“Not knowing isn’t ignorance. (Fear springs from ignorance.) Not knowing is a permissive and rigorous willingness to trust, leaving knowing in suspension, trusting in possibility without result, regarding as possible all manner of response. The responsibility of the artist … is the practice of recognizing.” —Ann Hamilton
A couple of weeks ago, I received a text message out of the blue from someone I hadn’t spoken to in quite a few years. We were never close, more like friends-of-a-friend, and we typically only crossed paths when hanging out with a particular group during a time that was eventually stowed into a best-left-in-my-twenties file. For a long time, I harbored a lot of nostalgia for the group after it disbanded due to people moving away, relationships changing—but we all grow up. And over time, I began to lose track. So it was interesting to receive one of those “Hey, how are you?” messages from someone I haven’t seen in at least six or seven years.
One memory of this person is from one of the last times we saw each other. We were hanging out at a mutual friend’s studio, and for various reasons, emotions were running high. It was 2017, I think, so the political climate also was, in hindsight, a foretoken of today’s. We were all sitting around late one night, having drinks, sketching or painting to pass the time together, and for some reason the topic of answers came up.
I said something along the lines of, “I don’t like to know all of the answers to everything. I love the thrill of not knowing sometimes.” I was thinking of cosmic or unsolved mysteries like, what happened to all of the work from the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum heist? Or who were the druids? Or is there—where can we find—other intelligent life in the universe?
My friend-of-a-friend immediately bristled. He harped at me with something like, “Willful ignorance is bullshit.” I naturally bristled, too, offhandedly remarking that I think it’s okay to not understand every single minute detail about every single thing all of the time—that reveling in mystery can be good. But whether he was thinking about politics or current events (fair enough) or simply shared a different kind of relationship with awareness and understanding, he was very annoyed. His essential argument was that it was irresponsible for me to not want to know the answers or solutions to things.
It’s funny to look back on it now: our mutual friend had to break up the tiff. Fundamentally, I think we were both thinking about knowledge in very different ways. If we had been talking about politics, which very well may have been the lens he was viewing our conversation through, we of course want and need transparency and accountability. He may have misunderstood me, or perhaps he was just in the mood to pick a fight. But his surprisingly adversarial response just made me want to dig my heels in further.
I always think of Rebecca Solnit’s essay “The Blue of Distance” in A Field Guide for Getting Lost, in which she suggests that the sensation of desire might be appreciated, even embraced, simple for what it is. It makes me think about how I long to fill the cup of knowledge and I find the blank pages in history, science, or art to be not only invigorating but probably one major reason we continue on as a species. What would happen if we suddenly just had all of the answers?
I took an anthropology class in high school, and on the first day, my teacher rolled a TV cart into the front of the classroom without a word and hit “play” on a 1979 SNL skit, “What the hell is that?” featuring Steve Martin and Bill Murray. Mr. Johnson’s only rule for class was that we remain inquisitive, always. Because of course, an essential element of what makes us human is our curiosity and our ability to ask “why?” and build our realities around what we learn and understand.
To me, it seems that to be an artist (not just one who makes paintings but one who is driven to express or communicate in a soul-driven, handmade way) is to seek mysteries, posit a variety of possibilities, and savor our ever-changing relationship with what we can comprehend about our surroundings and others.
See you next week.
—Kate
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What you’ll find below:
Featured artist: Timo Fahler
Four exhibitions to see in Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, and Philadelphia
Thirteen opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Featured Artist: Timo Fahler
Every once in a while, I like to bring over a feature about an artist I’ve written for Colossal because it’s worthwhile to share what’s going on there and because as editor, I spend a lot of time writing and publishing there! I recently spoke with the wonderful Timo Fahler, who recently relocated his studio to Amsterdam and is preparing a show for Sebastian Gladstone in L.A. later this year.
Stained glass is a “storytelling medium in which I get to draw from everything I experience, everything I study, read, believe in, and even distrust,” Fahler says. “We are floating in a unique era of questioning reality, the last gasp of the living generation before automation integrates itself via AI, ChatGPT, and digital interface.” He views his practice, which emphasizes stained glass and assemblage, as depicting this era and even, in a way, immortalizing it.
Read the whole article on Colossal. And explore more of Fahler’s work on his website.
