nina van de goor : artists who blog



Nina's blog: www.ninainvorm.punt.nl
Nina's shop: www.ninainvorm.etsy.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

It’s kind of funny how my blog came into existence, cause I never really consciously decided I wanted to have one, I somehow just got started on New Year’s Eve of 2006. I had been reading creative blogs for some time then, but never thought I was able to do something similar. But that day I had made some photos of my home, and I wanted to share them with some people with a similar interest in interior decoration. And then I thought: why not put them on a blog?
From the moment I started, I quickly became an enthusiast and wanted to do it well. My skills were very, very limited, but somehow I got hooked and kept going with the blog, and during the process my blogging and photography skills improved some...

I guess from the beginning the blog had two main functions for me. In the first place, I wanted to develop my creativity and share that process with other people. I never went to art school or anything, and I didn’t know many people with an interest in art, craft and design. So I guess I was looking for some sort of community with similar interests. In the second place, the blog was a bit of an escape/playground area for me. When I started the blog, I wasn’t feeling too happy. I didn’t like my university education much anymore (but had to keep going), and felt I wanted to follow a more creative path. But I had no idea where to get started. Blogging helped me finding some sort of direction in that struggle, it became the playground where I could experiment with the creative thing, seeing if it worked for me, without abandoning university.



How did you come up with the name of your blog?

That’s another accidental one… When I started the blog rather out of the blue, of course it needed a name too. Back then I was blogging in Dutch, and as I wanted to write about art, craft and design, I came up with ‘Nina in vorm’, which more or less means ‘Nina in/on shape’. I never gave much thought to it, it was a bit of a silly name but at that time I just needed a quick name. But as it always happens: you easily get used & attached to it, so somehow ‘ninainvorm’ became some sort of a brand name that I started using in many different places: for my flickr account, for my etsy-shop…

The fun thing is that for me, ‘ninainvorm’ has actually lost its original meaning and has just become a new word that’s related to my creative stuff, it’s like a creative alter ego. But it’s always funny when people try to make something out of it, for example when they think ‘Nina Invorm’ is my name… It doesn’t have that much meaning, I just somehow got attached to the name.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

Oh, a lot! The title of this interview series is ‘artists who blog‘, but I’d rather see myself as a ‘blogger who artists’ (if that would be a verb ;)). When I started the blog I only made rather ugly stuff. My development in my ceramic work runs rather parallel with the development of my blog, and it’s an ongoing development. I’m still learning about aesthetics, design, techniques… I learn from what I see on other blogs, but also in the process of working on my own blog: what works and what doesn’t, how can I realize the images that I have in mind? The feedback I get is also really important, it has definitely made my confidence grow.

I think one of the good parts of blogging is that you can do things at your own pace. When I started showing my own work on my blog, people sometimes said ‘you should sell it!’, but in the beginning I definitely wasn’t ready for that. But somehow the encouragement created some sort of basis of ‘hey, I could try that!’, and in the end, I started my etsy shop. I needed some time to grow, gain confidence and develop what I was doing, and my blog was an important part of that.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

Oh, I have quite a list of blogs I frequently visit… On my everyday-list are Bloesem, sfgirlbybay, Decor8 and design*sponge, for keeping up with what‘s happening. Then there are quite a few that I often look at for visual inspiration, such as Fine Little Day, Bliss, Emmas Designblogg, ellmania, fryd + design, smosch, Studio Violet, Oh Joy!, Meyer Lavigne… Then there are also a lot of blogs that I read for the great mix of images, text and personality: Yvestown, Door Sixteen, Tiny Red Design, SkinnyLaminx… And many, many more. I try to keep up with many, but I don‘t always succeed!



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

I‘d say take one step at a time… Take your time to develop your own style, you don’t have to have a big famous blog that everyone loves within a month. I see many blogs that keep recycling the same things and images (especially the ones on interior decoration), and I think that‘s rather boring. I also think it‘s a little too easy to just put a collection of pictures from interior decoration magazines online and call it ‘your blog’: it’s nicer if you can add some more to it, something personal, your own work or some vision.

When you start a blog, I think you have to take it seriously. There are already so many blogs out there (and a lot of good ones!), so if you want to add something to that you really have to work for it! ;) I see a lot of blogs get started enthusiastically, but within a few weeks or months it gets silent. I think a good blog should be updated at least once or twice a week, preferably more often, so that people can come back and find something new regularly. Blogging is super nice and very addictive, but if you want to do it well it also takes some time!



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

I think it’s being part of an online community with shared interests, with people all over the world that happen to love the same things you do. Also I think I wouldn’t have started an etsy shop without having my blog first, so the fact that I’m now selling my ceramics to people all over the world is another great aspect of having this blog. And finally, it’s a nice idea that many people come to my blog voluntarily to see what I’ve found or made… I never could’ve guessed that a few years ago!



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

Since I’m still at university, this isn’t my full-time job, though I spend quite some time on it. I often fantasize about being a full-time ceramicist/designer though… What’s rewarding is easy: creating things is what I love, it’s exciting and I can’t even realize a small part of all the ideas I have in mind, so there’s always plenty more to discover. Also, I’m the kind of person who likes to work on her own projects, with a lot of freedom, so in that sense this kind of profession would work for me.
But there are difficult parts too. I think it will be very hard to make a living with what I do right now. I would have to make and sell so much more in order to make a proper living from it, and even if that were possible, I’m not sure if that would be very rewarding in the long run. I would have to start working like a little factory, producing much more than I currently do, and sometimes I’m worried that would end up being very boring. But I’d love to find out, so I hope to find out more about what it’s like having a creative profession after graduating from university…



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

Actually I haven’t done much more so far except blogging about it! But other blogs and websites writing about my work has really helped promoting my work too. I’m sometimes really surprised how people find me and my shop: the internet is such a strong medium. I wish I could do more wholesale, so that people would also find my work in real shops, but currently my production is just way too small. So currently people just have to find my online shop somehow! I hope to expand my little business a bit in the near future though…



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

That’s hard sometimes, cause I want so much and I’m really at the beginning of all this, so I often feel I should grab every chance I get. But on the other hand I still have to work on my thesis for university, and I also have this little job in local politics, so sometimes it’s a bit hard to combine. I think a creative career is difficult to force, so I just try to work steadily on it and take it as it comes. I have many creative passions, and most of the time I don’t see them as work, so when I don’t have other obligations I work on them and enjoy them.



What are your main goals for 2009?

