Involved Artists: Statewide Arts Conference

Bringing artists, arts administrators and community leaders from around the state together, the Oklahoma Arts Conference features fascinating speakers and topics related to the arts.

Diane Mataraza, presenter at the upcoming
2013 Statewide Arts Conference

Diane Mataraza, principle of Mataraza Consulting, has devoted 30 years to creating success strategies for arts and cultural non-profit organizations. Mataraza has served as an arts educator, a non-profit arts administrator, a federal arts funder at the National Endowment for the Arts at the and director of a national foundation in the entertainment industry (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Foundation --the Grammy Awards).

Mataraza spent lots of time in Oklahoma last winter developing a plan to help the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Community Arts Program serve more broadly in the community.  She responded to a few of my questions about the role of artists working with community projects and planning.

Reflecting on your work with cultural planning, how have artist’s perspectives impacted those processes?

I consider myself very fortunate that my world and the realm of my life’s work includes arts, culture, history, and heritage.  

In any planning process, to the extent possible, involving those who will be affected by the results of that plan or impacted in any way is essential. In cultural planning, the involvement of artists (actually all souls that are part of the “cultural delivery process”) is essential. Artists always contribute to a stronger, more effective process and results. Artists see possibilities where others may not. Artists find pathways. Artists and the generosity of spirit they bring to a planning process always make results richer, more authentic, better…

For these and other reasons, artist’s involvement in cultural planning is critical. You can’t plan without them!  Artist involvement is as critical as the involvement of those for whom change is desired, be it a neighborhood, a school, a community, a city, a state… Planning for people never works. Planning with people does.

Website for Mataraza client, Artspace in Raleigh, NC

Please share any favorite examples or stories of artists’ role in community projects.

I have zillions. At this very moment, I am in Raleigh, NC working on a plan with an organization called Artspace. The intent of this project is to help Artspace be as relevant as possible in this fast-changing community. At last night’s meeting with a small group of Artspace artists, we designed the approach we are going to take to reach out to and involve in this planning process as many of the artists in this community as possible. Not just the 130+ Artspace artists, but other artists and creative in this community who might find value working with Artspace. And in this part of the world, there could easily be hundreds of them. 

Each artist is going to reach out to their network and other communities of artists in Raleigh to gather their collective wisdom about what could be here. Some of the ideas shared in the past 36 hours have included artists incubators, innovation and tech labs, with their placement encouraging greater connectivity with the neighborhoods. Artspace Artists are going to help me write the questions we ask of all artists in seeking their ideas and opinions of what priorities should be. As priorities emerge, artists will be at the planning table to help imagine how they will be addressed. Artists will be integral in defining what role they also can play in implementing solutions.

In a central PA community where I did a cultural plan, a downtown struggling to revitalize itself decided to put artists in the part of downtown with a lot of vacant space. One of the successful strategies that emerged involved local developers and the city who owned some of the buildings, and a neighboring college who needed more student housing. Art student housing was created. Additionally, art making and exhibition places were added. You can imagine the rest of the story. Art outside buildings and inside buildings, the change in the streetscapes and the new energy in that downtown were important elements in the collective strategy to revitalize that downtown.

What tips would you give to artists new to working with the community?

•         Learn as much about the community and people with whom you’ll be working before you meet with them.
•          Listen carefully.
•          To the extent possible, understand the vantage points of your partner. The more carefully you listen, the more rapidly you will envision great pathways and discover good solutions.
•          Be generous in sharing your aspiration – your partners will find it inspiring
•          Share ownership – enable, empower.
•          Generosity of spirit makes tough paths easy – even fun and energizing.
•          Always err on the side of kindness.

Register for the Oklahoma Arts Conference by 9/20/13 to get the early bird rate of $75 (the two-day conference is only $125 after the early bird deadline). 

Originality & Diversity: Robert Matson

Artist INC OKC facilitator Robert Matson with Kansas City facilitator Larry Thomas

Robert Matson is a local playwright, actor and director who will serve as a Peer Facilitator for the Artist INC program in Oklahoma City in fall 2013. His writing credits include Drama Queens, Playground and the touring program, Oklahoma! Interactive.  Robert earned his Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Northern Michigan University and his Master’s in Acting from Oklahoma City University.

Erin Shaw: What is an important piece of your artistic philosophy, something that you feel is necessary to you and your particular art practice?

Robert Matson: Originality and diversity

ES: Describe a pivotal experience, conversation or happening within your career.

RM:  Establishing my production company, Robert JM Productions, as a part of the Oklahoma theatre community.

ES: What do you feel is your unique contribution to the OKC arts community?

