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Artist coaching and strategy to help you build a career that helps you build a sustainable, supportive business without burning yourself out or compromising your values
[Art Problems in Hyperallergic] Those Artworks Aren't Gonna Sell Themselves
This week in Hyperallergic, I ask dealers, curators, and organizers to give me tips on how artists can collaborate better
Artist are sometimes their worst enemies (edit Sigourney Schultz and Shari Flores/Hyperallergic)
This week in Hyperallergic, I ask dealers, curators, and organizers to give me tips on how artists can collaborate better. I collected a lot of advice you might be surprised by, but I also break down some of the contradictions that make this world so difficult to navigate.
Take a look:
Both dealers Daniel Kinkade and Phillip Niemeyer, the founder of Austin-based gallery Northern Southern, cited the importance of pricing consistency. “Understand that a 50% split is normal for all retail, not just art,” Niemeyer told me. He listed out other bits of advice: “Don’t be desperate, don’t fire-sale your work on Instagram unless you are done making art, and don’t sell out of your studio if you have a gallerist.” (“Fire-selling” refers to selling work at an extremely discounted price).
Of course, there are exceptions to all of these cases, which is what makes the business so challenging.
Being desperate usually translates into spamming and harassing your dealer, but artists may also be forced to send multiple emails if the dealer is uncommunicative. You shouldn’t fire-sale your work, but you can fire-sale a bunch of old drawings with little resale value to make room in a flat file. You shouldn’t sell out of your studio if you have a gallerist, but many artists have galleries halfway across the country that never sell to local collectors.
To read the full article, click here.
Is Site Specificity Relevant to a Generation of Nomads? Not Really.
Andrea McGinty, “strap on”, 2015, iPhone, Charger, 6 second continuous loop video.
Originally published on Art F City, August 28, 2015.
By: Michael Anthony Farley
Sight | Site | Cite
Outlet
253 WILSON AVENUE
Brooklyn, NY
on view until September 6
Curated by Noah Becker, Jeffrey Grunthaner, and Julian A. Jimarez
Artists: Mira Alibek, Julie Tuyet Curtiss, Julia Dauksza, Heidi Howard. Irena Jurek, Nandi Loaf, Rachel Mason, Andrea McGinty. Kate McGraw, Rachel Rossin, Eric Shaw, and Weronika Twardowska
I can’t think of a group show I’ve seen this year as disorienting as Sight | Site | Cite. At the boisterous opening last weekend, several people loudly debated what was and wasn’t part of the exhibition. As is a common sight at many events in artist-run venues, there were phones plugged into outlets around the gallery. At least one of these, however, was a piece by Andrea McGinty which flashed the text “he told me not to mention his strap on” below a portrait of video artist Sondra Perry by painter Heidi Howard. Another iPhone—this one with a cracked screen—was playing garbled music from the back of a remote-controlled toy Hummer SUV. This was careening around the crowded floor, accompanied by (a performer?) alternately shoving gallery-goers from behind and aggressively gyrating in front of artworks. It was a lot to take in.
Mostly though, the chaotic exhibition wasn’t what I expected. Based on skimming the somewhat scattered press release, I anticipated works that engaged with the concept of “place” through familiar strategies—site-specific installations, architectural interventions, or perhaps Situationist considerations of urban space. In retrospect, that vocabulary seems tragically dated. McGinty’s work perhaps best illustrates the contemporary relationship to site proposed here—nomadic, small-scale gestures that are place-less and favor immediate familiarity over “preciousness.”
In McGinty’s “Stay Positive” and “Let it go”, the artist wraps streetwear printed with fortune-cookie-like platitudes around humidifiers on the gallery floor. Occasionally releasing feeble spurts of vapor, the tiny pieces literally do alter the ambiance of the space they occupy, albeit in an oddly un-dramatic way. Both mass-produced consumer products McGinty uses are designed to provide comfort on a modest scale. But the combination of the eponymous text and the seemingly absurd ambition of changing the atmosphere's moisture content lent the objects a kind of sad feeling of futility. Coming to terms with a lack of personal control over one’s environment seemed to be a recurring theme in the show, more than straightforward responses to specific sites. I couldn’t help but view these works through the lens of generational anxieties—powerlessness in the face of climate change, a nearly-nomadic lifestyle due to gentrification, and the ever-accelerating changes in the natural and built environments.
In that light, the RC Hummer, Nandi Loaf’s “Untitled (whorunit.music)” could be seen as a roaming bubble of sovereign space—aggressively colonizing (or perhaps decolonizing) whatever zone it rolls through. It evokes a party bus traversing a city, a floating island of chaotic fun in an increasingly controlled, sterile world. Scaled down to the context of a gallery, it becomes an anarchic counterpoint to the security drone—injecting mischief rather than policing order.
Eric Shaw, “How’s My Driving?”, 2015 Acrylic on rubber on wood panel.
The car is again referenced in Eric Shaw’s “How’s My Driving?”, a painting on rubber and wood panel that sits on the floor. It’s a Memphis-School-esque remix of a car interior’s anatomy—a postmodern reduction that renders the vehicle ergonomically dysfunctional but celebrates the design cues of the iconic space. Its position on the floor further obfuscates orientation. It brings to mind a road trip from the era of Patrick Nagel or Gary Numan’s “here in my car, I feel safest of all”—the direction is unknown, but the trip feels glamorous.
Mira Alibek “Hysterical Body (White),” “Hysterical Body (Nude),” and “Hysterical Body (Black),” 2015 Fabric (women’s underwear), polyurethane foam, epoxy resin, enamel
Throughout Sight | Site | Cite, there are numerous references to travel—or, as in Mira Alibek’s Hysterical Body series, personal space—but few engagements with urban or architectural space. Perhaps, after decades of musing on modernism and its legacy, unsuccessfully fighting the destruction/gentrification of the city, and the increasing importance of digital experiences, many artists are weary of engaging with the built environment. It’s a sea change that’s noticeable beyond the realm of representation—conventional “beauty” or urban convenience no longer seems to be a determining factor of where artists or galleries locate relative to cost, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of vinyl-sided “Quooklyn” or upstate suburbs. A decade ago, there was a certain East Coast snobbery toward Los Angeles, which was derided for lacking historic streetscapes, walkability, and public transit. Today, it’s rare to hear the “it’s not a real city” complaint as droves of artists decamp for sunnier, less-crowded LA. As the mainstream becomes more interested in commodifying urbanism, perhaps it’s no longer interesting to many artists who have grown accustomed to adapting to provisional residency.
Weronika Twardowska, “Travel Office”, 2015, Giclée print.
That’s not to say images of the built environment don’t still creep into the work here. Weronika Twardowska’s three photographs of Poland are great and tinged with absurdism. The unframed giclée prints are haphazardly nailed to the wall with mismatched hardware, simultaneously calling attention to the materiality of the images and placing the recognizably “fine art” objects on the same level of preciousness as the dollar-store aesthetics of many other works in the exhibition. In “Travel Office”, a sign for a travel agency—that weird, vestigial business—is overshadowed by a modernist housing block. Both the International Style architecture and the very idea of a travel agency are supposed to evoke could-be-anywhere cosmopolitanism, but the scene is so quintessentially Eastern European.
Weronika Twardowska, “While there is no Internet in the hotel”, 2014, Giclée print.
But the highlight is “While there is no Internet in the hotel,” documentation of the artist’s belongings arranged on a hotel bed to spell out “NO INTERNET.” It’s direct and funny, and relatable. Haven’t we all been bored by an unexpected lack of WiFi while traveling? I’m often embarrassed by the realization that I want to be online while I could be exploring a new physical place. But as this exhibition suggests, maybe a traveler’s greatest domestic comfort is access to an even more placeless space than a hotel room.
[HYPERALLERGIC] 11 Art Books to Add to Your Reading List This Summer
Winslow Homer's "Girl Reading Under an Oak Tree" (1879) with File Under: Slime by Christopher Michlig and a few other summer reads by her side (image via Wikimedia Commons, edit Shari Flores/Hyperallergic)
Today in Hyperallergic, I contribute my pick to their top 11 summer reads! Compiled and edited by Lakshmi Rivera Amin, the list represents Hyperallergic contributors' favorite art reads—one's worth adding to your reading list. Perfect for the studio, the beach, or virtually anywhere you read your books. I listened to the audiobook of my pick, and it was GREAT.
We’re Making Sure Museums and Non-Profits Will Pay You Fairly
Part of my work as a career coach for artists and the founder of the Netvvrk membership isn't just giving artists the skills to succeed within the art industry but leveraging the resources we have to make it easier for artists to thrive within this world.
The company exists to support artists through education AND advocacy.
That's why in 2022 VVrkshop donated to Working Artists in the Greater Economy, W.A.G.E. an organization that exists in service of a single achievable goal—regulating the payment of artist fees in the nonprofit sector.
That money helped launch W.A.G.E. 4.0, a project more than two years in the making that includes a new website, app, and increased pay rates to artists across the board.
I support W.A.G.E. because I believe that artists should be paid and that the industry standards for payment need to be raised and equalized.
We can make a more equitable industry.
We can change industry standards that haven't and won't serve artists.
This is just the start.
If you haven't already, become a Wagent.
Let's make this world better than the one we enter.
Paddy
VVrkshop Founder and CEO
W.A.G.E. has received generous support for this project from the Teiger Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, VVrkshop, Empty Gallery, Jason Huff & Carly Gaebe, David Kordansky Gallery, the Danielson Foundation, and a grant from an anonymous donor advised fund at The Chicago Community Foundation. Special thanks to Whitesmith & 10x Management, as well as Marisa Asari, Felix Buchholz, and Neil Oliver.
Art Problems: How To Deal With Difficult People
Welcome to the art world, which is filled with difficult people, oversized egos, and enough bullshit to drown out even the most eloquent artistic voices. (original photo by Dave Roth, graphic Sigourney Schultz/Hyperallergic)
Here’s the reality: People suck. They’ve always sucked. And no matter how many great people you surround yourself with, there’s always going to be some asshole ready to ruin the party. Sometimes you know the asshole. Sometimes you even like the asshole. But the asshole is still an asshole.
Welcome to the art world, which is filled with difficult people, oversized egos, and enough bullshit to drown out even the most eloquent artistic voices.
In my latest column for Hyperallergic I discuss three cases where difficult people create problems that have no good solutions and what to do in response.
Read all about it here in Hyperallergic
The VVrking Life of Contemporary Artists
Photo by: E. Brady Robinson
You know what the art world lacks? Infrastructure that supports artists.
There aren't enough mentors. There is no HR Department for the art world. We have to figure it out on our own.
And that's where Netvvrk comes in, a membership for artists. This week, I spoke with Rea McNamara for the publication East Room, about my career supporting artists and the problems I help you solve.
It's a good one!
Read it here and let me know what you think on Instagram.
Congratulations to 2023 Guggenheim Fellow Aaron Rothman!
Congratulations to photographer, Netvvrk member, and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow Aaron Rothman!
Aaron is part of a diverse group of 171 exceptional individuals chosen from nearly 2,500 applicants. You can see the full list here
I couldn’t be more proud!
