On asking artists to speak at your event
I know we haven’t even gotten to Halloween yet, but I’ve been thinking about January and February 2019. It reminded me of a hilarious comment I heard during an art event:
This person receives tons of last-minute requests to speak at this Black History Month event, or make a presentation at that Martin Luther King Jr. Day gathering. In one sentence, the person made several points:
I am available for (paid) speaking engagements all year round, not just in January or February
Please don’t wait until a week or two before your event to invite me to speak
I am perfectly capable of speaking about topics other than being a person of African descent
I’m not nearly as well known as that person I quoted, but I was invited to speak at five events during January and February 2018. I accepted four of those invitations.
Me speaking at North Seattle College, with artists Gabrielle Nomura Gainor, Elisheba Johnson & Tariqa Waters
Know why I turned down the fifth event? Because the organizer waited until mid-February to ask, and was hoping to compensate me in “exposure” to potential art collectors. Maybe I would’ve said yes anyway… but I was a little busy with events related to my museum show, and curating a group art exhibit.
So here’s your take-away, if you’re going to invite an artist to speak at your event: Ask early, and offer tangible compensation for their time. Even gas money or social media love is better than “exposure.” And yes, now would be a good time to book me for MLK Day or Black History Month 2019.
Last chance: "You're Not From Around Here, Are You?"
The last days of my museum exhibit are upon us: You're Not From Around Here, Are You? closes in one week!
True, the exhibit closes after April 8th, which is in nine days. But the Northwest African American Museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. So if you've got a day job, or you're a student, realistically you might have only this weekend or next weekend left to visit.
One last reason to go: some of these artworks have been sold to art collectors.
Once the show closes, I'm shipping those pieces off to their new homes. So if you'd thought about buying one yourself...
NOW is the time to speak up for the artwork you love. (And yes, I do installment payment plans.) Let me know: contact me here.
"Figuring History": Artist parent's day out
Took a break from my own work to spend quality time with another artist parent: Valencia Carroll.
Artist Valencia Carroll views Robert Colescott's "A Cruise to Southern Waters"
We usually see each other at Onyx Fine Arts exhibits, but this is the first time we've gotten a chance to hang out. So we ran off to the museum.
What a pleasure to explore "Figuring History" with her... when we take our kids to museums, they always rush us through the exhibits. Dude: it's not a race to the finish line.
Works by Robert Colescott
I guess they're not old enough to appreciate the impact art has in person, as opposed to just seeing it in print or online. (Yes, I see the irony of me posting photos of this experience.) As artists, we want to read a painting for things like symbols, historical references, color choices. We especially appreciated all those elements in the work of Kerry James Marshall.
Works from Kerry James Marshall's "Vignette" series
I'm generally against massive doses of sparkle and glitter, but in the hands of these artists... well. I stand corrected. I watched the light dancing among the rhinestones in pieces by Mickalene Thomas, just floored by the sumptuous color and monumental size. I'd highly recommend seeing these works in person: it's difficult to convey their dimensionality online.
Detail of "Dejeuner sur l'herbe: Les trois femmes noires" by Mickalene Thomas
And who would've thought rhinestones could link 1960s-era James Baldwin and Walter Gadsden to Black Lives Matter in 2017, with such power? Whoa.
"Resist" (full image and inset detail) by Mickalene Thomas
Good day out. Valencia and I should go on more field trips together.