OCT - NOV 2019
ARTISTS MINDING THEIR BUSINESS EXHIBITION DOCUMENTATION WILLIS SMITH GALLERY
EMILY FRITZ & JULIANA REOLON PEREIRA
BUSINESS OF ART & DESIGN
PROJECT TEAM JULIANA REOLON PEREIRA
Exhibition Coordinator
EMILY FRITZ
Exhibition Coordinator
KATHLEEN SOBR
BOAD Department Head
CURATOR Lucas Spivey
CONTENTS
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OPENING NIGHT
EVENT SERIES
CLOSING
Strategy
Turnout
Hell Cats USA
Closing Statement
Exhibition Design
Materials
Future Founders Map
Le’Andra LeSeur
Thank You’s
Event Schedule
Social Media
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CURATOR’S STATEMENT
SHOW DETAILS
MARKETING
Show Statement
Artist Line Up
Show Objectives
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Bryce McCloud Student Impact
CURATOR’S STATEMENT “In every city, in studios, basements, storefronts, and street corners, millions of creators press onward to launch and lead their own businesses. Whether you call yourself an actor, an architect, an author, or an artist, what are the shared milestones in every creator’s life?” Lucas Spivey, BFA/MBA Founder, Culture Hustlers Curator, Artists Minding Their Business In 2016, Spivey set out to answer this question. He built a “Mobile Incubator,” a solar-powered documentary studio, and hit the road. His quest was to know the true story of the next generation of American artists. It’s taken him to all 50 states, and placed him in front of thousands of creators, from moon-lighters and side-hustlers to fully self-employed and serial entrepreneurs. Artists Minding Their Business showcases people Spivey met along this 30,000mile voyage. They prove that independent artists can be savvy entrepreneurs, finding success by adapting to new technology, crafting authentic brands, and using creative financing, much like anyone trying to get ahead in any industry. Thank you to Lucas Spivey for helping us show the world that art schools can, and should, teach business – and that we can do it best. The Business Department. Ringling College of Art and Design @RinglingBusiness 1
SHOW STATEMENT
OBJECTIVES
How do you go from creative spark to creative business? An interactive multimedia exhibition and event series, Artists Minding Their Business takes us on the evolution from making art to making a living. Ringling’s Business of Art & Design Department and founder of Culture Hustlers, Lucas Spivey (BFA/MBA) have curated the Willis Smith Gallery into a thrilling showcase of the entrepreneurial journey. Inside interactive installations, visiting artists and creative entrepreneurs swap inspiring stories and provide visitors with practical advice.
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Educate students on successful business practices in art - driven careers
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Champion students by encouraging their inner entreprenuer
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Drive awareness and interest of the Business of Art & Design major and minor
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SHOW DETAILS 3
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ARTIST LINEUP
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LE’ANDRA LESEUR
HELL CATS USA
HANNAH COLE
BRYCE MCCLOUD
ROSEMARIE WILSON
BLAKE MCFARLAND
CHEF KIMBERLY
DIEGO ORLANDINI
2018 Artprize winning artist and filmmaker, Jersey City, NJ
Brittany Reagan & Clark Orr, Cofounders of Hellcats USA, Orlando FL
Painter and founder of Sunlight Tax, Asheville NC
Public artist and founder of Isle of Printing, Nashville TN
Poet, singer and author AKA One Single Rose, Detroit MI
Retired Blue Jays pitcher turned recycled materials sculptor, San Jose CA
Artisan food producer of pickles and preserves, Madison, WI
Founder of Aimful Media & street art coloring books, Buenos Aires, ARG
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SHOW DESIGN
SOUTH WALL FEATURED ARTISTS: Rosemarie Wilson Diego Orlandini
TITLE WALL FEATURED: Show Statement Curator’s Statement Interactive Map
WEST WALL FEATURED: Chef Kimberly Hell Cats USA Hannah Cole
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SCHEDULE OPENING NIGHT OCT. 18
