In this insightful interview, Marina Granger, founder of the Artist Advisory, shares her expertise on building a sustainable art career through mindset, visibility, and strategic action. Discover practical tips, inspiring stories, and mental frameworks to elevate your art practice and career.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. The importance of mindset in building an art career
2. Practical strategies for artist visibility and gallery success
3. The role of confidence and mental resilience in art entrepreneurship

Marina Press Granger is the founder of The Artist Advisory™, a New York City–based consulting firm that provides strategic guidance to visual artists, galleries, and art-focused businesses. With nearly 15 years of experience in New York’s gallery and museum world, Granger has curated numerous exhibitions and art fair presentations. Her expertise blends analytical business insight—shaped by a BA and MA in Art History—with the Principles of Classical Chinese Feng Shui, which she integrates to support the growth and success of the creatives and organizations she works with. Granger’s work has been featured in Forbes, The Art Gorgeous, Art Zealous, Time Out New York, and more. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, she has called New York home since 1991.

Website: theartistadvisory.com
IG: @theartistadvisory
Marina's Online Course: theartistadvisory.com/galleries

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com
Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag
Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In this episode, Victoria sits down with Philadelphia-based artist, curator, and founder of Era Contemporary, Jessica Libor, to discuss the creation of her immersive exhibition She in the Tower, the power of storytelling and mythology in curatorial practice, and the importance of building intentional artistic worlds that extend beyond the artwork itself. Together, they also dive into their upcoming Brooklyn pop-up exhibition The Midnight Garden, exploring themes of transformation, intuition, beauty, wildness, and the subconscious, while reflecting on artistic ambition, defining success on your own terms, and the importance of protecting time for creative practice.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Jessica’s immersive exhibition She in the Tower and her process for curating experiential exhibitions
2. The themes behind The Midnight Garden and how mythology, intuition, and transformation inform the exhibition
3. Creating artistic “worlds” through atmosphere, installation, storytelling, and community
4. Defining success on your own terms and building a sustainable creative life
5. Protecting creative time, setting boundaries, and staying focused on long-term artistic goals

Jessica Libor is a Philadelphia-based visual artist, curator, and founder/director of Era Contemporary. Through richly imagined figurative paintings, her work explores themes of feminine identity, storytelling, and personal mythology. Alongside her studio practice, Libor has curated a wide range of exhibitions through Era Contemporary, supporting artists working in imaginative and contemporary realism while creating immersive, thoughtfully curated experiences that foster visibility, connection, and dialogue within the arts community.

Website: jessicalibor.com / eracontemporary.com

IG: @jessicalibor / @eracontemporary
Submit to The Midnight Garden by May 31, 2026: visionaryartcollective.com/the-midnight-garden
Submit to Lucent Waters by June 19, 2026: eracontemporary.com/open-call-guidelines

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Victoria reflects on grief, artistic evolution, and the courage it takes to create work that feels emotionally honest. Following the unexpected loss of her aunt, she shares how grief has shifted her perspective on time, creativity, emotional capacity, and the importance of making work that feels true rather than simply safe. The episode explores fear, vulnerability, creative growth, boundaries, and what it means to trust yourself as your work begins to change and evolve.

To learn more about Victoria's 1:1 Mentorship Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To access Victoria's signature Artist Statement & Bio workshop:
visionaryartcollective.com/artist-statement-bio-workshop

To enroll in The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

Victoria J. Fry is a New York City–based painter, educator, curator, and founder of Visionary Art Collective, New Visionary Magazine, and Warnes Contemporary. She has supported thousands of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective / @warnescontemporary / @newvisionarymag
Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter