Through January 5, 2020 on view at the Philbrook Museum is “Windows,” a site-specific installation in the Philbrook’s main rotunda lobby. If you’re in Tulsa, Oklahoma the first weekend of November, I will be there to participate in public programming including a panel discussion open to all. Details to follow! In the meantime, you can see images of the installation here.
A summer at Chautauqua
This past season was my first summer as the Artistic Director at Chautauqua School of Art and the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution. It was a messy, experimental summer with some incredible artists in residence as well as brilliant faculty. I thought I would share some photographs of the experience. I’m honored to have been with so many wonderful people in a memorable summer sharing a new, experimental pedagogy. For more photos, check out our Instagram account which showed many more wonderful images from the season: https://www.instagram.com/chq.art/ Many thanks to all!
Your 2019 School of Art Core-Faculty at Chautauqua
As the new Artistic Director of the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution, I'm thrilled to announce the 2019 School of Art Residency Core Faculty. It is an honor to work with these exceptional people who will work with students and emerging artists in a residency program that is an incubator of inclusive and expansive programming in the visual arts composed of classes, workshops and one-on-one time covering all media:
Hrag Vartanian, Yasmeen Siddiqui, Alpesh Kantilal Patel, Wendy Red Star, Hasan Elahi, Jean Shin, Tia-Simone Gardner and Raheleh Filsoofi.
Applications open December 1 to students and emerging artists who have not yet received national recognition for their work. For more information on this new program, click here. We look forward to seeing you June 22 - August 10, 2019!
Windows at the University of Wyoming Art Museum
Hi there! I'm excited to share a new installation which is now on view at the University of Wyoming Art Museum until September, 2020. If you're in Wyoming on September 13, I hope you'll come for a talk I will be giving and visit this installation, as well as celebrate with me the Museum's 25th anniversary. For more information, click here. In the meantime, here is a preview in a few pictures below. Hope to see you in Wyoming soon!
Director of the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution
Hello, all! Some news to share: I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution, a unique residency program from the foundation and legacy Don Kimes has built, as the new Director of the School of Art starting September 1. I'm super excited to collaborate with a team of powerful, exceptional people who will move artists forward. Thank you Don Kimes and Lois Jubeck for your belief in me and all of your amazing work at Chautauqua; thank you Deborah Sunya Moore and Michael Edward for having me on board, and thank you to the few people who encouraged me to take this on from the very beginning (you know who you are). I'm forever grateful to you and excited to take this journey with you. See you all at Chautauqua next summer!
"Small Works" at Trestle Gallery
Hello all!
The past three weeks I have been looking through a pool of 746 applications for the “Small Works” exhibition at Trestle Gallery opening on July 26 in Brooklyn, NY. Even though exhibitions have been juried for many, many years, I thought I would share the process by which this one was juried.
Every year Trestle Gallery offers a call for their annual “Small Works” exhibition.
Submission guidelines for the call were the following, as were stated on the Trestle Gallery website:
- Pieces may be no bigger than 12" on the longest side - we accept 2D and 3D framed and unframed works of all media. If a work is framed, the frame can be a maximum of 2" larger than the piece itself, making the max dimension 14"
- You may submit up to 3 works for consideration
- Images must be in JPEG format, 1000 pixels on longest side
- CV and Statement must be submitted in PDF form
- National and international artists are welcome to apply. As a non-profit we don't have a shipping budget, so should an artist be selected they will have to cover the cost of shipping to and from the gallery.
- As a non-profit gallery, Trestle splits all sales 70/30, with 70% going to the artist.
The cost to submit up to three images was $10.00 with Submittable taking a percentage.
The fee I am receiving will be $250.00.
Due to space restrictions, I could only choose 64 artists out of an applicant pool of 746:
50 people who considered themselves women
13 people who considered themselves men
1 person who considered themself non-binary
Most of the 64 artists accepted live outside of New York City.
It took me three weeks to get through the process and I learned a lot. Here are the reasons why I didn’t accept some works in the exhibition:
–Context is everything. The work must be in context with each other and fit together in harmony as to my vision of this exhibition.
–Some pieces were not photographed well at all. It would really help if artists would care for their work and show how serious they are about their work by investing in good photography. Those with photography of poor quality were immediately put aside.
–Some of the photography did not show the work as an object and looked cropped, therefore, I couldn’t get a sense of the entirety of the work.
–Some people tried to show a lot in one photograph but were not so definitive as to what they wanted to submit. It wasn’t clear.
Those chosen had modest statements that talked about their work, images were well photographed, and worked well in context, in concert with other works put together. If there was a theme, I would say that there was an intangible lean toward identity, vulnerability and a certain tension I look for. As I’ve always said, there is no such thing as a “rejection.” It’s just a difference of opinion.
