NET Nights at Moore

NET Nights spring forward...and look back

2011-01-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

Back from holiday break we are looking forward to an exciting spring full of new speakers from the art and design community and business, and exciting changes to our NET Nights programming!

In the interim I couldn't resist posting a few more fabulous photos taken during NET Nights at Moore - TREND REPORT. This program, focusing on the business of fashion, brought out not only our biggest audience (almost 300 guests) but most our engaged and enthusiastic crowd to date; we are looking forward to more events like this in the future!

NET Nights featured on Style Shepherd

2010-11-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

NET Nights at Moore: TREND REPORT - The Business of Fashion was recently written up on Style Shepherd, a blog "celebrating fashion, art, and the passions of Les Creatifs." Read all about it at Style Shepherd or just click on our "PRESS" page to read the full article.

TREND REPORT - The Business of Fashion

2010-11-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

We had our biggest crowd to date here at Moore last Thursday evening for NET Nights at Moore: TREND REPORT - The Business of Fashion!

Close to 300 guests attended the cocktail hour and conversation with NYC based-designers Alex De Yonge of DVF and Auralis Herrero of her self-titled line Auralis Inc., and Philly-based designers Kristin Haskins-Simms of Strangefruit and Craig Arthur von Schroeder of Commonwealth Proper. The four designers, led by Moore's Head of Fashion Design Janice Lewis, discussed everything from advice for young designers on how they got their start in the industry, to how they identify their customers to the un-glamorous side of fashion. The talk was engaging to say the least; low-key and entertaining but very informative and insightful. We are looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say about the night and will be following up with interviews with each designer featured in the next few weeks. In the interim here are just a few of our fabulous, and quite fashionable guests, who attending that evening.

Mina Stevens, Tatiana Samara

Danielle, Mohammed and Desirey of FAME APPEAL

Mina Dia Stevens, Moore alum and Adjunct Faculty in Fashion Design at Moore

Amanda, writer for Philadelphia Weekly Style Blog

Robyn, Fashion Industry Management student at Philadelphia University

Maria Palantino and her mom Cheryl, a sophomore student in Moore's YAW fashion courses

Linwood, Robert and Mariya, summer YAW students

Tia Ellis from Couture at Your Door, a mobile boutique


Sheila Frank, founder of her self-titled label who is opening in The Galleries' DesignLab exhibition series on December 11 along wither her mother Lorraine and friend Sarah

NET Nights TREND REPORT, Nov 11 @ 6pm

2010-10-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

NET Nights at Moore - Art Performs

2010-09-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

NET Nights at Moore – Art Performs

Thursday, Oct 14

6 – 8 pm

Featuring musician Melissa Auf der Maur (bassist for Hole/Smashing Pumpkins) screening her new multimedia film OOOM, along with clips of new work by Barbara Bickart in cooperation with the Painted Bride Art Center.

After screening their respective videos, both Bickart and Auf Der Maur will be present to discuss their work, insights and inspirations.

NET Nights are presented with support from Moore College of Art & Design and Your Part-time Controller.

For more information visit www.thegalleriesatmoore.org

NEW Teaching Artists Workshops @ Bartol

2010-09-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fall! The Bartol Foundation continues its workshops for teaching artists with two October offerings;

Learning from Self-Taught Artists: Visual Arts Curriculum with Found Materials
Thursday, October 7, 4:30-6:30

Self-taught artist James Castle is the inspiration for this hands-on workshop, which will share techniques for using recycled and found materials to make corrugated cardboard, articulated dolls dressed in embellished found materials

Snaps, Moo’s and Other Classroom Management Tricks
Monday, October 25th 2:30-4:30 pm

Led by Maureen Sweeney and Mindy Early of Philadelphia Theatre Company, share hands-on strategies that incorporate teacher tricks and theatre techniques into strong classroom management

For more information and to register, click here.

Be sure to click here to see the News section for updated job opportunities and listings for workshops by our partner organizations. And check out the Resource page for information from past workshops.

Call for Membership @ Vox Populi!

2010-08-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

COME ABOARD

VOX POPULI is accepting applications for membership through October 8.

Vox Populi is a member-run artist collective. Member artists mount a solo exhibition each 15 months and are eligible to participate in group and traveling exhibitions. During these exhibitions, members are encouraged to take risks and experiment while working in a non-commercial and supportive collective environment.

Members also have the chance to curate shows and organize educational and related programming. Membership is open to any artist living in the Philadelphia area, but limited to those who do not have commercial gallery representation and who are not current students. Members participate in all aspects of the gallery's administration and programming.

There is a one-time initiation fee of $100.00 for new members; monthly dues are $55.00. Members are required to staff the gallery 3 hours each month, attend monthly meetings and perform 6 hours of committee work each month.

Applications must include the following:

10-20 jpegs (no larger than 1024x768 pixels at 72 ppi) and/or Quicktime files (no more than 10 minutes total) - on ONE disc, please
Corresponding numbered check list of works; including title, date, materials and dimensions
Current resume
Artist statement

Applications will be reviewed by the artist-membership of Vox Populi and must be received at the gallery by October 8, 2010. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Emailed submissions will not be reviewed. Please only submit requested materials as submissions will not be returned.

Submit materials to:

Vox Populi

New Member Review

319 North 11th Street

3rd Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19107

T: 215-238-1236

Questions? Contact: newmemberreview@voxpopuligallery.org

Interview with Miriam Hohag, Esq.

2010-07-19T12:19:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of talking with Miriam Hohag, Esq. of Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. As an emerging artist, I think it is important to make connections and explore avenues that can help to navigate many aspects of the art world. - Lisa Haskell

Can you tell me a little bit about the mission of PVLA and the relationship with the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia?
PVLA provides pro bono and reduced fee legal assistance as well as educational programs and business counseling to low-income artists and cultural organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region. We were founded in 1978 as a non-profit legal services organization. PVLA was one of the first organizations of this type; the very first was in New York. In 2008 we combined with the Arts and Business Council to package our services together so that when an organization, for example, needed business advice, a board member, or legal assistance they could all come to one place. Hopefully that is where we are going for artists who need assistance as well.

Does PVLA just work within this specific organization?
We are a program of the Arts and Business Council, operating as the legal branch. We do occasionally collaborate with other organizations, and many have expressed interest in hosting workshops or educational programming. For example, people who want to become arts managers in the Drexel graduate program can take a PVLA Art and the Law class. PVLA also works in tandem with other non-arts pro bono legal service organizations to ensure that legal representation is within reach for Philadelphia residents in all walks of life.

PVLA's partnership with the Arts and Business Council is relatively new and in the early stages. How do you see things moving forward in the future?
The mission of PVLA hasn't changed at all. Since being founded we've always provided legal aid to the arts in Philadelphia. Our job, regardless of what organization we are working with, is to leverage the legal talent and make sure that people who are creative but cannot afford their own lawyer have somewhere reliable to go.

I have to honestly say that I did not know much about your organization before having the opportunity to hear you speak at NET Nights. I have since done my research, and I have even become a fan on Facebook. How key of a factor are social networking sites, how do you spread the word about PVLA, and how do you get noticed?
We also just launched a Twitter account—PhillyVLA! It’s exciting. We’re noticing an increase in generational turnover in many organizations—especially in the arts right now. Social networking, if used as a part of a comprehensive communications plan, is just as important for maintaining visibility as fundraising events and newspaper articles. As little as two years ago, viral online media wasn't taken as seriously in traditional business communities, but today it is increasingly being used by for-profit companies and entrepreneurs for reaching target audiences who want their information a la carte.

Miriam, you are the Director of PVLA, can you give me a bit of information about your responsibilities as Director?
Yes, my title is Director of Legal Services, and I serve as one of four program directors within the Arts and Business Council. My job covers only the legal requests we receive. I supervise a very dedicated group of law student interns who help us do artist outreach and legal research and writing, and I coordinate more than 1500 art law cases per year in the greater Philadelphia area. In a nutshell, my job is to ensure that the legal safety net for the arts in the region remains strong. It’s certainly never boring, and I really enjoy it.

Outside of all of that you have lawyers that come to you because they are interested in volunteering?
I am an attorney and I can take cases occasionally, but because our caseload is so high we have about 500 lawyers in the region who volunteer for us while working their regular jobs in law firms every day. We give lawyers with talent, time and interest the opportunity to be engaged in the arts in areas of the law as diverse as real estate, wills, contract drafting, copyright and litigation.

Can you tell me about your background and where your desire to help artists came from?
I was always a bit of an artist type even in law school. I was a dancer for about 15 years and was an apparel design major in college. I decided to go to law school because all too frequently I saw classmates who were on the cutting edge of creative thinking, but didn’t always make good business decisions. I would watch them make simple mistakes like assuming that artwork online was free to use without permission, while assuming that someday they would have a business manager to take care of that side of things. I still enjoy the creative arts, but even before law school I knew that I could see myself being that kind of protector. Problem-solving in law is surprisingly similar to the artistic creative process. We have had a lot of lawyers who really benefit from talking with artists; they learn how to think outside the box a bit.

What would you say are a few business or legal aspects that are important for an artist or designer to know but are often overlooked?
Very good question. I think that commonly, what people often overlook is that the information they receive about the laws that apply to them may be outdated, or just plain wrong. Maybe they read a book or they talked to a friend and they assume that if they just change a picture 30%, or they use it and they don't make any money off of it then everything will be fine. A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous. People should not resist coming back to receive more assistance and ask follow-up questions. A lawyer can help you figure out what applies to you and what is current—a common example is that unlike in the 1950s, an artist in 2010 owns a copyright in her painting as soon as she paints it. Copyright registration is now optional, but a copyright lawyer could definitely assess your situation and tell you if the time and expense is worth it—and give you some pointers.

I think another big struggle for artists is not looking far enough down the road to prepare for the unfortunate event where people they trust let them down—even unintentionally. I know that it is a terrible thing to have to acknowledge that despite your best efforts, you may still run into problems, but nobody can protect you as well as you can protect yourself. That is what the law is for and that is what our lawyers help you with.

What would be a few reasons why someone would come in seeking PVLA's service? Do any special criteria need to be met in order to receive services?
We have a couple of different levels of service—in order to have an attorney talk to you for free, you need to qualify financially (usually a percentage of the federal poverty line).

PVLA clients need to be artists, or arts or cultural nonprofits, with arts-related legal issues.

If something is outside of the scope of what we normally provide, or you are over our income limit for free service, then we can refer you to other attorneys in our database that might take your case for a reduced fee.