Mainly increasing my production capacity, so that I can finally start delivering to shops and update my shop a little more often! And I want to keep developing my creative skills and techniques. I’m really looking forward to learn more about screenprinting, and hope to find the time to make more collages. And I hope to finally finish university, so that I can seriously work on what comes next…

New Spring Deadlines and More

(W) NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS GRANTS
Deadline: March 5, 2009
$20,000 grants in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction
http://www.arts.endow.gov/grants/apply/Lit/Calendar.html

(W-translation) National Endowment for the Arts, Translation Project Grants
www.arts.endow.gov/features/writers/index.html
Eligibility info: http://www.arts.endow.gov/grants/apply/LitTranslation/eligibility.html
Translation Project Grants of up to $25,000 each are available to published translators of literature for projects that involve the specific translation of prose (fiction, creative nonfiction, drama) or poetry (including verse drama) from other languages into English. Translations of writers and of work insufficiently represented in English are encouraged. All projects must be creative translations of published literary material into English; the work to be translated should be of interest for its literary excellence and value. Priority will be given to projects that involve work not yet translated into English. Applicants must meet specific prior-publication requirements. Write to Translation Project Grants, Information Management Division, Room 815, at above address or see web site for additional information and guidelines.

(ALL) Thatcher Hoffman Smith Prize
The Thatcher Hoffman Smith Prize, established in 2002, is a biennial prize honoring the creative process, Creativity in Motion. This prize celebrates a visionary creative work in process, recognizing the power of original thought and expression in possibly enriching the world around us. The work or project must be under way at the time of application. This prize is open to all fields of creativity, including, but not limited to, the arts, cultural affairs, education and science. The award of $40,000 is available to U.S. citizens and can be used in any way the recipient chooses. Check website for deadline.
http://cim.ou.edu/

(PHOTO) Ultimate Eye Foundation grants
Offers two grants of $5,000 each: one for digital photography, using both a camera and a computer to create images realistic or fanciful; and one for figurative photography celebrating the human figure using a camera and any photographic or digital techniques. Applicants must submit only their own work, be over eighteen years of age, and not a full time student at any college or university. Applicants cannot be related to any member of Ultimate Eye Foundation.
1534 Plaza Lane #356, Burlingame, CA 94010.
grants@UltimateEyeFoundation.com
http://www.ultimateeyefoundation.com

(ACTORS) Screen Actors Guild's Catastrophic Health Fund
Offers grants to eligible Screen Actors Guild members and their dependents suffering from catastrophic illness or injury who are unable to afford the Screen Actors Guild's health plan. Open only to Screen Actors Guild members. 323-549-6773(A)


(A) Richard Florsheim Art Fund
Fund for established artists over 60 to help pay for exhibits, catalogs, or purchase by non-profits. Grants of $1000 - 20,000.
Contact: August L. Freundlich, President, 4202 E Fowler Ave, USF 30637, Tampa, FL 33620. Telephone: 813-949-6886.
Freundli@hotmail.com
http://www.csuohio.edu/uored/FUNDING/RichardFAFund.htm


(M) Musicians Foundation, Inc.
Providing financial assistance to those who need help in meeting current living, medical and allied expenses.
Musicians Foundation, Inc., 875 Sixth Ave., Suite 2303, New York, NY 10001. 212-239-9137.
http://www.musiciansfoundation.org/

(A) Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation
This program provides studio space for free in New York City (Tribeca) to visual artists for periods of up to one year. Up to 14 artists are awarded non-living studio space.
For more information, send SASE to the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, 830 North Tejon Street, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Tel. 719-635-3220. Fax 719-635-3018. sharpeartfdn@qwest.net
http://www.sharpeartfdn.org/


(PERF. ART) Franklin Furnace Fund for Performance Art
Franklin Furnace awards grants of $2,000-$5,000 to performance artists, allowing them to produce major works anywhere in the State of New York. Artists from all over the world are invited to apply.
info@franklinfurnace.org
http://www.franklinfurnace.org/

(A) Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
The purpose of the Foundation is to aid talented young artists in the early stages of their careers. Awards are limited to candidates working in the following: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture.
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, 1814 Sherbrooke St., West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3H 1E4. 514-937-9225.
greenshields@bellnet.ca
http://www.calarts.edu/~stdafrs/web/greenshields.html


(A) Durfee Foundation: Artist Resource for Completion Grants
ARC grants provide rapid, short-term assistance of up to $2,500 to individual artists who live in Los Angeles County. Funds must be used to enhance work that is near completion and scheduled for presentation within six months of the grant application deadline. Artists in any discipline may apply. Applicants must have a secure invitation from an established organization to present their work. There are four grant cycles per year.
1453 Third Street, Suite 312, Santa Monica, CA 90401
admin@durfee.org
http://www.durfee.org/programs/index.html

(PHOTO) Documentary Photography Project Distribution Grants
This grant is offered to documentary photographers who have already completed a significant body of work on issues of social justice to collaborate with a partner organization and propose new ways of using photography as a tool for positive social change. Grants of $5,000 to $30,000 are awarded.
Open Society Institute, 400 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019
yyamagata@sorosny.org
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography/focus_areas/distribution/guidelines



(A/COLLAB.) Creative Work Fund
Funds for artists and non-profit organizations to create new art works through collaborations. It celebrates artists as problem solvers and the making of art as a profound contribution to the strengthening of communities. Grants range from $10,000 to $35,000. Limited to artists living in and organizations based in San Francisco and Alameda, CA counties.
One Lombard Street, Suite 305, San Francisco, California 94111-1130 Tel: 415-398-4474. http://www.creativeworkfund.org/


(CRAFTS) Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF)
CERF accomplishes its mission to strengthen and sustain the careers of craft artists through direct financial and educational assistance to craft artists, including emergency relief assistance, business development support, and resources and referrals on topics such as health, safety, and insurance.
info@craftemergency.org
http://www.craftemergency.org/

(A) Capelli D'Angeli Foundation
Offers fellowship grants of up to $500 each to artist who are in treatment or are survivors of cancer and are creating art in all media. Grant recipients and award amounts will be determined after a thorough review of the artist's work in slide form and the artist statement. Download a pdf application form on their web site.
P.O. Box 656, Canton, CT 06019, 860-693-6208
capellifoundation@yahoo.com
http://www.capellidangelifoundation.org

(PHOTO/W) Changing Ideas
This organization assists charities and other individuals, including photographers and journalists, by providing support to achieve lasting, effective change. They provide imaginative solutions to humanitarian issues, and are unlike most grant giving organizations in that they also mentor, monitor, and support projects from their genesis to their completion.
awards@changingideas.org
http://www.changingideas.org

