Art Career

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.” -Mahatma Gandhi

Once again we reel in the pain of inexplicable loss. We find ourselves speechless, helpless, hopeless, unable to comprehend and unsure how to move forward from this moment. Time is relentless, it carries on and carries us along with it. This moment will grow distant, the immediacy of the grief and anger, the fear and fury will fade. But we must not forget. We must carry with us the hope and the will to do better, to do more so that we will not go through this moment again.

Ben Coonley spoke to us in early May 2022. He is about a year out from his next large-scale exhibition and is busy hoarding old technology at the moment. His process, he admits, tends to be quite messy, quite the opposite of what he would advise for his students when putting together large bodies of work. All the same, he is creating a new body of work involving 3-D monitors, something he has explored in the past. As he gathers materials, he is still hammering out the deeper philosophical angle of the project. To hear a conversation about this work and more, listen to the complete interview.

Erica Baum joined us from Manhattan in late May to talk about her past and recent work. Typically she is at work on many things at once, from projects that she continues to work on over time to others that are still percolating. She recently completed a solo show in Paris titled The Bite in the Ribbon using sewing superimposed bits and pieces of sewing patterns, sewing instructions and selvages from sewing guides. To hear more about this series as well as Erica Baum’s other work, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Lean into the depths of sorrow today and prepare to fight for the light tomorrow.

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.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. David Claerbout recommends reading the written work of Dr. Ian McGilchrist including his new volume, The Matter With Things. Chris Regner discussed the book series Dune by Frank Herbert in terms of the main character, Paul’s struggle with being something of a messianic figure and the struggles that brings.

Deadlines:

University of the Arts London announces a call for artists to join their 20/20 program in partnership with the Decolonising Arts Institute. The program combines residency with commissioning, and brings together 20 emerging artists of color alongside 20 UK public art collections. The aim is to create 20 new permanent art acquisitions. To learn more and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is June 6.

is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.

 

What are you doing today? How about tomorrow? As an artist in pursuit of a career in your field, these are questions that need answering. Your studio practice is only one aspect of a fully-fledged career. It is also up to you to discover ways to enrich your artistic life and get your work into the world. Each week we bring you a selection of opportunities to get you on the path to your very best journey into the art world.

BBA invites all photographers to submit their work for consideration for the BBA Photography Prize 2022. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your work in Berlin and be eligible for cash prizes. All themes are welcome. For more information and to submit your work, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is June 6.

University of the Arts London announces a call for artists to join their 20/20 program in partnership with the Decolonising Arts Institute. The program combines residency with commissioning, and brings together 20 emerging artists of color alongside 20 UK public art collections. The aim is to create 20 new permanent art acquisitions. To learn more and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is June 6.

The University of Orléans invites glass artists to apply for a 10 month residency to recognize 2022, which has been named the year of glass by the United Nations. French/European artists will spend their time at various locations around the university campus collaborating with other artists as well as performing artists. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is June 9.

Praxis Center believes that every artist has the ability to make their passion into a career. It is simply a matter of knowing what resources are available to you and how to access them. That’s where we come in. We pick up where art school leaves off, giving artists the tools and skills they need to pursue a career. Whether you’re just starting out or returning to your artistic roots after a career in another field, give Praxis a try 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, most recently Making it in the Art World.

 

Photo credit: University of Orléans

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” -Frank Herbert

Time rolls on, regardless of what we do or make of it. Each of us exists within and throughout it, but when our place is vacated, time carries on. It moves forward without stopping, allowing us to spend a while in its realm before rolling on as we remain behind. Time dictates our days, our years, our very existence and yet we barely give it a thought. We simply live beside it, within it, never much considering that we are the briefly stopping guests in a seemingly endless house.

David Claerbout spoke to us from Hoboken, a district of the city of Antwerp, Belgium. There he has two studios, both of which have somewhat impractical dimensions. He is currently preparing two new works, one depicting the life of a tree as it grows backwards, starting large and getting smaller until one day, 12 years from now, it is dug out of the ground. The other piece he is currently at work on is currently titled The Exploding Birdcage and it explores the phenomenon of birds exploding in their cages when the houses in which they live explode during wildfires. To hear more about these works and other aspects of David Claerbout’s career, listen to the complete interview.