Some of the most common issues addressed are:

Musicians with questions about how to protect their work, especially if they are putting it up online;

Employment contract or “work for hire” questions.

Additionally, if an artist has lots of general or broad questions about what they might encounter, we can chat with them about their concerns and help them think out loud about what they do, what is important to them, and where they want to go with it. We can send them the appropriate information and materials and after educating themselves, they will often have more specific questions that are easier for our lawyers to answer. Often times if we get enough inquiries about certain “areas of interest” we will hold a workshop, like the one about small claims court we held at the Crane Arts building in June.

Could you end by touching on the importance of professionalism and efforts to bridge the two different worlds to help make it further as an artist or designer?
As someone who was formerly (and is still, secretly) an artist at heart, I am positioned to understand that the business world can be very overwhelming. A big setback for artists is their own fear. As soon as you tell yourself that you can be your own business manager or that you can be your own marketing consultant –with some help--it gets easier. You find it’s possible to show people how amazing you are at what you do. That is really half of the battle because after you get there you have so many amazing resources at your fingertips, especially in the Philadelphia area. Remember that as an artist you are a professional, just like a CEO is a professional. You have a product, a skill and a service, and you will need to protect and market that like anyone else. And remember: everyone you meet could be a potential client.

2010-07-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

Our interviewers Lisa Haskell (left) and Kelly Kozma, both 2010 graduates in Moore's Fine Art program.

Interview with Joan Tarka, Esq.

2010-07-15T08:17:00.001-07:00

Joan Tarka is a solo practitioner based just outside of Philadelphia. Joan volunteers her time to the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Joan was interviewed by recent Moore graduate in Fine Arts and emerging artist Lisa Haskell.

Can you give me a little bit of information on your background and what led you to be interested in volunteering for the arts?

I am a semi-retired contract attorney working from a home office and specialize in software licensing and related services for software companies. I have some expertise with intellectual property and copyright and contracts, all of which are important issues for artists to know about. I was looking for pro bono work in order to give back. I came across PVLA by checking the Pennsylvania Bar’s list of volunteer opportunities and thought working with artists would be quite simply, fun—I am a patron of the arts but not an artist myself, and I am the attorney for my daughter’s band so it seemed to be a good fit. I have to say it really is fun and I enjoy helping artists to spot issues, analyze, and reach conclusions.

Have you been a part of the group since its inception?

Basically yes. I started in mid-June of 2008. I will continue because it is important to continue to learn and gain valuable knowledge and of course PVLA is just a great organization to work with.

How much of your time do you give?

I am one of over 500 lawyers volunteering for PVLA. After PVLA does an initial screening [of a potential client] they will contact me if they think I might be helpful and available. If I am available, the person seeking services will contact me personally. I communicate with the client before our first meeting in order to eliminate any misunderstandings and I will typically engage with a client for one project.

I see that PVLA offers support with contracts, commissions, leases, and more. Is there something that you tend to deal with more frequently?

I specialize in reviewing and negotiating contract particularly in the music industry; clients seeking help of this nature are often referred to me. Most times I am just reviewing, advising, and providing information. Providing the client with more information saves time and gives a better explanation and reasoning for what needs to be done; this helps them to do some of the work on their own. For instance, I might have a client come to me with forms that they are proposing for contracts so I will some research of specifics, draft a contract relating to potential problems that might occur, and then revise based on the clients needs.

Do you personally work with small- and large-scale clients?

I am not a litigator, nor do I have the resources to take on large scale work. Through PVLA I am looking to help creative individuals who might not otherwise be able to afford such services.

Interview with Jordan Griska

2010-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia-based artist Jordan Griska was recently interviewed by emerging Philadelphia artist and 2010 Moore graduate in Fine Arts Kelly Kozma to talk about what he's working on now and how he lives and works in the city.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background as an artist?

I would say my interest in art started in high school, or even younger. I was into building skateboard ramps and things like that. If I needed something I'd try to make it myself. In high school I was more into drawing than building. I wasn't sure what it meant at the time but I enjoyed doing it. I grew up in a family of doctors but they were very supportive; maybe not in the sense of it being a career but they did support my work. I went to George Washington University on a scholarship. I started getting more serious about my work and realized it might not be the right place for me to grow, so after a year I transferred to Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). I did a combined program with PAFA and UPenn (University of Pennsylvania) so I was able to get both the academic and technical training I needed. It was important for me to have a well rounded education and that is where I realized that I was going to be an artist.

Being a recent graduate myself, I am constantly getting the question 'What are you going to do now?' It's definitely a time of uncertainty and can be a bit daunting. Can you talk about the goals you set and steps you took after you graduated to transition from student to working artist?

One of the biggest roles in my post graduation career was establishing a group of other artists to be around. I work collectively with 5 guys, all graduates from PAFA. We bring together our tools and ideas and feed off each other's energy. Setting goals is also important. You need to be constantly applying for things even if you are busy with your job.

Speaking of which, what is your day job?

I do a lot of construction, framing, and building stuff. It works because it's flexible and I can spend time in my studio. On a side note there is a gallery opening on Juniper, Jolie Laide, that is commissioning many large works from me so I will be able to pay myself with that. But in terms of succeeding as a working artist you have to keep your motivation and ambition strong. Find out what's available to you and go for it. It's also important to set perimeters. Work in your studio like it's your job. My friends have said I'm the hardest working person they know without a "real job." I also recently became a fellow of CFEVA, which has allowed me to network and find more opportunities.

You talked briefly at the Net Nights event about the injury you experienced during one of your performance pieces. Did that affect the way you approach your work or provide inspiration for future pieces?

It definitely affected the way I approach my work. A lot of times you get caught up in the creative aspects and forget the practical ones. It opened my eyes and taught me to scrutinize everything, especially when it comes to performance pieces that interact with the audience. I learned to open up to people and ask them for help when it came to the engineering of my pieces. You can contact other universities and talk to artists who really know their stuff. It's important as an artist to reach out for help. It's just like making friends and then you know all these people with different skill sets. Most artists are willing to help when they can. After the injury it didn't take long to get ideas for new projects though. My body slowed down, but my mind didn't.

You mentioned your collaborative workspace, Philadelphia Traction Company. Would you talk about the benefits of being part of a collective and how the group came together?

It started out with me and my friends John Greig and Billy Dufala. They were a couple years ahead of me at PAFA. They saw my work ethic and skill sets and we had similar interests. We talked about getting a big space with inexpensive rent, where we could come together, share tools and make work. It started out with the three of us and then grew to six people. The advantages? Well, six heads are better then one. We all are doing different work and have different skill sets. Some guys are working with molds, others bronze...steel...wood. So it's nice to have all these different areas of knowledge. It's also six times the amount of money for tools and the space. It's great when you are setting up for a show because you can ask for help without overwhelming one person. I remember at my first solo show everyone came and helped out. Where would you find funds to pay people otherwise? I think it works because we are all doing different stuff. If we were doing the same thing there might be more of a competitive nature. It's also the mentality of a group and learning to share. I used to be really particular about my tools but I've opened up a lot and have learned that having a sense of community is more important than having my own possessions. Having someone else in the studio is great, even if you aren't talking because it makes you want to be there and work hard.

What can we expect to see at your upcoming show?

I've been working on these honor boxes, titled Honor Box Reflection. They are newspaper boxes that I cut in half and then weld back together; creating a symmetrical structure that gives the illusion of a reflection. I wanted to address natural disasters like Katrina and the whole impending apocalypse. I'm taking a common object from the street and manipulating it, making you imagine that you are looking at it in a flood. I wanted to take a look at the phenomenon of natural disasters, which seems to have heightened since I was a younger, and create a 3 dimensional sculpture out of a 2 dimensional reflection. The conceptual aspects are important to me but I incorporate aesthetic value into what I'm making too. You never know who is going to see your work and I want to create a dialogue with as many people as possible, not just other artists.

What goals do you have set for yourself as an artist? Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I'd love to be showing in New York and internationally; the wider the audience, the better. The more places you are showing, the more funds you can get. I lived in Italy for five months and did a residency in

Switzerland

and it was really great to find out how similar people are despite their differences in culture. There is a dialogue about art wherever you go.

Do you think with recognition and money comes pressure to make a certain type of work?

It can, but the way I see it is that the more money you get, the more power you have to discuss what's important to you. It's a luxury to be able to choose what you can and can't afford to do. I want to create works that reach as many people I can. Different people and different audiences allow for more opportunities, which allow me to make more work.

Exhibition featuring The Other Woman @ Moore

2010-06-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Collectively Speaking, Then and Now: The Philadelphia Ten and The Other Woman
June 25 – August 23, 2010
Wilson Gallery

Selection of works from the 1920s, 30s and 40s by members of The Philadelphia Ten from Moore’s archives and new and recent works by members of The Other Woman, a Philadelphia-based art collective whose members are Aubrie Costello, Laura Graham, Darla Jackson, and Laura McKinley. Both groups were formed by female artists most of whom were students at Moore College of Art & Design (formerly known as Philadelphia School of Design for Women) in order to cultivate opportunities for group critiques, discussion forums and exhibitions. Collectives have a long rich history in Philadelphia. This exhibition looks at one of the earliest all women collective artist groups and how the tradition persists today.

In addition to individual works and a new installation by The Other Woman collective, the exhibition features paintings by seven of the eleven first members of The Philadelphia Ten who presented their first exhibition at the Art Club of Philadelphia in 1917 including Theresa Bernstein, Cora Smalley Brooks, Isabel Parke Branson Cartwright, Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, Nancy Maybin Ferguson, Edith Lucille Howard and Helen Kiner McCarthy.

Teaching Artists - Summer Opportunities

2010-06-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Bartol Foundation Teaching Artists NEWS

Summer is here! That means there are many opportunities for employment in summer art programs in the city. Take a look at the Bartol Foundation's news page to view new summer job listings from various organizations in the city. http://bartol.org/teaching-artist-programs/news/

REMINDER - PVLA @ Crane Arts tonight!

2010-06-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Promise Breakers: An Artist's Legal Guide to Conflicts, Courts and Contracts Workshop
6 - 8 pm
1400 N. American Street

If you haven't yet, register HERE!

http://pvlaartistworkshop.eventbrite.com

How Indy Hall Works

2010-06-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

InLiquid's Art Membership Deadline - JUNE 10

2010-06-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is a MUST CHECK OUT situation for all emerging artists. Become a part of one of Philadelphia's largest online resources for artists and designers. http://inliquid.com/joininlq/index.htm

InLiquid serves the creative community by offering artist memberships, which are designed to promote and support the work of visual artists. Artists working in any media and at any stage of their career may apply. Applications for artist membership are reviewed three times a year.

