Alt. Business

O.K. I am down in the dumps.

I just received my fourth rejection letter this week. I know this business is like being tossed about in the sea but sometimes it would be nice to get some Yee Hahs!

I am reminded of an alt. version of a business plan I made while at New York Foundation for the Art's Boot Camp, seems just as good as the one I made with financials, marketing plan, goals, etc. and a table of contents.  Here it is...and you can barely see the last piece which reads "success"!

Nom Wah — Patterned for Success

Continuing my partnering with Linda Tharp in the artist as entrepreneur thread, we met over lunch at Nom Wah tea parlor on Doyers Street. It was a homecoming of sorts, my father used to take us here every sunday in the 1950s and 1960s. It has been newly freshened up (and the Dim Sum was good) but I was happy to see it has retained the old along with the new, entwining the only seemlingly random patterns of life.

I go for the Coffee...

...but stay for the friendship.

Linda Tharp and I have become pacing partners in the world of art. Taking a concept from the "straight" or not-art business world, we are helping each other to move our art careers forward.

This involves keeping honest to the goals we just created as part of the Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp (more about this later) at the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Linda and I are very different types of people and very different types of artists. This partnering has the effect of making us both stronger. As well, I feel we are at the beginning of a new art movement. Not defined, by painting style or concept, but by a new way that artists view themselves and how artists view their place in and their value to the world.

...and the coffee is good and hot and attractive.

NYFA Spring Conference

If you didn't make it to NYFA's Spring Conference on sustainable practice in these hard times, you can catch some of it here. I'm glad NYFA is posting these Vimeos, we all have to make it through somehow.

NYFA is a great resource, and even if you don't live in New York City, check out their site. They've got a searchable database of opportunities, good professional articles on lots of topics and they now host a regular podcast for artists. And at the bottom of the post you'll see find "arty" snaps I took the day of the conference.

Assessing the Recession: a panel discussion with Sean Elwood, Creative Capital; Stephanie Howe, Artists Space; Kay Takeda, LMCC, and Edward Winkleman, Winkleman Gallery with Moderator: Christa Blatchford, NYFA

Assessing the Recession, a panel discussion from NYFA on Vimeo.

Sustainable Practice: Artists Defining a New Model: Panelists: Jeff Hnilicka, FEAST; Caroll Taveras; Carol Taveras Studio; Francisca Caporali, Artist and curator; Joshua Smith and Denise Kupferschmidt, co-founders of Apartment Show with moderator Suzan Sherman, NYFA

Sustainable Practice: Artists Defining a New Model, a panel discussion from NYFA on Vimeo.

Art $$$ in a Down Economy

Several of you have responded to me personally on my blog post about art and commerce for which I thank you. These days I've been thinking a lot about money too. To that end I've been trying to educate myself as much as possible, so here a list of some places you should check out.

Internet for Artsts is one of the Creative Capital workshops that addresses the issue (among other valuable and relevant topics). Check for their workshops, not offered frequently but great. Some of the workshop leaders use the internet to raise money in different ways, as do other unconnected artists like Carter Kustera. Eve Mosher raises money via internet by contribution for her public art works; Steve Lambert sells art for the price painted on the front; some artists sell books of their works on specific topics like techniques and/or themes on Blurb; some sell limited editions of prints; Carter sells portraits through Jonathan Adler the designer and so on. I own a beautiful modern dollhouse designed by architect Peter Wheelwright and Laurie Simmons who designs lots of related things.

Also check for anything taught by Jackie Battenfield (she recently gave a FREE workshop as part of Queens Council on the Arts.) Check the CUE art foundation's professional development series, check out NYFA and each boroughs Cultural Council.

In addition, two thoughts to leave you with:
1. I bought Ed Rucha's self printed "Nine Swimming Pools and a Broken Glass" for $3 many years ago. It was a limited edition artist book. I enjoyed looking at it the years it was in my possession. It left my hands 2 years ago for $1200.
2. I'm checking this out in lots of ways myself. Here's your chance to get one of my very own limited edition artist books. If you buy one, I'll personally autograph it for you at one of my exhibitions, someone else's exhibition, a membership breakfast, etc. and who knows...

Coney Island's...

By Susan Shaw

Book Preview

NYFA conference

This time the NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) conference was about a subject dear to out hearts— "Money". We looked at the funding world, a guide to project budgets, a discussion on pricing your work, and an overview of sales. Even more interesting was the afternoon panel, where artists who make a living from their art discussed their process. It was a individual as the artists themselves, Eve Mosher, Jean Shin and John Zinsser. Perhaps my future is as a dog portraitist?