Art Career

“There’s always a moment when you start to fall out of love, whether it’s with a person or an idea or a cause, even if it’s one you only narrate to yourself years after the event: a tiny thing, a wrong word, a false note, which means that things can never be quite the same again.” -Douglas Adams

Our lives are narratives. While we often convince ourselves that we see objective truth, in fact everything around us is nuanced and influenced by the narratives we carry and continue to develop. True learning is the willingness to break those narratives to see what lies beyond, to boldly accept that much of what we know to be “true” may in fact be nothing more than stories we have been told or that we have told ourselves.

Kevin Blythe Sampson has just returned from Italy where he taught at a conference of international activists for three weeks alongside colleagues from around the world. During his time there, Blythe collected materials to build a piece of art that he left for the town. The town in which he stayed is largely abandoned which allowed him to go house-to-house collecting materials such as furniture. From his findings, he created a piece titled Time is on my Side after the Rolling Stones song. His work was a nod to the ancient town and the old objects he was able to accumulate. To hear more about Kevin Blythe Sampson’s work, history and some of the residencies he has been a part of, listen to the complete interview.

Jeremiah Ariaz lives and works in Louisiana where he is presently exhibiting a body of work titled Louisiana Trail Riders documenting Creole trail riding clubs. These riders were some of the first “cowboy culture” in the U.S. and exist to this day. More broadly, Ariaz’s work examines tropes of the American West, questioning things that are thought to be understood about American culture and shedding light on alternative narratives. To hear more about Jeremiah Ariaz’s work and the Creole trail riding culture, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Each and every one of us carries with us myriad narratives. What are some of yours?

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. Kevin Blythe Sampson is reading Athanasius Kirthcer’s Theatre of the World by Joscelyn Godwin. Jeremiah Ariaz is reading Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas by Rebecca Solnit.

he Loewe Craft Prize is accepting entries from artists (in their own words) “whose artistic vision and will to innovate set new standards for the future of craft.” The winner receives a prize of 50,000 euros. Winning and shortlisted works are exhibited and featured in a catalog in Paris, 2020. For full details and to enter, visit the website. Deadline is October 30.

Deadlines

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

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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.

They say variety is the spice of life. It is surely the key to a successful art career. Submitting your work for a grant here, an open call there and a residency in between is a great way to ensure you are making the most out of the abundant opportunities in the art world. Will you be selected for every single one of them? Of course not! But will you find, over time, the opportunities that are right for you? And will applying to a wide variety help improve your chances and enrich your process and career? Without a doubt!

The Loewe Craft Prize is accepting entries from artists (in their own words) “whose artistic vision and will to innovate set new standards for the future of craft.” The winner receives a prize of 50,000 euros. Winning and shortlisted works are exhibited and featured in a catalog in Paris, 2020. For full details and to enter, visit the website. Deadline is October 30.

Curators are invited to apply for the Helsinki International Curatorial Programme. The aims of the project are to support curatorial endeavors and research and to connect international curators with the local contemporary art scene in Helsinki, Finland. Residents receive housing and grant funding. The duration of residency is one month. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is October 31.

Artists whose work explores concepts of solidarity are invited to submit for consideration to Theatertreffen Stuckemarkt 2020 by Berliner Festspiele. Five works will be selected by a jury and one of the selected artists will receive a commission along with 10,000 euro to complete the commissioned project. For full details and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is November 17.

Praxis Center recognizes the unique need for artists to be constantly on the lookout for a variety of opportunities. We not only help by highlighting a few of them for you, we also offer step by step coaching to help you through the process of applying. When you join you receive access to our suite of courses and experts in our virtual classroom to answer your questions, edit your written materials and guide you toward your career goals. All this plus a nurturing community of peers means there’s no better way to start experiencing what Praxis can offer you today.

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: Pixabay

 

“Solitude is fine but you need someone to tell you that solitude is fine.” -Honore de Balzac

Humans relate. To one another, to our surroundings, to information we receive. We are, for the most part, wired to express and react to those things that go on outside the boundaries of our person. This can be anything from the smallest nod to a neighbor to the way in which we fit into society as a whole.

Andrea Wright lives and works in Bath, England, a heritage city with antique and ancient buildings surrounded by rolling countryside. The arts scene in Bath differs greatly from London. It is less “urban and edgy” but there is an artistic presence in the city. It is also far more affordable than London in terms of cost of living and studio space. At present, Wright is working on two upcoming group exhibitions – one is a drawing festival for which she is providing a sculptural element. For the other she is fabricating display structures from which she can hang draped fabric elements. Wright also teaches a spatial drawing workshop. To hear more about all of these projects and more, listen to the complete interview.