Michelle Ortiz upcoming events

2010-06-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

Michelle Ortiz, a mixed-media artist and participant in Net Nights at Moore - Building a Creative Life as a Teaching Artist back in March, will be part of an artist talk with members of the artist collective Las Gallas at Taller Puertorriqueño, Friday June 4 and is opening an exhibition with artist Nora Hiriart Litz at Casa Monarca on Friday, June 11. See below for event details or for more information visit Michelle's website.

Artist Talk at Taller Puertorriqueño
Friday, June 4th 6-8pm
Lorenzo Homar Gallery, 2721 N. 5th St. Philadelphia PA 19133

Las Gallas, Julia Lopez, Magda Martinez and Michelle Ortiz, will give an artist talk about their exhibition "Lo Que Aparece y Desaparece" at Taller Puertorriqueno.

"El Viaje" Opening Reception @ Casa Monarca
Friday, June 11th

6:30- 9:00 pm

"El Viaje" is a project created by artists, Nora Hiriart Litz and Michelle Ortiz, that brings together the emerging Mexican community in South Philadelphia to give them a voice to tell their stories. These women, men, and children communicated their similar struggles, sacrifices, triumphs, and realities as immigrants making the journey to the United States.

Casa Monarca is located at 1448 S. 17th Street (17th and Dickinson Streets)

Wind Challenge 3 @ Fleisher Art Memorial

2010-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

The final exhibition in this year's Wind Challenge Exhibition is on view now thru June 25.

Warren Angle, Exhibition Curator at the Fleisher Art Memorial was at Moore in September speaking about his experiences and the Wind Challenge along with Nadia Hironaka, a past Challenge winner. Interviews with both Warren and Nadia can be found in our archives.

The Wind Challenge is a great opportunity for any emerging artist in the city so make sure to check out the exhibition before its closes and look into next year's Wind Challenge deadline and requirements at www.fleisher.org.

Opportunity for Emerging Artists @ CFEVA

2010-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Community Exhibitions

The Center For Emerging Visual Artists (Philadelphia PA)

The Center is currently accepting applications to join our Regional Community Arts Program (RCAP) Artist Registry. Artists in the registry will be eligible to participate in The Center's Community Exhibition Program, which includes exhibitions in public spaces such as hospitals, schools, parks, and more.

Requirements:

-Must be interested in exhibiting in public spaces

-Must live within 90 miles of Philadelphia

-Works submitted must be available and ready to hang/install

Submission Guidelines: Please send up to 20 slides or digital images, a slide list (name, title, dimensions, medium, and price), and a resume. Application/Entry Fee: 0 Application

Deadline: ON-GOING

Contact: Genevieve Coutroubis The Center For Emerging Visual Artists Community Exhibitions 237 South 18th Street, 3A Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 546-7775 x11 Genevieve@cfeva.org

Interview with Beth Feldman Brandt

2010-05-25T07:28:00.001-07:00

Beth Feldman Brandt is the Executive Director of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation.

Can you tell me a little bit about who you are and what you do?

I’ve been the director of the Bartol Foundation for ten years, and before this I was the project director of a community arts education initiative. I was the after-school visual arts program director. Running that part of their school is what got me into the education drive. I went to school for business and economics and then needed a job my first summer after college. I was always an artsy person so this combination of art and business worked for me. Then it kind of spun out and one thing followed another. Then there were a couple of fortuitive moments where I got a call that got me into something I never would have really thought of, and then I would just go and follow-up. Just keep layering your skills and be open when one thing turns into another.

Do you feel that it’s an artist’s responsibility to advocate or is that a kind of spirit that you either have or don’t?

I would say first that artists are also citizens and every citizen has a responsibility to his or her community. For particular situations you are always deciding when your interests are separate from the general public. In other words, when are you speaking as an artist first and when are you speaking as a citizen first? All humans have a responsibility to give back and speak out against things that are wrong, so in that way artists aren’t different than anybody else, but they can do it in ways that are different and unique.

How do you bridge the cultural gap if you’re an artist entering an inner city neighborhood and trying to relate to kids that you have a completely different background from?

In addition to your artistic skills, you need to develop skills as a teacher, communicator, facilitator and collaborator. Some of those things are innate but a lot of them can be taught. I’ve seen artists teach with wildly different styles; some are very extroverted and some are very quiet. You build up your toolbox, things you know how to do and to teach. First, you need to be good at your craft, and then you can build skills around the other things. What is really important to develop is the ability to listen to what a community has to offer, as well as valuing the community’s stories. You also need to work around good people because you can do everything in the world, but until you’re in a classroom or an afterschool program you don’t realize how many tricks there are to it. There are all these things about communicating, engaging, passing out materials or figuring out the steps of what the project is going to be. Just being with a good teacher as an assistant or apprentice gives you so many skills. Everyday you need to go in knowing that teacher and student each have something to offer, and one of the things we try to talk to artists about in the teaching artists program is that you need to bring your whole self, your whole persona to the way you teach and not think of them as separate. There is also a balance between being super prepared and being flexible and able to think on your feet. You want to get to a point where you notice what the students are into at that moment and know that all that preparation has brought you to a point where you know how to work with them on what they’re interested in at that time.

Do you feel that as a community we need to focus more on keeping/getting arts into our public schools or setting up more places for arts to be accessed outside of school?

Yes, both. The truth is that kids need access to the arts and the reality is that kids are in school, so why would you say let’s not use the schools? But at the same time there are obstacles even in a great school. Forty-minute periods put restrictions on what you can do in a school setting. If the project you are doing takes eight hours to complete and you don’t have eight hours, there should be a place where the project can still happen. At the same time we have to be really pragmatic and realistic and not set ourselves apart. If there are issues in school and we’re not part of the solution, they don’t have time for us.

What is your advice for young people getting out in the world as artists or teaching artists?

Well, health insurance is important, so it’s good that you can stay on your parents’ health insurance until you’re twenty-six now. Especially in this climate and in this environment, you need to be open to opportunities. At the same time know that nobody owes you anything, and sometimes you will have to take that boring job to take care of your finances while finding time to make art. You have to fiercely guard your creative time. This isn’t always possible, but if you let it go completely, it’s really hard to get it back.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to our NET Nights blog?

It’s not always put out there that being an educator outside of a certified art or music teacher is a possible career path, but there are a lot of very accomplished teaching artists today. They do it because it feeds their work, allows them to get out of their head and out in the community because they care about social change. If anything was gained from the panel, I hope it’s that those listening won’t dismiss teaching arts as doing less creative work or work less than worthy of their talents.

Interview with Alex Shaw

2010-05-25T07:23:00.001-07:00

Alex Shaw is a musician, composer, and arts educator specializing in Brazilian music traditions. Growing up in a family of chamber musicians, he began his studies in orchestral percussion and then focused on Latin and Brazilian percussion. Upon graduating from Swarthmore College, he joined Philadelphia's award-winning Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra, and later became the Artistic Director for Alô Brasil, a renowned 14-piece Brazilian ensemble. As a freelance arts educator, Alex regularly teaches and facilitates residencies and workshops in numerous universities, schools, and organizations throughout the tri-state region.

When asked what had been the most rewarding experience/event he had ever taken part in, Alex Shaw replied that it was bridge sessions, which is way to explore different themes and how they connect. It is a collaboration/community-based program. Examples of the different themes explored during bridge sessions include world of percussion, language of rhythm, rhythm in body, movement and rhythm, and inter-genre collaboration. The bridge sessions can also be adapted for companies; Bridge for Business.

After noting that Alex is constantly working and interacting with groups of people, the BSA students asked him what skills has he gained from this—what this had taught him. In his response, Alex explained that he had to change the way he communicated for children (5-6 yrs). He also had to learn classroom management, time management, how to turn his own process into a creative experience, and collaboration. Teaching also requires a lot of "thinking on your feet" since circumstances can unexpectedly change. Child, as well as adult, psychology also plays an important role in the experience.

In discussing Alex’s research and studies in Brazil, the BSA students asked how Brazilian culture is different from the American culture. Alex noted that not everyone that lives in Brazil is Brazilian. There are many different races, so you can't really tell who is Brazilian and who is not. As for music in Brazil, people act more as a family, whereas in America there are so many different genres and styles. There are many genres in Brazil, but there is also the traditional style America does not have that everybody can enjoy. People in Brazil can all listen to the same music and not have to worry about others complaining that they don't like it.

Asked if there were a lot of business owners who are entrepreneurs or are there mainly large businesses in Brazil, Alex explained that there are more entrepreneurs than there are large businesses. “I think because Brazil is so diverse that people do their own things. Plus, there is not that much money. I have a friend that owns her own business and makes Brazilian bikinis. We are known for the bikinis because they are very small. The fashion there is different as well. Brazilian women that come America have a hard time finding jeans because they have a different shape than the average American woman.”

The BSA students asked Alex how he discovered Live Connections and how he started working with them? His response: “Just through word of mouth and networking. That is how you make it as an entrepreneur. Also, I never know where I am going to end up or what state I’ll be doing from week to week.”

Interview with Barbara Bickart

2010-05-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Barbara Bickart is an interdisciplinary artist, whose work is project-based. Her work takes on the form of video installation, video performance and experimental documentary. Her single channel video, installation, video performance and experimental documentary work have been presented in theaters, galleries and museums globally. In 2005/2006 she was Guest Faculty in the Film/New Media Department of Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY and consulted to develop the Radical Film/New Media Laboratory project.

Asked to describe herself as an artist to an outside audience that has never met her before, Bickart said:

“Barbara Bickart” is an interdisciplinary video artist, whose work is project-based. Her work takes on the form of video installation, video performance and experimental documentary. Her single channel video, installation, video performance and experimental documentary work have been presented in theaters, galleries and museums globally , in locations including London, Argentina, Israel, Croatia, Australia, Russia, Romania, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee. Bickart received her B.A. from Douglass College, Rutgers University and was a Stanton Anthony Scholar. She received her M.A. from the New School for Social Research in Media Studies, where she received the Departmental Scholar Award. In 2005/2006 she was Guest Faculty in the Film/New Media Department of Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY and consulted to develop the Radical Film/New Media Laboratory project. She works as a teaching artist with the DreamYard Project, Bronx, NY.

