We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sophie Groenstein a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sophie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

As a muralist painting New England and beyond, my artistic mission is to foster connection by celebrating the warmth of individuality through expressive portraiture. Although I received a BFA in traditional fine arts, I taught myself the ins and outs of the mural community and decided to take on painting murals on a large scale. For the past three years I’ve been able to create more than a hundred murals spanning over four stories high around New England and turn my passion for public art into a full-time, women-led business, Sophie Groenstein LLC. Earlier this year I created my hometown’s very first mural- initiating the town’s call for public art and inspiring me to reach out to communities across the country to revitalize vacant walls, which is why I’m passionate about giving back to others as the role of mural artist.

Much like the tight-knit community of my hometown in Connecticut, Hartford’s love for its residents makes the area both unique and inclusive for all. Being a part of Hartford as a muralist would be an incredible experience because it would allow me to invigorate the well-being of a neighborhood to produce joy, vibrancy, and inspiration. My artistic style serves as a multicultural pathway of symbolism, cultural pride, and individuality- strengthening unity and belonging to the areas people call home. Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut taught me how to lend a hand and take initiative when a community is being built through creativity, and I would love to do the same for any community I paint in.

Being able to express myself through murals has influenced me to continuously learn more about the history of a community through a new lens and perspective; uplifting the residents through respect and equity. To give back to a community that shaped my passion for public art such as Hartford would be an honor, as I’d make it my goal to represent its community with pride and compassion, expand my skills, and connect with other muralists to inspire others to follow their creative journey.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Born and raised in Connecticut, Sophie Groenstein stands out as a multi-faceted creator who brings her artwork to life by celebrating the warmth of individuality through a vibrant lens. When exploring themes in her work such as portraiture, floral surroundings, and historical representations, Sophie’s depictions are created using a few of her favorite brushes and acrylic paint to bring her illustrations and murals to life. Her distinctive style emanates positivity and binds the dynamic spirit of her surrounding community to share their story, inspire reflection, and form connections. After earning her BFA in illustration, Sophie turned her passion for creating murals into two separate businesses: Sophie Groenstein LLC and continues to work with organizations such as RiseUp. Her mission as a professional illustrator/muralist is to empower those of all ages to find their inner artists and to represent communities of all backgrounds through her art.

As a young artist, Sophie aims to create public art that evolves as part of a community’s environment and invigorates the well-being of a neighborhood. Her artistic mission is for people to feel a warm sensation, a peace of mind when seeing beauty in their everyday commute to gain a deeper appreciation for their cities or town. She aspires to pursue her artistic endeavors by giving back through the creation of public art lovingly and professionally. To transform her surrounding cities into a center of community activity aligns with Sophie’s artistic vision. She is always looking for the next big wall or site to help fulfill a client’s desire to beautify and turn their space into something magical for all to experience.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My artistic style serves as a multicultural pathway of symbolism, cultural pride, and individuality- strengthening unity and belonging to the areas people call home. Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut taught me how to lend a hand and take initiative when a community is being built through creativity.

Interacting with diverse perspectives within the residency community, I envision utilizing opportunities that come my way to develop my skills further and contribute meaningfully, enriching my journey and the communities I engage within my work. I intend to immerse myself in an environment that transcends the ordinary to refine and solidify my artistic style through the focus of public art, large-scale painting, and illustration.

The resources available within a given environment present an opportunity for practical exploration and skill development to add to my skillset as an emerging artist.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy for growing my clientele is outreach. I continuously send emails and DM’s to businesses I’d love to work with. Even if most don’t answer, I want to put myself out there as much as I can to get my name and to have my murals known across the state of Connecticut and beyond our small state.

In total, my goal for the week is to send at least 200+ emails. It seems like a lot, but once you get into the flow of sending emails it goes by pretty quickly. Although I might be in the works of getting a project completed, I always find a way to send at least a couple of emails to any kind of business that I might think to be suitable as a candidate to have a mural in their space: hotel lobbies, restaurants, you name it. I always say, if there’s a wall, there’s a way!

Contact Info:

• Website: sophiegroenstein.com
• Instagram: @sgroenart
• Facebook: Sophie Groenstein
• Linkedin: Sophie-Groenstein
• Twitter: @sgroenart

Image Credits
Sophie Groenstein