showtime: cameron platter @ whatiftheworld gallery


cameron platter's quirky interpretations of contemporary urban african life play on stereotypes associated with the city through fantasy characters. with wit and satire, they recall and combine associations of both hollywood and africa. his latest solo show, had times great expectations, opens this wed @ whatiftheworld gallery in woodstock capetown, south africa.
(hat tip according2g)

fresh from our "warpath" bloodbrother in nyc



so today, i really wanted to get hfa stickers on a "bne was here" sticker.
there's a bne on my street, so i went and got 3 stickers.
sticker 1 - great.
sticker 2 - great.
sticker 3 - placed.
getting my camera out for a photo (you know, to take it with my hand) when i get a tap on my shoulder.
it's a cop!
he says "do u mind defacing something other than a government mail box."
i say "there's already a sticker on it and mine are much better looking".
i peel off all 3 and he lets me go.
bastard!!!!

(just happen to read that the san francisco mayor allegedly offered a 2.500$ reward for any information leading to the capture of the bne guy... so i guess we better keep the identity of our collaborator secret ...)

paul richard's designated art



during our recent trip to nyc, we happened to come across some street art pranks by paul richard. paul creates small signs, the same kind you would find describing an artwork in a museum, and attaches them to objects on the streets. his other creation are 'dripped portraits' to be found on pavements, like the ones u can see here on flickr. one of his last 'interactions' was a sign asking not to tag sheparf fairey's mural. unfortunately in vain...

editions show @ the don gallery



if u happen to be in milan these days, & are fan of pop surrealism, lowbrow and urban art, here's a tip for a cool show. the don gallery presents editions of posters & ceramic toys the fabulous ron english (pic above), together with bo130, microbo, the london police (tlp), alëxone, san, above, dave the chimp, galo, zedz, jeremy fish, dem, 2501, ozmo & ryan s. dooley. the expo closes this friday - so last chance!

born to be wild... r.i.p. dennis hopper



'easy rider' director, artist and acting outlaw dennis hopper dies at 74.
rest in peace, rebel!

trendbeheer : first virtual exhibition of shows @ art amsterdam


some time ago niels from trendbeheer asked us if we wanted to participate in their crazy but awesome idea for art amsterdam: the first virtual exhibition of shows ever.
24 artists show a piece of work in their studio through webcam. on the trendbeheer booth, every 20 seconds, another artists is shown. the booth becomes a network of exhibitions.
we are showing 3 images from the on the warpath project we did together with rick b. & will leave traces of warpath material on the fair :=)
find trendbeheer (and happy famous artists) on art amsterdam @ booth 137

great roa footage


the people at brooklyn street art shot some great footage from roa. the mural was done during roa's first ny solo show at factory fresh. an interesting interview with one of the hottest belgian street art guys of the moment and more about the show at friendswelove

beyond the street: d*face



after 3 weeks of fervent travel, active & passive art activities, new friendships etc, we're back @ our headquarters & that also means back to regular posting :-).
starting with a multimedia wizard d*face, whose street pieces we admired in both nyc & la (the photo above is of one of his famous superman murals @ downtown la). apart from stencils, d*face works with screenprinting, painting, sculpture & installation, succeeding to create awesome stuff in each & every media, on the street as well as in the gallery. we quote from his interview in beyond the street: ' i re-think, subvert & literally deface imagery drawn from a refuge of materialistic consumption. icons appropriated from currency, advertising & comic books are given a facelift using components of characters i've propagated in the public domain since 1999. when i rework the icons, i make them relevant to today's society and our increasingly bizarre popular culture."

Art Fairs and Festivals

I get a lot of questions about hanging artwork at art fairs and festivals and I never really have any good answers.

Here's a great blog for that type of information:

And another:

Enjoy!

amanda blake : artists who blog



Amanda's blog: www.amandablakeart.blogspot.com
Amanda's website: www.amandablakeart.com
Amanda's shop: www.thisisalliknow.etsy.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

I mistakenly deleted my website and needed a quick temporary solution while I made a new site. It ended up taking me three years to finally make a new website so in that time the blog took on a bit of a life of its own.



