top of page

Blog


Building an Artist Application Package: How to Set Up Your Artist CV and Statement So Applying Becomes Easy
This article explains how to create a professional artist application package for residencies, grants, and exhibitions by building a sustainable system for your artist CV, statement, bio, images, and documentation. It offers guidance on preparing, customizing, and maintaining materials that align with your evolving practice and institutional opportunities.


How Artists Can Best Harness the Energy of an Artist Residency: What to Do Before, During, and After
This article examines how artists can harness the full energy of an artist residency by approaching it intentionally before arrival, working strategically during the residency period, and integrating its outcomes afterward, with clear guidance on documentation, networking, and marketing as essential parts of the residency experience.


How to Decide If You Should Do an Artist Residency and How to Choose Which Ones to Apply To
This article explains how to decide if you should do an artist residency and how to choose artist residency programs that align with your practice, capacity, and long-term professional goals.
Search


At What Point Can You Call Yourself an Artist? Philosophies, Histories, and the Weight of a Title
The term “artist” is deeply charged, carrying centuries of cultural weight, social expectations, and philosophical contention. It is a...
Feb 23, 20256 min read


The Role of the Artist as Curator: Origins, Value, and Contemporary Practice
This article explores the origins of the artist-as-curator phenomenon, examines its value to contemporary art, and outlines how artists approach and enact curatorial roles.
Feb 5, 20255 min read


What Counts as Art? Cultural Capital in Creative Fields (Part One)
What counts as art is not simply a matter of individual taste or artistic intent but the result of a complex web of social, cultural, and...
Feb 2, 20256 min read


Decolonizing the Arts: Structural Change, Not Just Representation
In discussions of decolonizing the arts, the term is too often conflated with surface-level efforts: temporary exhibitions of...
Jan 28, 20255 min read


Gentrification and the Arts: The Ethical Dilemma
Gentrification and the arts are inextricably linked in the narratives of urban change. Artists often find themselves portrayed as both...
Jan 26, 20256 min read


Art Writing and Language: When, Why, and How We Use Different Approaches
Art writing plays a crucial role in shaping how works are interpreted, valued, and disseminated. From dense academic texts to...
Jan 1, 20255 min read


Mutual Aid in the Arts: A Framework for Collective Support and Resistance
Exhibition piece on mutual support and aid, as part of Artist’s Way Project. Grand Rapids, Michigan In the face of systemic inequities,...
Dec 31, 20245 min read


The Class System Within the Arts: How Late-Stage Capitalism and Hustle Culture Deepen Inequities
The art world has long been romanticized as a meritocracy, where talent and creativity transcend barriers to determine success. This...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Knowledge as Power: Why We Must Talk About Systemic Issues in the Arts
The arts are often celebrated as a space of creativity, expression, and freedom. Yet, beneath this ideal lies a complex web of systemic...
Dec 31, 20244 min read


Fear of Success in the Arts: Navigating the Paradox of Achievement
Fear of success is a psychological phenomenon where individuals consciously or subconsciously resist achieving their goals due to the...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Learned Helplessness in the Arts: Psychological and Sociological Effects of Creative Paralysis
Learned helplessness, first studied by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier in the 1960s, describes a condition where repeated...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Exploring Funding Structures in the Arts: Types, Value, and Impact
Funding in the arts is a critical component of sustaining creativity, enabling artists and organizations to produce work, engage...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 1: Dissecting Government Funding for the Arts
How It Works, Where It Comes From, and Why It Matters Government funding for the arts plays a foundational role in fostering cultural...
Dec 31, 20245 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 2: Private Philanthropy in the Arts
How It Works, Where to Find It, and Why It Matters Private philanthropy is a vital source of funding for the arts, filling gaps left by...
Dec 31, 20245 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 3: Earned Income in the Arts
Building Financial Sustainability Through Creative Revenue Streams Earned income is a crucial pillar in the arts funding ecosystem,...
Dec 31, 20245 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 4: Corporate Sponsorship in the Arts
Origins, Impacts, and Navigating the Complexities of Business Partnerships Corporate sponsorship is a cornerstone of contemporary arts...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 5: Crowdfunding in the Arts
Empowering Artists Through Direct Support Crowdfunding has emerged as a transformative force in the arts, enabling artists, collectives,...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 6: Individual Artist Grants
Origins, Types, Value, and the Consequences of Their Absence Individual artist grants are essential funding mechanisms that enable...
Dec 31, 20246 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 7: Universal Basic Income for Artists
A Radical Approach to Sustaining Creativity and Equity in the Arts Universal Basic Income (UBI) for artists offers a transformative...
Dec 31, 20245 min read


Arts Funding 101: Part 8: Arts Councils and Regional Arts Centers
Supporting Local Creativity and Community Development Arts councils and regional arts centers are vital institutions in the U.S. arts...
Dec 31, 20246 min read
bottom of page