Aaron will use the award to complete a series of digitally altered photographs of The Sierra Nevada that fuse the wonder they have long inspired with a growing sense of dread connected to climate change.
Please join us in congratulating Aaron on Instagram!
ART PROBLEMS: HOW DO I GET A PUBLIC ART COMMISSION?
(Image by Michael Sparendeo of Open Arcana Studio)
I’d love to be working on public and private art commissions, but I have no idea how to enter this world. Can you offer any advice? — lost but hopeful
The simple answer to the question of how you can secure art commissions is to apply for them. Or meet a rich person or interior designer. Or meet an artist who might let you apprentice. Or screw the system altogether and take over the side of an abandoned building or bus stop.
There are so many ways to get commissions, yet so few shared resources about how to secure them, that many artists never venture into the field. Moreover, many artists assume that the work they make will not translate well in a different medium, thus cutting themselves off from opportunities that might otherwise be available to them.
To answer your question, I decided to get advice from the horse’s mouth — the facilitators, commissioners, and artists making public art.
To read the full piece click here.
THE 39 BEST works of art to Give Under $500
Get the art you’ve always wanted to gift but never knew you could afford. This gift guide includes pins, prints, and paintings—landscape, abstraction, collage, and figuration. It exists so you can share something you genuinely love with others while supporting artists.
All works are made by Netvvrk members.
Stephanie Graham, Holy Gangster, 1.5" inch enamel pin Gold metal with white and gold glitter(2) Rubber backing clutch, $15
Purchase here. Purchase her other artworks under $500 here
Get the art you’ve always wanted to gift but never knew you could afford. This gift guide includes pins, prints, and paintings—landscape, abstraction, collage, and figuration. It exists so you can share something you genuinely love with others while supporting artists.
All works are made by Netvvrk members.
Sophia Sobers, Against The Grid .01, Archival fine art gicleé print, various sizes, ($35-$150)
Prints come with a 1” x 1” border. Listed print sizes do not include the border. The 1” border provides a means to matte and frame each print without hiding too much of the original artwork.
You can purchase it here
Purchase more of her artworks under $500 here
You can use these codes for discounts.
HOLIDAY10 - 10% off orders over $75
HOLIDAY15 - 15% off orders over $125
Christine Lorenz, Halophilic 2.2: Lenticular Prints (This item: large crystals, white background, light blue acrylic), $45
JoEllen Wang, Tarp Hill, Limited edition giclée print on archival matte fine art paper. Edition of 15, 8.5 inch x 11 inch $81.00
Mary Jo Matsumoto, Intuition Print - 5"x7" Signed Print, $100.00
Ethan Cranke “Encounter”, Oil on Arches Oil Paper, 9 inches x 12 inches, $110 (comes mounted, matted, and in a PH neutral bag)
To purchase, contact the artist
Kilian The Phantomat, The Golden Shadow of Transgender, Archival ink on textile paper 2022, 29 x 20 cm, $120 + shipping from the UK
You can contact the artist to purchase here
Elizabeth Briel, 108 Kowloon paper casts, bamboo and mulberry cast paper with occasional textile inclusions, 2022. A4 size, US $125 (HK$1000) each including international shipping anywhere in the world from Hong Kong
To purchase, contact the artist
Jeff Musser, Ink Study #1, Printed on 100% cotton rag paper, 11" x 14" in size. Unframed and limited to an edition of 10, $130
Michele Randall, AUNT DOT, encaustic on cradle board, 10 x 10”, $135
J Myszka Lewis, A Pocketful of Posies 7, 2022, Sculpture | Mixed Media | Fabric Flowers And Encaustic On Panel, 8.00 x 8.00 x 2.50 in | 20.32 x 20.32 x 6.35 cm, $150
Roberto Jackson Harrington, TTSP-Champ Poblenou, Edition of 5, 10x10 inches, $150
Jesse Farber, Jailbreak (A) - Original Handmade Collage Art, vintage photographs, acrylic paint, archival adhesive, 4.88 x 6.77, $150
Janet Hill, Small gouache paintings and small ceramic sculptures $150-$450
You can purchase Janet’s artworks for under $500 here
Tali Weinberg, Charcoal (8) - Drawing | Mixed Media | Fibers And Textiles, 5.00 x 7.00 x 0.50 in, $160
MJ Benson, Oil Paper#1, Oil painting on paper, Arches Oil Paper, 6x6” image, $175
Jenny Zoe Casey, "Ochre", acrylic, oil stick, paper, cut unstretched canvas, 24" x 18", 2022, $200
Message the artist to purchase
Crystal Hartman, SEED, best for ring size 6.5-7, $210
Allison Belolan, Celestial Reflection, 2022, Collage and gold leaf on paper, 8 x 10 inches,(can be framed) - $250
Howard Sherman, Limited-edition, signed poster from solo exhibition in Berlin, Germany, 33”(vertical) X 23”(horizontal), $250
Teresa Cox, GOLD, acrylic, ink on paper, 10X8, $275
To purchase, contact the artist.
See more of her works here.
Small drawings and works on paper for sale $125-300 on her website and IG.
