Art Career

“The storm is what they threw at me, the hurricane is what I became.” -Matshona Dhliwayo

Wisdom tells us that life is – when the veneer is stripped away – suffering. The slowness of days, the pressure of crisis, awareness of the inevitable. And yet. And yet. Even in the darkest time, we adapt. We bend ourselves into the shape of the moment, reaching for the light like plants on the forest floor. Suffering? Perhaps. But in between there is great joy – exuberance, life.

Leah Patgorski spoke to us from her home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she moved her studio into her home at the outset of the pandemic. For her, having her materials easily available at home has been a comfort. When we spoke, she was working on a larger panel of dyed sheer fabric. In recent years she has worked with dyed canvas and fabrics, playing with the language of tone. For the dying process, Patgorski uses large pots or occasionally her bathtub. She gravitates toward natural dyes made from plants whenever possible. Once she has gone through the process, she decides which finished products to use in her work. Patgorski creates installation pieces as well as commissioned work. To hear more about her work, the dyes she uses and the process, listen to the complete interview.

Yowshien Kuo lives and works in St. Louis where he spoke to us from his studio. He’s presently working on paintings for a small exhibition in the fall at the contemporary art museum in St. Louis. The theme of the exhibition mingles well with the theme of his paintings – the idea of playing with American folklore. He uses folklore as a starting point to discuss the topics he is interested in. One topic in particular is discrimination against Asian-Americans. This lends itself to a larger conversation about discrimination based on gender and race. Kuo examines the myth of Asian-Americans as “model minorities” among other important topics. To hear how his work fits into a much larger dialogue currently happening in the U.S. including how he is reinterpreting history, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Accept the cloud cover but be assured the sun always lies just beneath.

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

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Leah Patgorski is reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Yowshien Kuo is reading Hitler’s American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law by James Whitman.

Deadlines

Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center seeks artists who work in various media from whom to commission and purchase artwork for display at their Enola, Pennsylvania facility in June, 2021. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for completed submission applications is August 24.

 

Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.

—

Join GOLDEN on Facebook Live!
In these uncertain times, our first responsibility is assuring staff, their families and our entire art community is safe. We hope to turn the page on this devastating virus and return to normalcy soon. In the meantime, we continue sharing educational resources and have developed new Facebook Live events, providing an informal and intimate opportunity to meet artists and engage in topics we all love. Follow the GOLDEN Facebook page to join!

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.

Opportunity takes many forms – from calls for submission from modest journals to commissions for paid artwork from major business entities. Art finds its way into many facets of life and behind every piece of art you see, there is a working artist. Read on for a variety of opportunities, both paid and unpaid, that can help you move your career along no matter where you start from.

The Tule Review accepts paintings, drawings, line art, photography and images of sculpture or other art forms to display on their cover and internal pages. All work must be original and cannot have been published previously in a similar manner. Please visit the website for more guidelines. Deadline is August 15.

Baltic 39, located in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne invites artists to submit their work for consideration in an upcoming exhibition. Artists at any stage of their careers are welcome to submit their work to be considered by a panel of four judges. 150 pieces will be selected for public exhibition running from November through January. For more information, visit the website. Deadline is August 17.

Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center seeks artists who work in various media from whom to commission and purchase artwork for display at their Enola, Pennsylvania facility in June, 2021. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for completed submission applications is August 24.

Praxis Center offers artists realistic skills and solutions to help them further their careers and connect with opportunities. Our team of experts and community of artists help build and nurture careers at any stage and give you the tools – and the confidence – to approach the business side of your art. Join us today and see why students from around the world trust Praxis to help them move to the next level.

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: Baltic 39

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” -Henry James

During difficult times, kindness becomes even more important than it is every day. Everyone struggles, whether they appear to or not. Each person that you see carries some sort of weight that informs the way they engage with the world around them. Be kind and gentle, do not presume to know what others hold within the depths of their heart. Face each encounter with a gentle, open heart. Be patient. Put into the world that which you would like to receive.

Ljiljana Radošević is based in Belgrade, Serbia. She is currently working with colleagues on a project titled Urban Heritage Hub in which they endeavor to preserve archives of graffiti and street art throughout the region. The project is based online which turns out to perfectly suit the present moment as the world turns to virtual outlets while in quarantine from the Coronavirus pandemic. The artists intend to create a virtual museum to allow people to experience street art which is not suited to a physical gallery or museum. For more than 20 years, Radošević has been interviewing graffiti and street artists as a companion to the photographs of their work. In the archives, the interviews and photographs will be paired to expand and explain each artist’s work. The project is a piece of Radošević’s work as an art historian. To hear more about her work and career, listen to the complete interview.

Greg de Cuir Jr also spoke to us from Belgrad, Serbia where he has been living and working for almost 15 years. He is originally from Los Angeles. He reported that there is a lot of reluctance, activity and struggle related to the pandemic in Belgrade while the city and the nation watches anxiously as the virus spreads. It was his studies that initially led de Cuir Jr to Serbia to continue his studies in film history. The art culture there is vastly different to the U.S. in that there is very little art market while there is a ministry of culture as well as embassies and cultural organizations that offer funding to artists. Presently de Cuir Jr is working independently as a curator, writer and translator. The project that is closest to completion is his first online exhibition organized by Media City Film Festival. The exhibition is titled Radical Acts of Care. To hear more about this work and other projects, listen tot he complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

There is not enough room in a human life for harsh behavior. Practice kindness and watch your world open up before you.