(ALL) Charles A. Lindbergh Fund
Awards up to a total of $10,580 per year to individuals whose individual initiative and work in a wide spectrum of disciplines furthers the Lindberghs' vision of a balance between the advance of technology and the preservation of the natural/human environment.
Charles A. Lindbergh Fund, 2150 Third Avenue North, Suite 310. Anoka, MN 55303-2200. Phone: 763-576-1596
info@lindberghfoundation.org
http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/


(A) CEC ArtsLink Award
Supporting exchange between artists and art organizations in the United States, Eastern/Central Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. Recipients are selected through a competitive peer-panel review process. Three awards are offered: ArtsLink Residencies, Independent Projects, and ArtsLink Projects. Awards are available to artists, arts managers, curators, presenters and non-profit arts organizations. Five-week residencies at US arts organizations are offered. Awards are funded through public and private sources including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, the Ohio Arts Council, the Kettering Fund, the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Polish Cultural Institue and the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Mailing address: CEC ArtsLink, Inc., 435 Hudson Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10014, USA. Telephone: (212) 643-1985. Fax: (212) 643-1996. Russian Office: Ul. Rubinshteina 6-1, St. Petersburg, 191025 Russia. Telephone/Fax: +7-812-315-4558.
al@cecartslink.org
http://tools.isovera.com/organizations.php3?orgid=100&typeID=869&action=printContentTypeHome&User_Session=5f08039953986d46090a954fdaa44b80

(A) Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI)
Launched in 2001, this organization promotes knowledge sharing, networking and financial independence for individual artists and creative entrepreneurs by providing business training, grants and loans, and incubating innovative projects that create new program knowledge, tools and practices for artists in the field. Tapping leading experts from both the nonprofit and commercial business sectors, CCI develops next generation tools and support systems that artists need.
244 S. San Pedro Street, Suite 401, Los Angeles, CA 90012, phone 213-687-8577, fax 213-687-8578
info@cciarts.org
http://www.cciarts.org/funding.htm



(A) Bronx Council on the Arts
Bronx recognizes its own (BRIO) Individual Artists Grant offeres awards of $2500 each to artists who are at least 18 years old, not enrolled in art school, and live in the Bronx.
The Bronx Council for the Arts. Telephone: 718-931-9500.
Melissa@bronxarts.org
http://www.bronxarts.org/

(W) Banff Mountain Grants Program
Supporting projects that communicate the stories of mountain landscapes as places of ecological, inspirational, and cultural value, and that celebrate the spirit of adventure, this grant supports the concept that mountain stories are unique in the world. Individuals or organizations may apply for grants of up to $5000 (Canadian dollars) to fund projects that creatively interpret the environment, natural history, human heritage, arts, philosophy, lifestyle, and adventure, in and of the mountains.
Box 1020 Stn 38, Banff, Alberta, Canada T1L 1H5, Fax: 403-762-6277
mountainculture@banffcentre.ca
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/grants/


(W) AWP WC&C / Scholarship Competition / Seeks Entries
AWP Writers' Conferences & Centers is conducting its annual competition to provide scholarships for emerging writers who wish to attend a writers' conference, center, retreat, festival, or residency. The scholarships will be applied to fees to attend any of the members of WC&C, an association of conferences, colonies, and festivals for writers. Two scholarships of $500 will be awarded. Submissions in fiction and poetry will be considered. Separate submissions in each genre are permitted.
Further info and submission guidelines:
http://www.awpwriter.org/contests/wccscholarship.htm
Deadline: March, 30, 2009


(W) The Marguerite and Lamar Fellowship for Writers / Seeks Applicants
The Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians awards fellowships for writers to spend time in McCullers' childhood home in Columbus, Georgia, to honor the contribution of writers’ residences to McCullers’ work. The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to dedicate to their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities.The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to dedicate to their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities.
The Fellow will be provided with a stipend of $5,000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals. Fellowship recipients will be required to introduce or advance their work through reading or workshop/forum presentations. The Fellow will work with the McCullers Center Director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency. Info at: http://www.mccullerscenter.org/fellowships.htm
Deadline: April, 1, 2009

(A) Black Rock Arts Foundation / 2009 Grant Cycle / Call to Artists
Black Rock Arts Foundation's seeks submissions from artists for their 2009 grant cycle. BRAF grants to individual artists or artist collectives that create interactive artworks and involves the audience in its creation.
Application and guidelines at: www.blackrockarts.org/grants/2009-grant-cycle
Contact Information:
Josie Schimke, Program Development Assistant, Black Rock Arts Foundation
1900 Third Street, First Floor, San Francisco CA 94158. Email: josie@blackrockarts.org
Phone: 415/626-1248
Deadline: March, 13, 2009

(ALL) The KHN Center for the Art / Residency Program
The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE offers 2 to 8 week residencies for writers, visual artists, and music composers. Housing, studio space, $100/week stipend. Approximately 50 residencies awarded per year. Two deadlines each year: postmarked March 1 for the following July - December 15; postmarked September 1 for the following January-June 15. $25 application fee.
See website for complete information, guidelines, application:
www.KHNCenterfortheArts.org.
Deadline: March, 1, 2009

(ALL-NATIVE ARTS) Native Arts @ NEFA / National Native Artist Exchange
The National Native Artist Exchange, a program of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), provides support for Native artists residing in any of the 50 United States to travel to different regions of the country so that they may exchange artistic knowledge and skills with other Native artists. Travel grants will be awarded up to $1500.
Deadline: 4/1/09
This fund is designed to encourage and assist American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian artists, and provides an opportunity for Native artists to teach, learn, and collaborate in traditional and/or contemporary Native art forms through travel from one region to another across the nation.
Program information at: http://www.nefa.org/grantprog/nativearts/nativeartistexchange.html
Website: www.nefa.org
Deadline: April, 1, 2009

(PHOTO) 7th Vevey International Photo Awards / Call for Artists
The Vevey International Photo Awards is a competition of photographic projects with a first prize of 30,000CHF (approx. 20,000 Euros). It is organized by the Fondation Vevey, ville d'images as part of the festival Images'. The purpose of the competition is to promote outstanding personal work that is original and unconventional.

