Artist Meg Black doesn’t wait for things to happen, she makes them happen. She has recently installed a major commission in the new edition of the town hall in Topsfield, MA, and is here to tell us all about the process from vision to reality. Meg shares with us how she got involved in the project, the research that went into it, and the hurdles she had to overcome in able to get it done both perfectly and on schedule. She now is a local celebrity due to her talent, and care for the community.

 

Meg’s commissioned pieces are wins for the community, as they employ local vendors, and simultaneously showcase the beauty and romance of Topsfield.

 

In this interview, you will hear Meg talk about:

 

• The pivotal experience 20 years back where Meg was commissioned to do a painting for the Topsfield town library.

• The story behind the special preserved and protected road that was recommended by locals to Meg as a great subject to paint. Meg called upon her “galaxy of artists” and decided to leave some of the windy road landscape to the viewer’s imagination.

• How Meg’s idea of the Topsfield Town Hall addition project presented a challenge with no patron and no donor, and how she enlisted the perfect patron for this project.

• The “10 Million Dollar” problem of the town hall project, and the feeling that Meg had of not wanting the beauty of the piece to become tainted by community politics.

• The homework Meg did to fully understand and articulate the process of tax exemption when writing a letter to her potential donor.

• The interesting release schedule Meg activated for her installation, which kept the town aware of the work but not completely in the know about who the donor was.

• Meg’s dedication to seeing that the entirety of this project was kept local, including the printer, photographer, and the framer.

• How the sales of the prints are divided up both in labor and earnings.

• Why networking on LinkedIn is important for any artist looking for the next commercial opportunity.

• What we can expect next from Meg, and a peek into the new commission she is very excited about.

 

 

Resources:

ArtBizSuccess.com

Meg Black

 

Quotes:

• “I was afraid someone else would beat me to making the art. That’s what did it and got myself out there.” - Meg

• “We need to speak the language of lay people, especially when we ask them for big sums of money.” - Meg

• “When you find a donor for your artwork, the entity has to take care of that work and agree to take it on.” - Alyson

• “I probably put about 500 hours for that painting. I was waking up at 3:30am every day.” - Meg

• “Everything was in town.” - Meg

 

 

 

*** This episode is brought to you by the Art Biz Inner Circle. This is a group of unapologetically ambitious artists that my team and I work with for a year. We help our members with goals, mindset, business strategies, and focus. See ArtBizInnerCircle.com ***

Artists are so generous and I love to see them supporting one another. I’m blessed that I get to be the person who introduces them to one another in the groups I lead.

After witnessing artist groups from the outside and within over nearly 3 decades, I’ve been thinking a lot about artist group dynamics. In this podcast, I share with you my thoughts on this topic. It’s just me talking, so it’s shorter than most of my episodes. 

Here’s what I share:

• Four primary reasons to be part of an organized and well-run artist group.
• Four attributes to look for in an artist group that will match your goals and ambition.

Take notes because this could save you a lot of frustration when you’re trying to find your tribe. 

*** This episode is brought to you by the Art Biz Inner Circle. This is a group of unapologetically ambitious artists that my team and I work with for a year. We help our members with goals, mindset, business strategies, and focus. See ArtBizInnerCircle.com ***

Mary Erickson’s art sales have paid for her lifestyle, which is comfortable and adventurous, but far from extravagant. She is a savvy investor and wise with her finances. 

 

Mary says she paints so that she can buy real estate so that she can collect art - paintings by other artists. You’ll hear all about it in this episode. You’ll also hear about: 

 

• How she started selling and why she believes being involved in your community is key to an artist’s success.
• How she keeps up with the 8 different galleries that represent her.
• Mary’s legacy project: High Ridge Gardens, a bird sanctuary and artist retreat on her property, which  she will leave with a funded endowment.

 

I hope Mary’s story inspires you to become wise with your finances.

 

See Mary’s art at MaryEricksonArt.com 

 

*** This episode is brought to you by the Art Career Success System: a step-by-step system to implement for growth no matter where you are in your art business. See ArtCareerSuccessSystem.com***

Ten years ago, Helen Hiebert didn’t think of her art as a business. Her shift of mindset changed everything and she now makes her living as a working artist. Rather than feeling icky about having a “business,” she embraced it and learned to channel some of her creativity into making money from her talents. 

 

In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast, Helen and I discuss:

• Her 5 income streams, and the percentage of income she receives from each
• How she approaches online content creation
• How her blog - The Sunday Paper - and podcast - Paper Talk - grew naturally from her life’s work to that point

 

See Helen’s art at HelenHiebertStudio.com and subscribe to her podcast, Paper Talk.

