Today Morgan is joined by Meredith Winner, cofounder of the global, women-led arts production agency Building 180. Meredith also cofounded Paint the Void, which has covered over 150 boarded-up storefronts in San Francisco with murals from local artists. In this episode, Morgan and Meredith talk business, discussing Meredith’s hands-on consulting endeavors as well as the benefits of paying artists from a management standpoint. The artists share their experience on how to breathe life into public art, touching on the iterative and collaborative nature of murals and sculptures, as well as how hiring local artists creates pride and strength in the community.

In this episode, Morgan talks with Jolene Rose Russel, a Sacramento-based artist whose vibrant works have been featured in many local exhibitions and publications, and who has been commissioned for dozens of public and private works in Sacramento and the Bay Area. Morgan and Jolene talk about ways to protect your creativity from the roulette of validating/discouraging social media feedback, and moving towards incorporating social media in a balanced and helpful way. Morgan and Jolene also talk about the ebbs and flows of work, whether it's motivation during a project, seasonal variation in clients, or changing workflow over the years. Finally, Jolene and Morgan discuss the emerging field of AI and art—from using it to find inspiration to controversies in receiving credit and compensation in AI-generated art.

In this episode, Morgan interviews David Sobon, founder of the annual Sacramento mural festival Wide Open Walls. The festival brings in a range of local artists—many of whom have never painted a wall before—as well as international muralists, who collaborate to cover Sacramento businesses - now moving into schools as well - with their designs. Morgan and David talk about getting the program off the ground, the festival's biggest success stories, and how Wide Open Walls supports bringing more art to Sacramento through engaging local as well as international talent. Find David's Website at wideopenwalls.com David's Instagram: @dsaevents Evoke Arts on Instagram: @_evoke_arts_ - Mentioned Artists: - Maren Conrad: marenconrad.com Instagram: @marenconrad Raphael Delgado: randmframing.com Instagram: @artbyraphael Enchi Wang: enchiwang.com Instagram: @enchi.art Shane Grammer: shanegrammer.com Instagram: @shanegrammerarts

In this episode, Angela Anderson Adams shares nearly 3 decades of expertise as director of the public art program in Arlington, Virginia. Angela discusses the "arts ecosystem" in Arlington, especially how Arlington's grants program and nonprofit partnerships have helped fund the arts over the years. Angela and Morgan discuss murals as creating space for remembering history, as well as how murals have combined with architecture and transportation in Arlington to create an inviting urban environment.

Andre talks about how his alias Natty Rebel has influenced his professional career, and what the nickname means to him. He also shares how he balances painting what inspires him versus what’s in demand for commissions. Finally, Natty Rebel discusses what it means to be an Art Anthropologist, and how that connects to understanding and valuing the communities he paints for.

Kada and Morgan unpack parenting while being an artist, and how having kids has shaped their work and home life priorities. Kada shares how has grown her business by hiring marketing support, how she defines success for herself, and why she feels she owes a lot of her success to her hardships. Finally, Kada and Morgan discuss raising your minimum, even if it scares you!

In this episode, Paul and Morgan talk about collaborating with artists of different mediums to get a new perspective, as well as how Paul got motivated to create through difficult times. Paul also discusses how his diet and lifestyle have shaped who he is today, and how they help him keep creating quality art. Paul is a 20-year mural veteran with who has painted over 100 school murals in the San Jose area. You can find Paul at: www.pauljgonzalezartstudios.com Insta @PaulJGonzalezArtist FB: www.facebook.com/PaulJGonzalezArtStudios/

In this interview, Morgan and muralist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith dive into the Bay Area Mural Project, why murals are their chosen medium, and how the up-and-coming world of NFTs is changing traditional avenues of art. They also talk about the Wolfe Den, Rachel's new social creative space in Oakland.

"Protecting the joy and primacy of artmaking is an ongoing balancing act in the life of a professional artist" —Morgan Bricca In the final chapter of her book, Morgan dives into keeping the artist happy! She explains how her criteria for selecting projects keeps her artistically challenged and fulfilled, and how to protect the fun of artmaking.

