Community, Kinship, and Career Stability with Malene Barnett (242)

The Art Biz

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8d ago 48:07

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host: Alyson Stanfield

Artist and activist Malene Barnett joins host Alyson Stanfield to unpack how she balances a multidisciplinary practice while designing work that “holds memory” in space. Malene shares the planning, community, and process-sharing that keep a long, installation-driven practice moving, and she offers a resonant lens on clay as a tool for liberation grounded in Caribbean and West African heritage.

Bits of her wisdom:

Plan your studio around time-intensive mediums so momentum never stalls.
On social media, share process, tools, and research to connect when finished work is scarce.
Think in space: design work and installations that carry memory and story.
Build stability outside the studio to support long-term creative growth.
Form intentional communities for critique, support, and opportunity.

HIGHLIGHTS

02:10 Family lineage and a first-generation background shape Malene’s practice.

04:20 The pact to center ancestry and identity in her work from art school onward.

08:20 Clay as a tool for liberation through Caribbean pottery history and markets.

13:10 Leaving bespoke rugs, after a sabbatical, to reclaim her voice and move into clay.

19:20 Tiles and architecture as ways to create a space that holds memory.

21:00 Planning around clay’s long timelines for drying, firing, and glazing.

22:20 Residencies, film, and building an archive of Caribbean potters.

26:40 Why sharing process, tools, and research sustains audience connection.

32:10 Founding the Black Artists and Designers Guild and how to start a community.

35:10 Crafted Kinship: agency, blurred lines between art, craft, and design.

41:10 Career advice: seek stability, invest, and take the long view.

43:20 What’s next: a large-scale ceramic mural in Greensboro, with installation in 2027.

ACTION

This week, share one piece of your process with your community: a tool you rely on, a test tile, or a research thread you’re following.

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

⭐️ Connect with Malene and see more of her art: https://malenebarnett.com

🔶 If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels on random marketing tasks and instead build a strong, reliable foundation for your art business, check out Essentials for Artist Success. Inside, you’ll find the structure, coaching, and accountability to help you turn intentions into consistent action. Learn more at artbizsuccess.com/essentials.

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