Asked what had drawn her to video as a creative outlet as opposed to other art forms, Bickart recalled the memory of watching the family movies that were made by her dad on a projector. It has been a significant part of her childhood. She started as a 35mm black and white film maker. Images and moving images have become a language for her. She liked the idea of creating a poem by doing the film. Also it is the most suitable way in terms of story telling for her. Even though she has done all types of films, including documentary and performance videos, she thinks that her work is conceptual. She does not emphasize the literal aspects and the practical outcomes of films, but the meaning of them.

In response to a question about what she does in the role of "teaching artist,” Bickart explained that teaching gives her a network, not only with the students, but also with other artists. Bickart gathers inspirations from this network. Her students are also very helpful for generating new ideas. It is not simply a teaching job, but also a practice of making art.

Bickart’s advice for students and other potential teaching artists:

It is very important for young emerging artists to find communities and build their own connections at the early stage. Try hard to find the institutions, organizations, and funding for your own projects. Do not be isolated. You need to find your own supporting circles.

Be really resourceful and think out of the box. Find the resources that would be able to fit into your mission statement. Do not stick within your fields of expertise. Keep trying, and one day an open door will surprise you!

Interview with Beth Nixon

2010-05-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Beth Nixon (aka Ramshackle Enterprises) builds puppets, masks, piñatas, parades, pageants, magical lands and other spectacular, on her own, and in collaboration with other humans of all ages. She comes from Rhode Island, lives in West Philly, and travels frequently to places where exciting building, performing or facilitating opportunities arise. Mostly she uses cardboard, science, and the imagination. She specializes in beast building and suitcase theater. Beth has an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College and was awarded 2008 Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts. Beth was interviewed by BSA student Melissa Chancer.

Why did you pick puppetry as your medium of choice?

Mostly because it is inclusive of many different art forms—sculpting them, designing them, animating with theatrical techniques, performing, directing, producing. It is a way to do all types of art forms that I want to do. It is a loose enough bag that I can do many different things, and it can be relevant to any subject.

What has been your best teaching experience?

The first one happened in 2002 where I worked with a small town in Montana. I worked with people from Yaak Valley, Montana and Troy, Montana to create a timeline pageant of their town. It’s an area with about 1000 people; 400 people were involved in creating it, and about 400 people came to see it, leaving only about 200 people who weren’t involved in some way. About 350 kids, parents, grandparents, and others from the community helped out. It was a really positive experience, and the community got behind it and made it so much bigger than it could have been. They really got excited and made it their own. In 2006 I went back to do another project with the town, but that wasn’t quite as mind-blowing an experience.

Another place I had a really positive experience was at the Fellowship Place, a mental health support facility in New Haven, Connecticut. It took place in one week and the workshop was comprised of 15 adults. The pageant they came up with was about overcoming stigmas largely connected to mental health issues. They presented the pageant in a local park, and it was really great how the community pulled together.

How do you find new teaching opportunities?

Most find me, which is awesome. But I also find them through my website, word of mouth, asking people if they might be interested, talking to friends who teach and asking if their schools would be interested, or talking to people who go to a community center I’m interested in. If I meet someone in a workshop who is really excited about it, I ask them to remember me if they ever want to do another program. It’s a lot of self-promotion.

How do your teaching experiences differ from the work you do on your own?

The difference often has to do with scale. The work I do on my own is small scale and can fit into a suitcase most of the time. It doesn’t involve as much stuff—more clowning and less cardboard. The result is also very different; participants in the workshops are building their own stories, while I focus on stories that are more personal. The process, though, is very similar. I am a lot easier on people in the workshops than I am on myself especially in the brainstorming process. Doing these workshops reminds me of the difficulties you encounter throughout the creative process. I perform more personal narratives, while they come up with collaborative narratives. Sometime I’ll help people come up with personal narratives and help them build their own, but this a rare occurrence. It’s always about what comes next in a group situation. In my own work, it’s usually my idea, my story or someone else’s story through my perspective.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I am working on a brand new show for the Banners and Cranks Festival in Chicago, the second weekend in May. Also I am collaborating with the Pig Iron Theatre Company on a performance for a festival. I am also working on my website with a friend, and I am doing some grant writing, staying on the administrative side of things. Plus there’s also the big project of raising my 1 year old.

Do you have any advice for young artists just starting out?

Go for it and keep going.

Seek out mentors and inspiring organizations, people and places that interest you and that you want to work with. Then see if there are ways to get involved. It definitely shaped me to work with people doing similar things to what I really wanted to do. It’s important to learn to find your own way.

Keep at the heart of things. Your reason for teaching is the passion you have for your subject, and you should always keep that as the reason behind your work. Maintain a balance of your own creative process and the work you do facilitating others. Don’t put up a wall between the two, and let them both inform your creativity.

Interview with Michelle Ortiz

2010-05-25T07:00:00.001-07:00

Michelle Angela Ortiz is a mixed-media artist of Latin American and Caribbean descent that creates work connected to family histories and memory. As an arts educator, Ortiz uses the arts as a tool for communication to bridge communities. She has designed and created over 30 large scale public works nationally and internationally (Fiji, Mexico, Ecuador & Costa Rica) and is a recipient of the Leeway Foundation Art & Change Grant (2006) and Transformation Award (2008.) She has participated in the Cultural Envoy Program of the US Embassy in Juarez, Mexico and Suva, Fiji where she was selected to train local artists in techniques for engaging communities in the arts.

You note that your work represents those who have contributed to your journey. Who has helped you the most to become a successful artist and educator?

First and foremost, my parents, who are both immigrants, made the difference by giving me a lot of positive support and encouraging my success. My Mother told me, “Whatever you do, I know you will do the best you can." This motivated me and contributed to the drive I have.

Two women have become my mentors for the past seven years, Magna Martinez and Julia Lopez, who form the art collective Las Gallas with me. We are all first generation citizens who share common themes in our artwork and work to impact positive change in communities, as well as organizations. We work to create positive solutions to negative situations and help the community's voices be heard.

How did Moore contribute to your journey?

I started as a Young Artist Workshop (YAW) student and had an art teacher that truly believed in me and made me realize, for the first time, that I had the ability to make art into my career. This reinforced my decision to come to Moore for my undergraduate degree and pursue being a professional artist. While I was at Moore, I took advantage of every opportunity that was offered, which helped me grow as a person and artist. Moore played a key role in my ability to own and know my own skill.

How is working abroad different from working locally?

I went to Ecuador in 2001. That was my first time abroad. It was a different environment. I was working with children in an indigenous community. The adults were in charge, and the children did what they said. They had no fun and no voice. I train teachers in common arts or enhance their curriculum both locally and internationally. I build resources and knowledge, but I don't take over. I'm from Philly, so people are generally okay with me locally. Abroad, I'm a young American woman, so it's a little harder. I'm battling stereotypes on a larger scale. I don't just do a project and get out. I provide training for local artists and community leaders wherever I am. They sustain the teaching and learning after I leave.

How have the communities you've been to changed with art?

In Fiji, they already had artist studios, but they weren't occupied. The people had low self-esteems as artists. I held workshops to discuss stereotypes and the roles of an artist. Then we discussed how they defined themselves. We identified problems and found solutions. In Mexico, a collective emerged, and they've completed seven murals since I've been there. The community organizers and workers are still working on projects. When I'm there, I do intense work during short times. I can't do a project without the community's help. I don't really start with a concept for the mural. Instead, I work with the people. I give them the right mindset and enhance their skills. I give everyone tasks to contribute to the mural. After I'm done, I always stay connected with the communities.

PVLA Artist Workshop at Crane!

2010-05-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

Are you a fine artist? Designer? Musician? Dancer? Is someone not holding up their end of your bargain?
Join us for a workshop at Crane Arts to learn more about conflict resolution options with the experts.
Stephen Frishberg, shareholder at Deeb Petrakis Blum & Murphy, P.C. will serve as moderator with Associates Jenna Evans and Arthur Armstrong. The panel will present a guideline that can help you get paid, settle arguments, and move on to your next project.
Following the steps is easier than you think.
$10 covers 90 minutes of programming and light refreshment- and is redeemable towards PVLA service application fees.
For more information, please contact the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia at 215 790 3620

Presented by Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Program Sponsor Deeb Petrakis Blum & Murphy, P.C.
Special Thanks to Crane Arts, LLC

Register Now for the June 8 PVLA Artist Workshop at the Crane!

Icarus by Jordan Griska

2010-05-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

We want to hear from you!

2010-05-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Our next NET Nights program on May 21 is all about "starting off right" as emerging artists and designers in the city, featuring local artist Jordan Griska, local designers and co-founder of Print Liberation Jamie Dillion and Nick Paparone and representatives from PVLA.

What do you want to know about "starting off right" as an artist and designer in Philly?

Post your questions HERE and start the conversation! Questions will be addressed the night of NET Nights and all answers will be posted following the program.

NET Nights at Moore - May 21, 6 - 8 pm

2010-05-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

NET Nights at Moore

Starting Off Right: from Contracts to Copyright Career Advice for Emerging Artists & Designers

6:30 pm –Join us for an informal conversation with area artists, design professionals and representatives from the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA) who share practical advice and first-hand experiences about everything from contracts and copyrighting to distribution and reproduction of your work; all crucial steps to starting off right as an emerging artist and designer.

Participants include: Jamie Dillion and Nick Paparone, co-founders of Print Liberation, a design studio in the Northern Liberties founded in 1999; they have appeared on the cover of The New York Times' style magazine T, and caught the eye of celebs from Kanye West to Chloe Sevigny; merging objects and performance, Jordan Griska, a graduate of PAFA and UPenn, is an active member of CFEVA who participated in the 2009 Philly Fringe Festival and had his first solo exhibition at Esther M. Klein Gallery in April; Miriam K. Hohag, Esq., Director of Legal Services at the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts; and Joan Tarka, Esq., volunteer attorney for PVLA.

Presented in cooperation with the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.

About PVLA (Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts)

Part of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, PVLA provides pro-bono and low cost legal assistance, educational programs and business counseling to artists and arts and cultural organizations. For more than 30 years PVLA has provided legal services to thousands of artists and arts and cultural organizations in our region. With the dedication of over 700 pro bono attorney volunteers PVLA provides over $1 million a year in legal services.