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

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. is reading a lot of fantasy of late including the works of Ursula K. Le Guin. Greg de Cuir Jr calls himself a “chaotic reader” who jumps from essay to essay and topic to topic. At the moment he’s reading an article in Variety about Raekwon from Wu Tang Clan, a reflection on his career 25 years on.

Deadlines

Photography 4 Humanity seeks the very best in human rights photography. The competition seeks photos that depict the realities of those living in human rights crisis zones as well as the heroes working to deliver solutions. The global prize recipient will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the top ten photos will be on display at the U.N. Headquarters in New York as well as Fotografiska in New York. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is August 31.

 

Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.

—

Join GOLDEN on Facebook Live!
In these uncertain times, our first responsibility is assuring staff, their families and our entire art community is safe. We hope to turn the page on this devastating virus and return to normalcy soon. In the meantime, we continue sharing educational resources and have developed new Facebook Live events, providing an informal and intimate opportunity to meet artists and engage in topics we all love. Follow the GOLDEN Facebook page to join!

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.

Our world is changing, perhaps forever. Right now we are witnessing a shift in how we do business, how we relate to one another and how we interface with the world around us. Art reflects these changes as it reflects all aspects of our culture and society as well as our physical world. Right now opportunity abounds for artists looking for the chance to be a part of the conversation as we make our way through global upheaval.

The World Textile Art Organization invites artists to submit their work to the Pre-WTA Biennial. This online event will precede the WTA Biennial in Chile, an event being held under the theme of “Pachakutiq” which in Andean myth refers to a “change of sun” – an anticipated cyclical time when everything changes. This pre-event is an opportunity for artists to share process and rethink our current times and actions. For more information and to submit your work, visit the website. Deadline is August 15.

The U.S. Embassy in Slovenia offers grant funding for artists to promote cultural and artistic cooperation, collaboration and exchange between the two nations. Applications for grant proposals are now open. Projects can take many forms, both artistic and cultural. For full details and information on how to apply, visit the website. Submission deadline is August 17.

Photography 4 Humanity seeks the very best in human rights photography. The competition seeks photos that depict the realities of those living in human rights crisis zones as well as the heroes working to deliver solutions. The global prize recipient will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the top ten photos will be on display at the U.N. Headquarters in New York as well as Fotografiska in New York. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is August 31.

At Praxis Center, we work from a place of reality. We know that life has changed around us and offer opportunities to reflect this shifting landscape. Right now may not be the time for residency, but that does not mean there are no opportunities to participate and collaborate. Now is the time for art and artists to engage in the conversation and help shape the world that is coming our way.

Join GOLDEN on Facebook Live!
In these uncertain times, our first responsibility is assuring staff, their families and our entire art community is safe. We hope to turn the page on this devastating virus and return to normalcy soon. In the meantime, we continue sharing educational resources and have developed new Facebook Live events, providing an informal and intimate opportunity to meet artists and engage in topics we all love. Follow the GOLDEN Facebook page to join!

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: World Textile Organization

 

“So obscure are the greatest events, as some take for granted any hearsay, whatever its source, others turn truth into falsehood, and both errors find encouragement with posterity.” -Tacitus

How will future generations observe our moment – this time we are living right now which feels so vivid and unusual to us will blur, the edges fading as the decades and centuries soften so many things. War, famine, the fall of nations, all are remembered but few are still mourned hundreds and thousands of years hence. They are looked upon as curiosities, fascinations, something to be remembered in the pages of a book. So too will the present with all our intimacies and uncertainties, be washed out by the ravages of time.

Erik Beehn lives and works in Las Vegas. Currently he maintains a private studio practice as well as running a printing press publishing house from his studio called Test Site Projects. The onset of the pandemic gave him time to catch up on projects for the publishing house and a chance to reflect more than make. At the same time, Beehn is working on a series of new paintings that are more personal than his typical work which he says is a result of this quarantine-induced reflection. Trained as a photographer, the medium has always influenced his paintings. About five years ago he began depicting found images and this continues into his current series, co-mingling with more personal layers. To hear more about his work and more, listen to the complete interview.

Elise Ferguson recently delivered a number of works on paper for an upcoming gallery show. Many of the pieces were ones she didn’t have the chance to finish until the pandemic opened up her time. As there is still a global pandemic, the show itself will be a hybrid of online viewing and the opportunity to make an appointment to see the work in person. Ferguson plans to produce a short companion video about her studio practice and the meaning behind the work to complement the show. She feels this is a more honest way to explain her process than a written document which she says would not be her strength. To hear more about Elise Ferguson’s work including her process and background, right down to the way in which the color combinations her mother wore in the late 70s/early 80s influences her artistic aesthetic today, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Every moment lived feels quite opaque to whomever lives it but will fade to the translucency of history before long.

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

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Erik Beehn talked about the book Composition in Retrospect by John Cage. Elise Ferguson is reading essays of late, some about artist Emma Kunz among others.

Deadlines

Craft Futures Fund directs resources to those working in craft-based education programs. The program runs until October, distributing one time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 for a total of $30,000/month. Check the website for more information. This is a time-restricted fund.

 

Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.

—

Join GOLDEN on Facebook Live!
In these uncertain times, our first responsibility is assuring staff, their families and our entire art community is safe. We hope to turn the page on this devastating virus and return to normalcy soon. In the meantime, we continue sharing educational resources and have developed new Facebook Live events, providing an informal and intimate opportunity to meet artists and engage in topics we all love. Follow the GOLDEN Facebook page to join!

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.