Art Problems

EPS 112: Four Years In, Two Years Out: How Three Artists Built an Art Space

with Constance McBride, figurative ceramic sculptor, curator, and co-founder of The Hook ExperimentConstance McBride came back to art at 47 after 25 years in the corporate world, eventually joining Netvvrk in 2021. Four years later, health reasons pulled her away from the membership. What happened next is the kind of story Paddy doesn't always get to tell: a former member building something real.
Now based in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Constance is co-running The Hook Experiment, a nonprofit gallery and performance space in Oxford, PA, where artists can show large-scale installation and experimental work free from commercial pressure. The space hosts group shows and open calls, rents to outside organizations, and recently completed its first international juried exhibition. It's a 501(c)(3) now, with a board, an executive director, and a calendar that includes performance, sound events, and more.
In this conversation, Constance and Paddy talk about how the skills she built inside Netvvrk showed up when she wasn't even looking for them, how artist-run organizations can be structured to protect studio time, and what it looks like to build infrastructure for your own community when the existing options don't fit.
Constance McBride is a figurative ceramic sculptor and installation artist based in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She is a co-founder and board member of The Hook Experiment.
Find Constance's work at constancemcbride.com or follow her on Instagram at @constancemcbride_art.
Find The Hook Experiment at thehookexperiment.org or on Instagram at @hookexperiment.
Questions? Email support@netvvrk.com.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

EPS 111: Your brain is listening. Holly Wong on Imposter Syndrome

Do you feel like an imposter? Most artists do, at least sometimes. But artist anxiety can take on a life of its own -- the voice that says your work doesn't matter, that you don't belong, that it's only a matter of time before everyone figures it out.
This week's guest, Holly Wong, has thought hard about why the art world breeds this so reliably. When even objective markers of success can be questioned, the goalposts never stop moving. In this episode, we talk about how negative self-talk shapes outcomes, why grant writing can be a path to self-acceptance, and how to stay generous without losing yourself in the process.
Resources: 
https://hollywongart.com/
BiographyHolly Wong creates fiber and drawing-based installations and collaged paintings that explore healing and resilience. She was educated at the San Francisco Art Institute where she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts. Holly has participated in over 100 exhibitions including group shows at the de Young Museum, the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. A Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she has received grants from the California Arts Council (Established Artist category), the Puffin Foundation, the George Sugarman Foundation, and the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. She is represented by SLATE Contemporary Gallery in Oakland, CA, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, ELLIO Fine Art in Houston, TX, and Walker Fine Art in Denver, CO. Holly lives and works in San Francisco.

EP 110: Building a Practice Around Your Values with Crystal Hartman

Crystal Hartman has been a Netvvrk member since we launched in 2021 — long enough to know exactly how she uses it, and what it's actually done for her practice. She joins me today to talk about what it looks like to run a studio with your values front and center: finding community after relocating to a new city, using Netvvrk as a resource library rather than a fixed routine, and how learning to articulate what she needed led directly to getting the keys to an experimental exhibition space in her town.Crystal Hartman (b. 1983, Durango, Colorado, USA) is a multimedia artist based in Urbana, Illinois. Her work has been exhibited at the CCCB, Barcelona; National Palace of Culture, Sofia; BMOCA, Boulder; Arvada Center for the Arts; and Denver International Airport. Her work appears globally in arts and literary publications, as album art through independent labels, and on book covers published by Oxford University Press and A5 Publishing, Madrid. In addition to her studio and curatorial practices, she teaches workshops on Light and Alternative Photographic Processes each spring through the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign at The Farms: An Allerton Folk School.Free Info Session: How to Get on a Museum's Radar - Tuesday, April 28th at 7pm EST. Register here.Website: https://www.crystalhartman.com/

EP109: Less Human: Reviewing the New Museum’s Inaugural Show

Artists Tommy Riefe and Lexa Walsh join me to discuss the New Museum expansion and show, New Humans: Memories of the Future curated by Massimiliano Gioni and Gary Carrion-Murayari. We discuss the success of the building itself and then move onto the show’s major themes—the history of the human body as mediated by technology. 
 
Additional Resources: 
Tommy RiefeLexa Walsh 
The New Museum, New Humans: Memories of the Future
Jeffrey Deitch, Post Human, 1992  
Boris Groys, Art Power, 2008
Jason Farago, The New Museum Reopens Asking: “What is Human?”, 2026, The New York Times
 
Artist guests: 
Tommy Riefe 
Riefe earned his BFA in Art History and Sculpture from the University of Northern Iowa in 2014, and later received his MFA from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis in 2017. He has been in numerous group exhibitions and has public sculptures in the collections of Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, VA (2022) Fort Dodge, IA (2021) Lakewood, MN (2019), Iowa State University (2018), Minnesota State University (2018), Laneken, Belgium (2018), Cedar Falls, IA (2017) Rock Island, IL (2016), and Sioux City, IA (2016).
 
