Mexican artist Yahel Yan is known for painting in two distinct styles, both of which are equally meaningful to her. In this episode, Yahel discusses her passion for abstract and representational painting, and encourages artists to make work that feels authentic and aligned.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Why Yahel is so passionate about community and uplifting fellow artists.

2. The inspiration behind Yahel’s chair paintings, a series that has developed over the course of many years.

3. What led to Yahel to pursue abstract painting in addition to working representationally, and the benefits that come with working in two different styles.

Be sure to attend the opening reception for Yahel’s solo exhibition on May 11, 2024 from 5-8pm at FIVEart Studio & Gallery in San Diego.

About Yahel -

Yahel Yan is a San Diego-based Mexican painter exploring the relationship between color and emotion. Frequently attending museums and galleries, Yan was exposed to art from an early age and always knew that she wanted to become a visual artist. She jokes she was born with a crayon in her hand. These childhood experiences of being immersed in the rich, vibrant culture of Mexico continue to impact Yan’s work today. In her abstract and representational work, she explores the relationship between color, imagination, emotion, and memory.

Yan received her undergraduate degree in graphic design from Universidad Del Nuevo Mundo. With a love for both painting and printmaking, she began her career as a professional artist in 2019. Yan has since been selected for solo and group exhibitions throughout California, including From the Masters at Ashton Gallery, Artist Alliance Biennial at Oceanside Museum of Art, and Not an Art Fair (National Show) at ShockBoxx, amongst others. Additionally, she received an award of third place of excellence from the San Diego Museum of Art’s 2022 online International Spring Exhibition and was selected to be part of Jen Tough’s Collective in 2023. Yan paints from her home as well as her studio space located at F1VE ART in Liberty Station.

Website: yahelyan.com

IG: @yahel.yan.art

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Join us as we explore the inspiring journey of NYC-based artist and independent curator, Christina Massey. From her origins in a small Californian town to the bustling art scene of New York City, Christina shares the compelling evolution of her career while offering valuable insights and advice for our listeners.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. What inspired Christina to move to New York City after graduating from art school.

2. How Christina’s work evolved from painting to sculpture, and why she began using repurposed materials in her work.

3. Essential advice for emerging artists who are ready to increase visibility and find opportunities for their work.

4. The story behind Chrsitina’s work as an independent curator and why she’s so passionate about curating in addition to her career as a visual artist.

About Christina -

Massey’s work has won several awards including a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant, Brooklyn Arts Fund Grants, an FST StudioProject Fund Grant, SIP Fellowship at the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and a Puffin Foundation Grant. She is currently an artist-in-residence at Art Cake, with exhibitions on view at the MOCA-LI and MAPSpace gallery. Massey is the founder of WoArt, a platform highlighting the work of contemporary female identifying artists. Her independent curatorial projects have shown at such locations as the Court Tree Collective, C24 Gallery, Pelham Art Center, BioBAT Artspace, Space776 Gallery and the Hunterdon Museum.

Website: cmasseyart.com

IG: @cmasseyart + @woartblog

For over a decade, Shannon Sorensen of iTransport4u has worked with artists to help them deliver their artwork to a wide range of locations, including galleries, museums, and collectors' homes. In this episode, Shannon shares the importance of getting your artwork delivered in a way that’s safe and reliable.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Why Shannon is so passionate about helping artists pack and ship their work.

2. How iTransport4u has evolved since it began in the late 90’s.

3. What you can do to ensure your work arrives securely at its destination.

About iTransport4u -

iTransport4u is a family owned & operated Fine Art Transportation & Services company. Proudly serving Artists, Galleries, Museums & Private Collectors throughout the Lower 48 States for 25 years!

Offering our very own Pro-Corners for your ‘Soft-Pack’ solutions!

Save your time and money with iTransport4u’s ’Soft-Pack’ requirements!