John Cox, Untitled (Blue Violet Orange) Acrylic on Yupo, 7.5” x 10”, 2022, $275
Rebecca Youssef, Sight Seeing, Mixed media on recycled paper bags, Unframed (HxW): 14x11, $275
Philippe Halaburda, Acrylic, felt tip colored & tape on paper/white paper, magazines, various sizes, not framed, $275-$400
Purchase Philippe’s artworks for under $500 here
Michael Sorgatz, Gouache on 140lb Arches watercolor paper
Artwork size is 3x5 inches, mounted in an 8x10 mat that fits standard frames, $300
Purchase Michael’s artworks for under $500 here
Kaye Freeman, Pink Doe 2015, Ink and acrylic paint on paper, 16 x 10 in (40.64 x 25.4 cm), $300
Asli Narin, Tree Studies No.1 - Archival Inkjet Print on Hahnemulle, Photo Rag Paper/ 8x10 inches, $300
You can purchase all prints for under $500 here
Marc Alain, Heart (Hive), Hahnemühle FineArt Baryta Paper 325gsm, 21.3 x 17 inch Image on 24 x 18 inch Paper, An edition of 25/ 3AP (Each print is signed and numbered) $300.00
April Hannah, 100 Drawing Series, 010119, graphite on paper, 10 5/8 x 8 1/2 inches, unframed, signed on reverse, $300.00
Jacquelyn Strycker, Untitled C, Collage of risographs on handmade and Japanese papers with sewing and acryla gouache details. 21 x 13 inches - $325
Ann Tarantino, Hall of Gems 2022, Acrylic and airbrush on a laser-etched panel in a solid natural maple frame, 8 x 8 in. - $350
Jenn Wiggs, Stream of Moving Space, Ink and gouache, 12.5 x 22”. - $375
Julian Pozzi, Naturist Thoughts (4), 2022, Oil on canvas, 14 × 18 in | 35.6 × 45.7 cm, $400
You can Purchase it here
Andrew Robinson, Adonis Jones, wheel thrown in stoneware, tin-glazed and overglaze painted in the majolica tradition. 13 x 13 x 2.25 inches. Includes a wall hanger. - $400
Mark Perry, Blue Abstract Diptych, 2019, acrylic on paper, 14”x22” - $500.00
Annie Norbeck, Go On, Oil on Arches oil paper, Image size: 17.5 x 13 inches, Paper size: 20 x 16 inches, Frame size: 23 x 19 inches / Framed, $500.00
Meg Lagodzki, Overgrowth ‐ Oil ‐ Panel ‐ 8 x 10 ‐ Available ‐ $500.00 USD (Framed)
Carly Silverman, At Shoulder's Length 2020, Watercolor, 11.25 x 7.5, $500
Art Problems: I Don’t Make Art to Sell; Do I Still Belong in the Art World?
Art Basel Miami Beach in November, 2022. (graphic Nancy Zastudil/Hyperallergic, original photo Valentina Di Liscia)
I don’t make artwork to sell, and I’m starting to feel invisible. The media only covers art market stars, which is gross, but I can’t help feeling alienated. I don’t have a place at the Miami fairs, and I’m feeling down about my prospects in this industry. What can I do? — An outsider in an insider’s world.
I’m sure you’re not the only artist feeling out of sorts, thanks to the dominance of the December fairs. By this week’s end, there will be enough coverage of multimillion-dollar art sales and exclusive celebrity parties that most of us will despair over the vast inequality on display!
Regardless of how you feel about the millionaire and billionaire class, art fair events attract a lot of art professionals, so it’s usually an excellent way to meet people. Despite the number of artists who disavow the fairs, I’d wager most would rather be active participants. I’m not saying this is you, but for many artists I speak with, the problem has more to do with not being invited to the party than the party itself.
The trouble, of course, is that fair art is only one form of art making, and within that environment, it’s pretty easy to forget that other types of art exist. If the main opportunities for visibility center on blockbuster events and sales, outrage, and influencer fodder, then yeah, the people forging unique paths will be perceived to have less value and fewer avenues for visibility.
And that has real consequences for art because it means less diversity, less experimentation, and ultimately a culture where innovation can’t flourish.
Read the Full Article on Hyperallergic
Art Problems: Difficult Dealers, Difficult Art
(Graphic Paddy Johnson/Hyperallergic)
My gallerist alienates colleagues, friends, collectors, and critics and then complains, without filter, on social media. The gallery does not represent me, but it’s hard to leave regardless because the gallerist is a friend and seems to have abandonment issues. I feel guilty about leaving. I tried to discuss it but got dragged publicly on social media. What can I do? — Feeling alienated
Let’s start with the obvious. It’s not good for business or friendships to air personal grievances over social media. Your gallerist shouldn’t be doing that, and it’s best if you don’t continue in an abusive relationship.
But let’s also acknowledge that emotional blackmail makes it harder to leave the relationship, and the art world has few resources to deal with such situations. There’s no human resources department to report this to and no union to support you.
In a business relationship, we make decisions based on the benefits to the business. If I hire someone to help me with Photoshop and learn they can’t do the job, I find someone who can. In a personal relationship, well, maybe I put up with a shoddy job because there’s a social cost to levying criticism. I may damage my friendship. In more severe cases, self-doubt and anxiety — mental health costs — can make extracting ourselves from these situations even harder.
When we work with friends, we must balance the difference between the cost of doing business and the social costs that inevitably occur when we have opposing needs.
Your job is to lower the social cost of your departure to such an extent that you can leave the gallery with little to no damage to your reputation. The best way to achieve this is for your gallerist to believe that your departure demonstrates their success.
But does such a scenario exist?
Possibly.
Read the Full Article on Hyperallergic
WHY NETVVRK?
WHY NETVVRK?
What does it mean to Netvvrk?
Netvvrking is about how you think about the world and speaks to the underlying beliefs about what art is and what it can do.
It’s about finding healthy ways to operate in an industry that regularly exploits arts workers.
And ultimately, it’s about making the art world more hospitable to artists by transforming our relationship to it.
Let’s break this down into more tangible principles. These are three major components of a Netvvrked practice.
A Netvvrked Practice is Contextual
Understanding context is key to running a Netvvrked practice.
Taking context into account means Netvvrk exists in relationship to ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. Rather than operating on a winner-takes-all paradigm that supports the myth of individual genius, the Netvvrked artist understands that we never succeed alone. Others are always involved.
