New Visionary Podcast

In this thoughtful conversation, multimedia artist Stella Chang shares how creativity became a powerful tool for healing, self-reflection, and reconnecting with herself after a lupus diagnosis changed the course of her life. Stella reflects on her journey from a nearly two-decade career in fashion back to fine art, and how mindfulness, meditation, and creative practice have helped her navigate chronic illness and build greater resilience. 

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Using art as a tool for healing, self-reflection, and processing difficult experiences
2. Letting go of productivity and embracing the creative process without attachment to the outcome
3. Cultivating mindfulness, resilience, and self-trust through a consistent creative practice
4. Stella’s Through the Looking Glass series and the role of imagination in navigating challenging experiences
5. Bringing meditation principles into art-making and helping others reconnect with their innate creativity 

Stella Chang is a multimedia artist based in Jersey City whose work explores healing, mindfulness, memory, and the transformative potential of creativity. After earning her BFA from NYU, Stella spent nearly two decades working in the fashion industry before a lupus diagnosis led her to return to her fine art practice. Drawing from her own experiences with chronic illness and childhood trauma, she uses painting, drawing, and mindful creative practices to explore imagination, resilience, and our ability to reconnect with ourselves through art. Her current work also incorporates principles of meditation, encouraging others to use creativity as an accessible pathway toward mindfulness and self-reflection.

Website: artbystellachang.com
IG: @artbystellachang

Learn More about Stella's Work - 

One Breath, One Line: Mindful Practices
Stella’s YouTube playlist featuring mindful art practices designed to support healing and self-reflection, including practices for trauma survivors.
Explore the playlist on YouTube

Newark Arts Festival | October 7–11
Stella’s painting Unknown Face 16 will debut at the Paul Robeson Galleries at Express Newark as part of the Newark Arts Festival.
Learn more about the Newark Arts Festival

GlassRoots Teaching Artist Residency
Stella will be teaching at GlassRoots Newark Glass Art Center as part of its Teaching Artist Residency Program from September 10–December 17. High school–age students can learn more about participating through the YES Program.
Learn more about the GlassRoots YES Program

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com
Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag
Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In this insightful conversation, artist and arts professional Kelly Olshan shares her journey of founding the Arts Career Incubator and her approach to helping artists build meaningful, sustainable careers. We discuss strategic planning, relationship building, grants, entrepreneurship, and the importance of defining success on your own terms. 

Here’s what we discuss:

1.  How to define success and strategically plan your creative career 
2.  Building and maintaining meaningful relationships in the art world 
3.  Navigating grants, professional development, and creative entrepreneurship 
4.  Kelly’s journey from working in arts organizations to founding the Arts Career Incubator 
5.  Creating opportunities by making your goals and interests visible to others 

Kelly Olshan is an artist and arts professional and the founder and director of the Arts Career Incubator, an initiative providing accessible professional development programming for artists and creatives across disciplines and career stages. Throughout her career, she has worked with organizations including the New York Foundation for the Arts, Queens Council on the Arts, Creative Capital, and Art21, supporting artists through professional development and career-building programs. As a practicing artist herself, Kelly brings firsthand experience to her work with creatives, including her recent museum commission with the Long Island Children’s Museum. Through the Arts Career Incubator, she offers intensive programs, workshops, and one-on-one support designed to help artists develop the practical tools and strategies needed to build careers on their own terms.

Website:artscareerincubator.com
IG: @artscareerincubator
 
Registration link -
Click here to register for “So You’re a Full-Time Creative Entrepreneur” Panel Discussion on October 1, 2026

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In the first episode of Season 4, Victoria reflects on a summer of unexpected challenges, creative growth, and important realizations about how she wants to live and work moving forward. She explores what it means to do less but go deeper, from simplifying her business and making space for rest to reconnecting with her studio practice and letting go of fear and control. This episode invites artists to consider what they want to protect, what they’re ready to release, and how small acts of creativity can help us stay connected to ourselves during seasons of change. 

To learn more about Victoria's 1:1 Mentorship Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To enroll in The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City–based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine, and Warnes Contemporary. She has supported thousands of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Victoria reflects on the themes that emerged throughout Season 3, including self-trust, staying connected to your creative practice in small ways, expanding possibilities, and taking initiative. She shares why these ideas are deeply interconnected, offers encouragement for artists navigating uncertainty, and reflects on what it means to continue moving forward without having everything figured out. Victoria also shares updates on her 1:1 Mentorship Program, upcoming opportunities, and what's ahead for Season 4 of the podcast this September.

To learn more about Victoria's 1:1 Mentorship Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To access Victoria's signature Artist Statement & Bio workshop:
visionaryartcollective.com/artist-statement-bio-workshop

To enroll in The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City–based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine, and Warnes Contemporary. She has supported thousands of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In this solo episode, Victoria explores the mindset shifts that have helped her build confidence over time, from taking ownership of her career and recognizing her unique strengths to cultivating self-trust and stepping into the highest version of herself. Through personal stories, practical exercises, and reflections on creative growth, this episode offers artists a roadmap for building confidence, navigating self-doubt, and moving forward with greater courage and clarity.

