From Czechoslovakia to MoMA: How Sculptor Alex Kveton Built a Real Art Business
5/11/202629 min
How to Build a Real Art Business: Selling Sculpture, Gallery Representation, and the Long Game - with Alex Kveton
What does it actually take to make a living as a sculptor? In this episode, we sit down with sculptor Alex Kveton and Barbara to trace a career that began with escaping communist Czechoslovakia and grew into a thriving fine art business - with stainless steel sculptures placed in prestigious institutions including MoMA and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, and represented by galleries across the United States.
We go beyond the highlight reel. Alex breaks down the unglamorous realities of building a sustainable creative career: navigating gallery commissions, pricing original sculpture, handling competition in the fine art market, and why there is no single "big break" - only consistent, strategic effort over time.
If you're an artist wondering how to sell sculpture, get gallery representation, price your work, or turn a creative practice into a real livelihood, this episode is a grounded, experience-backed roadmap.
Alex's Website: https://www.alexkveton.com/
"How Much Can I Make?" Is nominated for 2026 Women in Podcasting Award!
Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBarbara· Guest0:00
[gentle music] Art is the last thing people need, and art is the first thing people stop buying if economically there is, uh, some issues. If you are in it for long term, it's like with the stock market, one year can be great, another a little bad, but next year is better.
Mirva Azeri· Host0:18
Hi, welcome back to How Much Can I Make?, the podcast about jobs and careers. I'm your host, Mirva Azeri. Before we start today's show, I wanna tell you that next week's episode is with a death investigator, and trust me, you do not wanna miss this one. Today, I chat with sculptor Alex Kventon and his wife Barbara about turning creativity into a real business and running it as a team. Alex works with metal, and his sculptures can be found at the MoMA, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, and museums and galleries around the country. We talk about the business of art, escaping communist Czechoslovakia, gallery commissions, and what it really takes to make it as a working artist in America. So let's hear it from them. Barbara and Alex, thank you so much for doing it, for one thing. I really appreciate it.
Barbara· Guest1:12
Yes. Hi, Mirva.
Mirva Azeri· Host1:13
Hi.
Barbara· Guest1:13
[laughs] It's nice to have you here.
Mirva Azeri· Host1:14
Thank you. So you deal with the marketing, and you help Alex in the design.
Barbara· Guest1:20
Yes. Alex has a all art career before we met, but once we met, I already had a several years experience of working as entrepreneur,