AFTA in Seattle: Hotbed of Creating

Last week's Americans for the Arts (AFTA) Renewable Resources: Arts in Sustainable Communities national conference’s whirlwind of a million ideas and a thousand conversations is still making my head spin. So, before I attack the old to-do list and get back to the daily grind, let me share some highlights of this extraordinarily inspiring and informing three days.

Over 1,200 arts administrators and artists convened in Seattle, and Seattle showed itself well, as our guests literally gushed appreciation for the art at SeaTac, our lively downtown, the impressive Central Library, the art at the Convention Center, and all of the qualities that made Fast Company magazine name Seattle City of the Year in 2009 based on the city's creativity.

After a high-energy greeting and orientation, it was time for the first plenary session. Mayor Nickels welcomed all and stated his commitment to the arts in Seattle. His leadership and the activities of his Office of Arts and Culture have made Seattle a unique city, where there is no doubt about the intrinsic and economic value that a healthy arts ecosystem brings to a city. Two of six Excellence in Arts Leadership awards went to Washingtonians: Randy Engstrom, Emerging Leader Award, and Buster Simpson, Public Art Network Award.

Members of the Suquamish Tribe graced the massive room with a traditional processional and blessing, setting the stage for a recurring theme that arts and culture are one and the same -- as economic innovator and humorist Jon Hawkes would say, a green grocer wouldn’t say he sells “carrots and vegetables.” As I rode the bus home and saw a huge sign proclaiming ART in a rather elite gallery, it occurred to me how we collectively do tend to put art in a box, removed from daily life and lifestyle.

Afternoon sessions revealed super-inspiring storytelling projects, including I-Witness Central City, a brilliant idea involving signage, your cell phone and calling in to hear stories of the neighborhood, such as what happened or who lived at the spot where the sign is. Check out these story nuggets, too. That evening, hundreds of us took the monorail over to Seattle Center where we enjoyed a posh reception at McCaw Hall. Performances by BQdanza were wonderful, and when the dancers in black who had been sitting next to the water that runs in sheets on the ground started rolling in the water and dancing horizontally, it truly shocked and awed me. Then, Circus Contraption’s juggler, ostriches on stilts and aerialists gave a sense of the beautiful and strong. There was no end of people to meet and chat up over fine food and exotic spectacle.

Peter Senge gave the Keynote on Friday, asking us to ask the crucial question of why arts matter. He investigated the answers from a great variety of vantage points, exploring the nature of abstraction – “creativity” being an abstraction, and “creating” being an action. He says “live in the question – be guided by what we are creating” (which my painting teacher has also said). Peter is a big fan of Humberto Maturana; you might look him up, too.

Saturday, Trimpin was all sights and sounds, playing David Bowie and disco adaptations on his accordion and crank music box. We took a mini-tour of the USA through slides of award-winning public art projects, including Sheila Klein's Roosevennavelt: Columnseum under I-5 at 65th, as well as Jenny Heishman’s Water Mover by the Fremont Library.

More highlights included working with colleagues in a very hands-on session on Creating Sustainable Systems to Support Teaching Artists and Their Work; a detail-filled panel on Authenticity, Representation, and Complexity in Native American and Alaskan Native Art; Artist Trust Executive Director Fidelma McGinn representing individual artists in the Grantmakers for the Arts panel on Current Research on Arts Funding Projections; and scintillating conversations in the 360 sessions with people working in arts organizations all over the country. The zenith was taking the bus downtown every day to a terrifically rich conference, transforming my experience of living and working in the arts in Seattle. Thank you, AFTA and sponsors!

Sheila Siden
Director of Development
sheila@artisttrust.org

Artist Trust Receives 2009 Mayor's Arts Award!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Artist Trust won the 2009 Mayor's Arts Award! Yahoo! Thanks to all who nominated us! Details at http://www.seattle.gov/arts/community/arts_awards.asp.

Who is Walla Walla

When I think of Walla Walla, I think wine -- lots of it. According to the Walla Walla Tourism website, "...more than 100 wineries are operating in the valley and more than 1,500 acres of vineyards have become part of the agricultural landscape." But a visit to the area involves more then just a few glasses (or bottles) of wine. Alongside a blooming wine industry lies an equally fruitful and prolific arts community. Read on to find out a bit more about "Who is Walla Walla" and perhaps you'll consider a weekend trip or a lifetime of making art there like so many others!

Artist Trust has a long history of supporting artists in the area: GAP recipients such as Mare Blocker and Teri Zipf, Fellowship recipients such as Keiko Hara and Franz Mums, as well as EDGE Recipient Colleen Saargen. “Who is Walla Walla?,” the first in an original Union-Bulletin series by Jeremy Gonzalez, explores unique people in Walla Walla who are out of the ordinary and doing something wider with their talents. Episode #1 is focused on Carl Robanske, the founder of Embracing Orphans. Episode #2 features Squire Broel. See the video below and listen closely for the plug for Artist Trust's "I Am An Artist" Professional Development Weekend Workshop!:



In addition, check out the following links for a taste of all the bounty Walla Walla has to offer arts lovers:

• Artist Trust Members Benefit! Pontarolo's Office & Art Supplies offers a 10% discount on art supplies for Artist Trust Members!
• http://www.downtownwallawalla.com/
• Walla Walla - Art, Galleries and Culture: www.wallawalla.org/art.cfm or http://www.wallawalla.org/galleries.cfm
• Art Walk Walla Walla :: Held the first Friday of each month, May through December.
• Feast Walla Walla :: Eat fine food, drink good wine, listen to great tunes, and see fabulous art in one afternoon.
• Skylite Gallery
• Fort Walla Walla Museum
• Walla Walla Woodworking
• Walla Walla Foundry
• Artist Trust! For more resources in Walla Walla or around the state, check Artist Trust's website or subscribe to (re)source, our free bi-weekly e-newsletter!

Finally, if you don't think you can make it to Walla Walla soon, check out this video by Sam McLeod for a brief walking tour of downtown Walla Walla's public art collection and the Walla Walla Foundry:


Monica Miller
Director of Programs
monica@artisttrust.org

I Am An Artist!

The following was posted by Bob Rini, an I Am An Artist Participant from last weekend on http://9poundhammer.blogspot.com/.

Most artists don't know anything about the business side of art. I AM AN ARTIST: Professional Development Weekend for Artists is a workshop designed to fill that void, and provide essential resources, funding opportunities, peer-to peer evaluation, networking and hands-on feedback for artists.

So you make art? Now what? How do you showcase your work? How do you present your portfolio? How do you write a successful grant proposal? How do you most effectively write an artist's statement? Do galleries still require slides or has everything gone digital? How big are your jpegs? How does your resume look? Sure you know Cadmium red and your Cobalt blue, but what about fiscal sponsorship? Taxes? What about money?

Artists are comfortable making art--that's what we do--but less comfortable conducting the business of art which we've often learned by trial and error, willy nilly, haphazardly. "That's left brain stuff," we joke, burrowing into our work. The business of art is rarely touched upon in art school, which many artists don't attend anyway, and once you're "out in the world" you improvise and play catch as catch can, hoping for the best and trying to make art with your fingers crossed. Other professions have vast support networks and encourage (if not require) continuing education, but artists tend to fumble along alone.

I'm just halfway through this workshop but I've already stuffed my brain (both sides) with valuable information about grant writing and portfolio presentation and galleries and resumes and the labyrinth of taxes and 501c3s and fiscal sponsorship. Lots of good tips. All that, and sharing notes with fellow artists from various backgrounds and experiences. I highly recommend I Am an Artist.

The workshop is offered by Artist Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the arts community in Washington state. Artist Trust was founded in 1987 by a group of arts patrons and artists who were concerned about the lack of support for individual artists. Artist Trust is guided by the leadership of a Board of Trustees and a professional staff.

"Artist Trust provides artists the time and resources necessary to prosper. We deliver vital professional development information to thousands of artists each year, and have distributed over $3.4 million in direct support to more than 1,675 of Washington State’s most promising and respected artists of all disciplines."

To find out more about IAAA, visit http://artisttrust.org/events/artist_workshops/weekend. Weekends are currently being planned for Spokane: June 6th and 7th, Yakima: August and Seattle: September.

