Welcome Facebook Friends of
Alyson B. Stanfield!

Hey, thanks for friending me on Facebook and coming over here to find out more about me!

I teach artists how to promote their art and make more money. I work with artists who are serious about their careers, but who want to enjoy the process. I refuse to work with whiners, complainers, and excuse-makers.

You have to have fun or you won't be any good at promoting your art! I have to have fun or I won't be any good at helping you.

First, the gifts

I have classes, books, and CDs for sale on my main site, ArtBizCoach.com, but I'd rather you get to know me first to see if we're sympatico. The best place to start is the Art Biz Blog, which has been going strong since 2004.

Next, try this free stuff:

• Art Marketing Action Weekly Newsletter
• 25 No-Nonsense Tips for Your Art Career (report)

If you haven't already done so, please Friend me on Facebook.

And if you just can't get enough art-marketing advice, . . .

• Watch me on YouTube
• Follow me on Twitter
• Connect with me on LinkedIn

Oh, yeah . . . I wrote a book!

After years of sending out a weekly newsletter, teaching online classes and live workshops, and more, I crammed as much knowledge as I could into my book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion.

The book is for artists who are serious about taking their careers to the next level. It's a reference book that you can use at any point in your career. No whiners allowed!

Here I am being silly after nearly two full days teaching a workshop in California (2009).

How I wound up on this amazing journey

I began consulting with artists informally in the early 1990s as a museum curator. When I left museums, my old artist-friends continued coming to me for help and advice. Everyone wanted an agent! A little research into that field led me to conclude that I wouldn't be doing artists any favors by doing all of the work for them. Instead, I decided to teach them how. You know the Chinese proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

I guess that's what I enjoy doing most—Teaching artists to fish!

Here's something else you need to know: My work is deeply affected by my ten years in the art museum. Affected in a good way. Affected in a way that really helps my clients. I have loads of experience working with collectors as well as the general art-viewing public. That means that I know how people interact with art, how they approach it, what they fear, and how we can educate them and alleviate their fears. When you and I work together, I use this knowledge to shape the presentation of your work.

You also benefit from my experience working in the U.S. Senate. What, you may ask, does that have to do with art?! Well, I learned from THE BEST politician around. I know how to form and nurture relationships to get results. And if you don't think politics play a role in the artworld, think again.

On the off chance that you've read this far, my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in art history, although I started as a painting major. For some reason, I got a kick out of sitting in those dark rooms looking at slides.

When I'm not in my office, you might catch me hiking in the foothills or in the Rockies; heading to yoga class; skiing in Crested Butte; cooking; watching Iron Chef, Ugly Betty, or The Daily Show; or gardening. I was born in Great Falls, MT; raised in Oklahoma City, OK; went to undergraduate school in Laramie, WY and Norman, OK (BA in art history); worked in Washington, DC; went to graduate school in Austin, TX (MA in art history); and now happily call Colorado home.