There is a lot of work that goes into being an artist that has nothing to do with the making of the work.
I’m here to help.
The Artist’s Office works with Visual Artists to recognize their agency in determining the direction of their art practice and in shaping the art world that they want to participate in. This is done through knowledge sharing and offering practical tools that support artists’ abilities to be independent while also engaging in the wider art community.
Specifically, this is done through:
Subscriptions that notify artists about upcoming deadlines for things such as grants, residencies and exhibitions
Assisting artists with assembling their applications one-on-one or independently
Working with artists on their presentation materials including CVs, Bios, Artist Statements, and websites
Organizing workshops and educational seminars with professionals to deepen artists’ familiarity with the systems and practices of the art world
Advocating for better systems, when the existing ones fail and inviting artists to participate in this advocacy
Services inv
Learn about past offerings and programs:
There was a time when I felt like I was stumbling blindfolded around the art world. If I happened upon an invitation to put my paintings in a show, it was a success that I didn’t know how to replicate. I didn’t know why a curator would choose me over someone else, and likewise I didn’t know why I was passed over at other times.
I thought that if I kept at it, time would inevitably build momentum and I’d gain speed as I moved forward in my career, with better, more prestigious opportunities coming my way. The plan was to work my way up, but baby artist Virginia quickly learned that was not how the art world works. It doesn’t always favor hard work, paying your dues, or quality art, and instead there are other things at play that at the time were a mystery to me.
Now here I am with twenty+ years of hindsight, and I have become a great detective. I have found that while the path to success may not be instantly obvious, there is a reason for everything that happens.
VB: Why might an artist want a book of their work? To get opportunities, or increase their credibility? What are some of the reasons you hear from artists, or give them, to think about why they might want a monograph?
NZ: Typically, there are a couple different scenarios. One of the situations (which is kind of amazing from my point of view) is …
Since I began The Artist’s Office six years ago I've been circling around an idea, bumping up to it like someone in a crowded bar. I then apologize and back away as if I'm not where I should be. But the fact is, this is a space I should have been pushing my way into. I was exactly where I should have been.
The idea that I've been circling around is how important a network is for an art career. I have always known that it is important and always (with a sigh) admitted it was necessary.
On Monday, I moved my studio. I love a fresh start. This transition has been a source of relief and excitement that I have been looking forward to since I found a new space in October. New year, new studio!
For this move, I tried to purge things that I was hoarding—materials that I think I'll use someday but won't, weird equipment that was unloaded onto me that I've been holding on to just in case...
I thought I did a fairly good job passing things along to other artists or to the garbage can, until I had a dawning realization about another stash of items that seemed to balloon as I pulled it all off my shelves.
I've been lugging this stash with me from studio to studio and it grows each passing year. As my awareness grew of this accumulation, so did my panic. How could I have let this get so out of control?
My mom used to tell people that I have an “unhealthy fear of nothing." While I think this makes me sound more exciting than my suburban childhood actually was, she was not giving me a compliment.
My resident side chair psychoanalyst (my partner, Matt) thinks my mom was envious of my adventurous spirit and my unwillingness to compromise when it came to anything I wanted to do. Road trip it alone across the country without a cell phone? Yes, please. Move to a new city alone just because? Of course.
I was recently introduced to the idea that when given a choice, most people will prioritize avoiding loss over taking a risk that might have a greater reward.
I'm writing to you from the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming where I am attending a three-week Artist Residency. In the past two years alone, I've applied to 15 residencies, and this is the first one I've been accepted to (ever) through an open call process. I’ve been joking for years that some day I will crack the code on artist residencies and the day is finally here!
In truth, I don’t have all the answers but I have gained some insights from conversations with other residents and Ucross staff.
If you are lucky enough to be on my very short list of "people I call”, you will occasionally receive exasperated phone calls from me after I've talked with Joe. He is one of the artists I have been working with since the early days of The Artist's Office. Joe is a challenge to work with...in a good way, because he rejects many of the things I understand as givens in the art world.
Summer is here, and this is my absolute, mostest favorite time of year. I love the sun. The heat. The long days. It's the one season each year when reggae doesn't cause me acid reflux and going barefoot feels imperative. Dolphin Girl Summer with Y2K beach vibes is here, and this should be my year.
But I'm struggling with some difficult things (aren't we all), and this summer is not feeling the greatest. There are so many problems it's like a choose-your-own-adventure of economic crises, geo-political angst, and trying to get through the day without crying. It could just be me, but I think I'm reading the room accurately.
I try to keep it under wraps, but those close to me know that I easily stumble down rabbit holes. I have very niche curiosities and sometimes hours (let's be honest, weeks) of my life get sucked into the vacuum cleaner of obscure interests like wallpaper provenance or Cloisonism. I've been drifting around in a few of these black holes recently and was looking for a podcast on the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Knowing that I was feeding my addiction (ahem) researching my rabbit hole, you can imagine my delight at finding a podcast that is simpatico with my research habits