Belonging
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” -John Muir
Ecosystems depend on every individual part in order to run well. The symbiosis between the landscape and its inhabitants is a complex and fragile construct that can be easily upended. Much debate swirls around humans’ place in this landscape. We change our surroundings more than any other creatures, often to the detriment of the ecosystem in place. Much in the way that humans seek a sense of place, each element of nature has its own irreplaceable niche.
Inez Tan is a writer of short stories and poetry. Her first volume of short stories was published in Singapore last September where it became a national best seller. The ebook has just been released. At present, she is enrolled at UC Irvine as an MFA student studying poetry and is working on her first book of poetry. In the fall, one of her poems appeared in Hyphen Magazine. Tan teaches introductory writing courses at UCI. To hear more about the author, teacher and student, listen to the complete interview.
Julia Paull is an artist. At the moment she is using her kitchen counter as a studio. Last autumn, she exhibited at a native plant society. The show involved portraits of native plants with information about their place in the natural environment. Much of her work examines the aesthetics of plants and how this affects animals, particularly the all-too-common practice of planting non-native plants that serve no purpose for the local environment. To hear more from Julia Paull and about the important issue of native vs. non-native plants and how they interact with their surroundings, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
Tread gently on your surroundings. Be the steward of the land that sustains you.
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Inez Tan’s book, This is Where I Won’t be Alone is available now. Julia Paull is reading The Hidden Life of Trees.
Art Research Residency is designed “to enable participants to evaluate their individual places as artists and situate their artistic exploration and practice within both the historical and contemporary context of art production and dissemination in Paris.” The program runs for two weeks in October. Accommodation in either a private or shared room (based on preference and availability) and a meal plan are included. Some funding is available. For full details see the website. Deadline for applications is May 8.
Deadlines
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and the forthcoming Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.
Signed and doodled copies of these books can be purchased from Praxis Center.
Golden Artist Colors began publishing the Just Paint newsletter in 1989, a source for information about painting techniques, product information, and the latest research in art materials. Now online, JustPaint.org has become one of the most exhaustive resources for technical information in fine art. With the new Just Paint Experience, GOLDEN is expanding the concept to provide artists with quick-reading, studio-oriented content to help bring their visions to life.
When you subscribe to Just Paint Experience (free), you’ll receive access to exclusive content. GOLDEN will also notify you whenever there is new content added to the site.
Inez Tan
Inez Tan is the author of This Is Where I Won’t Be Alone: Stories (Epigram Books, 2018), which was a national bestseller in Singapore. Her writing has won the Academy of American Poets Prize, and has been featured in Rattle, Hyphen, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, and Fairy Tale Review.
In 2017 she was a Fellow of Kundiman, a national organization dedicated to the creation and cultivation of Asian American creative writing.
She holds a BA from Williams College and an MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan, and is currently pursuing an MFA in poetry at the University of California, Irvine.
Do You Want to go to Paris?
This week the world watched as the beautiful, iconic Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames. One of the defining landmarks of the city of Paris humbled in a matter of hours. This put the French capital in the global spotlight, stirring for millions their memories, associations and love for Paris. The city has a rich history of art and today is host to a number of residency programs. Here are a few for those artists wishing to reconnect with la Vielle des Lumiere.
L’AiR Arts offers multiple residencies throughout the year in a number of disciplines. We have gathered three upcoming programs.
Art Research Residency is designed “to enable participants to evaluate their individual places as artists and situate their artistic exploration and practice within both the historical and contemporary context of art production and dissemination in Paris.” The program runs for two weeks in October. Accommodation in either a private or shared room (based on preference and availability) and a meal plan are included. Some funding is available. For full details see the website. Deadline for applications is May 8.
The Multidisciplinary Artist Residency takes place in Montparnasse, a historically rich area when it comes to art and artists. The residency is open to those in the areas of visual arts, music, dance, theater and writing. The website describes the residency as follows:
“The idea is to revisit and develop the open and creative energy of the 1920s as well as the spirit of solidarity and unity that allowed this community to thrive in the heart of France and of Europe during this politically and socially strained war-torn period.”
Upcoming residency period takes place for three weeks in early 2020. For application deadlines, keep an eye on the website.
The Drawing Research Residency is a longer program with two parts. The first, lasting about a month, involves creative practice located in the medieval town of Caylus. Following this, artists relocate to Paris for two weeks to present an exhibition of their work.
According to the website, “The project will focus upon notions of intention and the physical act of drawing as it arrives as a vectorial force on a material surface. One could say, an infrastructure from where other possibilities collide, from common habitual behaviours toward the realm of the unknown.”
Although applications for 2019 are closed, interested artists should refer to the website for the 2020 cycle.
Praxis Center prides itself on helping keep the art world a global community. We are citizens of the same world as the artists who benefit from our courses and so it is important to us that we speak to whatever is going on in the collective hearts and minds of those who join us on their journey. When you become a member, you tap into a carefully curated selection of opportunities – and what’s more we help you by offering the tools you need to achieve them. Art has a restorative power unlike anything else in the world. Perhaps now is you moment to bring your unique energy to the city of Paris.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and the forthcoming Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.
Signed and doodled copies of these books can be purchased from Praxis Center.
Golden Artist Colors began publishing the Just Paint newsletter in 1989, a source for information about painting techniques, product information, and the latest research in art materials. Now online, JustPaint.org has become one of the most exhaustive resources for technical information in fine art. With the new Just Paint Experience, GOLDEN is expanding the concept to provide artists with quick-reading, studio-oriented content to help bring their visions to life.
When you subscribe to Just Paint Experience (free), you’ll receive access to exclusive content. GOLDEN will also notify you whenever there is new content added to the site.