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Piscasso's Les Femmes d'Alger
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Lessons from the Great Artists
Robin Markowitz
If anyone can teach us how to prepare to be an artist, it would be the icons of art history. Aside from the art of perseverance, what can the greatest artists of all time teach us? This is a short list of my impressions.
1. Never Stop Making Art. Artists teach us to put ourselves on the line. Consider that Picasso, Monet, El Greco and Gaughin, among countless other artists, endured scathing criticism during their lifetimes. The very moment you create something, you open yourself up to critique. Whether you ask for it or not, art criticism can be a hard pill to swallow. Be Brave - Make Art.
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Georgia O'Keefe's Black Iris
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2. Ignore Trends - Be Yourself. Create you own art by ignoring artistic trends and the fetters of society. By bucking expectations the pioneering artists created a unique and revolutionary body of work.
3. Master the Basics. Henri Matisse believed that in order to achieve personal expression, artists must learn the basics of artmaking-composition, line, and light -and be well-versed in the masters techniques before being expressive.
4. Embrase Imperfection. We live in a society obsessed with perfection. But artists teach us that mistakes are the pathways to discovery. Willem De Kooning didn't shy away from failure. In fact, he believed "that serious art was doomed to fall short of its potential," as art historian Robert Storr has explained. Perhaps surprisingly, the concept motivated de Kooning's work. "Failure ought to take your whole life, active life," the painter once said. Often, he would rework canvases over and over again, letting mistakes guide his next composition.
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Agnes Martin
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5.
Studio = Sanctuary:
Agnes Martin, the legendary mimimalist painter, reflecting her commitment to and respect for the work said "You must clean and arrange your studio in a way that will forward a quiet state of mind," she explained. "This cautious care of atmosphere is really needed to show respect for the work."
6. Support Systems are Crucial. The creative process can be unpredictable and offers no guaranteed product. You have to find the resilience in yourself and your support systems to continue. Van Gogh had his brother Theo, Georgia O'Keeffe had Alfred Stieglitz.
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Louise Bourgeois
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7. Make Art About
Your
Life:
Louise Bourgeois
maintained that
art and life were one. "Art is not about art. Art is about life, and that sums it up," she declared. Her insistence that her art was a daily exorcism of her experiences, traumas, and inner turmoil, set her apart from most of her peers early in her career.
8. Creativity, Eccentric or Weird. Many artists are classified by society as "weird" or "eccentric." I'm not sure if people confuse eccentricity with creativity, but I like Einstein's insight that "great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
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| Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet |
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9. Never Give Up. Of the most valuable paintings in the world, 8 were created by Van Gogh, who sold a solitary painting during his lifetime. Not that we want to wait a century to be paid or recognized but have hope is the moral of this tale.
Sadly, many of history's most famous artists died before their work was ever celebrated. What can we learn from this? You need to market your work today, creating a physical and digital footprint that will last forever.
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| Rolling Application - Apply Today |
Last Chance to APPLY:
Click logo for more information!
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St. Charles, MO
Application Closes: 5/20/19
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Littleton, CO
Application Closes: 5/30/19
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Durango, CO
Application Closes: 5/21/19
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Bluffton, NC
Application Closes: 5/31/19
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Click HERE to view more Calls to Artists:
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September 21-22, 2019
Discussion with Troy Gagner, Lincoln Arts Festival Event Director
What are the advantages of the new location?
We are excited for the change of venue for the 19th Annual Lincoln Arts Festival (LAF) as Downtown Lincoln has always been the heart of Lincoln's vibrant art scene. The 2019 Festival will be held in conjunction with
Lincoln Calling - Lincoln's largest music festival which draws acts from around the country.
Downtown Lincoln is the artistic, cultural and entertainment hub of the community and has been ranked as one of the top ten downtowns in the nation. It's a natural congregation place and a vibrant destination.
The move to downtown Lincoln will allow us to add more artists and we expect more than 20,000 people to visit the Festivals.
Explore the relationships you are building in creating a cultural destination weekend.
Visitors can truly make the weekend of LAF an arts weekend. Just steps from LAF, our partner Lincoln Calling will be showcase more than 100 music artists at various outdoor and indoor venues.
That same weekend will also host "Play on P Street", a free public art event that will offer everything from performance art and dance to situational sculpture and will take place along P Street to both to the west and east of the LAF footprint.
Talk about the
Lincoln Arts and the impact of the organization on the Festival.