 

See images of what was discussed on the podcast and leave a comment at https://artbizblog.com/hh-income-streams-podcast. 

 

*** This episode is brought to you by Art Biz Coach mastermind workshops that occur in various parts of the U.S. throughout the year. See ArtBizMastermind.com***

Many artists have a dream of doing their work full-time without any idea of what that means or what it would take. Dianna Fritzler made it happen. Not just once, but twice. 

In this episode, Alyson talks with Dianna about the steps she took to make sure that her first year back as a full-time artist was going to be a successful one. She reveals:  

• The moment when she decided that her art could no longer play a secondary role in her life.
• The steps she took immediately that set her on the path to making her dream come true.
• The income streams she tested and what has worked (and not worked) for her.
• The vision she and her husband have for his future full-time role in her business.
• The amount of time she spends on business v. in the studio.
• How she structures her day to be most productive.

See Dianna’s art at DFritzlerArt.com 

*** This episode is brought to you by the Art Career Success System: a step-by-step system to implement for growth no matter where you are in your art business. See ArtCareerSuccessSystem.com***

When you find yourself making excuses as to why you can’t get into the studio or why you don’t have time to write that newsletter or blog post, think of this conversation with Annie Salness. Almost 10 years ago, Annie had a stroke and, among other challenges, had to relearn how to paint with her non-dominant hand. 

 

While many artists would have given up when faced with the trials Annie had, she met the challenge and continues to challenge herself.

 

This is the story of a true artist - an artist who has something to say and is committed to making sure her voice is heard … her art seen.

 

 

See Annie’s art at AnnieSalness.com 

 

*** This episode is brought to you by Art Biz Coach mastermind workshops that occur in various parts of the U.S. throughout the year. See ArtBizMastermind.com***

What will happen to all of your art and career records after you are gone? Will your family know what to do with them? Those were questions that David Paul Bayles had about his photographs and archives. And he had good reason to be concerned because they were valuable documents of a particular part of the country and culture. 

 

See David’s work at DavidPaulBayles.com 

 

*** This episode is brought to you by Big Table Art Retreats - exclusive artist mastermind retreats that occur in various parts of the U.S. throughout the year. See ArtBizMastermind.com***

How do you quantify quality in art? Alyson talks with artist Elaine Kehew who has set out to do just that. After receiving a negative review last year, Elaine is determined to improve the quality of her art and has developed 8 targets to measure her progress. 

 

See Elaine’s art at ElaineKehew.com.

 

*** This episode is brought to you by Big Table Art Retreats - exclusive artist mastermind retreats that occur in various parts of the U.S. throughout the year. See ArtBizMastermind.com ***

Alyson talks with photographer and attorney Kiffanie Stahle about legal concerns for your art business. The way one artist protects his or her business will be very different from another artist. So much depends on your audience and goals.

Kiffanie, who owns theartistsjd.com has developed the Creative Business Model Canvas to help you home in on legal priorities. Find it here:

https://theartistsjd.com/need-business-plan/

Alyson talks with Maria Brophy about niche markets for artists - why they’re valuable and ideas for finding where you fit.

Alyson talks with Debby Williams and Cynthia Morris about the accomplishments and struggles of Art Biz Inner Circle members - and what other artists can learn from them.

Alyson talks with artist Lisa Kovvuri about a multi-year portrait project that resulted in a museum show.

Alyson talks with Heather Powers of Creatively Organized Spaces about how she helps artists clear clutter and organize their workspaces. 

Alyson talks with artists Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin about writing their new book, Cold Wax Medium: Materials, Techniques, and Conversations. 

Alyson talks with artists Sam Woolcott and Poe Dismuke about owning a gallery together in Bisbee, Arizona, being married, and their museum exhibition.

Alyson asks Claudia McClain, founder of HomeBusinessInsurance.com, about the special insurance needs for artists’ businesses.  

Alyson asks Cynthia Morris for tips for getting back into the studio after an exhibition opening, a vacation, a holiday, an illness, or family tragedy.

 

Alyson talks with Cynthia Morris about why having too many ideas is detrimental to your success as an artist.

 

Alyson talks with Elizabeth St. Hilaire about how she created a successful art career and became a full-time artist. Includes mention of multiple streams of income and her teaching models.

 

Alyson talks with Michael Keen about why community is important for artists to thrive and to receive validation, inspiration, motivation, and constructive feedback.

Alyson talks with Cynthia Morris about how to accomplish things in your art career and business that you don’t enjoy doing. Listen for discussion about being happy v. being satisfied with the work you do.

Alyson talks with Cynthia Morris about impatience - how everything that is worth getting in life takes longer than you think it will. But it’s worth it when you’re committed to an artist’s life and career.