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. 

Spaces: Exploration of Art Venues, Notes 5: Non-profit Venues

On Saturday, March 9, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition offered the Artist Survival Kit workshop, "Spaces: An Exploration of Art Venues." During this workshop, five speakers shared their experiences with different art venue types including retail, restaurants, commercial galleries, non-profit venues, and auctions/secondary markets. In this series of blog posts, we share notes from each speaker thanks to ASK Committee Co-chair Sarah Atlee.

Glenn Herbert Davis, Tulsa

Over, Mixed Media, 11' x 13' 5" x 5' 11"

Glenn Herbert Davis: Not-for-profit, university, and alternative spaces

These types of spaces will often be self-funded and are often funded through grants. Sales tend to be anomalous, rather than the rule.

When showing at this type of venue, an artist will need to transport and/or ship their work, may be giving public talks, and may spend some time in residence. There is often an educational programming component. A university, for example, usually covers at least part of these costs, and may offer the artist a stipend.

Glenn's work is mostly site-specific installation, often with performative or time-based aspects. His work does not often lend itself to sales.

Advice for showing at a university:

Ask for what you need.

Don't question policy. (Example - if you are required to install between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, respect that.)

Respect the time of the people who are helping you.

Be as practical and forthcoming as possible. Keep lines of communication open.

Don't expect venue organizers to drop everything for you. Be prepared to work within their limitations.

Be organized, and do the job you agreed to do.

Every exhibition involves a practical exchange of services and time (which may or may not include money). There are no gifts.

Glenn looks for interesting, ambitious, enjoyable, low-cost things to do. If he can get paid in the process, even better. By creating repeatable, packageable works, he opens up a wider range of potential venues. He makes sure to have detailed documentation and instructions for disassembly and reassembly.

Glenn uses Sketchup to create 3-d models of his work for proposals. He encourages physically visiting an exhibition space, not just relying on floor plans provided.

Not-for-profit spaces typically review submissions by committee, rather than a single person. The committee may be separate from the venue's institution. There may be members who are brought in specifically to review your work. Keep in mind that when your submission is under review by a committee, they are on the lookout for reasons why you might be too much trouble to deal with.

Not-for-profit exhibition cycles tend to be shorter than commercial venues. Glenn will often have about five days to install, followed by the opening, then about three weeks of exhibition time before takedown.

Spaces: Exploration of Art Venues, Notes 4: Galleries/Secondary Markets

On Saturday, March 9, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition offered the Artist Survival Kit workshop, "Spaces: An Exploration of Art Venues." During this workshop, five speakers shared their experiences with different art venue types including retail, restaurants, commercial galleries, non-profit venues, and auctions/secondary markets. In this series of blog posts, we share notes from each speaker thanks to ASK Committee Co-chair Sarah Atlee.

Painting by David Crismon

David Crismon: Galleries and secondary markets

After your work leaves the studio...

Price your work to cover your production costs. If you're unsure about how to price your work, a gallery can offer guidance there. [Holly Wilson mentioned that it is very important to have your work priced the same at every venue, so as not to undercut anyone.]

50% commission is typical for commercial galleries. Keep in mind all that the gallery does to earn that portion: overheads, promotion, hanging and lighting, shipping, and more.

A gallery might be more interested in selling your work than in its content.

David recommends asking friends for gallery recommendations.

Auction houses mostly sell work by artists who are deceased, though occasionally work by living artists is sold at auction. An auction house will typically take a flat percentage from a sale below a certain dollar value, after which their commission will increase incrementally. Auction houses may inflate prices, in part because they invest a lot of money into potential sales by producing expensive catalogues and other advertising.

For living artists, auction prices will affect that artist's retail prices.

Spaces: Exploration of Art Venues, Notes 3: Galleries & Art Fairs

On Saturday, March 9, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition offered the Artist Survival Kit workshop, "Spaces: An Exploration of Art Venues." During this workshop, five speakers shared their experiences with different art venue types including retail, restaurants, commercial galleries, non-profit venues, and auctions/secondary markets. In this series of blog posts, we share notes from each speaker thanks to ASK Committee Co-chair Sarah Atlee.

Holly Wilson, With Her Birdens, Bronze and Silver, 8.5" x 4" x 4"

Holly Wilson: Commercial Galleries and art fairs

Holly emphasizes that the worst thing a potential gallery can tell you is "No." That's as bad as it gets. The important thing is to muscle past the fear, and just ask. You never know what will happen after you start the conversation.