Exhibitions
DENVER | FRIEND OF A FRIEND
Mug to Mug
Artist-run gallery Friend of a Friend just opened after a brief hiatus in a new location! The group show Mug to Mug playfully juxtaposes cups with portraits.
Runs through March 1
NEW YORK CITY | C L E A R I N G
Shota Nakamura: Sighs
This show of atmospheric paintings follows a show a few weeks ago in L.A. of the artist’s small-scale pieces. “In a new series of fourteen oils on linen, Shota Nakamura demonstrates his tendency to slip between the genres of landscape, portrait, and still life painting.”
Runs through March 1
PHILADELPHIA | INFORMATION SPACE
A Tuning Fork, She’s Looking Out
This three-person group show includes work by Veronica Cianfrano, Emily Royer, and Elise Thompson (pictured), curated by Ash Fritzsche.
Runs through March 8
LOS ANGELES | VIELMETTER
Kim DeJesus: Moonbliss Riverdream
Drawing on 20th century painting movements like Color Field and Action Painting, Kim DeJesus employs staining, pouring, and blurring to explore the complexities of nature, the human psyche, and perception.
Runs through March 8
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 and curators. Deadlines are coming up soon to apply for these grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
Paid subscribers, check out the whole list anytime at yngspc.com/opportunities and enter the password you received in your signup email. Can’t find it? Just shoot me a note. Thank your for your support!
Modern Ancient Brown Foundation Visiting Fellowships
Deadline: February 24
The Core Program at the Modern Ancient Brown Foundation (MABF) consists of Visiting Fellowships and Artist Residencies in Studio Art and Critical Studies. The Foundation seeks to support scholars, thinkers, and writers who identify as members of historically marginalized groups, specifically Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The fellowship is designed for emerging scholars with a rigorous research practice, who may also have an interest in creative disciplines such as poetry, music, visual art, and performance.
Each Fellow will be provided with air travel to and from Detroit; an apartment and study space for 6 to 12 weeks, located on a private floor of the Aleo Bed & Breakfast on Detroit’s east side; a stipend of $7,500 to $10,000 depending on the length of stay; per diem; and assistance with local library facilities.
Submission fee: none
Cactus Club "In the Clouds" Virtual Residency
Deadline: February 24
This hybrid residency will center disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill artists and artists whose work responds to Cactus Club's (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) expansive definition of access. The residency is primarily self-directed and the outcome can be self-determined in consultation with residency coordinators. There is no exhibition requirement of completed work. ITC residencies will be six weeks but remain flexible to account for each individual, their creative practice, and their time-dependent needs. The artist-in-residence will have the option to connect with Cactus Club's partnering artists for studio visits and mentorship opportunities. ITC will provide digital access to audiences through Cactus Club’s social media channels and opportunities for installation and exhibition. The selected AiR will receive a stipend of $3,000 for living costs and materials.
Submission fee: none
Stiftung Niedersachsen Grants in Media Art at Edith-Russ-Haus
Deadline: February 27
The Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art, Oldenburg, will award three Media Art Grants of the Stiftung Niedersachsen (€12,500 each). The Stiftung Niedersachsen grant at the Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art supports a wide spectrum of media art, from video art and net-based projects to audio works and audiovisual installations. Each of the three grants will be awarded for the production of a new project.
Submission fee: none
Salettl 2025 Artist-in-Residence
Deadline: February 26
The Salettl am Gemeinschaftshof, near Vienna in Donaustadt, was originally designed and built as an educational space for organic farming. Since 2020, it has been transformed into a cultural, educational and event space for sustainable development. This year's call is directed towards artists who submit a project specifically for the context of the Kleine Stadt Farm community project with reference to the district of Donaustadt's annual theme of "social cohesion." The residency runs from June 1 to 30, 2025, with a final presentation on June 27. Living and working space is provided, along with a stipend of €1,800.
Submission fee: none
John Michael Kohler Arts Center Arts/Industry Residency
Deadline: February 28
For more than fifty years, Arts/Industry has been connecting artists with the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co., and providing a place to explore new ideas, processes, and perspectives. Artists from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Each year, up to twelve artists are selected for residencies in the Pottery or Foundry areas of the factory through a competitive jury process. No experience with clay or cast metal is required, just an interest in pursuing a new body of work and being open to new ideas.