RM: My plays feature a LGBT storyline or character or is LGBT-themed.

ES: When did you first realize you were an artist or were going to be an artist?

Were there any circumstances that were vital to this?

RM: It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized I wanted to be in theatre. I took an acting class to help me with public speaking and I just fell in love with it. Once I did my first show I was hooked and I knew that this is where I wanted to be artistically and professionally. I always wrote as a child so the more I learned about theatre the more I wanted to write my own plays with my own vision and words.

ES: What is one piece of advice you would give a young artist as they begin their career?

RM: Learn everything in the theatre business and treat everyone with respect.

ES: How have you resolved the tension or relationship between making art and making money?

RM: I am still trying to balance art and money but it's always about the little sacrifices one must make to keep life going. The one thing that I make sure is balanced is paying my bills, on time.  It may scrap me down to pennies and dimes but it helps to strengthen my relationship with those businesses and organizations which could lead to major support or sponsorship of my work down the line.

ES: Talk a little about how you have used your work for social change.

RM: One thing I do with my plays is to donate a portion of my ticket sales to a charitable organization or educational institution. I feel it's very important to give back to your community.

ES: Describe unique aspects of your artistic practice and how you have been able to make a life making art.

RM: I'm a playwright who writes for the LGBT community.  I consider myself an advocate for my community, not through politics or protests but through my words.  Give me a subject and I will write it up in a twisted gay way.  My plays are economical for theatre-goers and since they are my own, I don't have to worry about royalty payments or giving a profit of my ticket sales to a publishing company.

I have always learned if there is a space then there's a place for theatre.

Guest writer Erin Shaw profiles some of the Artist INC facilitators to explore their artistic practices. Oklahoma artists of all disciplines may apply until June 14, 2013 for the Artist INC program held in Oklahoma City this fall. See www.ArtistSurvivalKit.org for more information and the application. 

Beau Leland: Trust Your Gut

"Take control of your career, create opportunity, shape your future and strengthen your art practice ..." begins Artist INC's description of their programs. This successful program helps artists of all disciplines work together to overcome challenges they all face. The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition will host the first Artist INC Live in Oklahoma through the support of the Mid-America Arts Alliance this fall working with many great local partners. 

Local artist facilitators Beau Leland, Robert Matson, Sunni Mercer, Michelle Moeller, Jerod Tate and Sarah Hearn and area topic experts to jointly conduct the eight-week program. These facilitators approach their careers in widely varying ways with a myriad of entrepreneurial pursuits and different goals. 

Guest writer Erin Shaw profiled some of the facilitators to explore their artistic practices (which gives a hint why we thought they'd make good Artist INC facilitators!). 

Beau Leland, Film and Video

Matthew Kaney-Spotlight Artist 2013 from Invisible Arts on Vimeo.

Beau Leland is a media artist working in film and video. Beau works primarily as an editor on narrative and documentary shorts and features. Beau lives and works in Oklahoma City. His work can be viewed at http://invisibleartsonline.com

Erin Shaw: What is an important piece of your artistic philosophy, something that you feel is necessary to you and your particular art practice?

Beau Leland: In my field, a lot of attention tends to migrate toward the latest and greatest hardware and software.  While all of that is particularly important, I find that being a storyteller is most important. My philosophy is that it has to feel right.  If I don't feel like it sits well in the gut, it's not good enough.

ES: Describe a pivotal experience, conversation or happening within your career.

BL:  I think my career took a real turn when I decided to leave the four-year program at the University of Oklahoma, and instead transfer to Oklahoma City Community College.  Making that decision is what led me to discover my love of editing, and forged many valuable relationships that I have to this day.

ES: What do you feel is your unique contribution to the OKC arts community?

BL: I have been involved in the film community here in OKC for a while now, and I feel very fortunate to have earned a reputation as a trusted editor and collaborator. Much of the work I receive calls for come from the referrals of other people who I have worked with. It's nice to receive so many endorsements from the Oklahoma filmmaking community.

ES: What is one piece of advice you would give a young artist as they begin their career?

BL: As I mentioned above regarding my artistic philosophies, I often tell young people to trust in their gut.  Don't let anything past you that you don't feel right about.  

ES: How have you resolved the tension or relationship between making art and making money?

BL: From the beginning of my career, it has always been about building my business around my craft.  I'm different than a traditional artist in that I don't create multiple pieces in my studio that I then exhibit and sell. In a way, I'm service-based.  The majority of my work is spent on other people's projects.  So I don't really feel like I have to put my art on the back burner while I work to make money to survive.

I'm fortunate in that my art, or my craft rather, is how I make money.  Someday soon I may start producing more abstract work that is truly mine, but I don't feel deprived for not having done more of that kind of work.  