They may tell you that they love your work, but that it's not the right fit for their gallery. Be courteous, thank them for their time, and ask them to recommend other galleries that you might approach.

Holly also emphasizes visiting potential spaces in person. Know what the walls are made of, and if the gallery uses a special hanging system. This is especially true for wall sculpture.

Research, research, research! Holly goes to art fairs like SOFA and Art Chicago. She gets all the information she can about a fair ahead of time. She visits the website of every single gallery that will be there, and narrows down a list of those she wants to investigate further. She gets a floor plan of the fair exhibitors, and spends a whole day walking around and making further notations about what galleries may or may not be good for her work.

Holly may research specific artists she likes, to find out where they've shown, and cross-reference that information with her gallery research. She also asks other artists for gallery recommendations.

When approaching a gallerist, she makes sure to have an *excellent* image of her work on a postcard to leave behind.

Tip: dress like a buyer, not like an artist. Keep in mind that galleries spend $20,000 - $80,000 for a booth at the best trade fairs, not to mention all the advertising they do.

Questions HW asks about potential commercial galleries:

Do they have branches in other cities?

Do they go to art fairs?

Do they have good relationships with their buyers & collectors? Have they cultivated these relationships over time?

Do they work to have magazine articles published about their artists?

Are their websites good? Do they make good use of social media?

Is the gallery in an arts district? Is there a potential for foot traffic from nearby businesses?

Specific advice for artists who work with bronze or similar materials:

Research your foundry costs. Your casting cost per piece, multiplied by 3, is a good guideline for the piece's retail price. A gallery that takes a 50% commission on sales of paintings should only take 30% on sales of bronze works.

Holly recently participated in the Heard Museum Guild IndianFair & Market for the first time. Rather than use the typical art fair exhibition booth setup, she built herself a tiny white-walls gallery, in order to better show off her work. She built three 4x8' panels of cabinet-grade plywood, supported by custom-cut and threaded plumbing pipe (hidden by 1x2 strips). The setup is modular, transportable, and reusable. It was very eye-catching and made her work much more visible.

As an exhibitor, Holly chose to apply specifically to the Heard Museum and Santa Fe Indian Market art fairs in order to attract high-end galleries, curators, and collectors. She took out a $400, 1/6-page color ad in a Native American arts magazine with a very large circulation, specifically to bring people to her booth at the Heard fair - it worked, and also resulted in a significant increase in her website traffic.

Remember, an artist is a business, so conduct yourself accordingly. You're responsible for promoting yourself. When you make sales, reinvest that money back into your business.

For print promotion, Holly makes sure to have excellent photos of her work. She carries a basic postcard and business cards that she gets from overnightprints.com to hand out. She also uses business cards from Moo, which are higher quality prints, for more special occasions. Holly has created a larger foldout brochure specifically to send to certain high end galleries.

Spaces: Exploration of Art Venues, Notes 2: Restaurants

On Saturday, March 9, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition offered the Artist Survival Kit workshop, "Spaces: An Exploration of Art Venues." During this workshop, five speakers shared their experiences with different art venue types including retail, restaurants, commercial galleries, non-profit venues, and auctions/secondary markets. In this series of blog posts, we share notes from each speaker thanks to ASK Committee Co-chair Sarah Atlee.

Watercolor painting by Tommy Lee Ball

Tommy Ball: Artistic Restauraunteering

Know your venue - do your homework.

When approaching a potential restaurant, have your portfolio, business cards, and other print materials ready, so they can see your images immediately. Tommy leaves small digital prints on watercolor paper with the owners of potential venues. They are small gifts that are very memorable.

The best time to talk to a restaurant owner is on a weekday afternoon between 2 and 4 pm. Leave your contact info with them, and remember to follow up.

Questions to ask about potential restaurant venues:

Have they ever shown art before? Do they do so regularly?

How often do they rotate new art in?

What is their submission policy? Who handles art submissions?

Price points: is your work priced appropriately for the venue?

Is there a sales commission? How much? Restaurants often take no commission, but artists should be prepared to handle their own sales.

Is your work a good fit for this venue? Generally, grotesque subject matter, nudes, etc. should be avoided.

How are the walls? Do you have their permission to drill holes if that's required for hanging your work?

How is the lighting? Tommy often hangs his own clip lights in restaurants. Sometimes this requires minor electrical work on his part. An example of this can be seen at the Forge co-working space in Tulsa.

Have they offered to hang your work for you? Make sure they know how to properly hang art, and make it easy for them by having your work be display-ready with proper wiring.