Thinking holistically means understanding that your capacity for positive influence as an artist is often far more impactful on other artists or individuals than through a more global viewing audience.
By first focusing on the circles where you actually have the most agency—yourself and direct community—you can have an effective and powerful impact on people’s lives, without burning out trying to reach a more elusive audience.
A Netvvrked Practice is Interrogative
A holistic studio practice requires constant reassessment based on new information, and new realizations. This means listening not only to yourself, but the community and people around you.
In Netvvrked practices, we don't just use studio visits with artists and curators to achieve goals, but to listen and hear how others are receiving and interpreting our work, which are part of the process of judgment. (Do I want to buy this? Do I want to exhibit this?) Questioning is a community practice that includes our peers and audiences.
To find balance as an artist, you need a willingness to constantly update beliefs and assumptions, and the ability to be wrong and do something about it.
Think back to context: art work does not get made in a vacuum. It exists and is understood in relationship with the world around it. This means that a Netvvrked practice learns from what has happened in the past, what’s happening in the present, and what will happen in the future.
The key here? Be responsive to what’s going on around you, rather than bulldozing through what the world is telling you in order to achieve single-minded goals.
Netvvrked Practice is Sustainable
Sustainability, in the context of Netvvrked artist practice, does not necessarily mean making a living from your art sales, but rather the ability to consistently grow a career over decades. This requires the fortitude to stick with your work even when no gains seem apparent.
The important thing here is longevity, persistence, and planting seeds that will develop into long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial; artist-curator, artist-artist, artist-institution, artist-critic, artist-dealer.
A Netvvrked practice does not thrive on exposure alone. That means shows are not the only important metric. Of course, exhibitions are important. But what do your personal success metrics look like?
For example, do you want to engage in meaningful collaborations or produce a catalog of your work? Or do you want to be able to spend time in your studio simply experimenting and growing? Often success can be defined as continuing to make what you want.
While you get to decide what success means to you, it’s important to acknowledge that you can control success entirely. Being interdependent means that our success depends on others, and that cultivating relationships is crucial to being successful. Thus success can’t be entirely determined on our own, but rather in collaboration with the network you develop.
What’s Next
Are you ready to take the next step in building your career as an artist and get group coaching, workshops, and community support with like-minded peers? Join the Netvvrk waitlist here.
Art problems: the vvrkshop podcast launch!
The Art Problems podcast is live!
I've got three binge-worthy episodes lined up for you, so let's dig in!
In the first episode of The Vvrkshop Podcast, Art Problems, you can expect to learn more about what you can expect in the episodes that follow, why I'm launching a Vvrkshop-specific podcast, and what makes Art Problems different
In the second episode I examine the unique structure of the art industry, and why making art for love creates the most impactful cultural expression while simultaneously seeding the conditions for exploitation. By the end, you'll have the context you need to make decisions that will empower you.
And in the third episode, I discuss some of the huge changes we're seeing in the art industry. You'll hear about the impact of artists moving away from bigger cities, the reduced effectiveness of large networking events and platforms, and the conditions fueling an increasing risk-averse industry. And you'll learn about the steps you need to take to build your career in this environment.
You can listen to The Art Problems podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or where ever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, let me know what you think by subscribing to the podcast, rating, and reviewing it. I want to help more artists, and your ratings and shares make that happen!
Art Problems: What If My Friends Aren’t Good Artists?
Also, how to back out of a contract with minimal damage?
(graphic Nancy Zastudil/Hyperallergic, original image via Fredrik Sørlie's YouTube channel)
I love my friends, and I’ve had some of them for over 20 years — but they aren’t good artists. I feel like I’ve forgotten how to make new friends. I don’t want to be a jerk and ditch them, but I feel stuck. What can I do? — Lonely in NYC
Most complicated social questions have a simple answer. In this case, don’t ditch the friends you love. Forge a few new friendships with artists whose work you admire and respect.
You have to do this work if you want your career to grow.
The hard truth is that you will never climb the ranks of any industry if you’re not continually making new friends and connections. How could you? Opportunities aren’t just the result of raw talent but a consistent effort to expose your work to new audiences. You can’t do that if you’re not always meeting new people. So, if you live in a remote part of the United States where you can’t connect with professionals on the coasts, you will need to spend time building your local connections, rock your social media, and find ways to make trips to art centers.
Read the Full Article on Hyperallegic
VVrkshop Founder Paddy Johnson Profiled in Shoutout LA
Shoutout LA recently caught up with VVrkshop Founder Paddy Johnson! Read the full interview below!
MEET PADDY JOHNSON, COACH FOR VISUAL ARTISTS
We had the good fortune of connecting with Paddy Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Paddy, why did you pursue a creative career?
Probably the reason any young person does anything is a mix of naïveté and pragmatism, it’s really just a question of where the percentage of each falls. In my case, I knew I was an excellent draftsman and I thought fame would ensure an artistic legacy. Neither turned out to be of any relevance. I stopped making art when I started my blog and became consumed by it, and after 15 years of doing that, I pivoted to coaching. I now run Netvvrk, a membership helping hundreds of artists get the shows, residencies, and grants of their dreams.
In some ways, I think the better question for the visual arts, though, is why I have continued in the arts at all. It’s so hard to make a living in this field, and that’s just not the case for so many other industries.
But I do this for the same reason so many others stay the course—nothing makes me happier. And I mean this in the broadest sense, because it’s not just the experience of seeing art that sparks joy, but the thrill of working with artists who are constantly coming up with new ideas. Nothing is better than this—nothing.
What should our readers know about your business?
