The Art Biz Unfiltered: Dealer Michael Findlay on Collectors, Curiosity, and Changes (ep. 209)
Release Date: 10/31/2024
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The Art Biz
host: Alyson Stanfield When someone is ready to buy your art, the last thing you want to do is make them go on a treasure hunt. Every extra click, unanswered question, or missing price is a barrier that can cost you the sale. In this solo episode, I talk about how you can take charge of the buying processâbecause while you canât control the economy or trends, you can control how easy it is for people to pay you. Key Ideas Collectors donât just buy artâthey buy into the artist. Relationships matter, but clarity in the buying process is...
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Clean Your Email List to Improve Deliverability and Engagement (236)
The Art Biz
Most artists focus on growing their email listâbut what if the real power comes from trimming it? In this solo episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield walks you through why and how to clean your email list. This isnât just about numbersâitâs about improving deliverability rates, boosting engagement, and building trust with the people who are actually listening. If you want to email with more confidenceâand stop second-guessing whoâs on the other endâthis episode is for you. IN THIS EPISODE Why list hygiene is essential for deliverability and visibility How neglecting your...
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When the Art Sales Stop: 6 Areas to Investigate (235)
The Art Biz
Youâve shown up. Youâve posted, emailed, exhibited, maybe even launched something. And yet... the sales arenât coming. In this solo episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield walks you through six insight areas to investigate when your art isnât selling like it used toâor like you believe it should. These arenât quick fixes, but reflective prompts that can lead to real clarity and intentional next steps. Whether you're feeling stuck, confused, or just curious about how to improve your results, this episode will help you pause, reflect, and reassessâwith empathy and a practical...
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Discerning Your Direction as an Artist with Marianne Lettieri (234)
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Sculptor and installation artist Marianne Lettieri creates intricate, meditative work from salvaged and domestic materials. In this episode, she shares her journey from marketing to art, and how she has centered her practice around intention, discernment, and clarityârather than urgency or trends. She talks with host Alyson Stanfield about how she defines success, the importance of showing up in the studio (even if itâs just to sweep the floor), and why research, ritual, and creative constraint are essential to her process. HIGHLIGHTS 01:50 â Marianneâs career shift from PR to...
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It's Not Your Job to Worry About Adding to the Noise (233)
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Thoughtful artists often hesitate to share their work publiclyânot because theyâre lazy or unclear, but because they donât want to contribute to the ânoiseâ online. In this solo episode, host Alyson Stanfield unpacks that fear and explain why itâs often a mask for perfectionism. You'll hear why your content doesnât need to be perfect, polished, or viralâit just needs to be true. She also shares mindset shifts to help you move from performance to presence, broadcasting to connection, and perfection to permission. Whether you're struggling to post, over-editing everything, or...
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Strategic Growth, Collector Relationships, and Costly Lessons with James Corwin (232)
The Art Biz
Wildlife artist James Corwin has built a thriving art business by putting his originals firstâand building everything else around them. In this episode of The Art Biz, he talks with host Alyson Stanfield about how he strategically developed multiple income streams through prints, commissions, and galleries, all while prioritizing his painting time. James shares the mindset shift that helped him focus, the failures that taught him the most, and why nurturing collector relationships is a cornerstone of his success. His perspective as both an artist and gallery owner offers valuable insight for...
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What You're Not Doing: 7 Mistakes Artists Make (231)
The Art Biz
The biggest mistakes artists make arenât about doing the wrong thingsâtheyâre about doing nothing at all. Avoidance. Waiting. Hoping something will change on its own. In this solo episode, host Alyson Stanfield revisits and reframes one of her most popular articles, updated with a decade of insight and experience. These are not dramatic failures, but subtle patterns of inaction that can quietly keep your art business stuck. Alyson shares 7 common mistakes, grouped into 3 themes: Mindset. Connection. Structure. Each is paired with a powerful inquiry to help you take honest inventoryâand...
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Creating Artist-Centered Opportunities with Jennifer Steck (230)
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A retired police captain turned artist, Jennifer Steck realized she didnât have to wait for opportunities to come to herâshe could create them. Seeing a gap in what was available for artists to sell their work, Jennifer founded Artburst Studios, an online gallery thatâs part pop-up show and part community hub for artists. She had zero experience running a gallery, but that didnât stop her. Armed with curiosity, a clear vision, and plenty of determination, Jennifer (at the time of this recording) has helped over 80 artists sell more than $174,000 of art in just a few years. In this...
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The Awesome Responsibility of Titling Your Art with Fran Gardner (229)
The Art Biz
What if titling your art is actually part of your creative practice? One that helps you better understand your work, connect with your audience, and prepare your art for life beyond the studio? Thatâs the beautiful perspective offered by artist and writing consultant Fran Gardner. In this episode, host Alyson Stanfield talks with Fran to explore the idea that titles arenât just labelsâtheyâre bridges. They link your creative intention to the viewerâs experience and give your work a voice when youâre not there to speak for it. Fran shares her own turning point with titling, walks us...
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22 Tactics to Thoughtfully Invite People to Visit Your Art Website (228)
The Art Biz
Itâs easy to assume that people will visit your artist website once itâs built. But websites donât always attract attention on their own. You have to give people reasons to show up. In this solo episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield shares 11 simple, low-effort strategies to guide more people to your siteâplus a way to download the full list of 22 ideas. These are real, artist-friendly actions that work in the background of your art business to increase traffic over time. In this episode, youâll hear: Why waiting for people to discover your website isnât a strategy 11...
info_outlinePeek inside the elite art world.
Host Alyson Stanfield speaks with Michael Findlay, a long-time art dealer and author of the new memoir, Portrait of the Art Dealer as a Young Man: New York in the Sixties.
They discuss his extensive career, insights into the evolving art market, and memorable stories, including an amusing anecdote about Andy Warhol.
Findlay emphasizes the importance of immersive, in-person art experiences and the qualities that make a great art collector. He also reflects on changes in the relationship between dealers and artists over the decades and the impact of modern technology on art collecting and appreciation.
01:36 Michael's Early Art Experiences
08:07 Art Education and Its Impact
17:41 The Role of Curiosity in Art Collecting
27:14 Modern Art Collecting Challenges
29:54 Michael's Career and Gallery Work
39:45 Andy Warhol Stories
45:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
đ§ RELATED EPISODES
Qualities Galleries Are Looking For in Their Artists with Jeremy Tessmer (ep. 123)
Secrets from Copying a Masterpiece with Lilianne Milgrom (ep. 87)
Focusing on the Art, Not the Art Business with Rebecca Welz (ep. 134)
đ To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/findlay-memoir
â While youâre there, click on the graphic to download a copy of my Comprehensive Exhibitions Checklist + Timelineâtotally free with opt in.
âď¸ Connect with Michael Findlay: https://michaelfindlay.com
â°ď¸ 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. Hereâs how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/