Patricia Thornley recently exhibited at Smack Mellon in New York. THIS IS US took many forms including The Western which was the iteration at Smack Mellon. The project grew out of Thornley’s desire to create a project she could “live” incorporating the many parts of her life and examining culture all while combining media. Thornley works in both visual media and music and for this long form project acted as filmmaker, photographer, videographer and more. To hear more about this many-year project, including details on The Western, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

We mustn’t forget, even in moments of deep and desired isolation, that eventually all humans need one another.

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. Andrea Wright is reading Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Banesh. Patricia Thornley is reading Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann.

The Crossing Borders program invites authors, filmmakers and photographers to apply for the opportunity to reflect their impact on different cultures and societies through their work. Those working on a new project who are interested in taking a research trip are encouraged to apply. For full details, visit the website. Deadline is October 31.

Deadlines

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

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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.

What does it mean to decide to follow your passion as an artist and make a career of it? It takes a special dedication as well as a thick skin. The reality of being a working artist means constantly putting yourself out into the world and risking rejection. You must apply for grants and other opportunities as part of your regular practice and you must be prepared to be turned down more than once before landing your first yes. Every artist goes through these growing pains and even the most established still have to be able to take no for an answer. But this should not deter you. It is merely a normal part of the life of a working artist. Read on for opportunities to look into today.

CEC ArtsLink is accepting applications for the ArtsLink International Fellowship. Artists, arts managers and curators whose work is informed by community engagement processes or social practice are welcome to apply. To see a list of eligible countries of residence and for complete information, visit the website. Deadline is October 30.

The Crossing Borders program invites authors, filmmakers and photographers to apply for the opportunity to reflect their impact on different cultures and societies through their work. Those working on a new project who are interested in taking a research trip are encouraged to apply. For full details, visit the website. Deadline is October 31.

The Hopper Prize awards grants to artists on a bi-annual basis. Their current call for applications is now open. The grant comes with significant exposure in both the public realm and with high profile art curators. To get all the details and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is November 12.

Praxis Center is a space for artists to learn and grow, gain the skills they need to succeed as a working artist, and even learn to cope well with the rejection that is an inevitable part of the life of every artist. When you join this community, you not only gain access to our suite of courses, you also find a network of peers who are ready to support you with their shared experience. No one ever said being an artist was the easy road, but that is no reason not to travel it.

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: Public domain pictures

“Conscience doth make cowards of us all.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet Act III, Scene i

What would a world without conscience look like? Would we all be bold in our endeavors, take whatever we want, do to others as we please, free of the burden of guilt holding us back? Does our conscience truly, as Hamlet asserts, make us hesitant to do the things we believe in the very depths of our souls are the right ones, though they may come at a heavy cost? Without it would we live in a world even more filled with vengeance and unrest?

Kader Attia just arrived home from a trip to the U.S. where he co-organized a seminar on the relation between the secular and the spiritual as related to trauma at U.C. Berkeley. Some of Attia’s work draws from Abel Gance’s critique of the Nazis and links this to the rise of darkness and fascism we see today. One question he tries to answer is, “what is the responsibility of being an artist in a society?” To hear his discussion of this, and much more, listen to the complete interview.

Maya M Workman is working on two projects at the moment. One is a play titled Ophelia Continues that she has been working on for many years and that will be read for the first time on November 3 before a premier in 2020. Workman also teaches creativity and critical thinking to young people. Next year she will teach in a completely new space in a cooperative school which Workman hopes will encourage families to encourage their children to learn creativity and critical thinking. To hear more about the play and the school where Workman will be teaching, as well as a discussion of her nonprofit, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

The complexity of humankind makes it impossible to know whether conscience comes from within or is constructed by society.

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. Kader Attia is reading Mary Barnes: Two Accounts of a Journey Through Madness. Maya M Workman is reading Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

Calling all design students, professionals and enthusiasts, Lexus has an opportunity for you. The Lexus Design Award 2020 asks that you “anticipate a challenge of the future, address that challenge with an innovative solution, and captivate the imagination with its exceptional design.” Six finalists will exhibit in NYC before heading to Milan Design Week. For more details and to submit your design, visit the website. Deadline is October 14.

Deadlines

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

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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.