Letters

March 26th, 2005 · 2 Comments · 2004 - 2012 Sketchbook, Writing

Frankschaeffer2

Greetings. How do you obtain grants and venues for your work?

Shawn,
Memphis, TN

Shawn, to start off, have a portfolio that proves you can do it. Grad school hones this. Nobody will take you seriously if you don’t take yourself seriously: spend time and money on your work. Getting lucky is possible, but don’t expect it: build a foundation by first applying for small venues and grants. Target $500-$1000 grants and smaller galleries and institutions at your school and community. Move on from that solid platform.

Failure is vital. Embrace and celebrate individual rejections as an acceptable and necessary end for the majority of proposals sent. Think of sending proposals out the same way you roll dice: it’s a numbers game.

Art alone never initiates happiness. Invest in family, friends, your community and spiritual/metaphysical[/philisophical–rare!] affiliations. Art connects these relationships. Without them, creating art is futile and dangerous.

Category: 2004 - 2012 Sketchbook · Writing

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