Be professional: be on time! Respect the fact that they are running a business, and you are not their top priority.

Be sure to get direct contact information for the restaurant owner. If there's a problem, you want to be able to talk directly to them.

What if the restaurant closes, or moves, while your work is hanging there? What if you try to get your work back and it's locked up somewhere? Have a contract with provisions for situations like this, and get actual legal help making it.

On price points: Tommy shows different work depending on the prices at a particular venue. He may show originals or prints. For restaurants where a customer would spend $50-$100 on a meal, he may show original paintings priced around $1,000. For restaurants that charge $10-$20 a plate, he'll show prints priced around $200.

Make your own wall tags. Tommy includes his name, the medium and substrate, information about the frame, and his contact info. He does not display prices.

New restaurants are great, because an artist can help them out by making their interiors look better for their launch, attracting more customers.

To physically protect his work in restaurants, Tommy frames everything with glass and caulks the seam between the frame and the backing. This way, he can prevent food smells and moisture from creeping inside the frame and being absorbed by the paper.

While your work is up in a restaurant, be a patron. Bring people you know to eat there.

If your work is hanging for more than a month or two, check in with them once a month. Bring new work, or simply refresh your display by rearranging the existing work.

Know when the show will end. Contact the restaurant owner 2-4 weeks before your work comes down. Don't leave them with bare walls! Remember, they are not gallerists, and may want more time to line up the next artist to show there. They'll appreciate recommendations for other artists.

When you deinstall, leave their walls in better shape than you found them.

Thank the restaurant management and staff in a personal, special way.

Tommy doesn't have to search for new venues these days - he's spent enough time cultivating good relationships with restaurants that now they approach him.

Spaces: Exploration of Art Venues, Notes 1: Retail

On Saturday, March 9, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition offered the Artist Survival Kit workshop, "Spaces: An Exploration of Art Venues." During this workshop, five speakers shared their experiences with different art venue types including retail, restaurants, commercial galleries, non-profit venues, and auctions/secondary markets. In this series of blog posts, we share notes from each speaker thanks to ASK Committee Co-chair Sarah Atlee.

Amanda Bradway: Art in a Retail Environment

Amanda Bradway runs DNA Galleries in OKC's Plaza District, where she sells handmade goods (mostly by local artists) and contemporary art.

Amanda advises that artists shop around for the right venue for their work, one that reflects their aesthetic and style. Style is particularly important, so visit the spaces you want to show in.

Inside DNA Galleries in OKC's Plaza District

Questions to ask about your potential retail venues:

Price points: Is your work over- or under-priced for the venue?

Is there adequate display space for your work?

Are the shelves stable and sturdy?

Are there locked display cases for smaller, more valuable pieces?

Layout: How are the walls? Is there enough wall space for your work? Would your work be hung too high for people to see it? How will it be displayed?

Be professional. Showing your work in a retail venue is not unlike showing it in a gallery. Make sure your work is display-ready, framed and wired for hanging. DNA had an experience where an artist installed a completely different body of work than what they had submitted, and it wasn't as good!

Be excited about your work - retail owners don't want to show your work if they think you just want to get rid of it.

Offer different price points for a range of potential buyers. People don't often walk into retail stores expecting to walk out with original art. They may really enjoy your work but not be able to afford larger originals. However, they are likely to buy small prints, buttons, stickers, etc.

Turnaround: Retail goods need to move, and not stagnate in the store. If your work will be displayed there for more than a month or two, bring new things in periodically. Retail stores often change their merchandise to match the season. Artists should keep in mind that retail sales are what keep the business' doors open, and fine art sales will likely be secondary to that.

Promotion: Tell everyone where they can find your work. Check in with your social media outlets, even just once a day. Retailers will appreciate the additional publicity.

Have an opening. It's a great opportunity for store visitors to see and try new things. You'll get a different audience than people who might ordinarily visit a gallery.

DNA Galleries fills a niche by selling handmade, artist-made products that are 98% from local artists. They now have an online submission form. They want to know what kind of products or art you're offering, what your price points are, and whether artwork is ready to hang. They rotate products and art out consistently, and seasonally. Artists are encouraged to resubmit if they are initially rejected.

Retail customers like to see variety and selection within a consistent group of products, which is why DNA Galleries wants to see a minimum of 5 pieces in an artist's submission. They ask that your work has not been shown in the Plaza District within the past year.

When contacting a potential venue, know exactly who you should talk to. Don't assume the person behind the counter at a retail store is the right person to talk to about showing your art. Make an appointment, rather than just walking in with the things you want to sell.

