Resolution suggestion for Artists

We at WPG strive to be a source of information for artists as well as a fantastic print gallery for art lovers.  So, we’ll risk doling out free advice and suggest a New Year’s resolution for all you artists out there:  Make 2012 the year you take your art to the next level.

We have a few resources to share with you to make that easier. Normally, we don’t recommend sources we haven’t read ourselves, but one of our artist members has given high praise to the book “Starving to Successful” by Jason Horejs, owner of Xanadu Gallery (which has great artist services in general).  This book will help you learn how to prepare your portfolio and approach galleries.  Another good book which we have read personally is “How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist” by Caroll Michels.  This is another comprehensive resource on pricing your work, presenting your work, and marketing your work.

Done your reading?  Ready to get out there? We’ve recommended it before, and we’ll recommend it again.  NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) is a great go-to for jobs, awards, fellowships, and more.  This website is geared towards artists around the country, not just those in New York.

We also recommend looking at least monthly at the call for entry sites.  Even if you just apply to one show per month, that’s 12 more opportunities to show your work than if you don’t apply.  We list many printmaking and related calls for entry here, so be sure to subscribe.  Beyond that, our top recommendation is the Art Deadlines List.  Yes, you have to pay to get access to all the calls for entry, but it’s a small yearly fee and very, VERY worth it as they are the most comprehensive that we’ve found.

So, in review: do your arts reading, research opportunities in your field, and start applying to shows!  Best of luck in the new year!

For Artists: NYFA

This post is especially for our artist readers today, as we wanted to share NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) with you, which we’ve been using it a lot lately.

NYFA is a bit of a misnomer.  While the organization is in New York, it’s really a resource for artists across the nation and around the world.  If you’re looking for a job in the arts or exhibition opportunities,  check out their classifieds section.  Of course, a lot of opportunities are in New York, but that seems to be a symptom of the US art market in general not just NYFA, and at a quick glance today we saw jobs and opportunities in L.A., New Mexico, New Jersey, and Minnesota.

Our favorite part of NYFA is Source, the most extensive national directory of awards, services, and publications for artists.  This is such a great database if you’re looking for any sort of grant, scholarship, award, or other service.  There is something out there tailor made for everyone–Native American Artists, Artists specifically from Juneau, AK, Artists in Minnesota, Arts Organizations, Asian Artists, Lesbian Artists…the list goes on!  It may be a recession, but if you search hard enough, we bet you can find some help out there.  Happy hunting!