Ep. 157: Mark Furtado

Welcome, Mark Furtado who was born and raised in New Bedford and, "surrounded by art". Mark went to Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School GNBVT) for Business Technology and is currently a student at Bristol Community College (BCC) in Fall River, Massachusetts for Office Administration.

He is an artrenpreneur and started his artisanal brand, The Artisan NB, in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic*. Mark started his business as a pilot program to test the marketplace. He believed his creativity needed to be showcased. It was at this point that the idea of THE ARTISAN revealed itself.

Mark Furtado wasn't aware if New Bedford had its own signature clothing brand. Based on that alone, he dove into the fledgling business completely and it quickly ignited. He says that he is not a trained artist. However, based on his educational experience with digital art at GNBVT and his ongoing marketing education, he believes he has the tools and continues to learn along the way.

The Artist Index co-founder and host, Ron Fortier talks with Mark Furtado about his background and his passion for his branded line of casual clothing.

The In-Focus Podcasts are up close and personal conversations with the makers, performers, supporters, and cultural impresarios of the remarkable creative community of South Coast Massachusetts including New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Westport, and beyond.