Thursday, September 29, 2005

Boot Camp for Artists

On Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005, we will present another one of our highly successful "Success as an Artist" Seminars. This next seminar will be jointly hosted with the good people from Art-O-Matic, and the Warehouse Theater, Café and Gallery, on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005 from 10:30-6PM, with lunch provided.

The seven hour seminar, which has been taken by over 2,000 artists and arts professionals from all over the Mid Atlantic is designed to deliver information, data and proven tactics to allow artists to develop and sustain a career in the fine arts. The seminar costs $80 (includes lunch) and is limited to 50 people. For more details please visit this website. For this seminar, sometimes called "Boot Camp for Artists" by the attendees, people as far as Arizona, California, New York and South Carolina have attended, including many, many university level art professionals.

In its seven hour format, the seminar covers a wide range of structured issues including:

1. Materials - Buying materials;strategies for lowering your costs, where and how to get it, etc.

2. Presentation – How to properly present your artwork including Conservation issues, Archival Matting and Framing, Longevity of materials, a discussion on Limited editions, signing and numbering, Prints vs. Reproduction, discussion on Iris Prints (Pros and Cons).

3. Creating a resume - Strategy for building your art resume, including how to write one, what should be in it, presentation, etc.

4. Juried Shows – An Insider's view and strategy to get in the competitions.

5. How to take slides and photographs of your artwork

6. Selling your art – A variety of avenues to actually selling your artwork, including fine arts festivals, corporate acquisitions, galleries, public arts, etc.

7. Creating a Body of Works

8. How to write a news release

9. Publicity – How to get in newspapers, magazines, etc. Plus handouts on email and addresses of newspaper critics, writers, etc.

10. Galleries – Discussion on area galleries including Vanity Galleries, Co-Operatives, Commercial Galleries, Non-profit Art spaces, etc.

11. How to approach a gallery – Realities of the business, Contracts, Gallery/Artist Relationship, Agents.

12. Outdoor Art Festivals – Discussion and advice on how to sell outwork at fine arts festivals, which to do, which to avoid, etc.

13. Resources - Display systems and tents, best juried shows and ones to avoid.

14. Accepting Credit cards – How to set up your art business.

15. Grants – Discussion on how to get grants in DC, Regional and National, including handouts on who and where and when.

16. Alternative Marketing - Cable TV, Local media

17. Internet – How to build your website at no cost, how to establish a wide and diverse Internet presence.

The seminar has been a spectacular success, and the feedback from artists can be read online at here and we continue to receive tremendous positive feedback on the practical success that this seminar has meant for those who have taken it.

You can sign up for the seminar at 301/718-9651 (starting next week) or via email (immediately) at info@thefrasergallery.com. Hurry, as the 50 spaces usually book very quickly, and we already have a bunch of people signed up (they already were on a wait-list from the last time that the seminar was offered and sold out).

Marianela de la Hoz

When I visited the Mirrors/Espejos exhibition currently at the Cultural Institute of Mexico, I immediately fell in love with the tiny paintings of Mexican artist Marianela de la Hoz.

Last night I had dinner with her (she lives in San Diego), and I am happy to report that we will be bringing her work to the DC area in the future; meanwhile go see her amazing work at the Institute.

Galleries in Mags

I haven't seen the magazines yet, but I am told that the Washington Flyer magazine has an excellent article on the 14th Street galleries. You can read that article online here. Other than one to-be-expected negative and typically ill informed, fact-less opinion/quote, it's a super article by Heather Morgan Shott, which describes the art scene around the many galleries now clustered around the 14th street corridor, and rightfully so focuses on the hard work of Sarah and Patrick of Fusebox in becoming the initial gallery magnet for that area.

And the first issue of the huge new super glossy DC, published by Modern Luxury is also out, and this first issue has a profile of the Hirshhorn's Olga Viso and also a profile and discussion of our upcoming Georgetown video/painting show by Scott Hutchison.

Let's hope that DC magazine continues to pay attention to our area's visual art scene, and let's also hope that Washington Flyer continues to discuss our city's widespread gallery pockets in future issues.

Well Done!

Tate, Cojones and Bailey

Edward Winkleman reports on the Tate's decision to remove artwork from an exhibit. Read it here.

Bailey reacts. Read that here.