Philly Feast

2010-04-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

A great new program might be making waves in Philly soon that is perfect for emerging artists in the city. Check out Philly Feast on facebook today, or see all the cool things that have happened in Brooklyn where the idea of the Feast began at feastinbklyn.org

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

2010-04-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our next NET Nights at Moore program is set for Friday, May 21, 6 - 8 pm. The program is being presented in cooperation with PVLA (Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts) where we will discuss starting off right, giving practical advice on everything from copyrighting to contracts. Participants to be announced shortly.

You don't want to miss this event, especially all you soon-to-be recent graduates, so MARK YOUR CALENDARS for MAY 21.

We hope to see many of you there!

Great local event for Emerging Artists, April 15

2010-04-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

CFEVA offers great resources and programs for emerging artists and designers. Below is information about an upcoming event with Liz Spungen and Sarah Stolfa. For more information visit www.cfeva.org.

April 15, 2010, 5:30 pm
What Not to do in the Art World

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists

1521 Locust Street, Lower Level, Philadelhpia, PA 19102

Discussion with Liz Spungen, The Print Center and Sarah Stolfa, Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. All programs begin at 5:30 pm. Each session is $12.00. Registration is required. Individuals who have not pre-registered are not guaranteed a seat.

To reserve a space or to receive more information about The Center for Emerging Visual Artists or Direct Dialogues Lecture Series, please contact Genevieve Coutroubis, by phone (215) 546 - 7775 x 11 or by email Genevieve@cfeva.org.

We want to hear your opinion!

2010-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

NET Nights are designed to reach out to artists, designers and educators in Philadelphia, so we want to hear your opinion!

What do you want to discuss about being an artist in Philadelphia? Who would you like to hear from as a member of our arts community? What are your ideas and insights on how to better connect our ever growing community of artists and designers in the city?

Please post any comments, insights, suggestions and thoughts; we would love to hear from you!

Interview with Bez Ocko

2010-04-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Bez Ocko lent her collection of Rock n' Roll poster to The Galleries at Moore from Oct - Dec 2009. Her collection was on view during the screening of Died Young, Stayed Pretty as a NET Nights event on November 17. Bez was interviewed by BSA student Haoren Yu.

Bez Ocko is a graphic designer and educator who received her MFA from Yale University and bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, where she found her passion for posters, which generalized later to a wider range of the art world. She was as an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA, and has also held the position of director at the Rosenberg Gallery at Hofstra University in New York City, where she now works as an associate professor. At the Rosenberg Gallery, Ocko curated an exhibition of her personal collection of rock posters that she has accumulated of the years. This exhibition, Paper Rock ‘N’ Roll, traveled to Philadelphia and was on view in the Window on Race in The Galleries at Moore from October - December 2009.

I first learned of Professor Ocko and her poster collection during this exhibition and in preparation for this interview as part of NET Nights at Moore where The Galleries' screened the independent film, Died Young, Stayed Pretty, an homage of sorts to underground indie rock posters and the artists who create them. Afterwords, we spoke about her interest in poster art—with me asking questions from a beginner’s perspective and Professor Ocko answering from years of experience. Professor Ocko enjoys the process of printmaking; in fact, I would say that she is devoted to it. For people who get so involved in art, the real reason is not the final product but the process of creating the piece. Print is the one that fascinates Ocko the most. Just like traditional art-creating techniques, printmaking requires not only a sense of inspiration and creativity.

At Hofstra University, Ms. Ocko's interest in the subject is more than academic. In 2002, she curated a Swiss poster show. The exhibition presents posters of artists who rose to prominence after World War ll. These works, both individually and as a group, have a stunning visual impact. According to the exhibition catalog, "Among them were iconic examples of the Swiss International Style of the 1950s and 1960s, developed after World War II and adopted internationally as a universal language of visual communication, as well as more recent posters distinguished as innovative landmarks." This is the link to her exhibition: http://people.hofstra.edu/karen_t_albert/swiss/index.html. Bez Ocko in collaboration with Moore’s Graphic Design Department organized the poster show Paper Rock ‘n Roll and Window on Race for the opening of the film Died Young, Stay Pretty.

NET Nights at Moore - Building a Creative Life as a Teaching Artist slideshow

2010-03-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

NET Nights at Moore - Teaching Artists opening slideshow from The Galleries at Moore on Vimeo.

NET Nights at Moore last night

2010-03-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

NET Nights at Moore - Building a Creative Life as a Teaching Artist

Friday, March 19, 2010

Last night's talk was a great success, featuring four teaching artists in conversation about the ups and down, opportunities and obstacles and paths they have taken in their lives to maintain a balance of being a working artist and teaching artist in Philadelphia.

The talk featured Barbara Bickart, a filmmaker and recipient of multiple Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's Artist and Communities grants whose work often engages communities in telling their stories; Beth Nixon, of Ramshackle Enterprises, is a visual and performance artist who uses art as a tool for activism and social change; Michelle Ortiz, a Moore College alumna, administrator at the Bartol Foundation, muralist and visual artist whose work has taken her all over Philadelphia and around the world; Alex Shaw, a musician, teaching artist and education programs coordinator for Live Connections, a program of World Café Live.

A podcast of the talk and interviews with the participants will be available soon so stayed tuned!

We're Tweeting!

2010-03-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

It is official, NET Nights at Moore is now on Twitter!

Post comments, ask questions and get instant updates during programs at www.twitter.com/netnights

Follow other tweets too, like Fractured Atlas, AIGA Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art and more!

Upcoming Program - March 19, 6 - 8 pm

2010-03-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

NET Nights at Moore – Building a Creative Life as a Teaching Artist

Friday March 19, 6 - 8 pm

6:30 pm – Conversation with a range of working artists to learn how their role as an arts educator enhances and sustains their creative lives. They will share their paths to becoming teaching artists, strategies for securing teaching artist positions, resources to build your skills as an educator, and their reflections on how they integrate their lives as educators and artists.

Teaching artists participating in the conversation include:

Barbara Bickart, a filmmaker and multiple recipient of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's Artist and Communities grants whose work often engages communities in telling their stories

Beth Nixon, of Ramshackle Enterprises, is a visual and performance artist who uses art as a tool for activism and social change.

Michelle Ortiz, a Moore College alumna, administrator at the Bartol Foundation, muralist and visual artist whose work has taken her all over Philadelphia and around the world.

Alex Shaw, a musician, teaching artist and education programs coordinator for Live Connections, a program of World Café Live.

Moderated by Beth Feldman Brandt, Executive Director, Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation.

Presented in cooperation with The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation.

The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation supports organizations that provide creative opportunities to connect and engage, that give voice to a community’s history and future, and that sustain and share a rigorous artistic process

Interview with Gigi McGee

2010-03-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Gigi McGee, Professor of Graphic Design at Moore and member of AIGA Philadelphia was interviewed as part of the November NET Nights program. As a member of AIGA Philadelphia, co-presenter of the program, we thought that she could offer good insight into involvement with AIGA, the nation's leading professional graphic design organization, to see what students can get involved in to get a step forward into the professional world. Sam Emonds, a current student in Moore's Business Scholars for the Arts program conducted the interview with Gigi and gathered the following information:

Gigi McGee received her BFA from Philadelphia College of the Arts, now University of the Arts. Following graduation, it took her about three months to land her first graphic design job. Since at that time there were not as many opportunities in Philly as there are today, she decided she to move, visiting a friend's home in Los Angeles where she lined up 25 interviews for the short week she was there. By the end of the week, she had a job offer. Despite the not panning out, Gigi stayed in Los Angeles while her friend was on vacation and filled in at her job. While there, Gigi received a call from Seiniger Advertising offering her a position working on movie posters. Her persistence really paid off.

Gigi began her teaching career in the Communication Design program at the Otis Art Institute of the Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles under the direction of Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, a visionary woman in the design field. She also taught at California Institute of the Arts under the direction of April Griman, yet another revolutionary designer, who is recognized as one of the first designers to embrace computer technology as a design tool in 1984.

After 7 fulfilling years of working and teaching in California, Gigi and her husband moved back to Philadelphia. She opened a studio on Spring Garden Street and began to teach part-time at Moore in 1989, later becoming a full-time faculty member.

Gigi has been involved with AIGA (American Institute for Graphic Arts) for quite some time, and has been a particularly active member in the past ten years. She joined the AIGA Board five years ago, and she became an Education Committee co-chair two years ago. As chair of the Graphic Design Department at Moore, Gigi has brought a number of speakers and exhibitions from AIGA, and she continues to work with students as the Education Committee co-chair.

Gigi encourages her students to get involved in AIGA. As the co-chair of the Education Committee, she is well aware of the organization’s focus on, and commitment to students. For the past five years, Gigi has organized AIGA professional portfolio reviews, helping graduating seniors gain valuable feedback from working professionals and potential contacts for future job offers. AIGA also helps to sponsor studio tours and informal presentations of working graphic design studios and firms, where students can ask employees for advice and guidance in an informal environment.

There are many ways for students to actively participate in AIGA. Students can attend studio tours and participate in contests run by AIGA, in addition to taking part in their mentorship program, PR committee, web committee and guest lecturer programs with graphic designers from across the country. Gigi also encourages students to join committees because you meet more people that way.

AGIA’s online job bank provides many resources to aid students in finding jobs, allowing members to search for positions locally and nationally. They also support networking through an open database of designers throughout the country and opportunities for members to post their portfolio online for all affiliates to review.

Moore College helps to prepare students for the professional world as well. The best resource at Moore is the Career Center where students are welcome both during their time at Moore and after they graduate to receive employment information, resume writing assistance, and advice from the staff. The graphic design department also offers great resources for students such as: writing exercises where students can learn how to write briefs, proposals, cover letters, resume, and more. Students learn how to price and talk about their work and how to stay organized. A required internship is also incredibly useful, helping students build confidence as new emerging designers and artists between junior and senior year.

Gigi seems like the kind of person that gets out there and makes things happen and who encourages her students to do the same. She's shown that persistence and involvement are really important for getting a job in graphic design (and any other field, really). You've got to find ways to get involved in your community and keep looking for opportunities everywhere. Join whatever professional organization there is in your field, use school resources to their fullest, and don't be afraid to go out, meet people, and get involved!

NET Nights at Moore – Died Young, Stayed Pretty Film Screening and Conversation / Nov 17

2010-03-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, November 17, The Galleries welcomed Eileen Yaghoobian for the Philadelphia premiere of Died Young, Stayed Pretty. Following the film Eileen led the audience in an informal conversation about not only the film and her process, but how she became an independent filmmaker and is continuing to forge her own path, creating edgy, raw and beautifully framed films.

