Brainard Carey

What are your goals, and do you have a plan to achieve them? Sometimes in art, it can be easy to live in the moment but more difficult to think ahead and plan what it is you hope to accomplish. Many artists don’t have training in how to run a business or what to do outside of their studio practice to keep the momentum going. That’s where we come in. Below are a few opportunities to get you motivated and thinking about the bigger picture.

Latinx Project announces a new Artist-in-Residence cycle for emerging and mid-career US artists. Selected artists showcase solo exhibitions on campus with curatorial support. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is April 15.

Interchange supports regional artists in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas with $25,000 fellowships, professional development, and mentoring, fostering impactful socially-engaged creative practices. To learn more, visit the website. Deadline to apply is April 15.

Anonymous Was a Woman Environmental Art Grants support thought-provoking environmental art projects that address ecological and social ethics and encourage Indigenous practices. Projects focusing on various themes must benefit the public and include a free public engagement component by August 31, 2025. To learn more and apply, visit the website. Deadline is April 16.

Praxis Center is dedicated to helping artists understand the intricacies of navigating the art world. We assemble experts from across the field to help you put your best foot forward and accomplish your goals, both in the short and long term. Give Praxis a try and see how far it can take you.

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 Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.

Photo credit: Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants

“If anyone tells you there is only one way, their way, get as far away from them as possible, both physically and philosophically.” -Jim Jarmusch

I’m reading The Believer: Issue 142, which includes an interview with filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. It made think of this excellent quote of his – life advice, really. Perhaps we have all encountered folks along the way who think like this, who believe that everyone should align with their way of thinking and doing and believing. Or perhaps we have been guilty of this one ourselves, imposing our way on those around us. We can learn from both sides of this experience. People come from as many perspectives as there are individuals on the planet. And part of life is learning – perhaps not perfecting, but always continuing to strive toward – being at peace with the fact that what works for us won’t work for everyone, and that’s OK.

Adrianne Rubenstein joined us to talk about her recent exhibition, Magic Show, which ran through March 16 at Broadway Gallery. The title relates to the act of painting and to the idea of nurturing a magical childhood for her two-year-old. With reference to painting, Rubenstein says she feels a bit like a magician when she works, making things appear and taking them away. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Catalina Schliebener Muñoz chatted with us about her recent show with Ad Minoliti, Manifesto of Immature Abstraction, at Barro Gallery in New York. The two met through a mutual colleague and began to discover they shared a lot in common when it came to their particular artistic interest and practices. To learn more about the origins of this artistic duo, listen to the complete interview.

A few words to keep in your pocket

Remember that your perspective is just that – yours and yours alone.

Outings

Join me at two galleries in Chelsea, NYC, Harper’s, 534 West 22nd St. and Pace, 540 W 25th St

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 is here.

More books to read

Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re into these days by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis member Kathleen J. Graves is reading The Tiny Journalist by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Opportunities

Velvetpark Residency offers live-work studios for LGBTQ+ writers and visual artists through a selective bi-yearly application process. Located in Brooklyn, NY, it supports creators aged 18+ with a 6-month term. Visit the website to learn more and apply. Deadline for applications is April 14.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics and is currently faculty at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World. He also has a new book coming out in the Spring of 2024, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, which is available for preorder.

Art careers, as a general rule, have a tendency to ebb and flow. As with many things in life, there will be times when you feel flush with opportunity and inspiration, while other times might feel draining and spare when it comes to fresh horizons. During these latter periods, be sure to give yourself the space to reorient and remotivate. Keep seeking out opportunities and applying, continue your practice as best you can, and don’t let go of the network you’ve worked so hard to build. Remember, this ups and downs are a natural progression in almost every aspect of life. Don’t let them get you to far inside your own head. Here are some upcoming deadlines to keep you going.

SOMA Summer is accepting applications for its three-week program in Mexico for global artists, curators, and scholars exploring collaborative pedagogy. The theme for 2024 is entanglement through Enrique Dussel’s subject-subject relation framework for decolonial discourse. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is April 7.

Join Brooklyn’s 200th anniversary celebration at the Brooklyn Museum with The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition. Showcase your talent and be part of history. Apply by April 7. Visit the website for more information, including an info session. Deadline for submissions is April 7.

Velvetpark Residency offers live-work studios for LGBTQ+ writers and visual artists through a selective bi-yearly application process. Located in Brooklyn, NY, it supports creators aged 18+ with a 6-month term. Visit the website to learn more and apply. Deadline for applications is April 14.

Praxis Center understands that an artist’s work extends far beyond the studio. We know there are aspects to a career in art that can feel daunting, even overwhelming, to navigate, let alone overcome. We gather experts in the field and compile resources designed to give artists the push they need to carry on, no matter what.

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 Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.

Photo credit: The Brooklyn Museum