Inquire about our services or submit your quote request online a iTransport4u.com

IG: @itransport4u

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

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Victoria shares key information about her signature 12-week course for artists, The Artist Glow Up Program, as well as her monthly community membership. Early enrollment is currently open for The Artist Glow Up Program! Get over 20% off by enrolling early. To register, visit visionaryartcollective.com/glowup-private

To learn more about The Visionary Community, visit visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-waitlist

About Victoria:

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City-based painter, educator, curator, and the founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine and Warnes Contemporary Gallery. Since launching VAC in 2020, Fry has worked with over 300+ artists to help them advance their art careers. As part of her mission to increase visibility for artists, she partners up with top curators and gallerists to facilitate virtual and in-person exhibitions. Additionally, Fry has been a guest speaker for the Women’s Caucus of Art in Washington D.C, Superfine Art Fair in NYC, Photo Trouvée Magazine, The Art Queens Society, and Huron River Art Collective. She has curated exhibitions for Create! Magazine, Arts to Hearts Project, The Artful Collective, and recently served as a juror for Women’s United Art Prize. She hosts the New Visionary Podcast. Fry obtained her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2012 and her MAT from Maine College of Art in 2014.

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Sculptor Dan Lam shares meaningful insights she’s learned while building her career as a full-time artist. From developing vibrant, drippy sculptures to securing major exhibitions and building an international following on social media, Dan continues to show us what's possible.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. How Dan’s work evolved from painting to sculpture, and what helped her to develop her artistic voice.

2. The moment Dan knew it was time to take a leap of faith and pursue an art career full-time.

3. Why it's so important to create without judgment and to continue trusting yourself.

About Dan -

Instagram sensation Dan Lam’s tactile, technicolor sculptures use unconventional materials to playfully tread a line between allure and repulsion. Made of painted polyurethane foam and often covered in spikes, her blob-like pieces that appear to melt and drip have brought Lam hordes of social media fans. Lam began experimenting with the possibilities of foam after receiving her MFA from Arizona State University, and she has continued to test its limits by scaling up. While her pieces appear otherworldly, Lam steadily draws inspiration from the everyday, taking cues from nature and the human body.

Website: bydanlam.com

IG: @sopopomo

Join us for an inspiring discussion about the benefits of creating your own art show! With years of expertise in the art world, Ekaterina Popova and Gita Joshi launched a dynamic online program to provide artists with the tools to design and launch self-directed exhibitions. Here’s what we discuss:

1. The importance of advocating for yourself as an artist and thinking outside of the box when it comes to increasing visibility for your work.

2. The mindset shift that happens when you decide to take your art career into your own hands.

3. How creating your own show can help you to cultivate organic connections in your community and beyond.

Enroll in Kat and Gita’s program by visiting yourownartshow.com

About Ekaterina Popova -

Ekaterina Popova is an acclaimed artist born in Russia, globally recognized for her contemporary oil paintings of interiors and landscapes. With a Bachelor's in Fine Art from Kutztown University earned in 2011, Ekaterina has since been showcasing her work on an international scale, solidifying her place in the global art community.

Her explorations of mood, emotion, and themes of home and belonging are influenced by post-impressionism, fauvism, and magical realism. These influences have guided her decade-long examination of home, place, and identity.

Internationally exhibited, her work graces galleries from Cohle Gallery in Paris and Menorca to The Painting Center in New York, along with James Oliver Gallery, Decorazon Gallery, Affordable Art Fair, Art Miami Fairs, The Trenton City Museum, Paradigm Gallery, Delaware Contemporary, The Boxheart Gallery, A.I.R. Gallery, and more.

Her art and journey have been highlighted in numerous blogs and publications, earning features in Colossal, Beautiful Bizarre, American Art Collector, The Jealous Curator, DPI Magazine, Friend of The Artist, Iceview, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Popova attended residencies at Centre Pompadour in Abbeville, France, NES Residency in Iceland, and the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece. Her studio is located at 1241 Carpenter Street Studios in Philadelphia. She is also the founder of Create! Magazine, Art Queens and the host of Art & Cocktails Podcast. She co-authored two books, The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook.

