altered artist

Quick Tips For Submitting Your Work To Galleries

It’s difficult to find artistic representation when you are a new or emerging artist. Finding a gallery that you like is only half of the battle. Reputable contemporary art galleries receive scores of unsolicited submissions and most of them languish unopened in drawers or, even worse, end up in the trash. Only a fraction of unsolicited submissions will result in gallery representation. However, here are some steps you can take to keep your carefully crafted artist’s package away from the paper shredder.

1. Select approximately 10 pieces that you think are representative of your work. Hire a professional photographer to shoot slides. It’s important that you have both slide and digital versions of the images. Some galleries do everything on their computer and prefer for artists to submit via e-mail. However, you’d be surprised how many successful contemporary art galleries are trapped in the technological stone age.

2. Update or write your artist resume and artist statement. Avoid flowery prose in your artist statement. It’s best to keep things short and sweet. The statement should be a summary of your creative process and thoughts about the body of work you are submitting. It should not exceed two paragraphs. Be careful not to over explain. Leave some room for the viewer, or in this case the gallery director, to create their own relationship with your work.

3. Consult your local gallery guide and visit local galleries. Find interesting exhibitions and galleries that exhibit work similar to yours. . Jot down the names of galleries that impress you. Make sure they are venues that suits your work. Be sure to ask if the gallery accepts unsolicited artist’s materials. Be sure to ask whether they prefer digital or hard copy submissions.

4. Contact any of the galleries that you did not query in person via e-mail or phone. Check their websites out on the web and look for their exhibition calendars, calls for entries and submission policies.  Often galleries accept unsolicited  submissions for a period of time each year. E-mail  the gallery directly or if you call speak to the person who answers the phone. They should be able to answer your questions  and are qualified to give you the information you need regarding unsolicited artist materials.

5. Put your disc of images or slides, artist statement, resume, and copies of any press clippings in an attractive folder, along with a business card and a cover letter. Be sure to include a self addressed stamp envelope. If the gallery doesn't accept your submission, at least you will be able to reuse the artist packet.

6. Know that if the gallery likes your work and wants to represent you, they will most likely call you. However, it doesn’t hurt to follow up. Allow six weeks to pass and then call or email to inquire after your submission.

Call for Entries from RVA Artists

The 5th Annual Art Surviving Art Show is seeking artists who have survived breast conditions that would like to share their experiences and stories through their works of art during Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October 2009.

Call for Entries will be on Friday and Saturday, September 18^th & 19^th from noon – 4:00 p.m. in Studio 125 at Art Works.  Artists may submit up to 2 entries and the cost per entry is $5.00.  This will be an all media juried show. Art may be of any subject matter that is considered healing to the artist.  Artwork may be for sale or for showing only.  Artists are encouraged to attend the opening of the show.

The Art of Surviving opening reception will be on September 25^th, 7:00 p.m. at Art Works on 320 Hull Street in Richmond.  The show will display through October 18^th. The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation will be present to answer questions and share the latest information about breast cancer awareness. Donations may be made that evening to the VBCF in honor or in memory of those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. For more info on entry submission, please contact Terry Lynn Smith at terry@eyesofthesoulart.net or 804.731.2481

Phyllis Kind Annouces Retirement

NEW YORK, July, 23, 2009  Phyllis Kind has recently announced that she is planning to retire after over 40 years. The Phyllis Kind Gallery will close at the end of July 2009.

Phyllis Kind opened her first gallery in Chicago in 1967, initially exhibiting master prints and drawings. At that time a group of young artists was emerging in Chicago who were making personal, complex, narrative statements at a time when critical attention in New York was mainly directed at "mainstream art." It was this very exciting ground-breaking phenomenon in Chicago that prompted Ms. Kind to become involved with living artists. By 1970, she had established a stable of artists there, many of whom later became known as Chicago Imagists.

