Carol Stott’s artwork is featured on greeting cards.

It’s on stationary. It’s hanging in people’s homes. It’s been in numerous exhibits, including national ones.

She’s one of the rare success stories among local artists — the stories that begin with a talented unknown who, after years of networking and hard work, becomes quite known. So known, in fact, they can make a decent living off of their art work.

Many artists in southern Minnesota haven’t had such luck. A statewide study that came out last year called “The Economic Impact of Minnesota’s Individual Artists” showed artists in southwest Minnesota have difficulty finding a market to sell their work.

While 26 percent of the artists in the Twin Cities work full time on their craft, only 6 percent do so in south-central Minnesota. When the study was released, Kevin Kroeber of Mankato said he’s one of those struggling artists.

He said he worked four part-time jobs to help support his family and had little time to paint. Even if he did have more time to paint and show his work more often, he doubts it would make much of a difference in this market.

“There’s not a big enough clientele in Mankato,” he said. “I just think it’s the rural mentality. Most of the artists that can support themselves off their art live in the metropolitan area.”

Brenda Flintrop, executive director for Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, said Kroeber is not alone. Many artists in southern Minnesota struggle not only to sell their work, but also to find places to show it.

If there’s a key to being successful in the region, she said, perhaps artists’ best bet is to get their name and work out there as much as possible.

“You have to have connections in a lot of different places,” she said.

Stott agrees. When she first began to freelance paint out of her home more than 20 years ago, marketing was her top priority (besides producing, of course).

She first researched the Mankato-area market and learned what kind of art was being sold and how it was being used. Then it was time to pick up the phone.

“I started just by paying calls on businesses that maybe would use art work,” she said. “And I would take my portfolio in and show it to people and see if I could be of some help to them in the future.”

To this day Stott makes those phone calls and drives with her portfolio to businesses in the area and even in the Twin Cities. Marketing is always a part of the job, she said. Her niche in the greeting card and stationary industry helps, too.

Lisa Bierer is another artist who has found a niche by painting murals for hundreds of businesses, organizations, schools and private residences. She even has a waiting list.