After an Open Studio and Beyond

After an open studio, there is no "business as usual" there is the aftermath of  the event which can be wildly successful as it is disruptive to art making. I have written a little bit before about the follow up organization during this time but  when painting is put aside and the structures and organization of the art business receives attention. This part of art is the part that new "want to be artists" do not always have insight to. I felt that this organizational time might be the most valuable art time for Rebecca to participate in. Organizational time is not Romantic but real it is.

I especially appreciate her point that often education relegates students (sometimes by default )to creative arts because they are not disciplined in math and writing , we do them no favors when they are not fully prepared for the real world of art  which demands both math and writing.

In our society, art is seen as a creative outlet, a means to allow the abstractions of one’s mind to reach the outside world, and connect with those around us. In all forms, art is emotional and seen as a release from the reality of our lives. However, this idyllic view of the art world doesn't hold true throughout the process. In order to produce and showcase their work, artists have to take on the financially, physically and sometimes even intellectually challenging job of acquiring materials, working with their space, and promoting themselves.

In educational facilities, we often separate the mathematically inclined students from the creatively inclined. The division inherently makes a statement about both the capability and skills needed for each respective field. However, following Marian, I have learned that an artist lives on the line between the two worlds. From posting on a blog, to inventory keeping, tax records, storage strategies and measuring angels, an artist needs to always have one foot in the mathematical and computer oriented sphere of life. Similarly, there is a surprising amount of physical labor involved in the art process! Marian packs up all her paintings, hauls them to her studio, back and forth from galleries and home again. Although she has made creativity her occupation and abstract thought one of her many aspirations, Marian still masters the skills of both worlds.