By the time Phyllis Kind opened in SoHo in 1975, her stable had become finely honed. Early in her career, Ms. Kind developed an interest in contemporary American and European Art Brut. She began using the gallery as a showcase to investigate and promote Outsider Art within the context of the contemporary art dialogue, and it was this investigation that became the core of her concentration. Her gallery was the first to promote such work, including artists such as Martin Ramirez, Adolf Woelfli, Henry Darger, Howard Finster, Joseph Yoakum, and Carlo Zinnelli.

Phyllis always maintained her involvement in showing the work of contemporary artists, including but not limited to Robert Colescott, Hiroyuki Doi, Gillian Jagger, Alison Saar, and Domenico Zindato. In February 1986 Ms. Kind visited the Soviet Union and fell in love with the work of a number of "unofficial" artists that led to the first showing of Soviet art in the West in May 1987.

From its inception and throughout its over 40 years, the Phyllis Kind Gallery continually searched for work that was unique and as transformational as possible, with well-crafted and personal elements. Phyllis sought to promote artists, schooled or unschooled, who have developed a personally consistent vocabulary of form that was both complex and wide-ranging. She has always believed in the primary individuality of human creativity which is never without reference to its time.

CONTACT:
The Phyllis Kind Gallery
Ronald L. Jagger
Email: Ronald L. Jagger
Tel: (212) 925-1200

Phyllis Kind Gallery 236 West 26th Street, Suite 503, NY, New York 10001
Web: www.phylliskindgallery.com

Photo Credit: amazon pixels

Art Show and Benefit - Equality Virginia - Celebrating 20 Years

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Equality Virginia is currently accepting submissions for an Art Show and Auction Benefit. The application deadline is February 27, 2009. Selected artists will be showcased at the GCCR Gallery March 13 through April 2, 2009. All works will be auctioned at the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner April 4, 2009.

Equality Virginia
Equality Virginia is a statewide, non-partisan lobbying, outreach and education organization seeking equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Virginians. We work to help protect families, end discrimination and build safe communities. Your donation of art will help Equality Virginia achieve these goals. For more information, go to Equality Virginia's website.

2009 Commonwealth Dinner
More than 1000 GLBT and allied people are expected to attend the dinner this year. The evening will include recognition of twenty OUTstanding Virginians (historical and living). Emmy award winning actor, Leslie Jordan will provide the evening’s entertainment. For more information, visit Equality Virginia's Commonwealth Dinner page.

Art Show and Auction Benefit
The application deadline is February 27, 2009. Selected artists will be showcased at the GCCR Gallery March 13 through April 2, 2009. All works accepted will be auctioned at the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner April 4, 2009. Submit JPEGs to artshow@equalityvirginia.org

Awards
Cash prizes totaling $1250 will be awarded. All selected pieces become the property of Equality Virginia and will be included in the auction. Artists have the option of retaining up to 25% of final auction sale.

Eligibility and deadlines
Original works in all mediums considered. Pieces should have a minimum value of $250 and be easily transportable. Submissions should be made to artshow@equalityvirginia.org in JPEG format by February 27, 2009. in JPEG format by February 27, 2009. Images must be less than two megabytes in size and submissions should include a brief description of the work and the artist.

About the Juror
Norman F. Goodwin: Born and raised in Norfolk, Norman Goodwin was educated at Cooper Union, Columbia University and the London School of Conservation. His paintings are widely collected by both individuals and museums, including MOMA, the Chrysler Museum, Art Institute of Chicago and the Nasher Museum at Duke University. Norman is a certified fine arts appraiser and conservator.

Altered Book Show in Oregon

For those of you in Oregon, this looks like a terrific show to see. For those of us who aren't, we can see it online!

During the month of February, the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery will be
presenting "Inside-Out, Educating Without Boundaries" the 6th annual
100 Artists show. Participating artists received a book through the
mail and were asked to use this as their starting point for their
piece of art, with a completed maximum size of 8" x 8". Each book was
sent "as is", and was not packaged, but rather processed directly by
the postal service firsthand. The stamps and addresses on the back
will remain a part of the artwork for identification and for evidence
of the actual mailing.