HELLCATS USA ARTIST TALK + POP UP
PHASE 01: PLANNING
AUGUST
PHASE 04: POST PRODUCTION
SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
PHASE 02: MARKETING PHASE 03: IMPLEMENTATION
BUSINESS MIXER
STUDENT ACTIVATION OCT. 9
ARTIST TALK + WORKSHOP NOV. 6
ARTIST TALK + POP UP OCT. 23
RESPONSIBILITIES
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BRYCE MCCLOUD
HANNAH COLE
PHASE 01: PLANNING
PHASE 02: MARKETING
PHASE 03: IMPLEMENTATION
PHASE 04: POST PRODUCTION
1. Conceptualize Theme
1. Conceptualize Theme
1. Distribute Marketing Materials (posters, vinyl quotes)
1. Schedule Student Interviews
2. Research Founders
2. Research Treatment References
2. Hang Show Schedule & Artist Posters
2. Record Student Interviews
3. Coordinate Agreements & Contracts
3. Develop Color Palette
3. Roll Out Social Media Campaign
3. Organize all event assets
4. Analyze Gallery for Opportunities
4. Develop Campaign Tone
4. Arrange Opening Night Details (catering, music)
4. Write Video Scripts
5. Source Materials
5. Source Needed Assets
5. Hire ART Network to document events
5. Source Treatment References, Music, etc.
6. Design Show Space
6. Produce Content Timeline
6. Word-of-Mouth Marketing to students
6. Cut together Sizzle Reel
7. Marketing Research
7. Identify Channels
7. Quality Control
7. Arrange Sound Studio Appt. for Voiceover
8. Define Marketing Strategy
8. Initiate Campaign Roll Out
8. Post-Event Interviews with Founders
8. Cut togther BTS video
9. Source Marketing Materials
9. Design Vinyl Quotes
9. Begin Pulling Student Feedback
9. Edit Title Sequence, Credits, etc.
10. Plan Event Schedule
10. Order & Cut all Vinyl
10. Prepare for Show Close / Post-Production
10. Send to Kathleen for feedback and revise
SHOW CLOSE NOV. 20
LE’ANDRA LESEUR ARTIST TALK + WORKSHOP OCT. 30
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MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND STUDENT IMPACT
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STRATEGY Utilize campus resources to design, cut and distribute vinyl quotes that empower students and remind them of their inner boss. The main objective? Spread interest and awareness for Artists Minding Their Business and the Business Department through bold, unconventional messaging.
PREP
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EXECUTION
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MARKETING FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARTISTS MINDING THEIR BUSINESS AN INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA EXHIBITION AND EVENT SERIES
Dates: Oct 18th - Nov 20th Location: Willis Smith Gallery Ringling College, Sarasota, FL - Artists Minding Their Business takes us on the evolution from making art to making a living. Ringling’s Business of Art & Design Department and founder of Culture Hustlers, Lucas Spivey (BFA/MBA) have curated the Willis Smith Gallery into a thrilling showcase of the entrepreneurial journey. Inside immersive installations, visiting founders and creative entrepreneurs swap inspiring stories and provide visitors with practical advice.
Visiting Artists: Hellcats USA - Production Studio, Orlando, FL | Oct. 18th Le’Andra LeSeur - Interdisciplinary Artist, Jersey City, NJ | Oct. 30th Bryce MCCloud - Visual Artist, Nashville, TN | Nov. 6th
Featured Artists: Hannah Cole - Sunlight Tax, Asheville, NC | Oct 18 - Nov 20th Diego Orlandini- Visual Artist, Miami, FL | Oct 18 - Nov 20th Rosemarie Wilson - Poet, Detroit, MI | Oct 18 - Nov 20th Chef Kimberly - Artisan Food Chef, Baraboo, WI | Oct 18 - Nov 20th Lucas Spivey - Culture Hustlers Founder, Boston, MA | Oct 18 - Nov 20th
ARTIST POSTERS
SHOW SCHEDULE
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Kathleen Sobr Business of Art & Design Department Head (941) 309-4069 ksobr@c.ringling.edu www.ringlingcollege.com/galleries
PRESS RELEASE
Ringling College of Art & Design Willis Smith Gallery 2700 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, Fl 34234
SHOW POSTER 16
SOCIAL MEDIA
180+ GAINED IG FOLLOWERS
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EVENT RESPONSES
200+
3,184+ FACEBOOK IMPRESSIONS
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OPENING NIGHT 19
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300+
TURNOUT ON OPENING NIGHT
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FUTURE FOUNDERS MAP One of our favorite elements of the show were two interactive vinyl maps. We encouraged guests to take a polaroid of themselves and place them anywhere on the map that is special to them --- somewhere they’ve visited, at a past or present home, or where they dream of starting a business someday.
