Samsung. Louis Vuitton. Pepsi. Amex.
What do all these brands have in common? They’ve all partnered with North Texas artists.
Muralist and illustrator Mariell Guzman, who’s based in Oak Cliff, said brand partnerships with companies like Dickies, IBM and Steve Madden have opened new avenues of work for her.
Guzman’s artwork has been featured in a Samsung Galaxy ad in New York’s Times Square, and she has a permanent installation at Meow Wolf Grapevine.
“When I thought about making art a career, I guess I didn’t really think [brand partnerships] would be something that I could do,” she said.
Brand partnerships have become an increasingly popular way for artists to work on exciting projects and reach a wider audience. Some of the more famous artist-brand collaborations include Andy Warhol and Campbell’s, and Takashi Murakami and Louis Vuitton. But for artists who are first starting out, there’s also a steep learning curve to understand the business side of things: how to read and negotiate contracts as well as navigate corporate communications and brand standards.
Guzman once thought art school would equip her to sell her art. “But literally [I] did not get taught anything about the business side [of being an artist] or contracts,” she said.
She has learned to ask for deposits and “kill” fees – a predetermined amount of payment she’ll receive if a project is canceled – in order to safeguard her finances.
The artist has also learned about licensing and the importance of contracts that secure future payment for reproductions of her work.
One of the most important decisions she’s made is choosing to focus on her artwork and hand over the business negotiations for certain projects. That’s why she works with Matthew LeBaron, a talent representative and former illustrator in New York, who facilitates deals between Guzman and brands.
LeBaron has represented and coached artists for 20 years and has long worked with artists on brand partnerships. He said it all comes down to artists understanding their contracts before signing.
“If you don’t, find somebody who does,” he said. “Whether that is a mentor, artist, someone like myself who is like a coach, facilitator and rep, a project manager, a lawyer. I usually tell them, if you can afford it, find an IP lawyer for intellectual property who knows what they’re looking for.”
It’s also important for artists to negotiate and not just give in to a company’s demands, LeBaron said.
“I think where a lot of especially up-and-coming artists and emerging talent run into trouble is the client says, ‘I love your work, I want to work with you.’ They just yes it to death because they don’t want to ask too many questions. They’re afraid of losing the job.”
Artist and muralist Drigo Rodriguez, who is based in North Texas, has learned how to negotiate brand partnerships after years of working with companies like Louis Vuitton, Samsung, Zumiez and Cerveza Pacifico. His work includes painting a skate park for Zumiez and painting an indoor mural for Louis Vuitton.
He said few artists learn how to meet brand standards while also protecting their creative freedom.
While it varies from brand to brand, companies often request certain color palettes, themes or imagery for projects. Rodriguez said that’s why it’s important to check in with yourself.
“I always ask myself: Is this me? Is this too far that way?” he said.
On the other hand, Rodriguez said it’s important not to be stubborn when there’s room to compromise. A Swiss luxury watch brand once asked him to incorporate a compass symbol into a mural he was painting for them. Rodriguez was worried that the change wouldn’t feel authentic to his style. Then he came up with a way to meld the compass icon with star imagery that had become a staple of his previous work.
Rodriguez urges artists to try and find “common ground in places that you maybe don’t feel like it exists, just really looking for any opportunity to include your voice or your visual elements.”
But when all else fails, Rodriguez said it’s also important to know when to walk away. At the beginning of his career, he would reject projects that didn’t allow him creative freedom, even though he needed the money.
Rodriguez said that’s crucial because brands will associate artists with their previous work and reach out with similar proposals.
“As best you can, only take the projects that align with your voice or where you want to head in your career,” he said.
It’s advice that LeBaron also gives to his artists.
“They want to make sure they’re aligning with brands … with their personal values and belief systems,” he said. “So I think the more scrutiny an artist can put towards the project before taking it on, the better off they’re going to be.”
In Rodriguez’s mind, it’s about the long game and staying consistent.
“[Be] strong in the work that you create and confident in the work that you create,” he said. “If they walk away, then be OK with that. Another one will come.”
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