VVrkshop’s flagship membership Netvvrk helps artists get the shows, residencies, and grants of their dreams.
We achieve that with our artists through a combination of ongoing career development support and business networking—a business structure that sets us apart from our peers who offer one-off courses or memberships that aren’t designed for connection.
Now, we offer ongoing career support because artists NEED ongoing support. If you’re making art and promoting it, you’re not gonna have one set of problems that once solved will catapult you to a new level in your work. You’re going to face different and changing challenges throughout your career. And you need someone who has seen those problems and knows how to deal with them.
The problem, of course, is that that someone doesn’t exist. Why? Because the scope of problems is too large for one person to solve. I’ve been working in the New York art scene for more than 20 years, and have worked in more roles, at high levels, than almost anyone. And I still haven’t seen everything. But my network is huge, so I have the resources to help the artists in the Netvvrk membership solve almost any problem.
That’s why communities that thrive on knowledge sharing are essential to any artistic practice. Typically that’s happened through facebook groups and google spreadsheets. These can be tremendously important resources, but they’re also extremely inefficient. Finding the information you need, when you need it, just doesn’t happen if you need to spend hours searching a spreadsheet for the single applicable link to your practice.
Netvvrk solves that problem through curriculum that is designed to be digested quickly, group coaching that helps you put what you’re learning into action, and extensive, easily searchable, archives. That’s not an accident. I have a background in blogging, so information sharing and organization is in my DNA.
That background taught me a lot. It taught me that artists need extended support, because I could see their work and their problems evolve with the culture. It taught me that there are ENORMOUSLY talented artists working across the country that needed to connect with each other, and with the press. And it taught me that I could have more impact when so much of my time was dedicated to rescuing an organization that suffered from terminal financial instability. Publishing. does. not. pay. folks.
Netvvrk provides an elegant solution to these problems easily connecting artists and talent for the long term. And that has a larger importance than just bettering the lives of artists. It betters the lives of EVERYONE. I believe art makes the world a better place. I KNOW that sounds like a platitude, but it’s true. Think of any public space and how looks before and after it’s activated by art. Everything space feels more hospitable, more like home, when it’s filled with art. And when we have more artists succeeding, more artists getting their art seen, we gain a more humane culture.
So, even this small support Netvvrk offers promises an impact far beyond its promises. It delivers art to more people, and that makes us on the whole.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A week is never enough time to see all the sights in New York, but I always encourage friends to engage the city by geography first. What do I mean by that? I mean, take at least one ferry. It’s a fabulous way to see the city and allows you to see it from a natural view point—the water. I recommend spending a lot of time walking. New York is a pedestrian friendly city, and we pack a lot into a small space, so you can see a lot just by walking. Walk along the Highline, an elevated public park born from train tracks. Watch the crosstown traffic flow across 26th street through a simple rectangular frame. Head down to the street below to tour the blue chip Chelsea Galleries.
There’s enough art in New York that you can spend a full week doing nothing else. Schedule a full day for the Metropolitan Museum of art. Get a hot dog from one of the cart vendors outside. Take a walk around Central Park.
And then see what happens. The beauty of New York is that there’s enough happening at any given time that you don’t have to plan out every inch of your day, nor should you. At some point, you’ll run into someone you know, and your plans will change for the better. Because that’s the way this city works.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this story to Robin Cembalest of Robin Cembalest Editorial Strategies, who came to me with the idea of starting VVrkshop back in 2020. Without her, the company literally would not exist. She is a good egg.
Image Credits
Photo in gallery: Sheilah Restack Photo with skyline: E. Brady Robinson Photo in office and at coffee shop: Barbara Nitke
Via:
Shoutout LA
https://shoutoutla.com/
the difference Between An Art Viewer and An Art Audience
Paddy Johnson viewing Mike Kelley’s, “More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid” at The Whitney Museum of Art
No, this is not semantic hairsplitting!
In fact, confusion around these terms might be the most common cause of wheel spinning amongst artists who want shows.
Here’s the distinction:
A viewer is anyone who looks at your art. It includes the randos who might see your work at an open studio event, the mindless instagram scrollers, and yes, the more dedicated art lovers.
The average art viewer is likely far less attached to your work than you. They may enjoy it, but that’s about the extent of it.
The average art viewer is not your audience.
Your audience is anyone who is interested in showing your work or supporting your work. They are not an average art viewer, though they will look at the work, just as the viewer would.
Why bother making this distinction?
Because if you’re not getting the shows you want, the cause is most likely not the quality of your art, but the quality of your promotion.
If you want to show, there are venues for virtually art, at any level, for all mediums.
But if you don’t know your audience, well, good luck getting more shows.
So, what can you do to attract your audience?
I’ve got a reel that offers a few tips and a highlights section on Instagram that expands on these thoughts.
If you want to learn the full framework I use to help artists get more shows, look for my upcoming webinar, Three Steps to Getting More Shows which goes live Monday June 12th. It will give you all the information you need to take your career to the next level.
Four Reasons You're Not Gaining Visibility for Your Art
In my previous post I talked about how the hollowing out of the media industry has shifted a larger share of promotional work to artists.
In this post, I want to talk about how to increase your media literacy, and apply those skills to the promotion of your work, so you can gain not just visibility for your art, but the opportunities that can come with it when done right.
So, let’s begin by recounting a familiar scenario:
You’ve come up with an amazing series of new art works.
You know exactly what your show could look like.
And you feel like you’ve really mastered your medium and concepts.
So you share the work on your social media account, and . . . crickets.
Nobody’s talking about it. You’ve got a few likes on Instagram, but zero inquiries about the work. Your friends have been encouraging, but otherwise, nothing.
What’s happening? Why is something you know is good, getting zero attention?