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

Rather boring - Amanda Blake is a pretty common name so it can be difficult to claim its use and when I first made my website years ago "Amanda Blake Art" was what I chose without much thought when I couldn't simply use my own name. Years later when I really thought about it I chose "this is all i know" as my store name and name for twitter and all that other stuff, I wanted a name I could use for my shop no matter what I decided to sell and "this is all i know" will always apply, I'm always toying with the idea of just redirecting everything to "this is all i know" and abandoning the "Amanda Blake Art" name.



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

The most clear change is that having a blog led me to read other artists blogs which led me to etsy and etsy really has changed everything for me. In a more meaningful way personally the act of writing about my work and the what and why of what I do forces me to really think about more work in more depth which as a working artist it can sometimes be so frightfully easy to forget to do. Working on painting day to day it can be so tempting to just produce but to really make something good it must have thought and the blog helps to hold me responsible in that way rather than just painting mindlessly.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

The Small Object, Posie Gets Cosy, This Artist's Life and Angry Chicken - great writing, great art and crafts, they are all just rather perfect blogs that make me wish I really wrote enough to really consider myself a blogger.



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

Think a bit before you just jump in to it - I wish I'd thought it out more before I started so I wouldn't be stuck with a name I don't like and wish I hadn't started on blogger, I really would rather the look of a typepad or wordpress blog but at this point I don't really want to make the switch.



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

I've met a lot of great people through my blog and through comments left on the blog and people linking to it you get this wonderfully tangible way of seeing how your work affects people and that's really rewarding.



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

I'm beyond horrid with bookkeeping, I absolutely hate it and have gone through so many different systems to try to make it work for me but just can't find a way to make it really work for me so it's always a struggle.

I couldn't really say there is any one thing that is the most rewarding - I'm so lucky to do what I do.



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

I've done plenty of things like facebook and twitter and newsletters because I feel like I'm supposed to promote but really what brings the most traffic and the most sales is when I stop thinking about promoting and just focus on making work, the more paintings I make the more chance that I'll create something that people connect with and choose to show on their own blogs which is worth so much more than any time spent trying to bring people to an empty shop.



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

Still trying to figure that one out.



What would you like to accomplish by the end of 2010?

I'd like to get back to doing some large work, I miss it. And as always I'm toying with about a million different ideas of new projects I want to start, including a new blog - just need to come up with a title.

Thank you Amanda!

Have You Voted for My Blog Yet?

Hey you guys, have you voted for my blog yet? The contest ends soon I think. I have no idea what I win but voting my bring more traffic to my site, who knows. Go here:
http://bloginterviewer.com/music/miras-list-mira-bartok and click the "vote now" button near the top. Thanks y'all!

Cheers,
mirabee

Vermont Studio Center Fellowships Due June 15th!

Hey everyone—I hope you all are well. I will probably just be posting very short messages until I turn all my art at the end of June. But I do want you to be aware that there are many deadlines for grants and residencies in June, particularly around June 15th. I highly suggest you check my right hand side bar in the residency section to search for great residencies around the world. On those sites (transartists.org, resartis.org, etc.) you can do a search for the country of your choice, and narrow the search down even more. Here's just one of many coming up and they offer a fellowship! Happy hunting...mirabee

(ALL) Vermont Studio Center Fellowship: VSC awards a number of Fellowships for 4-week residencies throughout the year. Open to all artists and writers. In addition to VSC Fellowships, a variety of special fellowships are also available for full or partial funding. Please visit their website for more information and to download an application: http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/fellowships/
Deadline is June 15th, 2010.




kota ezawa: beatles über california


while visiting the sfmoma yesterday, we saw a fantastic video by kota ezawa: the beatles animated in julian opie style mixed with one of our all time favorite punk groups dead kennedys. the result is hilarious! the artist is represented by haines gallery. click here for more of her work.

showtime (upcoming): fahamu pecou @ the shooting gallery



white walls, the shooting gallery, and gallery three really are the premier destinations for urban art in san francisco. we've just seen great pieces from hush & blek le rat & above there @ larkin street, plus found out that their upcoming show will present no-one else than fahamu pecou. we met fahamu on the last year's volta art fair in basel & digged his stuff immediately. so if u're in the bay area on june 12th, u know where u should head to! the show willl run till july 3rd.

