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12/31/2007: "The New Art Year"

As we embark on 2008, I wanted to create some resolutions not only for myself, but for the art world at large. I've based these things on my experiences as a collector. No one is perfect, least of all me and the art world certainly doesn't need my opinions, but because I love art, artists, museums and galleries so much, I think these could help things really ROCK in 2008. Enjoy!

1. Art gallery operators: Please smile occasionally and TRY to be welcoming to visitors. This may actually help you sell art on that VERY day. Of course, many galleries are warm and inviting, but many are not.

2. Artists: Please stop slamming art fairs. We know that they present all sorts of hazards and issues, but they ARE indeed legitimate venues for LIVING art. Ultimately, let's be glad that they exist. If they vanish, that would NOT be a good thing. I don't know. I guess I've stayed too long at the fair.



3. Art museums: PLEASE get your cities to create more highway markers/signs that direct visitors straight to your location. It's so easy for people to get lost in an unfamiliar city. Don't GIVE visitors reasons to go to the movies instead.

4. Art collectors: Let's do MORE to promote the work of emerging artists. We should actually create more art collectors. Yes, in a way this is a dumb move because we're creating our own competition, but emerging art is a VAST ocean that will never run dry. Artists are born every day. It's the most exciting sector of the art market.

5. Art snobs: Take an enema. Lighten up. You're not fooling anyone. By being a snob, you're missing the whole point of art.

6. Art schools: Encourage more young artists to take business and marketing courses. Make them MANDATORY. Art is a calling and a passion and a mission, but it's also a BUSINESS. That's a reality. We want to see more full-time artists and we want them to succeed.

7. Art centers: Reach out more to your communities. People DO actually like art and would love to visit you, but first, they must know that you even EXIST. Art communites can often be insular and cliquish. I have art centers in my own town and I'm not sure when they're open or how to even get inside. They don't make it easy and I'm a collector! (I have to take some responsibility. I tend to visit more international art venues) This serves no one ... least of all, contemporary art.

8. Art media: Yes, there are plenty of hot, young artists out there, but let's give some mid to late career artists some attention. They've earned it. Oh ... and their work tends to be better. Duh.

9. Artists: If you're selling your art, LET PEOPLE KNOW! They're not clairvoyant! And please don't be shy about CONSTANTLY promoting your work. When you promote yourself and your work, you're promoting the idea that art is ACCESSIBLE to the average Joe. This is important work.

10. All public venues: PLEASE consider holding living art exhibitions. This means restaurants, hospitals, libraries, government buildings, sports arenas, airports, court houses, etc. We know that you're busy. Do it once a year. That way, it's not a strain. You've got the wall space. Why not?

11. Me: Get a life.

Happy New Year!

MICHAEL CORBIN IS AN AVID ART COLLECTOR AND AUTHOR OF "ART IN KING SIZE BEDS: A COLLECTOR'S JOURNAL." CHECK IT OUT ON WWW.ARTINKINGSIZEBEDS.COM

Replies: 10 Comments

on Saturday, January 12th, Odette Farrell said

Happy new year Michael!

And thank you for those real good tips!

on Friday, January 11th, Fiona Purdy said

I just love your post Michael. I agree with everything you've written,especially #9, thanks for pointing out that this is important work. When I think of it in your terms it makes it easier.

Cheers and happy 2008
Fiona

on Friday, January 11th, Shea said

This is a great post. I wish that marketing, selling your art, etc, had been part of my schooling. I'm at a total loss as far as the business part of my art goes.

on Saturday, January 5th, walt said

6. Art schools: Encourage more young artists to take business and marketing courses. Make them MANDATORY. Art is a calling and a passion and a mission, but it's also a BUSINESS. That's a reality. We want to see more full-time artists and we want them to succeed.

When I was in art school there was very little discussion of the real world that an artist will deal with upon graduation. That has changed in a number of good schools. SVA in New York is very good at introducing and preparing their students to enter the market. Fine Art grad students are sent to nearly every gallery in NYC on a circuit required by their seminar course work. Of course this does not particularly help those students who have no talent for promoting themselves. They can do the mechanics all they want but it takes a certain personality to make it work. Inka Essenhigh is a great example of those who have the gift. She is now in the upper level collected by many of the most important collectors on the list.