Applying for Exhibitions & Grants

Hoping this will help other artists, I want to share my presentation from our Artist Survival Kit workshop last weekend. We focused on writing proposals for grants and exhibitions. 

Many of these cash awards and exhibitions have quick deadlines. But, I think the proposal tips should translate to other artist applications. 

This was the second proposal writing workshop we've offered, hoping to encourage more and even better artist applications to our opportunities.  Let us know if you have questions. 

Artist Proposals 101: Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition from Julia Kirt

The Art of Weather

by David Holland

Tony Abeyta (Navajo, b. 1965), Storm from the South, 2011, Oil on canvas, 36" x 48"

If you are an Oklahoma artist interested in weather, don’t dawdle. Seize the opportunity to submit your work to the upcoming National Weather Center Biennale.  With prize money of $10,000 for Best of Show, three additional prizes of $5000, their work in a slick exhibition catalog, an exhibition attended by many of Oklahoma’s movers and shakers  and an international audience of 10,000 or more,  you’d be crazy not to.

Claimed to be this first of its kind biennale featuring “Art’s window on the impact of weather on the human experience,” will take root in Oklahoma on Earth Day April 22, 2013.  Sponsored by the National Weather Center (NWC), the Norman Arts Council and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art; the event will take place within the 9,600 square foot atrium of the NWC building. 

Alan Atkinson, an art instructor at OU, serves as the exhibition coordinator and part of the initial selection committee. “It is exciting to see the different approaches that different artists are taking to the subject,” Atkinson said. “We are seeing everything from fairly straight representational work to abstract and non-objective interpretations of weather as an experience that influences all of us.”

Weather is big business in Oklahoma.  The NWC in Norman has attracted many new successful businesses that use the immense amount of technology and expertise that pours from the NWC to create commercial enterprises.  The NWC is a unique cooperative venture between a state university, the federal government and private business. It houses OU’s college of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, 5 NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) organizations and many weather related research and reporting organizations.  Many private companies have moved their offices to the University’s “Partners Place” buildings located next door to the NWC.

OU’s goal for this year’s exhibit is to make this new cultural event into an internationally recognized exhibition of the best art in the world representing the relationship between humans and weather and sights are set high for the exhibition’s future, to reach wider audiences as interest and awareness grows.

Every Oklahoman’s relationship with weather is respectful, unique and intimate.  We know the savage fury severe weather can bring, as well as the billowing beauty of a thunderstorm rising in the distance.  The theme of the biennale allows for artists to use their own interpretation of weather as the basis for their submission.  Whether you are an artist who sees the Earth’s dramatically changing environment as the focus for their work or a plein air artist whose work is literally affected by the weather there is no artist unaffected by it.  Submit your work; you’ll be getting in on the ground floor of what promises to be a new claim to fame for Oklahoma – being the art capital of the weather world.  For details on how to enter, check out their website www.nwcbiennale.org.   The deadline for entries is October 1, 2012. 

Concept/OK: Frequently Asked Questions

Recently, we led two information sessions about the new exhibition, Concept/OK: Art in Oklahoma. At each session, we spent time fielding questions from the artists in attendance. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.

General questions
Q: Is there a theme for Concept/OK?
A: No. The purpose of the exhibition is to highlight artists in Oklahoma. Both the Residency program and the Survey Exhibition are open to artists working in all media, and open to artwork engaged in any topic.

Q: Do I have to teach or do community workshops if I am in the exhibition?
A: No. Artists in the Residencies are asked to engage the public, which could include teaching.  Artists in the Survey and Focus are not required to participate in public programs or teaching.  Survey and Focus artists will be asked to suggest and lead educational programs during the exhibition to add to the outreach and audience, but are not required to do so.

Q: If I apply as an individual for either the Survey Exhibition or the Residency, can I also submit an application as part of a collaborative group?
A: No. You may apply as either an individual, or as part of a collaborative. Not both.

Q: If I don’t get accepted into the Residency program, can I apply for the Survey Exhibition?
A: Yes. You may not participate in both, but we encourage those who are not accepted into the Residency to then try for the Survey Exhibition. Residency applicants will be notified in late February 2012. Survey applications are due August 1, 2012 at 5pm.

Q: If I am not accepted into the Residency program, can I apply to the Survey Exhibition using the same proposed project?
A: Yes. But consider that the project will likely need to be on a smaller scale for the Survey Exhibition.