Juries composed of Swiss and international experts in the fields of film and photography will meet in May and June 2009 to examine the projects submitted and select those which are considered to be outstanding in terms of quality or originality. The projects that receive awards will be completed and shown at the next edition of the festival Images in September 2010.
For more information check online at www.images.ch
Deadline: April, 30, 2009


(A—GBT) Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice/ Astraea Visual Arts Recognizes the work of contemporary lesbian visual artists, in the following categories: sculpture, painting in any medium, print, drawing, work on paper, mixed media.
Guidelines and application forms are available online at: http://www.astraeafoundation.org/grants/grant-applications-and-deadlines/#visual_arts. Go to the link to request the guidelines and application for the Astraea Visual Arts Fund. You will fill out a short form, and then you will be able to download an application in .pdf format with your required unique ID#.
For more information, please contact us at: 212-529-8021, ext. 22 or via email at: grants@astraeafoundation.org. Deadline: March, 2, 2009
Organization: Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
116 E. 16th St., 7th Fl, New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 529-8021 Fax: (212) 982-3321
Email: grants@astraeafoundation.org
Website: www.astraeafoundation.org
Contact: Lorraine Ramirez

(W) Creative Capital, Warhol Foundation / Arts Writers Grant / Call for Applications
The 2009 grant cycle for the Art Writers Grant open April 27, 2009 Online (only): 10:00 a.m. EST
The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant is designed to support writers whose work addresses contemporary visual art through project-based grants issued directly to individual authors. The first program of its type, it was founded in recognition of both the financially precarious situation of arts writers and their indispensable contribution to a vital artistic culture. The Arts Writers Grant Program issues awards for books, articles, short-form writing, and blogs/new and alternative media projects and aims to support the broad spectrum of writing on contemporary visual art, from general-audience criticism to academic scholarship.
For more information please go to:
http://www.artswriters.org/home.php
http://www.artswriters.org/guidelines.php
The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant is spearheaded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts as part of its broader Arts Writing Initiative and administered by the Creative Capital Foundation.
PO Box 19515, Seattle, WA 98109-1515, Fax: 206.217.9887
Deadline: June, 8, 2009

cathy nichols : artists who blog



Cathy's website: www.cathynichols.com
Cathy's blog: www.cathynichols.blogspot.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

For seven years I was part of a very active artists’ co-op in Venice, California called The Ten Women Gallery, and I loved the way that working in the shop kept me in touch with the wonderful people who were buying my art. Then, in 2007, when I left California I wanted to keep in touch with my fans and friends, so I started blogging! It was a wonderful way to update people on the west coast who missed stopping by to see me & my work in Venice. Plus I made many new friends all over the world.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

I think blogging has really motivated me to create new work. Every time I post a new painting, I feel like a kid running home from school with a fingerpainting on construction paper saying Look mom! Look what I made! There is nothing more fulfilling to me as an artist then getting immediate feedback. Art is such a visual medium, and I think we all want to communicate, to be seen.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

My all-time favorite blog is Marisa Haedike’s Creative Thursday. This is because Marisa was my first friend to start blogging and I LOVE that she posts a new painting almost every day. I have two of her original paintings in my daughter’s room, and they are two charming and kind creatures that watch over her while she sleeps.



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

My best piece of advice is to post new work regularly. It keeps people coming back. It’s also nice if you can blog every day, but I haven’t been able to do that myself since my second child was born.



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

I guess I am just amazed that so many people actually have an interest in my paintings! It’s very motivating and it brings back some of that wonderful community spirit that I so loved at the Ten Women Gallery.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

Right now I’m finding the most difficult part of having a creative profession is actually finding the time to create and market myself while also raising two babies (aged 6 months and 2 years). I never really get to relax. But the rewards of the artistic life have been much broader than I had ever imagined. Creating a new painting is incredibly fulfilling for me. I love turning my imagination and memories inside out and playing with color. It’s also a wonderful way to connect with other people – both through making art and through sharing it.



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

I think being on ETSY has really helped to introduce many people all over the world to my work. And I also still stay active in the non-virtual world by participating in gallery shows and even hanging my work in a local coffee shop.



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I’m teetering on the edge at the moment, but I think that it all comes down to making the babies nap at the same time and go to sleep from 7pm to 7 am. I work when they sleep – and I try to fulfill print orders at night when I’m tired and create new paintings during daytime naps while I am most alert. I also multitask a lot... and forget/lose things a lot. But I keep working because I never want to get rusty. There will come a point when both children are at school where I will finally have a surplus of time (at least I dream this to be the case!), and I want to be ready.




What are your main goals for 2009?

My main goal is to keep painting... but I’ve told myself that this summer I will finally get back to doing some encaustic work. I had started doing small narrative encaustic pieces before I got pregnant, and I can’t wait to get the wax cooking again to see what evolves!

Creativity

Being part of the Make28 creativity challenge, has made me focus on making something every day. And that's got me thinking about creativity and all its forms.

So I've been extra sensitive to information about creativity and of course, I start seeing it everywhere, or at least I start paying attention.

I thought I'd share a couple of videos with you. They've been making the rounds, but perhaps you haven't seen them yet.

This is from Atlanta based editorial photographer, Zack Arias:


And this is a TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert:


I'll be posting more soon.

Happy Valentine's Day


Make something!
make28.com

Make 28

One of my online friends, Consumatron, has started a "make something every day" challenge for February, called Make 28:



So watch the video for inspiration and then make something. Anything. And then send him a link to what you make. Go to consumatron.net and leave a link in the comments. Send him an email at consumatron at gmail.com. Or follow him on Twitter.

Here's a preview of what I've been making so far:


You can see more on Flickr.

So what are you going to make?

COMING SOON!

By the end of February 2009 I will have this blog fully operational. What will be added?—Links to grant and fellowship search engines, emergency funding sites, international residency websites, great resources, book recommendations and more. I'll also post tips on how to find the right grant or fellowship for you, and other helpful bits of advice so you can find money, time and a place to create. Please sign on to follow this blog and tell your friends too! Thank you.

FEBRUARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEBRUARY 4, 2009

(M & ALL) Artists Residency Program at I-Park for Music Composers
Connecticut, USA
Deadline: Feb 16th, 2009
I-Park announces its ninth season hosting The Artists’ Enclave. Artists’ residencies, self-directed/project oriented, will be offered from May through November 2009. Most sessions are four weeks in duration. In addition to music composers, the following disciplines participate: visual (including digital and environmental) artists, landscape/garden designers, creative writers and architects. Work samples are evaluated through a competitive, juried process. There is a $25 application fee and artists are responsible for their own transportation to and from the area. They also provide for their own food and work materials. The facility is otherwise offered at no cost to accepted artists. A limited number of travel grants are offered to non-U.S. artists.
The music studio, in addition to an acoustic piano, has a selection of digital keyboards as well as a growing collection of peripheral devices and software for recording, sequencing and sound manipulation. We have also begun to collect unusual percussion and other instruments for use by our composers.
For additional project information and to download 2009 application materials, go to the website: www.i-park.org/residency.html

