I had a great new years eve, relaxed with friends and we shared a rambling funny conversation. At one point I was talking to Scott, a very smart sculptor/blacksmith, fresh from his MFA program and figuring out (as is everyone I know) how to make the work he needs to make while earning some money to pay some bills. Everybody who makes work has some sort of a solution and my observation is that most of us in non-cut-throat communities (like upstate New York) are navigating and juggling solutions all the time. We have day-jobs with flexbility, or we have a parade of short-term jobs. At this point in my life (and in this community) I don't know anyone who only makes art. But I do know many who manage to make good art.

The solution I've had for the past couple of years is to work a full time job, draw daily, and make regular time in my studio. Some weeks it works better than others and I'm lucky. My day job is creative. My day job is comfortable, flexible, and feeds rather than draws from my artwork but it does keep me occupied 40+ hours a week. I won't be walking away from it anytime soon even if every New Years Day I dream of having 8 hour stretches 5 days a week in the studio. I like my health insurance. I like that I am often able to encourage other artists to get to their studios, or hand them flyers for opportunities, or remind them of upcoming deadlines (like the Saltsonstall.)

Last night I mentioned my general pissy-ness with the 50/50 cut that even small town private galleries take when they sell art. Now I understand the 50/50 with big fancy uptown New York galleries but then there's the ridiculously inflated pricing scale of lots of original art.) I'm resolved to show my work more in 2006 but I'll continue to try to do it on my terms.

But am I wrong to be pissy about gallery cuts? Is there a more active promotion of artists I don't see? Is there an artist out there who is happy with their gallery representation, particularly in smaller markets? Where are the good-to-artists galleries? Let me know what you know because it's a new year and I'm ready to cut the shiny white boxes some slack if they are actually serving artists in the crucial work of helping us work.
There are bigger problems to solve in this shiny new year, of course, but I hope to help other artists in any little way I can...if only to remind you to make more, make better art...

Take care,
Rachael

yes, and great resources are here at nyfa.org for any artists beginning or stalled or anyway involved in the juggle that is being a working artist