Overview

"In this unique book, artist and teacher David McClyment draws on decades of experience to outline essential professional practices for emerging fine artists. As he writes in the introduction: ""In art college, I never heard one word of practical advice about what to expect as a professional artist or how to engage with my audience. Nothing about how to talk to a gallery, apply for a grant, price artwork, and so on. Nothing about what to expect as a reasonable career arc in terms of recognition and financial reward. In fact, in 1980, the year that I graduated, the graduating class was told this: 'In ten years, maybe two of you will still be in the arts!' That was the sum total of my formal education in professional practices. The fact that some 40 years later I am still happily engaged in making art speaks more to my own stubbornness than anything else. But whatever I learned about how to survive and thrive as an artist, I did the hard way. Basically, by making every mistake conceivable. My hope in writing this book is to turn that dynamic on its head. I cannot and will not promise you that following the advice in this book is going to make you rich or famous. But I am hoping that it will help you anticipate what is coming your way as a self-employed fine artist, avoid predictable pitfalls, and find a path that will lead to ongoing happiness as an artist over a long and fruitful career."" Among the topics covered in So You Want to Be an Artist: - Defining success as a professional artist - ""Day jobs"" for professional artists-and why they're so important - How to put together a winning portfolio - Tips on how to photograph your artwork, how to digitally process photodocumentation, and how to present those images to key decision-makers - How to craft effective artist's statements, biographies, resumes, and proposals - Types of galleries and how to approach them - Creating your own exhibition opportunities, including art fairs, group shows, and shows in unconventional locations - How to effectively promote your artwork, including online and social media strategies - Tips on pricing and selling your artwork - How to obtain funding for individual and group projects - Winning public art commissions - The basics of setting up your studio - How to install your artwork at an exhibition - Strategies for framing and presenting artwork - Important points to remember when transporting artwork - The pros and cons of artist's residencies - The fundamentals of contracts, copyright, insurance, and taxes as they apply to fine artists Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs and other images-including dozens of McClyment's own works-So You Want to Be an Artist is an indispensable guide to the nuts and bolts of making a living in the fine arts. Lively, entertaining, practical yet bursting with enthusiasm, this is the one book no professional artist can afford to be without."

Full Product Details

9780919852846

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

David McClyment has been obsessively drawing for almost seventy years, and professionally for forty. He has exhibited primarily in the Toronto area, but also throughout Ontario and across Europe. His work has been the focus of many grants from all levels of government, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. McClyment has shown his work through exhibitions with artist co-operatives, public galleries, artist-run centres and commercial galleries, as well as organizing his own initiatives. His exhibitions have been reviewed in many major media outlets, including CBC Music (formerly CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2), Rogers TV, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post and the Winnipeg Free Press. He is currently a full member of Red Head Gallery in Toronto.As an emerging artist, no one explained to him how the art world worked. Professional practice certainly was not taught at the art college he attended. As a result, he has made EVERY mistake possible. But being stubbornly determined he persisted. And now feels equally determined to share that experience.In addition to his career as an artist, he has mentored hundreds of emerging artists; first through his role as a project officer in an arts service organization, and most lately as a professor in the Fine Arts Studio program at Centennial College. In that capacity he received a number of awards for teaching excellence.Having now stepped away from teaching, McClyment is able to dedicate most of his waking hours to time in the studio. Ah, life is good!He is inspired daily by his longtime reason for living, Sue Bracken, and their multi-talented son, Jaimie.To see more of his artwork, visit www.flyingpiecreations.com.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available