
Strategic Networking and Visibility Beyond Art World Centers with La Vaughn Belle (245)
host: Alyson Stanfield
La Vaughn Belle is a visual artist based in St. Croix whose interdisciplinary practice explores colonial histories and Caribbean identity.
Host Alyson Stanfield talks with La Vaughn about building a thriving art career outside traditional art centers through strategic networking, intentional collaboration, and the bold decision to hire a publicist for her monument project I Am Queen Mary.
La Vaughn reveals
- How she built strategic networks that expanded her reach beyond her local community
- Why collaboration with people outside her discipline opened unexpected doors
- The power of consistent newsletter practice and following up with genuine curiosity
- How she hired a publicist for her monument project and landed coverage in The New York Times, Guardian, and Time Magazine
- Why separating your work (obra) from your career (carrera) requires different strategies
- How dedicating 20 studio hours per week transformed her practice
HIGHLIGHTS
01:30 How living in the Caribbean has shaped La Vaughn's cosmopolitan perspective as an artist
06:40 How La Vaughn's work explores colonial histories through material remnants and storm metaphors
09:00 The three key practices La Vaughn built to develop her reputation outside St. Croix
10:30 What La Vaughn looks for in collaboration and how working with non-artists sharpens her practice
17:00 How people find La Vaughn for collaborations and the importance of a strong website
20:10 La Vaughn's consistent newsletter practice and how she asks permission to add people to her list
23:40 Why La Vaughn's friend insisted she hire a publicist and how she overcame her resistance
26:30 Describing the two-and-a-half-story sculpture that combined coral stones and a reimagined Huey P. Newton image
33:30 How La Vaughn dove into her practice after the media attention died down
38:40 Using affirmations and strategic positioning to attract the right gallerist
43:20 The difference between obra (work) and carrera (career) that La Vaughn learned in Cuba
46:40 Why committing to 20 studio hours per week is essential for competing at an international level
šĀ YOUR ACTION
Pick one relationship you already haveāmaybe someone who expressed interest in your work, a curator you met once, or an artist in a different disciplineāand reach out this week. Not with an ask, but with genuine curiosity. Invite them for a coffee chat or Zoom conversation and see where it takes you.
š¶Ā Map out your follower's full journey from discovery to purchase: Follower ā> Fan ā>Buyer ā> Collector. Learn how people find your art, engage with it, build trust over time, and buy when they're ready.
$97 (podcast listeners can save $20 with promo code PODCAST20) Sign up now at ArtBizSuccess.com/f2c
šĀ To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/visibility-belle
āļø Connect with La Vaughn and see more of her art: https://www.lavaughnbelle.com/
š§Ā RELATED EPISODES
Boldly Reaching Out to Art World Influencers with Laurence de Valmy (108)
Lessons from a Wildly Successful Pop-up Art Gallery Event with Mai Wyn Schantz (109)
Overcoming Anxiety about Making Art World Connections with Heather Beardsley (160)
ā°ļøĀ 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/
Ā
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