August 22, 1999

Success as an Artist

Feed back from Susan Prytherch

1. DID THE SEMINAR MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

I enjoyed the seminar immensely. You obviously spent a lot time planning and organizing the seminar and it showed. I was impressed by the amount of information that was covered. You were able to present even the dry material in a way which kept one's interest. Most importantly, the seminar helped me focus on what was important to me with respect to why I make art and where I plan to go with it.

2. IS THERE A TOPIC OR AREA THAT WE NEED TO ADD OR COVER BETTER?

Afterwards, four questions I wished I had asked were:

- How much work does one need to have before they talk to a gallery or consider even exhibiting their work?

- Does the work have to be part of a series? And if it does, how would one define what constitutes a series?

- How narrowly does one have to define the type of art they do? Is it sufficient to say paint realistic figures in oils or does it have to be urban realist, etc.

- Contracts between you and the buyer regarding rights if they sell the piece again, show the piece, etc.

I was not all that interested in the internet aspects and therefore felt too much time was spent on that.

Would like to have heard more about pricing of work, when the artist doesn't have a track record yet.

3. WHICH AREA OR TOPIC WAS THE MOST USEFUL TO YOU?

I liked the discussion on the types of galleries and what a gallery

does for an artist. The importance of jury shows. Taking slides.

4. GUEST SPEAKERS

I would like to hear from various curators as to how they select art for the collection or for a show.

5. HANDOUTS

Were great. Would like to have seen a sample of a resume. One for an artist just starting and one with some experience.

6. OVERALL COMMENTS

Informative and well organized. However, would have changed the order and arrangement of the topics slightly. For example would not have led with where to purchase inexpensive frames. I would have grouped the topics in broader headings such as what defines success for an artist (this could be the question everyone answers as they introduce themselves, producing exhibit quality work, getting your work shown, selling your art, funding your art, the business side of art, general nuts and bolts (tents, frames, etc.).

I enjoyed the guest speaker. He was very entertaining. More beverages would have been nice or one slightly longer break so we could get hot coffee or a soda.

I would highly recommend and will in fact recommend this seminar to others.