ARTIST CALL FOR TIMES SQUARE PUBLIC ART PROJECT!

Hi everyone....things are still crazy around here...trying to get all my art finished for my book by June 23rd. This just came in my box today so I thought I'd pass it on to all your public art peeps:

(ARTISTS) The Times Square Alliance is Seeking Public Art Proposals for Time Square: The Times Square Alliance seeks letters of interest from arts organizations and artists across disciplines to present contemporary art projects and art events in the public spaces in and around Times Square. In a one-page letter, applicants can propose a single project or series for anytime between September 2010 and December 2012. Artists and arts organizations are encouraged to propose projects that address the unique nature and rich history of Times Square.

Projects should be able to have an impact in a space defined by dynamic activity and continuous, competing visual stimuli. Organizations, curators and artists are encouraged to consider how their projects will change or effect the space during the presentation and how the 350,000 people here every day (as well millions of virtual viewers) will interact with the presentation.

Letters of Interest are due on July 15, 2010 to artsubmit@timessquarenyc.org and should not exceed 500 words. Organization history or artist resume plus five images of relevant past work should be attached, along with an image list of titles and descriptions. Applicants with accepted proposals will be invited to enter a dialogue with the Times Square Alliance. For more info, go to: http://timessquarenyc.org/arts/opencall
Deadline: July 15, 2010.

showtime: charming baker



new york studio gallery has a new fab show & stupid has a new hero - alas its title. charming baker's new paintings will be on display until may 30, so don't miss the opportunity to see them (the opportunity to buy one is unfortunately already history, as damien hirst was there first :-) - more info & some great photos on according to g). go, charming, go! :-D

joachim lapotre: nature morte



abnormals gallery shows great work of joachim lapotre. deceiving photorealism with a good sense of humor. we love it!

adrian tranquilli: heroes: the route of exposure



great sculptures of comic book heroes in a more vulnerable light. sublime work!
more about this on mashkulture and on louise alexander gallery

steve powers talking about graffiti, street art & advertising


inspiring talk by steve powers on psfk.

beyond the street @ deitch projects: an absolute must!



after its successful london launch, beyond the street: the 100 leading figures in urban art's new york launch will be hosted by gestalten, together with no less than deitch projects! the event takes place next thu, may 27, from 6-8pm & beware: if u wanna be present, rsvp by may 26th to rsvp@gestalten.com & show up early (the gallery has a strict policy of a maximum of 189 people on its premises at any one time).

the event is a great opportunity to meet - & get yr copy of of the book signed ;-) - by many of the featured contributors including 12ozprophet/allen benedikt, dzine, elbow-toe, faile, gaia, henry chalfant, jonathan levine, josé parlá, labrona, logan hicks, martha cooper, momo, patti astor, pedro alonzo, ron english, saber, sweet toof, wk interact and wooster collective. one of the editors, patrick nguyen, will also be present.

showtime: greater new york @ ps1



greater new york 2010, the third iteration of the quinquennial exhibition organized by moma ps1 and the museum of modern art, opens @ ps1 on this sun, may 23 and run through oct 18, 2010. it shows about 68 artists and collectives who have emerged on the international art scene in the last 5 years and who live and work in the metropolitan nyc area.
the exhibition builds from the spirit of its predecessors, greater new york & greater new york 2005. we have seen the 2005 edition & it was truly amazing - so: not to miss!
(the photo is of an installation which was still in construction @ the time we visited)