A lack of attention is feedback from your art audience. Something isn’t working, and this gives you an opportunity to change what you’re doing to more effectively communicate with that audience.
I know that not getting the visibility you want for your art can be demoralizing. I’ve seen it happen to countless artists, and it’s happened to me too. It suuucks.
There is hope, though. From my years of experience working with artists I’ve learned there are four primary reasons your art isn’t getting attention. And the good news is that every one of these issues can be resolved. So, let’s do a bit of troubleshooting.
Reason #1: You’re Not Actually Promoting It
You shared a post or two about your art on Instagram with all the details. That’s enough for now, right?
No.
First, it’s not enough to post on Instagram and head back to the studio. Now, this actually isn’t that different from approaching the press. Press outreach is not effective unless you’re talking to members of the press at least three months prior to making an ask. They want to know who you are before making an investment of time in you. The same is true for any other human. We don’t go to see shows or engage in work until a level of trust is established first.
Which brings me to my second point, which is that social media doesn’t work when used sporadically. It requires consistent effort and posting over a prolonged period of time. Your audience needs to get to know you and your work.
And normally this needs to happen through your social media accounts, AND your website, AND your mailing list. If you want people to become aware of what you’re making, you’ll need to let them know about it, REPEATEDLY, and through different channels.
Why?
Because your audience is just like you. They’re BUSY. They’ve got dinner to make, kids to take care of, personal challenges to contend with, and, yes, a variety of horrific news stories to process. (Thanks, America.) One post will be forgotten in a flash. Hell, two posts will be forgotten in a flash. Even your biggest fans are likely to forget you’ve shown new work amidst all the shit they have to deal with. And that’s true for you too! How many friend’s shows have you missed that you WANTED TO SEE because you forgot it was happening, or simply missed the notifications?
The upside of relying on multiple methods of outreach, though, means that there’s less pressure to make them perfect. So, your email isn’t expertly formatted and you’re still getting the hang of instagram. It doesn’t matter. Most people won’t notice and you’ve got more than one chance to get it right.
If adding to your to-do list feels less than appealing, or you’re not sure what to say to people because your work develops slowly, I’ve got you. Start small and work up. Here’s how to maximize what you’re already doing.
Repurpose your content. Choose an instagram post that did well from three months ago and repost it. No one will notice. Remember, your audience is busy. Repetition is good for them.
Share Instagram posts to your stories. I do this regularly because some people don’t look at the posts and vice versa!
If you don’t have a mailing list and don’t know where to start, email your contacts on gmail, ask if they want to be added, and voila! You’ve got a mailing list.
If you don’t have any shows on the horizon, tell people what you’ve been working on for the last few months. This is COMMON and a great way to engage your audience.
Remember, if you don’t tell anyone about what you’re making, they can’t show it.
Reason #2: Your Writing Is Ineffective
So maybe you are sharing a lot. You’re posting on social media every day, but your follower count is stuck, and nobody is inviting you to do shows.
At this point, it’s time to assess how you’re promoting yourself. What are you saying about your art? What is your primary message?
Knowing how to describe your art well is a skill that needs to be learned. It’s what arts journalists learn to do, and the reason they’re good at it is nobody will care what they write if they aren’t thinking about an audience.
You need to do this too. The first step is to throw away art jargon that plagues gallery press releases. You do not need to sound like that, and if you do, people will not respond to your work. You’re an artist, not a branded gallery. Practice describing your art in a way that’s clear and free of words like, “praxis” and “hegemonic structures”.
Remember that your audience wants to know why your work is relevant to them. “I’m so excited to announce the launch of my new show” surely rings true for you—and yes, we should celebrate—but it’s not a reason for anyone to go see it.
As an art maker, your concern is often driven by your interests and what you get out of the work. An audience does not care about your interests. They care about what they get out of the work, and how your interests align with theirs.
Once you learn how to communicate this, you will be able to repeatedly apply it to new bodies of work, and gain attention for it.
Reason #3: Your Audience Has Seen Your Work and No Longer Responds
In the marketing world, we refer to this as “audience saturation”, and it takes quite a bit to get to this place. Further, I don’t suggest placing a lot of emphasis on audience growth until your messaging has been refined.
Why?
Because growth won’t convert into opportunities until you know how to express how your work operates.
But at some point, all the interested members of your audience will have seen your work and the opportunities will slow. This is not unlike a media story that gets old.
Here are the parameters to get a better sense of when your audience might be saturated:
You used to get DMs about your work, but now it’s crickets.
Your audience is relatively stagnant, with no flow of new followers for a while.
If you fit these criteria, it might be time to work on expanding your reach. The goal in expanding reach is to increase awareness of what you make. My favorite way to do that is through collaborations—interviews, group art projects and exhibitions, instagram takeovers—basically fun stuff. I’ll be talking about this more in another post, but the reason collaborations work really well is that they not only grow your art audience but strengthen your network. And you know we’re all about that here :)
Reason #4: Your Art Doesn’t Look Very Good
Oof. AWKWARD.
But we have to talk about it.
I want to start by making a couple of things clear.
First, what your work looks like is not the same as being a bad artist. So, let’s separate your worth as an artist from what you make.
You determine your worth—not your audience, not your collectors, not your friends. And you’re the only one who can do this because you’re the one with the vision. Your vision is what establishes your criteria for success.
When we talk about what your work looks like, we’re really talking about what you make and how you present it. And for mid-career artists, this is the part that tends to need improvement—not your vision.
Now, because you’re emotionally attached to what you make, it can be difficult to impartially assess what’s working and what’s not. And this can lead to frustration when your audience doesn’t respond.
But if people aren’t responding to what you share, that feedback should tell you something.
