Artist, gallerist, and creative leader Michelle Brandt joins Victoria to share her journey from art educator to gallery director and founder of Pecha Projects, a project space dedicated to counter narratives in contemporary art. Michelle reflects on staying “obedient to her gifts,” navigating a life-threatening illness, and learning to prioritize presence over perfection in both her work and life. She and Victoria discuss alignment, rejection as redirection, and the power of championing artists whose stories and practices feel deeply meaningful and alive.

Here’s what we discuss:

• Discovering her true role as a connector and storyteller between artists and collectors.
• Opening Brandt Gallery, launching Pecha Projects, and building platforms for social narrative and underrepresented voices.
• Reframing rejection as redirection, asking for what you want, and approaching galleries with intention and professionalism.
• Letting go of “perfect balance,” embracing trade-offs, and using meditation, mornings, and self-care to stay grounded and present.

About Michelle –

Michelle Brandt is the owner and director of Brandt Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, and the founder of Pecha Projects, a project space and initiative centered on counter narratives and contemporary art. With a background in art education and years of experience working in galleries, Michelle has built a practice around championing artists, connecting people, and sharing stories that make us think differently. Through her gallery, project space, and mentoring, she supports artists in cultivating meaningful, sustainable careers.

Artist, author, and creative leader Ekaterina Popova joins Victoria to explore the evolution of her creative practice, from her childhood in Russia to building an expansive career as a painter, mentor, and founder of Create! Magazine. Ekaterina reflects on the women who shaped her early artistic identity, the emotional foundations of her work, and the challenges and rewards of leading a growing creative community. She and Victoria discuss intuition, experimentation, and the inner permission artists need to grow, shift, and embrace play throughout their careers.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Developing an artistic voice shaped by memory, cultural transition, and familial influence.
2. Building Create! Magazine, supporting artists, and navigating the responsibilities of leadership.
3. Embracing “ugly” phases, intuitive sketching, and listening to inner alignment.
4. Balancing discipline and devotion while fostering freedom, curiosity, and authentic creative evolution.

About Kat -

Ekaterina Popova is a Russian-born artist whose contemporary oil paintings explore themes of home, belonging, and identity. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Kutztown University in 2011, she has continued to develop her studio practice and share her work through exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally. Inspired by post-impressionism, fauvism, and magical realism, Popova’s paintings evoke mood and emotion through richly textured interiors and landscapes. Her decade-long exploration of home and place reflects a deep connection to personal narrative and the meaning of belonging. Her work has been featured in galleries including Cohle Gallery in Paris and Menorca, The Painting Center in New York, James Oliver Gallery, Paradigm Gallery, and more.

Popova’s journey and work have been highlighted in publications such as Colossal, Flow Magazine, Beautiful Bizarre, American Art Collector, The Jealous Curator, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has participated in residencies at Centre Pompadour in France, NES Residency in Iceland, and the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece, all of which have contributed to her evolving studio practice. Based in Philadelphia at 1241 Carpenter Street Studios, Popova is also the founder of Create! Magazine and Art Queens and the host of the Art & Cocktails podcast. She has co-authored The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook, helping artists build sustainable art careers.

Website: katerinapopova.com + createmagazine.co + paintwithkat.com

IG: @katerinaspopova @createmagazine

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Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

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As the year comes to a close, Victoria answers some of the most common questions artists are asking right now—from choosing the right opportunities to growing an online presence with intention. She shares why long-term vision is the anchor for decision-making, how to build meaningful relationships in the art world, and why authenticity (not trends) is the strongest strategy for social media. Victoria also invites artists to pause, reflect, and set the energetic tone for 2026 before diving into goals or planning.

In this episode, she also announces that she’s opening a very limited number of 1:1 Strategy Sessions for new artists, designed to help you gain clarity, direction, and a solid plan for the year ahead.

Victoria also shares details about the debut of her new watercolor series Where Flowers Dream, on view at Warnes Contemporary in Brooklyn on December 13, with a free in-person watercolor workshop on December 14. This episode is for artists who want to enter 2026 feeling grounded, strategic, and empowered—ready to take aligned steps toward the career they truly want.

To book a 1:1 Strategy Session:
visionaryartcollective.com/services/p/11-strategy-session-with-victoria-j-fry-45-min

Learn more about Victoria’s upcoming watercolor debut:
warnescontemporary.com/upcomingevents

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 hundreds of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Patrick Quarm, a Ghanaian mixed-media artist, discusses his journey from drawing in his youth to developing a distinctive practice that explores cultural duality, hybridity, and identity. He reflects on how moving between Ghana and the U.S. shaped his perspective, and how an intuitive studio discovery led him to integrate African print fabrics into layered, three-dimensional portraits. Patrick shares insights on navigating multiple cultural contexts, the evolution of his conceptual thinking during graduate school, and the importance of experimentation and reflection within his creative process. He also speaks about using the body as a visual language to negotiate personal and collective identity.