ES: Describe unique aspects of your artistic practice and how you have been able to make a life making art.

BL: I think what may separate me from a lot of other artists is that I don't create works for myself.  I truly do collaborate with another person or more in nearly everything I do.  It's what I enjoy the most about my work.  And I've always approached it as a business.  

Much of my downtime is spent working on the business side of my practice, which is almost an art form in itself.  When times get slow, I start working on ways to improve the business or how to grow my skills as an editor.  I think approaching my art in this way is one of the reasons I have been able to stay somewhat successful…knock on wood.

Oklahoma artists of all disciplines may apply for the Artist INC program until June 14, 2013. See www.ArtistSurvivalKit.org for more information and the application. 

Pressured to Submit?

Are we pushing people towards versions of success they don’t want? 

That’s what occurred to me when rereading the Jackie Battenfield book The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love.

We spend a lot of our Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) energy promoting opportunities for artists—things artists can apply for like call to artists for exhibitions, grants, training and the like. We constantly encourage artists to “submit.”

Meanwhile, Battenfield emphasizes that artists should consider readiness, stating “understand where you are in your development rather than define your practice by where you think you should be” (emphasis mine).

Notes from Artist INC program about planning artists' careers

By sharing and encouraging people to take advantage of opportunities, we aren’t suggesting that they are required or right for everyone, but it might seem that way (especially since we can be relentless about promoting upcoming deadlines).

However, I am tempted to add more caveats to our calls to artists to encourage artists to consider, reconsider and weigh the opportunity more. 

Oklahoma Artist INC facilitators & administrators at Kansas City training

Over the past few days, a strong crew of Oklahoma artists, Kelsey Karper (from OVAC), and I have been trained to facilitate the innovative Artist INC in Oklahoma City this fall (check it out!).

The program underscores deliberate planning to reach artistic success. To really find sustainable careers, artists have to set their goals and be aware of dreams.

So we will keep encouraging people to apply, hoping that artists have the capability to apply and hear about the opportunity, but at the same time know that they can choose not to apply for good reason sometimes…

Watch for all our call for entries here or sign up for our email list to get direct notifications about artist deadlines. 

Resources: An Overview for Artists

Inspired by the Career Paths workshops we hosted for artists last spring, we have worked hard to update the Resources page for artists on our website. Please check it out: http://www.ovac-ok.org/ForArtists/for_artists_resources.cfm


We have outlined some major stages for artists in their practice/career/journey and provide guideposts with links to articles and opportunities that are relevant to those stages. We tried to point the reader in the direction of Oklahoma specific information as well as helpful national services. 


I would love your feedback. I want it to be succinct, knowing the volume of information on the web is enough to make anyone want to hibernate in their studio sometimes. Some day, I hope we can commission an artist to illustrate the guide as a lovely flow chart or some such, but meanwhile, we give you an outline. Please comment and or email to let us know other questions you have, things that aren't clear, etc.  

Artist Survival Kit Recap: Career Paths

The Artist Survival Kit Career Paths workshop on May 22 was attended by 24 artists who spent the day deep in self assessment and exploring career aspirations. This is a hard workshop to boil down because the participants openly discussed their artwork and professional lives, adding much depth to the topic. That network of other dedicated artists seems a pretty important part of career assessment (so be sure you have trusted colleagues for this conversation!). 

A few notes, though, that may give you a sense of the workshop content.

1. Where am I?

Relieve yourself of preconceived notions and judgments of success as an artist and spend time assessing.  Consider your aspirations and values.  Success may mean different things based on your financial, psychological, and artistic expectations. Are your decisions about your artwork (creation and public exhibiting) aligning with your real hopes and ideals?  Consider your skills, challenges, and preferences. What are challenges you face that you should be more patient about or that you should tackle head on? 

2. Commitment level

Participant Eric Wright said, “Being an artist is not for the faint of heart.”  If you desire an art career that includes high-quality venues, critical acclaim, and/or clarity about your work, it’s not a casual endeavor.  It’s not just about time.  Consider the amount of emotional and intellectual commitment you are willing to dedicate to your artistic life.  Be patient with yourself based on the commitment you are willing to make.  For instance, don’t expect improvements in drawing skill, if you do not want to practice drawing regularly.

3. Peers, colleagues, and cultural climate

Presenter Sunni Mercer repeated several times, “Artists do not make work in a vacuum.” Even if you spend a lot of time alone in your studio, your work and success is influenced by your community and peers.  Workshop participants outlined contemporary issues like technology and media saturation, changes in social norms, and recession economics.  What are the opportunities and challenges of our contemporary cultural climate? As far as community, who are you looking to as artistic peers and how do you seek feedback for your work?

Thanks to Sunni Mercer for presenting with me and to all the participants for digging in! 

The next Artist Survival Kit workshop is “Verbal Communications,” offered in partnership with Creative Capital.  Apply by June 30 to participate.   

Career Paths: Mary Ann Strandell

Mary Ann Strandell layers history and kitsch, texture and simulated surfaces, symbols and enigmas in her paintings and prints, which are on exhibition at JRB Art at the Elms in Oklahoma City beginning today.  Themes of her career path include mindfully maintained networks with curators, collectors, and other artists and a determined pursuit for experiences with wide-ranging original artwork.  Strandell’s drive and her peripatetic way of life interconnect with her work.

This is the third in a series of profiles of accomplished artists in preparation for OVAC’s “Career Paths” workshop on May 22.  Especially, I am focusing on turning points in their careers and some practical steps they have taken along the path.  

Growing up in the small town of Watertown, South Dakota, Strandell always had a desire to see original art and travel, although her area did not have an established fine art culture.\


Queried about how her horizon was so broad despite the relative isolation of her community, she emphasized travel and knowledge of the outside.  Her recent family history of internationality includes her father’s service for World War II and ancestors’ recent immigration from Europe. She also cites her three aunts who became professionals on the coasts and other family who were international diplomats as key in opening her aspirations beyond her immediate locale.  She said she began to see art as a “vehicle” or “portal.”

Strandell finds reading about and seeing outside work as pivotal to her own artwork and career.  She participated in several artist residencies that helped establish her relationships to international artists and new communities.

Now based in New York, Strandell was selected for the highly-competitive Art Omi International Residency in 2008. The program is held in the Hudson River Valley in New York and invites 30 artists from around the world to participate, only 8 of which were from the US when Strandell took part.  Participants receive lodging, working space and meals. 

Even more importantly, many curators and critics visit throughout the three-week period.  Strandell had 32 studio visits, including professionals like Brian Sholis from Artforum and Shamim Momin the 2008 Whitney Biennial Curator.  She now keeps up with her fellow residency artist and new contacts on Facebook.

Strandell also connects with other artists through active involvement in national conferences where she builds her technical skills and networks. 

She emphasized intentionally reaching out to find support for her work when she lived in the middle of the country, teaching in South Dakota, Kansas City, and St. Louis.  She actively sought regional connections. For instance when working in South Dakota, she showed and built a strong collector base in Minneapolis. 

Not coincidently, Strandell’s current exhibition is guest curated by Shannon Fitzgerald, who she met while teaching at Washington University St. Louis when Fitzgerald was Chief Curator at The Contemporary Museum in St. Louis.  The exhibition, Indexes of Mediated Space, at JRB Art at the Elms  in Oklahoma City opens May 7 and is on exhibit through May 31.  

OVAC invites you to the Artist Survival Kit workshop, “Career Paths”on May 22, led by Mercer and me, Julia Kirt. The day will focus on artistic career stages, personal assessment, and practical job options.


Images:
Pink Camp, 3D Lenticular Print, 18"x18"
Two Hearts, Painting, 20"x20"
The Regis, Painting, 48"x48"

Career Paths: Sunni Mercer (2 of 2)

This is the second post profiling Sunni Mercer, a Bethany, Oklahoma-based assemblage artist, exhibition designer, and consultant.  Questions include my own and some from OVAC Facebook fans.  Feel free to add more for future profiles.

When asked, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re on the wrong path?” Mercer laughed in confirmation.  Many people even said she was in the wrong field.   Beginning her MFA, she struggled because her work fell between traditional and conceptual, making it hard to feel she fit.  Mercer said these outside questions served as motivation.  She said as you develop a better sense of who you are and what matters, these challenges are easier to answer and handle. 

Discussing mentors, Mercer mentioned professors and an instructor, Christopher Brown, who she met at the Oklahoma Arts Institute and Vermont Studio Center.  She said recent influential colleagues are more tangential—working in architecture or exhibition designers.  Through her museum consulting work, she said she’s been exposed and affected profoundly by the museum exhibition fabricators, who have made her reconsider her techniques, materials, and manufacturing. 

Mercer seems to find inspiration and learn from every colleague and project, which is a great strength.  Her upcoming project, “Lizinga Lemandla Ami: The Measure of My Strength,” will debut at IAO Gallery in October. Addressing the lives of women and children of Swaziland, Mercer’s sculptural and interpretive elements will be accompanied by photography, publication, and a tour.  The project will build awareness for a partnership to reduce the incidents of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland. 

