Want to get your art into a gallery? Stop cold calling, stop mass emailing, and stop walking in with your portfolio. I've been on the other side of the gallery desk for over 20 years, and in this video I'll show you what actually works. Galleries don't say yes to strangers. They say yes to artists they already know. In fact, when Artsy asked 886 gallery professionals how they discover new artists, the top answer was through other artists (51%), followed by Instagram (44%). Both of those doors are in your hands. I call it the Gallery Trust Triangle: 🔺 RESEARCH: find the right gallery, and follow the rules they post 🔺 RELATIONSHIP: get known before you ask, with warm introductions and first visits 🔺 RESPECT: send less, follow up once, and protect the bridge ⭐ At the center: by the time you ask, they already know your name

🎨 JOIN THE ART NXT LEVEL PROGRAM Most programs teach you about galleries. Ours is connected to one. Get weekly live sessions with me and Dr. Yanina Gomez, a community...

Your prices should grow with your career. But for most artists, the price tag hasn't moved in years, because they're afraid collectors will walk away. In this video I'll show you exactly when to raise your art prices, how much to raise them, and how to tell your collectors so they stay with you. Done right, a price increase can even make your collectors happier. I call it the Price Growth Triangle: 🔺 WHEN: read the signals and raise 10 to 20 percent at a time 🔺 WHERE: one price everywhere your work is sold 🔺 WHO: who hears first, your galleries and then your collectors ⭐ At the center, YOUR VALUE: the confidence and experience behind every price You'll also get three quick exercises: count your signals, reprice three pieces, and plan your announcement. There's also a simple early-access email you can copy. 🎨 JOIN THE ART NXT LEVEL PROGRAM Get step-by-step art business courses, a weekly live Q&A with me, a community of artists, and real opportunities to exhibit with 33 Contemporary Gall...

Watch this artist talk featuring Guillermo Bublik to see how he blends science and computer simulations into his work. This session offers a look into the creative process of Guillermo Bublik, an Argentinian-American painter. Throughout the presentation, he shares slides of his artwork, explaining how he incorporates themes of science and computer simulations to build his unique visual language. You will hear about his upcoming art residency in Buenos Aires scheduled for April 2026. Whether you are interested in contemporary painting or want to understand how artists find inspiration in digital technology, this discussion provides a clear look at his methodology and future projects. Visit Guillermo Bublik online at: https://www.guillermobublikartist.com Subscribe for weekly professional art career insights, and tell me in the comments: what role does technology play in your own creative practice? Take your art career to the next level at https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/

Master the art business basics to increase your take-home pay. Compare gallery versus studio sales to boost your bottom line. Many artists struggle because they confuse revenue with profit. This video breaks down the difference between fixed and variable costs so you can accurately track your margins. We look at a real-world comparison of selling a 2,000 dollar painting through a gallery versus selling directly from your studio, highlighting how those decisions impact your artist profit. Beyond expenses, we discuss how to structure your pricing artwork strategy effectively. You will learn how to build a price ladder that caters to different types of collectors and explore various income streams to stabilize your career. Mastering the business side is just as important as the time you spend at the easel when it comes to selling art successfully. 🎨 Ready to build an art business that sustains itself? Join the Art NXT Level Academy for coaching, community and step-by-step guidance: https:...

Want to quit your day job and become a full-time artist? I worked day jobs for 20 years, including 13 as a tenured college professor, before I left in 2018 to make art full time. In this video I share the 3 essentials that made the transition possible. You'll learn:

• How to overcome the mindset blocks that keep artists stuck ("I'm not a real artist", "I don't have time", "It's too late for me")
• The 3-question reframe exercise to change the story you tell yourself
• How to use time-blocking to protect your studio time while working a 9-to-5
• A simple weekly studio workflow: 3 goals, personal deadlines, accountability
• Relationship-first art marketing: how to build collectors and champions who sell your work by word of mouth

Comment below: on a scale of 1 to 10, how close are you to making art your main focus?