More about the film:

Picking up where punk left off, Died Young, Stayed Pretty reveals a new breed of counter-culturists; artists that set out to destroy the mainstream through their controversial and intensely visceral design work. Under the guise of advertising for rock shows, these unheralded masters of the silkscreen and Xerox machine carry on public discourses that range from hot button political issues to lewd inside jokes. This feature film is the first of its kind to take a candid look at the renaissance of North America's underground indie-rock poster movement.

This program was presented in collaboration with AIGA Philadelphia and Moore’s Graphic Design Department

Elieen Yaghoobian, filmmaker

Eileen and Elizabeth Gilly, The Galleries' Outreach/Public Programs Coordinator

Interview with Lindsay Duggan of Girl.Bike.Dog

2010-03-10T12:20:00.001-08:00

Founder Lindsay Duggan and her main designer Caroline Steinberg of Girl.Bike.Dog, specialize in fully custom messenger bags, bike accessories and dog accessories. Their newly minted store front business on 23^rd and Bainbridge Streets in addition to providing custom made wares helps support the Philadelphia art community, showcasing and selling work by local artists and designers. Lindsay was interviewed by Laura Bonvini and Christine Ferri, two of Moore's BSA students.

LB & CF: What has it been like establishing a business in such a poor economy?

LD: We were lucky; my landlords own the building so I knew the spot was available. Business tripled with the store opening, and many more people know about the business now. As the economy improves, the business will improve as well.

LB & CF: What is your inspiration?

LD: Seriously, sometimes you just have to do it to pay the rent. But I do get a lot of inspiration by working with other artist. I love helping my friends with blowing glass and working in new mediums. I get inspiration when I am faced with new material, new designs, new appliqué.

LB & CF: Owning your own business must be stressful at times, what is the most difficult situation or task you have overcome so far?

LD: Hiring friends as employees. It is very difficult to balance the relationship between friend and boss. Also, making money. Sure, everything is paid for but you have to sacrifice a lot. You don't really make ends meet for at least 2 years.

LB & CF: If the opportunity to rent a space did not present itself, what would you be doing now?

LD: I would still be working out of my living room. I was always looking for spaces to rent but everything fell into place when I found this location.

LB & CF: Do you have any advice for others who want to open a small business?

LD: Be dedicated! Love what you are doing, I gave up a lot and started up the shop on my own without the help of loans. Make sure you are serious and it’s definitely what you want to do. I knew what was going to happen, a lot of work and time. Expect to work very hard! Eventually the hard work will pay off and you'll make ends meet!

LB & CF: How do you keep yourself motivated?

LD: I ride my bike out to Fairmont with my dog and swim in the river. Other interests are gardening, cooking, dog walking, hanging out with friends, reading, and watching movies.

Interview with Melanie Bergwall

2010-03-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Moore Alumna ’08 and creator of Meljoy, an artworks/graphics studio, Melanie Bergwall is also a full-time designer for Urban Outfitters and in the past has worked as a freelance designer for companies such as Victoria’s Secret and Reef Inc. Melanie began her freelance work during her undergraduate career and since then has continued to expand her business and brand of graphics and design work in and around Philadelphia. Melanie was interviewed by BSA student Amer Callahan.

What attracted you to want to major in Textile Design rather than Fashion Design?

MB: I was always interested in both fashion/textiles. I just realized I was more interested in surface design/pattern—in what was actually going to go onto the garment instead of the actual construction of it.

While at Moore majoring in Textiles, did you have to apply for an internship? If so, who did you work for?

MB: Yes, I did internships every year in between school. One company in New York City, Oxford Industries, and 3 others in Philadelphia here—Free People, Printfresh design studio and Urban Outfitters.

After you graduated Moore, did you start up meljoy.com right away? Also, was it difficult to find jobs you were interested in?

MB:I started meljoy.com while I was still in school because I learned early the significance of getting your work out there and networking, and having a website is a very good way of doing that. No, I was offered my job while I was still in school, and interned part time before I graduated.

What was your most favorite job you’ve done so far in your career?

MB:All of my jobs have been wonderful, and I have learned a significant amount from them all. I don’t have one particular favorite.

You probably get this question a lot, but what was it like working for Victoria’s Secret and Urban Outfitters?

MB:Urban Outfitters is amazing. Victoria’s Secret was a lot of fun also.

You mentioned at NET NIGHTS that you did not like working up in New York. What didn’t you like about it?

MB: I just like Philadelphia more—the scene, the people, being close to family friends and being able to have a car and drive. That can't happen in New York. Pretty simple.

Where do you find inspiration to get ideas from to start on upcoming projects?

MB: I find inspiration in just about anything. It depends what I am trying to be inspired to do.

What are you currently working on?

MB: Too much! Full time job, freelancing graphics for hardgoods/packaging for a company, my website amongst a few other projects.

What advice would you give to an upcoming student who is majoring in Textiles or even Fashion Design?

MB: My advice would be: having an easy attitude, being personable yet sticking to what you really believe in, being able to talk about your work, justify it, putting in 110%, going that extra mile on everything and being able to adapt to change at the drop of a dime because in this industry it happens all the time.

NET Nights at Moore - The Business of Design / Oct 13

2010-03-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

NET Nights at Moore - The Business of Design in Philadelphia, What's Hip & Happening / October 13, 2009

On October 13, a group of artists, designers, young entrepreneurs, and design business professionals in Philadelphia gathered to talk about their experiences with building and sustaining art and design businesses and artist community organizations.

The participants included: Melanie Bergwall, creator of Meljoy, an artworks/graphics studio; freelance designer for Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret and Reef Inc, ’08 Moore Alumna; Geoff DiMasi, founder and Principal of P’UNK Avenue, a design & development ﬁrm in South Philadelphia and co-founder of Independents Hall, a co-working space and community in Philadelphia for designers, developers, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, small business owners and freelancers; and Roz Duffy, co-founder of Refresh Philly, a meet-up organization of designers and developers working to refresh the new media culture in Philadelphia through socializing events, lecture series and workshops; Lindsay Duggan, founder and Caroline Steinberg, main designers of Girl.Bike.Dog, a company specializing in fully custom messenger bags, bike accessories, dog accessories and supporting Philadelphia-based young artists.

Interview with Aubrie Costello

2010-02-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

A graduate of Moore in 2007, Costello, an installation artist, has exhibited extensively in galleries and boutiques throughout Philadelphia including Projects Gallery, Tower Gallery, Studio C, Mew Gallery, Top Hat, Bus Stop Boutique, and The Random Tea Room. Along with three other Moore Alums, Costello founded the ladies artist collective The Other Woman in 2006 to plan exhibitions, group critiques and discussions in an effort to create new outlets and opportunities. Aubrie was interviewed by BSA students Amber Callahan, Christine Ferri and Chriztie Kaufmann.

Whenever you and the other members of The Other Women Collective exhibit together, do you work within a common theme or are all of the works of art independent from each other? We know where our work is going individually but we gather throughout the year to throw ideas around about themes. It's a creative process that takes time and four people to really nail down a good, cohesive idea.

In your artist statement, you mention that your inspiration comes from the "sex industry," "human desire," and the "uncomfortable things in the world." What about these topics intrigue and inspire you? As a woman these things fascinate me: this male driven society, sexual outlets for men and how women are objectified. I’m fascinated with ideas about what makes a woman perfect in society's eyes, the role of the physical body of women, and how this emphasis on the body effects the psyche and intrigues men and women.

Do you get a lot of negative criticism for portraying this side of life? No, but I sometimes feel it's the calm before the storm. I really want to start making art that might push the envelope a little bit. I want to put it out there, but not be so over the top so that people can't see past surface to the deeper thought process behind my art. There are many artists who produce exciting and really crazy pieces, and I am trying to find the place that I am comfortable with, to be talking about those topics.

Are you worried? Is that why you haven’t gone there yet?

I think so. Darla [The Other Women Collective member Darla Jackson] and I call it being “Jersey nice.” I don’t know where my work is going next but a lot of it will be about sexuality and a women's place in the craziness of this world.

Can you talk about the importance of your material choices?

I use materials like glitter and silk that will evoke an idea or emotion that tells a story. I think that materials that are sparkly, pretty and girly furthers the story and gives the viewer an idea of where I am coming from. I like using ballons to show the passing of time, like deflated balloons say "the party is over.” Through the use of different materials I can further the story or mood for the viewer.

What would it take for your group to go from exhibiting in other peoples spaces to curating in your own space?

First we’d have to get a space! We’ve dabbled with this idea but right now I think we’re more excited about finding new places where our work fits. We would love to do more guerilla style exhibitions, such as the four of us going into the woods or abandoned houses to create installations and documenting them. We would like to curate shows with other artists but we still need to continue showing together to develop our voice a little bit more before we would curate within our own space. We're still not 100% sure we would do that.

Is making art your full time job, if not, do you have hopes for it to be?

Making art is not yet my full time job. I actually support myself by working three other jobs and I haven’t really figured out the process of having art be my full-time career. I'm scared of it becoming too much of a grind and I don’t want to lose that passion. I make my art from a very emotional place, as a lot of professional artist do, but I'm still trying to figure out how to feel comforatable with making it a career and still having that fire that drives it. I want to see the world, I want to travel and I think after some of that soul searching I will be able to figure out what I want to do.

I am still young and I need to figure myself out some more to know what I want really want to be doing. I am always searching within different mediums and I think that once I really develop my voice as an artist I will know. It is an innate part of me to doodle these weird things, and want to do these projects, and I am constantly coming up with ideas. If that becomes a career, then that seems kind of amazing.

I think that’s why I am in this collective. The other members are a little bit older than me and I just look up to them so much. All I am doing is being a sponge and observing their paths. Darla is very professional and I share a studio with someone who is really making a career out of this art thing, so it is really interesting to observe what that takes. When I put myself in those shoes I go, "Okay, well maybe I could do that."

Do the other women have outside jobs as well?

They do. Darla is teaching at Fleisher Art Memorial and she taught at Stockton College for a little bit. The two Laura's (Graham and McKinley) have other jobs, as well. We are all juggling a lot, while being a part of this collective and we are still figuring it out. This collective was formed in 2006 so we are still in our infancy---developing where we want to be and who we are individually and collectively.

Do you ever have creative differences and disputes? How do you settle them?

