Meeting Minutes: Women In Focus, May 13, 2009

Taken By: Valerie Gruner

Meeting presided over by our President, Gittel Price

Members (no Guests this month) Present: Gittel Price, Anupama Vishwamitra, Valerie Gruner, Andrea Brown, Dana S. Kemp, Joanne Green, Anne Berry, Myrtie Cope, Cindy S. Michaels, Debra Booth, Ledra Davis, Vicki Bethel, Gail DesJardin, Sheri Garza-Pope, Amira Price, Phyllis Waugh, Theresa Sicurezza, Ruth Gogel, and Barbara Davis.

Members in Shows:

In the Trees Atlanta Show are Gittel Price, Gail Des Jardin (her piece sold!), and Sara Lindkrantz (her piece got an Honorable Mention!). The show is at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center at 225 Chester Ave. / Atlanta, GA 30316 / 404-522-4097. Show times are May 12-14, 3-8pm, May 16, 11am-4pm, and May 19, 20, 26, 27, 3-8pm.

Cindy Sheffield Michaels has a showing (with a friend) of photographs taken one day at Stone Mountain at Mocha Match in Decatur.

Ruth Gogel has a show at Rev Coffee Shop on Spring Rd. in Marietta. She also has pieces in this month’s Atlanta Artists Center show.

Ruth and Valerie Gruner have pieces in the Trek 2009 show at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.

In the Heritage Show in Roswell are Gittel Price, Theresa Sicurezza, and Debra Booth, (who’s piece took 3rd place!).

Last month’s program on Photoshop was taped, and we are looking into getting it posted on our website in some way so that members only may refer to it. This has made the secretary very happy, as her notes on the meeting leave a lot to be desired.

Toni James, who taped the presentation, has offered to sell WIF the digital camera for a mere $200, so that we may tape more speaker programs.

Summer Outings:

Girls, Inc. - Plans are being made for a Saturday during the summer on which our members can meet at the Girls, Inc. headquarters in Marietta, which is just of the square, and we can all walk to the square and do some photography with the girls. When the date is set, Gittel will send out an e-mail.

Old Car City - Gittel can get us into Old Car City in Cartersville on a weekend day some time this summer. An e-mail will be sent about the date and time.

Shoot Out in Roswell: Roswell Photography Society is the sponsor this year for the Shoot Out, which is a photographic scavenger hunt, where teams compete to take the best photos of certain elements on a list. The teams then come together and download their images from which to choose to submit to the judging. It costs $100 for a photography club to participate. Gittel will be sending out an e-mail with details to see if WIF can gather enough members to participate.

June Meeting, June 10: In preparation for submitting to our fall juried show, WIF begins our critique months with our peer critique. Bring 2-3 pieces, at least 8x10, for critique. This was a gas last year, and this year’s peer critique should be just as lively.

July Meeting, July 8: This will be our critique during which we will benefit from a professional’s insights. Bring 2-3 pieces, at least 8x10. Professional TBA.

Speaker, Susan Todd-Raque: www.SusanTodd-Raque.com

Susan’s topic was the state of the retail art market today, and it wasn’t all gloom and doom. But, one has to be smart, read between the lines, and search out opportunities.

According to the NY Times and other publications, nobody is really buying art in the current economic climate. Galleries are closing or severely cutting their hours.

Susan’s theory:

1. For people in Atlanta with money, art is a collecting hobby, done mostly by women of a certain social set. Hobbies get cut from budgets in tough times.

2. People without money are simply in survival mode.

3. People are lying when they say they aren’t buying art. It’s just not “cool” any longer to impress friends with purchases.

A general attitude is that art is expendable. A Georgia Representative said “[Putting people to work is more important that putting art on the walls of a New York gallery for elites.]” This is, of course, a wrong attitude. Art is important - it’s people’s livelihoods!

History has shown that during a recession, art goes through a cleansing process. Less genuine artists will fall away. Art about the world rather than art about the art world rises. It’s important to note that Surrealism came to the fore during the Great Depression. The times can make us look inside ourselves.

Some realities are inevitable during these times. Students will no longer be guaranteed solo shows, grants are going to decline in a big way. The NEA only gives money to arts organizations, not artists. There are many layers of dispersal, so volunteer with arts organizations to have a voice in those dispersals.

Use these times to explore new ideas. Don’t look at someone else’s work and then try to copy the style.

Sales are being made. Outside of Atlanta, on-line sales are doing well. Discounts and deals are being made behind the scenes. After auctions, deals are being made on the leftovers.

“Celebrity” art is fading out (thank goodness). Art that is more cerebral is coming back into vogue and will be admired. An example is the work of Walter Evans, work that can be immediately understood, without the artist’s explanation necessary with conceptual art.

Things you as an artist can do for sales start with make your work affordable. Google Jan Bekman. She sells pieces online for set prices depending on the size. A local artist paints portraits from photographs for $100. One artist hired a U-Haul truck and made it into a traveling gallery of her work. Make editions of 50 and keep the price down.

Get your work noticed. Take advantage of portfolio reviews, like with ACP, or FotoFest in Houston or in Santa Fe or at LOOK3 June 11-13 in Charlottesville. Publish when you can, submit to any show you can. Advertise, like online, with Daily Candy. Susan checks out this site regularly.

Get out of your comfort zone and submit to some of the outside galleries like Opal Gallery, Eyedrum, Art House, and Kibbee Gallery. Try placing your work in upscale boutiques or restaurants.

Use this down time to learn history, learn new skills, get inspired, or do a workshop. Keep busy by starting a new project either by yourself or with other artists. Susan has suggested an “Atlanta Project” for APG members.

Some P’s and Q’s about being an Artist:

1. At art fairs, don’t solicit dealers.

2. Get terms in writing when dealing with galleries, and pay attention to who gives up what when the dealer gives a discount on your work.

3. The artist has a responsibility to bring in customers when given a gallery show. Don’t just hand over the responsibility to the gallerist.

4. Build a relationship with gallerists. Ask about the work they are showing. Surprise them with politeness.

5. Ethics are coming back.

6. On Flicker, edit your page. Make it reflect only quality.

Susan has proposed organizing a trip to NYC with Gittel and WIF members who want to get way out of their comfort zones. See art, take photographs, perhaps March/April of 2010. Definitely something to think about.

When one desires to approach a gallery, call and ask for an appointment, ask how one is to submit to the gallery. Do your homework about the gallery, what they show, and what they are currently showing.

Present to a gallery like one might present at a portfolio review. Have 2-3 bodies of work, no tissue paper between prints, handle with gloves. Have a CD of your work and an artist’s statement to leave with the gallerist.

Susan was gracious enough to welcome us to e-mail her questions on these topics. info@SusanTodd-Raque.com

Get inspired, get moving, and buy American Art!