Q: When will the Hardesty Arts Center be completed?
A: The Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa has commitment from the construction company that the building will be completed by December 2012. Concept/OK will be the Hardesty Arts Center’s inaugural exhibition.

Survey/Focus Exhibition
Q: Is everyone that enters the Survey Exhibition automatically entered to be considered for the Focus exhibition?
A: Yes. The curator will choose up to 5 artists from the Survey exhibition entries for the Focus exhibition. The curator will visit finalist artists personally to select the featured artists. Those chosen for the Focus exhibition will exhibit a small body of work, receive $1,500 honoraria, extra attention in the catalogue and featured publicity.

Q: Is it really possible that only 25-50 pieces will be chosen for the Survey?
A: Yes, we can’t say exactly how many artworks will be in the Survey. The curator will have to look at the type of work submitted before determining what to select. We only offer the 25-50 range as an average of past survey-type exhibitions the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition has coordinated.

Q: If I am chosen for the Focus Exhibition, how will my work get to Kansas City?
A: You will be responsible for getting your own work to Kansas City. Travel Stipends will be available.

Residency
Q: If I am accepted into the Residency program, when will I receive the money?
A: We will issue at least 2/3^rds of the honorarium within a few weeks of the notification. The remaining funds will be issued once the show opens.



Hardesty Art Center - Ground Floor showing Main Gallery and Community Studio spaces



Hardesty Art Center - 2nd Floor showing Loft Gallery

Q: What facilities will be available to me in the studio while in residence? Are there any restrictions to the use of the space?
A: The community studios are made to be durable, with concrete floors and movable walls, to accommodate any type of project you may think of.  You should specify what space you would need as you could request a small area up to more than 1,000 square feet. The exterior walls are glass and open to the street. Your project could connect to exterior spaces there. The studio space is not set up as a proper living space, but if your project called for it, you could spend all day and night there, put yourself on display for the public, etc.

Most of the Hardesty Arts Center’s other facilities, including printmaking, dark room, computer and other equipment, prep areas, and classroom space, will be available to you as an artist in residence. If you need firing facilities, neighboring groups in the Brady Arts District may partner with us, such as Mel Cornshucker’s ceramics studio and Tulsa Glassblowing Studio.

If you have specific questions, i. e. wall coverings or technical needs, please let us know so we can inquire with the Hardesty’s architects. Right now the only restrictions are that the studios must be returned to the state they were in when the residency starts, i.e. repainted if altered, cleaned up, etc.

Q: When would the artist be in residence?
A: Part of your proposal will include your timeline for the residency.  The community studios will be available two weeks in advance of the opening and throughout the run of the exhibition.  We would expect the artist to make a commitment to be on site and accessible to the public as possible, but there are no set required hours.

Q: What Residency work has to be completed when the show opens?
A:  You may propose any number of ways of working and showing. Works in progress are welcome. Some completed work and some work still in progress would be fine. The studios allow for exhibiting work, which could be added as completed or start with some work when the exhibition opens.

---

Ideas Behind the Concept/OK exhibition

Last week we announced a new 2012 exhibition featuring Oklahoma artists, Concept/OK: Art in Oklahoma. The exhibition is an open call survey of Oklahoma artists’ work along with extra components to encourage audience involvement and more attention for artists.

I want to give you some background on how we planned the exhibition. Since we are always striving to serve more artists and serve them better, we constantly assess how our programs impact Oklahoma artists. This is only one of the many ways that the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) is trying to create opportunities for artists.

OVAC director Julia Kirt, curator Louise Siddons, 24 Works award
winning artists Romy Owens, Monika Linehan, & May Yang 

After several years of assessment and strategic planning, the Exhibition Committee decided to create a new exhibition opportunity. Many artists and educators served on the Exhibition Committee during the development of the Art 365 and Concept/OK exhibitions. Members involved at various points in the planning included: Tomas Batista, Elizabeth Brown, Stan Carroll, Jean Ann Fausser, Anita Fields, Sarah Hearn, Skip Hill, Jonathan Hils, Pam Husky, EK Jeong,  Jackie Knapp, Kathy McRuiz, Shawn Meyers, Audrey Schmitz, John Seward, Carl Shortt, Suzanne Thomas, Jeri Wensel, and Elia Woods. After several years of evaluation and planning, the committee introduced the new survey exhibition structure to the OVAC Board for approval in early 2010.

First, we assessed juried and curated exhibitions already taking place in Oklahoma, trying to make sure the OVAC exhibition does not duplicate other opportunities. We decided that we should focus on what could make the exhibition exceptional for the participating artists as well as the exhibition visitors.