Chris Regner joined us from Milwaulkee. He has a show coming up in June at Kravets Wehby Gallery, where he completed his debut solo show in 2021. The previous exhibition explored the idea of the father figure, and this upcoming show explores other masculine tropes through the examination of Greek mythology and the portrayal of Greek gods. This work stems from Regner’s own upbringing during which he did not have a discernable father figure and allows him to explore how is own father-son relationship might look now. To hear more about the work, the upcoming exhibition and more, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Consider the nature of time and how very fortunate we are to have a bit of it.

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.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. David Claerbout recommends reading the written work of Dr. Ian McGilchrist including his new volume, The Matter With Things. Chris Regner discussed the book series Dune by Frank Herbert in terms of the main character, Paul’s struggle with being something of a messianic figure and the struggles that brings.

Deadlines:

The Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists is currently accepting applications. In their own words:

“Queer|Art is pleased to introduce The Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists. Developed and named in partnership with Mariette Pathy Allen, Aaryn Lang, and Serena Jara, this new annual $10,000 grant, awarded to draw attention to an existing body of work, sheds light on the under-recognized contributions of Black trans women visual artists and provides critical support to their continuing work. Winning artists will receive additional professional development resources and further guidance to bolster their creative development in the field.”

For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is June 30.

is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.

 

To be an artist is to constantly evolve and be bold at every turn. Stagnation is the enemy of creation and an artist must strive to stay ahead of its muddy grip. Finding ways to enrich your practice, network within the art community and put your art – and yourself – out into the world is an enormous piece of every artist’s pursuit of a successful career. Here are a few opportunities to keep you moving forward.

Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants program is currently accepting applications from women-identifying artists in the continental U.S. and U.S. territories. This program offers up to $20K to individual artists with a total distribution of $250K. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is June 14.

ACE Artist in Residence Program invites applications for residency in the mountains of Alta, Utah. Selected artists receive seven days of housing in the month of August 2022, a $1000 stipend for supplies, food, travel, etc., private studio access and invitations to ACE events during residency period. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is June 15.

The Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists is currently accepting applications. In their own words:

“Queer|Art is pleased to introduce The Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists. Developed and named in partnership with Mariette Pathy Allen, Aaryn Lang, and Serena Jara, this new annual $10,000 grant, awarded to draw attention to an existing body of work, sheds light on the under-recognized contributions of Black trans women visual artists and provides critical support to their continuing work. Winning artists will receive additional professional development resources and further guidance to bolster their creative development in the field.”

For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is June 30.

Praxis Center believes in the power of knowledge. When you know where to look for the right resources and when you know how to secure them if they feel right for you as an artist, you’ll find that the world begins to open up. Be unafraid to try, the worst that can happen is you will be rejected. And when that happens – yes when, not if – you will simply try again. Why not see how far Praxis 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, most recently Making it in the Art World.

 

Photo credit: Traveling Geologist

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent” -Isaac Asimov

We live in a world bathed in violence. This has always been true, in both he human and animal kingdoms, but in these days of 24-hour global news coverage, it can feel like violence is headed toward a tipping point. How do we process the images we see, the knowledge we carry about atrocities perpetrated against the innocent – how do we carry on with our lives while such things are carried out moment by moment? I do not purport to have the answer. But perhaps in art, we can begin to unpack the complexities amongst which we dwell.

Luisa Rabbia joined us from New York where she is presently working on a challenging project embracing the idea of psychological/terrestrial inferno. Typically, Rabbia focuses on positive messages, so this examination of something darker is a departure. She defines psychological inferno in terms of a state of mind felt by many in these complex times as we grapple with multiple crises all around us. To hear more about this and Rabbia’s other work, listen to the complete interview.

Rainer Gross spoke with us in early May. He is at work on a project called Double Takes in which he manipulates photographic images to create an end result that looks like work on paper that can not be immediately recognized or defined, but captures the viewer’s attention and offer the opportunity to unravel the mystery they hold. Throughout his career, Gross has employed multi-step processes to create art. To hear more about this, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Look to your art to seek answers in the face of difficult questions.

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.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Sal Strom recommends I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Circe by Madeline Miller.

Deadlines:

The Global Peace Photo Award is currently accepting submissions. In their own words:

The top five listed photographers will be awarded the Alfred Fried Peace Medal. The Peace Image of the Year will receive €10,000. The winning picture will be on display for one year at the Austrian Parliament and will be included in the permanent art collection of the Austrian Parliament.

For more information and to submit your work, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is May 22.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.