Ready to talk about the business of being an independent artist?

In the first 20 minutes of this 50-minute interview, Melita Noël Cantú and I discuss the multi-city project that she and her husband have developed called Art on the Roof, a unique, one-night gallery event to highlight and show the work of high-tier artists. We talk about the strategies they’re using to promote the event, as well as some of the business and creative collaborations she has built with galleries, artists, and even government officials in different cities to help promote the event.

Then, I conference in my good friend Starla Halfmann. Starla is an emerging artist who has already built a strong foundation for success, but hasn’t cracked the code to quit her full-time job and live out her artist career full-time.

The three of us discuss:

  • How to create gallery and print sales opportunities for yourself by developing a network of other artists and fans, even if you’re a shoe-gazing introvert who hates leaving your studio
  • Why having a professional-looking website is absolutely essential and can mean the difference between success and failure
  • How leveraging online resources like Pinterest can boost your print sales and introduce you to thousands of new followers and fans
  • Some little-known secrets to putting on your own shows and getting tons of people through the door

Interview

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:43 min — 50.7MB)


Resources and Follow-Up

Melita (and Javier) Noël Cantú:

ArtOnTheRoof.com
JLCArt.com

Starla Michelle Halfmann
StarlaMichelle.com
PaintABirdADay.com

Additional Resources Mentioned:

GlassTire.com
ImageKind.com