If These Walls Could Talk

Today Morgan is joined by Meredith Winner, cofounder of the global, women-led arts production agency Building 180. Meredith also cofounded Paint the Void, which has covered over 150 boarded-up storefronts in San Francisco with murals from local artists.

In this episode, Morgan and Meredith talk business, discussing Meredith’s hands-on consulting endeavors as well as the benefits of paying artists from a management standpoint. The artists share their experience on how to breathe life into public art, touching on the iterative and collaborative nature of murals and sculptures, as well as how hiring local artists creates pride and strength in the community.

In this episode, Morgan talks with Jolene Rose Russel, a Sacramento-based artist whose vibrant works have been featured in many local exhibitions and publications, and who has been commissioned for dozens of public and private works in Sacramento and the Bay Area. Morgan and Jolene talk about ways to protect your creativity from the roulette of validating/discouraging social media feedback, and moving towards incorporating social media in a balanced and helpful way. Morgan and Jolene also talk about the ebbs and flows of work, whether it's motivation during a project, seasonal variation in clients, or changing workflow over the years. Finally, Jolene and Morgan discuss the emerging field of AI and art—from using it to find inspiration to controversies in receiving credit and compensation in AI-generated art.

In this episode, Morgan interviews David Sobon, founder of the annual Sacramento mural festival Wide Open Walls. The festival brings in a range of local artists—many of whom have never painted a wall before—as well as international muralists, who collaborate to cover Sacramento businesses - now moving into schools as well - with their designs. Morgan and David talk about getting the program off the ground, the festival's biggest success stories, and how Wide Open Walls supports bringing more art to Sacramento through engaging local as well as international talent.

Find David's Website at wideopenwalls.com

David's Instagram: @dsaevents

Evoke Arts on Instagram: @_evoke_arts_

-

Mentioned Artists:

-

Maren Conrad: marenconrad.com

Instagram: @marenconrad

Raphael Delgado: randmframing.com

Instagram: @artbyraphael

Enchi Wang: enchiwang.com

Instagram: @enchi.art

Shane Grammer: shanegrammer.com

Instagram: @shanegrammerarts

In this episode, Angela Anderson Adams shares nearly 3 decades of expertise as director of the public art program in Arlington, Virginia. Angela discusses the "arts ecosystem" in Arlington, especially how Arlington's grants program and nonprofit partnerships have helped fund the arts over the years. Angela and Morgan discuss murals as creating space for remembering history, as well as how murals have combined with architecture and transportation in Arlington to create an inviting urban environment.

Andre talks about how his alias Natty Rebel has influenced his professional career, and what the nickname means to him. He also shares how he balances painting what inspires him versus what’s in demand for commissions. Finally, Natty Rebel discusses what it means to be an Art Anthropologist, and how that connects to understanding and valuing the communities he paints for.

Kada and Morgan unpack parenting while being an artist, and how having kids has shaped their work and home life priorities. Kada shares how has grown her business by hiring marketing support, how she defines success for herself, and why she feels she owes a lot of her success to her hardships. Finally, Kada and Morgan discuss raising your minimum, even if it scares you!

In this episode, Paul and Morgan talk about collaborating with artists of different mediums to get a new perspective, as well as how Paul got motivated to create through difficult times. Paul also discusses how his diet and lifestyle have shaped who he is today, and how they help him keep creating quality art. Paul is a 20-year mural veteran with who has painted over 100 school murals in the San Jose area.

You can find Paul at:

www.pauljgonzalezartstudios.com

Insta @PaulJGonzalezArtist

FB: www.facebook.com/PaulJGonzalezArtStudios/

In this interview, Morgan and muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith dive into the Bay Area Mural Project, why murals are their chosen medium, and how the up-and-coming world of NFTs is changing traditional avenues of art. They also talk about the Wolfe Den, Rachel's new social creative space in Oakland.

"Protecting the joy and primacy of artmaking is an ongoing balancing act in the life of a professional artist" —Morgan Bricca

In the final chapter of her book, Morgan dives into keeping the artist happy! She explains how her criteria for selecting projects keeps her artistically challenged and fulfilled, and how to protect the fun of artmaking.

"When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss money." —Oscar Wilde

In Chapter 7, Morgan dives into her greatest area of expertise: making money making art. Morgan discusses questions such as: how much should I charge for a mural? Should I set a minimum? How much will I earn? She covers the basics of setting up your mural business and lists 5 things you should do this week to grow your business. Morgan talks about her art/business balance, why she always overbooks her mural schedule, and drawing the line between passion projects and working for free. Overall, this chapter explains why the "starving artist" model is unsustainable, and explains the duality of being an artist and a businessperson.