How You Want to Be Perceived as an Artist with Alexandra Squire (#133)

11/10/22 • 42 min

Not too long ago, artists didn’t have to worry about things like their brands. But in an increasingly competitive market, and the noisy online space, we will do better when we know where we fit. Your art is created in the studio, while your brand is created in the minds of viewers, buyers, collectors, gallerists, and curators.

When you know your brand, you know how you want to be perceived in the eyes of others. Your brand helps you make decisions. If opportunities aren’t aligned with your brand, you say no. My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is Alexandra Squire. She has a clear, intentional artist brand, and knew from the get-go what she wanted her business and career to look like. She hired professionals to help her pull together a branded identity to present her work to the world, and it has paid off. Alexandra and I talk about her decisions, marketing, and how she finds time for her painting and business while raising three young girls.

Highlights

Alexandra’s long and winding road to becoming an artist. (3:25)
“I looked at myself as a brand.” (7:09)
Marketing yourself effectively. (11:26)
Hiring professional help for your photography. (14:03)
Your brand exists in the eye of the viewer. (18:42)
Making the trade offs that pay off. (22:16)
The moment when you identify your artist brand. (26:20)
How Alexandra shows and sells her work. (28:15)
Keeping an artist’s schedule while raising a family. (33:38)

This Week’s Assignment

Consider your artist brand. In particular, think about and even write in your journal about this one question: How do you want to be perceived in the minds of others? If you want to take it to the next step, consider whether your social media, newsletter, website, marketing material, and exhibition venues are aligned with how you want to be perceived.

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
How to Price Your Art free report
Art Biz Connection artist membership

Quotes

“I decided from the beginning I wanted to be a certain type of artist.” — Alexandra Squire
“You have to present yourself in a certain way, and that’s how people will view you.” — Alexandra Squire
“I turned down a bunch of opportunities that I felt didn’t best reflect my brand.” — Alexandra Squire

About My Guest<...

Highlights

Alexandra’s long and winding road to becoming an artist. (3:25)
“I looked at myself as a brand.” (7:09)
Marketing yourself effectively. (11:26)
Hiring professional help for your photography. (14:03)
Your brand exists in the eye of the viewer. (18:42)
Making the trade offs that pay off. (22:16)
The moment when you identify your artist brand. (26:20)
How Alexandra shows and sells her work. (28:15)
Keeping an artist’s schedule while raising a family. (33:38)

This Week’s Assignment

Mentioned

Resources

Show notes , images , and listener comments
How to Price Your Art free report
Art Biz Connection artist membership

Quotes

“I decided from the beginning I wanted to be a certain type of artist.” — Alexandra Squire
“You have to present yourself in a certain way, and that’s how people will view you.” — Alexandra Squire
“I turned down a bunch of opportunities that I felt didn’t best reflect my brand.” — Alexandra Squire

About My Guest<...

Previous Episode

Not All Online Galleries are Created Equal with Alex Farkas (#132)

Anyone can open up a gallery—real or virtual—and start selling art. I mean anyone. You don’t have to hold a degree or pass a test. You don’t have to have ethics or morals or know anything at all about art. But I am impressed by what UGallery is doing and the services they have been providing artists and clients since 2006. Everything about them feels different.

On this episode of The Art Biz, I’m joined by Alex Farkas, founder of UGallery.com. Their business model is different from others in that online space. They know art. They curate the work so there aren’t thousands of random artists competing for eyeballs. UGallery is paid on commission, so they only make money if art sells.They invest in marketing to help sell more art. They are looking for relationships with their artists and nurture their artists to help them sell better online. The focus of UGallery is on painting, but you should listen to their story even if you are not a painter because you need to know that there are people and companies out there who are on your side and doing things the right way.

Highlights

The beginnings of the UGallery journey. (2:53)
Storytelling to promote UGallery artists and their work. (4:39)
Curating art on the website in non-traditional ways. (7:19)
The process of finding and connecting with artists. (11:05)
Working with artists to help them succeed. (16:10)
What is selling at UGallery? (19:09)
Finding and marketing to clients. (20:36)
Artist to customer—the order fulfillment process. (23:09)
Maintaining ecommerce platforms and client relationships. (28:00)
Mistakes that many artists make when applying to UGallery. (33:55)
Tips for a better online presentation and ecommerce platform. (36:22)
What’s coming next for UGallery. (38:30)

This Week’s Assignment

Assess where you show and sell your art. Consider what venues you are (and aren’t) working for and why? How can you find more of the right places? What venues aren’t working for you and why? Make a plan to move on from those.

Mentioned

ArtBizAccelerator.com
UGallery.com
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
What is Your Art Business Costing You?
Are your online art marketplaces profitable for you?
Ensuring a Profitable Art Business (Episode 96)
Advocating for Artists in Their Communities with Louise Martorano (Episode 118)

Resources

Quotes

“It’s important that we find ways to combine the old school aspects of a gallery with the new school aspects of the technology that we use.” — Alex Farkas
“We see this as a partnership. We don’t succeed unless the artists succeed.” — Alex Farkas
“Part of the relationship is making sure that artists understand if they put the time and money in upfront, it comes back out later.” — Alex Farkas
“Think about what you’re trying to accomplish and what your goal is, and then work from there.” — Alex Farkas

About My Guest

Alex Farkas is the Gallery Director of UGallery. His love of art traces back to his hometown, Jerome, a tiny arts community in northern Arizona. Alex grew up creating sculptures in his uncle's woodworking studio and learning about the art business in his mother's gallery. He co-founded UGallery in 2006 with the goal of helping emerging artists connect with patrons. As one of the first ever online art galleries, UGallery significantly improved the opportunities available for artists. The gallery has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, and Art in America. He currently lives, and UGallery is based, in San Francisco.

Next Episode

Focusing on the Art, Not the Art Business with Rebecca Welz (#134)

Today’s conversation is a first. In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Rebecca Welz, an artist who claims she’s not all that interested in the art business. But Rebecca, with her many accomplishments, still had plenty of wisdom to share. Our discussion centers around how she sees her art as part of the continuum, and how she encourages her students at Pratt Institute to think holistically about their careers. We discuss meditation, biomimicry, her projects in Guyana and Guatemala with her students, why she’s uninterested in the art business, and what she thinks artists would benefit from focusing on instead.

Highlights

“It’s like drawing in space.” Rebecca’s sculpture and gallery representation. (2:44)
Teaching art students and exploring the unknown through meditation. (6:22)
Thinking is the most important part of the creative process. (11:15)
Finding art inspiration in Guyana and Guatemala. (17:04)
Biomimicry—innovation inspired by nature. (22:10)
The importance of experiencing inspiration from cultures outside your own. (25:35)
Taking a holistic approach to your art. (31:13)
Rebecca isn’t all that interested in the art business. Here’s why. (36:24)

This Week’s Assignment

Consider how your work is connected to forces outside itself. How is it connected to art history and to other artists? Think of all the people who make your art possible. Who made your supplies? Not the companies, but the people behind the companies. Who gathered natural pigments or precious metals? Who mixed the paints, spun the yarn, stretched the canvas, stocked the paper, or assembled the camera?

Who are the people supporting your efforts?

Mentioned