(ALL) Residency at Castiglioncello / Tuscany / Italy / Spring 2009
Deadline: ongoing—artists may apply for residency between October and May.
The mansion and its coastline park is “niemandsland” (no man’s land) residency in Italy. It contains 12+1 completely equipped apartments in order to live and work. Dwellings can be used for studios. For larger work also the private park is available.
At the moment we accept applications to come to Castiglioncello for a minimum of 1 week during the period March – May, or October – December 2009.
You are a professional in any field of contemporary art, a curator or writer and want to work for your own. You can be eligible for the residency by sending your application. Residential artists benefit by special rental conditions met locally for them.
Further support: All guest artists, who are accepted by the selection committee are welcome in the residency program. It is further expected that the artist will be supported by sources based in the artist's country of origin!
Send your inquiry or application to: niemandsland@peintner-art.com
>>niemandsland<<
Christian I. Peintner, Im Kirchholz 23, A-6845 Hohenems, Austria
Tel. 0043-699-12132277, Fax 0043-699-32132277

(ALL) Residency at the Vermont Studio Center
Deadline: February 17th, 2009
The Vermont Studio Center is an international residency program open to all artists and writers. Year-round, VSC hosts 50 artists and writers per month, each of whom receives an individual studio, private room, and all meals. Residencies last from 2-12 weeks and provide uninterrupted time to work, a community of creative peers, and a beautiful village setting in northern Vermont. In addition, VSC's program includes a roster of Visiting Artists and Writers (2 painters, 2 sculptors and 2 writers per month) who offer slide talks/readings and individual studio visits/conferences. Applications and information available at www.vermontstudiocenter.org

(A) ASSOCIATION A.I.R. VALLAURIS
Phone: 330493646550
Fax: 330493646550
Email: contact@air-vallauris.com
Artist in Residence Program : The intent of the AIR program is to propose an environment to visiting artists which offers: a unique cultural experience, the opportunity to research and create new work, the opportunity to meet and collaborate with local artists, and the possibility to expose work in the AIR gallery and on the AIR web site. http://www.air-vallauris.org/

(A, MEDIA, INTERDISC.) ARTSPACE (AUSTRALIA)
Phone: +61 2 9368 1899 Fax: +61 2 9368 1705
http://www.artspace.org.au
Email: artspace@artspace.org.au
Artspace’s focus is on experimental and conceptual installation practices; projects involving critical and theoretical research into contemporary visual culture; collaborative and process-based projects; interdisciplinary, multimedia, new media and net.art practices; site specificity; and performance art. Artspace invites project proposals on an ongoing basis from emerging and established artists and curators. Project proposals may include an application for studio space (either residential or non-residential) in order to develop and/or install the work on-site. Proposals utilizing both studio and exhibition spaces are welcome.

(A) ARTSPACE, INC. (NC)
Phone: (919)821-2787 Fax: (919)821-0383
Email: info@artspacenc.org
http://www. artspacenc.org
Summer Artist in Residence Program
Provides an established artist with a brief studio opportunity to work on a specific project. Each summer, an artist is invited to work in Gallery 1 in an open-studio setting for 4 weeks. The residency culminates in a 6 to 8 week exhibition of the artist's work in Gallery 1. The intent of this residency is to provide fresh insight about mediums of art and processes of art making that are not common within the Artspace community.

(A) ART FARM
Phone: (402) 854-3120 Email: artfarm@hamilton.netVisit their website
Residency Program
Art Farm's program for professional artists offers them accommodation and studio space to pursue their artwork.
http://www.artfarmnebraska.org/

(A) ARROWMONT SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS: Residency Program
http://www.arrowmont.org/

Phone: (865)436-5860 Fax: (865)430-4101 Email: info@arrowmont.org
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts offers an Artist-In-Residence Program designed to give pre-professional self-directed artists time and studio space to develop a major body of work in a creative community environment of students and visiting faculty. Five artists are selected annually to participate in this eleven-month program. The facilities are wheelchair accessible.
Also: Horn Woodturning Fellowship
The Horn Fellowship provides housing, private studio, basic equipment, professional development, optional teaching opportunities, and some meals for an 11-month residency at Arrowmont. The recipient will be one of five residents selected for the Artists-in-Residence program.

(A) ARCUS PROJECT in Japan
Phone: (029)301-2735 Fax: (029)301-2739
Email: info@arcus-project.com
Artist-in-Residence Program
The ARCUS Project is an artist-in-residence program organized by the Ibaraki Prefectural Government that was launched with a focus on nurturing young and mid-career visual artists and on fostering grounds for international exchange in the arts as well as in the local community. The project aims to serve two purposes. The first is to provide opportunities to young and mid-career visual artists to develop their artistic concepts and skills in a community setting and facilitate them with an environment for cultural exchange at professional level and community level. The second is to provide the local residents an opportunity to appreciate art in their local community and to nurture grounds for multicultural experiences through programs such as workshops and seminars.http://www.arcus-project.com/en/residence/

(ALL) ANDERSON CENTER FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES in Minnesota
http://www.andersoncenter.org/residency_program.htm
Phone: (651)388-2009 Email: info@andersoncenter.com
Residencies
The Anderson Center offers short-term residencies of two weeks to one month from May-October to writers, artists and scholars. Through a grant from the Jerome Foundation of St. Paul, each year the Center devotes the month of July to encourage the work of emerging artists from New York City and Minnesota. Each resident is provided room, board, and workspace for the length of the stay of the residency period. The facilities are wheelchair accessible.

(A) AMISTAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA in Texas
http://www.nps.gov/amis/
Phone: (830)775-7491 Fax: (800)775-9248 Email: Scarlett_Elkins@nps.gov
Artist in Residence Program
Amistad National Recreation Area is located in southwestern Texas, amid desert landscapes and alongside the US/Mexico border. Lake Amistad is known for excellent fishing, and the park is surrounded by world-class prehistoric rock art and classic Western history. The Artist-in-Residence program offers artists an opportunity for inspiration by living and working in a National Park setting. The program provides for a two to four week stay at Amistad NRA.

(M) AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM
Phone: (651)228-1407 Fax: (651)291-7978
Email: mail@composersforum.org
Community Partners Program
Administered through the Forum’s chapters, the Community Partners Program places composers in collaborative residencies with community, cultural and educational organizations to create new works designed around the needs of their specific communities, many of which are historically underserved by the arts. By partnering with cultural, educational and social services organizations, projects reach people who might otherwise have no opportunity or occasion to directly engage the arts, and do so in a context that makes their involvement personally and socially significant. Through these projects, the Forum’s chapters have sponsored more than 200 residencies, commissions and performances, engaged scores of educational, cultural and social institutions in the creation and presentation of new music, and elicited growing support from a wide range of local and regional philanthropies.
I would suggest emailing them because they have been having problems with their website (composersforum.com)


(A) STUDIO for Creative Inquiry
Carnegie Mellon University, College of Fine Arts, Room 111
5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
E-Mail Address: studio-info@andrew.cmu.edu
Website: www.cmu.edu/studio/fellowships/index.html
Application Deadline: Ongoing
The Artist Residency Program connects established artists to the robust science-technology resources at Carnegie Mellon through two concurrent year-long residences. The broad mission of the STUDIO is to facilitate work in two major areas: artistic creation and development of educational tools. Artists receive a salary and have access to the resources of the university. Assistance is offered in finding housing in the community. Applications are due at least six months in advance of the desired residency period. Write or see web site for additional information.

