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

🚀 YOUR ACTION

Pick one relationship you already have—maybe someone who expressed interest in your work, a curator you met once, or an artist in a different discipline—and 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.

🔶 Map out your follower's full journey from discovery to purchase: Follower —> Fan —>Buyer —> 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

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/visibility-belle

⭐️ Connect with La Vaughn and see more of her art: https://www.lavaughnbelle.com/

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

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⛰️ 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/