Artist Friendships that Lead to Collaborative Exhibitions and Opportunities (249)
Release Date: 11/20/2025
Building Community Through Art: The Lights Out Model (255)
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Daniel Sipe and Karlë Woods didn't set out to start an arts organization. They just wanted to talk to artists during the pandemic. Four years later, Lights Out has produced 95 artist documentaries, thrown 18 popup exhibitions across Maine, and built a funding model that includes everything from $10 monthly donors to six-figure state contracts. Their story, shared with host Alyson Stanfield, offers a masterclass in starting before you're ready, investing in what matters (yes, including marketing), and building something sustainable through collaboration rather than competition. They reveal: ...
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Art World Gatekeeping Forces Artists to Compete with Damien Davis (254)
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Host Alyson Stanfield reveals an uncomfortable truth in this solo episode: the problem isn't that you don't know enough. The real challenge is building the confidence to act on what you already know. After 23 years of teaching artists, Alyson has realized she's been contributing to information overwhelm when what artists actually need are practices that build steady confidence. In this episode, you'll discover: The five major confidence killers that derail your plans Six practical confidence-building practices you can start today Why your January plans typically fade by February How to close...
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Stop Waiting for Opportunities and Start Shaping Them with Ebony Iman Dallas (252)
The Art Biz
host: Alyson Stanfield In this coaching-style episode, host Alyson Stanfield coaches Ebony Iman Dallas through the challenges of building a sustainable public art career while navigating motherhood, a regional market, and the fear of rejection. Ebony makes 90% of her income from public art but struggles with systems, marketing that highlights events instead of her work, and waiting for opportunities instead of creating them. If you've ever felt stretched between creative work and life responsibilities—or stuck in a local market—you'll recognize yourself here. HIGHLIGHTS 01:30 Ebony's...
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Beyond Information: Why Artists Need Frameworks (251)
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What happens when you realize the way you've been working isn't sustainable? When you've built something successful but it's costing you sleep, peace of mind, and the very things you set out to protect? In this solo episode, host Alyson Stanfield gets really vulnerable with a question most artists face at some point: Who am I if I change the way I've always done things? It's about the pressure to maintain what you've always done because that's what you identify with, the FOMO that makes you say yes when your gut says no, and the overwhelm that comes from adding more and more to your plate....
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From Relief to Revenue: 5 Years into Her Art Business with Dawn Trimble (250)
The Art Biz
host: Alyson Stanfield In 2020, Dawn Trimble was laid off from her interior design job during the pandemic while navigating a divorce—and she felt relief. That moment became a turning point. Within months of painting full-time, she launched her first collection, which sold out in days and matched her corporate paycheck. Dawn talks about the practical steps she took to build momentum, what she brought from her design background into her art business, how she thinks about creativity as service rather than self-expression, and why she believes the most important thing any artist can do is...
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Artist Friendships that Lead to Collaborative Exhibitions and Opportunities (249)
The Art Biz
host: Alyson Stanfield Alicia Bailey and Melinda Laz are part of a four-artist collaborative group in Denver that's been working together for years because it's made them better artists. In this conversation, they share the practical realities of collaboration: the systems that keep things organized, the communication that prevents problems, and the trust that makes it all possible. If you've ever wondered whether working with other artists is worth the effort, this episode will show you what's possible when you get it right. 🔦HIGHLIGHTS 01:50 How their friendship evolved into collaboration...
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Being the Artist I Want My Son to See with Stephanie Brown (248)
The Art Biz
In part one of this conversation (episode 247), Stephanie Brown shared how she strategically funded her education and built her early career foundation. Now it's time to talk about what happens next: the messy, real, day-to-day work of sustaining an art practice. Stephanie breaks down her actual income streams with host Alyson Stanfield—sharing her five-year vision for gallery representation and explaining how becoming a mother made her bolder and more focused rather than holding her back. 🔦 HIGHLIGHTS 03:50 Stephanie’s income percentages from consulting, speaking, art sales,...
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The Strategic Artist: Zero Debt Art Degrees with Stephanie Brown (247)
The Art Biz
Too many artists graduate from art school with crushing debt and then spend years figuring out how to make money while trying to maintain a studio practice. Stephanie Brown did the opposite. She graduated from a private art school debt-free, secured a fully funded MFA, and has been treating her art career like a business from day one. In this conversation with host Alyson Stanfield, Stephanie breaks down exactly how she did it, and why being strategic about money doesn't make you any less of an artist. 🔦 HIGHLIGHTS 02:00 Why interactive art transforms viewers into participants and creates...
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Are You Undermining Your Art's Value? (246)
The Art Biz
Your art doesn't exist in a vacuum. Where and how you show your work shapes how people perceive its value before they even look closely at the piece itself. The venue, the lighting, the labels, the other work nearby—all of it sends signals about whether your art should be taken seriously. In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield explores what falls within your control and what doesn't, and why understanding that difference can transform how collectors see you and your work. She encourages you to vet opportunities before committing, establish non-negotiables to establish for...
info_outlinehost: Alyson Stanfield
Alicia Bailey and Melinda Laz are part of a four-artist collaborative group in Denver that's been working together for years because it's made them better artists.
In this conversation, they share the practical realities of collaboration: the systems that keep things organized, the communication that prevents problems, and the trust that makes it all possible.
If you've ever wondered whether working with other artists is worth the effort, this episode will show you what's possible when you get it right.
🔦HIGHLIGHTS
01:50 How their friendship evolved into collaboration over 25 years
04:10 The early collaborative work between Alicia and Melinda
05:30 Expanding from a duo to a four-artist collaboration with Catherine Chauvin and Sharon Strasburg
08:30 Why they choose loose collaboration over a more formalized collective
10:40 Drafting proposals together without ego
13:20 Choosing "Perseverance" as their theme to allow broad interpretation
16:10 The systems they use to stay organized and on track
18:00 Why one person serves as the point of contact with galleries
20:40 The importance of going to lunch and doing studio visits
25:40 Learning when to say no to opportunities that don't align
36:20 Communication, clear expectations, and getting everything on the table
40:20 Keeping ego in check while maintaining leadership
🏃THE ARTISTS’ ACTION FOR YOU
Go to openings and talk to other artists, especially those whose work you feel a resonance with. Go view art even if it's not an opening, then dig deeper by looking at artists' websites or social media pages to learn about the community right in your backyard. Don't be afraid to reach out—send that Instagram message, ask for coffee, introduce yourself at the opening. Artists want to talk to other artists and form community.
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/friendships-collaborations
⭐️ Connect with the artists: https://aliciabailey.com and https://melindalaz.com
🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Interested in collaboration? Check out these episodes:
Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show’s Impact with Jill Powers (ep. 27)
Knit Democracy Together with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (ep. 64)
Collaborating on Your Art Business with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin (ep. 86)
A Collaboration Between 2 Artists that Led to Creative Growth (ep. 183)
🔶 Community can support your journey in so many ways. We have that kind of community in Essentials for Artist Success. While there are plenty of lessons in our vault—including our current focus on The Artist's Annual Review and planning work we'll dig into in January—our real emphasis is on action and progress. We're here to help you move forward without getting bogged down in more information than you need. Find all the details at artbizsuccess.com/essentials
⛰️ 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. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/