Art Career

Every day – every moment – is a new beginning, a new opportunity to decide what direction you want your life to take you. Whether you choose to seek out funding to sustain your work or find ways to put that work out into the world, you have countless moments in which to make your dreams come true and as many opportunities to choose from. An artist must ceaselessly seek out those things that will not only further their career, but enrich their experience of the world and, in turn, deepen their understanding and their art.

Artists, artist teams and creatives are invited to submit their portfolios for consideration in an open call to design one mural on two separate floors of the Aspire Fillmore in Phoenix, AZ. The mural will be visible to all who walk into the Fillmore apartment building from the parking structure. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is April 21.

Artists of marginalized genders are invited to apply for the Lilla Jewel Award. This award honors the life of the artist, mother, grandmother and suffragist of the 20th century. Individual artists are eligible for one of two awards of $10,000. It is important to note that the foundation facilitating this award cannot make grants to individual artists to this will be considered taxable income. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is April 23.

The Missoula Art Museum invites all artists to submit their work to an open call for the upcoming exhibition The Space of Hope: A Collective Response. This is part of a larger project in conjunction with the CODEX Foundation. In their own words, the project “aims to produce a multimedia and multivenue art intervention, which investigates extractive industry (any process or businesses associated with removing materials and natural resources from the earth) in all forms. Examples include coal mining, oil drilling, commercial fishing, deforestation, and more.” The title of the exhibition in Missoula comes from a Rebecca Solnit quote. For more information and to submit, visit the website. Deadline is April 25.

Praxis Center has been encouraging and nurturing artists at every stage of their careers for years. We have watched countless creative professionals grow, cultivating a life in the arts through hard work and persistence. Your studio practice is only one piece of the puzzle – of equal importance is the emphasis you place on how you will turn your passion and abilities into the fulfilling career you have always desired. Join us today and get on the road to artistic success.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis 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: Wiki commons

 

“When history is written as it ought to be written, it is the moderation and long patience of the masses at which men will wonder, not their ferocity.”

– C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins

Of late, our existences have been so very circumscribed. And while we hear – in news reports that keep television sets glowing 24 hours a day – of altercations and frenzies grown out of the impatience and exhaustion of pandemic, we do not hear of the countless quiet hours spent in waiting. It becomes easy to point to a relative few who have upended the rules of civil society, forgetting the majority who have not. We are, by and large, a species capable of comprehension and compassion, given to doing what is right for those whose very lives depend on our adherence to what is safe and what is right.

Javier Orcaray spoke to us from Spain at the one-year anniversary of the Coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this time, Orcaray has learned to adapt to changing circumstances. His major project at the moment is opening a new space for the arts and the community. In 2010, Orcaray co-founded an artist residency where over 250 artists spent residency periods. He went on to establish other residencies and art spaces including Plata, which opened in 2020 and is a place where he and his collaborators can work with artists and curators to bring events to the community. Orcaray and his team operate as a nonprofit, receiving funding from memberships as well as grant opportunities. To hear more about Plata and other ventures, as well as discussion about the role of art in the community and the world, listen to the complete interview.

James Maurelle spoke to us from Philadelphia. Over the last year, COVID has affected his life in multiple ways. His wife is an essential worker, which brings with it anxiety about the family getting ill. Maurelle himself teaches over zoom these days and sets aside time on Tuesdays and Thursdays for his studio practice. A sculpture, sound and video artist, and photographer, Maurelle is finishing up work for an exhibition with the Cue Foundation. The fight for control of the waters of the Nile River has served as inspiration for some of Maurelle’s past work. He constructed a sculpture using copper plumbing pipes – Maurelle’s grandfather was a plumber who taught the trade to Maurelle’s father though his father became an architect. For this work, Maurelle used materials from the trade of plumbing to speak to the control of resources. To hear more about this work as well as Maurelle’s more recent work and his upcoming Cue Foundation show, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Do not despair of humankind because of the actions of a few.

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. Javier Orcaray has been reading poetry of late. James Maurelle is reading The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James.

Deadlines:

BIPOC artists are encouraged to apply for residency with the Nicholson Project. These three month periods offer time, space and support as well as $2000/month during the residency period. All selected artists reside for free throughout their time with the project. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is April 15.

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.

 

GOLDEN has developed a paint that helps artists create immersive fields of color without the distraction of texture and glare. The paint has a flowing consistency, offering exceptional coverage and a leveling capability as it dries. This unique combination of qualities can only be found in SoFlat Matte Acrylic Colors. Because it is produced using the same professional standards as all GOLDEN Acrylics, and is backed by our unrivaled support, you can depend on these professional artist colors. goldenSoFlat.com

The world shows signs that it will soon begin to open up. While we must remain vigilant for a time longer, there is light at the end of this tunnel we have found ourselves in and now is the time to begin to seek out opportunities beyond our own front doors. The moment may not be right just yet to travel far afield, but when we arrive and things resemble some kind of normalcy, don’t you want to be prepared to jump back in? Explore your options, be cautious but optimistic about the possibilities.