24 Works exhibition audience

The committee emphasized increasing cash awards, growing the audiences, improving education for the community, and working with a partner gallery on a consistent basis.  We agreed we should highlight all artistic media and connect the artists more closely with curators. We retained the basic expectations that the exhibition feature living Oklahoma visual artists, be open call to allow anyone eligible to apply, involve national curators and not censor artwork.

A completely new component, the curator will pick up to 5 artists from the Survey entries to be Focus artists. The Focus artists will show a small body of work in tandem with Kansas City artists. The Oklahoma artists will then exhibit in Kansas City. The committee conceived of the Focus as a way to offer special awards to artists and more interaction with the curator and regional art community. 

Happy artists at the Art 365 exhibition opening

Another new element for Oklahoma exhibitions, two artists will be chosen for Residencies. Chosen from proposals, these artists will have longer to develop their work, which must engage the public. In planning, we decided Residencies would connect artists to the public more intimately. We hope audiences will learn more about the artists’ ideas and process for creation. Also, the Residencies link to the Hardesty Arts Center’s future programming. 

Since OVAC does not have a gallery space, we instead work with museums and art centers that have compatible missions to present the exhibitions. The new Hardesty Arts Center is a perfect partner for Concept/OK because of its innovative educational programs, emphasis on connecting living artists with audiences and wonderful new galleries. Watch for more about the Center in a future blog post or read about it on the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa website.

We are thrilled for the launch of Concept/OK: Art in Oklahoma and hope the exhibition serves the artists and public well. You can read history of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s exhibition programs here. Exhibitions OVAC now coordinates include Concept/OK every two years, Art 365 triennially, Momentum OKC and Tulsa annually, and, with Individual Artists of Oklahoma, 24 Works on Paper every two years.

Visit www.Concept-OK.org for more details about the exhibition and call for entries.

Open Letter to the Young Artists of Oklahoma

Guest Author: romy owens

Dear Oklahoma artist under age 30 (specifically those of you who are currently college students),

With the deadline for OVAC’s Momentum: Art Doesn’t Stand Still OKC drawing near, February 7 with online digital submissions as the method of entry, I desperately want to encourage you to submit work for this exhibit featuring the best young emerging artists in Oklahoma.

I recently mentioned this deadline to an art major from a local university, as I was suggesting that she enter. Her response was threefold: money is tight, the process seems difficult and she is too busy.

romy owens discusses artists' careers with
David Holland at an ASK workshop. 

Excuse me? Even thinking about this conversation again makes my stomach curl.

Please allow me to share with you what I shared with her, and please know that I don’t care if you find this message patronizing. Truly, I have your best interest at heart.

Showing up is the most important thing.

So, for all you young artists out there who think it is too expensive or too difficult, or you’re too busy to enter the hands down best Oklahoma exhibit that is SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED to give you practical art experience, if this is really really really how you feel about it, if you think these statements about time, money and ease apply to you and your life and you can’t manage to submit artwork for one or more of the above listed reasons, either your priorities need to be shifted or, if your priorities can't be shifted, you need to change your major. Immediately.

Art is hard. Making art isn’t the hard part, but the profession of it is. Unless you happen to be independently wealthy, money is always tight. Despite your amazing talent, rejection is tough and 100% inevitable. And there is NEVER ENOUGH TIME. It’s not a career for the weak-of-heart or for those who can’t be motivated to take advantage of opportunities that are readily provided. 

How do I know? I’m a full time artist. It's a tough career choice. I'm not being bragadocious like I'm some kind of successful role model. I'm being candid because put down the Wii remote, or the beer, or the TV remote, or the phone and get off your ass and enter your art in exhibits already!

And right now, while you are in college, this is when it is the easiest. It will never be easier than it is right now. Never. It only gets harder. Well, until you are über successful and sought after the Whitney for their Biennial, but even that won’t be easy. I vaguely remember some kind of bleak statistic about 5% of art students actually having a career in art after graduation. So even if you have 18 credit hours this semester and a full time job at Taco Bueno and a newborn baby, a career in art will never be easier than it is right now while you are in school.

So, please enter Momentum. I sincerely hope you will. I know there are many many people who attend Momentum looking forward to seeing the emerging talent. It’s exciting. And we all want to see your fantastic art.

But if you can’t be bothered, go visit your advisor tomorrow, and see about pursuing a career in a field that is always hiring and requires less personal initiative.

