The Art Biz

Venues aren't looking for artists who need them, they're looking for artists who are ready.
Host Alyson Stanfield introduces the attraction method: a way of building genuine relationships with venues long before you ever make an ask. For alternative venues, the timeline from first contact to a yes can be weeks instead of years.
In this episode, Alyson covers:
Why readiness is more than finished work, and what signals to a venue that you're prepared
How alternative venues operate on an entirely different timeline than galleries
The research and in-person visit steps that show a space you're worth talking to
What separates "Can I show my art here?" from an opener that actually starts a conversation
Why consistent, genuine presence means venues sometimes do the asking before you do
Visit this episode's page for all resources
MENTIONED
Beyond White Walls workshop
Elevate Your Art workshop
RELATED EPISODES
The artists who don't wait to be chosen (264)
Use the attraction method for art venues before you make the ask (265)
 
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The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

You don't need a gallery to put your work in front of people. You don't need to wait for the next juried show application just for the promise to compete with a hoard of other artists.
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield makes the case that waiting for gallery representation — or cycling through the same juried shows — keeps artists from the kind of visibility they could be creating themselves. This is a practical, imagination-expanding episode for artists who are ready to take control.
In this episode, Alyson shares:
Why "white walls" can be a metaphor for playing it too safe
Three real art shows she attended that will stretch what you think is possible
The lesson a hotel show taught her about personal invitations
The difference between announcing, commanding, and inviting, and when to use each for promoting your show
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Elevate Your Art on-demand workshop
Why the lone artist mindset keeps you small (263)
How to write an art show invitation: announcing, commanding, or inviting? (article)
BEYOND WHITE WALLS :: May 7 Workshop
Your next exhibition space is closer than you think. Join Alyson on May 7 for Beyond White Walls, a 70-minute live workshop on finding and approaching non-traditional venues for your work. Registration is $37 and includes email templates, a companion guide, and the recording. Details at https://artbizsuccess.com/whitewalls
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

In this solo episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield explores why collaboration is often the missing piece in an artist's growth. While working alone feels easier, it can quietly limit what's possible.
This episode makes the case for thinking bigger by asking a simple but powerful question: Who else belongs in your work?
Alyson shares:
Two powerful examples of artist collaborations and how they reached audiences that the artists couldn't have reached on their own
How collaborations build accountability, momentum, and deeper work
Why it's important that your work be part of the larger dialogue
What to look out for when collaborating
Visit this episode's page for all resources
 
RELATED EPISODES ON COLLABORATING
This Artist Turned Six Partnerships Into a Sold-Out Gallery Show with Meredith Nemirov (262)
A Collaboration Between 2 Artists that Led to Creative Growth (183)
Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show's Impact with Jill Powers (27)
Multi-State Multi-Year Multi-Artist Art Project with Marilyn Artus (30)
Knit Democracy Together with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (64)
Collaborating on Your Art Business with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin (86)
Play Tops Work, Connection Tops Solitude, and Confidence Tops Fear with Willie Cole (126)
Expanding Your Skillset to Respond to Opportunities with Detour (128)
 
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

Artist Meredith Nemirov joins host Alyson Stanfield to walk through how she built a rare sold-out show — not by luck, but by design. Starting with a short proposal to a national nonprofit before she ever approached her gallery, Meredith assembled six collaborators, two opening nights, and a donation structure that gave everyone a reason to say yes.
Meredith reveals:
Why she approached a national nonprofit before she walked into her own gallery
The three options she gave American Rivers for the collaboration
How the gallery staff went far beyond hanging the work, and why it mattered
The missed opportunity she'd handle differently next time
How having people depending on her changed what happened in the studio
Connect with Meredith
Visit this episode's page for all resources
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

The daily work of running an art business always feels urgent. The strategic work doesn't. So it waits.
But postponing that deeper evaluation isn't okay.
In this solo episode, host Alyson Stanfield names five specific costs that accumulate when the strategic work keeps getting pushed to next month, next quarter, next year.
In this episode:
Why tactical delays and strategic delays are two different problems
The question Alyson asks every client when a deadline feels far away
What it means to leave money on the table, and why it's such an easy cost to ignore
How unresolved strategic questions become a constant tax on your attention
Why execution without direction is just activity
What happens psychologically every day you don't begin the work you've been putting off
Resources & links
Stop Being Busy. Start Being Strategic. (258)
Do You Have the Art Business You Actually Want? (259)
The Art Business Self-Assessment Every Artist Should Do (260)
Read more in depth, get links, and see featured artists
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.