Hello, friends—
Some time ago, during a chat with one of my pals, we got on the topic of dating and relationships, and the philosophy of “fuck yes, or no” came up. It was coined by Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, who in turn leaned into the idea he read in entrepreneur Dan Severs’s blog. The premise, whether in business or the pursuit of true love, is if you’re not saying “hell yes!” then it’s better off a “no.”
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially as spring is really springing, and projects that have been in winter gestation are launching left and right. Every year I’m surprised, and every year I think, I should not be surprised! The holidays, the colder months—the hunker-down time—start to show little signs of thawing. Little buds of ideas start emerging and then all of the sudden, practically in the blink of an eye, everything is blooming. In the best way, it’s a time for opportunity. And it’s a time to remember how to say “no.”
I’ve heard lots of anecdotes from early-career artists and creative workers that it’s really hard to say no—that even for low or no pay or dubious levels of “exposure,” saying no means you might not be able to pay your rent next month. It’s frustrating that you know someone else may say “yes.” I’ve been in that boat, and I was in it for a long time. I jumped at everything, even though it rarely paid the bills (and I inevitably burnt out). I wanted to be a team player; I wanted to network; I wanted to be the one who was easy to work with. I thought it would get easier over time.
Ironically, the longer I’ve worked independently, whether in the role of curator or writer or facilitator of some sort, the harder it has become. The reason is a good one, but it’s reinforced how important it is to learn when and what to turn down. Because at some point, when the 10,000 hours or more have really made you good at what you do, and it naturally follows that more people will take notice.
The more projects you put out into the world, the more your work is recognized, the more people you meet along the way, and the more you establish who you are as a person and a prospective colleague, the more great opportunities will trickle in. That’s when it can get really difficult to say no, but it’s also when more opportunities come up that make you want to say, “Hell yes!” It’s the sort of thing I never believed as an upstart DIY arts organizer straight out of university, when I didn’t know anyone, no one knew me, and all I was getting were rejection letters for, well, everything. (For better or worse, my solution—or compromise—to the constant stream of rejection was to stop trying to get into others’ programs and make one for myself instead.)
Getting anywhere that you want to go in the art world has everything to do with knowledge and trust. As in the beginning of anything, you have to gauge your instincts more than anything else, because your knowledge may be minimal and still growing. You take opportunities that may teach you something and through which you can network. (This can be much more rewarding, especially early in one’s career, than monetary compensation—if chosen right.)
But then, over time, you know people in the industry and you’ve leapt through a few hoops; been around a few corners. By that point, people learn that they can trust you. In turning that table—if someone also wants to say “hell yes!” to something I pitch to them—that makes me think that somewhere along the way I learned what value really is in the art world. Being able to see and snag that value when you see it—and turning it down when you don’t—is an ever-evolving challenge, but one certainly worth considering carefully so that they only improve.
It’s a joy to say “Yes!” and really mean it, and also to confidently say, “Thanks, but this isn’t a fit for me right now.” Worst case scenario? You’ve demonstrated that you value your work and time, and if it’s something you’d genuinely like to discuss again later, you can leave that door open.
See you next week!
—Kate
P.S. Paid subscribers, I just added several new opportunities to yngspc.com/opportunities with several deadlines in April, May, and June. If you need the password, reply to this email and I’ll send it to you asap. The list is updated a few times each week.
Consider becoming a paid subscriber to keep this digest going in addition to directly supporting independent arts writing and publishing on Dovetail.You’ll be the first to see new opportunities, with access to the entire list all in one place. Thank you!
What you’ll find below:
A subscriber-supported interview in Dovetail: Destination: Wave Farm
Five exhibitions on view this week in London, Los Angeles, Paris, and Queens
Thirteen opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
From Dovetail: Destination—Wave Farm
This interview was made possible thanks to paid subscribers of this digest! Artist and writer Franziska Lamprecht visited Wave Farm, the home of WGXC 90.7-FM: Radio for Open Ears, a not-for-profit, listener-supported radio station serving the Upper Hudson Valley and international listeners online. She chatted with executive director Galen Joseph-Hunter, and took a later winter stroll around the site’s Art Park.
Franziska Lamprecht:
What is Transmission Art?
Galen Joseph-Hunter:
My mood today wants to respond with: Anything you want it to be. But I don’t mean that, really, probably. Transmission Art is a term that we may or may not have coined—possibly it was the result of a collective, unconscious moment. When Wave Farm was becoming a nonprofit arts organization in 2002, we evolved from a microradio artist collective, which was working with unlicensed radio transmission, and we wanted to formalize to support artists who were using radio as a creative medium. Radio was more for them than just a delivery device. We were thinking: Is it Radio Art that we are talking about? Of course the radio is much more than FM and AM, but when you say radio, to most people that is what they think of.
