First Coat

Angela Anderson Adams has worked as a curator and arts administrator for nearly 40 years and spent half of those directing Arlington Public Art.  Under her leadership, Arlington Public Art has grown from being one of the first developer-sponsored programs in the country to an internationally renowned, award-winning public and privately funded program. The program contributes art and design enhance...

Nicole Mueller is a full-time visual artist and painter based in San Francisco. Her work includes large-scale paintings, murals, and installations that mimic the effects of stained glass. Her work explores the complexity of color, states of flux, dichotomies within her painting, the transitional nature of being, and the threshold between interior and exterior, the tangible and intangible.  In this...

This week we have a live recording of the panel that accompanied the textile exhibition, Belonging . Belonging is a contemporary visual art exhibition highlighting three Brooklyn artists — Kimberly Bush, Traci Johnson, and myself. Each of us creates work with fiber, cloth, thread, and other textiles. The intent of the exhibition was to bring awareness to the connection between the past and the pre...

This week on First Coat we have Elysian Koglmeier, Head of Growth for Artwork Archive . In this episode we discuss the importance of art in health care settings, best practices for keeping an inventory for your artwork, and how to develop a creative career. Elysian shares tips on how to use Artwork Archive for public art, whether you are an artist, art collector, or institution. She also shares he...

This week on First Coat we have artist Marela Zacarías. I first discovered Zacarías' artwork ( Mannahatta ) years ago at the William Vale hotel. I've since been following her work and am really excited to share this episode with you! We recorded this episode in January 2022 and I am finally able to get this published after having a hiatus due to my maternity leave. In this episode, I am...

Ever struggle with putting together a budget for your art project? In this episode I share my tips on how to put together a budget for a public art project. Show notes & get a free budget template: https://distillcreative.com/blog/2022/1/25/how-to-budget-for-a-public-art-project Follow First Coat on Instagram: @firstcoatpodcast Follow First Coat on Twitter: @firstcoatpod Follow First Coat on F...

This week on First Coat we have Jen Hewett. Jen Hewett is a printmaker, surface designer, textile artist, and author based in the Hudson Valley. She recently came out with her second book This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection . In this episode we talk about her new book, her experience as an artist and business owner, and what's inspiring her right now.  Show No...

In this episode I share tips on how to hire a mural artist for your next mural project. If you are still looking for an artist for your project, check out my video on how to find a mural artist .  Show Notes: https://distillcreative.com/blog/11/29/21/how-to-hire-a-mural-artist Join our mailing list for podcast updates, art inspiration, and tips on how to create more equitable and inclusive art in...

This week on First Coat we have J. Manuel Mansylla (Manman). Manman is Principal of FANTÁSTICA, leading placemaking, design, and branding projects.  FANTÁSTICA specializes in transformative projects to revitalize underutilized assets and unlock economic potential. He's worked on the creation of the first New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) public plaza in Dumbo’s Pearl Street Tri...

This week on First Coat we have Mallory Rukhsana Nezam. Mallory is a cross-sector culture-maker who loves cities and believes that we have the tools to make them more just and joyful. She specializes in public art, creative placemaking/keeping/knowing, organizational development, strategic planning, facilitation and the public domain. Through her cross-sector practice, Justice + Joy, she engages s...

This week on First Coat we have Amina Cooper. Amina is a curator, public arts consultant and public art policy strategist and founder of Amewa Fine Art.  She has over a decade of experience working with fine art and public art collections for leading municipalities, museums and galleries in Washington, DC and Boston, MA.  She currently manages over 3 million dollars in large scale public art proje...

This week on First Coat I share an exhibition I have up at High Line Nine in Chelsea called Handmade Landscapes: Ocean Meets Sky . I also share four ways that retail shops can feature art in their spaces. This episode has visuals so please go to our  YouTubeChannel to see what I'm talking about!  Show Notes: https://distillcreative.com/blog/7/13/21/art-in-retail-space Follow First Coat on Ins...

This week on First Coat we have Isa Rodrigues . Isa is a textile artist and educator from Portugal, currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the Co-Executive Director at Textile Arts Center and teaches weaving and surface design. Isa has created  textiles for different public space settings and shares her perspective on weaving, dyeing, and the hand made.  In this episode we talk about how sh...