Arts/Industry residencies are three months in length and divided into three cohorts. There are four artists-in-residence in each cohort—two in Pottery and two in Foundry. Residents are expected to commit to the full three-month period. Artists-in-residence receive 24-hour access to studio space, industrial materials, use of equipment, technical assistance, photographic services, housing, round-trip transportation, and a modest weekly stipend.
Submission fee: none
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation Curatorial Open Call
Deadline: February 28
The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation seek applications from emerging researchers, curators, and cultural presenters to work with them to realize their pre-existing, and as-yet unrealized, exhibition concept. The selected curator will be given an honorarium of $3,000 for their work on the exhibition and $2,000 for an essay in the accompanying catalog.
Submission fee: none
Providenza 2025 Residency
Deadline: February 28
Providenza is a multidisciplinary artistic residency set in the Corsican mountains, offering an inspiring natural environment for creativity, collaboration, and rest. It supports contemporary artistic creation, blending disciplines and cultures, with a focus on cinema, music, and art/science projects exploring political and environmental issues. Residencies run three to four weeks in May, June, or September, and artists from anywhere in the world, working in all disciplines, may apply. Accommodation, a grant of €2,000 (€500/week) is provided, along with transport from Europe.
Submission fee: none
Kennedy Center Access/VAS Emerging Young Artist Program
Deadline: February 28
The Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program, amplifies the voices of emerging visual artists through career development and professional empowerment. This national juried exhibition seeks artwork that demonstrates the excellence and important perspectives of artists with disabilities, ages 16 to 25, residing in the United States. Fifteen artists each receive a $3,000 award, engage in professional development activities at the Kennedy Center, and have one of their submitted works featured in an exhibition.
Submission fee: none
Artadia Awards Chicago
Deadline: March 1
The Artadia Awards provide financial support, exposure, and recognition to artists. The awards are unrestricted, allowing artists to use the funds in any way they choose. Following the studio visits, the second round jury will designate three awardees to receive unrestricted funds of $15,000, as well as access to the Artadia Network. Awardees are determined based on the sole discretion of the jury.
Submission fee: none
Surel's Place Month-Long Residencies in Idaho
Deadline: March 1
The program is open to professional visual, literary, and performance artists: painters, writers, musicians, architects, filmmakers, and choreographers… any artist who needs a place to focus. Residencies Garden City, Idaho, include free rent and utilities, wi-fi, $100 stipend per week, a $300 travel stipend, and more. In addition, residents will have hosts to help orient residents to the community, introduce them to other artists, inform them of nearby events and opportunities, and host their public events at Surel’s Place.
Submission fee: none
Henry Moore Foundation Winter Open Call for Research and Travel Grants
Deadline: March 1
Available to sculpture historians, academics, and conservators who are researching and publishing on sculpture conservation, production, history and/or interpretation, funding is available towards your research costs, including travel, photography, and archival access. This grant is not available to artists who are researching or traveling to inform their own practical work. The maximum grant for individuals is £2,500.
Submission fee: none
Prairie Ronde Artist Residency — Summer Session
Deadline: March 1
Prairie Ronde is hosted by The Mill at Vicksburg, a redevelopment project of the former Lee Paper Company mill, in the historic village of Vicksburg, Michigan. The program provides artists from a range of disciplines with a 5- to 6-week residency, with the goal of engaging with The Mill and its surrounding 80 acres of property. Three sessions are offered annually during the spring, summer, and fall. Artists receive a $2,000 stipend upon completion of the residency, a $500 travel grant, private housing, a gallery show in downtown Vicksburg, and more.
Submission fee: $25
Kimmel Harding Nelson Residency
Deadline: March 1
The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, Nebraska, awards up to seventy juried residencies per year to established and emerging visual artists, writers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists from across the country and around the world. Residencies are 2 to 8 weeks in length. Each resident receives a $175 stipend per week, housing, and a private studio.
Submission fee: none
See all opportunities
Paid subscribers can access a full list of all current opportunities anytime—updated at least a couple of times each week.
Whether you’re a free or paid subscriber, you can also browse through listings in earlier digests in the archive.
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