NOTES FROM BIG MEDIUM'S CREATIVE STANDARDS seminar

February 2019 Newsletter
By Helen Buck


Note: This is what I heard and interpreted and may not be completely accurate. If you attended this or other sessions during the event, please share your notes.
 
Session: Artists Statement / Artist Talks
Presenter: Michael Manchaca, MFA (San Antonio, recently exhibited at McNey)

1. Remember that art is within the field of entertainment
2. Statement should be about 4 sentences
3. A good work of art is what you think of as your unique identity
4. Communicate with as wide an audience as possible. The wider your audience, the better your career.
5. Update your statement every few months: it should evolve and be relevant to current-day culture and terminology
6. Prepare more than one artist statement to communicate to different audiences (academic, professional art world/critics, johnqpublic, etc.)
7. Understand traditional and contemporary terminology

     Art Terminology

• a. Content: idea or concept (not exactly the subject matter/it is “outside” of the subject matter) know the theory behind your content
• b. Materials: what do you have unique access to that may add value to your content from which your art takes shape (What is the connection between Content and Material?)
• c. Subject: the main focus of your artwork
• d. Content / think in terms of poetic and Material / think in terms of Formal (what are the poetic and formal parts to your statement)

Session: Conducting a Studio Tour
Presenters: Jordan W Tucker / Valerie Chaussonnet

• Three points: preparation, flexibility, honesty
• Do not discount your work
• If you show in a gallery or have work priced anywhere else, keep your prices consistent at these studio tours. OK to offer a “to-the-trade” discount of 10 to 20% (interior designers) Discounting does a disservice to your own work and devalues all other art.
• You never know if a person who just pops in or spends two hours in your studio will contact you or see you in the future. Do not judge or anticipate. Just be authentic.