Discerning Your Direction as an Artist with Marianne Lettieri (234)

Sculptor and installation artist Marianne Lettieri creates intricate, meditative work from salvaged and domestic materials. In this episode, she shares her journey from marketing to art, and how she has centered her practice around intention, discernment, and clarity—rather than urgency or trends.

She talks with host Alyson Stanfield about how she defines success, the importance of showing up in the studio (even if it’s just to sweep the floor), and why research, ritual, and creative constraint are essential to her process.

HIGHLIGHTS

01:50 – Marianne’s career shift from PR to full-time artist

03:54 – Why Marianne is drawn to historical artifacts and “slow” art

08:19 – Defining success: critical acclaim vs. financial success

13:14 – Income sources: sales, commissions, and artist estates

17:57 – How she tracks ideas and builds inventory systems

22:02 – How she’s using only what she already has

24:56 – Making over 100 collages from studio leftovers

26:54 – A rejection story: the San Francisco dump residency

32:10 – Building community through art and faith

38:45 – How location (Granbury, TX) shapes her art

46:42 – Where to find Marianne + Alyson’s closing takeaway

 

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

Establishing Yourself in a New Art Community with Joan Chamberlain (mentioned)

The artists featured in these episodes discuss a very intentional path for themselves.

What a Commitment to Audience-Building Means to Noelle Phares (225)

The Joy in Artist Community and Paring Back Obligations with Ali Cavanaugh (190)

Why I Want Partnerships with Art Galleries with Evita Tezeno (175)

Focusing on the Art, Not the Art Business with Rebecca Welz (134)

How You Want to Be Perceived as an Artist with Alexandra Squire (133)

 

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/discerning-lettieri

⭐️ Connect with Marianne and see more of her art: https://mariannelettieri.com

 

🎯 Ready to make a plan that actually supports your art business? Join me for the Followers to Collectors planning workshop on September 9-10, where we’ll map out how your audience moves from discovering your art to feeling confident buying it.

You can sign up for the waitlist here. Or join Essentials for Artist Success today to get access to this workshop plus ongoing support, live coaching, and two additional planning workshops throughout the year. Details at artbizsuccess.com/essentials.

⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~

This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/