This week on First Coat we have Alexandra Gonzalez. Alexandra is the President and Co-Founder of Hive Public Space, a Women-led urban design and placemaking start-up  based in New York City. She is an architect, urban designer, entrepreneur and activist with experience working with private, public and non-profit sectors. She is committed to designing sustainable and resilient public spaces that ar...

In this episode I give tips on how to find the best mural artist for your project. There are three steps to finding the best mural artist for your project: Step 1: Write a creative brief.  Step 2: Do a local and online search. Step 3: Reach out to your top choice artists.  Show Notes:  https://distillcreative.com/blog/2/16/21/how-to-find-a-mural-artist Follow First Coat on Instagram: @firstcoatpod...

I’m kicking off season two of the First Coat podcast! This season I’ll be sharing more about how I do what I do: curate and project manage site-specific artworks. This first episode is about how much you should pay an artist. Show Notes: https://distillcreative.com/blog/2/8/21/how-much-to-pay-artists Support the show Find more episodes at https://distillcreative.com/firstcoat Instagram @distillcre...

This week on First Coat we have Jordana Vasquez. Jordana and I met at a Placemaking conference a few years ago and we've stayed in touch ever since. Jordana studied architecture and has worked in design, art, community development, and sustainability. She recently co-founded the Women of Color Collective in Sustainability (WOC/CS), which facilitates strategic exchanges between Black, Indigeno...

Atentamente Una Fresa is an artist based in Mexico City. We discuss the new normal for mural installations, how she started doing public art, how music affects her work, the benefits of art in public space, the benefits of doing art with community, and how and why she makes creative briefs for clients.  Show Notes: https://distillcreative.com/blog/12/8/atentamente-una-fresa-on-mural-development-in...

It's me, Stephanie, your host of First Coat! This week I'm sharing my Gift Guide based on my experience as an artist, podcast creator, and creative business owner. I link to everything I I share in the show notes. Let me know what you're gifting this year -- email me at Stephanie(at)distillcreative.com. Show Notes: https://distillcreative.com/blog/2020/11/28/gift-guide-for-artists-a...

Massimo Mongiardo is an artist based in Miami, Florida, but we met while he was working on a project here in NYC. He's done various murals across the country and launched an Etsy store selling his prints earlier this year. I spoke with Massimo about how to develop a personal style, his process for researching and developing mural designs for clients, how he makes money, and what's influe...

Based in Washington, DC, Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann creates work in her studio and in public space. She has held various residencies and fellowships, including a Fulbright grant to Taiwan and Arts and Humanities grant in DC. She has exhibited at the Walters Art Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Rawls Museum, US Consulate in Dubai, A.I.R. and many more galleries. I spoke with Katherine about how she sta...

Born in Venezuela, Lym currently lives and works in Vienna. Also known as Mosta, she creates works in public space where she constantly experiences different contexts and formats. She combines a diversity of media and techniques such as collage, drawing, paper assemblage among other print making techniques as wood cut and serigraphy. Lym also generates a space of interaction, exchange and understa...

Born in Argentina, Magda Love has lived in New York City for more than a decade. Mostly know by her colorful street art and big public works. Magda is an artist originally from Argentina and has been in NYC for 15 years. Her work can be seen all over the world on the street and in art galleries. I spoke to Magda about her fine art practice, her public art practice, her tips for doing commissions,...

Betsy Casañas is a Visual and Public Artist, an educator, a community activist and an organizer based in Philadelphia and Puerto Rico. She is the director of A Seed on Diamond Gallery (S.O.D.) and founder of Semilla Arts Initiative. I spoke with Betsy about how she does community-based public art projects, how she uses parachute cloth, and how she leads a creative life. You’ll learn about collabor...

Natasha May Platt is a mural artist based in New York City. She’s painted murals all over the world, but I first met Natasha from one of her murals in the Lower East Side. I spoke with Natasha about meditation, her new approach to finding clients, and the importance of saying yes. You’ll learn how Natasha feels about contracts, how she’s diversifying her income stream, and how she rejuvenates her...