As I have said in the past, if there is a fee there should be at least comments given to those whose work was not accepted. I have also commented on the flawed Hopper Prize as being problematic. I gave a comment to each person whose work I did not include in the exhibition, basically reflecting my thoughts on one of the responses above. I also offered my email address to every participant to put on their mailing list. In my opinion, this is the least a juror can do for each artist who applies for such a call.
In addition, Trestle Gallery is offering to the artists who were not selected an on-line exhibition of their work: one piece per person with no additional fee. For this, Trestle Gallery has committed funds toward the on-line exhibition for 6 months. This is fantastic and I totally applaud Trestle Gallery for doing this. Every organization needs to take note as this is easy to do and not expensive -- a great model to replicate.
I’m grateful to Jen Nista and Rhia Hurt for their amazing hard work through the process. They were absolutely lovely to work with.
Installation will take place from July 24-26, with the opening on 7/26 from 7-9pm. If you want to stop by and say hello, I’d be happy to see you.
I realize this was not sustainable for me to do this work at a fee for $250.00. However, my thought is by doing so, I could lay some ground work so we can perhaps change how these calls are carried out.
Many thanks to all who submitted to this and for having me as a juror for the “Small Works” exhibition at Trestle Gallery. I'm so proud to have participated in this process. I recommend it for every artist to experience at some point in their lives. Hoping to see you on July 26!
Warmly,
Sharon
Open Studios at Sharpe-Walentas Residency Program
I hope you'll join me for a weekend of seeing awesome work by artists who have been in residency at the Sharpe-Walentas studios in Dumbo, Brooklyn. I am super excited to be in collaboration with writer, critic, curator, artist Hrag Vartanian. Below is a preview giving an idea of the kind of work we will be showing. Looking forward to seeing you on 4/27 from 6-9pm, 4/28 & 29 from 1-6pm. If you can't make it in April, we will be adding to, growing this installation through August.
Here are some recent blog posts from people who have seen the installation:
http://angeladatre.tumblr.com/
http://www.howweare.net/post/173451759877/dumboopenstudios2018
Thank you!
You're invited to the
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program
Open Studios Weekend!
Opening Reception: Friday April 27, 6-9 PM
Open Studios: Saturday April 28 & Sunday April 29, 1-6 PM
The artists of the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program are pleased to announce the program’s annual open studio event, with a reception for the artists on Friday April 27 from 6-9 PM and continuing through the weekend, SaturdayApril 28 and Sunday April 29 from 1-6 PM each day.
2017-2018 Studio Program artists: Laura Bernstein, Anna Betbeze, Todd Bienvenu, Derek Fordjour, Angela Fraleigh, Hong Seon Jang, Osamu Kobayashi, Doron Langberg, Sharon Louden, Bridget Mullen, Narcissister, Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, Brie Ruais, Martha Tuttle, Brandi Twilley, Penelope Umbrico, and Jaimie WarrenLearn more about the resident artists here.
Location: 20 Jay Street, Suite 720, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Directions: F train to York Street, A/C to High Street/Brooklyn Bridge
Feature in May issue of Sculpture Magazine
I am super grateful to writer Elaine King and everyone at the International Sculpture Center/Sculpture Magazine for the feature on my work in their May issue. Thank you!
The #MeToo Age: Power & Gender Equity in the Art World
Coming up on Wednesday, February 21 from 7-9pm at LACE will certainly be a lively and engaging conversation: "The #MeToo Age: Power & Gender Equity in the Art World." This conversation will not be a traditional forum: starting with a performance from Future Clown, the alter ego of artist Rachel Mason, discussants Hrag Vartanian (Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Hyperallergic), Courtney Fink (Co-Founder and Executive Director of Common Field), Yasmeen Siddiqui (Founder and Director, Minerva Projects), Alpesh Kantilal Patel, PhD (Assistant Professor, Florida International University), Zoe Charlton & Tim Doud (Founders and Directors of Sindikit; Professors, American University) will be active in a town hall conversation with those who will attend.
Beginning in the film industry last year, we have been witnessing more and more #MeToo women speaking out, sharing their stories, and becoming empowered like never before. Has this movement extended into the art world?
Two-thirds of participants in professional development classes and workshops are people who identify as women. Many seek permission for their actions, and most shy away from self-promotion. Can we bring the strength and empowerment of the #MeToo movement into the art world in a way that helps increase women’s visibility, marketability, and influence?
With over 22,000 women contacting Emily’s List for information on running for office, how can we help propagate a similar surge in the art world?
Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday, February 21 at 7pm in Los Angeles!
More information on this event, please click here.
In Progress at the Sharpe-Walentas Studio
In the Sharpe-Walentas studio program, I'm working on a whole-room installation over the course of the year. Here is a preview. I have begun to open my studio for studio visits and welcome people to see this installation in progress. Open studios at the Sharpe-Walentas Residency Program are scheduled for April 27-29th, 2018.