To learn more about Victoria's 1:1 Mentorship Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To access Victoria's signature Artist Statement & Bio workshop:
visionaryartcollective.com/artist-statement-bio-workshop

To enroll in The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City–based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine, and Warnes Contemporary. She has supported thousands of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In this insightful interview, Marina Granger, founder of the Artist Advisory, shares her expertise on building a sustainable art career through mindset, visibility, and strategic action. Discover practical tips, inspiring stories, and mental frameworks to elevate your art practice and career.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. The importance of mindset in building an art career
2. Practical strategies for artist visibility and gallery success
3. The role of confidence and mental resilience in art entrepreneurship

Marina Press Granger is the founder of The Artist Advisory™, a New York City–based consulting firm that provides strategic guidance to visual artists, galleries, and art-focused businesses. With nearly 15 years of experience in New York’s gallery and museum world, Granger has curated numerous exhibitions and art fair presentations. Her expertise blends analytical business insight—shaped by a BA and MA in Art History—with the Principles of Classical Chinese Feng Shui, which she integrates to support the growth and success of the creatives and organizations she works with. Granger’s work has been featured in Forbes, The Art Gorgeous, Art Zealous, Time Out New York, and more. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, she has called New York home since 1991.

Website: theartistadvisory.com
IG: @theartistadvisory

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com
Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag
Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In this episode, Victoria sits down with Philadelphia-based artist, curator, and founder of Era Contemporary, Jessica Libor, to discuss the creation of her immersive exhibition She in the Tower, the power of storytelling and mythology in curatorial practice, and the importance of building intentional artistic worlds that extend beyond the artwork itself. Together, they also dive into their upcoming Brooklyn pop-up exhibition The Midnight Garden, exploring themes of transformation, intuition, beauty, wildness, and the subconscious, while reflecting on artistic ambition, defining success on your own terms, and the importance of protecting time for creative practice.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Jessica’s immersive exhibition She in the Tower and her process for curating experiential exhibitions
2. The themes behind The Midnight Garden and how mythology, intuition, and transformation inform the exhibition
3. Creating artistic “worlds” through atmosphere, installation, storytelling, and community
4. Defining success on your own terms and building a sustainable creative life
5. Protecting creative time, setting boundaries, and staying focused on long-term artistic goals

Jessica Libor is a Philadelphia-based visual artist, curator, and founder/director of Era Contemporary. Through richly imagined figurative paintings, her work explores themes of feminine identity, storytelling, and personal mythology. Alongside her studio practice, Libor has curated a wide range of exhibitions through Era Contemporary, supporting artists working in imaginative and contemporary realism while creating immersive, thoughtfully curated experiences that foster visibility, connection, and dialogue within the arts community.

Website: jessicalibor.com / eracontemporary.com

IG: @jessicalibor / @eracontemporary
Submit to The Midnight Garden by May 31, 2026: visionaryartcollective.com/the-midnight-garden
Submit to Lucent Waters by June 19, 2026: eracontemporary.com/open-call-guidelines

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Victoria reflects on grief, artistic evolution, and the courage it takes to create work that feels emotionally honest. Following the unexpected loss of her aunt, she shares how grief has shifted her perspective on time, creativity, emotional capacity, and the importance of making work that feels true rather than simply safe. The episode explores fear, vulnerability, creative growth, boundaries, and what it means to trust yourself as your work begins to change and evolve.

To learn more about Victoria's 1:1 Mentorship Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To access Victoria's signature Artist Statement & Bio workshop:
visionaryartcollective.com/artist-statement-bio-workshop

To enroll in The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City–based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine, and Warnes Contemporary. She has supported thousands of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Discover how meditation can deepen artistic practice, enhance emotional resilience, and foster authentic connections, as shared by visual artist Karen Fitzgerald. This episode explores the intersection of mindfulness and creativity, highlighting real stories and practical insights.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Karen’s journey into meditation and its impact on her art and personal life
2. How meditation fuels clarity, courage, and authenticity in creative work
3. Introducing Studio Contemporary: a new platform connecting artists with collectors through studio visits
4. The significance of values, intentionality, and community in artistic growth

Karen Fitzgerald is an artist living in Maryland who is collected by individuals and institutions, exhibits here and there, and occasionally gets recognized for her efforts.  She spends her days speaking up and sharing her creative process with the public through her studio in Alexandria, Virginia.  With the aim of making art and artists a more substantive part of our world, Karen founded studio contemporary (studio C) in 2026, a platform that directly connects collectors with art they love by inviting them into artists’ studios. 

Website: karenfitzgeraldart.com

IG: @karen.fitzgerald.art

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Victoria shares an update on her 30 day drawing challenge and how consistent, daily “warm ups” have created more flow in her practice. She explores the importance of boundaries, how they differ from walls, and why they’re essential for protecting creative energy while still allowing connection. Victoria also reflects on her own boundaries and encourages artists to communicate them clearly, allowing for greater consistency, confidence, and long term growth.

To learn more about Victoria's 1:1 Mentorship Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To access Victoria's signature Artist Statement & Bio workshop:
visionaryartcollective.com/artist-statement-bio-workshop

To enroll in The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City–based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine, and Warnes Contemporary. She has supported thousands of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter