As professional artists who are in the process of gaining collectors it's important to cultivate an audience.  One of the opportunities we have to expand our collector base is to give people information and even demonstrations so they can become familiar with our medium.  Even more important is the opportunity to give potential collectors a view into your process.

The Foothills Art Center just concluded their show "American Print".  I know some about printmaking, but to have artists discuss their work and their process was very helpful.  Because the money issue always rears its ugly head, by showing people what and how we create allows the buyer/collector the insight and the information that art is not a ten minute process. 

What impressed me most  about the show at the Foothills Art Center was the comprehensive program they designed to give people a true sense of printmaking.  Aside from the artist talks, they had workshops and demonstrations so people could get some first hand experience in printmaking.  It was a way to invite the community to become a part of the artistic process.  Who knows they may have recruited some people to expand their hidden potential and begin creating their own art.

The day I attended the artist talk there were two artists who really made an impact on me.  Mark Griffin's "Junkyard Dream Tour" was a beautifully executed piece of work.  What made it even more special was his ability to talk about the fact that he "uses chance in the creative process".  In this case he was referring to the piece of steel he had acquired from passing a scrap yard.  He uses a lot of found objects in his work and you could see him shine with pride as he discussed the finds he makes on a continual basis.  He was well prepared, in fact, he brought other pieces in different stages of completion so the audience could understand how he works and can see the effects he can create with different materials.  What really caught my attention was his ability to acknowledge, identify and discuss his artistic heroes.  This always makes me happy because we all come from a particular artistic lineage and he was able to identify his lineage.

The other artist that is able to convey her process and her motivation eloquently was Tonia Bonnell.  her piece "11/storm" is part of a series derived from the Beaufort scale, a wind scale used in marine navigation.   Tonia was able to take us from concept, to process, to completion.  This is what potential buyers/collectors love, is to have the artist present clearly and not in "art speak" what inspired them and why did they bring that inspiration to fruition.

In addition to the speakers, Michael Chavez, the curator at Foothills Art Center, was incredible helpful in filling in the gaps that the artists had during their presentations.  He is a great bridge between the artist and the audience and is comfortable stepping in so that everyone was clear about what the artist was sharing.  It made the experience a more interactive experience because it prompted more questions from the audience.

What are you ready to teach the world, or at least potential buyers?  If you aren't prepared to give that type of presentation today, what can you do to ready yourself?

Teach and be understood...
Greg

coaching artists to success