@carrie_in_text

[image courtesy of www.walkerart.org]

I don’t see a better way to reiterate the information about this incredibly exciting event other than to pass you right along to the SuperScript site itself >>> http://www.walkerart.org/superscript/.

This is simply because it is an HTML dream that fills me with nostalgia for my earliest blogging days (filled with hyperlinks and simple gifs).

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN is hosting a three-day conference titled “Arts Journalism and Criticism in a Digital Age” from May 28th-30th that is going to blow the socks off of us hybrid art & tech nerds.

I am so excited to be in attendance as this is a topic I feel needs full-fledged addressing. Why? Because every morning I turn on my computer and it is CONTENT OVERLOAD from every art source I follow via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Feedly, etc. (Sometimes before I get to see an exhibition I’ve read five or more articles on it plus many Facebook comment threads). And then every morning after that I ask myself, “Why do you need to add to that?” I then answer, “Because you have a thought or response to it.”—To which I respond, “But, not everything needs a textual critique of it.” My final inner battle response: “Well thank goodness there is this conference about Arts Journalism and Criticism in a Digital Age happening in May!”

Here is the lineup:

Schedule & SpeakersAll events take place at the Walker Cinema unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, May 28Early Registration 6:00 pm–9:00 pmOpening Party: Everyone’s a Critic 6:00 pm–9:00 pm

Friday, May 29Registration 9:00 am–6:00 pmWelcome 9:00 am–9:15 amCredibility, Criticism, Collusion 9:15 am–11:40 am

What does it mean to be a “professional” arts writer when it seems everyone’s a blogger, curator, critic, promoter, or publisher? Critics from four realms—music, visual art, books, and digital culture—consider the tensions: editorial vs. advertorial, promotion vs. journalism. And what about negative criticism: is it, as one editor said, “fun to read, fun to write?” Or are harsh reviews corrosive, generative of a “culture of snark”?

1.    Ryan Schreiber 9:20 am2.    Orit Gat 9:40 am3.    Christopher Knight 10:00 am4.    Isaac Fitzgerald 10:20 am5.    Panel (Moderated by Orit Gat) 11:00 amCrowdsourced Criticism 11:40 am–12:00 pmLunch 12:00 pm–1:35 pmSustainability, Growth & Ethics 1:35 pm–3:40pm

Four speakers represent different models: for-profit and ad-based, non-profit, “anti-profit,” and legacy media. In individual presentations and a group discussion, they’ll look at these and other questions: What does financial sustainability for arts journalism look like? How can partnerships help sites better monetize content and expand audience reach? What compensation exists for nonprofit and all-volunteer ventures? What are the ethical implications of using work by unpaid writers, not just for the journalists themselves but also for the “professionalism” of the field?

1.    Veken Gueyikian 1:40 pm2.    Eugenia Bell 2:00 pm3.    Carolina Miranda 2:20 pm4.    James McAnally 2:40 pm5.    Panel (Moderated by Susannah Schouweiler) 3:00 pmFilm Premiere: Moyra Davey 4:00 pm–5:00 pmKeynote: Ben Davis 5:00 pm–6:00 pm

Saturday, May 30Registration9:00 am–6:00 pmWelcome9:30 am–9:45 amConnectivity and Community9:45 am–11:10am

How does a platform create a sense of community around the ideas it presents? What’s the best web infrastructure for fostering responsive arts journalism that encourages valuable, substantive conversations between writers and readers? How can the online intersect with the in-person? And what about virality? Let’s discuss the promise and pitfalls of massive reader response.

1.    Claudia La Rocco 9:50 am2.    Ayesha Siddiqi 10:10 am3.    Alexander Provan 10:30 am4.    Brian Kuan Wood 10:50 am5.    Panel (Moderated by Claudia La Rocco) 11:30 amLunch 12:10 pm–1:45 pmFilm Premiere: James Richards 1:45 pm–2:45 pmKeynote: James Bridle 2:45 pm–3:50 pmArtists as Cultural First Responders 4:10 pm–5:50 pm

How does the delivery medium affect the message? This discussion centers on the interplay of platform and content, highlighting artists who embed critical cultural response into their work: media inventors who create altogether new modes of storytelling, makers who use online means to critique institutional power, artists who deploy existing media platforms in their practice to surprising creative ends.