Visit Artist Trust: www.artisttrust.org
Visit Bob's Art Blog: http://bobrinimakesart.blogspot.com/

Another Great Resource for Writers: EDGE

Five weeks ago, on February 13, the inaugural program of EDGE for Writers kicked off, and already the participants are preparing to give their Final Presentations. If you enjoy getting acquainted with artists and their work, consider attending EDGE Artists' Final Presentations! Please join us for the next event:

EDGE Program for Writers
Artists' Final Presentations
March 27 & 28, 2009 :: 7:00-9:30 pm
Richard Hugo House, Seattle

If these first-ever sessions of EDGE for Writers have gone by so quickly, it’s because the participants, instructors and guest speakers alike have made this version of the program so engaging and pertinent, squarely addressing a myriad of issues that writers face in getting published, promoted and/or paid for their work. Artist Trust has high hopes that the word will spread and EDGE for Writers will become as popular and successful as EDGE for Visual Artists has been, now in its seventh year. What follows is a glimpse into how one participant in EDGE for Writers has been experiencing the program. We hope to see you at the Final Presentations of these writers, who will also be celebrating their graduation from the EDGE Program, and don’t forget to spread the word!

Nirmala Singh-Brinkman
EDGE Coordinator
nirmala@artisttrust.org

Writing at the EDGE
By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

I joined a group of writers in the inaugural AT Literary EDGE Professional Development Program and, for the past weeks, I have been throwing myself into learning how to be a working literary artist, in theory and most importantly in practice.

The theory is instruction, tips and advice delivered through 50 hours of class. The practice is 18 hours a week, on average, of “homework.” For me, that homework has involved:

• Creating a public presentation.
• Writing a paper proposal.
• Submitting a book proposal based on my dissertation to a publisher as well as a literary agent.
• Applying for two writings scholarships, and a 4Culture grant.
• Revising and submitting an essay to a literary journal.
• Writing a book review, a reflective essay on filmmaker Mira Nair, and completing the first draft of an essay on women who break-dance competitively for presentation March 19 at a conference in Vancouver, B.C.
• Creating an artist’s statement.
• Developing a time-management plan.
• Assembling the components for my website, http://www.gupta-carlson.com/.

I have been writing as a journalist for 25 years. EDGE has pushed my writing to a different level, forcing me to ask myself what kind of a writer I want to be and how I’m going to enact that identity now and into the future. The experience has been intense and completely worthwhile.

The Artists' Health Clinic is for You!

Don't have health insurance? Have medical issues you're not dealing with? Just need a check-up?

Artists of all disciplines can advantage of the Artist Clinic at Country Doctor Community Clinic. It offers artist-specific hours, and depending on your income level, you may be eligible for a subsidy! The Artist Clinic is a partnership between Country Doctor Community Health Clinics and the Washington Artists Health Insurance Project (WAHIP).

Right Smack Dab in the Middle

In the heart of Washington lies Ellensburg, home to Washington’s largest rodeo, Central Washington University and a growing population of artists. It certainly seems as though a number of the artists that have stopped in temporarily – either because of the College’s art departments in literature, fine art and performance arts – or because of pure happenstance, end up staying here. Lured by the open space and the do-it-yourself attitude of being in the country, many artists have found a home in the city that is nearly equidistant to all borders of the state.

And why would they leave? Ellensburg not only offers easy access to Seattle and Spokane, but to many other lovely thriving communities nearby (see earlier post). Artist Trust grant recipients Renee Adams and Justin Gibbens also found that the real estate out here allowed them to purchase property on artists' income. In the last two months manning the new Artist Trust satellite office housed at Gallery One, I have met many other artists who have found Ellensburg a beautiful place to stay, make art and have a family. Jane Orleman and Dick Elliott made a famous home here for the past 30 years; Justin Beckman got stuck/charmed here on his way to Seattle when visiting his mother, artist Joanna Thomas and retired Central Professor John Agars and his wife, equally fell in love with the region.

On March 5, 2009, Artist Trust hosted an Open House in tandem with Gallery One’s First Friday, one of the many stops on the Ellensburg Arts Commissions’ Art Walk. Local artists and arts enthusiasts crowded Gallery One to see new exhibits by Robin Germany, Dorothy McGuinness, Sandra Farmer, Sarah Haven and students from Central Washington University’s ceramic department. A lot of Artist Trust friends and grant recipients stopped by and helped spread the word on all that Artist Trust has to offer.

