Possible Futures: Developing Plural Practices in Contemporary Visual Art
/When I was in college getting my BFA, many of my classmates were contemplating going on to get their MFA for the sole purpose of being able to teach afterwards. The common assumption was that you wouldn't be able to make a living as an artist, so teaching would provide income while you also tried to maintain an art practice.
In the new podcast from X-Tra - “Artists and Rights” - artist Todd Gray described how earlier on in his career he worked as a commercial photographer to pay the bills. In reference to his art making and commercial work, he goes on to say:
“I really kept them separate
- like church and state -
but I think times have changed.”
Though the most commonly recognized professional roles for artists have been through gallery representation and teaching, these models’ availability and stability are increasingly precarious. More and more artists are developing parallel practices that are complementary to their art-making and that also offer stable income and deeper engagement with their communities. As Todd Gray says, "times have changed" and the acceptance of these new models is becoming more and more common.
Corrina Peipon (artist and independent consultant) and I have conceived of a series of discussions around the concept of plural practices. In partnership with ICA LA, we have lined up a wonderful group of local artist practitioners to talk about their work and share their insight with us.
This series is coming up on July 22 and July 29. Each session will be divided into two parts - first to hear from artists about their practice/s, and then to go deeper into conversation through breakout groups. Some things we will be offering up for discussion:
How do artists make and find opportunities for themselves? How does one go about launching a new project, connecting with partners and cultivating resources? How can artists maximize the resources available to them? What are some existing models that artists can replicate in terms of sales platforms, artist collectives and parallel businesses? How can artists develop supportive communities that empower them and create cultures of support rather than competition? How can artists rise above their insecurities and grow their confidence to move forward?
These conversations are designed to encourage artists to be expansive in their thinking about what their art career could look like, and to provide tools to move towards that possible future.
Complete details are below; I hope to see you there.
Session 1, July 22 from 4-6pm features artists Mandy Harris Williams, Programming Director at Women’s Center for Creative Work and Bari Ziperstein, founder of BZippy & Co.
Session 2 on July 29 from 4-6pm features artists Eva Aguila, co-founder of Coaxial Arts Foundation; Debra Scacco, founder of the Artist in Residence program at the Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator; and Devon Tsuno, activist, educator, and founder of Praxis Studio at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills.
Possible Futures: Developing Plural Practices in Contemporary Visual Art
Though the most commonly recognized professional roles for artists are gallery representation and teaching, these models’ availability and stability are increasingly precarious. The weight of the global coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic crisis has added new depth to this insecurity, and the recent social justice uprising has led to questions around artists’ professional ambitions in relation to their personal values. These and other cultural shifts are leading artists to consider new ways to make and share their work while meeting their financial needs and deepening their connections to their communities.
In this pair of events conceived by Virginia Broersma (artist and founder of The Artist's Office) and Corrina Peipon (artist and independent consultant) and developed in conjunction with Asuka Hisa, Director of Learning and Engagement at ICALA, we will discuss the role of self-determination in developing models of visual art practice that expand our understanding of what a sustainable, resilient career in contemporary art can look like. These 2-hour events will take place on zoom and will unfold in two parts: 1. Moderated panel discussion with three artist guests; 2. Breakout groups in which attendees can discuss the topics addressed in the panel, share knowledge, and receive conversational feedback about current or developing plural practices.
This pair of events was conceived by Virginia Broersma (artist and founder of The Artist's Office) and Corrina Peipon (artist and independent consultant) and developed in conjunction with Asuka Hisa, Director of Learning and Engagement at ICALA. These 2-hour events will take place on zoom and will unfold in two parts: 1. Moderated panel discussion with three artist guests; 2. Breakout groups in which attendees can discuss the topics addressed in the panel, share knowledge, and receive conversational feedback about current or developing plural practices.