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.

Meredith's Instagram: @meredithsnaps

Her projects: @building180 & @paintthevoidproject

Website: building180.com

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Mentioned artists:

Joel-Dean Stockdill

joeldean.me

Inga Bard

ingabard.com

Instagram: @ingabard

Ben Davis

bendavis.com

Instagram: @benstoppable

Katie Boynton

klboynton.com

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.

Jolene's Website: http://www.jolenerussell.com/

Instagram: @joleneroserussell

Tiktok: @joleneroserussell

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Mentioned artists:

Hanna’s Murals

Hannasmurals.com

Ig: @hannasmurals

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_

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Mentioned Artists:

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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 explore 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.

Learn more about the Arlington Arts Program here: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Arts

Instagram:  arl_artscene

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Referenced Works and Artists:

Nancy Holt's Dark Star Park: https://holtsmithsonfoundation.org/nancy-holts-dark-star-park

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Find Ham Smith's website at hamsmith.com

Instagram: @ham.smith

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Kipp Kobayashi: www.kippkobayashi.com

Instagram: @kippkobayashi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kipp.kobayashi/

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Linn Myers: linnmeyers.com

Instagram: @linnmeyers

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See Doug Hollis' Wave Arbor work here: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Public-Art/Public-Art-Collection/Permanent-Collection/Locations/Wave-Arbor

and here: https://www.facebook.com/TrocoFab/videos/552885658543849/

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Walter Hood: https://www.hooddesignstudio.com/

Hood's Arlington work can be found here: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Public-Art/Public-Art-Collection/Permanent-Collection/Locations/John-Robinson-Jr.-Town-Square

 Find out more about the Bay Area Mural Program at www.thebamp.org or on Insta @bayareamurapro

You can find more about Natty Rebel artmaking at www.nattyrebel.com or on Insta @nattyrebelart

You can find Kada here:

https://kada-creative.com/

Insta @Kada_Creative

You can find Rachel at http://www.rachelwolfegoldsmith.com/ or on Insta @Wolfe_.pack

"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.

You can purchase the Mural Artist's Handbook here:

https://www.amazon.com/Mural-Artists-Handbook-Morgan-Bricca/dp/0578784785/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+mural+artists+handbook&qid=1656707059&sprefix=%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1

"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 manages the dichotomy of being an artist and a businessperson.

Purchase the Mural Artist's Handbook here:

https://www.amazon.com/Mural-Artists-Handbook-Morgan-Bricca/dp/0578784785/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+mural+artists+handbook&qid=1656707059&sprefix=%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1