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Do curators discover artists… or do artists create the opportunities to be discovered?
In this episode of The Professional Artist Podcast, figurative painter Alia El-Bermani is featured by the Professional Artist Association (
https://professionalartist.com/join), the world's fastest-growing global community for committed fine artists.
Alia's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Rather than waiting for opportunities to find her, she built a career by intentionally connecting with curators, staying in touch over time, and creating professional relationships that led to long-term collaborations.
In this deep dive, Alia shares what it actually takes to get on a curator's radar, why rejection is often the beginning of new opportunities, and how thoughtful outreach can grow into long-term professional relationships that shape a career.
“You need to continually find curators that will help support you and put you in places that you never even dreamed of.”
— Alia El-Bermani
Timestamps:
01:38 The Futures We Behold: Dreaming Beyond the Patriarchy
03:24 Income Streams and Studio Structure
06:38 Playing the Long Game: Career Advice to Her Younger Self
07:54 How to Get a Curator Into Your Studio
10:09 The First Outreach Email
11:10 Vessel: Grief, Loss, and the 2019 Solo Show
14:36 Applying for Grants
17:14 Hear Me: Community and Peer Support
Connect with Alia
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We are hosting a free 4-Day Challenge online to help artists like you get back on track.
Whether that’s making your next art show your best ever, designing a paid art workshop that is uniquely yours, or getting your artwork into the next right-fit gallery…
…this live, virtual, and interactive challenge will help get you get unstuck.
If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with another artist and leave us a review/comment. We read every single one.
What is The Professional Artist Podcast: Art Business Transformations?
If you want to make it in the art world, talent is key - but so is mastering the business side. The Professional Artist Podcast is where fine artists and commerce meet.
Co-hosts Miguel L. Mayher and Cristina Demiany guide visual artists through an audio gallery, exploring how to show and sell your art, land commissions, apply for artist grants, license your art, and much more.
This is where your art career begins to grow.
Miguel L. Mayher is the Director of Education at the Professional Artist Association. Previously, he worked with Google Arts & Culture, striking partnerships with national museums. He is also a Global Economic Symposium Young Fellow and a One Young World Ambassador.
Cristina Demiany is a Senior Art Business Coach at the Professional Artist Association. She formerly served as Senior Program Manager at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and as Executive Director of the National Children’s Chorus.
The Professional Artist Association is a global organization dedicated to providing real-world education for visual artists, including painters, sculptors, and fine art photographers.