good day sunshine

This morning I heard birds singing for the first time in months. Lovely sound so much of a surprise I was unaware how much I had missed it. Guess they too were thrilled for sun and a temporary absence of snow. My holly trees and wild honeysuckle bushes had unusually heavy crops of berries this year  -  how does Mother Nature make those correct forecasts about upcoming cold winters? One has to respect the signs and signals....

The other day I agreed to become the regional Artist Facilitator for an Indiana organization dealing with meeting the various needs of creative artists with all sorts of disabilities and limiting conditions. Centered in Indianapolis this is a fairly well established entity funded in part by the Indiana Arts Council but they are expanding throughout the state and want to develop ties across the river with Louisville people as well. This small new local group has been holding monthly programs at the Carnegie and I have attended most of them  -  mainly to support artist friends who have been \featured presenters. Not at all certain what I'll be doing in this new position nor am I sure of how much time will be required. But I feel certain that with several people I respect strongly encouraging me to do this that I need to pay attention to opportunities the Universe is sending in my direction. I feel I am on the precipice of a major change.

how to proceed and move forward

It's been 3 weeks since I brought work home from my Carnegie exhibit and I am no closer to knowing what to do with these 15 new pieces than I was 3 weeks ago. The dilemma with local representation is every bit as great as that with representation out of state. I know this site isn't working for me yet and need to address that issue as well. Maybe it's possible to create workable links that will actually lead to greater exposure but I don't know how to accomplish that. But I will learn.

It seems to me that applying to a series of juried shows is way too expensive a venture than such a path was 30 years ago when I was first exploring the possibility of having a career. Then an organization called Artists' Equity was very active in Philadelphia and their strong policy was for professional artists to boycott all juried shows with entry fees. Today so many more organizations pay for their entire exhibitions on these artists' entry fees that it is nearly impossible to find serious exhibition venues without rather ridiculous entry fees.

I wish there were some sort of central clearing house with a list of submission review schedules for university and non-profit galleries. That's great for resume building but seldom leads to serious sales. On the other hand one never knows who will see such exhibitions so it's smart to pursue those sorts of possibilities. With so many artists working and so many galleries closing on a weekly basis I have to wonder if the trend will be entirely from online sales and individual open studio galleries.

Meanwhile I still have artwork stacked against the back of the living room sofa. 

gray and cold yet again

Today's good news is that the ground is visible for the first time since Christmas day. Unfortunately the sky is still gray and the humidity is still high enough to chill me through and through. I'm fine as long as my feet aren't cold but my feet have been cold for weeks now. Recovering from bronchitis and wanting to work in the studio but that floor is drafty and I hate turning the lights on during the day... Things will improve but I suppose this is all part of gear shifting now that the Carnegie exhibit is finished. Glad tomorrow begins a new week...

so much work to store.....

Now my living room and front hall look like a frameshop readying a big framing order. It's interesting to bring home so many pieces from a show, especially when half of what has been returned is brand new work previously easily stored unframed in the studio. Not only is bulk storage a problem but safely protecting both the work and the new frames is always a bit of a challenge. I know I need to figure al this out, but for now I first have to get someone over here to help me rehang art that belongs on my own walls and then exchange older work for new pieces to live with and try to evaluate for a while. I used to be able to do all these things for myself on my own in my own time but since the addition of bionic shoulders I have to think and plan ahead before asking someone (usually a brother) to come here and assist me. This probably falls into the category of all things change to one extent or another as we age but that doesn't mean I have to like it!! For now I will figure out which new pieces I'd like to hang on my walls and where to store older work I'm taking down after many months (years ) of enjoyment. My mother called yesterday to tell me she is glad to have "Broad Shoulders Heavy Load" back in her living room so that was nice to hear. One never knows just how mucy anybody ever notices art on their walls after the first month or so..... Of course the bottom line is still trying to find galleries and other exhibition venues for the work so it can go about its primary business of finding permanent homes and earning me a decent living!! In time. All in good time.

what's next?

So today is the day I take down my show at the Carnegie. This is usually a bittersweet moment for me but this particular exhibition has been so wonderful that I almost feel guilty wanting it to stay up any longer. I have had something like 21 or 22 solo exhbitions since 1983 and none has involved a more dedicated or professional staff than this. As someone out of the art world for a number of years, this "rebirth" through the Carnegie has just been a superb experience for me. I got wonderful feedback about the exhibit, the gallery talks and the workshops. Speaking of workshops, my "by special request" 2nd adults' workshop last Wednesday had 16 people and was great fun. I'd definitely like to do more teaching of this sort.

But my question now that it's over and a new exhibit will open Friday is ...... What do I do from here? I have 15 new pieces all framed with nowhere to go and no clue as to how I should proceed. Do I look for traditional gallery representation? Do I look for exhibits on college campuses and in non-profit spaces? do I investigate selling online somehow? No matter how many artists I speak with the answer remains unclear. It's a new world for artists, for commercial galleries, for alternative exhibition spaces. I guess the answer is to simply keep asking questions, try anything that seems the least bit promising and be open minded about outside the box suggestions. Not exactly an optimistic way to think about paying bills.

The best thing may well be to apply for some residencies and hope I'll be able to make new bodies of work that might have broader appeal because of the travel involved. The idea of spending 7 hours on a transAtlantic flight crammed in like a sardine isn't a very appealing choice, despite what I know would be amazingly pleasurable experiences after landing..... The UNiverse will no doubnt push me in one direction or another if I remain alert for the clues. Stay tuned.