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EVENT SERIES ARTIST PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS, AND INTERVIEWS
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HELL CATS USA ARTIST TALK & POP UP SHOP
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HELL CATS USA POST EVENT INTERVIEW TELL US ABOUT YOUR BRAND. B: When people ask what HellCats is, we
describe it as “it is a little dark, but also positive, and cute” so our motto is: “Let’s get dark together.”
C: We are a little tough and fun, but at the end of the day, we are a product-base brand that makes art prints, home goods, apparel and paper goods.
TELL US ABOUT TRANSITIONING FROM FREELANCE ARTISTS TO SELF-MADE CEO’S. Orlando, FL hellcatsusa.com @hellcatsusa Hellcats USA is a wife and husband collaboration between Brittany Reagan and Clark Orr. As owners of individual businesses - Brittany as an apparel designer and Clark as a graphic designer - they wanted to find a way to put our talents together and work on something new. Hellcats is a cross-section of their own styles, ideas, and tastes put into product form. It’s a little dark, but not negative, and a little bit fun, but not overly cutesy. Just the right amount of “tough” with a pinch of “sparkle”. Their story demonstrates the importance of “founders fit” in a two person company.
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C: I’m still a freelance graphic designer. Ba-
sically, I just took a second job. So, timewise it is a struggle, trying to make time for both on a consistent basis. When they are both busy, it is insane. When one is more busy than the other, it is manageable. But at the end of the day, you gotta get done what you gotta get done. It often means I need to stay up a little later and get up a little earlier to work.
DO YOU THINK BUSINESS IS ESSENTIAL TO ARTISTS?
BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE RECIEVED?
B: It is good if you have a natural act for busi-
C: Start lean. I think that was probably the
ness but you don’t have to have a background in business to have a successful business. You can kinda learn as you go. When I started my first business before HellCats, I had no idea of what I was doing. But I figured it out as I’ve gone along and I feel like I learned that I do have a more natural ability for business. So then starting this business, it definitely helps but I think there’s a learning curve and anyone can do it and learn as they go.
C: Yeah, I think so. I mean, if you’re trying
to sell your art, for sure. I mean, some artists are fine without that. The part that we kinda reverse engineered it is that we are artists that were looking to sell a product, versus artists who made something and then wanted to sell it. So we are coming at it from a different angle than a gallery artist or a fine artist. It is hard to compare. It seems like there is also a little bit of unspoken tension between making money off of art because in some ways it demeans the value for the people. Why can’t we release a product that we take directly to the consumer, to our audience, and we’re making all the money, you know what I mean. Like, It should be more of that.
first thing we did. We knew that we wanted to put a set amount of cash towards product and we raised that through crowdsourcing. So, instead of taking money out of the bank or putting it on a credit card, we actually outsourced it through Kickstarter. That made it to where it was low risk on the front end if a product didn’t work out, at least we would make our money back and it wasn’t even our money, I guess. It was kinda gifted to us. The best thing I can say is start lean, you don’t need to go broke working on your ideas. Start one or two small ideas instead of getting out a loan for what you are doing. We’ve never gotten a loan for our business, we’ve never used a creditcard for our business. Everything has been purchased with cash.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS? B: Having lots of money. No, that’s not it. I
feel like we are successful if we are being fulfilled by what we are making and we feel like our brand is what we’ve wanted it to be and a representation of who we are... and then making lots of money.
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LE’ANDRA LESEUR ARTIST PRESENTATION & WORKSHOP
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LE’ANDRA LESEUR POST EVENT INTERVIEW TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. I identify as an interdisciplinary artist. Basically my work, I always start it off saying that it deals with identity, thinking about the ways in which I can express all the feelings I have surrounding my blackness, womanhood and queerness and how those all coincide. So I like to create spaces with installation work, video work, performance work where I can invite the view to have time to reflect on what those identities mean for me and how they perceive those identities within the spaces I create.
Jersey city, NJ lleseur.com @ellechien Le’Andra LeSeur is an interdisciplinary artist exploring black identity informed by the effects that regulated systems of oppression have on black women, specifically. Through visual media, installation, and performance, she reclaims and dismantles stereotypes surrounding black female identity through the reworking of conventional art forms and mundane objects. After winning a $5,000 grant during ArtPrize 9, Le’Andra strategically funded and bootstrapped her film and performance piece, “brown, carmine, and blue”, which won the juror’s award of $200,000 in ArtPrize 10. With her BA in Business and a BFA in Photography, Le’Andra uses financial savvy in service to her personal, artistic work on identity.