(W) Hill House Writers Retreat
8161 Highway 100 #177, Nashville, TN 37221
E-Mail Address: ron@Hillhousewriters.com
Website: www.hillhousewriters.com/policies.htm
Application Deadline: Ongoing
The Hill House Writers Retreat offers week-long residencies to poets, fiction writers, creative-nonfiction writers, and other literary artists on a thirty-four-acre horse farm an hour south of Nashville. Scholarships are awarded year-round and include a private room and three meals a day. To apply, send a bio, letter of intent, and a writing sample of up to 1,500 words, accompanied by a $30 application fee. See web site for complete guidelines.

(W) Bucknell University, Philip Roth Residence
Bucknell University, Bucknell Hall, Lewisburg, PA 17837
E-Mail Address: stadlercenter@bucknell.edu
Website: www.departments.bucknell.edu/stadler_center
Application Deadline: February 21
The Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing provides four months of unfettered writing time during Bucknell's fall semester, without formal academic obligations, and a stipend of $4,000 for a young writer with some record of accomplishment. The residence coincides with the fall semester, mid-September through late December. In even-numbered years the residence is awarded to a poet, in odd-numbered years to a fiction writer. Write to Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing at above address or see web site for more details.

(W) Writers' Conferences & Centers
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
MS1E3, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030
E-Mail Address: wcc@awpwriter.org
Website: writersconf.org/scholarship/index.php
Application Deadline: March 30
The WC&C Scholarship Competition supports emerging writers who wish to attend a writers' conference. Two scholarships of $500 each will be awarded and applied to the fees of any of the member conferences of WC&C, an association of conferences, colonies, and festivals for writers. There is a $10 reading fee for each manuscript submitted. Submissions are accepted between December 1 and March 30. Write to WC&C Scholarship Program at above address or see web site for more details.

(W) Writers at Work
PO Box 540370, North Salt Lake, UT 84054-0370
E-Mail Address: lisa@writersatwork.org
Website: www.writersatwork.org/submission.html
Application Deadline: March 1
Writers at Work sponsors a Fellowship Competition in fiction (short stories or novel excerpts), literary nonfiction, and poetry. The first prize in each category consists of $1,500, publication in Quarterly West, a featured reading, full tuition to the Writers at Work Conference in Park City, Utah, a manuscript consultation during the Conference with one of the visiting editors or agents, and free housing. Eligible are writers who have not published a book-length volume of original work. Fiction and literary nonfiction submissions should not exceed 5,000 words; poetry may be six poems not exceeding 10 pages total. Only unpublished work will be considered. There is a $20 reading fee for each entry. Write or see the web site for more details and latest deadline.

(W) Wesleyan Writers Conference
294 High Street, Middletown, CT 06459

E-Mail Address: agreene@wesleyan.edu
Website: www.wesleyan.edu/writing/conference
Application Deadline: April 3
The Wesleyan Writers Conference, staffed by award-winning writers, offers full and partial scholarships to participants. Scholarships include the Joan and John Jakobson Scholarships, open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and the Jon Davidoff Scholarships for Journalists. Teaching fellowships—including the Barach Fellowship—which all cover tuition, room, and board, and include an honorarium of $500, are also awarded. Write to Fellowship and Scholarship Committee at above address or see web site for specific details and application procedures.

(W) Taos Summer Writers' Conference, D. H. Lawrence Fellowship
Department of English Language and Literature
MSC03 2170, 1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
E-Mail Address: taosconf@unm.edu
Website: www.unm.edu/~taosconf/Registration/Scholarships.htm
Application Deadline: April 15
The D. H. Lawrence Fellowship is awarded to an emerging writer of fiction or poetry with one book in print or at press. The D. H. Lawrence Fellow will receive tuition remission, lodging at the Sagebrush Inn or Comfort Suites, and two meals a day (breakfast and lunch). In return, the Fellow contributes to the Taos Summer Writer's Conference activities and gives a formal reading. Write to Sharon Oard Warner, Director at above address or see web site for more details.

(CB) The Highlights Foundation
Selection Committee, Highlights Foundation Scholarship Program
814 Court Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
E-Mail Address: contact@highlightsfoundation.org
Website: www.highlightsfoundation.org/pages/scholarships_top.html
Application Deadline: February 15
The Highlights Foundation Scholarship Program provides financial support to qualified candidates wishing to attend the annual Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua for the first time. Individuals with a serious interest in writing for children and an established financial need are invited to apply. Scholarship awards are granted at the discretion of the Foundation Scholarship Committee. Send SASE for guidelines. For more information, contact Jenny Blanchard, Program Director, above address.

(CBW) Society of Children's Book Writers, Work-in-Progress Grants
8271 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
E-Mail Address: membership@scbwi.org
Website: www.scbwi.org/awards.htm
Application Deadline: March 15

Four Work-in-Progress Grants, one for a contemporary novel for young people, one for a work whose author has never had a book published, one for a general work-in-progress, and one for a nonfiction research project, will be awarded annually. Each grant is $1,500, and each category offers a runner-up award of $500. Applications must be sent between February 15 and March 15. The Grants are available to both full and associate members of the SCBWI. Write to W-I-P Grant Application at above address or see web site for additional information.

(CBW) Society of Children's Book Writers, Barbara Karlin Grant
8271 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
E-Mail Address: membership@scbwi.org
Website: www.scbwi.org/awards.htm
Application Deadline: March 15
The Barbara Karlin Grant recognizes and encourages the work of aspiring picture-book writers who have never had a picture book published. One grant of $1,500 is awarded annually. Applications must be sent between February 15 and March 15. The Grants are available to both full and associate members of the SCBWI. Write to Barbara Karlin Grant Application at above address or see web site for additional information.

(W) Poetry Magazine
444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1850, Chicago, IL 60611
Website: www.poetrymagazine.org/about/prizes.html
Application Deadline: March 31
Five Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships of $15,000 each are given annually to undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in English or creative writing programs who will not have received an M.A. or M.F.A. degree as of December 31 of the year of the award. Program directors and department chairs in the U.S. should submit nominations on an official application form from Poetry. Applications must be postmarked during the month of March. See web site for more details. In addition, Poetry Magazine administers the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize of $100,000 for outstanding poetic achievement, as well as eight Poetry Magazine Awards, ranging from $500 to $3,000, for poetry published in the magazine during the previous year. Applications are not accepted for these awards.

