Artist Meg Black doesn’t wait for things to happen, she makes them happen. She has recently installed a major commission in the new edition of the town hall in Topsfield, MA, and is here to tell us all about the process from vision to reality. Meg shares with us how she got involved in the project, the research that went into it, and the hurdles she had to overcome in able to get it done both perfectly and on schedule. She now is a local celebrity due to her talent, and care for the community.
Meg’s commissioned pieces are wins for the community, as they employ local vendors, and simultaneously showcase the beauty and romance of Topsfield.
In this interview, you will hear Meg talk about:
The pivotal experience 20 years back where Meg was commissioned to do a painting for the Topsfield town library.
The story behind the special preserved and protected road that was recommended by locals to Meg as a great subject to paint. Meg called upon her “galaxy of artists” and decided to leave some of the windy road landscape to the viewer’s imagination.
How Meg’s idea of the Topsfield Town Hall addition project presented a challenge with no patron and no donor, and how she enlisted the perfect patron for this project.
The “10 Million Dollar” problem of the town hall project, and the feeling that Meg had of not wanting the beauty of the piece to become tainted by community politics.
The homework Meg did to fully understand and articulate the process of tax exemption when writing a letter to her potential donor.
The interesting release schedule Meg activated for her installation, which kept the town aware of the work but not completely in the know about who the donor was.
Meg’s dedication to seeing that the entirety of this project was kept local, including the printer, photographer, and the framer.
How the sales of the prints are divided up both in labor and earnings.
Why networking on LinkedIn is important for any artist looking for the next commercial opportunity.
What we can expect next from Meg, and a peek into the new commission she is very excited about.
Resources:
Quotes:
“I was afraid someone else would beat me to making the art. That’s what did it and got myself out there.” - Meg
“We need to speak the language of lay people, especially when we ask them for big sums of money.” - Meg
“When you find a donor for your artwork, the entity has to take care of that work and agree to take it on.” - Alyson
“I probably put about 500 hours for that painting. I was waking up at 3:30am every day.” - Meg
“Everything was in town.” - Meg
*** This episode is brought to you by the Art Biz Inner Circle. This is a group of unapologetically ambitious artists that my team and I work with for a year. We help our members with goals, mindset, business strategies, and focus. See ArtBizInnerCircle.com ***
