Skills and Bills

[Jillian Moore]

While I made it to half of the exhibitions on the crawl, I still plan to catch the rest of the shows.  There's such a volume of locations that it's proving difficult, and I'm finding myself stuck choosing between lectures, discussions, and exhibitions.  It's a good problem to have, but it's making me feel like a failure with regard to my coverage.  Thankfully there will be a lot of follow-up reviews of the exhibitions.  To be honest, I'm finding a much more interesting trend that is hard to photograph so I've just given you some eye candy to keep you reading.

 

Multiple lecturers have been touching on something that has been tacitly avoided--the stuff that isn't their fabulous one-of-a-kind, conceptual, iconic work.  From one hour artist lectures to the new and much appreciated 15 minute introductory lectures, as well as the Niche Marketing portion of the PDS, people are talking about what they do to make money.  It is unbelievably refreshing.  I'm getting a growing sense that many people are moving away from the myth of the teaching job for every newly graduated MFA and embracing the reality that the rest of the US has been dealing with as well--the economy is crap and if you can't find a job, make a job. 

 

When I finished school I never thought I would end up making rings, earrings, and small scale brooches to sell with regularity.  I felt a certain ingrained guilt about that kind of work.  I've been learning how to give myself permission to do that, to make the work I need with the skills I have to support myself.  And what's the shame in that?  It's nice to see it up on the big screen at SNAG--I never thought I'd see the day...

[Harriete Estel Berman]

There is definitely room for both one of a kind and production/multiples.

Both lines of work can provide momentum from each other. I think our Niche Marketing speakers provided able evidence during the Professional Development Seminar that each line can be valuable in developing your career.

 

Stayed tuned to ASK Harriete for more updates and information from the Professional Development Seminar. The handouts are available on line. We hope to be able to provide a recording with the PowerPoints from our speakers.