(HUMANITIES) National Endowment for the Humanities
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20506
E-Mail Address: fellowships@neh.gov
Website: www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/fellowships.html
Application Deadline: May 1
Fellowships with a stipend of $4,200 per month support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to scholars and general audiences in the humanities. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, and other scholarly tools. Fellowships support continuous full-time work for a period of six to twelve months. A number of other grants are also available. Write, e-mail, or see web site for further information on stipends, eligibility, and application procedures.

(W) Loft Literary Center, Minnesota Writers' Career Initiative Program
Suite 200, Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue, South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
E-Mail Address: jsantek@loft.org
Website: www.loft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=44
Application Deadline: March 5
The Minnesota Writers' Career Initiative Program provides financial support and professional assistance to advanced writers of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or children's literature to develop and implement serious, multifaceted plans for the next phase of their career. This phase might involve, but is not limited to, greater recognition, increase in book sales, significant expansion of audience, or publication by a major press. As many as four winners receive grants of up to $8,000 and up to $1,500 in honoraria. Write to Career Initiative Program at address above or see web site for guidelines and application.

(THEATER) Children's Theatre Foundation of America, Founders Grants
1114 Red Oak Drive, Avon, IN 46123
E-Mail Address: dwebb@iupui.edu
Website:www.childrenstheatrefoundation.org/grants.html
Application Deadline: April 1
Founders Grants are available to individuals and organizations for a variety of needs. Write or see web site for specific guidelines and requirements.

(W) Center for Environmental Journalism
University of Colorado, 478 UCB, 1511 University Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0478
E-Mail Address: cej@colorado.edu
Website: www.colorado.edu/journalism/cej
Application Deadline: March 1
The Ted Scripps Environmental Fellowship Program blends classroom and field training at the University of Colorado's Center for Environmental Journalism to help professional journalists acquire knowledge to cover the environment more effectively and enrich public understanding. Fellowships are available to U.S. citizens with a minimum of five years of full-time professional journalism experience. Fellows receive tuition, fee payment, and a stipend of $47,000 for the nine-month academic year. Write or see web site for additional information.

(W) Bread Loaf Writers' Conference
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753
E-Mail Address: blwc@middlebury.edu
Website: www.middlebury.edu/academics/blwc
Application Deadline: March 1
The Conference awards fellowships and scholarships to candidates applying to attend a session of the Conference. Candidates for fellowships must have a first original book published within three years of filing their application. Scholarship candidates must have published in major literary periodicals or newspapers. See web site for nomination and application procedures.

(W) Eastern Frontier Education Foundation: Residency in Norton Island, Maine
446 Long Ridge Road, Bedford, NY 10506
E-Mail Address: webmaster@easternfrontier.com
Website: www.easternfrontier.com
Application Deadline: March 1
The Eastern Frontier Residency Program annually offers two residency periods lasting two weeks during the summer to selected artists and writers, in the picturesque setting of Norton Island, Maine, for developing their work. There is a $25 application fee. Send writing samples with application. Apply to Stephen T. Dunn, Chairman, at above address or see web site for more details and online application.

(SCREENWRITING) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Nicholl Fellowships
1313 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028-8107
E-Mail Address: nicholl@oscars.org
Website: www.oscars.org/nicholl
Application Deadline: To Be Announced
Up to five Don and Gee Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowships, of $30,000 each, are available annually for original, full-length feature scripts of 100 to 130 pages, with the understanding that the recipients will complete a new feature screenplay during the fellowship year. Entries must be in English (no translations) and must display exceptional craft and engaging storytelling. Writers must not have sold or optioned a feature screenplay or teleplay, or earned more than $5,000 for writing one. There is a $30 entry fee. Contact the Academy from January through April or consult the web site year-round for further information.

(PERF. ARTS) Princess Grace Foundation / Call for Applications
Working in conjunction with nominating schools and non-profit companies, the Princess Grace Awards recognize the talent of individual artists in theater, dance, and film.
This unique collaborative process fills vast voids in the artistic community: scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships give emerging artists the financial assistance and moral encouragement to focus on artistic excellence; monetary support for the nominating organizations eases fund raising challenges, directing resources toward the creative process.
Theater: Scholarships for students at non-profit schools; apprenticeships and fellowships for artists at non-profit theaters
Playwriting: One fellowship for an individual playwright, including residency at New Dramatists
Dance: Scholarships for students at non-profit schools; fellowships for dancers at non-profit companies
Choreography: Fellowships for collaborations with non-profit dance companies
Film: Scholarships for undergraduate or graduate thesis films (open to select film schools by invitation only)

Full list of deadlines and more information at: www.pgfusa.org
Princess Grace Foundation-USA, 150 East 58th Street, 25th Floor
New York, New York 10155 212/317-1470
Theater Deadline: 3/31/09 Playwrighting Deadline: 3/31/09
Dance: Performance: 4/30/09 Dance: Choreography: 4/30/09
Film: 6/1/09
Deadline: June, 1, 2009

(ALL) Native Arts @ NEFA / National Native Artist Exchange / Call to Artists
The National Native Artist Exchange, a program of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), provides support for Native artists residing in any of the 50 United States to travel to different regions of the country so that they may exchange artistic knowledge and skills with other Native artists. Travel grants will be awarded up to $1500.
Deadline: 4/1/09
This fund is designed to encourage and assist American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian artists, and provides an opportunity for Native artists to teach, learn, and collaborate in traditional and/or contemporary Native art forms through travel from one region to another across the nation. Program information at: http://www.nefa.org/grantprog/nativearts/nativeartistexchange.html
Website: www.nefa.org
Deadline: April, 1, 2009

(ALL) Bellagio Study & Conference Center / Residencies / Seeks Applicants
Bellagio creative arts residencies in Italy – for composers, novelists, playwrights, poets, video/filmmakers and visual artists – provide time for disciplined work, individual reflection, and collegial engagement, uninterrupted by the usual professional and personal demands. Deadline: 2/11/09 (for residencies occurring between mid-August through November 26, 2009.)
The Center typically offers one-month stays for no more than 3-5 individual artists at a time. Artists of significant achievement, from any country, are welcome to apply.
Further information at: www.rockfound.org/bellagio
Deadline: February, 11, 2009

