie reveals the four things she takes into account when making business decisions. Highlights Key differences between wholesaling and retailing. (4:20) The importance of selling in larger quantities at a lower price in wholesale. (6:53) How is licensing different than wholesaling? (12:20) What type of artists are a good fit for wholesaling? (13:41) Focusing on one revenue stream at a time — before wholesaling. (17:58) Foundational checkpoint number one — Is your product line strong? (20:20) Are your sales tools in place? (26:20) Outreach and marketing — detailing your artwork and your terms and conditions. (29:18) Step number four — solidifying your operations and systems. (31:07) Handling criticism and rejection when wholesaling. (32:38) Paper Camp and other resources for artists considering wholesale. (35:52) 4 considerations Katie bases every decision on. (40:50) First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/hunt-wholesaling-podcast This Week’s Assignment This week’s assignment has 2 options. Option 1 is to review Katie’s 4 considerations for wholesaling to decide whether or not it’s a direction you want to go. If you want to see those again in a list, visit this episode at artbizpodcast.com. Katie’s format is so straightforward and she is clear that wholesaling isn’t right for everyone. If you know that wholesaling isn’t for you, go for option 2, which is to write out her list of considerations for making business decisions and keep it nearby. Adjust it to your needs and revisit it often to stay on track. Mentioned ArtBizAccelerator.com Art Biz Podcast Episode 16 with Maria Brophy Proof to Product free class Labs Paper Camp Proof to Product Podcast Katie on Instagram Resources Show notes, images, and listener comments How to Price Your Art free report Art Biz Connection artist membership Quotes “There are so many ways we can sell our art, and each one requires a different foundation.” — Katie Hunt “With wholesale, we’re talking about a very different system of the sales process, the marketing process, even the fulfillment process.” — Katie Hunt “Artists don’t have to wholesale everything they make. They can create a special segment of their product line that is for wholesale.” — Katie Hunt “Before you take the plunge into wholesaling, you need to know you have an audience.” — Katie Hunt “The more we experience with the pitching process and putting ourselves, our art and our talents out there, the stronger we become.” — Katie Hunt About My Guest Katie Hunt is the founder of Proof to Product, the host of a podcast with the same title, and a business strategist who supports product-based business owners. She has helped thousands of brands get their products on the shelves of large retailers like Target, Nordstrom, The Container Store, and Starbucks, as well as independent boutiques around the world. Katie’s work has been featured in Forbes, New York Times, Entrepreneur as well as dozens of business podcasts. She brings experience, education and a love of learning into her programs. Her strengths lie in connecting people & bringing ideas to life – brainstorming, making a plan and implementing.

This episode is a solo episode in which Alyson Stanfield, of Art Biz Success, reveals the details of the new Art Biz Accelerator program. It was recorded during an info session for members of the Art Biz Connection community and includes: 3 Success Workshops during the year Open office hours with Alyson The Salon, a group for discussing art ideas and happenings in the art world  Full membership in the Art Biz Connection community Additional training as needed First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/podcast-accelerator  A video, complete with slides and the PDF download of all the information is available at artbizaccelerator.com right now. And if you’re listening to this later in the year, chances are good that much will still be applicable.  

Putting Artists First in Curatorial Projects with Melissa Messina Today’s conversation on The Art Biz is packed with tips and insider info. In my conversation with independent curator Melissa Messina, we discuss what an independent curator does, how Melissa finds and works with artists, and what happens during a studio visit to an artist she is (or might be) working with. You won’t want to miss the insights she shares about common mistakes she sees artists making, as well as how to correct them. Above all, Melissa shares the empowering reminder that the artist is at the center of all a curator, a museum, or a gallery does. First posted: https://artbizsuccess.com/curator-messina-podcast Highlights “I think that curator gene has always been in me.” (1:55) Melissa’s work as an independent curator. (5:32) How does a curator find their artists? (9:00) The importance of your network. (14:37) Insights from the details of Melissa’s standard project. (18:46) Scheduling projects and finding funding with fellowships. (23:55) Curating an artist's estate is the joy of Melissa’s life. (26:53) What piquesMelissa’s interest in the artists she encounters? (32:01) The cities, websites, publications, and galleries where Melissa looks for artists. (35:00) Working with galleries as an independent curator. (38:04) The role that studio visits play in a curator-artist relationship. (40:54) What curators are looking for from a studio visit. (48:51) Correcting the mistakes that too many artists make. (50:54) This Week’s Assignment Research my guest Melissa Messina and start following her on social media. Then start researching independent curators in your area and start following them. Consider inviting them into your studio for a low-stress visit—and don’t forget to offer them a drink. Mentioned ArtBizAccelerator.com Brooklyn Museum Art Papers Hyperallergic Valerie Cassel Oliver Tyson Scholars of American Art Program at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Melissa Messina Melissa Messina on Instagram Resources Show notes, images, and listener comments How to Price Your Art free report Art Biz Connection artist membership Quotes “I’m constantly making calculations to see where an exhibition or project might percolate out of my experiences and relationships.” — Melissa Messina “Your network is everything.” — Melissa Messina “There are some really good artists with bad attitudes, and I would much rather give the opportunity to someone who is a joy to work with.” — Melissa Messina “I think artists would do better to let go of their expectations in a studio visit.” — Melissa Messina “Without the artist and their work, there wouldn’t be anything for us to do.” — Melissa Messina About My Guest Melissa Messina is a nationally recognized arts professional who has developed thought-provoking exhibitions, dynamic site-responsive projects and engaging educational public programming both independently and in leadership positions at museums and non-profit arts organizations. For 20 years, her work with regional, national, and international artists has been presented in the U.S. in Atlanta, Kansas City, Miami, New York, New Orleans, Richmond, Savannah, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Bermuda, France, and Hong Kong. She has lectured extensively and published widely, and her research has been funded by Creative Time and The Andy Warhol Foundation, as well as by fellowships at Emory University’s Stuart A. Rose Library, Atlanta, GA, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR. In addition to serving select public and private clients, she is the curator of the Mildred Thompson Estate. She has also recently served as guest curator at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, and the New Orleans Museum of Art, and was the co-curator of the 2018 and 2020 Bermuda Biennials. In 2017, she co-created Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today, an intergenerational exhibition highlighting 21 Black female abstract practitioners that traveled from Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City to The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.

