Art Career

“The past no longer exists, and the future is not here yet.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh, You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment

These simple words remind us of the only place where life truly unfolds – the present moment. It’s easy to get lost replaying old stories or worrying about what’s ahead, but right now holds all the possibility we need. This is where inspiration strikes, where ideas take shape, where hands begin the work of creation. As artists and makers, staying present can be a radical act—one that clears space for curiosity, play, and growth. Let’s pause, breathe, and step fully into this moment together.

Katja Farin joined us to talk about Tricksters, their recent show at Gaa Gallery. The works in this mixed media show relate to each other in that Farin imagines the ceramics in the show emerge from the world of the paintings. To create the work, they will often either create an object that appears in one of their paintings or paint an object they have created. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Shelley Hirsch joined us in December 2020 as the pandemic carried on. At the time, she had just finished a live stream for the Electric Eclectics Festival. Rather than simply stand there and perform while being filmed, she instead made the performance an homage to the apartment she had lived in for 44 years and was about to vacate. Over a period of months, she was filmed in various parts of her house doing all sorts of things. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

The present is where your art – and your life – begins.

Outings.

Join me at Massey Klein Gallery for Post Liminal, a collection of new paintings by Chrissy Angliker.

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.

More Books to Read.

Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Jessica Hancock is reading The Book Seller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance by Ross King.

Opportunities.

At Kala, artists-in-residence gain 24/7 access to Kala’s studios, labs, housing options, project spaces, staff support, workshops, and a vibrant community of 70+ artists across diverse disciplines. To learn more, visit the website. Deadline for applications is July 26.

 

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 seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.

Midsummer invites us to pause, reflect, and renew our creative energy. As the days stretch long and light lingers, it’s the perfect season to gather inspiration, connect with fellow artists, and explore fresh opportunities. Let this moment fuel your practice and spark new possibilities for the months ahead.

The ACE Artist in Residence offers folk and traditional artists time to create and reflect in Utah’s mountains. Visit the website to learn more. Deadline is July 25.

Small Works on Paper is an annual juried exhibition showcasing Arkansas artists in a year-long statewide tour. Open to Arkansas visual artists age 18 or older. Learn more at the website. Deadline is July 25.

At Kala, artists-in-residence gain 24/7 access to Kala’s studios, labs, housing options, project spaces, staff support, workshops, and a vibrant community of 70+ artists across diverse disciplines. To learn more, visit the website. Deadline for applications is July 26.

Praxis Center invites reflection and renewal. We gather resources to help make sure you have the tools you need to make every moment count on your journey to a career in art.

 

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 seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.

 

Photo credit: Alta Community Enrichment

“It seems part of the human condition that while we cannot predict future events, as soon as those events do happen we find it hard to see them as anything but inevitable.”

David Graeber, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

This paradox that Graeber cites is part of the human condition – a reminder that while we can’t predict what’s coming, we can choose how to meet it. In creative work, this means trusting the process, embracing risk, and allowing unexpected turns to shape what we make. In our larger lives, it may mean learning to bend and flex – go with the flow, so to speak, so that no matter what comes our way, we are present.

Jovencio de la Paz joine us to talk about el lugar de los milagros / the place of miracles, his recent exhibition at PPOW Gallery. In preparation for this show, de la Paz did some research travel in Oaxaca where he visited a famous acropolis ruin well known among weavers for the ancient weave structures covering the bricks. As he walked through the site, reading signs about how it was used, the phrase “the place of miracles” jumped out at him. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Patricia Lee Stotter, a film, theater and television composer, joined us back in 2021. She joined us on the day of the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan in the midst of the evacuations. As someone who has been deeply involved in veterans’ affairs and working at the time on a project focused on the role of service dogs in veterans’ families, she had a unique perspective on the events and how to move forward. To hear more about her thoughts and her work, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

How do you meet the unexpected?

Outings.

Join me at No Gallery for All Heaven in a Rage, a solo exhibition by Mark Dion.

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.

More Books to Read.

Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Robert Pinto is reading The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner.

Opportunities.

The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants offer up to $5,000 for artists facing recent medical, dental, or mental health emergencies. Open to eligible visual, media, and choreographic artists in financial need. To learn more, visit the website. Application deadline is July 8.

 

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 seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.

In challenging times, art has always been a way to bring us together—offering connection, hope, and resilience when we need it most. That said, it can be difficult to maintain focus when the going gets rough. Seeking out opportunities to motivate yourself forward can be an important tool. Together, we can sustain our creative practices and each other. Explore these opportunities to stay connected, inspired, and grounded in the power of art to unite us.

We have two upcoming deadlines from Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center:

The Cultural Arts Curatorial Fellowship is a paid fellowship offering $2,000 stipend, $3,000 event budget, mentorship, and hands-on curatorial experience for emerging performing arts presenters.

The Cultural Arts Incubator supports risk-taking performing artists with $5K, rehearsal space, and a culminating performance.

Deadline for both is July 20.

The Arts Gowanus Fellowship supports low-income Brooklyn artists, prioritizing those from Gowanus and Red Hook affordable housing, working in any medium and career stage. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for applications is July 22.

The Fountainhead Residency in Miami offers month-long, fully funded residencies for visual artists ready to grow through mentorship, networking, and immersion in a vibrant cultural and natural environment. Visit the website for more information. Deadline for applications is July 23.

Praxis Center believes that togetherness is the way forward. We know that art and artists don’t exist in a vacuum, and we make it our mission to ensure that, no matter what is going on in the world, artists always have the resources and skills they need to keep going.

 

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 seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.

“I force myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.”

-Marcel Duchamp

In his book, Duchamp’s Last Day, Donald Shambroom examines questions surrounding Marcel Duchamp’s death in 1968. One of these questions – based on a photograph of Duchamp taken by his friend Man Ray moments after he died – is whether his death can be considered an extension of his artistic work. What a fascinating concept. The very idea that an artist’s work can carry on even after they have taken their last breath brings up so many more questions and ideas – where does an artistic practice begin and end? Does it begin or end at all? Perhaps every aspect of an artist’s life, including the end of it, can be considered practice.

Judith Simonian joined us to talk about The Human Element, Huddled and Still, her show that ran through June 21 at JJ Murphy Gallery. The works are still lifes rendered in bold, vibrant colors, and the title comes from a comment made to her years ago at MacDowell Colony, saying, “the human element in your work is huddled and still.” For Simonian, who had been reflecting of late that she does not use the human figure in her art, the comment resonated and resurfaced. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Hoda Kashiha talked with us about her show, The Doubt Between Us Sways Like Hung Mirrored Eyes, which was on view at Episode Gallery until June 27. The gallery itself is two windows facing the street, and Kashiha decided to show two different bodies of work, one in each window. To hear about the processes of creating these works, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

Where do you think artistic practice begins and ends?

Outings.

Join me at Ki Smith Gallery for Prince Pre-Fame by Roger Whitman

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.

More Books to Read.

Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Anna Zvyagintseva is reading A Treatise on Efficacy: Between Western and Chinese Thinking by François Jullien.

Opportunities.

The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants offer up to $5,000 for artists facing recent medical, dental, or mental health emergencies. Open to eligible visual, media, and choreographic artists in financial need. To learn more, visit the website. Application deadline is July 8.

 

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 seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.