(ART HIST./MUSEUM STUDIES) Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship / Seeks Applicants
The Philadelphia Museum of Art seeks applicants specializing in modern and contemporary art for a post-doctoral fellowship, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and offered beginning June 2009. Deadline: 3/1/08
Available to outstanding scholars who wish to pursue a curatorial career in art museums, this two-year fellowship, with a possible third year renewal, will provide curatorial training while also supporting scholarly research related to the renowned collections of modern and contemporary art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Further details and application guidelines at: http://www.philamuseum.org/jobs/
Contact Info: Human Resources
Philadelphia Museum of Art, P.O. Box 7646
Philadelphia, PA 19101
Website: www.philamuseum.org
Deadline: March, 1, 2009

(ALL) City of Seattle / 2009 CityArtists Projects / Call to Artists
The Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs seeks applications for its CityArtists Projects, a program which provides funding for artists to develop and present work. Awards ranging up to $10,000 support new works, works-in-progress or finished works, and all projects include a public presentation. A broad range of artistic and cultural expression that reflects Seattle's diversity are encouraged. Deadline: 2/17/09
Further information and online application at: http://www.seattle.gov/arts/
Deadline: February, 17, 2009

(A, DESIGN) Beam Camp / Seeks Proposals for Ambitious Collaborative Projects
THE PROJECT
Each summer Beam commissions a Project Master to design a unique large-scale collaborative endeavor that campers produce and enjoy. The Project can range from the conceptual to the structural. We are looking for big ideas that will challenge and excite our campers and staff. Our Project Management Team will work with the Master to "translate" the Master's project blueprint into the camp context.
THE CAMP
Beam Camp is a 4-week summer program (July 18-August 16) for boys and girls aged 7-17 in Strafford, New Hampshire. Beam Campers cultivate hands-on skills while exploring innovative thinking, design and the creative process. They transform ideas into artifacts and personal achievement into community success. Teams of campers work on different aspects of the Project each morning. In the afternoons, they participate in Domains, mini-courses in arts, athletics, science and nature studies.
Go to http://www.beamcamp.com/project-proposal/ to fill out the Project Proposal form or send an email to brian@beamcamp.com.
WHAT'S THE PROJECT BUDGET?
We generally spend $10,000 on Project-specific materials including any necessary new tools/machines.
WHAT ARE THE MASTER'S TIME REQUIREMENTS?
Upon selection of a Project, Masters have until May 1st to create a blueprint or working plan for the project. We ask that the Master be available for at least two pre-camp planning meetings and join us for at least three days during the camp session.
DO I GET PAID? Project Masters receive a $2,500 stipend plus travel costs.
Proposals due: March 1, 2009.
For more info on Beam: http://www.beamcamp.com
For further inquiries contact: Brian Cohen – brian@beamcamp.com

(A) Black Rock Arts Foundation / 2009 Grant Cycle / Call to Artists
Black Rock Arts Foundation's seeks submissions from artists for their 2009 grant cycle. BRAF grants to individual artists or artist collectives that create interactive artworks and involves the audience in its creation.
Application and guidelines at: blackrockarts.org/grants/2009-grant-cycle
Contact Information:
Josie Schimke, Program Development Assistant
Black Rock Arts Foundation, 1900 Third Street, First Floor
San Francisco CA 94158.
Email: josie@blackrockarts.org, Phone: 415/626-1248
Deadline: March, 13, 2009

(A) James Washington Fdn / Washington Artist in Residency / Call for Applications
The James & Janie Washington Foundation is dedicated to supporting emerging visual artists by providing them an opportunity to have time and space to create. The Foundation offers one month residencies to visual artists living in King County and Washington State. The residency will be open to artists who work in all mediums, but who are interested in focusing on sculpture during the residency. For application information, please visit: www.jameswashington.org.
Deadline March 1, 2009

Whine of the Week

I've been unmotivated and even more prone to procrastination lately. I've been complaining about it and moping around and procrastinating even more. But of course I know what I need to do.

I guess it always goes back to fear - fear of failure - fear of looking stupid. I always let my perfectionist tendencies get the best of me. I want things to be right, and if something can't be perfect, then I tend not to do it at all.

Blah blah blah...

So I'm hoping that maybe posting about it will help snap me out of it!

helen dardik : artists who blog



Helen's website: www.oneluckyhelen.com
Helen's blog: www.orangeyoulucky.blogspot.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

There are a few good reasons that led me to blog land. The main ones are: self promotion, easy archiving, instant gratification (reader comments) and virtual human contact. I work alone (out of my home office) and for most part, there's no one to turn to and say -" Look!" Blogging really fills that hole.



How did you come up with the name of your blog?

I love orange and... I need a constant reminder of how lucky I am... and Oh, that funny first generation Macintosh computer joke always cracked me up: knock knock... who's there... orange... orange who... orange you glad you bought a Macintosh? ha ha! Very juvenile... but I like it.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

Somedays it pushes me. 'Get up and do something creative!' it tells me. It keeps me in creative shape. A blog is like a demanding garden. You must water it regularly, weed and nourish. It will grow. It will bring fruits and flowers.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

Heather Moore - I love her aesthetic, her sense of color and pretty much her everything.
Print and Pattern - Bowie has always got something new and interesting to show:)
Jenn Ski - She's an endless source of information, a talented designer and a vintage diva.

I'm also crazy about - Grain Edit, Matte Stephens, Whorange, and many many more:)



Why do you think blogs have now become so popular with artists and designers?

In most part, artists and designers are eccentric people. Blogs help them find like-minded people and connect. Plus, it's a sneak peak into someone else's world and a generous source of inspiration.



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

Make sure it doesn't feel like a chore! Have fun and keep it up.



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

All the talented people I've met. All the kind feedback I get. All the sweet comments and entertaining stories that come my way.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

The most difficult part for me is the instability of the business. You never know when the project/money is coming. It's difficult to plan out / budget ones life. However, that problem is completely overshadowed by the excitement I go through every time I get a new project or make a new pattern.



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

I have a bunch of wonderful reps in Lilla Rogers Studio, and they do a fantastic job promoting my work. Once a year I get a postcard sent out with my work, and for the last 2 years I've been to Surtex (a NYC trade show).



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I don't always 'maintain' that balance. It's a tight rope, and sometimes... well, I fall.
I like working so much... especially if the project is very interesting and I just forget about time and eating... I do get the 'guilties' all the time.... and than I go on mad make it up for everybody sprees. One thing that is helping me to get away from it all and bring back the healthy balance is the 'going out' every Friday. I do it no matter what - deadlines and all else aside.



What are your main goals for 2009?

This year I would love to:
* organize and de-clutter (to reduce stress and last minute crazies)
* sleep more.
* spend more time with my girls:)
* write and illustrate a book for my girls.
* translate some of my patterns into fabric.



Thanks Helen!
 
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