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HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR WORK? I’ve always had trouble with how I explain my work but recently I have been focusing on my work as it being a love letter to myself. So, everytime I start on a project, I think about what the project means for me and also think about how I want to literally invoke all the feelings I want to get out of it and to the space I am creating. So literally my work has become a process of reflection, a process of creating through that reflection and a process of resolving any issues within myself and allowing that to become a vulnerable way of connecting with other people.
HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS DEGREE AIDED YOUR CAREER? I’ve been thinking about the investments that I’ve made within my art. As a business major, you always think about business models and how there are risks that you have to take to make sure your business is successful. And those risks are calculated risks, sometimes they may fail but at the end of the day, if you continue on, there is a bigger picture that you are looking at. So, within my art, I’ve always thought about that. I had a lot of times where I failed, like projects didn’t go as I wanted them to, I’ve lost money on investments but it was a part of the process for me to get to the big picture of understanding where I need to be, how I need to fix those errors and actually create something that was what I wanted it to be. And I think that was me taking those calculated risks with my work and making sure that yes, I am making an investment and yes this investment may fail, but at the end of the day, this investment is gonna help me get me to the next step, which then will help me get to the next step and just continue going. It is all about this process. And I think a lot of times people think with art it’s all or nothing. Like, either you make it or you don’t. But for me I think it is about, you know, as an artist you are a creator. You are creating, you’re going through this process of creating, so it doesn’t matter if you make it, it just matters if you keep creating and you feel good about what you’re creating. So I think for me that was an important lesson in understanding the business aspect of it, but also understanding that it is ok to fail. That’s the main thing, it is ok to fail.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS? Success for me is just being able to do what I love everyday. You know, being able to kinda live comfortably but also being able to provide for other people and make sure that other people around me are also comfortable. Again, I know I have reached a good amount of success so far but for me that is just success on my end. So it’s like, how can I turn that around and make sure that people around me are also feeling that? Again, going back to the community aspect, I am really interested into turning my work from this individual perspective to a perspective where I can be out in the community and really activating these communities with art and allowing other people to realize that you don’t have to be a painter, you don’t have to be a sculptor, you don’t have to be good with your hands but you can use your mind and your creative power to make change and that alone is art.
ANY TIPS FOR STARVING ARTISTS? First advice is: you are not a starving artist, you don’t have to be. We kinda get into this mindset that as artists we can’t make money, it is not true at all. It is a matter of how we position ourselves. But I think it is really important to just really realize you have the capability and the power as any other artist who has made it in the mainstream and it’s like a big time artist. You are on that same level, you just have to believe that. Literally, believe in your work, believe on what you are capable of doing but also believe in the mindset that you can manifest anything that you dream of, and that includes making money as an artist.
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BRYCE MCCLOUD STAMP PORTRAITS WORKSHOP
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BRYCE MCCLOUD POST EVENT INTERVIEW TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. My name is Bryce McCloud and I run a place called Isle of Printing. It is a letterpress wonderland. We make all sorts of different things. These days, I guess I’ll say we just creatively solve problems, that can be anything from branding to building 16 foot tall golden robots.
GREATEST CHALLENGES OF BEING YOUR OWN BOSS? Nashville, TN isleofprinting.com @isleofprinting Found on a misty morning swaddled in a bespoke hand printed paper suit, Bryce McCloud has sought to do his family proud by manufacturing novelty letterpress ephemera and inflicting public art mayhem on the largest possi-
I think for me, it’s having a balance, because it’s really easy to just… if there is a problem or whatever, my solution is always to work more. But life isn’t only about working and at the end of your life, from watching the end of people’s lives, the work that we do is very important but friendships and family and that side of life is equally as important and you have to cultivate both. For me at least, I feel like that is such a challenge for me. And I also think that treating it as a business, actually paying yourself can be hard too.
ble audience allowed by the laws of nature. Through Isle of Printing, he designs and builds combinations of letterpress, laser cutting, print, and public art. Inspired by over 20 years of long standing relationships in his Nashville community, both clients, fans, and friends, Bryce created a mobile currency exchange called “Bryce Bucks”, where the community could exchange “good deeds” and other acts of kindness to receive “Bryce Bucks”, an action Bryce calls “investing in kindness.”
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BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN? My dad was a traveling salesman and he was self-employed and I feel like he said to me “do something you love, because you’re going to be doing that a lot” and I think that that’s super important. The other thing I always remember is like “20% of the people won’t pay you”, so like, just deal with it.