Artists have had over three months to transform, build, infuse, reduce
or reinvent the book into their work of art.

The exhibit will open on Tuesday, February 3rd at 10:00 am pacific
time. The public will be able to bid on their favorite artwork.
Beginning bids are $50.00 with increments of $5.00 with a maximum of
$300. The entire show will be posted online at www.zeekgallery.com.

Calls can be made to the gallery to place bids: 503-581-3229 beginning
at 10:00 am on February 3rd. The bidding ends February 27th, 2009 at
6:00 pm pacific time.

Also posted on the Altered Artists Online Yahoo Group and the Altered Artists Online Facebook Group

Start My Own Business?*

No one has to tell me I have creative work many people envy. I set my own hours, I can move with my creative flow, choose what projects I work on every day and have a great deal more independence and flexibility than I would ever have if I had a typical nine-to-five job.

So when people tell me they could never possibly do what I do, I often I wonder why. I’m told it’s too scary, too hard, too expensive—or they could never pay the bills let, alone turn a profit from being self-employed. I understand their concerns. We all need to pay the bills, have health insurance, and keep food on the table.

But getting to where I am didn’t come easy and I am still not where I want to be. There were barriers for me, too. I had to reinvent myself and focus on what I could do instead of what I couldn’t.

This makes me believe that the difference between those who pursue a creative career and those who don’t seems to lie mostly in attitude and anyone can break through a fear of starting a business by remaining open to the wisdom and advice of others who have done it.

Certainly not having enough money is a valid enough reason for not quitting a day job and not one many people would argue. But no one says you should abandon your cubicle and paint the next Warhol or write the next great American novel. Often the secret to taking a creative plunge is in what SARK calls, MicroMOVEments:

Here are some of my own microMOVEments for fledgling creatives who think doing creative work they love is nothing more than empty, wishful thinking:

Listen to your heart. Do you want to write full-time? Do you want to build websites or blog for extra money? Do you want to stay at home with the kids and write? Doing what you love doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do it full-time. Assess your skills and talents and consider taking a few courses at your local art center or community college to brush up if you want or need to.

Create a support community. Creating a community of supportive friends and family is important, especially when you are embarking on a new path. I’m not talking about a group of “yes-people” but surround yourself with people who genuinely care about you and can be honest with you, even when you might not like it. If you can find a mentor who can show you the ropes and share insight with you as you are starting out so much the better.

Know your industry. Creating a business is different from weekend painting or creative writing at night after you tuck your kids in bed. It’s a good idea to build a solid foundation—and a creative career often means starting a small business. If you are a writer, do you want to go into copywriting, editing, or essay and short-story writing? If you are an artist, are you interested in painting, sculpting, ceramics or textiles? Decide on your focus and study it. Research the Internet and read about latest trends and what other people are doing in your area of expertise. Join local and online discussion group, or volunteer at a local art center to learn more about your industry community.

Don’t quit your day job if you have one. You can build a fruitful career in a creative field while you are still doing the nine-to-five thing. Start small but think big. Create a solid, but personable clientele and you’ll still have steady income and while you are working toward your goal.

Get out. Don’t rely on a few clients or word of mouth—constantly market yourself. Be prepared, especially in corporate markets, to meet with clients face to face. Network and connect with others outside your social sphere. Build a website and/or a blog and market your business like any other. Make use of social media like Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Social Median to connect to others in your industry around the world and learn about what is new, exciting and profitable. Work will not come to you in the beginning. You have to create it.

Good businesses take time to build—as in years. Don’t look to get top dollar right away but you can earn a good second income and eventually a living. Build a strong base by knowing your industry, practicing your craft, keeping your mind open to new things and fresh perspectives. Remember start small, think big.

Life is wide, grab a swizzle stick.

* Orginally posted on Active Gray Matter Blog.

Get Involved! Keep Arts & Culture Thriving in RVA!

