Art Ladders: The Creative Climb

This hour-long podcast is Art Ladder's listeners opportunity to learn more about artist Armin Mersmann. He and his artist wife, Valerie Allen founded the podcast in July of 2021. Armin Is an award winning artist and also an established teaching artist with a wonderful following. As you follow the conversation you will learn about his beginnings on his journey in art and his philosophical outlook o...

Artist Jay Handy, originally from Bay City, Michigan, is presenting a one-person exhibit at Studio 23 in Bay City starting March 25, 2022. The exhibit titled: This Must Be The Place, will include one-of-a-kind pulled prints depicting imagery found in vintage photographs of Bay City. Jay Handy imagined a community project that actually crowd-sourced the residents of this riverfront city in Michigan...

As a fairly new podcast, Armin and Val decided to tell their own personal art stories. This is a way the Art Ladders audience can have a closer look at what makes these two artists tick. This week Armin interviews artist Valerie Allen and in the near future she will interview him. The discussion starts at the first glimmer of a young artist and follows Val through her pursuit of further education...

.Armin and Valerie had the distinct honor of interviewing artist Robert Schefman about his life as an artist, his new body of work, The Secrets Project, and his recent notification of being a finalist in The Outwin 2022: American Portraiture Today exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery opening this spring.  Born and raised in Detroit, Robert Schefman earned a BFA in sculptu...

In this episode titled "Seize the Day", Armin and Valerie discuss ways to keep focused on creating art in a busy world. There are so many ways that life happens and many can cause artists to slow down and lose momentum. These reasons and situations can be managed with intentional thought but some are inevitable. They talk about situations such as working 9 to 5, providing the role of a caregiver,...

Technical Note: Michelle's portion of the interview was recorded in her Westward Gallery location in Denver, Colorado where the ceilings are quite high and acoustics have an echo. Regardless, her words for artists are super and the content is strong. Enjoy!  Michelle Courier, visual artist and entrepreneur, is the owner of Westward Gallery in Denver, Colorado. Courier is a graduate of Univers...

Episode 13 finds Val and Armin in a conversation about the struggle of selling art. This past year and a half has changed the marketplace for artists. On one hand the brick and mortar galleries have had many challenges in attracting shoppers again while the online presence of both galleries and individual artists have increased. The people who made a quick pivot to technology during the pandemic a...

Welcome to episode 12 of Season One. In this podcast Valerie and Armin interviewed Texas artist, Preston Zeller. Preston is an intuitive abstract painter who embarked on a year-long project of creating a painting a day. This creative journey was a response to processing grief following the sudden death of his brother. The film, "The Art of Grieving Film" will be released as a documentary in early...

The struggle is real in the world of artists but it is not necessarily negative. Struggle can lead to a gentle curve in the road, a major breakthrough in an artist's style, or even a new way of doing business. In this episode, Val and Armin will discuss their personal challenges, frustrations, and yes, struggles in their own art practice. The goal is to embrace the struggle and let the journey thr...

In Art Ladders episode 10, Val traveled south and visited artist Rachael McCampbell in her studio near Nashville. Armin joined them remotely and a lively and informative conversation took place on a beautiful Tennessee day. In 2018, Rachael and Val met during an arts materials event in Cincinnati. Both artists are part of Golden Artists Colors educational programming and share the love of process...

Are you an artist of many hats or do you stay with one beret? What are your favorite art materials? Val and Armin discuss many different art supplies in this episode and how they have used them in their own art careers. They cover what they've discovered about different mediums through a compare and contrast discussion. This episode is very much "a cup of coffee length" and we hope you enjoy our b...

Val and Armin are joined by Ben Clore and Andrew Rieder to discuss the benefits for artists of all ages attending community college to study art. Not only is it an excellent way to prepare for entry into a Bachelor of Fine Arts program at a four-year university but community colleges are a venue for pursuing art education for self-improvement in the visual arts for young artists and life-long lear...

For artists, time and space are precious and can be a journey that is pursued throughout an art career. Val and Armin discuss the many types of studios they have had in the past and present. They each have preferences and their spaces are quite different. The way they organize time is also very much in tune with their personalities. As you listen, you may discover insights into your own personal t...

It was our pleasure to talk with artist Shelley Stevens about her art practice and Golden Apple Artist Residency. Shelley is all about making opportunities for artists that focus on the gift of time and space. Golden Apple Art Residency is located approximately an hour north of Bar Harbor along the rocky coastal region of Downeast Maine. Within a very quiet and secluded location, the residency gro...

Our topic for episode 5 is about ideas and where we find them.  Here is quote that will set the mood, “A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.” stated by playwriter, Eugene Ionesco. We both agree that is great attitude to have when you are developing new ideas to explore for your artwork. We will discuss so many ways to capture thoughts to use now or later in a series or individu...

Valerie and Armin share personal experiences as well as tips that help artists prepare for opportunities at museums, art centers, galleries and online exhibitions. Navigating through the application and submitting the correct images are just a couple of the challenges faced by artists as they enter juried exhibits. This episode is designed to add insights that will make the process run smoother an...

This episode with Art Ladders: The Creative Climb features artist and professor of art, Nick Reszetar. Nick is a professor of art at the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. His summers are filled with studio time in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That is where Val and Armin were lucky to touch base with him via a virtual call. Nick’s insights into art, teaching, and the business of being...

Welcome to Art Ladders. Episode one introduces artists Valerie Allen and Armin Mersmann. These partners in life and art share their ideas and thoughts on the creative process of visual art. Hear more about their future plans for Art Ladders and start the creative climb one rung at a time with them. For more about Art Ladders follow the links below!  Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/artladde...