Lexa Walsh
Lexa Walsh is an artist, cultural worker and experience maker.  With a background in both sculpture and social practice, Walsh makes site specific projects, exhibitions, publications and objects, using an array of materials including ceramics and textiles, employing social engagement, institutional critique, and radical hospitality to question hierarchies, power and value.  
Walsh founded the experimental music and performance venue the Heinz Afterworld Lounge, and co-founded and conceived of the all women, all toy instrument ensemble Toychestra.  Walsh worked for many years as a curator and administrator at CESTA, an international art center in Czech republic, whose team created radical curatorial projects to foster cross-cultural understanding. She founded Oakland Stock & Soup for Social & Racial Justice, and the Bay Area Contemporary Art Archive. She is a graduate of Portland State Universitys Art & Social Practice MFA program and was Social Practice Artist in Residence in Portland Art Museums Education department. She was a recipient of Southern Exposures Alternative Exposure Award, the CEC Artslink Award, the Gunk Grant and was a de Young Artist Fellow. Walsh has participated in projects, exhibitions and performances at Apexart, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, FOR-SITE, Grand Central Art Center, Kala Art Institute, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, NIAD, Oakland Museum of California, SFMOMA, Smack Mellon, Walker Art Center, Williams College Museum of Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and has done several international artist residencies, tours and projects in Europe and Asia.

EP 108: Will the A Corp Change the World?

The art world has no HR department. There's no employer to set up health insurance, no emergency fund, no retirement plan. If you’re a freelance artist, that means you’re on your own. Today's guest, Yancey Strickler, co-founder of Kickstarter and founder of Metalabel, thinks that can change with a new business designation called the A-Corp.
The A-Corp is Strickler’s answer to that problem: a new business structure built specifically for artists that comes with legal protection, fair ways to share ownership with collaborators, and eventually, a path to group health insurance. It’s currently a bill before the Colorado Senate — and if it passes, Colorado becomes the template for the rest of the country. Strickler walks me through how it works and makes the case that we’re only at the very beginning of something much bigger.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
 
RELATED LINKS
Artist Corporations
Metalabel
The Creative Independent
TED Talk: Forget Hustle Culture. Behold the Artist Corporation
New Creative Era podcast — Yancey's podcast with Joshua Citarella
Artist Corporations: New Podcast and Early Traction — the episode where Yancey first laid out the A-Corp in detail

EP 107: The 2026 Whitney Biennial—What Can Art Do Now

Artist William Powhida and Netvvrk Operations Director Penny Retica join me to discuss the 2026 Whitney Biennial, curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer. We walk through the show's major themes—human-animal relationships, infrastructure, economic critique, and the handmade.  
Our conversation explores the possibilities brought forward by the biennial. Does it represent a search for art’s utility in a moment of uncertainty? Is its focus on feeling over confrontation, a curatorial choice or a broader retreat? What are the consequences of omitting collaborative work and art showcasing decentralized resistance? 
Like all good conversations, this one doesn't offer easy answers. We examine what the biennial reveals about the current moment, and in a time that feels directionless, that critical work can feel grounding.
Guests: William Powhida, artist Penny Retica, Netvvrk operations director
Additional Reading:
Ben Davis, The Whitney Biennial Just Wants you to Feel Something, Artnet, 2026 
Aruna D’Souza, The Polycrisis Sublime of the Whitney Biennial, Hyperallergic, 2026
Jenny Wu, Whitney Biennial 2026 Review: The Revolution Will Be Cute, Art Review, 2026
Anna Kornbluh, Immediacy, or The Style of Too Late Capitalism
Art Problems Podcast, Episode 85: What is Killing the New York Art Fairs, Part 2
We want to hear from you. Email us at support@vvrkshop.art
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Bonus Episode: From Treading Water to Landing Commissions in One Year with Yuko Oda