We do, and when I first started in the collective I was freaked out because I knew I hadn't really gone full force yet. As I mentioned, I knew I wanted to do some crazy stuff. I was scared that these girls were going to be like, "This girl's putting vaginas on things!" "What is she doing?" or "Why does she have glitter all over the place, what is going on?" But they are really supportive and I think we really want to push the envelop in the coming years. I keep encouraging everyone to do so. I love when the girls do crazy stuff , I say, "Please make it crazier, do something insane!"

Do you do most of your work here, in this studio?

It is just Darla and me here. Laura Graham has a studio in New York and Laura McKinley has a studio right outside of Philadelphia.

What are the advantages of being in a collective rather then on your own?

We are all in it for different reasons. It was the winter before I graduated from Moore and I knew when I left college I wanted to feel like I could make art in collaboration with people. You kind of need that push after you graduate. You don’t know what you are going to do and I predicted that I would feel that way, because I was searching in school regarding where I wanted to be and what I was doing artistically. And the other girls were already out of school and making amazing work, but they wanted to make work more often and wanted to get involved with planning events.

That’s the advantage of a collaborative situation-- if I didn’t have the other members I would sometimes feel like a chicken with my head cut off. I get a lot of ideas but sometimes I don’t know where to show things or who to approach about showing things, and it's awesome when one of the girls say, "Let's do a show here!" Now I can make this crazy piece that I want to make and it will have a place where it can be seen. Its really good because we give each other feedback and get each other excited about projects, because when you're in your own head and thinking about your own work, you don't always have a clear vision. After a while it's good to have other people to talk to.

Does it cost a lot of money to show in places?

Yeah—and to make your own stuff it's ridiculous! Even to get my work framed I wonder, "How am I going to do it?" I have a huge drawing and I wonder how I am going to frame it? Luckily, we all have our strong points and there are specific members that are very good at being treasurer and keeping things very organized, and keeping the expenses straight. It hasn’t really caused any issues--we all know making art costs money.

Do you get grants or do you just pay expenses from your own pocket?

We’ve been paying for everything out of pocket but we do want to start applying for grants. The people who get grants are very diligent about doing it. We haven’t had major expenses yet--but as our exhibitions get more ambitious--we know that we would have to apply for grants to be able to pull them off.

Are you talking about the materials that go into the works or to actually present the exhibition?

Once you decide to do a huge show you have to get very organized and if you find a venue you may have to pay something for it. But if you get a grant and there is a venue that you land a spot in, you may get in that time slot when they are sure you can show and then most of the grant money can go to the making of the work. We have only been able to pay ourselves through selling our work.

The galleries don’t usually charge you for showing there?

No, they don’t but they’ll take a percentage of sales. Some galleries get 60% and you only get 40%. That’s why pricing is so difficult. That’s one thing we do in the collective—discuss potential sales and ask each other what price we should ask for our work. The pricing of your work is really hard because you have to create a system. Darla and I have the same way of figuring out how to price pieces and you really have to do math to figure it out because you can’t just make up a number. We consider labor, costs of material and the “preciousness” factor. Someone said recently, "Oh, artists, they just throw a number up on something." But, no, a lot of artists really sit there and figure out how to price each piece and a lot of times you feel bad if something seems too expensive. However, if the gallery is going to take 50% you have to recoup something for yourself.

Is there anything in general that you feel like we (emerging artists) need to know or that you feel like you would have liked to know when you were just starting out?

Did you ever see that movie from the early ‘90s, Reality Bites, with Winona Rider? I was watching that and it really got me thinking about being in your twenties and trying to figure stuff out in your life and being lost. I think the only thing I could say to young people that are trying to be in the art world--something that’s difficult for me--you have to be open to letting the universe, or whatever, make things happen and if there’s a big change in direction, try to open yourself up to it. I think you graduate with a degree and you think that you have a degree in this or that, so you need to be doing something in this field or that field. I think that’s important, but you also have to let things happen naturally, while having an idea of who you are. I feel like I'm still figuring it out. I graduated in 2007 and it freaks me out sometimes--I'm like, "Crap, I was a 2D major and I want to make these weird installations." That can make me feel like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, but then I think, "Wait-- there isn’t just ONE something you're supposed to be doing!" You just have to be open to trying new things.

Interview with Nadia Hironaka

2010-02-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

Artist and co-founder of Screening, Philadelphia’s first gallery dedicated to the presentation of works on video and film, Hironaka is currently a professor in the Video and Film Arts department at The Maryland Institute College of Art. Hironaka, whose video works have been exhibited internationally, has also received numerous grants, fellowships and residences including: the 2008 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship, the 2006 PEW Fellowship in the Arts, PEI Artists Grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Atlantic Center for the Arts Artist Residency, and Leeway Foundation Grants in 2001 and 2003. You can further explore Nadia’s work and learn more about her on her website www.nadiahironaka.com. Nadia was interviewed by BSA students Laura Bonvini, Melissa Chancer, Samantha Emonds.

What is Screening?

NH: It is the only gallery dedicated to the moving image in

Philadelphia. Nadia was able to fund Screening with a PEW (link)

Grant, worth $50,000. Screening has been established for 2 1/2 years, and it shows the work of internationally acclaimed video artists. You can go to Screening’s (link-there may be a better location or introduction for this link…) website to learn more!

Some good advice?

NH: Apply to everything!

You should apply to as many grants, galleries, exhibitions, festivals, etc. as you can. Anything to get your work out there and noticed!!!

NH: Consider all your options when applying for a job and hold out, if possible, for the one that fits your passion.

While Nadia was applying for jobs after grad school, she had an offer to work part-time in Temple University’s gallery. At the same time, University of Pennsylvania was developing video courses, and Nadia applied to teach video at Penn about a year before the classes were to begin. To tide her over before she could begin the teaching job, Penn offered her a position working in their video lab. She took the interim job in the lab because she realized that her passion was teaching video. Six to seven months later, Nadia had a full-time teaching job at Penn.

NH: The Challenge Exhibition is open to all!

Don't be afraid to submit some work to Challenge or to visit the Challenge Exhibition. There’s more about this in our post on Warren Angle.

Interview with Adam Natale

2010-02-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

Adam Natale is the Director of Membership and Program Development at Fractured Atlas, New York, NY.Fractured Atlas is a non-profit organization that provides services and support to artists and arts organizations. It includes a community of over 50,000 artists and arts groups from every discipline across the country and around the world. It seeks to be an innovator in the use of technology and 21st century business models to empower the community of artists they serve.

Since Natale joined Fractured Atlas in December 2005 he has created innovative audience development and arts insurance programs, formed partnerships with over 30 arts organizations, presented at multiple national conferences, and has helped the organization grow immensely, with over 4,000 artists joining in the past year.

Adam was interviwed by three students in Moore's BSA program, Sara Stenton, Amanda Corropolese and Haoren Yu.

Can you give us any advice on time management for people who may have jobs, school, etc. and are trying to break into the art world as well?
AN: Focus on one task at a time, and use opportunities to network.

Playing the balancing act and multitasking has become quite popular in recent years. I do it myself. But, in all reality, this is not the best way to get things done. It's really important to focus on one task at a time as best as you can. If you're still in school, I encourage you to focus on that -- learn as much as possible, shine with talent in your courses, network with others in your field (especially at NET Nights!), and take advantage of the MANY resources your school offers you.

Integrate school, job and art, if possible.

Understandably, many of you will also have to work to pay for school and for your activities. Just keep in mind that there are A LOT of arts jobs out there that are part-time and allow you to work in your field. Granted, you may not make as much money as you would working as an executive assistant at a law firm or even waiting tables or temping, but you will make many more valuable connections and will learn a lot more about your field. Maybe a gallery owner or individual artist needs an assistant. Maybe there is a studio space that needs someone to man the front desk. These jobs not only allow you to work in your field, but could also provide you access to tremendous resources and connections (and some might even allow you to get your school and/or artistic work done while you're at the job!). Basically, the best thing you can do for yourself is find natural links between everything (school, job, art) so you can get them all done in one fell swoop instead of trying to stay awake in your studio at 3AM amidst paint fumes.

Seek opportunities to exhibit your work.

If you have the chance to exhibit your work in your school's gallery, take advantage of that and market the exhibition as best as possible to people you think would be interested in your work. Follow up with the people who have attended -- you never know that a gallery owner might be interested in your work. But, keep it local while you're in school. If you're at Moore in Philadelphia, don't start trying to hit up galleries in Los Angeles. This will just be too strenuous to do.

Always save time for yourself.

Be careful how much you stretch yourselves -- you'll soon feel stretched too thin and will be burnt out before you graduate. And remember that you should always save time for yourself -- whether that's to work on your art, watch TV, talk a walk, or take a nap!

Were there any fears you had to overcome to be successful? If so, what was one fear that you remember the most and were able to overcome?

AN: Don’t be scared. Show yourself, not just your works.

You can't be afraid to show your interest in climbing up the ladder. Granted, this differs from person to person and job to job. … Feel out your own bosses and see how receptive they are to talking about this. Ask them how they got where they are in their career. Develop a loosely-based mentor-mentee relationship if you can. Don’t be surprised by how much you'll learn just by listening to their anecdotal career stories --- they'll be happy to discuss them with you! … Expressing and demonstrating your talent and interest in your day-to-day work will show your boss that you're a go-getter.

Overcome your fear for networking

This is not an uncommon fear, but you definitely need to overcome it if you are going to move forward in the arts world. It's very important that you can speak to other people about your work and that you simply make friends and connections within your field.

Start with being able to give a firm handshake, looking someone in the eye, and delivering a thirty-second summary of your artistic work and how it's unique as compared to other artists. It's great to attend an arts conference and learn about different things happening in your field, but if you don't introduce yourself to those sitting around you, who is going to remember you when it's most important (i.e., when you want to start exhibiting or selling your work)? And don't forget unstructured mingling time during events -- the perfect time to start informally striking up a friendship with someone who you've never met before!

Once you have established a "Network", what do you then do to maintain the relationships?

AN: Treat people in your network as friends. A network is not about your future!

Don't treat people in your network as those who can help you get ahead -- if you do, those people will see through you very easily. They are your friends as well! Be involved and stay in-the-know with what other people are doing and they will naturally continue to be involved with what you are doing. Visit their gallery openings, volunteer at their events, invite them to your own and to your friends' events, shoot them emails from time to time to see how things are going, or just take them out for a meal or a drink, as you would a friend. If you want them to attend your events and talk you up to their colleagues, just remember to "do unto others." If you expect them to help you get ahead, be sure to offer them your assistance whenever you can. Just be involved and stay in-the-know with what they are doing and they will naturally continue to be involved with what you are doing.