Part of your frustrations may simply lie in poor documentation. You need a professional photographer. You need installation images. If you don’t prioritize these things you will get fewer opportunities. It’s that simple.
But sometimes the work you make will feel out of step with what’s popular. And I want to acknowledge here that this is an actual concern for artists, not something you’re just worried you might be experiencing.
The thing is, that self-consciousness can lead to insufficient development of bodies of work. That’s bad!
Ask yourself the following questions: Are your art making decisions specific responses to your environment, or do they stem from a more generalized set of concerns and anxieties? The more specific our response is, the more unique our perspective and our voice.
What’s Next
The fact that you’re having trouble gaining visibility for your art doesn’t mean you should stop trying. Sufficient promotion, excellent writing, ample reach, and unique vision can all be refined as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t in your practice.
So the next time your inbox is devoid of emails, just ask yourself: what can I do differently next time?
The decision to refine your promotion, writing, reach, and vision marks an excellent time to get support from the experts. And that’s where the Netvvrk membership comes in. If you want access to robust coaching, curriculum, and a thriving community of artists, join the Netvvrk waitlist. We want you here
Why it’s so hard to get press coverage
At a recent opening, I was offered money on top of whatever money I got from the publication to write a review of the show.
Now, I declined because I don’t write for any publications where this would be okay.
And it’s not really a review if I’m paid by the gallery, is it?
That’s a catalogue essay.
For ethical reasons, I would never write a “review” under those conditions.
I bring this situation up, though, because I don’t see that most small galleries have a shot at much coverage.
The trade magazines exist to serve blue chip galleries and artists. Reviews don’t garner nearly so many eyeballs as lists designed to help readers navigate a sea of artists. And no offense to the influencers out there, but an instagram review is not the same. (And often plagued by undisclosed conflict of interest.)
What is left of major media doesn’t have the bandwidth to cover the smaller shows, which leaves independent art critics, who can’t make a living off the work. So, offers like this will go further than they should in some circumstances.
The point is, I’m not sure most artists and galleries can look to trade media or mass media any more for critical feedback.
And that makes me sad, because it has an effect on the level of public discourse that can be had in the visual arts, and how culture is tested and evolves.
How does art reflect the culture?
What is that culture telling us about our values?
That we are rudderless and in need of beacons. That there is not enough support out there to make even basic navigational decisions.
This imbalance, BTW, is why I started Netvvrk, a membership for artists.
As an artist, you didn’t into this field. to become a content creator. And now that we can’t rely on press, this is what’s being asked of you by social media platforms.
You need support that gives you the means to navigate the art industry without diluting your core skills and talent.
You need the freedom to spend your time solving problems in the studio, rather than on a word processor.
And this is what high-level training gives you.
Imagine being able to participate in the critical discourse without having to sacrifice all of your time to make that happen.
I’ll be honest—I don’t major media making a return to prominence in this environment. I think it’s a set back for all of us.
But that just means we need to adapt, and create new systems that help you get the visibility you deserve for your art.
SOURCE
navigating scarcity by building self-worth
It all begins with an idea.
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A while back I told a new bookkeeper about how Netvvrk helps artists gain visibility for their work by giving them the tools they need to secure shows and residencies.
“Oh, so you’re helping artists make a living off their art,” he told me.
“Well, no,” I said, and then explained that in the art world, it’s possible to be famous as an artist and still be poor.
My bookkeeper’s perspective isn’t so unique. For a lot of people what artists do is completely incomprehensible.
You’re not doing this as a hobby so why dedicate your entire life to it if you don’t get paid, and when you do, payment reflects a fraction of the labor you put into the work?
The closest analogy I have for mid-career artists comes from the world of sports—“Pro-Ams”, a term for athletes who treat training as a professional would. Many Pro-Ams will never compete in the high-profile professional races, and usually have related jobs to support their passion. Sound familiar?
Perhaps a better known example for its exploitation of labor, though, comes from the tech industry. It’s built just like the art world. It engages people who will share their labor for no cost because their desire for connection drives their behaviors.
Artists are like users on Instagram—your desire to connect through art is strong enough that you’ll do it for free. Once that’s known, that behavior is exploited.
The result? A highly skilled labor force made up of arts workers that often do not make enough money to live on.
If you’re reading this right now, it’s likely you’re an artist who is working at a high level, because that’s the kind of artist I build my program around and attract.
It’s also true that you’ve probably dealt with self-doubt or imposter syndrome. Now, that’s normal. It happens to almost everyone and plagues all industries.
But it’s ubiquitous in the field of fine art, and part of the reason for that has to do with how little compensation artists receive for work that requires a large amount of time and skill to execute.
You’re not immune to your surroundings, so obviously this will affect your sense of self-worth.
Spelling out the problem, gives us the ability to stake out our value.
Rather than coming from a space where we believe our worth is less than others, we can understand that our worth is shaped by the context we’re in.
That’s not just an intellectual exercise. It’s also the power of art, which doesn’t communicate without context.
If we understand how art works, and we understand how our own context works, then we also understand that we’re not beholden to context.
That doesn’t mean we’re going to reshape the context we’re in, but we can reshape our relationship to that context. And that’s the most powerful tool we have.
It’s the understanding that you are responsible for maintaining your agency—knowing that you are not beholden to anything other than putting your own self care and career first.
It means getting the support you need to build your career.
It means asking for more money, even when it’s scary to do so.
It means connecting with artists you can collaborate with who know there’s a better way to live.
The mindset shift I’m talking about is really important, because it’s the difference between living in a world that feels like it’s full of scarcity and one that can be redefined through abundance.
SOURCE
VVrkshop Instagram: Why Understanding Your Self-Worth Will Give You Agency