BIPOC artists are encouraged to apply for residency with the Nicholson Project. These three month periods offer time, space and support as well as $2000/month during the residency period. All selected artists reside for free throughout their time with the project. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is April 15.

CultureHub invites artists to apply for a year-long residency in either NYC or LA from June 2021 to June 2022. In addition to a broad array of support services throughout the residency period, artists receive a $2500 stipend plus studio access. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is April 18.

Studio Museum Harlem is accepting applications for 2021-2022 residency. These eleven-month residencies are open to local, national or international applicants who must understand that there may be a requirement that they work remotely for a minimum of 20 hours studio practice a week. For more information about this opportunity and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is April 21.

Praxis Center believes that there are a million reasons to pursue a career in art. Your passion has brought you this far, why not let it take you even further – and allow our team of experts to guide you along the way. We know the path isn’t always straightforward, but we are here to support and nurture your dreams. Join us today and let Praxis guide you toward the art career you’ve dreamed about.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis 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 Nicholson Project

“Rule your mind or it will rule you.” -Horace

General wisdom about marathon running indicates that the most difficult part falls around miles 18 to 23. These are the moments when runners have passed the midpoint and are beginning to close in on the final stretch of their 26.2-mile feat. This is the time when runners hit the wall, often begin to wonder whether they can finish this arduous task or not. Of course, most do. They draw on the training they have put in to push through and complete their journey. We can apply this to so many situations in life, those moments when we have come so far and yet we begin to question whether we can continue our efforts, hold the line until the very end. What runners know – and what we can learn from them – is that almost always this is a case of mind over matter. If we believe we can, we will.

Russel Maltz spoke to us from SOHO where he has lived and worked for decades. When he moved there in 1978, there were very few people in the area. Over the last year, as the pandemic has unfolded, Maltz has experienced a strange deja vu as he witnessed empty streets once again. His studio practice has improved during the pandemic, but of course, the social aspect of the art world disappeared for a time. The work he was doing pre-pandemic transformed from work outside the studio to full studio work and Maltz found his work during this time quite rewarding. To hear more about his practice and a comparison of 1978 SOHO to 2020 SOHO, as well as how plywood used to board up windows compares to his work listen to the complete interview.

Jennifer Coates spent the first several months of quarantine at her second home in rural Pennsylvania. At the end of March 2020, she became ill with COVID and took to her bed. Although she felt very weak, she brought paper and colored pencils with her to bed and was able to create some work. Despite this, the balance of the lockdown period has been a very productive time in her studio practice. Coates has been working on Photoshop collages using artwork from different time periods overlaid and altered to become a flickering of different periods in art history. From these, she makes drawings which become guache works until ultimately she renders paintings of increasing size using the imagery created in the collages. In this way, by the time she reaches the point of creating an 8-foot painting she is deeply familiar with the subject matter. To hear more about Jennifer’s work, including her musical talents and writing listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Commit to crossing the finish line and don’t back down.

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. Russel Maltz is reading His Truth is Marching on: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham & John Lewis. Jennifer Coates is a prolific reader. One book that stands out is What Color is the Sacred? by Michael Taussig

Deadlines:

Trame invites French-speaking artists from all over the world to apply for residency in Paris for a period of three months. Anchored in the activities and daily life of Cite internationale des arts, the residency offers tailored support, monthly meetings and networking. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is April 15.

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.

 

GOLDEN has developed a paint that helps artists create immersive fields of color without the distraction of texture and glare. The paint has a flowing consistency, offering exceptional coverage and a leveling capability as it dries. This unique combination of qualities can only be found in SoFlat Matte Acrylic Colors. Because it is produced using the same professional standards as all GOLDEN Acrylics, and is backed by our unrivaled support, you can depend on these professional artist colors. goldenSoFlat.com

Time is fleeting, as they say, and it behooves us all to grasp it while it is still in reach. As an artist, one of your top imperatives is to make sure you keep yourself full stocked with opportunities that will enrich your practice and further your career. Seeking out these opportunities should be a regular part of every artist’s day to day life and it is critical to remember that more you apply, the more chances you have to get a yes.

Swarovski Foundation Institute in partnership with the United Nations seeks creatives aged 18-25 to become the next generation of leaders in sustainability. For more information about this grant program and to apply, visit the website. Application deadline is April 9.

Driving the Human invites artists, scientists, designers and more to submit proposals that critically engage with the present and propose disruptions and alternatives to current developments that reflect on what makes us human and re-examine our relationship with society, the planet and life itself. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for proposals is April 9.

Trame invites French-speaking artists from all over the world to apply for residency in Paris for a period of three months. Anchored in the activities and daily life of Cite internationale des arts, the residency offers tailored support, monthly meetings and networking. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is April 15.

Praxis Center supports artists who want to take their careers to the next level. We make it our business to ensure you have the tools and skills needed to find and apply for opportunities of all kinds. We will help you learn to connect with galleries, land grants, attend residencies and much more. Give Praxis a try today and see how far we can take you.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis 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: Pixy