Our Mission is Championing the Arts, Connecting People, Changing Lives.
LAC's goal is to increase repeat access to quality arts experiences for all residents of our community and the Lincoln Arts Festival is just one of the many ways we do that. LAC and been producing the Lincoln Arts Festival since its inception 19 years ago.
Each year LAC provides art opportunities to more than 2,500 under-resourced students and at-risk youth through the upstArt program in partnership with Lincoln Public Schools.
LAC provide grants to arts organizations offering arts programs or projects which show cultural and generational diversity or focus on under-resourced youth. And, our Emerging Artist program at the Lincoln Arts Festival provides opportunities for new artists to show their work.
Our commitment to arts access for everyone is a key feature of LAF and a why LAF has always been free of charge to attendees.
When you look at the next decade, what do you see for this industry?
(The answer to this question is more about the arts community in Lincoln rather than the industry as a whole)
Lincoln is a growing city with a population of nearly 300,000. Our economy is more and more focused on our growing "creative class" - workers in the fields of science, engineering, education, computer programming, research - along with arts, design, and media workers. Lincoln nurtures this creative class fully engaged in the creative process. Our workforce is creative and innovative.
The Arts are important to these creative workers and our Downtown has become a cultural mecca for the Arts in our community. The Arts will continue to be a major economic benefit citywide, generating $99 million in total economic activity, and Downtown is the centerpiece of the arts and culture sector.
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This Issue's Quote: "Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do" Edgar Degas
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Health Hazzards, Studio Safety and Proper Disposal of Paints and Solvents
If life were fair art would be a naturally green endeavor. You could paint a mural, mosaic a table, or glaze your ceramics without a care.
But this is the real world, and paints, glues, and glazes can pose hidden health hazards that we should be aware of.
L
abels to Look For (and to Look Out For)
All art supplies sold in the US must bear the phrase, "conforms to ASTM D 4236," confirming that they have been properly labeled for chronic health hazards, in accordance with the federal
Labeling Hazardous Art Materials Act (LHAMA).
To go even further when it comes to art materials and safety, also look for labels from the
Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). ACMI is a nonprofit membership organization made up of art supply manufacturers, who voluntarily agree to have their materials evaluated by independent toxicologists and tested by accredited, independent labs for safety every five years, as well as randomly and whenever product formulas change.
Click
HERE
to find a list of eco-friendly art suppliers.
Studio
Safety
- What you need to do to stay safe
- Substitution or elimination of the hazardous agents
- Exhaust ventilation, process enclosure, dilution ventilation
- Store chemical products properly. Containers should have screw-top lids
- Store acids in separate cabinet and in glass or plastic containers with a plastic lid
- Flammable liquid storage - lids tightly closed when not in use to prevent vapors from igniting
- Personal protective equipment (e.g., respiratory protection, gloves, eye protection)
- Wet-wipe surfaces rather than sweeping or vacuuming (and if you must use a vacuum, make sure it has a HEPA filter). Avoid carpet use.
CERF has created a Studio Safety Guide that helps protect you and your art. Take advantage of this helpful tool.
Proper Paint Disposal
Golden Paints
, one of the leading producers of artist grade paint has a handy list of disposal tips for acrylic paint. These include how to best cleaning your tools and instructions for disposing acrylic paints.
Golden Paints
also has instructions for removing acrylic from water before dumping it
Many artists have questions about solvent safety
.
Outside of water, there are no totally safe solvents, though there are some that are significantly safer than others. Jackson's is a wonderful resource for comparing the safety of solvents and how to best care for your materials.
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| Arts Council of Southeast Missouri |
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Show Directors and Producers
What Can Art-Linx Do For You?
*Increase applications to your festival
*Create a positive impression of your event
*Tell artists about important developments
*Expand your pool of loyal artists
*Create a focused, cost effective marketing program to potential exhibitors
*...and much more!.
Call or email us today for a no obligation consultation on your artist marketing needs!
Click HERE for more information
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Let us know what topics interest you and Art-Linx will work to include them in the next Art Festival Newsletter - Published July 17, 2019
Contact Robin Markowitz
202-251-0637
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Looking for
information on festivals?
Deciding where to apply?
Need
updates on festival participation trends?
Visit our website!
www.Art-Linx.com
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Ceramic Artist Grants & Residencies
What to share ideas, get advice and explore new techniques. Residencies and Fellowships are a fabulous option. For more information go to
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Grant Opportunities for Women Artists
Need help finding grants specifically for women artists? Go to
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