Ready to go deeper? Join the Art NXT Level Academy, where artists get a clear roadmap, community and accountability: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com 

It's Never Too Late to Become a Professional Artist: The Sculptural Journey of Maria Wickwire

Is it ever too late to pursue your dreams of becoming a professional artist? Absolutely not.

In this artist talk, we sit down with sculptor Maria Wickwire to explore her journey into the world of professional sculpture and the experiences that shaped her artistic practice.

What makes Maria's story especially inspiring is that she began her sculptural journey in midlife. Her experience reminds us that an artistic career doesn't have to follow a particular timeline. There is no single path or perfect age to begin developing a serious art practice.

During our conversation, Maria shares the personal story behind her work, the creative inspiration that drives her, and how her practice has evolved over time. She offers an honest look at what it means to pursue art with dedication, curiosity, and persistence.

Building a Meaningful Art Career

Every artist's journey is different. Some begin pu...

Explore the Ballet Series from artist Leonard Gabriel, a new contemporary painting series reflecting on a transformative artist residency in Italy. This collection of 10 works, created between January and July 2025, captures the evolution of Leonard's studio practice.

He walks you through the specific choices made during the painting process, focusing on how he approaches surface and depth. We look at the conceptual framework behind these pieces, specifically the idea of pentimento and the decision to leave sketch lines visible. Understanding how to refine these elements can help you find clarity in your own work. 

Visti Leonard's website at https://www.leonardgabriel.com 

This Artist Talk was presented by The Artist Next Level program with Sergio Gomez.

 Let’s talk about the topic most artists would rather avoid: MONEY.

You can be an incredible artist and still struggle financially if you don’t understand the business side of your career.

In this week’s episode of the Artist Next Level Podcast, I’m joined by Amber Reusch, CPA, entrepreneur, working artist, and founder of Dots & Digits Accounting.

We dive into some of the biggest financial mistakes Amber sees artists making today. But here's the big takeaway:

Understanding your numbers isn't about restriction. It's about freedom.

When you know what your art business actually costs, what you're earning, where your money is going, and what you need to charge, you can make better decisions—and build a career that actually supports the life you want.

🎧 Listen to the new episode of Artist Next Level and let's stop being afraid of the money side of being an artist.

Your art deserves a sustainable business behind it.

Episode Links: 
Instagram, TikTok: @dotsanddigitsaccounting
Website...

Margaret Johnson had been carrying a vision for 25 years — large-scale botanical paintings that brought together her childhood love of nature, her training at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and her roots as an expressive, intuitive painter. This episode is the story of how that vision finally came to life in Emergence, her solo exhibition at The Canyons Gallery at Frasier Meadows in Boulder, Colorado, curated through the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

We talk about what it really takes to say yes to the biggest show of your career — including how Margaret worked through her inner critic, built a month-by-month studio schedule, and used a strategic marketing plan that included personal invitations to key contacts in the art world. One of those personal invitations led directly to a new opportunity to place her work. That story alone is worth the listen.

We also go deep on what it means to work with a curator who helps you see the threads in your own work across 25 years, the unex...

Episode 400. It's hard to believe, but here we are.

This milestone episode was recorded live aboard the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady during the Cruise for Creatives 2026 — and it is one of the most meaningful episodes I have ever made.

Instead of a solo reflection or a single interview, I went around the ship and asked the artists who joined us one simple but powerful question: What is the power of art to you?

Each artist answered independently. No group circle, no shared answers in advance. And what came back was a beautiful tapestry of perspectives from painters, photographers, a physician, a psychologist, a children's book author, a wellness coach, and artists from Florida, Canada, the Bahamas, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

In this episode you will hear from Barbara Gerdemann, Shirley Williams, Francine Sweet, Dr. Kevin Bethel, Keith Davidson, Mary Davidson, Richard Hershberger, and Dr. Yanina Gomez — each sharing what the power of art means to them personally.

I also share ...