VOTE FOR MY BLOG and CALLING ALL PERFORMING ARTISTS

Hi Everyone----I'm so sorry I haven't posted. This is a big crunch time for me. All my art for the book has to be done, photographed, etc. by June 23rd so I'm on a roll. Not to mention a million other things connected with this project. I haven't had a chance to do any research this week so I'm just posting this little notice today to make sure you know I still love you!
Also, if you have a second, please go to my sidebar (OR CLICK HERE) and vote for my blog and the interview I did on bloginterviewer.com. I should have posted the link ages ago because the contest runs out at the end of May but I forgot. Anyway, please vote and check out my interview. Thanks! I will have more things to post next week...I'm going out of town this weekend so see you later. Mirabee

(PERFORMING ARTISTS) The Tribeca Performing Arts Center is currently accepting applications for our 2010-11 Artists-in-Residence season! Beginning in Fall 2010, the selected artists will have weekly access to their theaters and the opportunity to present their work during their "Work & Show Festival" in the spring of 2011. They encourage performing artists of all backgrounds and styles to apply! Please visit http://www.tribecapac.org/air.htm for more information about the application process and their current artists. The application deadline is June 21, 2010.

showtime: dead or alive @ MAD



the new building of museum of art & design on 59th street is worth a visit only for the architecture & the fab views from the top floor resto! but besides that u can see there (till end october this year) one of the most amazing shows we visited recently. dead or alive, a group show of cca 30 international artists transform organic materials and objects that were once produced by or part of living organisms-insects, feathers, bones, silkworm cocoons, plant materials, and hair-to create intricately crafted and designed installations and sculptures.

steve gontarski


more work by steve gontarski on his website or @ karyn lovegrove gallery

viktor & rolf @ studio job



must-see viktor & rolf dolls @ the antwerp studio job gallery. more images on designboom

BIG Fellowships & Grants for Writers: Summer Deadlines

Well, I recently got back from NYC after meeting with my editors, the book designer, and a million other great people at Free Press, the imprint of Simon & Schuster that is publishing my book, The Memory Palace. I am in the last leg of the production of this literary creature—I have to finish all the art and do several thousand more little things before it's actually sent off to be printed. I know I told you guys that I would do some posting on the book process, from start to finish, and I will, but it has become clear to me that I will be pretty crazy-busy until about mid-September. But if I can do anything on the subject before then, I will. In the meantime, I will just do my best to keep up with some deadlines. And speaking of writing and publishing books, here are some great opportunities for all you writers out there....Cheers, Mirabee.

(WRITERS) The Astrea Foundation Lesbian Writer's Fund: Two $10,000 grants to emerging lesbian poets and fiction writers. Two $1,500 grants are also given to finalists in each category. Applicants must have published work at least once in a newspaper, magazine, literary journal or anthology. For more information and guidelines, visit the website: http://www.astreafoundation.org. Deadline is July 15th, 2010.

(POETS) Frost Place Resident Poet Award: A prize of $1,000 and a six to eight week residency at Robert Frost's former home in Franconia, New Hampshire, is given each year to a poet, who has published at least one poetry collection. Email: frost@frostplace.org or visit the website for more information: www.frostplace.org. Deadline is July 2nd, 2010.

(WRITERS) Fil Prize in Romance Languages: A prize of $150,000 is given annually to honor a poet, fiction writer, or creative nonfiction writer who writes in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Italian, French, Galician, or Roumanian. The prize is awarded by a consortium of Mexican governmental agencies, universities and banks. Individuals may not apply but cultural or educational institutions, associations or other cultural groups may nominate a candidate. Submit the writer's CV and a letter of support by June 15th. Email: filny@aol.com or visit the website for more info: www.fil.mx/ingles/i_index.asp.
***In cases like this, it is usually okay to ask someone you know to nominate you, if you think they could write a great letter of support.

(WRITERS & SCHOLARS) The Howard Foundation Fellowships: The Howard Foundation awards a limited number of fellowships each year for independent projects in selected fields. The Foundation targets its support specifically to early mid-career individuals, those who have achieved recognition for at least one major project. Approximately ten fellowships will be awarded in April 2011 for 2011-2012 in the fields of Creative nonfiction, literary translation (into English), Film Studies, and Literary Studies.