The Task Force of the Richmond Region Cultural Action Plan is pleased to host a series of meetings on January 12 & 13 that will engage our entire community in forming a comprehensive plan for strengthening the region's arts and cultural community. Attend one or all of the upcoming meetings, which will include a presentation about the project by consultants, WolfBrown, and opportunities for the public to get involved.

To keep up with progress on the Richmond Region Cultural Action Plan, please visit the Richmond Cultural Plan blog for more information visit the Richmond Region Cultural Plan website.

You're Invited to Attend the Community Meetings about the Richmond Region Cultural Action Plan:

Monday, January 12, 2009
4:00-6:00pm
Hanover School Board
200 Berkley Street Ashland, VA 23005

Monday, January 12, 2009
7:00-9:00pm
Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center
4901 Old Brook Rd
Richmond, VA 23227

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
4:00-6:00pm
Cultural Center of India
6641 Ironbridge Parkway
Chester, Va. 23831

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
7:00-9:00pm Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen
2880 Mountain Road
Glen Allen, VA 23060

What is the big picture goal of the Cultural Action Plan?

The plan will look broadly at the importance of arts and culture in our region to create a collective and inclusive vision for the area’s cultural sector. It will identify strategies to increase participation, financial support, awareness and collaborative opportunities that will lay the foundation for a thriving cultural landscape. Richmond, Virginia follows other cities across the nation that have developed cultural plans that have successfully guided the promotion, planning, development, and funding of their community’s arts and cultural organizations.

Call for Entries: "Revealing Culture" Exhibition

VIA Stephanie Taylor/VSA arts

(202) 628-2800 ext. 3883

SKTaylor@vsarts.org

Call for Entries: "Revealing Culture" Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in 2010 Seeking Applications from International Artists with Disabilities

Deadline: April 30, 2009 (midnight, MST)

 VSA arts is seeking artists with disabilities for display at the Smithsonian Institution's International Gallery in the S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington, D.C., from June through September 2010. Artists are asked to consider the theme "Revealing Culture" as it relates to their work. Accepted mediums include two- and three-dimensional art, craft, digital art, installation, and time-based media. Work that is not selected for this exhibition will be considered for alternative spaces throughout Washington, D.C., during the 2010 VSA arts International Festival.

Disability is a requirement for eligibility, but is not disclosed during the jury process. Artists will be selected based on the aesthetic merit of their work.

VSA arts' International Festival is the largest arts and disability event in the world attracting thousands of participants. The festival will take place in Washington, D.C., June 6-12, 2010. Venues across the city will play host to artists from all media-visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and media arts. This signature event features the achievements of people with disabilities, as well as the diversity of the arts and cultures of the participants.

A panel of distinguished practicing artists and arts administrators will determine work standards, review submitted materials, and select artists for the exhibition. The jury will be looking for the development of original ideas in the work submitted.

All materials must be submitted to CaFE prior to midnight (U.S. MST) deadline of April 30, 2009.

Louise Bourgeois' Sculpture Crouching Spider Installed at Hirshhorn Museum

VIA ArtDaily

 An eight-legged sentinel now greets visitors on their way into the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. Standing at nearly 25 feet tall, Louise Bourgeois' large bronze and steel sculpture "Crouching Spider" inspires an eerie fascination in passersby. There is no need to be afraid, since the artist describes her spiders as iconic "guardians," a "defense against evil." Since its installation earlier this week, the work of art has become an instant attraction to visitors eager to be photographed with the Jurassic-sized arachnid.

"Crouching Spider" is now on view at the Independence Avenue entrance to the Hirshhorn in anticipation of the Feb. 26 opening of "Louise Bourgeois,"a major retrospective that includes more than 120 sculptures, paintings and drawings.

The exhibition opens with Bourgeois' early drawings and paintings, followed by the sculptural series of "Personages," starkly abstracted standing figures created in the aftermath of World War II. Subsequent sculptures hang from the ceiling ("Spiral Woman," "Arch of Hysteria," "Janus" and "Legs"), attach to walls ("Torso Self-Portrait" and "Mamelles"), and are secreted in dramatic enclosures ("Destruction of the Father").