Here’s what we discuss:

• The development of his signature layered mixed-media process.
• How living between Ghana and the U.S. influences his artistic perspective.
• Identity, hybridity, and cultural negotiation in his portraiture.
• The role of experimentation and intuitive discovery in shaping his practice.
• How periods of reflection and travel impact his creative growth.

About Patrick-

Patrick Quarm (b. 1988, Ghana) earned his BFA in Painting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (2012), and his MFA from Texas Tech University, USA (2018). He currently lives and works between Ghana and the United States. Quarm’s practice explores identity with a focus on cultural hybridity and social evolution. His multi-layered paintings weave and splice cultural signifiers from different eras and communities, creating complex dialogues between history, memory, and contemporary life.

His work has been presented in numerous exhibitions, including the Ford Foundation, New York, NY; Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University, Houston, TX; Kunstraum Potsdam, Berlin, DE; Gagosian, London, UK; Library Street Collective, Detroit, MI; K.N.U.S.T. Museum, Kumasi, Ghana; and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI.

Quarm’s work is represented in several public and private collections, including the Syracuse University Art Museum, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and Ruby City. He has also participated in notable residencies, including the Red Bull Arts Detroit Residency (2019), the NXTHVN Fellowship (2021–2022), and the Artpace International Artist-in-Residence Program in San Antonio.

Website: .patrickquarm.com
IG: @_quarm

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

Victoria explores why self-worth is the essential foundation of a sustainable art career. She reflects on how confidence, boundaries, resilience, and visibility all stem from knowing your own value, and why external validation can never replace a deep inner sense of worthiness. Drawing from her own journey and the book she’s currently writing, she invites artists to examine the beliefs they’re embodying, release old narratives, take ownership of their path, and show up with intention. This episode is a reminder that self-worth is a daily practice, and that choosing yourself is one of the most powerful steps you can take in your art career.

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

To learn more about The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

To learn more about From The Ground Up juried by Erika b Hess, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/from-the-ground-up

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 hundreds of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

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

Brooklyn-based artist and organizer Carter Shocket, co-director of Eleventh Hour Art and founding director of Trans Art Fest, joins Victoria to discuss the intersections of art, identity, and community care. Carter shares his journey as a visual artist navigating abstraction and queerness, and reflects on the power of collective art-making as a means of survival, connection, and transformation.

Here’s what we discuss:

1. Founding Trans Art Fest and creating trans-led spaces for artistic expression.
2. Exploring identity, intimacy, and transformation through abstraction.
3. Building networks of care and reimagining queer futurism through art.

About Carter-

Carter Shocket (he/him) is a trans and queer interdisciplinary artist from North Carolina living and working in Brooklyn, New York. His work includes woven sculpture, installation, street art, tapestry, and other process-based textile art.

He regularly exhibits work in New York City with Eleventh Hour Art, the Textile Arts Center, and more. He was an Artist In Residence (Cycle 15) at the Textile Arts Center from 2023-2024, and is showing new work at the Somerville Museum in Massachusetts in early 2026. Notable collectors include the team at Artsy for their NYC Headquarters building. Alongside his studio practice, he is the Founding Director of Trans Art Fest, a new Brooklyn-based festival that exhibits and celebrates trans visual artists.

Website: cartershocket.com + eleventhhourart.com
IG: @carter_shocket @eleventhhour_art

Visit our website: visionaryartcollective.com

Follow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Join our newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter

In this reflective solo episode, Victoria shares three powerful themes to carry into the new year—focusing on what’s within your control, separating your worth from external validation, and embracing the natural rhythm of success. She invites artists to shift from waiting for opportunities to creating them, to value their work beyond sales or recognition, and to trust that momentum always returns.

Through journaling, reflection, and small intentional actions, Victoria encourages artists to reconnect with their long-term vision and step into 2026 with clarity, confidence, and renewed creative energy.

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

To learn more about The Visionary Community, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/visionary-community-enroll

To learn more about From The Ground Up juried by Erika b Hess visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/from-the-ground-up

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 hundreds of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

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

In this heartfelt solo episode, Victoria shares a personal breakthrough in her art practice, shifting from textured, atmospheric paintings to ethereal watercolors, and reflecting on what this transformation has taught her about creative evolution, self-trust, and flow. She invites artists to release the fear of change, follow their intuition, and allow their art to evolve alongside their inner growth.

To join The Artist Glow Up Program, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/glowup-enroll
Use code GLOWUP20 for 20% off the program

To learn more about 1:1 Mentorship, visit:
visionaryartcollective.com/mentorship

To learn more about 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 hundreds of artists through exhibitions, publications, and mentorship.

Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

Newsletter: visionaryartcollective.com/newsletter