"Strategies" Professional Practice Symposium

Attended: March 22nd, 2012. The symposium was most informative and interactive. Here are some of my notes from it's seminar discussions: 


Speaker, Artist and NUCA Alumnai, Adam Bridgland:

-He repeated the importance in considering and planning a future practice. It is best to be continuously involved in your practice, be self-initiated and self-promoted. The best ways, he found doing this were via the social networks, facebook, twitter and especially by keeping a blog.

Speaker Kara Chatten and Sheila McGregor, from Axis:

-Two Artist Statements were handed out where the top sheet asked questions, such as, "Did it engage you?". After reading both very different statements, it made me think that the most successful statement would have probably been a mixture of both statements. Bringing the professionalism and revealing identity of the artist and their work together into one structure.

-Also, brought up, was the concept of labelling a piece of work 'Untitled' and whether it was reductive. Titling a work provides the work, with a form of narrative which can often be too revealing, which was the overall consensus of the group.

Speakers Charlotte Peel from SCVA:

-They presented how involved artists could be with programs offered at SCVA. I was most interested in their educational services and asked about Art Therapy incorporations. Charlotte Peel asked me to email her, which I've done and am awaiting reply about possible voluntary work.

Aid and Abet Speakers, CJ Mahoney and Sarah Evans:

-Spoke about the funding, planning and other technical sides to opening and operating Aid and Abet mostly but what I found most pertinent to my personal development was their encouragement to have critical conversations about one's own work through residencies, open cause for exhibitions and at private viewings.

-Also encouraged, were researching into potential galleries before forwarding exhibition proposals. Investigation into the galleries past artists, their work, whether or not the space is artist run and to investigate the physical interior of the space and to surmise whether or not it will be best for you and your work.

-They also brought about the idea to go to 'talks' and to practice what to say at your own PV's before-hand. Its good to know "your sentence", they said, that introduction to who you are and what you do, so that people remember you and what you do and to also, exhibit the passion you have for your work.