I hope to meet more artists from Central Washington either at the office or at the upcoming workshop on April 6 (see below). I also look forward to learning more about our state’s resources for artists as I tour the region beyond Ellensburg. In the meantime, here are a few of the opportunities and resources located in the heartland. I encourage you to visit -- but be careful, you may not leave.

Monica Miller
Director of Programs
monica@artisttrust.org

ARTIST TRUST

• EDGE Professional Development Program Applications Available
  Deadline: May 1
  
• Workshop: How to Build a Strong Grant Application
  Workshops are free but artists are asked to RSVP to monica@artisttrust.org.
  Monday, April 6, 6-8pm at Gallery One
  
• 2009 Fellowship Guidelines Available for Craft, Literary, Media and Performing Artists.
  
• Artist Trust staff is available in Ellensburg’s Gallery One, M-T, 9am-5pm through June 2009.

Ellensburg Arts Commission: SEEKING ARTS COMMISSIONERS!
The Ellensburg Arts Commission was created for the purpose of advising the City Council on matters concerning the performing and visual arts; to encourage and promote art activities of individuals, organizations, and government agencies in the City; and to formulate and recommend to the City Council a city arts advancement program. Consequently, Artist Trust granted the Arts Commission $5,000 in 2003 to jumpstart their newsletter, now a walking tour guide for the art walk they sponsor. I have also been lucky enough to meet Heather Horn and Will Campbell, two very enthusiastic arts commissioners.

Gallery One: CALL FOR ARTISTS!
Gallery One Visual Arts Center is dedicated to the creation, exhibition and appreciation of visual arts in Central Washington. Gallery One is seeking submissions for exhibition proposals for the 2010 exhibition calendar. Group and themed exhibitions are encouraged, but individual portfolios will also be reviewed. It is also where Artist Trust’s satellite office is located!

Ellensburg Film Festival: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
The Ellensburg Film Festival is committed to the film education, exposure, and enrichment of our local community. The festival offers a wide spectrum of local and global cultural, artistic, and innovative diversity through educational programs, forums, and entertaining visual experiences. Now accepting submissions for the October 2-4, 2009 Ellensburg Film Festival. Deadline is July 3, 2009. By the way, they also host a fantastic monthly event called Bar Noir every last Saturday at Gallery One: fun films and cheap drinks.

Punch Gallery: CALL FOR MEMBERS!
This is interesting, a Seattle gallery run by 5 BOARD MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN ELLENSBURG. That’s why I include it here. Artists from around the state can apply to join this awesome gallery and movement. PUNCH is an artist-run gallery located in the Tashiro-Kaplan Building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square area -PUNCH is intended to function with 10-12 members, all of whom are allotted one month per exhibition cycle (12-14 months depending on number of members) for solo exhibitions or projects. Two months will also be available for outside or member-curated exhibitions, juried exhibitions, and other art events. PUNCH is looking for people committed to the making and exhibition of innovative artwork and to the creative and administrative aspects of operating a member-run alternative art venue.

Other great Ellensburg Resources:

• jazzinthevalley.com
• ReflectorArt.com: The art of Richard C Elliott & Jane Orleman and of their yard art site Dick & Jane's Spot.
• CWU.edu/~art/gallery.html: Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, CWU, Department of Art
• EllensburgDowntown.org: The mission of the Ellensburg Downtown Association is to enhance the economic and cultural vibrancy of historic downtown Ellensburg.
• ClymerMuseum.com: The Clymer Museum of Art
• CWU.edu/~music: Central Washington University, Department of Music
• CWU.edu/~theatre: Central Washington University, Theatre Arts Department
• ValleyMusicalTheatre.org: The Valley Musical Theatre
• westernartassociation.org: Western Arts Association

If you have any suggestions of awards you think we should add to our Resources Database, please email info@artisttrust.org.

For more opportunities for artists of all disciplines: www.artisttrust.org/services/resources

To post your own opportunity online: www.artisttrust.org/services/resources

To attend a Professional Development Workshop: www.artisttrust.org/events/artist_workshops

For tips on creating your resume, artist statement, etc: www.artisttrust.org/services/prof_dev