At CCAD where I teach we have spent the last 10 years developing our curriculum to include basic business and marketing. We have an portfolio class called professional practices that covers everything from building personalized portfolios, resume, web presence, marketing in a variety of forms from keeping a mailing list to creating and distributing postcards, cd's, brochures, press releases, business plans, taxes, etc.. I think this has become something a number of good schools do these days as the success of their graduates is good for the school. As well we make an effort to connect students to the local community in various ways. We post a jobs listing, gallery calls, competitions, volutnteer activities ( a certain number of hours are actually required of our students for graduation) and colleagiate exhibition oppurtunities. In my program (the Illustration Dept.) we do a departmental student run competition each year that rivals the Society of Illustrators Student Competition in quality. We also encourage our students to enter the Society show and other national level competitions. And we usually get a good percentage of our students into these shows given the smallish size of our program. Our percentages are often larger than the big programs like SVA. Out of 45 entries last year we had 3 students in the Society show out of about 150 from about every art school or college art program in the nation. One of the three received a monetary award. And our graduates, like Inka Essenhigh, do very well. They are not all as successful or famous as Inka but they get out there and end up in major publications, publishing companies, TV and movies, ad agencies, corporate art depts, and many form their own studios separately or together.

But there will always be a percentage who just can't seem to connect. I am often in touch with a number of students who I thought would do very well, talented, inventive, passionet, but without that gene that gives them the ability to go out and do battle with the world. It is sad sometimes and sometimes they come to realize that it is not their thing. It is often a great relief to them to move on to other pastures. Most do ok. They did get an education that helped them think creatively and critically. They end up working in a variety of fields, some art connected, some connected to other creative fields. Some simply become very creative business people. It is rare to run across a CCAD student who is changing tires at NTW. It happens, but it's rare.

on Wednesday, January 2nd, maureen said

***Mandatory business and marketing classes***Art schools are doing a great disservice to their graduates by not requiring business art courses with topics such as approaching galleries-do's and don't's,designing a professional portfolio, copywrite and contracts, marketing, taxes and write offs, web galleries and web design. Gallery owners and community art centers could provide invaluable experience by hiring an intern.

on Tuesday, January 1st, Mark said

1 Yes, please! And maybe, maybe, know something about your artists and thier work as well.
2 Not slamming, questioning. it is never wise to stop questioning, anything.
3 Good idea.
4 Good idea. Is there realy competition among collectors? Look to education from schools for this, an area ignored by most.
5 Some artists and dealers and galleries can do this as well.
6 True, true, true. I could still use some of that.
7 Very true, I teach at an art center, they are getting better at outreach, finally.
8 Art media, yes. How about the rest of those countless media, how about giving artists a bit of space, huh?
9 I know, I know, but I hate talking about myself. Trying be be better at it.
10 I see a lot of this in my area, free decoration for the buildings. I guess it can help get your name out, but from my perspective it does little for sales, still not a bad thing to do.
11 Please do. I have one and I love it, LOL.

A great New Year to all.

on Tuesday, January 1st, Valerie Grove said

I agree too espcially re the connection to the communitiy. Am living in the UAE which just started doing high profile fairs. This covers the business side of things to the extent that there have been mutterings about money laudering!! However, there is now a realisation that developing the creative sector in any meaningful way means paying a lot more attention to local community arts education. This a major step in the right directiom!
happy New year to you all.

on Tuesday, January 1st, jose said

Michael, I wish you a great 2008 and hope those resolutions of yours find a resounding echo. For my part I'll try my best to revise my views on n.2 and I believe I have already found the way to go about that in your previous blog: instead of whining and complaining my resolution is to follow Alfred Perez's example or something along those lines. A happy new year to all.

on Monday, December 31st, Ellen said

YESSSSSS, Michael. I agree and am thrilled, as an artist and lover of the arts, to have you in my corner as an articulate, supportive, discerning writer, collector and benefactor of the arts. Happy 2008!

on Monday, December 31st, BradMM said

All good points to consider, and debate, and improve upon. We all need to bring more joy to the world - and the world needs us now more than ever - cohesion is faltering at every seam, nook, and crannie...