Stipends of $25,000 will be awarded to support individuals working on specific writing projects for the academic year 2011-2012. Howard Fellowships may not be used to prepare exhibits or to support institutional programs. There are no residency requirements for individuals who receive awards. The deadline for submission of applications is November 1, 2010. Fellowship recipients will be announced in April 2011. For more information and application guidelines, please write to: Howard_Foundation@brown.edu or visit the Web site: http://www.brown.edu/Howard_Foundation.

(WOMEN WRITERS) Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund:
Individual artist grants for women, $500 to $1,500 each are given twice yearly to feminist writers. Women poets and creative nonfiction writers who are US and Canadian citizens can apply. I think the deadline is the end of June. Send an SASE for the entry form and guidelines. (They don't have a website so you must write them snail mail.): Susan Pliner, Executive Director, Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Individual Artist Grants for Women, P.O. Box 309, Wilton, NH 03086.
***By the way, this organization really got hit hard by the crash. If you are feeling philanthropic this season, you might want to send them a wee donation. They could really use it!

(NONFICTION WRITERS) Richard J. Margolis Award: A stipend of $5,000 and a month-long residency at the Blue Mountain Center, an artists colony in Blue Mountain Lake, NY, is given annually to a nonfiction writer (including creative nonfiction but unfortunately, not memoir). Deadline is July 1st. Visit the website for details: www.margolis.com/award.

mr brainwash: icons remix



when you enter the mr brainwash show, you end up somewhere between a giant banksy hoax and a sublime pastiche/critique on the commercialization of street art world. the work, the interior and the crowd, it all makes you feel like you are in the disneyland of street art. but then, we also queued up and got our mr brainwash poster signed. amen to that!

jonathan horowitz: go vegan



it's hard not to touch the delicious burgers when visiting ny, but this jonathan horowitz show will make you think twice. 'go vegan' shows video work & portraits of famous vegans and all this is featured in a real slaughterhouse just around the corner of the gavin brown's enterprise gallery. impressive restaging of the widely acclaimed 2002 exhibition.

martin creed



an interesting martin creed show opened yesterday @ gavin brown's enterprise. white walls, but what an amazing floor. definitely worth a visit!

gardar eide einarsson



'another modern moment completed' is a must-see show at team gallery by gardar eide einarsson, running till may 22nd. read more about this young norway artist in interview magazine.

Fellowship and Grant Deadlines for Artists, Writers & Graduating Seniors

(ARTISTS) The Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation Grant: The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is proud to announce The Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation Grant, a new source of funding for mature American painters. This marks the first year that these grants are made available to the public.

Grants will be offered to American painters aged 45 or older who demonstrate financial need. The primary emphasis is to promote public awareness and a commitment to American art, as well as encouraging interest in artists who lack adequate recognition. Grants will range from $5,000 to $10,000. Applications are available online at www.paam.org or by calling 508.487.1750. Completed applications must be postmarked by August 16, 2010.

(ALL) The Bush Foundation Fellowships: The Bush Artist Program creates opportunities for artists who live in Minnesota and North and South Dakota to advance their work, stimulate dialogue and contribute to deeper community engagement by providing them financial and professional development support. Applicants must be from Minnesota, North Dakota
or South Dakota, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Each year, up to 15 artists receive unrestricted grants of $48,000. In addition, fellows receive up to $2,000 to plan and implement an individual communications strategy. For more information, please visit the Bush Foundation website: http://www.bushfellows.org/artist.

(GRADUATING STUDENTS) Thomas J. Watson Foundation Fellowship Program: The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program is designed to give exceptional graduates from fifty participating colleges the freedom to engage in a year of independent study and travel abroad. The fellowship provides a grant of $25,000 to each recipient; fellows whose spouse or dependent child(ren) will accompany them may be eligible for a grant of $35,000.

The Program supplies, in addition to the stipend, an amount equal to twelve months' payment of outstanding federally guaranteed student loans (based on 120 months of repayment), to ease the financial burden of fellows during their fellowship year, and to provide encouragement for students to apply for fellowships. Graduating seniors at participating institutions are eligible for nomination by their institution. Write or see web site for additional information, including list of participating institutions, and application procedures. Email: tjw@watsonfellowship.org. Website: www.watsonfellowship.org. Deadline is November 4th, 2010.