Alright. It’s time to stop hoarding resources. In January of 2013 a new online website for artist residencies was born. I stumbled upon it at the tail end of that year and kept it to myself as though I had found buried treasure. I frequent it often and have continually wondered why more people don’t take advantage of it. There are plenty of websites designed to find opportunities in the arts, however, the search can be totally dreadful from deceptive “opportunities” that are sloppily listed or inefficiently advertised. Who doesn’t love a gimmicky invitation to pay a few thousand dollars for a residency?

Rate My Artist Residency was developed by visual artist and New York resident Katrina Neumann during her time in Germany last year. The website—ratemyartistresidency.com—runs as an organized, artist-supported platform for creatives who are looking for a residency that suits their preferences. Through a super-quick scroll you can know the location, cost, application fee, length of stay, benefits, deadline, etc. complemented by dreamy (or not-so-dreamy) photos of the residency itself. Everything is pleasantly straight-forward. There is also an option to search only fully-funded residencies, or those that offer fellowships and stipends—love that! The true brilliance of the site exists in the ability to rate and share experiences at the residencies—outstanding or abominable. As Ms. Neumann explains, “The main impetus for beginning Rate My Artist Residency was to create clarity behind residency programs and allow artists to have a social platform to engage anonymously and exchange information about their experiences.”

Recently there has been a new development to the site—a crowd-funded grant on Indiegogo. The idea developed out of inspiration by grassroots efforts such as the once-was FEAST Brooklyn that funded artist project proposals through dinners where each patron would contribute by paying for a plate. This is Ms. Neumann’s first attempt using crowd-sourcing to build funding for artists, and as she professes, “It allows artists and patrons to become part of the grant-making process; subsequently making the grant process transparent as compared to most that are murky or built in an ivory tower.” I’m sure this will resonate in the minds of many. The grant, titled Artists Helping Artists (AHA), is currently for need-based artists within the U.S. who have been accepted in to a residency program. There are future dreams to expand to international applicants.

At the moment there are less than twenty days until the funding window closes. The goal is set quite humbly at $2,180. With each donation comes a sweet perk—whether that be good karma, recognition, a waived application fee ($10) for the grant, a piece of the winning artist’s work, or your name as a sponsor of the grant.

By donating, you can help an artist help you to help artists (or yourself).

Available in print from NY Arts Magazine.

Coming soon for viewing online.

The Horticultural Society of New York – a growing community of urban gardeners who strive to maintain the relationship of plants and people – gives hospitality to an exciting group exhibition of contemporary ceramic sculptures by five New York-based female artists: Nicole Cherubini, Francesca DiMattio, Brie Ruais, Beverly Semmes, and Betty Woodman. The ceramic sculptures inVessels pull influences from traditional ceramic objects such as storage vessels, pots, and vases, but use the capabilities of clay to challenge form and surface, allowing viewers to ponder further than the basic ideas of traditional ceramic objects. Through pattern and color, the gap between a two-dimensional and three-dimensional presence is lessened, and the mark of the artists’ hands in the clay creates sensitive surfaces that allow viewers to see the artist within the vessel. From figurative forms to historical allusions, these five artists both break down and complicate the ideas of function, feminine form, antiquity, and decoration. Have an experience outside the standard gallery setting, go see Vessels at The Hort while surrounded by plant life.Vessels: Nicole Cherubini, Francesca DiMattio, Brie Ruais, Beverly Semmes, and Betty Woodman. The Horticultural Society of New York – a growing community of urban gardeners who strive to maintain the relationship of plants and people – gives hospitality to an exciting group exhibition of contemporary ceramic sculptures by five New York-based female artists: Nicole Cherubini, Francesca DiMattio, Brie Ruais, Beverly Semmes, and Betty Woodman. The ceramic sculptures in pull influences from traditional ceramic objects such as storage vessels, pots, and vases, but use the capabilities of clay to challenge form and surface, allowing viewers to ponder further than the basic ideas of traditional ceramic objects. Through pattern and color, the gap between a two-dimensional and three-dimensional presence is lessened, and the mark of the artists’ hands in the clay creates sensitive surfaces that allow viewers to see the artist within the vessel. From figurative forms to historical allusions, these five artists both break down and complicate the ideas of function, feminine form, antiquity, and decoration. Have an experience outside the standard gallery setting, go see Vessels at The Hort while surrounded by plant life.

The Horticultural Society of New York 148 West 37th St, 13th Floor New York, NY 10018 May 7 through July 3, 2013 thehort.org