Website: katerinapopova.com

IG: @katerinaspopova

About Gita Joshi -

Gita Joshi is a London-based independent curator, an award winning art dealer, and the host of The Curator’s Salon - a podcast and website focussing on the art world with advice for early and mid career artists. She has an art history background and trained in curating at Central St Martins before opening her own gallery, Orso Major, in Central London (2013-2016). Gita has produced artists open studio programs, worked with arts charities, organized open exhibitions, been a juror for art competitions and curated exhibitions in business spaces as well as within the gallery context.

She works as an artist coach supporting artists to establish their careers and paint their own profitable path. She has curated over 30 exhibitions and her first virtual exhibition opened in April 2020. In May 2021, Gita published Art Seen Magazine. Gita is the author of the bestselling book, Show Your Art: How to build an art career without a Gallery.

Website: thecuratorssalon.com

IG: @thegitajoshi

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Victoria shares a powerful reminder that showing up for your artistic practice is one of the highest forms of self-love. Topics include: the importance of valuing our creative ideas, navigating fear in the studio, and learning to work through those tough moments that every artist experiences.

To learn more about working with Victoria, visit visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

About Victoria:

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City-based painter, educator, curator, and the founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine and Warnes Contemporary Gallery. Since launching VAC in 2020, Fry has worked with over 300+ artists to help them advance their art careers. As part of her mission to increase visibility for artists, she partners up with top curators and gallerists to facilitate virtual and in-person exhibitions. Additionally, Fry has been a guest speaker for the Women’s Caucus of Art in Washington D.C, Superfine Art Fair in NYC, Photo Trouvée Magazine, The Art Queens Society, and Huron River Art Collective. She has curated exhibitions for Create! Magazine, Arts to Hearts Project, The Artful Collective, and recently served as a juror for Women’s United Art Prize. She hosts the New Visionary Podcast. Fry obtained her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2012 and her MAT from Maine College of Art in 2014.

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

NYC-based photographer Shweta Bist shares valuable insights for staying grounded and reconnecting to your creative work. Here’s what we discuss:

1. Shweta’s journey as a photographer and why she’s so passionate about empowering women through her work.

2. The importance of taking time to rest and implement daily mindful strategies, especially during busy seasons.

3. How the Mother Creatix Collective was born and the beauty that comes from being part of a supportive community.

Join Shweta and members of the Mother Creatrix Collective, along with other amazing artists, for the opening reception of Mamma Needs a Raise on 3/24 from 3-5pm at Old Stone House in Brooklyn, NY.

About Shweta -

Shweta Bist is a South Asian American lens-based artist born in New Delhi, India and currently working and living in New York. Inspired by personal narratives, her photographic work is an exploration of maternal subjectivity.

With an interest in psychology and philosophy, Shweta uses metaphors of color, poetry, and symbolisms from nature and art history to explore identity, memories, perception, and emotions from a maternal and feminist perspective.

In addition to exhibitions in the United States, Canada, and the UK, Shweta has made presentations at academic and art conferences on motherhood studies in the US and UK. She is an artist mentor with Spilt Milk Gallery, Edinburgh, and is a co-founder of Mother Creatrix Collective, a collective that supports the work of artist-mothers by creating exhibition opportunities for its members.

Website: shwetabist.com

IG: @shweta.photo

Additional links –

A recent interview with Bold Journey Magazine

boldjourney.com/meet-shweta-bist/

Give & Take: Motherhood and Creative Practice, Published by Demeter Press

demeterpress.org/books/give-and-take-motherhood-and-creative-practice/

Exhibition details for MAMA NEEDS A RAISE!: Toward a 'Utopian' Care Economy

theoldstonehouse.org/mama-needs-a-raise-virtual-tour/

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter