Lori Siebert on Reinvention, Art Licensing, and Teaching Creative Retreats
Season 6, Episode 1 of the Show Up or Shut Up podcast features host Wendy Solganik interviewing mixed-media artist and designer Lori Siebert, a new Fodder School teacher. Lori shares early art training from age seven, her Cincinnati roots, and studying graphic design at UC’s DAAP with its co-op program. She describes founding her design firm in 1987, growing it to about 12 employees, and creating branding and illustration-based work for clients including Target, Bath & Body Works, Nickelodeon, and Universal Studios. Lori explains moving into art licensing over 20 years ago via SURTEX, how licensing works, and balancing client-driven themes with more personal work shown on Instagram. She discusses mentorship and community, building travel-teaching “street cred,” and upcoming retreats (Mexico City, Ireland, Provence, Waco, Vermont, Chautauqua, France, Connecticut). Lori previews her Fodder Challenge birds and a Fodder School fodder-flower bouquet project.
00:00 Meet Lori Siebert
02:36 Podcast Premise and Intro
04:50 Early Art Roots
05:59 Cincinnati and Staying Put
07:52 DAAP and Design Training
11:45 Family Influence and High School Art
16:06 From Design Firm to Big Clients
21:05 Burnout and Finding Licensing
22:24 How SURTEX Works
25:48 Licensing Reality vs Heart Art
28:24 Products in Stores and Samples
32:15 Turning 60 and Choosing Fun
33:08 Building Travel Teaching Retreats
37:21 Mexico City and Frida House Dreams
41:25 Mexico City Museums
42:32 Travel Health Tips
43:25 Language Barrier Hacks
44:39 Street Art Vibes
46:04 Starting the Design Firm
48:03 DAAP Fine Art Electives
49:45 Adapting the Business
52:49 Handmade to Digital Workflow
55:22 Ceramics Detour and Return
01:00:08 Clay Practice and Selling
01:01:44 Retreat Community Magic
01:03:01 Upcoming Trips and Chautauqua
01:05:11 Fodder Projects Birds Flowers
01:08:30 Wrap Up and Next Meet