The Business of Art
A professional fine artist interviews other successful artists about the practical business of building a career in the art world.
This is a practical, career-focused podcast for working artists. Host Mark McKenna, a professional artist himself, conducts long-form interviews with fellow painters and sculptors. The conversations focus less on aesthetics and more on the nuts and bolts of their careers: origin stories, business models, dealing with galleries, and sales strategies.
“Unlike shows focused on art theory or critique, this podcast is a peer-to-peer conversation about the business of being an artist, hosted by someone who lives that reality. The focus is squarely on career paths and financial viability, with guests openly sharing their successes and failures.”
Who hosts this show
Mark McKenna is a full-time professional fine artist specializing in Western and wildlife subjects. On his podcast, he interviews dozens of other professional artists to share how they found success, aiming to provide a resource for artists who want to turn their passion into a profession. He previously taught high school art for eight years before becoming a full-time artist.
Credentials & credits
- Full-time professional fine artist
- Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration, Brigham Young University - Idaho
- Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Brigham Young University - Idaho
- Work acquired by the Brinton Museum's permanent collection
- Named in Southwest Art magazine's “21 under 31” list (2014)
- Represented by galleries including Astoria Fine Art and Ballard's Fine Art
Other ventures
- The Business of Art online course
- Animal Painting Skool
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Episode 32 - How I ‘Dreamed Out Loud’ into a Full-Time Art Career – Amanda MarkelAug 19, 2025 · 1h 44m
- 02Episode 31 - Burnout, Balance, and Building a Better Life - Tyler MurphyAug 12, 2025 · 1h 24m
- 03Episode 30 - Secrets to Selling Art - Joe KronenbergJul 15, 2025 · 1h 43m
- 04Episode 29 - How and Why Galleries Pick Artists - Scott JonesJul 1, 2025 · 1h 42m
- 05Fox Painting Follow along Part 1May 22, 2025 · 1h 01m
- 06Episode 28 - Going from Hollywood to Fine Art Fame - Morgan WeistlingMar 18, 2025 · 1h 39m
- 07Episode 27 - From Taxidermy to the Smithsonian - Paul RhymerFeb 18, 2025 · 1h 28m
- 08Episode 26 - Finding the Deep WHY Made All the Difference - Dave LaMure JrFeb 4, 2025 · 1h 44m
Notable episodes
- 01Episode 30 - Secrets to Selling Art - Joe Kronenberg
Focuses on the crucial but often-overlooked skill of sales for artists, featuring a guest with a 20-year sales background.
- 02Episode 31 - Burnout, Balance, and Building a Better Life - Tyler Murphy
Discusses the mental and emotional challenges of an art career, including burnout, depression, and financial instability.
- 03Episode 28 - Going from Hollywood to Fine Art Fame - Morgan Weistling
Features a high-profile artist discussing a significant career transition from commercial illustration for movie posters to fine art.
What you'll be asked on this show
Mark McKenna begins each interview by reading a prepared, formal biography of his guest. His opening move is consistently a broad, all-encompassing question asking the artist to narrate their entire career journey, often starting from childhood. He then allows the guest to speak at length without interruption, creating a narrative-heavy opening. As the conversation progresses, he probes specific career milestones, business decisions, and challenges, often relating them back to his own experiences as a professional artist. His style is encouraging and supportive, aimed at extracting practical lessons rather than creating conflict.
The show is primarily long-form interviews, though occasional painting tutorials are also released on the same YouTube channel. Each interview begins with the host reading a formal, prepared biography of the guest. The host's tone is consistently positive and encouraging, creating a supportive atmosphere.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
7 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Please tell us your story, from how it started as a kid to how you've evolved to where you are now.”
This is the host's consistent, broad opening question used to elicit a full career narrative from the guest.
mindset
1- Q.01
“What were the biggest challenges transitioning to a full-time artist?”
Used to explore the difficulties and mindset shifts involved in major career changes.
business
2- Q.01
“What has your career been like with or without galleries?”
Probes the guest's business model and their evolving view on gallery representation.
- Q.02
“How did galleries help establish your career early on?”
Investigates the role traditional galleries play in an artist's initial success and validation.
advice
2- Q.01
“What would you recommend for an artist who wants to make a living without a gallery?”
Seeks actionable strategies for artists who are pursuing a direct-to-collector sales model.
- Q.02
“What are two or three pieces of advice you would give regarding sales?”
Asks for specific, practical tips on the sales process, a key theme of the show.
personal
1- Q.01
“What does it feel like to see all your work together in a gallery space?”
Aims to surface the personal, emotional side of being an exhibiting artist.
Signature segments
- · Promotion for host's online courses
- · Formal guest biography reading at the start
- · Broad 'tell me your whole story' opening question
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are established, full-time professional fine artists, primarily painters and sculptors from the Western and wildlife genres, who are open to discussing their career paths and business practices.
- Amanda Markelon Episode 32 - How I ‘Dreamed Out Loud’ into a Full-Time Art Career – Amanda Markel
- Tyler Murphyon Episode 31 - Burnout, Balance, and Building a Better Life - Tyler Murphy
- Joe Kronenbergon Episode 30 - Secrets to Selling Art - Joe Kronenberg
- Scott Joneson Episode 29 - How and Why Galleries Pick Artists - Scott Jones
- Morgan Weistlingon Episode 28 - Going from Hollywood to Fine Art Fame - Morgan Weistling
- Paul Rhymeron Episode 27 - From Taxidermy to the Smithsonian - Paul Rhymer
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is self-sponsored, primarily serving as a marketing channel for the host's own online courses, such as 'The Business of Art' and 'Animal Painting Skool'.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of The Business of Art?
- The host is Mark McKenna, a full-time professional fine artist specializing in wildlife and Western art.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It consists of long-form interviews with professional artists, focusing on their career journeys and business strategies. The channel also occasionally features painting tutorials.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, based on episode release dates from 2025, the podcast appears to be actively releasing episodes on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.
- What kind of artists are featured?
- Guests are typically established, full-time painters and sculptors, many of whom work within the Western and wildlife art genres.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available as video on "The Business of Art" YouTube channel and on audio platforms like Apple Podcasts and YouTube Music.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Business of Art Podcastchartable.com
- [02]The Business of Art - YouTubeyoutube.com
- [03]Mark McKenna | Astoria Fine Artastoriafineart.com
- [04]Mark McKenna | Ballard's Fine Art Galleryballardsfineart.com
- [05]Mark McKenna | Beartooth Gallerybeartoothgallery.com
- [06]#10 Mark McKenna, Paint What You Love - Museum Of Western Artmuseumofwesternart.com
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