Happy arting.

romy owens spends most of her time taking photos and sewing them together. She is a past Momentum Emerging Curator and committee member. You can read more about her in this profile or her website www.romyowens.com or see her interviewed in this video.

Gallery Perspective: Christian Pitt from MAINSITE Contemporary (2 of 2)

Organizing exhibitions and mentoring artists, Christian Pitt has been the Managing Director of MAINSITE Contemporary Art since 2003.  This is the second of a two-part interview.  See the first post here.

Joshua Meier, Perhaps This Time, Silver gelatin photograph, 9”x11.5”

Q: In what ways do you communicate/work with artists after you’ve scheduled an exhibition? 

CP: Typically, I give them a list of deadlines when we schedule the exhibition. This is a list of dates we have for getting their invitations to the printers or press releases out in time to be included in different publications and other obligations. I encourage them to write an artist statement and sometimes need to assist in the editing of that. I visit the studio to see that the work is progressing, or to choose work for the show from the artist's existing work. I facilitate framing deadlines and assist in picking up that work and arrange for transport of the work to the gallery from the artist's studio. Sometimes I find myself organizing surprise gifts for the artists from loved ones to congratulate them on their accomplishment of the exhibit.

I think in a nutshell though I act as support in whatever way I can to make the exhibition process as smooth as possible for the artist. It can be stressful- installations don't always pan out, frames don't always fit, prints aren't always perfect, and I think it is very important to communicate as closely as possible with the artist to circumnavigate any issues and encourage the artist in a way that makes them feel that no matter what adversities, the exhibition will be wonderful and that the main reason we decided to show them is because we believe in them. That is the most important communication to convey.

MAINSITE Contemporary Art gallery space

Q: What do you think has changed about the art scene in Oklahoma and/or Norman since you have started working at Mainsite?

I really credit the biggest change in our Oklahoma art scene over the past decade with the move of the OKCMoA to the Center Theater building. I think that because of that many smaller entities were able to be taken seriously and it put a nationally professional face on the arts in Oklahoma.

MAINSITE at its beginning was unique because of its Contemporary art focus, and because it is a for profit entity.  I think this opened a door to a new way to see the arts in Oklahoma. When I started working at MAINSITE I was awe struck by the amount of wonderful artists that we represented. I also noticed that MAINSITE was part of a very small group of galleries and arts organizations. During the past 7-8 years both of those numbers have changed tremendously with the added bonus of explosions of new arts districts. This has also given rise to the possibility of an individual to make a living as an independent curator due to the amount of possibilities for exhibition spaces. Artists are prevalent now and that creates a more diverse culture for Oklahoma, a renaissance feeling so to speak. I love that now any weekend you can find about 5 or 6 things to see or do in the arts in Oklahoma. i think that is the biggest visible change.

Q: How does your work as an artist inform your role as gallerist or curator and vice versa? 

CP: I think as an artist I have knowledge of process that can be valuable in sales in the gallery- I can tell collectors or potential buyers about the way the artist made a work usually because I have actually done something similar or seen another artist do something similar. I also think that because of my art school training I use my learned aesthetic to decide how or what will hang in the gallery or in what way the artists are combined. I enjoy a mind puzzle and play is very important in my own art work and I hope that I infuse the gallery with that lightness of being.

See a more personal feature of Pitt, her artwork and videos.

MAINSITE Contemporary is open Wednesday-Saturday 11:30- 5:00pm, the 2nd Friday of each month 6-10pm, and by appointment. The photography exhibition opens with a reception this Friday, August 13, 6-10 pm. 

Gallery Perspective: Christian Pitt from MAINSITE Contemporary (1 of 2)

MAINSITE Contemporary Art

122 E. Main St

Norman, OK

Ann Sherman, Wyoming 28, Pinhole photography, 12.5”x18.5”

Organizing exhibitions and mentoring artists, Christian Pitt has been the Managing Director of MAINSITE Contemporary Art since 2003.  She is super involved in the community to help creativity in many forms, serving as a board member of the Norman Arts Council and leading  the Norman Music Festival. In fact, if you ask the background on many happening things in Norman, Pitt is likely behind them whether officially or behind the scenes.  Pitt is also a photographer and mixed media artist.    

Since MAINSITE opened, the gallery has featured fascinating artists and uncommon work.  Pitt shared information about the process of putting together shows and selecting artists through the following interview, which will appear as two posts. 

Q: Tell us about an exhibition you have coming up about which you are excited. 