What does it feel like to work professionally as an artist for 23 years but still feel like you're treading water?
In this episode of Art Problems, I speak with Boston-based artist Yuko Oda about joining Netvvrk just over a year ago after graduating from RISD in 2002 and spending two decades feeling confused about her trajectory. She was saying yes to everything, spreading herself too thin, and missing opportunities she should have seized—like a group show in Tokyo where she wasn't happy with the work she submitted.
In just over a year, Yuko sold her first major piece directly to a collector, secured a three-piece commission for a downtown Boston high-rise, exhibited work in Rome that she calls her best art experience ever, and learned to set boundaries that protect her momentum. We talk about overcoming hesitation to invest in yourself, how accountability groups helped navigate everything from invoices to artist-consultant contract splits, and what it feels like to finally know where you are on your career path instead of floating like a bubble.
Free Info Session: How to Become a Biennial Artist - Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm EST Register here. 
Yuko Oda: Website: https://www.yukooda.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yukooda75
Education:
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): https://www.risd.edu
Institutions Mentioned:
UMass Lowell: https://www.uml.edu
Harvard Entomology Club: https://hmnh.harvard.edu
New York Institute of Technology: https://www.nyit.edu
Grants & Programs:
Guggenheim Fellowship: https://www.gf.org
Artists Mentioned (Commission Advice):
Laura Fayer: https://www.laurafayer.com/
Adria Arch: https://www.adriaarch.com/
John Laustsen: https://www.jonlaustsen.com/
Mary Lynn Burke: https://www.marylynnburke.com/
Kristin Cronic: https://www.kristinraecronic.com/
Kristi Kun https://www.kristykun.com/

Bonus Episode: How to Transform Your Grant Applications with Kimberlee Koym-Murteira

What does it take to level up your documentation and grant applications when you're deeply insecure about your writing?
 
In this episode of Art Problems, I speak with Bay Area artist Kimberlee Koym-Murteira about joining Netvvrk three years ago, knowing she needed support to win more grants. She'd seen firsthand that when she had help, she was successful—but she didn't know how to get that consistently. Through constant feedback, mentorship from members, and building relationships in accountability groups, Kimberlee transformed her applications so dramatically that she won many and went from avoiding certain opportunities to applying for the Guggenheim.
 
This conversation breaks down what it looks like to use a creative community—getting feedback within hours when you need it, why AI tools help but can't replace human editors, and how focusing on your own path instead of competing locally creates sustained hopefulness even when six major galleries in your region close. If you've ever wondered what the practical day-to-day of career growth looks like, the details are all in this podcast.
 
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Free Info Session: How to Become a Biennial Artist - Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm EST. Register here.
Kimberlee Koym-Murteira: Website: https://www.kimberleekm.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberleekm/
Tools & Resources Mentioned:
Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com
ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com
Bay Area Context:
California College of the Arts (CCA): https://www.cca.edu

Bonus Episode: How to Re-Enter the Art World After 25 Years

What does it feel like to return to your art practice after a 25-year break?
In this episode of Art Problems, I speak with visual artist Shae Nadine about navigating an art world that had completely transformed in her absence. When Shae joined Netvvrk two years ago, she was figuring out basics like digital documentation and artist statements. But through accountability groups and community support, she went from feeling lost to landing a NYSCA grant, a SuCasa residency, and curating a four-month public art exhibition in Chicago.
This conversation gets into the unglamorous parts of building an art career—like why Shae's accountability group toasts their rejections, how to know when you're actually ready to apply for major grants, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for your relationship is stop asking your partner to read your artist statement. If you've ever felt like an outsider in the art world, I recommend listening to Shae’s story.
 
Links:
Free Info Session: How to Become a Biennial Artist - Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm EST Register here.
Shae Nadine || SubtleFlux: Website, Instagram
Grants & Programs Mentioned:
NYSCA (New York State Council on the Arts): https://arts.ny.gov
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC): https://lmcc.net
Sukasa Grant: https://www.skowhegan.org/sukasa
Manhattan Graphics Center: https://www.manhattangraphicscenter.org
Pollack-Krasner Foundation: https://pkf.org
Guggenheim Fellowship: https://www.gf.org
Resources:
Powerhouse Arts (mentioned in episode): https://powerhousearts.org
Westbeth Artists Housing: https://westbeth.org

EP 106: Going from “I Can’t Do This” to “I Can Do This” with Artist Maggie Hinders

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information out there to help artists? In this episode of Art Problems Netvvrk member Maggie Hinders shares how the Netvvrk Navigator assessment transformed her artistic experience of this reality from "I can't do this" to "I can do this."
Maggie talks about moving from using Netvvrk primarily for community connection to finally tackling the curriculum with clarity. We discuss how the assessment organizes information into a clear path forward, why understanding what different career levels actually look like matters, and how developing an artistic narrative helps you communicate about abstract work.
If you've ever felt like your brain works like a web and you need help pulling out that first thread, this conversation is for you.