(WRITERS or SCHOLARS) The Princeton University Hodder Fellowships: Two fellowships, $62,000 each, are given annually to writers and/or scholars with "much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts," for the pursuit of independent work in the humanities. The selected fellows are usually from outside academia, and in the early stages of their careers. Fellows spend an academic year in residence at Princeton. Ph.D. candidates are not eligible. For further information, see web site or write to Hodder Fellowship at above address. Email: jbraude@princeton.edu. Deadline is November 1, 2010.

(ALL) John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships: are given annually to advanced professionals with a significant record of publication for research in any field of knowledge or creative work in any of the arts. Candidates should already have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. The awards are given for a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year. The average fellowship grant is approximately $43,200. Write or consult the web site for additional information and application. Email: fellowships@gf.org, Website: www.gf.org. Deadline is September 15th, 2010.

(ARTISTS) Eben Demarest Trust: The Eben Demarest Fund makes one annual grant (never given for scholarship aid) of approximately $15,000 to a mature artist or archaeologist who wishes to concentrate for a time on a chosen field without having to depend entirely on the sale of work or outside employment. The beneficiary is chosen by the Eben Demarest Council. Unsolicited applications from individuals will not be accepted, but applications from organizations or institutions for unusually gifted people will be considered. Write to above address for more details and application. Eben Demarest Council, 650 Smighfiled, Street #240, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Email: regina@grable.org. Deadline to be announced. ***(Note from Mirabee: here is a case where you could ask an organization that you have a professional relationship with to submit an application for you.)

(WRITERS) The Bard Fiction Prize: annually recognizes a promising young fiction writer under the age of 39; it consists of a monetary award and appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College for one semester. The recipient gives at least one public lecture and meets informally with students.

To apply, candidates should write a cover letter explaining the project they plan to work on while at Bard and submit a C.V., along with three copies of the published book they feel best represents their work. No manuscripts will be accepted. Write or see the web site for more details. Email: bfp@bard.edu, Website: www.bard.edu. Deadline is July 15th, 2010.




showtime: jim campbell


this afternoon we visited the bryce wolkowitz gallery. they have a great show called 'exploded views' by jim campbell. the exhibition lasts till may 22nd, make sure not to miss it!

scott campbell @ ohwow


there is so much to see in ny. we are literally stumbling from one show into the other.
looking fwd to see 'one of the beautiful losers' scott campbell @ ohwow this afternoon.

marina abramovic is present



artist marina abramovic during her nearly 3-months performance (756 hours in total) "the artist is present", as a part of her moma retrospective. running till the end of may.

marion peck: fuck you


browsing through a list of lower east side galleries, we stumbled upon "sloan fine art". one of their artists, marion peck, caught our attention, we thought you would like it as well.

showtime: monica bonvicini @ max hetzler



italian-born monica bonvicini explores the relationships among space, gender and power, using different media as drawing, video, installation and photography. her show be your sweet life @ max hetzler gallery in berlin, will run till june 5. she is also represented by galleria emi fontana in milan & west of rome inc in l.a.

showtime: paul van den hout @ dutch cultural pop-up space in london



nederpop-up shop! is a fun, interactive project that aims to give some sense of the breadth of dutch pop music culture to a uk audience. a part of the project will consist of the presentation of works by the rotterdam-based artist paul van den hout in whose work the culture of pop and underground music stands centrally. alluding to a campsite, complete with facilities to sit around the campfire singing songs, paul created an interactive installation, which will invite the audience to sit down and document their own stories of travel and to add them to the ongoing documents that others have already contributed.

beyond the street: huskmitnavn



copenhagen-based huskmitnavn (remember my name) works with various media, incl. spray, wheatpaste, installations, painting & drawing to create his characteristic cartoon-like figures. we had the pleasure to see him & his work recently @ alice gallery, where he had an exhibition together with barry mcgee, aka lydia fong (the pic above is from the show). & why should people remember his name? 'so that they know who to call next time they need someone to paint their house or teach their kids how to commit vandalism', he tells us in his interview from beyond the street.

nygw


may 7 to 10, it's the new york gallery week. an impressive list of galleries open their doors and plenty of events all over the city will take place. as hfa will be in nyc during this period, you might find some of our street interventions. so watch out for cowboys and indians!

showtime: mark ryden @ paul kasmin



the amazing mark ryden shows his latest paintings & works on paper @ paul kasmin gallery, nyc. the gay 90's: old tyme art show opened 2 days ago & will run through june 5th. not to miss!
(via according to g)

blek le rat & above opened yesterday...