The exhibited works encompass a startling array of images and materials, ranging from traditional plaster, bronze, marble and wood to plastic, resin, latex, wax, steel fences, toy doll fragments, electric lights, fabrics, glass, rubber and found objects. The highlight of the exhibition is a stellar array of Bourgeois' rarely seen masterpieces: the large structured environments known as the "Cell" series, including "Cell (Choisy)," the autobiographical duo "Red Room (Parents)" and "Red Room (Child)," and the nightmarish "Spider" cell.

The Hirshhorn presentation of "Louise Bourgeois"is the last chance for the public to see the exhibition that began its tour in London and ends here in Washington, D.C. The Hirshhorn presentation will include a number of works from the museum's own collection, not seen in other presentations on the tour. The exhibition will run through May 17, 2009. 

Louise Bourgeois works via Google images.

Louise Bourgeois on YouTube.

Louise Bourgeois on Google video.

See With Bigger Eyes

Half a Dozen Things Fine Artists & Crafters Can Do To Help Themselves Survive the Economic Slump

Because fine art and craft have long been considered a luxury for an audience with a disposable income, visual artists, like many self-employed creatives are susceptible to icky, economic downturns.  Right now everyone is hesitant to spend to drop cash on what seems to extravagance, even the very wealthy.  But collectors and dealers know this is the best time to buy and fine art and craft is one of the safest places to "park" their moola. But, they are looking to invest in  established artists with proven and verifiable sales and exhibition histories.

This is not good news for most emerging and mid-career artists. I've gotten e-mails from creative friends asking for ideas about how and where to sell work during a time when many galleries are struggling to make ends meet. Galleries are way more likely to exhibit the work of artists they feel confident they can sell right now. So, if you are thinking about approaching galleries any time soon here are five things to consider:

Know your stuff. Do your research and keep up the news- art, culture and business. Keep an eye on trends in your community. Watch which galleries are advertising and who they are showing. This will be a strong indication of which galleries will survive. Know which galleries accept outside proposals and when, keeping in mind most schedule exhibitions months or years in advance. Understand that, like the business world, the gallery world ebbs and flows and you need to move with it.

Become a little geeky. Aside from having an organized electronic (email) database of collectors, fans and people interested in your work, as well as an accurate inventory system, take a little time to research web sites (if you don't have one) and blogs. Determine whether you are better served with a blog that you can easily update or a static website that is updated quarterly or annually. Check out social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn to find out how networking online with other artists and people of a like mind can benefit you. It's easy to let these things slide and find reasons for not having enough time, energy or resources...but, there is never a better time than now to get this stuff done.

Find creative weirdoes. Face it: being a visual artist can be a not only a weird but solitary profession, so in surrounding yourself with other creative weirdoes you can help one another remain positive and upbeat. So find other artists and creative people you can talk to and/or meet on a regular basis. It's always important to keep creativity flowing but especially during economic downturns. Nothing does that better than talking to other artists about their work and discussing yours.

Get out of the box. Be willing to think out of the box and explore non-traditional venues to exhibit work and be willing to lower prices and/or barter for goods and services if you can. Look into local outdoor and weekend farmer's markets and other similar venues. Look into renting space in an antique mall. Many people looking to decorate their homes with antiques also collect fine art and craft.

Curate yourself. Create your own exhibition of your existing work and approach local non profit exhibition spaces, small museums and college and university galleries with your ideas. Since many are coping with budget cuts, they are often more open to an exhibition that is already prepackaged and ready to hang. Use the distance you are willing to drive as your geographical radius and send proposals to everyone within that area. 

Do stuff for yourself. Everyone is under a tremendous amount of stress in this uncertain economic climate. The world seems chaotic right now. Money, career and family responsibilities can feel overwhelming. For many visual artists and fine crafters, it is our art that centers us and in an intrinsic part of who we are. We will all get through this, so continue to make the best possible art you can make and you will continue to thrive.

Note: Originally written for Active Gray Matter Blog.