CP: The exhibit we are putting up now is a show of photographs by Ann Sherman, Joshua Meier, Trent Still and Esteban Pulido. It is the kick-off show of an annual photography competition, with the first exhibition to show in August of 2011.

We were discussing how many photographers we have in our artist community and decided that there needed to be more opportunity for those photographers to exhibit their work, and provide them with ward money- which artists always need.

I guess I am always excited about the current exhibit. I love the way the gallery changes space when we change the art work. That is an exciting aspect for me.

MAINSITE Gallery

Q: What’s your Twitter description (140 characters) of the gallery?

CP: MAINSITE provides contemporary fine art for the beginning and established collector.

Q: How do you prepare exhibitions? Are they planned with a season in mind or more focused on each individual exhibition?

CP: The main planning criteria usually depend on whether or not which of our artists in our inventory has a new body of work to show. We don't really think of season, with the exception of our September show being a grand event, usually only because of the way Norman functions slowly in the summer.

For other exhibitions, planning usually relies on opportunity and interest. Opportunity is important with our exhibitions because at any given time we may have an excellent opportunity to show an artist's work that is particularly influential or outstanding, or maybe a need for education is in order, or our schedule fits with a traveling exhibition. Interest is important because we attempt to follow several different trends- trends of our collectors, trends from the contemporary art world, trends from the Oklahoma art world, and the trends of our own interests and obsessions. All of this combined is the way we decide what exhibitions we plan.

Q: You allude to artists who are in your “inventory,” will you tell us what you mean by that and how an artist ends up there?

CP: Some of the artists we have exhibited in the past have works, which were in those exhibits and remained at the gallery in the storage after their exhibition came down. We use those works from the storage to hang in the hallway, the library and the office during current exhibitions and to help to represent artists that we have shown in the past for a longer period of time after their exhibition. We enjoy pulling the works out from the storage because it allows us to really see the wealth of talent we have had the privilege of being involved with.

Esteban Pulido, Jason, 542 Apt 11 University, Digital photography, 16”x20”

Q: How do you find artists?  How much is research versus proposals? How much is instinct versus logic?   

CP: We look for artists by going to shows, looking at the OVAC website, and magazines or advertisements for shows or websites from other galleries. We receive possibly 5 to 10 submission proposals every week and we look at each one carefully. Sometimes those end up being exhibitions. I'd say the ratio of choices we make would be higher on the side of us looking for artists.

Artists don't always do research about the gallery where they are submitting. I think because Oklahoma only has a few galleries, artists feel that they need to try for any chance they can get here. The research I am speaking of can be simply to look at the artists that a gallery shows- compare the work that is being submitted for review to that group of artists, and if the work doesn't seem like it fits then that gallery is not for you- For example: If an artist is a painter or sculptor and they find a gallery that only shows photography then that gallery would not be interested in showing the paintings or sculpture being submitted.

In the case of the MAINSITE where our only real focus is contemporary art, the lines of comparison are blurred. I think that for the MAINSITE, if a person is a traditional tole painter that works primarily on antiques then I would say that the MAINSITE isn't right for them. But on the contrary, if that traditional tole painting is done on larger than life surreal representations of feet then maybe the post-modern application of the traditional tole painting could be considered applicable to a contemporary gallery. I suppose that relates to both instinct and logic, depending on how you look at it.

Q: What do you mean by “need for education” when choosing exhibitions?

CP: When I refer to a need for education as a criterion for exhibition choices, I mean that we have the opportunity to be involved with events that are connected with the University of Oklahoma due to the close proximity to the school. Specifically, we have scheduled the Masters of Fine Art Thesis Exhibition for the Fine Art School for the past few years because the museum has been under construction and the space for this exhibit has been limited on the OU campus. It allows us to provide the Masters students with exhibition space and a place for the professors to have the review of their work, which can then be open to the public if necessary. It serves as a learning experience for the Master's students, who may or may not have exhibited before, to learn what it is to have an exhibition and deal with a gallery and the rules of the business of art that lie therein. The best part of the exhibit is that the students are forced to interact with the people from the community who visit the gallery and talk about their work- which is rare if you are a Master's student and holed up in your studio with your concepts and your materials. It really helps the students to open their minds to the different ways their work can be interpreted, and to learn how to talk about their work to people who are not in an academic setting.

Watch for more of this interview posted Friday, August 13, the same day the photography exhibition opens with a reception 6-10 pm..  MAINSITE Contemporary is open Wednesday-Saturday 11:30- 5:00pm, the 2nd Friday of each month 6-10pm, and by appointment.