As far as Fractured Atlas' services go, what do you think will be a need of artists in the future that you hope to be able to provide?

AN: Do you “DIY”?
People that go to school to get a degree in a particular artistic discipline generally aren't also getting an MBA on the side, so they need proper business training. Fractured Atlas is poised to help with this in the future. As we've only just begun offering online courses concerning the business of art, I believe that in the future we might be able to offer some type of accreditation for these courses. I also foresee more artists helping artists than ever before. We will probably see more instances arise where a theater artist who knows about marketing might trade their knowledge with a sculptor who is talented with fundraising.

Interview with Sam Belkowitz

2010-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

Member of the artist-run collective Little Berlin, Belkowitz, a 2003 Fleisher Challenge artist and PEW Fellowship finalist in 2001 received his BFA in Photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and has exhibited throughout Philadelphia and the East Coast. His work has been shown at the Ice Box, the ICA Philadelphia, Vox Populi Gallery, Nexus Foundation, and the Painted Bride Art Center, as well as at the Baltimore Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD, The Studio House Gallery, Washington D.C, and Howard University, Washington, D.C. Sam was interviewed by BSA Students Amber Callahan, Christine Ferri, Chriztie Kaufmann.

Little Berlin Collective members

How do you manage the financial aspects of running a gallery?

SB: We do some type of fund raising every month, asking for donations for the opening receptions. In October, for example, we’re did the B.Y.O.T.Y. (Bring your own table, yo) book fair with people paying $25 to rent a space and I think we had over 20 people. Each month we try to do some fund raising at the openings that adds between $150-250. We sell t-shirts and people make donations at the door.

Do you need to have supplemental income-- Running Little Berlin isn’t your full time job?

SB: Exactly—it’s just a collective and everyone pays membership dues every month. Right now we each pay $25 a month and there are eight members so that generates $200 a month. Each member gets a $75 stipend towards cards, vinyl and PR. They can use the stipend any which way they want.

Is the way the collective is managing Little Berlin going to stay the same, or do you have any plans to change things?

SB: We’re happy to keep things as they are right now because we like how open it is for programming and such. We investigated becoming a 501c3 non-profit last April, but over the last few months we’ve been talking about whether or not we should do that. The 501c3 process can take a long time and is kind of costly.

A lot of organizations in the city have gone through the process with the help of the Arts and Business Council or the PVLA (Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts) and they do pro bono work to guide you. Basically you have to go through incorporating on a state level, which is involved and costs about two grand, and then you have to fill out an application, have a lawyer review it and then submit it, and that takes 3 months to a year to complete. One of the things we didn’t want to do is have that lengthy process stifle our programming. I think Martha (Savery) and myself and all the other members are trying to figure out the balance because the fund raising efforts I’ve described is really not enough to help us rent the whole space and give us an operating budget.

Is there a hierarchy in this organization or are you all on equal footing?

SB: Yes, we have a kind of hierarchy--we set people up with task titles like 'director' or 'president' or 'accountant'-- the person who handles the money. Two people have teamed up to do grant writing and public relations because we have a website component. We also have to deal with facilities. The person in charge of that task would be responsible for organizing the library, but then everybody else would also help out.

Do you ever seek out artists to work with in your galleries or do most of them contact you when they are interested?

SB: Its works both ways--most of the artists that are involved in the gallery get a month to curate and then when they curate they’re actually going outside of our group to get people to show here based on whatever their show is going to be. Now sometimes people just send out an open call to the community. Tim (Pannell) did that for his show, The End, which was a couple of months ago. He just put out an open call because he didn’t know a lot of artists and people responded. There is information on our website about his show.

What are you looking for in an artist or their work when considering working with them?

SB: I think when they apply they have to be on point-- their resume, their proposal and their artwork has to be presented well. And I think too, they have to really fit within the theme of the show that’s going to be executed. Straight up. And there’s no age limit. A lot of times we show artists that we don’t know so it’s really open in that way, but their work has to be really specific to what we’re showing. Outside people propose shows here-- like we’re going to be hosting a show for Philagrafika in February, and in March we'll have a show of ceramics, for NCECA (the national ceramics conference). Also we do hold shows for performance and theater groups. So they’ll do one or two shows a month on a night when we’re not here. They submit a proposal and usually it comes up because they’re looking for a space. We wind up offering the space to them and they bring a lot of people to the gallery that wouldn’t normally see the exhibit on view. It's also good for there to be events here on a night when we’re not really open-- the gallery hours are only on the weekends from 12-5.

Do you cover any of the costs when you take on a new artist?

SB: That’s up to the individual curator for that month. My month to curate is November and I will be covering shipping costs for some people. I have a few artists that are sending me work from Los Angeles and from the South, so I’ll be covering their shipping.

Sam, have you experienced many obstacles during your travels in your quests to take photographs?

SB: Yeah, but not anything that is beyond what people experience when photographing in the public.

So you haven’t had to give up on a picture you were trying to make because of some obstacle?

SB: Sometimes that happens, and it happens here in the States, and also when I travel abroad. On my last trip I was traveling to Copenhagen and I went to Christiana, which is an area sort of in the center of Copenhagen which is run by locals and is reactionary against the government there. The government has really messed with them and has had raids and pulled people out, so they have a 'please don’t photograph' sign up because everyone really feels threatened. So I didn’t take pictures there. I feel there are certain circumstances here in Philadelphia where that happens as well-- sometimes with the cops, you know they don’t want you taking photos in some situations. When that happens I feel like it’s the same as in Copenhagen.

Is there anything else that you would like to say to our readers?

SB: Come and see the show I curated which is opening on November 7th at 6 pm-- it’s the first Saturday in November. it’s called Heaven on Earth and runs through November 28.

Interview with Warren Angle

2010-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Warren Angle is the exhibitions curator and a teacher at Fleisher Art Memorial, and he’s a former Wind Challenge artist. His personal experiences growing up in a rural area, out west, influence his current artwork. He is inspired by the interactions of humans with the rest of nature and strives to make people bring their own narrative to his work. After graduate school, Warren got a teaching position at the University of New Hampshire before moving to Philadelphia. The Challenge exhibition introduced Warren to the Philadelphia art community. He taught at many schools around Philly before getting involved in museum work. This led to his job at Fleisher. Warren was interviewed by BSA students Samantha Emonds, Melissa Chancer and Laura Bonvini.

What is the Wind Challenge?

WA: The Challenge is an annually held exhibition that takes place at Fleisher. Anyone can submit work to the Challenge, but only a few are chosen. It is worth applying repeatedly since the judges change each year. Do not be discouraged if you are not selected, because you still may catch the eye of someone important. You just need to make sure that your work is consistent, clear, and cohesive.

How has your work changed since being a Challenge artist?

WA: Quite a bit. I used to work more in ceramics and still used it to some extent when I came to Philadelphia. I worked more at the time in terms of the module. Later I became more and more interested in the narrative aspect to the connection between nature and humans. Now I do mostly tableaus of plants and animals in some form.

What inspires your artwork?

WA: The interaction of humans and the rest of nature examined not blatantly but with a twist so people can consider it and bring their own narrative to the work. Also personal experience…. coming from the west in a rural area, for a time on a farm, has influenced and is sometimes reflected in the work I do now. Experience and the things I see around me….

Some good advice…

WA: Fleisher offers “high quality tuition free art instruction” for people interested in forwarding their art education. (http://www.fleisher.org/). So if you’re interested in low to no cost art classes, look into Fleisher Art Memorial.

2009-12-03T09:50:00.001-08:00

NET Nights at Moore - Opportunities and Options for Emerging Artists / Sept 18, 2009

On September 18 a group of artists, directors and artist collective members got together to talk about the multitude of opportunities and resources available for emerging artists in Philadelphia such as: artist residences and grants, collectives & self-organizing options, exhibition opportunities & competitions, and support & resource services.

Touching on everything from NYFA resources to the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative to grassroots collectives, the conversation opened an array of options readily available to artists in Philadelphia. In the end, it all came down to one point - Philadelphia is teeming with opportunities for those artists that are willing to take initiative, stay true to who they are and go after what they want.

The conversation involved Adam Natale, Director of Member Services at Fractured Atlas, a non-profit support and resource service for visual and performing artists based in New York City; Warren Angle, Exhibitions Curator at the Samuel S. Fleischer Art Memorial in Philadelphia; Nadia Hironaka, a local artist and co-founder of Screening, Philadelphia’s first gallery dedicated to the presentation of works on video and film located just inside of Vox Populi Gallery; Sam Belkowitz and Martha Savery, members of the artist-run collective Little Berlin in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia ; and Aubrie Costello, a member of The Other Woman, a ladies art collective.

Following the event, the panel participants were interviewed by students in Moore's BSA program, revealing in more detail their own career path and affiliations. Each interview is listed above.

Opportunities and Options for Emerging Artists

2009-12-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

NET Nights at Moore - Meet Ryan Humphrey

2009-11-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

On Friday, May 29 The Galleries featured New York-based artist RYAN HUMPHREY for the first official NET Nights at Moore program. Ryan gave an illustrated lecture about his current body of work and how he got to where he is today - featured in the 2009 Queens International 4 exhibition and appearing on season one of Bravo's Top Design in 2007.

Known for his paintings, sculptures, installation and performances that riff on masculinity and Americana, the program was held in conjunction with Fast Forward, his exhibition of over 30 BMX bikes, 3 versions of Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel (1913) and a massive rug wrapping the walls of the gallery space created with the help of designer Todd Oldham, that traveled to the Galleries from the Queens Museum.

The installation was "artfully" put to use by Ryan along with 80's BMX pro Dizz Hicks, and select local pro-level BMXers. Check out the video!

Ryan Humphrey Talk

2009-11-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

Who we are

2009-11-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

NET Nights began with the question, how do we engage Philadelphia's emerging artists and art and design students as active participants in conversations about contemporary art practice while helping them to connect and network with peers, business professionals and art and design professionals?

This question, along with statistics that the majority of graduates from local art and design colleges leave Philadelphia to pursue artistic endeavors in other cities such as New York City, Chicago and L.A. were the driving force behind the creation of NET Nights at Moore.

Since the launch of NET Nights in June 2009, the program has amassed a following of students from various disciplines who attend or have recently graduated from colleges across the area - Tyler School of Art, University of Pennsylvania, University of the Arts, Drexel University and Philadephia University. A large number of emerging and established visual artists, curators, performance artists, writers along with professionals from arts organizations and businesses.