DO YOU THINK BUSINESS IS ESSENTIAL TO ARTISTS?
FAVORITE PART OF YOUR WORK SPACE?
Hell yes. I feel like it’s the thing that hampers so many folks that try to do things. Me too. I feel like the impulse is try not to think about money but all the business stuff always comes up. If you don’t address it, it sends the project off the rails at some point. It is super important that you take care of it. It is also important to think of what to do as a business.
My workspace? That I have one haha. I mean, I know that sounds ridiculous, but I feel really lucky I’ve got a big space and I’ve been collecting tools for a long time and so now I just have all the stuff in one place, I can go in there and make almost anything that is in my head and that’s super exciting.
Money doesn’t motivate me but having the resources, being able to pay other people that help me is important to me. So, it all leads back to that, unfortunately, we live in a capitalistic society. Sometimes I feel like value is derived… if you don’t value yourself other people don’t value you. I don’t think that is true but I [believe] business is super important to art. I think it is one in the same.
WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED MORE OF?
If I could go back in time, that’s the thing I would tell the 20-year-old me: Go take some business classes. There are so many blind allies I’ve gone down and learned things the hard way because I didn’t have that knowledge.
Love. I mean, I feel like a broken record today but our mission is to invest in kindness and I really believe that’s true because I think love is a stronger power than hate, and it’s a creative force. And ultimately, that’s what we’re here doing. And I think sometimes it’s easier to follow a different path but if we look inside and actually be brave, that kindness is there and it leads to an overflowing and an abundance for more than just yourself.
WHAT DO YOU FIND VALUABLE ABOUT MAKING PUBLIC ART? Just the idea of art has a higher purpose than sort of making me happy. And I feel like creativity in general is the bond that brings all of us, individual souls, together. So I feel like in a way it creates community. And I feel like it’s kinda of incumbent on us all to prop eachother up to be the best that we can be.
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STUDENT IMPACT BECCA ILLUSTRATION, SENIOR
GRAPHIC DESIGN, JUNIOR
“I have big plans to start my own subscription box service for young girls. So I think the thing that sparked my interest in the Hell Cats presentation was the fact that they married their passions into something that would create something entirely new and unique.”
“The biggest takeaway I got from all of the events was a persepctive into how professionals in my field work, not only their success stories but how they work towards that success and the obstacles they overcome on the way.”
BEN
ALEX
VISUAL STUDIES, SENIOR
MOTION DESIGN, JUNIOR
“My work focuses on brand identity and strategy, so to see how these founders have taken their ideas and turned them into something bigger is so exciting to me and really special.”
“For me, Artists Minding Their Business showed all the ways business can interact with art, whether it’s marketing yourself or your products, there are all these paths to follow in the creative industry and optimizing business practices is so important.”
KYJAHANA
PETAR
BUSINESS OF ART & DESIGN, JUNIOR
“I was giving tours on preview day and I was encouraging prospective students to stop and see Artists Minding Their Business, like hey business is a thing at Ringling, we do things here, and to have an exhibit of what’s possible for artists through business was so helpful for them to see.” 39
CAIO
GRAPHIC DESIGN, JUNIOR
“I always thought the Business Department only brings in super business-y people, so to see someone like Bryce or Hell Cats come and show us how business and art are so intertwined, it was eye opening. Now I understand that you can’t have one without the other.” 40
CLOSING AND THANK YOU’S
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FEATURED ARTISTS
THANK YOU ALL. As two business students with no exhibition experience before this project, we needed all the help we could get. Thank you to every person who contributed their time, advice, and expertise to the show. We couldn’t have done it without each of you!
CHEF KIMBERLY
chefkclark.com @chefkclark BLAKE MCFARLAND
blakemcfarland.com @blakemcfarlandsculptures
DIEGO ORLANDINI KATHLEEN SOBR & MARI GARMEN
LUCAS SPIVEY
MARK ORMOND
BOAD Faculty
aimfulmedia.com
Curator
Previous RCAD Galleries Director
@aimfulbooks ROSEMARIE WILSON
onesinglerose.com @onesinglerose313 HANNAH COLE
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LE’ANDRA LESEUR
BRYCE MCCLOUD
BRITTANY REAGAN & CLARK ORR
sunlighttax.com
Visiting Artist
Visiting Artist
Visiting Artists
@hannah.cole.painter
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