"When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss money." —Oscar Wilde In Chapter 7, Morgan dives into her greatest area of expertise: making money making art. Morgan discusses questions such as: how much should I charge for a mural? Should I set a minimum? How much will I earn? She covers the basics of setting up your mural business and lists 5 things you should do this week to grow your business. Morgan talks about her art/business balance, why she always overbooks her mural schedule, and drawing the line between passion projects and working for free. Overall, this chapter explains why the "starving artist" model is unsustainable, and explains the duality of being an artist and a businessperson.

In Chapter 6, Morgan discusses art advocacy, finding public mural projects, and painting in public spaces. She introduces some of the practical and economic reasons for funding public mural art, and how to create an effective design in the face of community input that can stretch the artist thin. Finally, Morgan offers a case study that demonstrates the effectiveness of murals against graffiti and explains why varnishing to protect against taggers is often not necessary.

In Chapter 4, Morgan explains why residential murals are the best place to start for an aspiring mural artist. She outlines 5 main tips for successful private commissions, and details how to set effective boundaries and expectations with clients. Morgan also dives into the design process, incorporating client feedback (she feels her clients have the best ideas!) and how to avoid surprises on your finished product. In Chapter 5, Morgan talks about all aspects of school murals: funding, design, student engagement, and artist's rights. She offers two case studies of school spaces that have been transformed by artwork, and finally, explains why schools can be the most hesitant to approve project, but benefit the most from the artwork.

Morgan covers best practices for painting a mural, from materials, when to varnish, how to set up your space, to the physically demanding art of painting ceilings. Morgan also explains why you should buy top-of-the-line paint, what brands she recommends for different projects, and the "hidden skill" of mural painting.

"Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint" —Banksy In the first chapter of her audiobook, Morgan discusses the current mural renaissance, gives a lay of the "Wild West" of mural art, and explains how the reputation of murals is changing for the better. In the second chapter, Morgan tells the story of how she quit her IT job to start painting murals and why she chose mural art as opposed to other mediums. She addresses the aspects of a sustainable art career (hint: you have to make money) and why you shouldn't take another art class. Finally, Morgan talks about what success means for her and how mural art lets her achieve that goal.

The “community mural shaman” offers inspiring insights into how he removed blocks to his creativity and made the past year his most successful, despite Covid and his experiences with racism as major blocks he struggled through. Carlos walks us through his roots as a graffiti artist, shares why graffiti continues to be so important to him, and why his favorite way to spend a Saturday is with a blank wall at his disposal.

In Episode 20 I discuss the imperfect selection process of choosing a mural artist. Since I am already poking a sleeping bear, I dive into three other hotly debated topics: 1. Spray vs. housepaint, 2. Why mural art is not meant to last forever, and that is okay, and 3. Exposure gigs. I use examples from my book, The Mural Artist’s Handbook, to challenge the status quo on these contentious issues.

Find out why Mural Joe, who never went to art school, is the most popular YouTuber for mural painting “How To” videos. Joe’s innate curiosity on how to realistically interpret natural phenomena through paint intersects with the quirky and endearing way he includes us in his discovery process. Mural Joe's entertaining videos defy typical art school pedagogy, for example, attempting to paint clouds with a stuffed animal. We discuss the organic development of his career and why he doesn’t advertise his mural painting services anymore, even as he stays busy with mural projects.

Back with a whole new season of fun, in this episode Morgan unpacks Chapter 5 from her new book, The Mural Artists Handbook, on why school murals hold so much potential as venues for creative mural art. She explains why she is so enthusiastic about school murals that she dedicated a whole chapter of the book to the subject. This podcast highlights the benefits of school murals and possible funding sources for school murals Visit www.MuralArtistsHandbook.com to find out more about Morgan’s new book!

I answer questions posed in an email from an artist in Portland, OR who wants to move towards mural painting. I wrap up this last episode in the season with a list of reasons why I love painting murals.

Is it possible to be a rebel against street art culture? Alex Cook might be the first. His overtly loving messages and collaborative approach to his You Are Loved murals blur the edges between art and service, and bring a kind message into public spaces all over the globe.