There is a beautiful U.S. radio frequency allocation chart, which includes all sorts of maritime, amateur, and satellite transmissions, which made us think: why stop ourselves there? Why don’t we look at the electromagnetic spectrum, which has seven elements, radio being one of them? We thought the word transmission was perhaps a tool, which we could use to talk about airwaves at large as a creative medium, and so we landed on Transmission Art.
Franziska:
How did the name Wave Farm come about?
Galen:
That is an excellent question, and I don’t really know the answer. Tom Roe, Wave Farm’s artistic director and I always reflect fondly that some of the best ideas that have come out of the organization can’t be traced to one origin, and how we aren’t quite sure who came up with it. My recollection is that we knew that we wanted to name this property, the 29 acres of land we are sitting on, talking right now in Acra, New York.
The organization was originally called free103point9, and when we expanded up here from Brooklyn in 2004, we were having conversations with people, and at some point the idea of Wave Farm and farming the airwaves struck someone, and it seemed like the right fit. You know, the origin of the term broadcast means to cast seeds, so the relationship between the act of broadcasting and transmission and farming is pre-existing.
Continue reading on dovetailmag.com.
Dovetail Books
I’m excited that Dovetail Books is back! I love art books so much, and the beauty of publishing is that it loves art, too. Browse an ever-revolving selection of vintage, out-of-print, and curious titles at dovetailmag.com/books. Free shipping within the U.S., and all proceeds directly support independent arts publishing here and on Dovetail.
Exhibitions
PARIS | ART FAIR
Art Paris 2024
At the Grand Palais Éphémère, Art Paris returns this weekend with more than 130 galleries from 25 countries. Pictured is a sculpture by Wallen Mapondera with Galerie Mitterand.
Runs April 4 to 7
LOS ANGELES | HARPER’S
Crescent Heights
This eclectic, celebratory group show at Harper’s Los Angeles brings together paintings by three dozen artists with much joyful attention to vivid colors, still life, blooming vistas, and energetic gatherings. Pictured is Marcus Brutus’s Untitled (2023).
Runs through April 14
LONDON | GUTS GALLERY
Alfie Rouy: Earth Eater
Rouy’s stunning, otherworldly creatures in oil and acrylic appear to drift in and out of this realm. GUTS describes this exhibition, the artist’s first solo in the U.K., as “an invitation to behold both the anguish of life and potential to find positivity and pleasure in a moment of time that feels full of pain.”
Runs through April 16
LONDON | JOSH LILLEY
Rebecca Manson: Leave Love Behind
Manson’s utterly gorgeous insect wings are made from tiny pieces of porcelain on armatures of steel and canvas. Her solo exhibition includes several wall-hanging sculptures which sometimes dip onto the floor, plus a series of gorgeous stained glass leaf sculptures that look like they’re about to blow right out of the gallery.
Runs through April 27
MASPETH, QUEENS | MRS.
Meghan Brady: A Curtain, Not a Door
Meghan Brady’s paintings sing with color, redolent of late afternoons, sunlight low through the forest or glowing into a gradually darkening room, a cat at the window. The artist’s solo show at Mrs. is complemented by a companion presentation at Dunes in Portland, Maine, which opened on March 30.
Runs through May 11 in New York
Artist Opportunities
Young Space emphasizes fully-funded opportunities with low or no entry fees and programs that focus on creative and professional development for visual artists. Deadlines are coming up soon to apply for these grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
Omnia Art Prize and Exhibition for Australian Artists
Deadline: April 5 (extended)
The Omnia Art Prize and Exhibition is one of Australia’s premier art awards and exhibitions for contemporary art. This prestigious $15,000 prize is open to established and emerging Australian contemporary artists with all artworks for sale.
Submission fee: AUD $35
North Dakota Council on the Arts Accessibility Grant
Deadline: April 12
The program provides up to $2,000 for arts and non-arts organizations and unincorporated groups to make arts programs/facilities more inclusive of all audiences and artists. Organizations led by persons with disabilities or programming that includes paid opportunities for disabled artists will be prioritized.
Submission fee: none
Dovetail Open Call for Pitches
Deadline: April 14
Dovetail is commissioning two original stories for May and/or June. Pitches shoul somehow address connections between visual art and place. This can mean many things, and you’re encouraged to take a look around the site to get a sense of the range of things we like to cover. Stories that highlight diverse perspectives and identities, especially BIPOC, Native, and rural voices, are especially encouraged. Selected writers receive $300.