... @ white walls, san francisco & it was 'brilliant', says mik berlyn (our sf link & - as we just discovered - also a great musician). looking fwd to seeing both mik & the show 'live'!! :-)

ab fab: martin duvall's italo elite



save the date: friday may 21st @ paradiso amsterdam: italo elite extase extravaganza extraordinaire! watch the vj and performer martin duvall in action!! (martin duvall is an alter ego of dutch artist & übermutant martin c. de waal; for more info on his projects see his torch gallery profile)

The Nuts and Bolts of Grant Writing

Happy Sunday! I hope you got a chance to read composer/pianist Steven Schoenberg's interview from this past week but if you haven't, please check it out! And if you are in NYC this coming weekend, I highly suggest that you do what I intend to do, which is go hear Steven perform at the Rubin Museum of Art on Friday, May 7th, at 7 pm.

On another note, this past week I was on a panel in Boston, talking about grants, fellowships and residencies for the Artist's Professional Toolbox Program, a career development program for artists in Massachusetts. Also participating on the panel were Mary Sherman, Executive Director of Transcultural Exchange and Alex Roger Pittman, freelance grantwriter. I was thrilled to see that about two thirds of the group attending were Mira's List fans! And I got to meet a couple of them after the event. For those of you attending, my apologies for being a little slap-happy sometimes and for periodically biting the microphone. I was pretty beat that day! But it seemed like the event was pretty successful despite my quirky ramblings and microphone issues.

Today I thought that I would post the hand-out that I sent everyone home with at the event. It's a condensed version of my article, "Finding Money for Your Dreams" (click on the title if you'd like to read the article in its entirety). It is also posted on the Massachusetts Cultural Council website, Artsake, earlier this year. You might find some of the points below on grantwriting helpful to you if you are in the middle of that process right now.

Cheers,

Mirabee

THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF GRANT WRITING

What is the secret formula to getting a grant? Here is what you need to do:

1. Work really hard at what you do. You can’t get a grant if you have nothing to show.

2. Get your work out there. Except for rare situations, you won’t get funding if you don’t have a track record. Grant givers want to know that art is your passion, not your hobby.

3. Do your homework. First, figure out what kind of grant you need. Here are just a few kinds available to you: emergency grants, travel and research grants, residency fellowships, emerging artist grants, collaborative grants, production grants and more. Next, learn how to search for grants and discern which ones are right for you. If you’ve never published a story before or have never had a one person show, you are not going to apply for a Guggenheim. Read the eligibility requirements. Are you emerging or mid-career? You can be an artist in your fifties, but still be considered emerging if you haven’t had many shows.

4. Know where to look. The Internet is now the best source for your grant search so make friends with technology. There are dozens of websites that post grants and other opportunities. If you are a visual artist, visit the College Art Association and the New York Foundation for the Arts, if you are a writer, check out the listings on Pen-American and Poets & Writers. There are hundreds more so please check my blog for more links.

5. Put yourself out there. Cultivate professional relationships by attending conferences, residencies, workshops, retreats, etc. Check out blogs, list-serves and forums and connect with other artists on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites.

6. Have your ammunition ready. Before applying for a grant, you should have these things at your fingertips: if you are an artist, have a great artist statement. Keep it to around 250 words. Talk about your artistic approach and who your influences were, what your accomplishments have been, what your personal vision is. You also need a good paragraph-long bio. The same goes for writers. Have a professional looking CV and published reviews about your work if you have them. You will need recommendation letters from professionals in your field, so ask for these weeks in advance. Last but not least, you need a good solid work sample for each application. Have you revised that story so it is absolutely polished? Have you double-checked to see if your jpegs are overexposed? Strive for perfection. Your work sample should be the best example of what you do.