Alyson Stanfield, a savvy expert in personal and artistic growth, shares her insights on the importance of an annual review. She highlights three key reasons to reflect on your year: honoring your life, recognizing achievements, and preparing for the future. Alyson encourages a holistic approach, suggesting that listeners evaluate personal, artistic, learning, and business milestones. Her practical tips, including 51 guiding questions, make it easy to track growth and set intentions for the coming year.

Today’s conversation is a first. In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Rebecca Welz, an artist who claims she’s not all that interested in the art business. But Rebecca, with her many accomplishments, still had plenty of wisdom to share. Our discussion centers around how she sees her art as part of the continuum, and how she encourages her students at Pratt Institute to think holistically about their careers. We discuss meditation, biomimicry, her projects in Guyana and Guatemala with her students, why she’s uninterested in the art business, and what she thinks artists would benefit from focusing on instead. Highlights “It’s like drawing in space.” Rebecca’s sculpture and gallery representation. (2:44) Teaching art students and exploring the unknown through meditation. (6:22) Thinking is the most important part of the creative process. (11:15) Finding art inspiration in Guyana and Guatemala. (17:04) Biomimicry—innovation inspired by nature. (22:10) The importance of experiencing inspiration from cultures outside your own. (25:35) Taking a holistic approach to your art. (31:13) Rebecca isn’t all that interested in the art business. Here’s why. (36:24) This Week’s Assignment Consider how your work is connected to forces outside itself. How is it connected to art history and to other artists? Think of all the people who make your art possible. Who made your supplies? Not the companies, but the people behind the companies. Who gathered natural pigments or precious metals? Who mixed the paints, spun the yarn, stretched the canvas, stocked the paper, or assembled the camera? Who are the people supporting your efforts? Mentioned ArtBizAccelerator.com June Kelly Gallery Pratt Institute Patricia Johnson, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Jay Harman: The Shark’s Paintbrush Biomimicry: AskNature.org Rebecca Welz Rebecca on Instagram Resources Show notes, images, and listener comments How to Price Your Art free report Art Biz Connection artist membership Quotes “Meditation gives me a lot of peace and equanimity and helps me deal with being a human on the planet.” — Rebecca Welz “Good artwork comes from that place of the unknown.” — Rebecca Welz “I can’t just focus on my art career because there are so many other things that I’m interested in.” — Rebecca Welz “How are you tapping into your own continuum and how’s that working for you?” — Rebecca Welz About My Guest Rebecca Welz makes steel sculptures inspired by natural wonders and ecological processes that combine to give us biodiversity. She is represented by June Kelly Gallery in New York City, where she has had numerous solo exhibitions. She has also shown at Grace Borgenicht Gallery and Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, also in New York. Rebecca’s sculptures have been in solo and group exhibitions in venues such as the Oakland Museum of California, the Heckscher Museum of Art (Huntington, NY), Butters Gallery (Portland, OR), the SciArt Center (Easton, PA), the Cherrystone Gallery (Wellfleet, MA), and Sculpturesite Gallery (San Francisco, CA). Her work can also be found in private and corporate collections, including those of Goldman Sachs, Pfizer, Merck, Prudential Life Insurance Corporation, and Sabre Corporation.  

Alexandra Squire, an artist who understands the importance of creating a strong brand, discusses her journey to becoming an artist, the significance of marketing oneself effectively, and the trade-offs that come with creating an artistic brand. She also shares insights on how she shows and sells her work, and how she manages to balance her painting and business while raising three young girls. The podcast highlights the importance of professional photography and branding, as well as the challenges and benefits of working with galleries and commissions.