Every year, I receive a press pass to Art Los Angeles Contemporary—a local art fair known as ALAC—and because I can never pass up a free ticket, I attend the opening. I am always curious to see what the scene is like in this hyped up, pop-up showroom which brings a wide swath of the art world together, who are as much on display as the art. It is great for people watching.

Fairs can be great opportunities for rubbing elbows, but it can be difficult to escape the pervasiveness of positioning and transactional relationships. Selling is the number one priority and definitely impacts how people interact.

I recently had a conversation with an artist who expressed a similar sentiment regarding art fairs.

“Art fairs are the worst,” Keith Rocka Knittel told me, half jokingly.

I recently visited Iowa and the souvenirs in the airport gift shop reminded me that Iowa is where “Field of Dreams” takes place. As a child of the ’80s, this movie was part of my upbringing; I regularly quoted the line “If you build it, he will come” and it’s the first thing that came to mind after speaking with Long Beach artist Jacob Melchi.

I have amassed quite a folder of rejection letters. I’m actually quite proud of it. It’s a record of my efforts to get my work seen, funded and promoted. There are ideas that have been proposed, denied, rethought, submitted again and, every once in a while, accepted. I’ve actually made a habit of celebrating when the “I’m sorry, but…” email arrives in my inbox. I make myself a cocktail when I get home and toast myself for trying.

When you start putting your work out there and applying for things regularly, you also should expect to start getting rejected regularly.

Recently, I was in the checkout line at Trader Joe’s, earbuds in place and eyes locked on my phone to deter the cashier’s questions about what I would be making for dinner that night. He asked what I was listening to. It was a podcast, and when I told him it was an artist podcast, he asked if I was an artist. I said yes, and then he asked the question that almost always inevitably follows, and the question that I loathe:

“Oh, so you support yourself by selling your work?

This month we are spotlighting another "sister-project” to Rhizomatic Arts — a great example of a creative, artist-centered, sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial project by an artist who seeks to grow sustainability and peer support in her community. VIRGINIA BROERSMA is a fine artist who recently started a business called THE ARTIST’S OFFICE, putting her administrative and organizational skills to work for others. She says, “I want to contribute to shaping the art world/community/market that I want to participate in. This world would offer opportunities to a wider swath of people, would support art and art makers as essential pieces of our society, and would make artists feel valued and less desperate.”

In March 2019, The Artist’s Office launched a series of conversations for artists with arts professionals, gatekeepers and thought leaders. These conversations are small gatherings that are opportunities for artists to gain insight and knowledge to help strategize and make choices for their art practice.

The first talk was on the jurying process for artist opportunities such as grants, fellowships, juried shows and residencies with Dorit Cypis - artist, mediator and social activator and Irene Tsatsos - Gallery Director/Chief Curator at the Armory Center for the Arts.