An in-depth interview with Mercer about her career and apprenticeship program she created is available on ArtBizCoach.com. 

OVAC invites you to the Artist Survival Kit workshop, “Career Paths” on May 22, led by Mercer and me. The day will focus on artistic career stages, personal assessment, and practical job options.

Career Paths: Sunni Mercer (1 of 2)

Sunni Mercer’s thoughtful and sustainable approach to her career is well worth examination.   Besides exhibiting her own work nationwide and supporting her artistic practice for 20 years, the Bethany, Oklahoma-based artist also consults with museums for exhibitions, strategic planning and more. 

This is the second in a series of profiles of accomplished artist in preparation for OVAC’s “Career Paths” workshop on May 22 (see the first post about Jason Hackenwerth).  Especially, I am interviewing them about turning points in their career and some practical steps they have taken along the path.   Along with questions I developed, OVAC Facebook Fans threw in a few questions that will appear.  Feel free to add more.

Mercer reacted with strong affirmation when asked “Was your MFA worth it and why?”  She said, “I feel like the most important part is that you are given this incredible opportunity for self-discovery.  You are absolutely isolated for a long period of time and I don’t think artists have the privilege or benefit of doing that unless they are in an institution.” 

Her work transformed during that time, as she started the program as a painter and ended as an assemblage artist.  She also emphasized taking advantage of the exposure to national artists and visiting scholars through the university.  

Interestingly, she cites quick success as one of the most challenging stages in her career. Shortly after completing her MFA, Mercer’s work was picked up by a commercial gallery in New York City.  She said looking back she knows she was not ready for this.  First she struggled with the sudden jump in her prices, which were raised for NYC gallery environment.  She was unable to show in other, regional venues because of her prices and how hard it was to find appropriate complementary spaces.  

When she reexamined herself and her work, she realized that was neither the work she wanted to make nor the public persona she desired.  She shifted from gallery, salable work, to conceptual installations and public collaborations with a new financing structure.  She said the shift exposed her to some rejection, but was more sustainable and satisfying over the long term. 

OVAC invites you to the Artist Survival Kit workshop, “Career Paths” on May 22, led by Mercer and me. The day will focus on artistic career stages, personal assessment, and practical job options.

Career Paths: Jason Hackenwerth

New York-based artist Jason Hackenwerth’s striking exhibition at the City Arts Center opened last week .  Fortunately, he was in town for over a week creating the work and was willing to discuss the business side of his artistic practice. 

This is the first in a series of accomplished artist profiles in preparation for OVAC’s “Career Paths” workshop on May 22.  Especially, I am interviewing them about turning points in their career and some practical steps they have taken. 

Hackenwerth’s career is atypical in that he travels the country, even globe, creating site specific installations primarily out of colorful balloons.  His career demonstrates one example of the great distinctiveness in artists’ careers. 

When asked for key turning points in his career, Hackenwerth cited a New York City residency offered by his MFA program, the Savannah College of Art and Design.   Through his school’s New York City Workspace Opportunity, he was awarded a semester with a studio space near Times Square.

He said the other artists nearby were professionals, showing him the work ethic that committed artists must have.  At the same time he interned at area galleries.   He learned about how exhibitions work, met gallerists, and was exposed to international artists’ work.  He began attending and helping with art fairs, broadening his experience. 

These gallery relationships led to a job and apartment for him after he graduated.  He said the residency allowed him an easier entrance into the tight arts community. 

An OVAC Facebook fan added this question: “Everyone talks about the all important artist statement. Did you find that it was really important in getting your foot in the door?”

Hackenwerth replied that the artist statement is more for yourself, to clarify your work and intentions.  He argued that the statement is not nearly as important as making interesting work.   For his own work, Hackenwerth said he has a public statement that makes the work accessible, while keeping certain aspects of his work more private or unexplained.   For instance, he used this statement for the work at City Arts Center.

"I remember the summer I was seven years old. My family was having a reunion during the 4th of July weekend.  Usually my bedtime was 8 o'clock but I stayed outside playing with my cousins in the big field behind the house.  Surrounding the field was dense forest and I will never forget the excitement I felt as the sky got dark and the sounds of the cicadas in the trees were all around.  It was the first time I played ghost in the graveyard and ventured out into the dark and spooky places on my own."

Thanks to Hackenwerth for sharing insight with Oklahoma artists.  His exhibition at the City Arts Center continues through May 22.   You also can follow Hackenwerth's career and studio notes on his blog.  

OVAC invites you to the Artist Survival Kit workshop, “Career Paths,” on May 22. The day will focus on artistic career stages, personal assessment, and practical job options.