Submission fee: none
Mid-America Arts Alliance Interchange Program
Deadline: April 15
The Interchange program is designed to strengthen individual artists in the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, who have a history of impactful work with a socially engaged creative practice by providing practice-based grant funding, professional development experiences, peer network access, and one-on-one mentoring. Interchange fellowships of $25,000 will be awarded to 16 regional artists.
Submission fee: none
Artist in Residence at The Latinx Project (2024-2025)
Deadline: April 15
Open to emerging and mid-career artists, this residency offers a $10,000 honorarium and $5,000 production budget to produce a solo exhibition at NYU that engages with larger contemporary or historic dialogues in Latinx Studies.
Submission fee: none
Aurora Residency 2024 for Nordic Artists in Paris
Deadline: April 15
Aurora Residency offers two Nordic artists a three-month residency in Paris, accommodation, studio, and access to workshop facilities at Fondation Fiminco in Romainville on the outskirts of Paris. The residency runs from September 16 to December 13 and includes accommodation, studio space, access to workshop facilities, round-trip slow-travel travel to Paris, a fee of 50,000 DKK, a production budget of 10,000 DKK, and mentorship.
Submission fee: none
Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship
Deadline: April 15
Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships support early career Minnesota- and New York City-based generative artists who take creative risks in exploring, expanding, imagining, or re-imagining creative practices and experiences; reclaiming or reviving traditional forms in original ways; and/or questioning, challenging, or disrupting cultural norms. This three-year Fellowship supports artists who embrace their roles as part of a larger community of artists and citizens, and consciously work with a sense of service and responsibility. Fellows receive $60,000 over three consecutive years ($20,000 each year) to support their time and expenses for the creation of new work, artistic development, and/or professional artistic career development.
Submission fee: none
SCAC Emerging Artist Grants
Deadline: April 16
This grant of up to $1,800 assists emerging artists in South Carolina through project funding as well as mentorship and professional support during the grant period. The combination of funding and mentorship is intended to deepen artistic practice; encourage career growth; foster artistic growth, relevance, and sustainability; and provide professional development and opportunities for collaboration.
Submission fee: none
Mudflat Studio Year-Long Residency
Deadline: April 16
In 1996 Mudflat began offering a one-year residency position to clay artists. This highly competitive program provides a private studio space at no cost with access to Mudflat’s facility, a monthly materials stipend, a monthly housing stipend, and opportunities to teach and sell work.
Submission fee: none
Strokes of Genius Fellowship
Deadline: April 21
Invested in the creativity and cultural production of Black artists and arts professionals, this open application program provides artists, curators, journalists and scholars with grants of $2,500 to develop new creative projects.
Submission fee: none
RBSA Summer Show Open Call
Deadline: April 22
The RBSA Summer Show is an open call that invites artists working in any medium to submit work. This exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for contemporary artists to showcase work in an institution with over 200 years history of supporting artists. The exhibition will be shown over all three floors of our newly refurbished gallery. All media are accepted, including photography and digital work. First prize is £500, second prize is £250, and up to 6 Highly Commended certificates will also be awarded.
Submission fee: £13 - £39 depending on number of entries
MQ Artists in Residence
Deadline: April 22
As part of its Artist-in-Residence programme, the MuseumsQuartier Wien, together with EIKON - International Journal of Photography and Media Art, invites international artist to apply for a two-month artist residency (period: 1 September - 31 October 2024) in one of the living studios at MuseumsQuartier. The open call is aimed at artists working within fine arts who focus on photography and media art. During the artist residency, the artist will realize an exhibition at the EIKON Showroom at MuseumsQuartier. Funding includes a €2,600 scholarship, €300-500 for travel, a €1,500 exhibition fee, and the cost of accommodation.
Submission fee: none
Taoyuan International Art Prize
Deadline: April 26
Established in 2021 by the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts, the Taoyuan International Art Award (TIAA) stands as a biennial exhibition initiative dedicated to cultivating international art networks and expanding global perspectives. Finalists selected for the award will receive support from the museum to realize their exhibition plans. Now entering its third edition, the award strives to widen the scope of artistic expressions and cultural horizons. Grand prize is TWD 600,000 (approx. USD $18,750); three honorable mentions receive TWD 200,000, and the Sojourn Award for one Taiwanese recipient grants TWD 350,000 for travel abroad.
Submission fee: none
See all opportunities
Paid subscribers can access a full list of all current opportunities, including many that are further in the future or that don’t even make it into the digest on time! The list is updated several times each week.
Whether you’re a free or paid subscriber, can also browse through listings in earlier digests in the archive, which are opened up to all subscribers after two weeks.
If your organization would like to learn more about how to feature your visual arts opportunity in this digest and on Instagram, I’d love to hear from you! Reply to this email to inquire.
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