7. Start local but dream global. If you’ve never applied for a grant before try your hand at a local arts council grant first. Ask for enough money to attend a writing conference or an artist residency in another state. Most local grants are between $500-1000. That will buy you a plane ticket and more.

8. Ask only for what you need and show that you are resourceful. You have a better chance of getting a grant if you ask for less than what is offered. Also, let the foundation know that you are trying to find funding from other sources, but not for the exact same thing. You can apply to the first organization for travel expenses and another for art supplies or something else.

9. Be clear about what you want. The same rules apply for grants as they do for good writing. Your application should be focused and concise. Use direct verbs and don’t be redundant or vague. Let them know why your work stands out from the others. What you specifically will do with the money. Where else you are looking for funding. Why this opportunity is important at this time in your career. How it will impact your community and the art world at large. Serve the project, not yourself.

10. Pay attention to what the foundation asks for. If you have to write a proposal, note the order of things you are asked to discuss and follow that order. As for page length, if they ask for up to five-pages, don’t submit ten. But by all means, use all five pages if you need them. After you have filled everything out check for mistakes and make sure you send the application on time.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Grants beget grants, so do residencies, fellowships and any kind of award. When foundations see them listed on your resume, they’ll assume you have resourcefulness and drive. This ripple effect also affects others. Honor those who have helped you, send thank you cards; encourage others to apply for things. And never ever throw in the towel, even if you have a year of rejections. Don’t put stones in your pockets and walk into the river if you don’t get NEA. Go to the river and toss a stone in instead. See the ripple effect of your own making. Grants beget grants beget grants, which inspires others to apply, which in turn begets change and courage and brings forth art and stories that do not destroy but heal. We need your poems and paintings, your songs and films to keep us going. You need money, time and a place to create. So toss a pebble in the stream, open your journal, your studio door or violin case and begin.


beyond the street: spy



madrid-based artist spy makes 'urban interventions' by adding new elements to everyday objects on the street, resulting in witty and spontaneous ready-mades. on the pic is his taped police car - a somewhat risky intervention if u ask :-)))
(spy is one of the artists featured in beyond the street)

berlin: gallery weekend



berlin is a place to be this weekend, with 40 openings in 40 galeries. plenty great stuff to chose from, but one def not to miss is 'to pop a boner', an expo of the fashion designer icon rick owens @ apartment. this time owens has designed furniture instead of clothes, but the result is as fab as always!

just missed: spencer sweeney



read an interview with the multi-media artist, dj, & club owner from downtown ny about his first solo @ gavin brown's enterprise. while the first part of the 'egyptian diving board' show took part in jan this year, the second part has just finished last week. damn...

aids-3d: reproduce me!


kudos to the great purple magazine crew for pointing our attention to the work of aids-3d. make sure to read more about the androgyous alien & the aids-3d joint venture of daniel keller & nik kosmas.

beyond the street: kennardphillipps



we've been lucky to grab the 'beyond the street' book the very first day it landed on the bookshelves in germany & haven't closed it since! & while some of the interviewees were already published on our blog in the past, others were a discovery to us. u must definitely (this is a direct order!!) get yr copy before it's sold out.
to give u a taste of its contents, we gonna present here daily one of the featured artists, starting with the ab fab peter kennard and cat picton-phillipps, aka kennardphillipps. enjoy!
(& no, we're not sponsored by die gestalten, neither by phillips de pury.... doesn't mean we're not open to suggestions, 'though ;-))

may day: shepard fairey's show opens @ deitch



while shep fairey's may day show opens today @ deitch, his recently finished mural (photo above by marina galperina) on houston & bowery has already been 'retouched' couple of times. see animal new york for more info & pics.
 
© 2009 artist info and museum | Powered by Blogger | Built on the Blogger Template Framework | Design: Choen